by Todd, E. L.
“I’m sure he didn’t mind,” she said. “Are you still a vegetarian?”
“Forever and always,” Sydney said.
“You’ll live to be two hundred,” her mother said with a smile.
When dinner was ready, they left it on the stove and moved to the living room. They watched TV in silence. They were waiting for Coen to come home before they sat at the table.
The front door opened, and Sydney knew her husband was home.
“That smells great,” he said as he put his bag down by the front door. He came into the living room and kissed Sydney, unaware of her mother sitting across the room. He grabbed her face and deepened the kiss. Sydney knew what that touch meant. She pulled away.
“Hey, how was work?”
“Long,” he said.
“We have company.”
“Oh.” He turned and saw her mother. He froze, staring at her.
Sydney felt the tension pick up. “She’s going to be staying with us for a while.”
Coen looked angry, livid. “Let’s talk outside.” He walked out the front door and slammed it behind him.
Sydney looked at her mother. “Uh, I’ll be right back.” She followed him outside and saw him pacing in the yard. “What’s wrong?”
He turned to her, a glare on his face. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
“Dan isn’t here,” she said immediately.
“Obviously,” he snapped. “And that isn’t what I asked.”
“She left him.”
“And came here?”
Sydney stared at him incredulously. “She has nowhere else to go.”
“That’s not my fucking problem!”
“Why are you acting like this?”
He came to her then stared her down. “And you think Dan isn’t going to come looking for her?”
“Well…”
“He will,” Coen said. “And I’m not letting him near you ever again. She isn’t staying here. That’s final.”
“Coen, she needs our help.”
His eyes shined with flames. “Where was she when you were being beaten with a baseball bat? Where was she when Johnny would molest you? Where was she when Dan would verbally abuse you, calling you a bitch and a brat? I don’t give a shit if she needs our help. She did this to herself.”
Sydney blinked back her tears.
“You don’t owe her anything, Syd.”
“She’s my mom…”
“I don’t care. You have the same blood but you aren’t family.”
“She’s changed.”
“People don’t change,” he snapped. “Dan is going to come here and drag her by the hair, coming near you. I can’t let that happen.”
“What happened to helping others who couldn’t help themselves?”
His eyes grew dark. “How dare you say that to me! This woman let Dan break your ribs. She doesn’t deserve to be saved.”
“You don’t believe that,” she said with a sniff.
His voice became quiet. “Baby, I know how selfless you are. You need to help everyone. But this is not one of those times. Having her here is putting you in danger, which I can’t allow. She can’t stay here, Syd.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.
“I want her out of the house.”
“I can’t just kick her out.”
“I’m not going to risk your life for hers.”
“She’s your family too.”
His eyes narrowed. “She’s no family of mine. I generously allowed her to come to our wedding. That’s it. She isn’t living with us.”
“And if I turn her away, where will she go?”
“I don’t care,” he snapped. “You were abused until you became an adult. You had no money, no family, and no protection. Look where you are now. You had to start with nothing. Now so does she.”
“Coen, I know you’re trying to do what’s best for me, but I can’t reject someone that needs help. I just can’t.”
He gripped his scalp, taking a deep breath. “Fine. You aren’t living here then.”
“What?” she asked incredulously.
“You can stay with Nancy and Thatcher while I stay here with her. I’ll get her back on her feet, and when she leaves you can come back. When Dan comes to drag her away, I’ll protect her. But you can’t be here when that happens.”
“But—no. We are married, Coen. We can’t live apart.”
“There’s no other way. I’m not letting her stay here. You have to decide what you want to do.”
“Neither one of those options is good.”
“Then pick the lesser of two evils.”
“Coen—”
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
“What if we find her another place to live?”
“With what money?” he snapped. “We can barely afford our own expenses.”
“We’ll get her a job and help her get a place.”
“I have a strong feeling your mother isn’t employable.”
“Coen, we’ll figure it out.”
“Fine. But for the time being, you aren’t living here. I’ll move your stuff to Thatcher’s.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I’m not letting you stay here. When they come back, I don’t want you near them. I’m your husband and I take care of you.”
“I can take care of myself,” she said. “You know that.”
“But you shouldn’t have to do. You’ve put this life behind you. I’m not going to let it haunt you. That’s the plan. I can’t be negotiated with.”
“This is insane.”
“Then tell her to leave.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Then this is the plan.”
She sighed. “I’m not telling her that.”
“I have no problem setting the record straight,” Coen said.
“Don’t be rude to her.”
“I took a bat to the chest, which could have caved my sternum in. I can be rude to her if I feel like it. It was selfish of her to come here and put you in danger. She doesn’t care about you, Sydney. She just wants us to protect her, feed her, and house her.”
“That isn’t true.”
He shook his head. “I admire your ability to see the good in people even when there is none there, but in this instance, it’s pure ignorance.” He walked back to the house, leaving Sydney on the verge of tears.
