by E. L. Todd
“I know.” She grabbed her bag and placed it over her shoulder. “I’ll see you guys later.” She kissed Coen then walked to her English class. Even though science was her passion, she still loved reading and writing. She wrote a few poems and short stories but never showed them to anyone. When her class was over, she left the building and walked down the sidewalk, which winded through the campus. Most of the students were gone for the day. The sun shined overhead and made her sweat as she walked. She was excited to go home and lie in bed with Coen, forgetting about the horrific day she just had.
“Hey.”
Sydney looked up from her feet and saw Audrey standing in front of her. “What?” she snapped.
“You’re awfully brave for being around three girls that want nothing more than to smash your face against the concrete until it splits in half.”
“Are we juniors in high school or juniors in college?” She stepped around Audrey with her back straight.
Audrey yanked her bag off then threw it on the ground.
Sydney was thankful her computer wasn’t in there, but her phone was. She hoped it wasn’t broken.
“Break up with Coen and it will make your life a lot easier.”
“Why? He wouldn’t date you anyway.”
“Yes, he would.”
“He loves me, not you.”
“He’ll forget about all of that once he’s inside of me.”
“Rape—what a turn on.”
“It won’t be rape,” she said as she glared at her.
“No. I love him and he loves me. You can break my face but it wouldn’t change a thing. He’ll still choose me over you.”
“Really?” she asked with a smile. She pulled out her phone then pressed a button. A video started to play. It showed Coen on top of her, thrusting inside of her. She knew it was him by his tattoo. The sight broke her heart but she hid the pain on her face, not giving her any satisfaction. “That was from yesterday.”
“He was with me all day.”
“And what about all night?”
“He slept in my arms.”
She shook her head. “Poor girl. He’s been chasing tail this whole time. You actually thought he cared for you? He’s been sleeping around since you got together.”
“Liar.”
“I wish I were.”
Sydney reached for her bag but Audrey stepped on it. “Move,” she snapped.
“No.”
Sydney wanted to hit her, but she had to wait for her to throw the first punch. If not, it wouldn’t be self-defense. “Coen told me I was the best he ever had.”
“He said the same thing to me.”
“Another lie.”
“Break up with him.”
“I would rather die.”
Audrey removed her foot then stepped closer to her. Sydney didn’t back down. She waited for her to make a move, slamming her fist against her face. She wanted it more than anything. As soon as she did, Sydney would put this bitch in her place.
“Sydney!”
Sydney sighed in frustration. She wanted this fight to happen.
Coen ran toward her with Henry right behind her. He pushed Audrey out of the way then wrapped his arms around her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said as she pushed him out of the way. She stepped up to Audrey. “Do you have anything else to say to me?”
“Do what I say, bitch. You’ll regret it if you don’t.”
“No. Coen is mine. It’s not my fault that you couldn’t keep your legs closed.” She grabbed her bag then placed it over her shoulder. Audrey glared at her for a moment before she walked away.
Coen pressed his face against Audrey’s. “You touch her, I’ll kill you.” He glared at her then walked next to Sydney with Henry on her other side.
Henry looked concerned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said as she walked forward.
“Did she hurt you?” Coen asked.
“She could never.”
“Maybe we should talk to someone,” Coen said. “She’s actually stalking you.”
“No,” she said. “I can handle it.”
“I hate this. I’m so sorry,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “I understand if you don’t want to be with me anymore.”
“That would never happen, Coen. I love you. I’ll fight forever for you.”
He sighed. “I don’t deserve you.”
Henry didn’t comment on their affectionate words. They walked across the campus until they reached the parking lot. Both men walked her directly to her car. When they saw her Jeep in the parking lot, they all stopped.
Sydney dropped her bag when she looked at her car. Mustard was smeared everywhere, spelling out “whore” and “nasty cunt.” She wiped the mustard away but it was too late. It already stained the paint. She moved to the seats and saw that more of the yellow liquid was sprayed all over her seats. Everything was demolished—ruined. She kept her tears in the back of her throat. “This was my dad’s.”
Coen covered his face and sighed. “Fuck.”
Henry placed his hand on her shoulder but said nothing.
She stared at the car, one of the few things she had left of her father, and felt a tear roll down her cheek.
7
The Jeep wouldn’t start, so Coen popped the engine with Henry and looked inside. Sydney sat against the tire and clutched her stomach, depressed that her car was completely destroyed. It was vandalized and now it didn’t even work. Even if it did start, she couldn’t drive around town with such obscene words painted on the surface. She wished she could call the police and report the damages but it was pointless. She had no proof that Audrey was the culprit and her insurance payment would increase because of the incident. It wasn’t worth it. She would have to strip it for parts and save some money to buy a car.
“I think they squirted mustard in the oil container,” Coen said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Let me see,” Henry said. He peered inside. “Probably.”
