Connected by the Tide (14 page)

She ran her fingers up and down her arms, saying nothing. When she looked out the window, he saw the emotion in her eyes. Those were words she had wanted to hear for so long.

“Come here.” He removed her seat belt then pulled her toward him. “I’m sorry that happened to you.”

“It’s okay.”

He held her in his arms. “You mean something to me, Ren. I would never hurt you like that.”

She snuggled closer to him. “I know.”

“I didn’t realize how fucked up we both were until we found each other.”

“Neither did
I.”

“I think we are putting each other back together.”

She nodded.

He lifted her chin to look at him. “You are everything I’ve ever wanted in another person.”

“I am?”

He nodded.
“And more.” He kissed her on the forehead. “We should get going.”

“What are you going to do about Coen?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Just let it go.”

“We’ll see.” He slammed the door behind him then got out. After grabbing her hand, he led her to the front of the shop. Nancy was already sitting outside at a table, looking out at the ocean. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” she said sadly.

Henry walked over to her and hugged her tightly for a moment. Ren watched with a smile on her face. They sat across from Nancy, his arm around Ren. “So, what’s the story?”

Nancy shrugged. “Derek’s an ass. That’s about it.”

“Then why do you like him?”

She stared at the table, looking at the napkin dispenser. “I don’t know. When we slept together, I thought it meant something to him. I don’t see how people can be that intimate and it not mean anything. And since we are friends, I thought he wouldn’t risk our friendship in that way.”

“So he doesn’t know how you feel?”

“I think it’s implied.”

“I can say something to him.”

“No. His feelings for me are perfectly clear.”

“What do you mean?”

“He wanted to know if Ren had any single girlfriends. He isn’t looking for a relationship, and if he is, it isn’t with me.”

“It’s not your fault,” Ren said. “Some guys are just assholes. I know how you feel.”

“She’s right,” Henry said. “It isn’t your fault.”

Nancy tapped her fingers on the table. “Why isn’t he here?”

“Hey,” Derek said as he came outside. He al
ready held his tray of food and sat next to Nancy. He immediately started stuffing his mouth with food.

“Well, that’s rude,” Nancy said.

“What?” he asked, his mouth full.

“You already ordered?”

“So?” he asked, affronted.

“Seriously, we learned that in
, like, second grade.”

“Well, I wasn’t listening.”

“Obviously.”

“Why are you acting crazy all of a sudden
? You yell at me for everything. Calm down, Mom.”

Her eyes brightened with unbridled anger. She grabbed her bag then stormed away from the table, heading to her car.

Henry turned to Ren. “Would you?”

She smiled.
“Yeah.”

She
departed, leaving the guys alone.

Derek continued to eat like everything was normal.

“Dude, we need to talk.”

“What?”

“Nancy is my friend, and so are you.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

“I don’t like it when people hurt my friends.”

“Then tell Nancy to back off.”

Henry sighed. “She isn’t the problem.”

Derek
stopped eating. “How is this my fault?”

“When you slept together
, it meant something to her. Hearing you ask about other girls and treating her like a friend keeps hurting her. Turn it down, Derek. Be more sensitive.”

He shook his head. “It didn’t mean anything to her.”

“Yes, it did.”

“She would have told me.”

“Maybe she was embarrassed because she knew you wouldn’t feel the same way.”

“I did feel the same way.”

Henry raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean, you did?”

“When we slept get together, she came onto me. I thought it was because something was there, but then after we were done
, she ignored me. I realized I was just one of many she’d slept with. It hurt me, but I got over it.”

“So you have feelings for Nancy?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You know she feels the same way, right?”

“Well, she should make that clear.”

“She did—but in girl language.”

“So she actually told you this?”

“Yes. She’s hurt that you rejected her.”

He wiped his face with a napkin. “So she still has a thing for me?”

“Yes.”

“What do I do?”

Henry sighed. “Do I have to do everything for you?”

“What? You’ve always been better with girls.”

“Because I listen to them.”

“Whatever. I listen, too.”

“Go after her and tell her how you feel, from beginning to end. Then listen to what she has to say. It’s called a conversation.”

“Don’t be a dick.”

“Well, don’t be stupid.”

“Okay.” Derek pushed his food away. “I’ll give it a shot.”

Henry followed him to the parking lot. Ren and Nancy were leaning against the car, talking quietly. Nancy looked just as miserable as she did before. When she spotted Derek, she tried to act like she wasn’t upset, like everything was normal.

Derek stopped in front of her. He looked at the ground for a long time then glanced at Henry, unsure of what to say. Henry nodded, giving him some encouragement. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“Being a dick,” Derek said.

She stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate.

“When we slept together, I thought you were just being a slut, sleeping around like you usually do.”

