say don't go || cole walter

prologue

7 years ago

"joseph raine... joseph raine... joseph raine..." i hear my father's name as my mother switches through the stations, ultimately deciding to turn the radio off. 

i watch out the window as we drive through the small town. i have no idea where we're going. all i know is one second, i'm sitting in my bedroom in atlanta, and the next the four of us are in the middle of nowhere. 

i hear my mom's phone ring and try to make out her hushed conversation. 

"yes, we're about to pull in. i'll see you soon." she says before hanging up. 

we pull down a long driveway, both sides covered in thick grass. a long fence covers most of the yard, with a barn sitting in the middle. we get closer to the house and i see a man and a child standing on the porch. the boy looks to be a few years older than me. 

the car comes to a halt and my mom rushes us out of the car. we all walk towards the porch, but i stick to my mom's side. my mom hugs the man, and for the first time in weeks, i see a smile on her face. 

"it's so nice to see you, george. these are the kids, greyson, sawyer, and aurora." my mom says pointing us out one by one. "will! you've grown up so much since i last saw you." she says hugging him tightly. 

the man, now known as george, waves at the three of us, before opening the front door. 

"i tried to get everything fixed up before you got here. if you need anything, you know where to find me."

as george and will leave, my mom sets us down on the couch. 

"okay guys, i have some news."

"are we getting ice cream?" aurora asks excitedly. 

"no, but we can!" my mom smiles before finishing her sentence. "this is our new home. i know it doesn't look like much, and its definitely different from atlanta, but this is where your dad grew up."

she starts to sniffle and i engulf her in a hug. 

"it's okay mom. i like it here." i say and watch as my siblings nod their head in agreement. 

"i'm so sorry for how tough the last few weeks have been. i never wanted to rip you away from home, but this is what your dad wanted for us. george was his best friend growing up, and i need all the help i can get right now." 

i decide to look around the house and wander into the kitchen. on the fridge, there's a newspaper clipping with a picture of my dad. 

Joseph Raine: From Silver Falls to the NFL 

★★★

authors note:

i liked this part but also feel like it was very eh, but hope everyone loved it either way.

 also, i know will is supposed to be technically 8 years older than greyson since he's 25 in the series, but i'm keeping his age as 21 since that's how old he is in the book.