“We need to get this back to the shack so no one sees it. I’ll tow it with my truck. Help me with the cables.”
“Yeah,” Henry said as he followed him.
They hooked up the cables then helped Sydney into the passenger seat. She was too depressed to care about anything. On the ride home, Coen said nothing. His arm was hooked around her shoulder but she didn’t feel it. She tried to think of other things to distract her mind from reality. How much would a new car cost? She knew Henry and Coen would give her rides whenever she needed them, but she hated asking for help.
When they pulled in the driveway, she left the car and walked into the house. She showered to get the mustard and syrup off her body then climbed into bed, too upset to stand outside and watch them discuss what to do with her useless vehicle.
Coen came in a moment later. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” she said quietly.
“Yes, it is. You don’t deserve this. Maybe we should—”
“Don’t even think it, Coen.”
He sighed. “I’ll fix your car. My dad taught me a lot about mechanics when I was younger.”
“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t be able to drive it anyway.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
“No. I don’t want to drive it.”
He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “Get some sleep. I’ll see you when you wake up.”
“Where are you going?”
“To work on your car.”
“It’s pointless.”
“Close your eyes and relax.”
She did as he asked and tried to think of different things. She felt the bed move as he stood up and left her bedroom. When she thought about letting her father down a second time, it made her want to cry. Instead, she thought about the seahorses she found in the ocean. One was yellow with spots of green and the other was brown with flecks of white. They looked so different but they were so beautiful—especially t
ogether. Her mind fell into the abyss as she thought about the magnificent creatures.
The sound of talking drifted through her window and woke her up. When she looked at the clock, she was surprised how late it was. She had been out for a long time. She got dressed then went outside.
The sides of her Jeep were missing and the engine was popped up. Coen had his sleeves rolled up and his arms were covered with black soot. A guy she had never seen before had a piece of her car frame on top of newspaper and he was painting it the same green color as the rest of the car, covering up the yellow stains. Nancy was sitting inside the car and it looked like she was hand sewing new fabric onto the seats. Laura held a coil of string and helped her tighten the patches. When she stepped closer, she saw Henry climb into the driver’s seat.
“Crank it,” Coen said.
Henry turned the engine and it burst to life. He hit the accelerator and they heard the engine roar.
“Shut it off,” Coen shouted. He wiped his hands on his jeans then tossed the empty oil bottles into the trashcan nearby.
She stepped closer and watched them work on her car. Two other guys she didn’t recognize were placing another piece of the frame back on the car. It was newly painted and shined under the street light. She couldn’t believe what they were doing. Her car didn’t look brand new but it looked identical to the one she had before.
Coen spotted her then approached her, a smile on his face. When he came closer to her, his grin fell. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
She covered her face with her hands, trying not to cry. “You did all this?”
“Well, my friends helped.” He pointed to the two men putting the covering back on the metal and the other guy using a paint sprayer on the other frame. “Two of them work at an autobody shop. Laura and Nancy came over as soon as Henry told them what happened. Henry and I managed to clean out your oil before the mustard flooded to the rest of the car.”
A tear fell down her face. “I can’t believe you did all this for me—everyone did this for me.”
“I can.”
“Thank you so much. My daddy gave this to me. I didn’t know what I was going to do without it.”
“I know.” He didn’t touch her because he was so dirty.
“I still can’t believe this.”
“We’re family, Sydney. This is what families do.”
“What about your friends? They don’t even know me.”
“They know I love you. That’s all that matters. They would do anything for you if I asked them to.”
“I have a family?”
“Yes. One that loves you very much.”
After Sydney hugged everyone and thanked them for their work, they left and went to dinner near the shore. They picked a taco shop and sat outside, watching the ocean in the near distance.
Coen had his arms around her the whole time, comforting her even though she didn’t need it anymore. He showered before they left so he didn’t smell as bad as he did earlier, when oil and mustard was stuck in his hair.
“Thank you so much,” she said to everyone again. She already said it but she was moved by the gesture. They all worked together to help her out. She didn’t even need to ask them. They just did it.
Brody, Coen’s friend, smiled at her. “Don’t worry about it. We were glad to help.”
“I’ve always hated that bitch, Audrey,” Wayne said. “I don’t know what the hell you were doing with her. I already like Sydney a million times more.”
Her cheeks blushed.
“I don’t know what I was thinking either, man. But I know I’m thinking clearly now.” He kissed Sydney on the forehead then rubbed his nose against hers.
Scotty finished his taco then clutched the napkin in his hand. “I say we get some serious revenge on Audrey.”
“No,” Sydney said quickly. “She isn’t worth it.”
“Yes, she is,” Henry said. “She could go to jail for what she did to you.”
“We don’t have any proof,” Nancy said sadly.
“I wanna see her face when Sydney pulls in the parking lot with a car that looks practically brand new,” Brody said. He had blond hair that reached his eyes slightly. He had to keep shaking it away.
