Because You Need Someone: Book 1 in the Need Trilogy: The Pack: Merome

Chapter Four: The Video

When Jerome wakes up, Mitch is sleeping in his lap and it's nighttime outside. Jerome looks at Mitch seeing tear tracks down his cheeks. He licks his thumb and wipes the tear tracks off Mitch's face and then he notices the hand print on Mitch's cheek then Mitch wakes up. Blush creeps up his neck hearing Jerome's heartbeat in his head.

"Did Jessica come?" Jerome asks. Mitch doesn't respond. "Mitch answer me." Mitch flinches and then crawls out of Jerome's lap and to the other side of the couch. "Mitch--"

"She did." Mitch said.

"Why didn't you tell me about the abuse?" Jerome snaps making Mitch huddle down a little in his spot.

"I-I'm sorry. Please d-don't hit me." Mirch said. Jerome's angry sizzles away and he reaches for Mitch but Mitch pulls away from him.

"Mitch I would never hurt you." Jerome said. Jerome moves closer to him. "How long?"

"What?" Mitch asks.

"How long has she been abusing you?" He asks. Mitch hesitates to speak, he feels tears fill his eyes, and once he speaks his voices is shaky.

"F-Few months. But I s-still love her, why do I love her? I don't want to l-love her anymore Jerome." Mitch said.

'A few months. She has been abusing him for a few months and I never noticed?! I mean there were signs but I always brushed them off. There were days when he was really exhausted, missed scheduled recordings, and even events as well but he always had an excuse ready for it. Why didn't I see he was suffering?! I'm his best friend! I've known him for years.' Jerome thought. Jerome wipes tears off of Mitch's face.

"Have about we talk about this in the morning?" He asks. Mitch nods slightly. Jerome gets off the couch and Mitch looks at him feeling lost without Jerome's arms.

"J-Jerome." Mitch said. Jerome stops and turns to Mitch.

"Yeah buddy?" He asks. Mitch looks away from Jerome.

"Um...C-Can you...um.." Mitch started. Jerome tilts his head to the side a little.

'I haven't felt safe in so long. In months actually and something about him makes me feel safe. Without him I few like she is gonna appear and start hitting me again. I want him near me.' Mitch thought. Mitch was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Jerome pick him up in his arms and when he finally did notice he blushes and rests his head against Jerome's chest. Jerome makes his way down to Mitch's bedroom.

"I won't let her touch you again Mitch." Jerome said. Jerome sets Mitch down on his bed.

"But you'll leave me." Mitch said. Jerome looks at him confused and then remembers that he doesn't live here. "You'll go back to the States leaving me here." Jerome smiles a little.

"You could always come live with me Mitch." He said. Mitch looks at him. "Although I don't know if you're fit for traveling right now. I just want you to be happy and safe. And you won't be neither as long as she is here with access to you."

"Would you really let me live with you?" Mitch asks. Jerome nods. Jerome sits down on the bed next to Mitch.

"Yeah man. It could be fun. The others miss you, I bet they would be happy to see you." Jerome said. All the happiness suddenly drops from Mitch's face and he looks away. Jerome loses his smile. "What's wrong?"

"My channel. H-How can I face them after being g-gone for almost four weeks?" Mitch asks. Jerome turns Mitch's head so their eyes connect.

"Explain to them what happened, they'll understand." Jerome said. Mitch looks at his computer and Jerome's hand drops from his chin. "You want to explain now? They are really worried about you." Mitch nods and then stands up not making any effort to move towards hid desk. "Come on Mitch. You can do it. They deserve the truth."

"B-But Jessica--"

"I will protect you from her. Forever and always Benja. She won't lay another hand on you as long as I'm around. Go on." Jerome said. Mitch looks at Jerome.

"I want to talk to them alone." Mitch said. Jerome stares at Mitch for a second and then nods.

"Fair enough. I'll be in my room." Jerome said getting up and then leaving. Mitch walks over to his chair and sits down in it feeling pain sting up his right side and back. He grits his teeth and squeezes his eyes shut. He takes a minute before he moves the mouse seeing Jerome left the computer on. He goes to his recording program and turns on his camera. He puts his hood up so it covers his eyes slightly. He takes a deep breathe and manages a fake smile. He hits record, but once he tries to speak, he loses all his words and he loses his smiles, his eyes drop, and his fingers traces scars on his wrists. He stays stay...not speaking for a few moments.

"Why am I doing this?" Mitch asked himself. He puts his hands through his hair and then looks at the scars on his wrists letting memories flood back to him. Some of the scar are faint, but one scar stands out for starting from his inner elbow and going down to the middle of his forearm.

'That one..That one almost killed me.' Mitch thought as his feels tears flood his eyes.

"I've been..so reckless." Mitch said. He looks up at the camera with tears falling down his cheeks. "Things haven't been nice doods. They been terrible. I stopped uploading four weeks ago, I stopped because....because I couldn't fake a smile anymore, I couldn't act like everything was okay anymore to a camera or anyone. I um....I didn't say anything because I felt so trapped." He looks down at his arms. "I felt so alone. I know you guys have been noticing my mood has been declining, I wasn't as happy as I was yesterday. Truth be told...I haven't been actually happy in months." He fingers go under his sweatshirt and touch his bruised side making him wince. "I got caught in an...an abusive relationship for almost a year now and I thought maybe..maybe one day it would stop. But it never did." Mitch wipes tears off his cheeks. His voice starts to shaky as he speak as he tries to just get this done and over with. "If I didn't d-do what she wanted, she would hit me. I-If she didn't get want she wanted, she w-would hit me. She would u-use anything she could get her h-hands on. I can't r-raise a hand to her, I've t-tried getting a-away from her, s-she always finds me. Just hours ago she...she hit me with a b-broom t-twice and backhanded me. And w-what scares me the most is...I f-forgive her. Why?" Mitch feels himself start to tremble and shake and his vision becomes blurred. "I-I guess I deserve it. A-All the punches, kicks, slaps, beatings, harsh words. I remember w-when she use to be s-so sweet and nice. I want that g-girl back. I w-want my Jessica back. But I-I don't think I'll ever get h-her back. S-She'll kill me f-for posting this. I-I'm sorry for never t-telling you all. But..But I actually have good news. I'm moving. Yep...Jerome is letting me move in with him for a while. So don't worry about me." He smiles a little. "I'll be back to recording and posting again, I just need time to...to repair. Is that okay? But..But I want you all to do something for me. I want you to go over to Jerome's channel, twitter every social media thing he has. He hass been the one who flew all the way over here to Canada two weeks ago and helped me....I probably would be dead if it wasn't for him. So please...show him some love, he deserves it. I'm gonna go to sleep, it's passed midnight. Night doods and.." Mitch smiles. "Make sure you click that like button and if you are new subscribe. It would mean a lot to me. Bye guys." Mitch stops recording. He takes a second and takes in a deep breathe feeling his tears stopping. He wipes his face with his sleeves. He lets the video render, he doesn't bother editing anything, after it renders he posts it. He sits in his chair and feels tears start to come. He puts his arms around him wincing when he touches his bruises. He turns off his computer and crawls into bed. He pulls his blankets tightly around him and shuts his eyes.

'Things will get better. Things will get better....but why don't I believe that?' Mitch thought before he finally drifts off into darkness.