by E. L. Todd
10
The next morning, Coen woke up to Sydney sprawled in his arms. Her naked skin touched his and he felt warm and lazy. He wished they were back at her house, lying there all day until the sun went down again.
She fell asleep while they lay on the deck, so he carried her to their quarters down below. When he undressed her, she didn’t wake up because she was so exhausted. Running around, chasing Dr. Goldstein everywhere really took it out of her.
When she woke up, she kissed him then yawned.
“Sleep well?”
“I always sleep well when I’m in your arms.”
“I’m glad.”
She rose from the bed then dressed herself in her gear. “We are going to see a great white shark today.”
“Are you scared?”
“No.”
“I would be.”
“I’m not going to swim with it while we’re feeding it.”
“Or swim with it period.”
“Why not?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Because it could eat you.”
“It won’t eat me.”
“And how do you know that?”
“Because I’m not a seal.”
“When a shark is hungry, it’s not gonna care what you are.”
“You are overreacting.”
“Okay. Now I know you aren’t joking.”
“What?”
“I admire your bravery and courage, but this is suicide. Don’t jump in the water, especially after bait has been thrown in.”
“I’m not stupid.”
“Then why are you even considering it?”
“It’s my greatest dream to swim with a shark.”
“Go inside a cage.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Well, it’s the best you are going to get.”
She stared at him. “If you think you can tell me what to do, then you have another thing coming.”
“I don’t tell you what do, but this is an exception. You aren’t swimming with a fucking shark.”
“You don’t boss me around.”
“I’m not! I’m trying to talk some sense into you.”
“You won’t change my mind.”
“Yes, I will.”
“No.”
“I love you. Please don’t hurt me.”
“Don’t pull the ‘hurt’ card.”
“Well, I’m gonna. If you jump in that water, I’ll just have to jump in after you.”
“That makes no sense.”
“If you die, I die too.”
“Now you’re being crazy.”
“I’ll do it if I have to.”
“I understand the risks that I’m taking. I don’t want you to put your life in danger unless it’s something you believe in.”
“I do believe in it. Where you go, I go.”
She sighed. “Coen, knock it off.”
“No. You can’t tell me what to do.”
“You’re so annoying, you know that?”
“I love you. I can’t live without you.”
She shook her head then left their quarters, leaving him standing there.
After they had breakfast, they started work immediately. Dr. Goldstein caught a few smaller sharks then pulled them on deck. Sydney took measurements of their rectal glands and determined the salt concentration of some of the sharks. When the concentration was high, she would tag them then place them in a special filtered tank below deck until they returned home. They took a variety of samples until they examined a hundred different small sharks. When they felt the boat rock, Dr. Goldstein stood up and looked overboard.
“We got a big one.”
Sydney jumped to her feet then looked over the rail. Unable to stop himself, Coen grabbed her arm and held her steady just in case he had to pull her out of the way. A sixteen foot shark swam around the boat, eating the leftover bait. His fin stuck out high from the water and carved the surface with its tip.
“It’s so beautiful,” Sydney said, mesmerized.
“Would you like to get a closer look?” Dr. Goldstein offered.
“Yes!” she screamed.
“Put on your wet suit and get your gear.”
Coen felt his heart accelerate. She was going to be inside a cage but it still made him feel nervous. Anything could happen. With lightning speed, she changed and hooked all her scuba gear up. Coen double checked everything just to make sure it was working properly. They threw the cage over the side then dropped the bloody meat in the water. Immediately, the shark swam closer, chomping down on the grub.
Sydney went to the edge then placed her feet over the rail. Coen grabbed onto her until she slid inside the cage.
When Sydney was underwater, she took a deep breath from the mouth piece and watched the shark swim a few inches from the edge of the cage. His razor sharp teeth tore the fish to pieces. There were two rows of teeth, both equally sharp and frightening. When it opened its mouth to bite the cage, she saw the inside of its gills and the dark hole that reached deep inside him. He was so humungous that she couldn’t even comprehend it. It left her speechless. The shark swam around the cage and she watched it, mesmerized. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. When the shark had its fill, it swam away and disappeared. It was such an amazing sight that she stayed rooted to the spot. After a moment, she regained her composure then swam to the top of the cage. Coen pulled her out and helped her to the deck.
“What was it like?”
“I can’t even explain,” she said breathlessly.
Dr. Goldstein smiled. “I like your passion. It’s the backbone of research. You will make a great candidate someday.”
Her eyes lit up like stars. Her day just kept getting better.
They spent the rest of the day gathering results then Sydney stayed up late to consolidate everything into spreadsheets. She lay beside Coen in bed while he snuggled next to her. He waited for her to finish so they could make love. Now he couldn’t sleep unless he was satisfied.
“You almost done?” he asked.
