Pretty Boy (boyxboy)

Chapter Forty Four

SATURDAY


"Mom I need to talk to you." 

She stops in her tracks and turns to face me at from the kitchen door, giving me a concerned look. 
"What's wrong?"

I nod my head over to the couch.
"Come sit down."

Her nervous expression worsens but she does as I asked and sits down beside me on the couch. 

"A lot has happened since last weekend," I start, licking my lips, "A lot that you don't know about."

"Like what?"

I clear my throat sigh heavily.
"Nate and I aren't together anymore."

Her mouth parts in surprise and she rubs her hand down my arm soothingly. 
"Why not?"

"He cheated on me." I say coldly.

I hear a small gasp leave her lips but I don't meet her gaze. I already know that her face will hold sadness or sympathy. Neither of which I want right now. 
"We'll go back to that later. What we really need to talk about concerns dad." 

She shifts in her spot next to me.
"What about your father?"

"We have been getting closer lately. I decided to give him another chance after everything he told me, so we've been talking on the phone more, and he visits me at the hospital a couple times a week." 

I finally look up at her and she gives me a tight smile. I know she doesn't like talking about him, but the fact that she's trying to be civil and supportive of my decision means a lot to me. 
"That's great."

I nod.
"He's leaving and going back to Georgia tomorrow night....."

"And?" She encourages.

"And he wants me to come with him."

She is quick to stand up from the couch, her hands placing themselves on her hips.
"He wants you to do what?" She asks, teeth gritting angrily. 

"He wants me to go with him, mama."

"Absolutely not."

"Mom, please sit down. I wanna talk about this." 

She breathes out through her nose harshly but sits down on the edge of the couch cushion, folding her hands together. 

"I don't think it would be such a bad idea." I mumble. 

"You want to go?" 

The anger in her voice is disappearing and is replaced with sadness and shock.

I shrug.
"I think it would be good for me to get away from everything. I'm not moving there with him, but I need a change."

"But what about Jamie? We'd have to pull you out of the hospital's care system."

"Jamie and I have talked about it, and she says that she wants me to do what makes me happy. She will support me with whatever I decide. As far as the hospital goes, I spoke to Doctor Olsen about it. He said that he can't necessarily guarantee that I'll have my spot whenever I decide to come back, but he will do his best to keep my room open."

Her head falls and rests in her hands and I hear her breathe heavily.
"You don't even have a passport, Matthew." 

"I'm a minor. They don't require me to have a passport if I'm only traveling domestically and with a parent." 

"You really wanna do this?"

I nod slowly. 
"Yeah I do."

Her head lifts from her hands and I see her eyes are now red and teary as she wraps her arms around me.
"Okay."

"I'll come back, I promise." I whisper into her hair 

She chokes out a laugh and sniffs.
"You better."

I pull away from her and stand from the couch with a sigh. 
"I better go call and let him know."

She nods and heads back toward the kitchen as I head to my old bedroom, closing the door behind me. 

My heart beats loudly inside my chest as the line rings and I wait for him to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hi dad."

I feel a smile spread across his face from the other end of the line. 
"Hey, Matt. How are you?"

"I'm good. I've got some news."

He hesitates.
"What is it?"

"I've thought a lot about your offer and I've talked it out with mom and my doctor, and I'd really like to go with you tomorrow."

He's quiet for a moment but I hear a small sniff come from the line and he clears his throat.
"I'm really glad. I think it'll be good for us." 

"Yeah." 

"I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 7." 

"Okay. Bye."

"Bye, son."