Won't Let Go Page 20

“No,” I breathe.

  Once more, Embry captures my lips with his, bringing his hands up to cup my cheeks. The kiss is soft and gentle and doesn’t last nearly long enough before he tears himself away again. “It’s okay. Trust me. This is the way it has to be.”

  I shake my head, not wanting to listen. I pinch my eyes shut, not wanting to look. His body shifts. His hands fall from my face. A loud sob fills the room, more tears spill from my eyes. I pinch them tighter, hoping the tears will stop. That the pain frantically possessing every part of my body, replacing every other emotion, will go away. I have to open my eyes because I no longer feel his hands against my skin. He’s let go.

  Embry’s standing now, I reach out and take his hand, even tug it, eager to try and get him to come back. He pulls free from my grasp and walks towards the light he sees. His unusually human form begins to fade, blurring around the edges, and with each step, he looks less clear. He’s that badly tuned TV now, his body flickering in and out. And when he reaches the wall, he turns slightly. “Alexia?”

  I wipe my arm across my eyes, soaking up the tears. “Yeah?”

  “You’re still my favorite part of this world.”

  Before I get a chance to respond, he turns into a million tiny grains and falls to the floor.

  My head falls into my hands.

  Uncontrollable sobs rake my body.

  The only way to account for time passing is the beat of our hearts. It’s not even worth measuring because I’ll stay until the end.

  Until Embry, the real Embry breathes his last breath.

  And I’ll continue to hold on, to squeeze his hand until—

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  You’d think these things would get easier to write the second time around—not the case. So, if I've forgotten anyone—I am truly sorry! You are all important.

  I continue to thank my family, friends and my husband for taking this journey with me, feeling my excitement, sharing my achievements and showing me unconditional love and support.

  A special thanks goes out to my mom, Carol Haller, for her creativity—past, present and future. She's often the one behind my fun advertising campaigns, swag and giveaways. And to Ron Hoefsloot, for supplying me with the necessary tools and supplies to help me create many of my swag items.

  There are some very important men in my life, whom are very deserving of a mention. They’ve done so much and mean the world to me. This is my second novel, and I still feel I couldn’t have gotten here without them. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, Daniel Souillet; for your patience and willingness to overlook a few of my flaws as I continue to realize my dream of being an author, Michael Young; for your unwavering amount of support and encouragement, Steven Whibley; for always being around, for always listening and for always reading everything I write, William Sobel; for giving your comments, even if it pains you to read yet another romance laced novel of mine.

  My dear friend, Erin Forbes, needs a mention, too. Though I'm not sure she knows this, having her listen to my ideas, my frustrations, and having me talk in circles about whatever I'm working on has truly helped.

  Like always, there is a group of beta’s and critique partners that have given freely their time, their wisdom and their advice. Thank you, Brandy B, Sheila H, Dana-Lynn M, William S and Steven W. If you hadn’t read Won’t Let Go and helped me with it, it might not have made it to print.

  My editor has been so patient with me, and kind, and helpful. Without her I wouldn’t have been able to take Won’t Let Go, and make it even better. So thank you, Judy Roth. I had so much fun teaching you some Canadianisms and ridding this novel of them!

  A cover is the first thing you see when you pick up a novel, or find it while surfing the web. I owe Taria Reed a million warm fuzzies for giving me a breathtaking cover.

  I’ve also been able to find a home here with Crescent Moon Press, whether it be with the owners, my editor, or the many amazing authors they represent. They’ve shared in this journey and have made the experience that much better! Thank you fellow CMP'ers!

  Of course I need to thank the many authors, bloggers and reviewers, local and across the globe, that have befriended me over the last few of years. There are too many of you to mention, but trust me, knowing that you are taking this ride along with me is so important! And I hope we continue to support each other!

  I’d like to give a shout-out to Desiree S-A for taking the time to come up with a new fictional name for this novel. Staying true to my little quirk of naming towns after cemeteries, I’m happy to be able to use Willard Grove!

  And lastly, but maybe most importantly, I need to thank the readers. You may have found your way back to me after reading A Stiff Kiss, and you may have just found me with Won’t Let Go. But it’s for you that I continue to weave stories that will appeal and that I hope won’t disappoint!

  Avery Olive

  Avery Olive doesn't kiss and tell. Except when it comes to writing about hot supernatural guys. She lives with her husband and son in Red Deer, Alberta, where she spends way too much time reading, writing and avoiding house work.

  Currently, she's the author of A Stiff Kiss, a young adult novel with a morbid twist on a classic fairytale, in reverse, and Won't Let Go, involving an amnesic ghostboy who just won't move on.

  What she is sure of is that writing will always give her the chance to escape and hopes to release many more novels in the future.

  You can find Avery on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter (@AveryOlive), Tumblr, Goodreads and on her website, http://averyolive.blogspot.ca/

  Other Books by Avery Olive

  A Stiff Kiss

  ISBN: 978-1-937254-33-9

  ASIN: B0075M4KA2