Please Stay for Me (The Brotherhood Series)

by M. W. McKinley

  “He didn’t want to move?” Felix picks up a book from one of the front clearance tables, inspecting the back cover.

  “He didn’t want to move, but it was more over a record label. Three of us didn’t like them and he did, or he just wanted to be signed regardless of how much the label wanted us to change."

  He looks up from the book. “That’s rough.”

  “So, if you know any drummers?” I raise my eyebrows.

  Felix smiles. “I happen to know a few. Not me, though. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment.” He tucks the book under his arm as we walk through the bookstore.

  “Fair enough.” I know where I stand with my best mates. Now, if I only knew where I stand with Avery.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Avery

  "Are you sure about this?" I hold the phone in a death grip against my ear.

  "Where are you?" Emily asks.

  "Oh, you know . . . just pacing around Lincoln Center like a crazy person." The sound of the fountain is loud, so I walk further away in order to hear Emily.

  Her answering laugh makes me smile despite my current panic attack. "Avery, you are the absolute sweetest. You boarded a plane to New York, hired a car to Juilliard, and you're just now questioning it?"

  The cold January wind makes strands of hair tickle my cheek. "I should have questioned it sooner?" My breath in the air is visible as I speak. Of course I end up in New York City again when it’s freezing.

  Both Rob and she practically shout, "No!" Emily continues, "He's been absolutely mental without you. Honestly, I don't think we can stand it much longer. Now, he should get out of class any minute."

  "What if he doesn't walk this way? Or he missed class today? Or Rob's just wrong in general?" My pacing increases. An older man heading my way seems to think better of it and makes a strong veer to the right. Smart man.

  Rob’s laugh can be heard clearly in the background. "He'll be there," Emily promises.

  I shake out my free hand. "You sound so sure."

  "I’m one hundred percent sure!" Her casual and cheery tone helps calm me the tiniest sliver of a fraction.

  After we hang up, I stop pacing and take several deep breaths. I can do this. I’m going to do this.

  My phone pings, and I look down assuming it’s from Emily. Instead, it’s from Katherine. “Stop stalling and go get him!” I look around wondering if she walked over from Columbia’s campus just to make sure I do n’t chicken out. I wouldn’t put it past her.

  A few students begin exiting the building in my direct line of site, and I spot Liam immediately. I’m relieved to see he looks exactly the same from the length of his hair to his favorite pair of black jeans. His violin case is in one hand as he uses his other hand to talk animatedly to another student.

  When his eyes meet mine, his expression immediately goes from shocked to hopeful. He’s always believed in us. I just hope he still does.

  Conversation forgotten, he picks up the pace until he’s standing right in front of me. "You're here."

  Is it a statement or a question? Not that one is better than the other. If it’s a question, then maybe it means he’s surprised I’m here, as if he can’t think of a good reason why I should be here. But if it’s a statement, maybe it’s disappointment, as in, “Oh, you’re here.”

  I try to swallow the lump in my throat before saying, "I figured it was my turn." I manage a small and very nervous smile.

  He seems to be analyzing my face. "Avery."

  Again, I scrutinize his intense blue eyes but still can’t read him. I want nothing more than to throw myself in his arms. Instead, I gesture towards the steps. I need to sit down so I won't start pacing again.

  Liam surprises me by taking my hand as we walk towards the closest step—as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, as if we haven't been away from each other for the past several months, as if we stayed together my last day in Oxford, and our long-distance relationship had actually been successful. I have a brief montage in my mind of all the things I've missed like late night phone calls, text messages about our day, pictures and videos of our changing lives, and the feeling that someone out there felt the same way as I did.

  Liam sets his violin case down and then turns to me. "You're here. " This time it’s definitely a statement. It’s a good one, I think, by the way his smile reaches his eyes.

  I nod while trying to push my nerves as ide. "Two little birds told me how to find you."

  His eyes dance all over my face. "I figured.”

  "Emily promised I wasn't too late?" I ask in a shaky voice.

  His brows knit together. "Too late?"

  I wave a hand in his direction. "I figured you probably moved on."

  His features smooth out, and he takes my hand again. "I only moved. I would never move on, Avery. Not without you."

  I look down at our joined hands and then back up again. "I'm sorry about Atlanta. When you said you loved me—”

  He immediately shakes his head. "Nothing to apologize for, I knew where we stood.”

  "You're right, but I'm still glad you came. It made me think maybe you still thought of me as I thought of you."

  "I've thought of you every day since we met again."

  "Same here," I admit.

  He inches closer. "Things are better?"

  I nod. "Better. Still a work in progress, but I'm talking to Dad again."

  "That's great.”

  “He actually lives here now.” I notice the sounds of the closest street before giving Liam all of my attention again. “He found an apartment just on the other side of Central Park close to Mount Sinai Hospital.” When I helped him pick it out, I may have noticed it was only a ten-minute walk to Juilliard.

  “Is that why you're here?” The first sign of doubt laces his tone as if maybe he’s just a stop on my way to somewhere else.

  "No." Just breathe, Avery. I hold his gaze. "I love you, Liam. That’s why I’m here, because I love you.”

  Liam's whole body seems to relax. "I've been waiting on you. I would have kept waiting." His smile is blinding before his lips meet mine in a kiss that I feel all the way down to my toes.

  When we separate, he stands up and pulls me up into his arms so there’s no space between us. "There are some excellent photography schools here."

  He can't see my smile, but he can probably hear it in my reply. "Really?"

  "I'm sure of it." He speaks into my ear as he hugs me tighter.

