Mess Is Mine • The Pack

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Vikk moved into his apartment a week later. He packed two suitcases full of stuff and everyone sans Ruby helped move his bed and the furniture Lachlan insisted he have. Nothing matched and now their house was missing a few chairs and a dresser, but it didn't matter. Vikk was happy and that's all Lachlan wanted.

Jerome shed some tears when Lachlan had his back turned. He said it was like sending a kid to college, Preston comforted him the best he could.

Before they left, Lachlan told Rob this is only a trail period. If he did anything wrong he'd have to come home no exceptions. Lachlan also told Vikk he was now in charge of making sure Rob gets to school everyday. Rob had a smirk on his face, but what he didn't know is that bro code only extends so long. There was no way in hell Vikk was going to get in trouble because of Rob.

Another activity was Preston's ongoing mission to choose a college. He and Lachlan were determined, and Mitch and Jerome were being dragged along. Their attempts became more ridiculous every time, and, strangely, more effective.

First, they came out with a pros and cons list. That seemed like a good idea at the time, but it only made things more complicated when Preston had to decide which had the worse cons.

The second attempt had been even worse. Jerome suggested going to each college and having a campus tour. Which, yet again, seemed liked a good idea at the time. Trip to Northwestern? No problem, that's like forty minutes away. Maybe have to pay for gas and to eat lunch. Yale? Thirteen hours away. Affording plane tickets and hotel cost, yeah, not happening.

Their third attempt was by far the worst. Mitch suggested why not compare the two colleges prices and decide which. Yale; $66,445. Northwestern; $68,000. Lachlan was practically hyperventilating. Preston didn't want to talk about money anymore.

Easter rolled around the corner, and with the celebration of the rebirth of Christ accompanied candy in baskets.. for some reason.

Lachlan lay back against the headboard, his right arm propping his head, his left resting comfortably on his thigh. He wasn't one to admit how much he enjoyed any Holiday, but the secret joy was being granted to him as he watched Ruby tell Preston, very descriptively, what was inside her Easter basket.

Lachlan watched as Ruby opened the brightly colored bag of jelly beans. Watched as Ruby stuck her hands and pulled a big handful out, offering them to Preston who accepted opened. with nimble fingers. His eyes followed the path to Preston's palm, to the tips of his finger and thumb, to his mouth. Lachlan stared openly at the little movements, Preston seemingly unaware of being observed until Lachlan saw a smile tug at his chapped lips.

"Do you want one?" Preston asked, extending his palm full of bright sugar toward Lachlan.

"Sure." His voice was a smile itself.

Preston looked up at Lachlan then and extended a purple bean up close to Lachlan's lips before leaning forward as though for a kiss only to pop the bean in his own mouth with a smile.

Lachlan laughed, elbowing Preston's side, "Asshole."

"Daddy don't cuss."

"You're right, I'm sorry. Jerk," Lachlan corrected.

Preston shared Lachlan's smile and offered him another jelly bean which he accepted.

Lachlan watched the gentle way Ruby sorted her candy, the way she said each color and placed it in a specific section of her Easter basket. The way her eyebrows scrunched together as she tried to remember what each different candy was called. The way her hair swished every time she moved. The way she tried to balance her candy on the wavy surface of the sheets.