“No. I want to finish before we go home tomorrow. I want to impress him so he’ll invite me to his lab.”
“Can we make love first?”
“I’m busy, Coen. It will have to wait until tomorrow.”
He sighed. “I can’t even imagine what would happen if I said that to you. You would just crawl on top of me anyway.”
“Fine.” She moved her computer then flipped onto her stomach, facing the screen. She continued to enter data in. “There. Go ahead.”
“Well, this is romantic.”
“Take it or leave it.”
He stared at her ass for a moment before he moved on top of her. He wanted to wait until she was in the moment too but his twitching cock just wanted to get off. Coen rubbed her clitoris for a while until she was wet. Then, he slipped inside her while he moved into her, hard and fast like he wanted to. He wasn’t worried about satisfying her because she seemed preoccupied anyway, so he just tried to get himself off.
When her hands stopped typing and she moaned, he knew she wanted to come.
“I change my mind,” she whispered.
He fucked her harder. “I thought you would.” He pressed his mouth against her ear and whispered words of love while he thrust into her.
When she gripped the back of his neck and moaned, he knew she was there. Her explosion made her shake and she moved her ass against him as she pulled out every ounce of pleasure she could. When her gasps disappeared, he exploded inside of her, filling her completely. She gasped again, loving it when he released inside her. He pulled out then wiped himself off before he lay down and closed his eyes.
“Good night,” he said.
She fixed her hair. “Night.”
He kissed her shoulder. “I love you, seahorse.”
“I love you too.”
Coen fell asleep, lulled into unconsciousness by the rocking of the waves.
11
When they returned to
the shore, Sydney thanked Dr. Goldstein for letting her come along. She was so grateful to experience so much research in such a short amount of time. Coen knew his uncle had become fond of Sydney as soon as she stepped on that boat even though he would never admit it.
“I would love it if you would be my lab assistant.”
“Are you serious?” she blurted.
He laughed. “I’ll let them know at work tomorrow. You can hang up those ugly overalls that you have to wear.”
“Thank you so much,” she said as she shook his hand vigorously.
Dr. Goldstein looked at Coen. “Keep this one around.”
Coen nodded. “I will.”
He walked off the ramp and headed to the parking lot. Coen grabbed their belongings and shoved it all into the back of the truck. Sydney rambled on about every aspect of the trip and her new job at the aquarium. He heard everything before, but he humored her by listening again. She was already so excited and he didn’t want to ruin that for her.
When they got home, she was still chattering about it as Coen carried all her bags inside. Normally she helped, but she was too happy about her new position to really think about it. Coen didn’t mind. He didn’t like it when she carried anything anyway.
Sydney walked into her room then picked up her cell phone. She left it behind because she didn’t want it to get wet, and besides, there was no reception out there. When she checked her voicemails, she had a message from her mother, saying they would be coming for Thanksgiving. She sighed when she listened to it. Her wonderful day was ruined as she listened to the sound of her mother’s voice. She wasn’t even her mother. She was by blood, but not by any other aspect. Depressed, she put the phone down and stared at the wall.
“Wow. Talk about a mood swing,” Coen said as he grabbed the laundry basket and threw her dirty stuff inside.
“I’m sorry.”
“What’s gotten you so down?”
“Nothing.”
He clenched his fists. “You know I hate being lied to. Stop the bullshit.”
“Well, I don’t want to talk about it so don’t ask.”
He sighed. “I thought we were past this. I thought you told me everything. What else are you hiding from me?” He sat beside her and grabbed her hand. “We tell each other everything.”
She looked away. “It’s going to make you mad.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Neither do I.”
“What if I promise not to get mad?”
“I can’t make you do that—not this time.”
“Now you have to tell me.”
She rubbed her fingers together and admired the ring on her finger. If he never asked her to take it off, then she was never going to. It fit her perfectly, just the right size. She was glad she wore it in the ocean, letting it touch something as beautiful as itself, an element different than its own.
“Syd?”
“My mom and stepdad are coming for Thanksgiving.”
He said nothing for a long time. He stared at her, his eyes wide with impending ferocity. She didn’t look at him, but felt that hateful stare burn a hole through her skin. He jumped up. “Why the fuck are they coming here?”
“They wanted to.”
“And you couldn’t just say no.”
“I did but my stepdad got mad.”
“And why the hell should you care?”
“Because he’ll hurt my mom.”
He grabbed his hair and almost yanked the strands out of his skull. “You’ve got to be kidding me. That bitch stood aside and let you be beaten countless times. Why should she get any of your sympathy? She’s in that relationship because she chooses to be. You shouldn’t give a shit about her.”
“I can’t let that happen.”
Coen punched his fist against the wall. It made a loud thud. When pulled it away, there was blood on the wall. “Call them and tell them they aren’t coming.”
“It’s too late now.”
