Page 124 of Stay With Me Forever

I wasn’t entirely sure if my brother and I would ever be as close as we once were, but I hoped so. Maybe even West would get back his former best friend too.

Avery popped her head out. “Emmy, Daddy, who are you talking to?”

Wyatt’s head also appeared in the doorway, but his mouth dropped open. No doubt because Rafe was one of his soccer heroes.

I answered, “Avery, this is my brother, Rafe. Say hello to him.”

Avery ran out and stopped just short of my brother. “Hello, Rafe. Maybe one day you’ll be Uncle Rafe, if Emmy ever marries my dad.”

I groaned. Avery was like a dog with a bone when it came to me becoming her stepmom.

Rafe cleared his throat. “Well, nice to meet you, Avery.”

Wyatt walked slowly toward us before whispering, “You’re Rafe Mendoza from the Manchester Dragons FC.”

“Er, yes. Do you like soccer?”

“Oh, I love it! My dad doesn’t, but I try to watch highlights when I can. The games are at weird hours for us here, so I can’t watch them live.”

Hearing Wyatt being so talkative made me blink. I knew he’d loved soccer, but apparently, it made him gush unlike anything else.

Rafe smiled at Wyatt. “Well, thanks for watching. Maybe the next time I see you, I can give you a signed jersey. Would you like that?” After Wyatt nodded, Rafe asked, “Did you want one too, Avery?”

She scrunched up her nose. “Not really. You can give Wyatt mine.”

West frowned but knew better than to bark at one of his son’s sports idols in front of him.

After squeezing his fingers in mine again, I said, “Say goodnight, Avery and Wyatt. My brother needs to leave soon, and it’s getting late.”

The twins both said goodbyes and waved, Wyatt lingering a few seconds to stare at Rafe before Avery tugged him inside.

Once the front door closed again, I fixed my gaze on Rafe. “Promise me you won’t stay away for years again, Rafe. I need to hear it.”

“I promise, Emmy. I might not be able to come back for weeks or months yet, depending on the paperwork. But I’ll come back to Starry Hills as soon as I can.”

I searched my brother’s face, memorizing how much older he looked and yet how he also looked the same from when we were kids. “Good. Then I’ll see you then.”

For a second, we all stood still. Then I decided screw it and wrapped him in another hug. Once I released him, Rafe spoke again. “Goodnight, Emmy, Wolfe. I’ll see you again soon.”

West glared at Rafe the whole time he walked off the porch and even as he climbed into his car. Only once my brother had driven away did West meet my eyes again. “He should’ve done a hell of lot more groveling before you hugged him.”

“Maybe. But I think he’s been hurting all these years, like me. And I wanted to show him that while we may have a crap-ton of unresolved issues, I don’t hate him.”

“If he hurts you, I don’t care if he’s your brother. I will kick his ass.”

I placed a hand on his cheek. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. And maybe I’m wrong, but something in Rafe’s eyes told me he misses Starry Hills, misses me, and maybe even misses you.”

West grunted. “Don’t expect me to hug him anytime soon.”

“I know, West. But I can hope.”

After pulling me close, he nuzzled my cheek. “Supporting you is part of my job, unless you do something like get drunk and start doing lap dances for random guys. Then I will stop that shit in its tracks.”

“I’ve never done that. Well, not since that one time when I was twenty-one.”

“It’s legendary in the town. That’s why I brought it up.”

Sighing, I leaned back until I could meet his gaze again. “Well, you’re the only one who gets lap dances from me now.”

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