She followed him inside and watched him sit on the couch next to her mom.
“Hello,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t say hi earlier.”
“Hello,” she said. “Thank you for letting me stay here. My daughter has a wonderful husband.”
He nodded. “Thank you. Sydney and I are going to get you a job and an apartment. Sydney won’t be living here for the time being. It will just be you and I.”
Her mother looked confused. “Why?”
“I don’t want your husband near my wife,” Coen said firmly. “He abused her for years. She’ll be staying with friends until you’re out of the house.”
She looked at Sydney. “Is this true?”
Coen turned to her, waiting for her to agree.
“Yes,” she said.
“I—I didn’t come her to complicate your lives,” she said quietly.
Coen looked at her. “Sydney and I will help you in whatever way we can. But my wife is my number one priority. As long as you’re here, her safety is at risk. The sooner you find a job and leave, the less of a burden you’ll be.”
“Coen!”
“I don’t care,” he snapped. “She didn’t take care of you when you needed it most. If she came here expecting anything less, she’s sadly mistaken.”
“Don’t be rude,” Sydney said.
“Too late.”
Her mother looked at Coen. “I completely understand.”
“Thank you,” Coen said.
“He’s right, honey,” she said to Sydney.
Coen stared at her, surprised by
the reaction. “We’ll get started tomorrow.”
They had dinner together at the table in silence. No one spoke or made small talk. Sydney felt awkward, wishing her mother hadn’t caused a rift between her and her husband. She was finally well enough to spend time with him, but now they had more drama in their lives.
When they got ready for bed, Coen made a sleeping bag in the entryway.
“My mom has an air mattress,” Sydney said.
“This is for me,” he said simply.
“What?”
“I’m sleeping here.”
“Why?” she said. “Coen, you need to sleep with me.”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to sit in front of the door like watchdog.”
“You can’t argue with me.”
“Then I’ll sleep here too.”
“No,” he snapped. “Go to bed.”
“But Coen—”
“He held a knife to your throat while we were sleeping. That still haunts me every night. I’m sleeping here. I can hear everything in the house. That’s final.”
She sighed, knowing she couldn’t argue with him.
He crawled into the sleeping bag, a baseball bat right beside him.
Sydney sat next to him and kissed his forehead. “Come to my room and I’ll do that thing you like.”
“I’m not in the mood,” he said simply. “Go to bed, baby.”
“I can’t sleep without you.”
“It’s temporary.”
She sighed sadly.
“I’m not doing this to hurt you.”
“I know.”
He sat up and kissed her on the forehead. “It’s my job to keep you safe. And safe is what you’ll be.”
12
The next day, Coen and Sydney went to Thatcher and Nancy’s place after class. Sydney was nervous to tell them the truth of her past, but there was no way to get around it. She wouldn’t disrespect her friends by lying to them.
They sat at the kitchen table while Nancy passed around mugs of coffee. Thatcher watched her, his eyes lingering on her hands and wrists. Sydney studied him ,watching the way he gazed at Nancy like she was the most prestigious work of art. She was happy her best friend found a man that loved her so much.
“So, what’s this about?” Nancy asked as she sat next to Thatcher.
Thatcher placed his arm over the back of her chair, his fingers touching her neck.
Sydney sighed but couldn’t speak.
Coen noticed her unease and took the reins. “We need a favor.”
“You know we’d do anything for you,” Thatcher said. “Just name it.”
“It’s complicated,” Coen said. “I need Sydney to stay with you for a while.”
Nancy look alarmed. “Is everything okay? Are you getting a divorce?”
“Never,” Coen said quickly. “Never. I need her to stay here because I know she’ll be safe.”
Thatcher glanced at Sydney. “Safe from what?”
Coen turned to Sydney, waiting for her to speak. When she was silent, he continued. “Sydney had a—difficult childhood. She was abused both emotionally and physically. Her stepfather was her tormentor, and her stepbrother was just as worse. Sydney came to Hawaii because she ran away from that past and started a new life. But now that past has followed her. Her mom showed up on our doorstep, asking for refuge from her husband.
“Sydney and I aren’t cold. We intend to help her get back on her feet, finding a job and getting her own apartment. Her mother was never there for her, so I’m not too invested in her well-being, but Sydney, with a heart of gold, feels the need to help her. So she’s staying at the shack. I’ll be there to keep an eye on the place and protect her when Dan shows up. But I don’t want Sydney there until her mom is out of the house.”
Sydney covered her face, feeling her tears well up.
Thatcher and Nancy were both shocked by the information. Neither one of them spoke.
Nancy came to Sydney and wrapped her arms around her, patting her back gently.
Coen gave them a moment before he kept talking. “Can you please take care of my wife in my stead?”
Thatcher nodded. “I’ll protect her with my life.”
“He’ll never track her down here. Believe me, he isn’t bright. I just feel better knowing she isn’t around that life anymore. I have to protect her from that.”