“I’ll tell her Coen bought it for me,” Sydney said with a smile. “Maybe she’ll like that.”
Coen smiled. “I like it.”
“I think we should all just jump her and scare the shit out of her,” Nancy said. “I can guarantee that she’ll leave you alone, then.”
“No violence,” Sydney said firmly.
Nancy rolled her eyes.
“What if we told her we were engaged?” Coen said. “She might give up and throw in the towel.”
“Or she might be even bitchier,” Henry said.
“What do you think, baby?” Coen asked.
“You know her better than I do.” She didn’t mention the video she saw of him fucking Audrey. There was no need to bring it up. It was pretty clear that he was aware that she was making a sex tape. That was his past and it was behind them both. She knew he wasn’t the most moral person when it came to sex.
“I think it would work. When she sees your car is completely untarnished and you’re wearing a ring on your finger, she’ll realize that her lame attempts at breaking us up only made us closer.”
“A ring?” she asked.
“Well, yeah. When girls get engaged, they wear rings,” he said as he smiled at her.
“But then we would have to get one, smartass.”
“I have one,” he said.
Sydney’s eyes widened. “You do?”
“My grandmother’s. She gave it to me before she passed away and told me to give it to the woman I spend the rest of my life with. It’s huge. It will definitely piss off Audrey.”
She smiled. “Perfect.”
He looked at everyone. “So just go along with it.”
Everyone nodded.
Nancy smiled. “I’m so excited for tomorrow. I never thought I would look forward to going to school.”
“Neither did I,” Coen said.
8
When Sydney arrived at school the next day, she waited for Coen to pull in the parking lot. When he did, he marched to her and kissed her hard on the mouth before he pulled away. He reached into his pocket and withdrew the box.
“Will you marry me, seahorse?”
Her heart lurched in her throat. Even though this was all for show, it still meant something to her. She could tell by the look in his eyes that it meant something to him too. She wished it were real.
“Of course,” she said as she held her hand out.
He slipped the ring on her finger and held her gaze for a moment. He tucked her hair behind her ear as he pressed his face close to hers. The diamond immediately felt heavy on her finger, weighing it down. He kissed her gently then cupped her face. Her heart raced in her chest as she felt the connection between them, binding them together. When he pulled away, she didn’t want him to.
She looked down at the ring. It was a white gold band with a solitary diamond in the middle. The huge rock sparkled in the light of the sun, showing a rainbow of colors. When she looked at it, she saw Coen’s eyes and her entire world. She knew she shouldn’t get emotional about this because it wasn’t real but she couldn’t help it. She wanted Coen to be her husband someday. He already was.
When Henry approached them, he whistled. “Damn, that thing is enormous.”
“Thanks,” Coen said with a smile. “My grandma only wanted the best.”
“Don’t hurt anyone with that,” Henry said.
“Well, maybe one person,” she said.
“That would be awesome,” Coen said. “My grandma would love that.”
When they turned to the sidewalk, they saw Audrey get out of her car with her friends.
“Quick. Cup my cheek and kiss me,” Coen said.
She didn’t need to be told twice. She placed her left hand on his cheek, knowing the diamond would be visible,
shining brighter than the sun, and there was no possibility that Audrey would miss it. It was as impossible as a sailor missing the beacon from a light house. Sydney didn’t think about Audrey as she kissed Coen. Only his lips and his tongue existed in her universe. Coen held her as close as he could, practically devouring her. His hands reached across her tiny waist and felt the smooth skin. After a minute, they broke away, knowing that was plenty of time.
As expected, when they looked at Audrey, her mouth was open and emotion was in her eyes. She said nothing and didn’t move. Her friends talked, their voices loud and appalled, but she still said nothing. Finally, she turned on her heel and ran away, leaving her friends behind her.
Sydney thought she would be happy at the sight but she wasn’t. Not at all. She turned away from Coen and walked away.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’ll be right back.”
Henry and Coen exchanged worried glances then followed her.
Sydney walked with them trailing behind her until she entered the science building. Since she had cried in the bathroom so many times, she knew that’s exactly where Audrey was headed.
Coen grabbed her before she walked inside. “What are you doing?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said.
“What are you going to do?”
“Just talk.” She pulled away from him then entered the bathroom. As soon as she walked inside, she heard Audrey sobbing in one of the stalls. “Audrey, it’s me.”
She stifled her tears for a second, startled at her presence. “Come here to gloat?”
“Not at all,” she said quietly.
“Go away, you stupid bitch.”
The insults washed over Sydney without taking hold. The words meant nothing. They were empty. “I’m sorry about everything.”
She sniffed. “For what?”
“That you’re hurt.”
She said nothing for a long time. “Just go.”
“I mean it. I’m sorry that I hurt you. I hope that we can move past this.”
“You’re really engaged to him?” she said through her tears.
“Yes.”
“Then I don’t want to be your friend.”
