The fact was,stargazingwasn’t my thing, Rafe was. If he’d wanted to try walking on hot coals or swimming with sharks, I’d probably have said yes, so sitting in the dark watching the stars was an absolute no-brainer.
And the best part was, I was pretty sure Rafe felt the same way about me. One of the greatest truths of my life was that Rafe Goodman liked me better than anyone else on the planet outside of his family. Sometimes when I got down or nervous, that knowledge carried me.
“Jay, if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?” Rafe asked suddenly.
I was so unprepared for the question, so caught up in the sticky-tar of my emotions, that my brain stalled.
I want us to spend the autumn together. Every autumn together.
I want our magic not to end when the summer does.
I want to write songs about you and play them for people who love them.
I want to be so big and make so much money, people will respect my choices.
But most of all, I want you to want me.
I want you to love me.
And then I want you to wait for me…
Until I’m free to love you back.
“Uh. More beer?” I croaked. “Maybe Doritos?”
“I meant in terms of yourlife, Rollins.” Rafe sounded both amused and disapproving. “Think big picture.”
“Oh. That.”
“Never mind. I already know.”
“Do you?” I highly doubted it.
“You want a Grammy or ten, and a giant sold-out show. Legions of screaming fans. Hot girls.”
Just as I suspected. It was crazy how a person could know me so well in most ways and be so wildly off base in others.
“You got it,” I agreed. “Iron Pipes or bust, baby!” Rafe clinked our beer bottles together again.
“Seriously, though,” I said slowly, “if I could have anything, it’d be one of those big ol’ mansions up on the hill on the other side of the island, where Grandma Goodman’s house is. That’s what I’m going to do once I’ve made it big. That way we can keep having our summers together.”
Rafe snorted. “No way. When you’ve made it big, you’ll be able to afford a big mansion inCalifornia. Or Europe. Or on your own private island. Places you have toflyto get to, which means I’m not gonna be there,” he said with a self-deprecating smile. “Meanwhile, I’m gonna be telling the same old ghost stories on my dad’s tour boat until I’m a ghost myself.” He sucked down the last of his beer.
Sometimes when he talked about the future, he sounded so bleak. I wanted to tell him it didn’t have to be that way, that we had the power to make the future look like whatever we wanted it to… but I knew better. Rafe and Ibothhad to make sacrifices to have the things we wanted most. And for him, that was making sure his family was taken care of, despite his dad’s crazy get-rich-quick schemes.
“You’re wrong. No place else will ever be home to me like this island is,” I vowed staunchly. “Whispering Key is the most beautiful place on earth.”
Rafe’s grin was back, just like that. “Yeah? How many places have you been, world traveler?”
“Lots! Dad and Belinda took us to Mexico once over Christmas, and I went on a school trip to Greece, and we all flew out to California to visit my dad’s sister two years ago. But I don’t have to see the whole earth to know where I wanna be. My best friend lives here.” I elbowed him lightly. “I’d never not wanna be where you are, dude.”
I put my hand out to shove at his shoulder. His skin was hot from the sun, and I slid my thumb over it surreptitiously, another tiny touch to store away.
Rafe’s muscles bunched and flexed beneath my hand as he stood up, and then he turned and held out a hand to me. “Come on. I want a song before sunset, so it’s time for me to whup your ass.”
“Wait! We didn’t decide what I get if I win!”
“If you win…” He pursed his lips. “You get to play metwosongs,” he decided. Then he took off down the length of the beach, tossing a smirky little smile over his shoulder.