“I completely understand,” Thatcher said. “I have an alarm system so there shouldn’t be a problem. And her bedroom can be right next to ours.”
“Thank you so much,” Coen said. He extended hand and shook Thatcher’s.
Nancy pulled away, tears in her eyes. “I had no idea, Syd.”
She sniffed. “No one did.”
“You’re safe with us.”
Thatcher stared at her. “I have even more respect for you than I already did. You started a new life for yourself, yet you still have the ability to give your mother grace. It’s very admirable.”
Sydney nodded. “Thank you.”
“You’ll love it here,” Nancy said. “Make yourself at home.”
“As soon as I get her mother out of the house, I’ll fetch her,” Coen said. “I don’t want her to infringe on your hospitality too long.”
“Shut up,” Nancy said. “Sydney is family. She could live with us forever if she wanted to.”
Sydney smiled. “Thank you.”
“Well, should we get her belongings?” Thatcher asked.
“Everything is in the truck.”
“Let’s do it,” Thatcher said.
The two men left the house.
Nancy sat across from Sydney. “I had no idea…”
“It wasn’t my finest hour…”
“I’m not judging you for it.”
“You aren’t?” Sydney asked.
“Of course not.”
“Thank you.”
Nancy patted her hand. “You’re my best friend. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.
Nancy pulled her hand away and looked down. “My mom left me when I was a year old. Now she’s in jail for shoplifting. And my dad is a billionaire but we lost touch for a while because all he cared about was money.”
Sydney stared at her, surprise on her face. “Wow…”
“Yeah.”
“I had no idea.”
“I guess we all have our secrets,” Nancy said.
“Apparently,” Sydney said with a laugh. “Have you told anyone?”
“Just Thatcher.”
Sydney nodded.
The men returned with all of Sydney’s bags. They placed them in the spare bedroom.
Sydney looked at Nancy. “Thank you for letting me stay here.”
“Please don’t thank me,” Nancy said. “Family is always welcome here.”
Sydney smiled.
“Coen loves you so much,” Nancy said. “Do you know how hard it’s going to be for him to stay at home with your mom? Who he doesn’t even like?”
“He’s the most selfless person I know.”
“We’re both so lucky that we found great guys.”
Sydney nodded. “Aaron and Derek were pathetic excuses for boyfriends.”
“I like the topic of this conversation,” Coen said when he walked back into the room.
Thatcher nodded. “I like it when my lady says flattering things about me.”
“I always say flattering things about you,” Nancy said.
Thatcher rubbed his nose against hers.
“Syd, I hope you don’t mind, but Thatcher and I are still having sex even though you’re in the next room,” Nancy said.
Sydney laughed. “I don’t mind in the least. I want to burden you as little as possible.”
“Well, I guess I should go,” Coen said. “It’s getting late.”
Sydney felt her happiness die.
Thatcher turned to Nancy. “Baby, let’s go in the office.”
“Okay,” she said.
They left the room, leaving Sydney and Coen alone.
“Call me if you need anything,” he said quietly.
Sydney tried not to cry. “This is so hard…”
“Baby, I know. But it will be okay. I promise.”
“I can’t sleep without you.”
He kissed her forehead.
“And I hate not seeing you.”
“You’ll still see me. Don’t worry about that.” She walked with him to the door downstairs. He pulled her into his arms and pressed his face close to hers. “I’ll get her out of there as soon as possible so we can be together. I promise.”
Sydney sniffed.
“I hate this as much as you do. But I have to put you first.”
“I know. I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”
“I never want to hear you say that again.” His words were full of anger. “Ever.”
She stared into his eyes.
Coen grabbed her face and kissed her gently, parting her lips with his. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“Call me when you go to bed.”
“Okay.”
He kissed her forehead before he left.
Sydney watched him get into his truck and drive away. Even though the separation was temporary, it was brutally painful. It reminded her of the break up they had before they were married. It was the most pain she’d ever been in. Not sleeping with her husband was unbearable. She felt like a piece of her was missing.
She went upstairs and walked into the spare bedroom. It had a bed and dressers for a visitor. She sat on the bed and stared at the wall.
“Should do something with her?” Nancy asked. “Take her out?”
“No,” Thatcher whispered. “Just give her space. I’m sure she’s in pain right now.”
“I could never be apart from you, Thatcher.”
“Neither could I.”
Sydney changed and got into bed, not wanting dinner. When her eyes grew heavy, she called Coen. “I’m going to bed.”
“Okay.”
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
“I’m lying on the couch.”
“Where’s my mom?”
“I gave her the bedroom.”
“Oh.”
She sighed then moved the phone. “Well, goodnight.”
“Don’t hang up,” he said.
“Okay.”
He sighed again. “Stay on the phone with me tonight. That way I can still sleep with you.”
Sydney felt the tears fall from her eyes. She sniffed loudly, trying to control them.
