Never Letting Go (Delphian Book 1) by Christina Channelle

their sympathies and well wishes by the way.”
    Tears formed in my eyes. “Liam, you didn’t have to come home. Your parents left to spend time with you.”
    Liam said nothing. He reached over to clasp my hand, looking intently into my eyes. “And I’m here to spend time with you.” Then in his usual Liam fashion, he let go of my hand and leaned back in his seat.
    “So deal with it.”
     
    •••
     
    I T WAS NICE spending the rest of the day with Liam. I had missed him immensely over the last few years but I didn’t know how much until he was back. We spent the entire day together doing normal teen things like going out for fast food and coming back home to binge watch our favorite shows. For a second it was just like old times and my life didn’t become one tragic event after another.
    But when it was all said and done with Liam crashing in one of the spare rooms, I was left to myself with my own tormented thoughts. And just like the night before, I had another dream.
    This time I was alone. It was funny but I didn’t realize before then that I was wearing an almost Grecian style dress. The white silk flowed over my skin, caressing all the way down to my ankles. My hair was loose and down to my shoulders.
    Looking around, it was like a canvas, the view I was seeing, everything just raw nature, the sand and the ocean and the forest off in the distance on what looked like another island. It was like I had been dropped on an island that hadn’t been touched by man.
    “Ethan,” I whispered softly.
    I was answered by a change in the air and I knew I was no longer alone.
    I spun around to see those familiar gray eyes that I missed so. Walking to stand right in front of him, I reached out and clutched the sides of his face, memorizing every feature.
    “You’re here.”
    He rubbed his fingers against my hands on his cheek and I inhaled shakily. God, this feels so real. “Of course I am, baby.”
    “I thought I would never see you again.”
    He gave a slight chuckle. “You are making it quite difficult.”
    I pouted. “You sound like you don’t want me here.”
    “How can I not want you by my side? You were the only thing that made me happy.”
    I gave him a kiss, smiling, then drew him down to the sand so he lay on his back and I straddled him. I looked down into his face.
    He stared up at me seriously. “Thank you,” he said, tugging at the ends of my hair playfully.
    “For what?” I asked, one eyebrow raised as I teased him, skimming my fingers along the hem of his shirt.
    “For coming into my life.”
    I didn’t say anything for a moment, memorizing every perfect inch of him. Then I said, “Thank you .”
    It was his turn to give a lazy grin as he clutched my sides. “For what?”
    “For being the one person that I could count on.” I cuddled against his chest. “You and me were perfect,” I whispered.
    He shook his head, his eyes growing dark. “It wasn’t always perfect, Kitty Cat. You’re forgetting the bad times.”
    I thought back to his frequent mood swings and depressive state. When I had thought that my love was enough to save him.
    “I don’t care,” I mumbled, my lips brushing his neck.
    “We fought,” he said above my head.
    “We also loved.”
    He smiled softly against my hair. “That we did.”
    “I wasn’t perfect, Ethan.”
    “I didn’t ask you to be.”
    Tears began to fill my eyes. “But maybe if I—”
    “Shh. Let’s just watch the ocean.” He drew us both up and turned me in the direction of the waters, whispering, “Just watch those beautiful waves. Right now there’s nothing else in the world except us and the ocean, okay?”
    Lips trembling, I nodded firmly, trying to see the water through my tears.
    “Okay.”
    We stayed like that for what seemed like forever. But I was selfish and I wanted to hear his voice whispered in my ears again.
    “Remember when we first met?”
    He peered down at me. “At the bluffs?”
    I shook my head, craning my neck to