by E. L. Todd
“I want to break up.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
She took a deep breath. “You don’t deserve this, Coen, to settle for someone who can’t offer you anything. My family is nothing but an embarrassment. They treated you like you were a dog, giving you no respect whatsoever. Your family was so sweet to me, treating me like I was one of their own. I don’t come from a good place. I come from garbage. You deserve someone so much better than me. I can’t do this anymore.”
He stepped closer to her. “Syd, we aren’t breaking up.”
“Yes, we are.”
“I love you because of who you are, not where you come from. Your past doesn’t mean anything to me. So what if your mother is weak and pathetic, your stepfather deserves the electric chair, and your stepbrother is someone I would love to kill with my bare hands? They aren’t you, Syd. I love you for you, not because of your family.”
“But I’m—”
“I don’t love you in spite of your past. I love you because of it. You are strong, Syd. You got out and moved here, making a life for yourself. You chose your own fate when you took defense classes, empowering yourself to never be the victim again. You are truly exceptional, inspiring. You are selfless and loyal, putting other’s happiness before your own. You are insanely brilliant, putting your abilities to good use. You are so much more than I’ll ever be. I don’t deserve you, baby. It’s not the other way around. Don’t ever use your family as an excuse to keep me away. It won’t work.”
She looked down at the ground, still avoiding his gaze. His words meant the world to her, but she was so ashamed of her life experiences. He had taken a bat to the chest, something that could have killed him. How could she let him stay with her after that? She lifted her left hand and grabbed the engagement ring.
He saw her movement. “Don’t.”
“I can keep this.”
“I said don’t.”
She pulled it off and offered it to him. “Find someone who deserves to wear this.”
“You are the only person I would ever give this to.”
She kept her hand held out, waiting for him to take it. He didn’t move.
Coen lowered himself to one knee. “Sydney, I love you for you, no other reason. I would be honored if you spent the rest of your life with me. Please put that back on and marry me.”
She stared at him, unable to process his words. He just proposed to her, something she never expected. “Please don’t do this.”
“Do what?”
“You don’t need to ask me to marry you to convince me you want to be with me. I could never be your wife. You deserve someone so much better. I know you gave this to me as an act. Please don’t feel bad for taking it back. I understand, Coen.”
“I don’t want it,” he said firmly.
“Coen, stop making this hard for me. We shouldn’t be together. I understand that. Now take it.”
“No. I want you to have it.”
“Please don’t do this to me.”
“What?”
“Try to prove that you want to be with me. Just take it and leave.”
He rose to his feet then looked at her. He glanced at the ring then back to her face. She waited for him to take it but he didn’t reach for it. Instead, he just stared at her. His eyes shined a brighter shade of blue as he looked at her. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She couldn’t imagine her life without him, but she couldn’t let him settle for her either.
“Seahorse, look at the inner band.”
Her hand shook. “What?”
He nodded. “Look.”
She stared at him for a long time before she pulled the ring back. She looked at him one more time but she turned the ring, seeing the engraving inside the metal.
My Seahorse
She gasped, covering her mouth.
“I had that engraved before I gave it to you. I knew when I asked you to put on that ring I wasn’t going to want you to take it off ever. There was nothing you could do or say to change my feelings for you. I wanted you for the rest of my life. I still feel that way.”
She finally looked at him, tears streaming down her face.
“Your family changed nothing. My feelings are as eternal as that metal. They will never dull or decay. My entire family knows we’re engaged, but I told them you were too upset about your family’s visit to celebrate it or acknowledge it. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that you’ll say yes.”
He grabbed her hand then kneeled down again. “Now marry me.”
She smiled at him, unable to control the joy she felt.
He grabbed the ring and returned it to her finger.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes.”
He rose to his feet then wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest. “Thank you for being my seahorse.”
She held him tightly, saying nothing.
He pulled away and kissed her forehead. “Are you going to stop being stupid now?”
“I—I just don’t deserve you.”
He sighed. “So that’s a no?”
She smiled. “I’m so happy I get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“That’s better,” he said with a smile. “And we don’t have to get married right away. I know we haven’t been together very long. What if we did it right after graduation? Until then, I could move in with you.”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Good.”
“Coen?”
“Baby?”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
Epilogue
Sydney’s friends were both surprised and happy by their serious engagement. They got together and helped Coen move his belongings to the shack. Sydney had the hardest time telling Henry. He already accepted her relationship to Coen, but marriage was very serious.
