Pretty Boy (boyxboy)

Chapter Forty

 TUESDAY (TWO WEEKS LATER)

"Is your dad coming by today?" Nate asks lazily. 

I sigh and lift myself up from my spot beside him.
"Yeah, I think so. He said something about coming in for lunch. I'd like it a lot if he could actually get to know you this time."

Nate sits up beside me grinning.
"If it's important to you, then I will."

"Thank you." I mumble, kissing his lips firmly.

"I seriously need a love life, I'm tired of being a third wheel." Jamie groans, laying her open book down onto her lap. 

"Absolutely not." 

She rolls her eyes at her brother but I know she is secretly thankful to have him be so protective over her. 

As if on cue, the intercom blares through the hallways.
'All patients and visitors to the cafe for lunch hour.'

Nate jumps up from the bed and heads toward the open door. 
"Finally! I'm starving."

Jamie and I laugh, following behind him.

"I swear if they have burgers again I will stab my eye out." Jamie complains as we enter the cafe. 

The smell of pizza immediately fills the air and Jamie sighs contently.

"Well looks like you'll get to keep your vision for a while longer." I tease. 

She rolls her eyes at me playfully and follows me to the line where Nate already stands, grabbing slices of pizza onto his plate. I place two of the smallest pieces onto my own plate and follow Nate back to the table, sitting down beside him. 

"Gee thanks for waiting up for me guys." Jamie grumbles as she sits down beside me.

I laugh.
"Sorry JJ."

I chew on my few bites of pizza in silence until I feel Nate nudge me. Looking up, I see my dad standing in the doorway, looking around the cafe nervously. 

I stand and wave at him, signalling him to come sit down with us. 

He gives me a small smile and makes his way to our table, sitting down on the opposite side of us. 

"Hey dad." I greet. 

His smile brightens at the sound of me calling him 'dad' again. 
"Hey Matt."

"You remember Nate?"

He adverts his eyes to the cheery boy beside me and nods.
"Yeah of course. Nice to see you again."

"You too." Nate agrees. 

"This is Jamie." I tell him, jerking my head over to the girl beside me. 

He gives her a polite smile and stretches his hand across the table for her to shake. 
"Nice to meet you." 

She nods, shaking his hand carefully.
"Nice to meet you too."

"So, um, how much longer are you gonna be in town?" 

He sighs heavily and licks his lips.
"Until Sunday. My flight leaves Sunday night." 

I nod, sadly.
"Oh okay."

I was actually starting to enjoy hanging out with him again. I almost don't want it to be over just yet. 

He clears his throat awkwardly. 
"I actually had something that I wanted to talk to you about." 

My eyebrows furrow in confusion as I swallow my small bite of pizza in my mouth. 
"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just something that I had been considering and I wanted your opinion." 

"Okay. What is it?" 

His eyes wander from my gaze and look at the two people on either side of me warily. 
"I think it would be better if we spoke in private."

"They don't let us leave the cafe until lunch hour is over. It's fine, we can talk about it now."

He shrugs, folding his hands together and resting his elbows on top of the table. 
"I was wondering if you would consider coming back to Georgia with me?"

I feel Nate and Jamie both tense as the question leaves his mouth. My body stills and I try to think if I actually heard him correctly. 

"No."

My body jerks at the sound of Nate's gruff voice from beside me. I can feel Jamie lean back behind me, tugging at her brother's shirt. 

"Excuse me?" Dad asks, his face holding a shocked expression. 

An angry frown is etched into Nate's usually bright and happy face.
"You can't just come back into his life after all of this time and take him with you across the country."

He scoffs.
"You don't have any idea what you are talking about. This has nothing to do with you." 

"Like hell it doesn't. He's my boyfriend." Nate tells him, his voice rising. 

I'm frozen in my place, still not being able to comprehend what he's asked me. Jamie tugs on the back of his shirt again.
"Nate, stop." 

He jerks himself away from her grip, standing up from his seat.
"You can't just take him away after leaving him for all that time!"

I snap myself out of it and stand up beside him, placing my hand on his arm.
"Nate, that's enough."

He ignores me and I watch as my dad stands up from his seat as well. 
"I'm not going to argue with a child. Matt, just think about it okay?" 

I nod and he gives Jamie and I a tight smile before exiting the cafe. Nate watches him as he exits, nostrils flaring and fists clenched at his sides. 

"Nate that was completely uncalled for." I tell him.

He finally turns to face me again, giving me a bewildered look. 
"You cannot honestly tell me that you would even consider going with him after everything he put you through?"

I huff.
"That doesn't matter right now. He's my father and it isn't your place to make my decisions for me."

His jaw clenches and he turns away from me, stomping out of the room, slamming the door behind him. 
I sigh sadly, slumping down into my chair next to Jamie. 

Her hand rests on my shoulder comfortingly. 
"He shouldn't have said those things. But he's only trying to protect you." 

I nod, rubbing my eyes in frustration.
"I know."