Page 30 of Stay With Me Forever

ChapterEleven

Emilia

Avery:We’re coming over this afternoon to swim!

Me:Good! Have fun!

Avery:Will you be home? You should come too.

Me:Should you even be texting me right now?

Avery:Um, no. Please don’t tell Daddy.

Me: I should. But if you promise to save it only for emergencies or check-ins, I won’t say anything.

Avery:I promise! See you at the pool!

Me:Er, sweetie, maybe talk to your dad about that emoji and don’t use it.

Avery:Why? We’re going to the pool and I want to splash around.

Me:I know. Do that! But ask your dad or Uncle Zach about it. Promise me.

Avery:Okay. If you come to the pool.

Me:We’ll see.

After getting Avery’s text messages, I had planned to hide out and keep my distance. And yet, the thought of staying inside on such a nice day and avoiding Avery and Wyatt didn’t really appeal. Avery had a way of making me smile and forgetting about my past for a little while.

And if I was honest with myself, I wanted to see West bare-chested again, up close and personal. I really shouldn’t. Especially since I’d dreamed of him last night, pinning my hands above my head as he took me rough and hard, and I’d woken swollen and aching. When I’d finished myself off, I’d come harder than I ever had in my life.

Definitely a huge warning sign for me to keep my distance.

But when I’d heard them entering the backyard and spotted them from my upstairs bedroom, I forgot about all the reasons why I should stay away. I put on my bathing suit and headed downstairs.

Of course Avery had charmed me, and I was soon helping her learn how to tread water. Once West started playing with his son at the far end, my heart warmed at the sight of the tall, burly man splashing water with his little boy.

The more time I spent with West and his kids, the harder it was for me to believe his late wife had wanted so little to do with them. I might never have kids, but if I did, I’d want them to be just like the twins.

As I finally helped Avery tread water for a few seconds before she gripped the wall again, she grinned at me and said, “I did it! I can’t believe I did it!”

“Amazing job! Look at how fast you picked that up. At this rate, you’ll be swimming in no time.” I moved close enough to grip the wall and gave Avery a hug. “I’m proud of you.”

When I pulled back, Avery looked at me with tears in her eyes. “You are?”

The disbelief in her voice went straight to my heart. “Of course I am. Anyone would be.”

She looked down at the water and whispered, “Not my mom.”

I knew it was bad to think ill of the dead, but I was starting to hate the woman who’d obviously neglected her daughter.

Still, I kept those thoughts to myself and placed a finger under Avery’s chin, making her meet my gaze again. “Well, I am really proud of you. Now, let’s try it one more time, and then maybe we can show your dad.”

The sadness vanished, replaced with determination, and she nodded. “I’ll try to do it a little bit longer.”

It wasn’t long before West came, watched his daughter, and then hugged her. The tender look West gave Avery as he brushed some of the wet strands off her face did strange things to my heart.

I’d hated him for abandoning his family, for taking things for granted, but now I started to wonder about the reasons why he’d stayed away. Because he clearly loved his kids, and I couldn’t imagine why he’d keep them from his family.

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