Page 16 of Egotistical Jerk
I wedged my foot between her feet and nudged her legs apart; stepping into her space the moment I was able to do so. Bending my knees, I aligned our hips and pushed forward again and again.
There was ringing somewhere, I tried to ignore it, but it only became louder until the screeching sound of it was almost deafening.
My body jerked and my eyes shot open.
"Mia."
Her name blew over my lips in a whisper. Squinting, I took in my surroundings; my gaze almost immediately colliding with a pair of eyes. They weren't Mia's though. They belonged to my cat, Teddy, who was sitting on my chest. His tail impatiently swishing back and forth.
"Shit."
I'd been dreaming and I swear, I'd never been more disappointed to wake up.
I stroked my palm over Teddy's head and down his spine. "You probably want food, eh?" He gave me a clipped meow in answer, and I chuckled. "All right, then."
As if he understood, he hopped off and trotted toward the kitchen.
Next to my head on the couch, the insistent ringing started up again. With a groan, I picked up my phone and saw my mom's number flashing on the screen. She wanted to video chat. Now.
If it were anyone else, I would have simply ignored the call and gone back to sleep. As it stood, though, I hadn't spoken to either of my parents in a few weeks. Their travels had taken them to somewhere in Africa and getting a decent signal hadn't been on the top of their priority list.
By the way I was grunting when I moved into a seated position, you'd think I was closer to fifty rather than my thirty-seven years. Lifting the flashing screen toward my face, I smiled and swiped the little green button.
My mom's older-but-still-youthful face filled the screen. Stretching her lips wide, she beamed at me. "Sebastian!" With her eyes slightly narrowed, she leaned closer to the camera. "Did I wake you?"
"It's nothing." Using the back of my hand, I rubbed my eye. "I haven't been asleep long, anyway."
"Your father and I wanted to check in a while ago, but you know how it goes."
Nodding my head, I hummed in agreement.
"How are things at work?" That question was so loaded, she might as well have asked,"Have you found a cure for cancer yet?"
I loved my parents and as much as they didn't mean to, they expected the world, especially from me. Or at least that's what it felt like. It was also entirely possible the pressure I felt from them actually stemmed from me wanting to make them proud.
"It's good," I finally answered her.
Mom's brows pulled together. The lines on her forehead deepening while she tilted her head first this way, then that way. "Are you all right? You look stressed."
With a sharp shake of my head, I waved a dismissive hand through the air. "I'm fine, Mom." Then I abruptly changed the subject by asking, "How's your trip?"
In an instant, the worry-lines disappeared, radiant happiness in its place.
"It's so wonderful. We're currently staying in theKruger National Parkand you won't believe what we saw yesterday! Before I tell you, you have to see this first." Her image shook as she got up from where she'd been sitting to move some place else. The sound of hinges moaning filled my ears right before my mom's awestruck, "Look."
She flipped the camera. In the place where my mom's face had been a second ago, now stood a sight so beautiful, it stole my breath. Mountains and lush greenery stretching as far as the camera would allow me to see.
Bright orange and yellow mixed with a touch of pink streaked across a cloudless sky as the sun started its slow climb. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that we were thousands of miles apart, in very different time zones, yet we could still experience this moment together.
"It's beautiful."
"Isn't it?" I got to appreciate the view a few seconds longer before my mom's face filled the screen again. "Your father and I were talking about it and we're thinking of staying. We'd like to open a clinic here."
Something inside me twisted and stabbed. I'd always assumed my parents would come back to Providence. That stupid feeling of being alone smashed into me with the weight of a ten-pound hammer. But still, when I opened my mouth and said the words, I knew I meant it.
"You have to do what makes you happy, Mom."
She regarded me for a long, long moment. Her voice was soft when she said, "And so do you, Sebastian. Don't ever forget that."