Henry closed his eyes. That was not the right thing to say.

Nancy glared at him. “So your behavior is okay because you think I’m a whore?”

“No, that isn’t what I meant,” Derek said quickly.

Nancy shoved him. “Leave me alone, asshole.”

“Look, I said I was sorry. If I had known how you felt
, I would have acted differently.”

“How?”

“Well, when you were ignoring me, I would have asked why.”

She crossed her arms over her chest.

“And I would have kept talking to you. I would have asked you out.”

“And why didn’t you?”

“Because you were ignoring me like you hated me. That hurt me, you know? That didn’t feel good. I’m one of your closest friends, and you treated me like I was just another guy you found in a bar. How do you think that made me feel?”

“Well, you got over it quickly enough.”

“What else was I supposed to do? Lash out at you at every opportunity? I would have, but you already beat me to the punch.”

“Fuck you,” she snapped.

Henry stood between them. “Okay. You both need help, clearly.” They both glared at each other, spitting fireballs through their eyes. “Nancy, Derek has feelings for you. That night you were together did mean something to him. He would like to take you out on a date, take things slow. Derek, Nancy wants to be with you. She wanted you from the beginning, but when you started talking about other girls, it hurt her. She accepts your offer to go on a date. You are going tomorrow night. Pick her up at seven.” He looked at them both, waiting for them to argue. Neither one of them spoke. “Good. I’m glad we got this settled.” He stepped away from them and returned to Ren.

Derek closed the gap betwee
n them and stood in front of Nancy. “I’m sorry about everything.”

She smiled. “I’m sorry
, too.”

“Can I hug you?”

“Please.”

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. When Nancy looked at Henr
y, she mouthed
thank you
as Derek continued to hold her.

Ren rubbed his arm. “You are good at this.”

“I should start charging. I did the same thing with Sydney and Coen.”

“You hooked them up?”

“No. I got them back together. It’s a long story.” He walked back to their car. “Let’s get going.” He opened the door for her and put her inside before he got in the driver’s seat.

“Why did they break up?” she asked.

“She didn’t want to tell me the truth about their relationship, knowing it would hurt me, and he didn’t want to keep lying. He left her. When I found out what happened, I begged Coen to give her another chance.”

She stared at him. “But you co
uld have made your move, kept her for yourself.”

“She doesn’t see me like that, and it wouldn’t matter if she did. I want her to be happy.
Coen is the man for her. I’m not.”

“You’re so sweet, Henry.”

“Only to those I care about.”

“No. You are sweet to everyone.”

He parked the car in the driveway. “No, I’m not. I’ve used women to get what I wanted before I left them high and dry. Now that I see all the pain in your eyes, it makes me regret what I did.”

She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“I’ll never do it again.”

“People make mistakes.”

He walked her to the front door then kissed her.

“Aren’t you staying?”

“No. I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Where are you going?”

“I have to take care of something.”

“Henry, no.”

He turned away and walked back to the car.

“I said no.”

He looked at her. “I have to do this.”

“This changes nothing, Henry. I’m not going to feel better
, and Coen isn’t going to want Sydney to know.”

“He should have thought about that before he messed with my girl.”

Her eyes softened. “I wasn’t your girl at the time.”

“You are always my girl. Now go inside.”

“Henry—”

“Now.”

She stared at him for a long moment before she closed the front door.

22

When Sydney opened the door, she saw the anger on Henry’s face. “Is everything okay?”

“Get Coen.”

“Why
are you mad?”

“Just get him.”

Coen came behind her and opened the door wider. When he met Henry’s gaze, he knew exactly what their conversation would be about. “Baby, let the men have a moment.”

“What’s wrong?”

He grabbed her face and kissed her. “Nothing. Stay inside.”

“You are scaring me.”

“Hey. Everything is fine. Just give us a moment, okay?” He kissed her on the forehead, then shut the door, keeping her inside. He walked down the stairs and looked at Henry. “I think I know why you are here.”

“Good. It’ll save us time.”

Coen kept his hands by his sides. “I should warn you I’m trained in martial arts. It wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

“You think I give a shit about your fancy training? And I didn’t come here to fight with fists. What I have planned for you will hurt much more.”

Coen crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m not the same person I was then.”

“So that makes everything okay? You have no idea how much you hurt her. It’s one thing to sleep with her and never call her again, but to keep her around as a safety net is just unacceptable.
The strength of a man isn’t measured by his knowledge of martial arts or how many women are under his belt. It’s measured by how many people he loves, protects, and cares about. How many people do you have? Just one?”

Coen said nothing.

“Sydney deserves someone a lot better than you.”

“I know she does.”

Henry glared at him, his eyes shooting nuclear bombs. “The only reason why I’m not hitting you is because of Sydney. No other reason. If she weren’t here, I would give you everything I had.”