He paced around the room, his eyes wide. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“I’m sorry.”
He ignored her.
“Please stop. You’re scaring me.”
“Too bad,” he snapped.
She hugged a pillow to her chest then stared at the floor.
“I’m staying here the entire time they’re here.”
“What?” she said as she looked at him.
“You can’t argue with me. I sleep here, facing the door. You do not leave my presence until they are on that plane and back to hell.”
“We aren’t married.”
“Your point?”
“My stepfather would never allow that.”
He glared at her. “Sydney, you are an adult that takes care of herself. You don’t need them for anything. If they don’t like it, they can go somewhere else.”
“Then he might hit me.”
“Then you hit back, Syd. You beat the shit out of him. That’s if you can get to him before me.” His eyes had a maniacal gleam to them.
“I can’t ask you to put up with this, Coen.”
“We are a team. I won’t let them hurt you.”
“You can’t hurt them either.”
“I promise that I won’t attack them. I’m allowed to retaliate.”
“You don’t deserve this.”
He kneeled before her. “I love you no matter what. I don’t care where you come from or about your past. I’m in love with you, not anything else. I will put up with all this bullshit just so I get to keep you.”
She took a deep breath. “What about your family?”
“Well, I wanted you to come over for Thanksgiving, but I guess that won’t be happening.”
“But I can’t take you away from them. I’m already hogging you.”
“They’ll understand, Sydney.”
“Please don’t tell them the truth,” she begged.
“How else am I supposed to explain my absence?”
“Please don’t. I don’t want them to hate me or think I’m not good enough for you.”
“They would never think that. They know I love you for the strong woman you’ve become, not the weak girl you used to be. They would never hold your past against you. Believe me.”
“I don’t know.”
“I won’t tell them if you don’t want me to, but I promise they won’t judge you if they know the truth. Plus, it will make my life easier.”
She sighed. “Okay.”
He kissed her. “It’s going to be okay, Syd. They’ll be gone in a few days and I’ll be beside you the entire time.”
“I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“You’ll never have to find out.”
12
As the days trickled by and Thanksgiving approached, Sydney became more stressed. Her new job didn’t distract her, and neither did Coen or her friends. Flashbacks of her childhood came flooding back to her during the most random times. When Henry was talking to her, memories of her stepfather throwing a bottle of beer at her splashed across her eyes. When he asked what was bothering her, she always said it was nothing.
Coen noticed her pain but didn’t address the subject. There was nothing he could say to make her feel better about the ordeal. He wasn’t even sure how he felt about it. He wanted to kill all three of them and blame it on a horrific accident of some sort.
Their lovemaking wasn’t as intense and powerful as it normally was. In fact, she was dry. He could hardly get her in the mood. Most of the time, she just had a stoic expression on her face, like she was thinking of something else. Coen tried not to let it bother him but it did. That connection with her always calmed him and made him feel at peace with the world. He jacked off, thinking about her, but it was never the same. He could barely come doing that because he missed the real thing so much. But he wouldn’t pressure Sydney into doing something she wasn’t comfortable with.
At lunchtime on the last day of school, Coen was sitting next to her b
ut he didn’t look at her or speak to her. Henry picked up on the tension between them.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
Sydney stared at the table like she hadn’t heard him.
“Yeah. We’re fine,” Coen answered.
Henry ignored him, his eyes set on Sydney. “Syd?”
She looked up. “What’s up?”
“Did you hear me?”
“Uh—no.”
“I know something’s wrong. Is there anything I can do?”
She smiled at him, but it was very weak. “No, Henry.”
“Are you and Coen having problems?”
“No. We are just as in love as we’ve always been.”
Nancy raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t seem like it.”
“I’m just—not in the mood,” she answered.
They fell silent. Coen ran his hand up and down her arm, trying to wake her up from this dead stupor.
“How was the research?” Henry asked. “You still haven’t told us about it.”
She sighed. “It was fine.”
“Fine?” he asked.
Coen shook his head, silently begging her two friends just to drop it.
Henry sighed then did just that.
Sydney stared out the window, thinking about the pain that was about to come. She finally blocked out her past because of Coen, but now it returned with a vengeance. It seemed like she would never be free of them. She wasn’t going to put up with this anymore. As soon as she thought about seeing them again, she returned to her role as the weak victim, talking only when spoken to, and curling up in a ball in a defensive way. She refused to do that again. This time, if she was hit, she would hit back. If her mother still didn’t show remorse or care about what happened to Sydney, then she could go fuck herself too. Coen was right. He was her family now—not them.
When classes were finally over for the day, everyone talked about going home to see their families, whether it was on the mainland or internationally. Sydney wished she was going to Coen’s house to have Thanksgiving with his family. She hadn’t met them yet but she knew she would love them. Anyone was wonderful compared to her own family.
