I promised one day that I'd bring you back a star. I caught one and it burned a hole in my hand. Seems like these days I watch you from afar, just trying to make you understand" Don't Let Me Go, Sam McCarthy and Harry Styles.
Corey's POV
I lay in my bunk, my hands tucked under my head. Though there is a dull, brown roof to the cabin, I can still hear Delia's animated voice describe the constellations. I can still see the stars shining above me as if there is nothing standing in the way of my body and the sky.
Sleep doesn't come easily to me these days. Some nights, I would just smile to myself as I recalled the events of the day. My problems seemed to vanish into thin air.
There is this daunting thought coursing through my mind: What if she won't forgive you?
I am a selfish fool to think that a simple letter would make her forgive me. There was no way she could forget the past and everything that I've done to her.
How could I ask her to forgive me when I still haven't forgiven myself?
The other children of Aphrodite sleep louder than you'd think they would. Seriously, their snores are not something that would traditionally come out of a "pretty" person. It's ungodly what comes out of their mouths.
This makes it easy for me to escape into the night and have some time to think. My mind has been running in circles, asking questions a simply don't have the answer to.
Without being a proper son of Aphrodite, who am I? I'm another teenager, lost in the maze of myself. It doesn't make sense, but that's the only way I can describe this feeling. The future is approaching so quickly. I don't know if I'll live that long to get married and have a child. It angers me that I may never find out who I am. But for now, I'm just Corey.
The night is warm without the air of humidity suffocating me. It's fresh and crisp, like an autumn day. It's unlike the cruel heat that has burned my skin multiple times. The moon is full, aiding the stars in bringing light into a world of darkness. There is no one I can share this beauty with. I am alone.
"It isn't that difficult to figure out what's right," I tell myself. "Why couldn't you just see that Delia was the best thing that ever happened to you? How could I be such an idiot? How could you break her?"
"I'm not broken."
My ears perk after a melodious voice sounds. "Great. I'm hearing things now. Just great," I say sadly. I'm so disillusioned that I can see through roofs and hear voices. Fantastic.
"Corey. You're not an idiot. Well, you are an idiot. But I can forgive you for that."
At last, I tear my eyes away from the sky and look at what's in front of me. "Delia."
Her blonde hair messily lays on her shoulders, obviously tangled in many spots. She isn't wearing her glasses, it's just Delia as herself. Not as a daughter of Athena, just as the Delia. And she's beautiful.
I wait for her to say something, knowing all that I can do is wait at this point. I had my chance, it's time for Delia to decide what is right for her. But she doesn't say anything.
Delia throws her arms around my neck, bringing my body close to hers in a tight hug. "You're both the best and worst thing that has happened to me," she says, her head resting on my chest.
"What do you mean?"
Her vibrant blue eyes meet mine, her focus completely on me. "You've hurt me unintentionally," she begins, almost apologetically. "But you've done something that makes up for it."
Unable to wait much longer, I press my lips against hers softly. She kisses me back, more forcefully and with a passion that she had held back before. A passion I had never seen but had always acknowledged. "What did I do to make up for it?"
Her hot breath mingles with my own, her nose is just past my own. I hadn't noticed my hand holding her cheek tenderly, as if I may lose her any second.
"That letter." Her fingers entwined with mine, instantly bringing warmth into my body. There is a void being filled with her presence. "You may not have said the words in person, but I was too blind to see that it was true all along. Everything from the way you looked at me to smile you'd constantly be wearing, how could I miss those things?"
Closing my eyes tightly, I wait to wake up from this dream. I've similar dreams at least a million times since she left. When I open my eyes, I see her standing in my embrace, radiating against my cold corpse of a body. "Sometimes when we're in pain, we can't see what's right in front of us. I have spent too much time pretending that I'm okay and that everything is perfect when in reality, it's ugly and horrible-"
My voice breaks, unable to complete the sentence. Everything rushes back. So many girls I've heartlessly dumped aside all for what? So many hearts I've broken for what purpose? To make me happy? No, not a chance. It was to impress them and do what I was born to do. "Beauty is an illusion to the eye," I say slowly, suppressing a million thoughts running through my head. "But the heart can find true loveliness. No, beauty is not ignorance of your own beauty. Being beautiful is something of the heart and soul. It's...it's you."
Delia looks to me with a glint within her eyes, one that I can't tell the meaning of. For once, she has no words. She brings her lips to mine, her heart beating next to my own. Time slows while I'm with her and life doesn't seem to be a careless whirlwind around me. It's us together that makes time so precious and so valuable.
We finally pull apart , needing nothing else to say. At times, silence says more than words could ever. Some are awkward and some are tense. But this silence is power. Though there is no sound but the chirp of the crickets and our quiet intakes of breath as we stand together, inseparable.
It's been said a million times before, so we don't need to say it again.
Every moment with Delia is as never-ending as the universe. We are infinite.
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A/N: WELL THAT TOOK FOREVER. APOLOGIES. OKAY I MADE MY OWN HEART MELT I NEED TO STOP GAHHH.
So what did you think of the final Delia and Corey chapter? I personally loved writing it and it definitely contributes to the meaning that I'm trying to get through in this. Being in an AP English class is amazing because I feel like for once we're tapping into why the authors chose to write these books and what events led to it. Plots are vehicles for messages and meanings from the author. At the end of the book, I'm going to ask you what you got out of it. Don't answer now. Not until after the epilogue.
Before, I had a split decision on how I wanted to end this. Now I know that I'm going to go with something that you may not like and that's okay. Frankly, I'm okay if you don't like it. My story does exist for you but it also exists for myself. My suggestion is to not expect anything predictable. I've already written the epilogue and gosh you are going to kill me.
QOTD: What did you get out of Delia and Corey's relationship? Did it frustrate you that Leo and Faye weren't in it? Did they excite you and make you wonder what happens next? Tell me in the comments!
Dedication to sweetchika for making me squeal with joy. Honestly, I haven't considered it because my family wants me to major in business and my own ambition is to become a teacher. I have no idea if that may end up in philosophy or an English major, so we'll see what happens. All I know for now is that I have a passion for writing and would love to pursue it. Thanks for the support and for making me smile. (Compliments is good way to get a dedication *wink wink*)
The song for this chapter is Don't Let Me Go, sung by Sam McCarthy and Harry Styles. If you haven't heard the song, you are missing out on something amazing. I know One Direction may seem a bit childish, but this song is the complete opposite. It isn't the obnoxious Kiss You mumbo jumbo or crap about some One Thing like really. It's poetic and genius and it fits Corey and Delia's relationship to a tee. Love is pain, my darlings. But love is also something that's magical in every single sense. So although the world may seem like it's ending, you shouldn't let go of the people who make mistakes. Especially when those people have made such an impact on your life. You have to hold on to them tightly with both hands, as if the wind may push them away.
The slide show to the side depicts the actress that I've finally chosen to be Delia. Melissa Benoist is the actress and I know that she is beautiful, but with some blond hair and some blemishes she can be our Delia. I chose her because of the amazing heart that this actress has portrayed in Glee. Her character is Marley Rose, who is a such a heartfelt character with an amazing sense of hope. Now, Delia is a bit colder and distant, but she is just as profound and heartfelt as Marley.
I changed my mind and I think I'm going to condense Jason and Piper's story into one chapter and that will be the next one. That leaves two chapters and an epilogue. Yikes.
That means... 25+ votes and 15+ comments for the next chapter on Saturday. I'll be awaiting your feedback anxiously.
As always, drop a comment for a possibility of being dedicated (based on its content) and I'll see you next week!
Thanks again for being amazing fans through this all,
Em.