“What do you want me to do? It’s in the past.”

“I want you to tell me why you did that to her.”

“What does it matter?”

“Do as I ask!”

Coen sighed. “This is going to piss you off even more.”

“I can’t be angrier than I already am.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “I thought she was hot,
fuckable. I asked her out, did my thing, then left. She was good in bed, so I kept coming back. I thought we were having casual sex. If it meant something to her, I didn’t know. I was still sleeping with her when I met Audrey. When she and I got serious, I stopped calling.”

“Why didn’t you want to be with her? What was wrong with her?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t think she wanted me. It seemed like we were both there for the same reason.”

Henry stepped forward. “This is what I want from you.”

Coen waited for him to speak.

“I want you to apologize to her and tell her what you just told me.”

“Isn’t it a little late for that?”

“I want this relationship to turn into something serious. An apology will help clear the air. She also has self-esteem issues. I think it will help her get more confidence.”

“So I hurt her pretty bad?”

“You and all the other pigs out there.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Good. You didn’t have a choice.”

Coen looked at him. “Are we okay?”

“No.”

“So you hate me now?”

“I don’t like you.”

Coen looked hurt. He shook his head. “You know what? My past has nothing to do with what’s going on now. I’m a changed man. I love Sydney with all my heart. So go fuck yourself.”

Henry pushed him. “Fuck you.”

“Why are you doing this to me?”

“You did this to yourself.”

“Sydney doesn’t want to marry someone who doesn’t get along with her best friend. I’m sorry about what I did, and I mean it. I’ll apologize. But don’t take my girl away from me.”

“I’m not.”

“It would break her heart if you didn’t approve of me. It would change everything.”

“That’s not my problem. Hopefully she
’ll find someone better.”

Coen glared at him. “Like you?”

“Someone better than both of us.”

Sydney opened the door then walked down the steps. “You’re both scaring me.”

“Baby, go inside,” Coen said without looking at her.

She stood in front of Coen, blocking him, and looked at Henry. “What’s going on?”

Henry didn’t meet her gaze. “Ask your fiancé.”

Coen sighed. “Baby, I have to tell you something.”

She looked at him, fear in her eyes. “What?”

“I slept with Ren a long time ago.”

“Henry’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

“I broke her heart, actually. I slept with her a few times, having casual sex,
and then I never called her again when I started dating Audrey. Henry is upset because I hurt her. I didn’t know about the damage until now.”

She said nothing as she looked at the ground, her eyes darting from side to side. They both waited for her to say something
, but she remained silent.

“Baby, I’m sorry,” Coen said.

“You don’t need to apologize to me, Coen. It happened before we knew each other.”

“I think your fiancé is a piece of shit
, and I don’t like him,” Henry blurted.

“What?” she asked sadly.

“He’s an asshole. What kind of guy does that to someone?”

Coen looked like he
’d lost the whole world.

Sydney looked at Henry. “How is that any different from the things you’ve done?”

“It’s totally different. I only slept with girls one time, and I made it clear what I wanted. Coen dragged it out, using her like a machine. She’s crippled by the way she’s been used. I’m picking up the pieces.”

Sydney said nothing.

Coen looked at the ground, closing his eyes.

“Did he apologize?” Sydney asked.

“Because I asked him to.”

“Henry, Coen is stubborn. He won’t apologize unless he means it.”

Henry said nothing.

“I think you are just upset right now. We are both sorry for his actions toward Ren. We both like her and want you to be happy. But please don’t let this ruin your relationship with Coen. I love him
, and I want us all to get along. I admit he was wrong for acting that way, but Coen never lied to me about his past. He made it clear that he wasn’t always the sweet and monogamous man he is now.”

Henry stepped back and looked down at Sydney, seeing the emotion in her eyes. “Okay.”

“So you don’t hate him?”

“I was just overreacting. You don’t see what I see in Ren. I tell her that I’m in love with you and she still puts up with it, saying I treat her better than any other guy ever has. It breaks my heart that she settles for something less than she deserves because she’s used to men using her and taking advantage of her.”

They both said nothing, unsure of what to say.

“I’ll head over there now,” Coen said.

“You are going to apologize?” Henry asked.

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I should have done it a long time ago.”

“Follow me,” Henry said.

Coen kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll be back, baby.”

“Okay,” she said as she hugged him. “Hurry home.”

He rubbed his nose against hers
, then walked to his car. She stood on the porch as she watched him advance to his car and get inside. Henry looked from the driver’s seat, seeing the obvious love and adoration she felt toward Coen. He wished she felt that way about him, or better yet, he felt that way about Ren. The jealousy made him angrier. He started the car then pulled out of the driveway.