  "For example?" I ask.

  "For example . . ." he trails off.

  I lean back a little so I can see his face. "New York Institute of Photography?"

  "Sounds completely legitimate." He absentmindedly brushes his hand across my cheek. The familiar feeling of his calloused fingers against my skin makes me shiver.

  "That's good. Since I'm transferring there next year."

  His hand freezes in place as his eyes try to read my mind. "What?”

  I shrug but I can’t erase the smile off my face. “I guess you’ll have to change the lyrics to my song now.”

  “Is that right?” He was probably aiming for a teasing tone, but his words are full of pleading.

  “Well, you’re no longer in love with a girl who can’t stay.”

  "You'll really be here with me?" His hands grip me tighter.

  I nod while my smile stays in place. "You did move across an ocean, even if it was just for your music. Figured I could move a few states north."

  "You're crazy if you think I only moved here for my music. And it is just a pond, by the way.”

  I playfully roll my eyes before saying, "Like I'm not just moving here for photography."

  Liam lets me go long enough to pick me up and spin me around. "I love you so much," he says after setting me back down.

  I laugh while catching my breath. "I love you, too.”

  We hold each other close as people walk all around us in Lincoln Center. It’s the first place I had a crush on a boy. It’s the first
place I told that same boy I love him.

  And when he asks me to stay this time, I say yes.

  Acknowledgements

  The prologue of this novel flashed through my mind almost ten years ago, and I loved the idea of these two people somehow meeting later in life. I wasn’t a writer, though. I had never written fiction before. As a recent law school graduate, I was anxiously awaiting my bar results before following in my father’s footsteps as a plaintiff’s attorney. But this story kept coming back to me. Finally, I decided to write it down just to get it out of my head.

  Over the last ten years—between running a law practice, having two kids, closing my law practice to move to the city, and then to my surprise, joining a defense firm—I’ve written many versions of this story. I’ve put it away and vowed to never look at it again. Then, I’d take it back out for the second, third, and millionth time to see if I could turn it into something I was brave enough to share. If it weren’t for the people who support me, this novel would still be another file on my computer.

  I find it funny that many of my ideas for novels come from my husband’s experiences and not my own. It was he who spent a whole summer studying abroad at Oxford University. Just as the dedication says, he’s the one who never gave up on our love story. I want to thank him for always supporting me in everything I do. From selling his truck to pay for my LSAT course to entertaining the kids while I flew off to writing conferences, he’s truly the best partner to have in life.

  Although there are so many people who have shaped my life, I can honestly say I wouldn’t be who I am without my mom. Until I had kids of my own, I never thought about how our every word and action as a parent affects the lives of our kids. I want to thank my mom for creating a life for me full of unconditional love, endless support, and her simply leading by example. She never had to tell me how to be a good person. It’s evident in the way she treats others with kindness and acceptance in her everyday life. She’s not only my biggest fan, but with her English degree, she also edits every sentence I write!

  The scene of Avery’s learning to dance in the dark is plucked straight out of real life from my dad and stepmom’s living room. I want to thank my second mom, Pam, for always complimenting my writing and giving me confidence to go after things that might seem out of reach. It’s still difficult to believe my dad has been in Heaven for three years now, and I hate I can’t pick up the phone to celebrate this moment with him. But I never once doubted his love and pride for me. Hopefully, he’s sipping on Diet Coke with Bob Marley playing in the background and smiling down at me.

  This novel is also an ode to grandparents and how they shape so many of our lives. The character of Meme is based on and named after my adopted grandmother, Virginia, or Meme as I call her. Yes, I adopted her! Even though I don’t get to see her as much as an adult, she’s still responsible for so many of my happy childhood memories. The same is to be said for my other grandparents on Earth and in Heaven: LaVaughn, Lannie, Mark, Mary, and J.R.

  I want to thank my closest friends, Ann, Heather, Brooke, Kelli, and my sister, Sarah, for not only encouraging me but for also being the best beta-readers a girl can have! I also want to thank my UK sensitivity reader, Georgina. Most of the story and characters had to be in Oxford, England, and I wanted to be as accurate and genuine as possible.

  I always hear parents say, “Everything I do is for my kids.” But I started off thinking of writing as something that was only for me. The other day, my son, Elijah, looked over my shoulder as I was editing this novel and said, “Are you working on your story?” It made me realize how much they observe everything we do even when we think they’re not paying attention. Then, my daughter, Alexis, asked me to help her write a story, too. Writing has become just another way to connect with my kids. I’ve wanted to publish this novel just so I can show them dreams do come true, and I want to thank them for inspiring me on a daily basis.

  I want to thank Aunt Sherry for being like another mother in my life. It does take a village! For everyone else, like my brothers and husband’s family, who supports me or would have supported me if I had told them what I was up to, thank you!

  Finally, I want to thank you, the reader, for taking a chance on my debut novel. It’s a scary and vulnerable thing to share my writing with the world. I really appreciate your taking the time to read Liam and Avery’s story. Look out for Lei and Felix’s story next in The Brotherhood Series!

  About the Author

  Even though M.W. McKinley hails from a small town in South Georgia, she’s always been a city girl at heart. She currently lives in Atlanta with her high-school sweetheart and their two Minecraft-obsessed kids. When she’s not writing for her job as a defense attorney or writing young adult novels for fun, M.W. McKinley enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, listening to live music, and sipping bourbon. Please Stay for Me is her debut novel. You can visit M.W. McKinley at facebook.com/mwmckinleywrites.