Liam’s life could be better. He’s recovering from a divorce and a bitter custody battle, which he loses. He dearly loves his six-year-old son, Lucas, but seeing him every second weekend is never enough. His one salvation is the sea. When he’s sitting on the sand, watching the waves rolling in, he feels at peace, calmed and restored.<br><br>One day, the waves are particularly high, and the sea particularly rough. He’s surprised to see someone swimming in such choppy seas. When Liam calls out to the man, asking if he needs help, the man simply waves back. Liam thinks he must be an idiot. Little does he know the person he sees is no man, which he discovers two days later.<br><br>When they meet, Liam is both horrified and fascinated. His curiosity produces a strange attraction that changes their lives irreversibly forever.

The Sound of the Sea

After a hurried breakfast of toast and coffee, he called Lucas to say “hello” and to ask about his son’s plans for the weekend. The boy was excited to be going to a circus.


“Be careful of the lions,” said Liam.


“Daa-aad,” Lucas groaned. “Don’t be silly. They’re in cages so they can’t eat me.”


Liam chuckled. “That’s right. I forgot. Remember I’m old.” He laughed again. “Well, you have a good time and don’t eat too much fairy floss.”


He hung up the phone before Liam could say goodbye back.


Liam packed his gym bag with bottled water, some fruit, a bag of salted cashews, a towel, some sun cream, a hat, his mobile phone, and the book he was reading. Ten minutes later, he was on the road, managing to catch every green light, which cut his journey from its usual thirty-five minutes down to twenty-five. He easily found an empty car bay and parked.


Chapter 9