Caught in the Undertow (Hawaiian Crush #6) (5 page)

“Hello,” Sydney said quietly.

“Ah-hem,” Coen said. “Remember me?
Your oldest son?”

His mother rolled her eyes. “Yes, I remember you.” She hugged him and held him tightly.

“I heard you had a dinner party the other night,” he said.

“It was last minute.”

“Just admit that you like Sydney more than you like me.”

She pulled away and smiled at him. “I love her just as much.”

“Well, that’s a little better.”

Her eyes softened when she stared at her son, a glimmer of emotion passing.

“I love you, Mom.”

“I love you too,” she said as she hugged him again.

Sydney watched with a smile on her face and moisture in her eyes. Coen was so close to his family. She was grateful to be a part of it.

Jordan came down the hall and hugged Coen.

Sydney had never seen them embrace each other or even be civil to one another. This was obviously a special occasion.

Jordan pulled away then hugged Sydney.

Sydney returned the affection warmly.

When they came into the kitchen, the food was already laid out. Coen’s grandparents were there and they chattered with Sydney for a while, delighted to see her. Gilbert was quiet. He greeted Sydney but didn’t say much. Nathan seemed to be taking the day the hardest. He couldn’t smile and he couldn’t speak. He kept to himself.

When they sat together, they all held hands. Sydney watched everyone bow their heads and close their eyes. She did the same out of respect. After Vivian said the prayer for his sister, they dropped their hands.

Dinner was quiet, not as talkative as it normally was. The tension and despair was in the air. When Sydney looked at the counter, she saw all the pictures of Coen’s sister. There was an image of her in her soccer uniform, dance practice, her high school prom. It was a sad sight.

Coen didn’t say anything. He ate his dinner, his eyes downcast to his plate. Sydney watched him discreetly, making sure he was doing okay. Even though he seemed strong, she knew there was a hurricane of pain deep inside him.

After dinner, they gathered in the living room and played board games like they usually did. Everyone wasn’
t as enthusiastic about it. Coen kept looking out the window, forgetting when his turn arrived. Nathan didn’t participate at all, choosing to sit on the couch and watch TV. Sydney felt their pain leak out from every pore. Coen’s family enjoyed life and appreciated its gift, but they also felt the bitter despair of reality. Sydney wished she could do something to make everything better, to take the pain onto herself. This was the one time she couldn’t do that.

When they left the house, Coen held his mom for a long time. After a second, Vivian started to cry. She held onto Coen while she sobbed. Sydney stepped away and gave them their privacy. Coen was so much bigger than his mother, a head taller and almost a hundred pounds heavier. He held onto her while she gave into her despair.

“It’s okay, Mom,” he said.

“I just miss her.”

“I miss her too.”

“She would be so proud of you,” she whispered.

“I know.”

Vivian pulled away. “Let me know if you need anything, baby.”

“I got Sydney. She’ll take care of me, Mom.”

“I’m so happy you found her.” She hugged Sydney and held her tightly. “Thank you for loving my son. We’re so grateful to have you.”

Sydney felt her heart tug. Coen’s family always made her feel loved. Everything that had been missing her whole life was fulfilled with Coen and his family. She had everything she would ever need. “Thank you being the mom I never had.”

“I love you, honey.”

“I love you too,” Sydney said.

Vivian pulled away. “Please drive safely.”

Coen nodded and pulled Sydney out the door.

They left the house and returned to the shack. When they walked inside, they went into the bedroom. Sydney had work to do but she abandoned it, knowing Coen needed her. They took off their clothes and got into bed. It wasn’t that late, but neither one of them wanted to do anything.

Coen lay on his back and faced the ceiling. Sydney curled up next to him and trailed her fingers down his chest. She knew this would be one of the rare nights when they wouldn’t make love. There was too much despair and pain to feel any pleasure. Sydney lied still and listened to him breathe.

“Thank you being so amazing,” he whispered.

She didn’t know what to say. “I love you.”

“And I know you do.” He ran his fingers through her hair.

“I’ll always be here for you.”

“And I’m grateful.”

“Are you going to school tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yeah.
Life goes on.”

She rubbed his shoulders and his arms.
“When my father died, I blamed myself until someone made me realize it was the last thing my father would want, for his daughter to suffer for the rest of her life. I know Theresa would feel the same way.”

He looked at her. “How did you know?”

“I can tell when you feel guilty and responsible, Coen.”

Coen sighed. “If I wasn’t a wimp, I could have saved her.”

“It was out of your hands,” she said. “There was nothing you could have done. There is only one person to blame.”

He nodded.

“Whatever happened to him?”

“The fucker is still in jail.”

“I’m glad.”

He sighed then turned on his side, pulling her to his chest. “I’m glad I never have to suffer alone again. It’s such a relief.”

“I’ll always be beside you.”

“I know,” he whispered. “It makes everything so much easier. I hate remembering what my life was like before you came into it, like a shooting star that set my world on fire. I never thought my wedding day would be the greatest day of my life. When you walked down the aisle, I wasn’t even sure if the moment was real. I never felt so much pain and so much happiness at one time.”

Her eyes softened. “We’re mates for life. And that’s what they do for each other. Always put each other first.”

“I’m just grateful that my wife is perfect. I definitely upgraded.”

She smiled. “You’re so sweet.”

“Because I’m your husband,” he said. “And I’ll always be sweet to you.”

“Except when you’re an asshole,” she teased.