“Congratulations,” he said as he hugged her.
“Thank you.”
He pulled away. The light was absent in his eyes. The depth of his irises was as dark as underground caves. The smile on his face was convincing, but not the look in his eyes. He looked broken, lost in despair.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“There’s no reason to be sorry, Syd. I’m very happy for you. I mean it.”
She nodded. “I love you.”
“I know.”
She hugged him again. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I’m fine, Syd. Don’t worry about me.” He pulled away. “I’m going to finish unloading the truck.” He turned around and joined everyone else, carrying boxes and bags into the house.
Coen came to her and stood beside her, watching their friends carry everything into the house like working ants. “How’d it go?”
“He said he’s happy for us.”
“I’m glad we didn’t have to keep it a secret this time,” he said with a smile.
She didn’t laugh.
“He’ll be okay, baby.”
“I just wish things were different.”
“He’ll move on in his own time.”
“I hate causing him pain.”
“It’s not your fault that everyone falls in love with you.”
“Not everyone.”
“My brother has a crush on you.”
“Well, that’s just weird.”
“My brother is weird.”
She laughed. “At least he likes me.”
“My whole family likes you.”
She stared at the house and watched her friends load everything through the door. Coen didn’t have a lot of stuff, but he still needed help moving everything. With the extra help, they were happy to get everything in a single trip. She was excited to live with him, knowing he would be there every night when she went to bed. “Two years is a long time.”
He looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“It’s just so far away.”
He smiled at her. “What are you suggesting?”
“If we are alre
ady living together, why don’t we just get married now?”
“I like that idea.”
“When?”
“When school is out.”
“Let’s do it.”
“Really? It’s not too soon?”
“If we got married the day we met, it still wouldn’t be too soon.”
“So, we are doing this?”
He grabbed her face and kissed her. “Let’s start planning. The sooner I’m your husband, the happier I’ll be.”
“The sooner I’m your seahorse, the happier I’ll be.”
“A marriage license is just a piece of paper. You already are my seahorse, baby.” He looked into her green eyes, not just seeing the entire world like he usually did. He saw every holiday with his family, his son and his daughter, their first fight, the first time they slept apart, their family vacations, everything—his whole world.
Sydney knew what he was thinking when he stared at her. Her thoughts were the same. He was everything to her, a new beginning. The past was something that would haunt her forever, but it seemed to disappear when she was with him, numbing the pain of her heart. She didn’t realize how broken she was until he put her back together. His love was the glue of her frame. She wasn’t the same person she used to be. She came out the other side stronger than she had ever been. Coen was the man who would make her stronger, complementing her strengths and her weaknesses. Perhaps they weren’t soul mates, but they chose each other out of all the other fish in the sea. His arm linked around hers, acting as the tail that held her to his chest. She intertwined hers around his, chaining together. They stared at each other for a long time, holding each other. Sydney knew they would never let go.
The story continues….
Connected By the Tide
Henry and Renee
(Book Three in the Hawaiian Crush Series)
Available Now
About the Author
E. L. Todd was raised in California where she attended California State University, Stanislaus and received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, then continued onto her master’s degree in education. While she considers science to be interesting, her true passion is writing. She is also the author of the Soul Saga Trilogy, The Alpha Series, and her bestselling novel, Only For You, the first installment of the Forever and Always Series. She is also an assistant editor at Final-Edits.com.
By E. L. Todd
Soul Catcher
(Book One of the Soul Saga)
Soul Binder
(Book Two of the Soul Saga)
Soul Relenter
(Book Three of the Soul Saga)
Only For You
(Book One of the Forever and Always Series)
Forever and Always
(Book Two of the Forever and Always Series)
Edge of Love
(Book Three of the Forever and Always Series)
Force of Love
(Book Four in the Forever and Always Series)
Fight for Love
(Book Five in the Forever and Always Series)
Lover’s Roulette
(Book Six in the Forever and Always Series)
Happily Ever After
(Book Seven of the Forever and Always Series)
Sadie
(Book One of the Alpha Series
Elisa
(Book Two of the Alpha Series)
Connected by the Sea
(Book One of the Hawaiian Crush Series)
Breaking Through the Waves
(Book Two of the Hawaiian Crush Series)
Connected by the Tide
(Book Three of the Hawaiian Crush Series)
Taking the Plunge
(Book Four of the Hawaiian Crush Series)