“Well, I do have my moments.”

She chuckled. “They are pretty common.”

“Just remember that every time I’m an asshole, it’s for a good reason.”

“Say whatever you want to make yourself feel better.”

He pulled her closer to his chest. “I
love you with my whole heart, seahorse.”

“I love you too.”

Coen moved on top of her then pulled her hips toward him.

“We don’t have to do this,” she said automatically.

He pressed his face close to hers. “Life is too short not to enjoy it. And I’m married to the most amazing girl in the world, my other half. I’m not taking it for granted. I will make love to you every night. It was one of my vows.”

She grabbed his face and kissed him.
“If you insist.”

He smiled at her. “I know you get grouchy without it.”

“You’re a million times worse.”

“It looks like we are dependent on one another.”

“It seems that way.”

4

The anger Sydney had for Coen had disappeared. As far as she was concerned, it was just a fight and needed to stay in the past. After the day he had, she decided to drop it. Hopefully, he wouldn’t bring it up again. Sydney was determined to finish her research and graduate on time. There were days when she hardly got any sleep and barely ate, but it was a necessity. And she loved what she did. That made it a lot more bearable.

When she and Coen walked to the cafeteria together, Sydney glanced at him. He seemed better today. He hadn’t mentioned his sister or his family. Everything seemed to be normal again. Sydney was still observant of his actions. She could read him better than anyone. “Everyone says they are here for you if you need them.”

He turned to her. “You told them?” The anger was evident in his eyes. “We don’t have to tell our friends every little thing.”

“I didn’t,” she said quickly. “I just told them we were having some family problems. I had to explain why you weren’t at school.”

Coen breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll always keep your secrets, Coen.”

“I know.” He squeezed her hand. “It’s too hard for me to talk about it. I just want to keep it to myself.”

“I understand that better
than anyone.”

He nodded. “I know you do.”

When they came into the cafeteria, their friends were already sitting there. Sydney still wasn’t used to not having Nancy around every day. But she was happy for her friend. Because of Thatcher, she was becoming more and more popular. It seemed like they traveled as much as they stayed home. Sydney missed her best friend.

Henry studied Coen’s face when they sat down. “I hope everything is okay.”

Coen nodded. “Everything is fine.”

Derek looked at Coen. “I fed your wife yesterday.”

Coen smiled. “Thanks.”

He winked.

“Even though I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself,” Sydney argued.

“If I didn’t bring you lunch every day, you would nibble on a piece of celery,” Coen snapped.

Sydney glared at him.

“I’ll get us something,” Coen said as he walked off.

Henry caught the tension. “He’s still angry about that fight?”

Sydney wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. I think he was half serious, half teasing me.”

Ren finished her sandwich. “You hardly eat. I don’t get how you do it.”

Henry stared at her affectionately. “She isn’t a garbage disposal like you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I like food. What’s the big deal?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Henry said. “It’s really cute.”

Ren smiled. “That’s better.”

“Coen is just looking out for you,” Derek said. “Don’t be mad about it.”

Paola wrapped her arm through his. “If Derek wasn’t so amazing in bed, I’d be livid with him all the time. He forced me to move in with him because he thought my apartment wasn’t safe. As soon as we got together, he was psychotic and controlling.”

Derek narrowed his eyes. “I’m just looking after you, baby.”

“Well, living in a bad neighborhood and my diet are two different things,” Sydney said.

“You are so argumentative,” Henry said. “Just tell him to back off.”

“I did,” she said. “But we’ll see how long that lasts. My husband is the most stubborn man I know. If he doesn’t get his way, there is no way.”

“He sounds just like you,” Henry teased.

Sydney smiled. “I guess that’s why we get along so well.”

“I can’t wait to get married,” Ren blurted.

Henry stiffened but said nothing.

“Talk about dropping a hint,” Derek said with a laugh.

“No,” Ren said quickly, looking at Henry. “That isn’t what I meant.”

Sydney felt bad for Henry. She decided to steer the attention away from him. “Marriage isn’t always a honeymoon. Coen drives me crazy. If we didn’t have amazing sex, all the messes he makes, all the times he doesn’t put his shit away, and all the times he forgets to turn off the stove would become a divider in our relationship.”

“But there’s no denying how happy you two are,” Ren said.

“Well, of course…” Sydney smiled when she thought about the past few months. She hadn’t ever been happier. She wished they had gotten married the day they met. Even then, it still wouldn’t have been soon enough.

Coen returned to the table, placing a grilled cheese sandwich, fries, a cup of fruit, and an ice tea in front of her. He stared to eat his sandwich like everything was normal.

“Is this Hometown Buffet?” Sydney asked.

“What?”

“There’s no nutritional value to any of this.”

He glared at her. “It’s call fat and carbs. You need them. Grilled vegetables and fruit aren’t going to cut it.”

Henry shifted his weight, clearly uncomfortable.

Sydney took a deep breath and swallowed her anger. Now she knew Coen was still mad about their fight the other day. Wanting to avoid a confrontation in front of her friends, she opened the cup of fruit and ate it. Coen watched her but said nothing.

“So, Henry and I are writing a piece together for the paper,” Ren said. “It’s going to be about Nancy.”

“Cool,” Derek said. “That’s awesome.”

“That’s all you’re going to eat?
” Coen snapped.

Sydney flinched at the hostility in his voice. Her friends were just as caught off guard.

“I already told you none of this has any nutritional value.”