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  Connected by the Tide

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher or author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Copyright © 2013 by E. L. Todd

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN-13: 978-1495359507

  ISBN-10: 1495359506

  Connected by the Tide

  Book Three of the Hawaiian Crush Series

  E. L. Todd

  1

  When Henry heard the knock on his front door, he ignored it. He knew exactly who it was.

  “Henry? Are you home?” Sydney yelled.

  He stared at the ceiling before he turned on his side, feeling the tangle of the sheets around his feet. The entire Christmas break had been spent in his apartment, lying in bed like a dead corpse. He wanted to be happy for Sydney that she was engaged, but he was selfish. It was just too hard for him. All her phone calls were ignored, and he stayed away from her as much as possible.

  “Please talk to me.”

  He hated hearing that noise, the sound of her sadness. Her voice was shaky, full of unspent tears. Even though she didn’t love him romantically, there was no doubt of her loyalty and love for him. He felt like an ass as he lay there, completely ignoring her. He hid his car down the street so she wouldn’t see it, but it obviously hadn’t fooled her—that overachieving genius.

  Unable to stand the sound of her depression, he walked down the hall and opened the front door.

  Her eyes widened in shock when she looked at him. He just wore his jeans with no shirt. She had seen him this way many times. He didn’t care about being half naked in front of her. When her eyes met his, he saw the pity in them. He hated that look.

  Her eyes started to coat with tears. “You told me I could never lose you.”

  “I meant it.”

  “Then why are you avoiding me?”

  He took a deep breath. “I’m not. I haven’t been feeling well.” He hated lying, but he really didn’t want to tell her the truth—that he wanted to die.

  “Why haven’t you answered my phone calls, then?”

  “Lost my phone.”

  “You didn’t even let me give you your Christmas present.”

  “Can we do it later?”

  “Are you still not feeling well?”

  The beauty of her face left him feeling paralyzed and weak. Just the turn of her lips made him sick because he would never kiss them. The one chance he did, she started crying. He repressed that memory. Her perfect hair scattered across her shoulders, the same color as the sand on the beach. Her slender shoulders and prominent breasts were hard for him to ignore. He’d never felt sicker in his life. “No.”

  She stepped inside. “Let me help you.”

  “No,” he said quickly.

  She walked in anyway. All of his roommates were out, enjoying the vacation before school started again. “I’ll make some soup.”

  “I’m fine, really.”

  She marched to his bedroom, and after a long sigh, he followed her.

  She pulled the sheets off and remade the bed, much to his embarrassment. Then she fluffed the pillow and pulled back the covers. “Get in.”

  “You should go. I don’t want you to get sick, too.”

  “Don’t worry about me.”

  He remained by the door.

  “Come on,” she said, patting the bed.

  He couldn’t resist that smile he’d stared at so many times. She was more beautiful than any single thing. Not even the ocean, the depth full of life and secrets, could compare to the perfect arrangement of her eyes, nose, and mouth. She was exceptional, one of a kind. “Okay.” He unbuttoned his jeans, then crawled under the covers. She kept her gaze averted so she wouldn’t see him in his boxers. The rejection stung him. He wasn’t sure why. What else did he expect her to do?

  “I’ll be right back,” she said after she patted his knee. She was gone for a while, leaving Henry waiting. She returned with a large bowl of soup and crackers, which were held on a tray.

  Even though Henry wasn’t hungry or sick, he sat up and let her arrange the tray in front of him. She sat on the bed, her thigh next to his. He started to eat the soup. “Thank you.”

  “I just hope you feel better.”

  “I already do feel better.”

  “So, how was your Christmas?”

  “Good,” he lied. It was shitty. It was definitely the worst holiday he’d ever had. Christmas dinner, his family, and his presents couldn’t distract him from the hole in his heart, the absence of Sydney. All he kept thinking about was Sydney making love to Coen, yelling his name while they rolled around in her bed. When he felt the bile rise to his throat, he swallowed it and kept eating. “How was yours?”

  She smiled. “It was wonderful.”

  He nodded, unsure what to say. Now that she lived with Coen, he was there all the time. Now Henry could never see her. He already didn’t want to see her as it was, but to see her with him was even worse. He just tried to stay away.

  “Guess who Nancy hooked up with?” she said excitedly.

  “Who?”

  “Derek.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She said it was the best sex she ever had.”

  “She must have been drunk, then.”

  “Well, you know Nancy,” she said with a laugh.

  “That I do.” He blew the steam from the soup then took another bite.

  “I taught Rose a new trick.”

  “What?”

  “She flips in the air.”

  “What? Are you serious? How did you manage that?”

  “I don’t know. She just did it. She and I are connected.”

  “Apparently. Maybe you’re actually a dolphin.”

  Her eyes lit up. “That would be so awesome.”

  He laughed, smitten by her weird obsession with animals. “And how’s Dr. Goldstein?”

  “Good. I’m glad I get to do what I love and make more than minimum wage.”

  “What? Cleaning penguin poop is way better.”

  “I’m sure,” she said with a laugh. “Although I don’t get to spend as much time with Rose.”

  “I spend time with her.”

  “You do?”

  “We talk about you.”

  “And what do you say?”

  “That you want her to live in the ocean right by your house.”

  “I would love that.”

  “We’ll rescue her. I’ll help.”

  She sighed. “I don’t think Rose would survive in the wild. She’s been domesticated for too long.”

  He nodded. “Probably.” He looked at Sydney’s face, the brightness of her eyes, and forgot about all the pain he felt. Just talking to her made everything better. Their conversations were natural, unforced. She understood him better than anyone. He didn’t need to elaborate on his remarks. She just got him—completed him. A strand of her hair fell from behind her ear and he noticed it. He wanted to tuck it away, but he kept his hand steady.

  “I miss you,” she whispered.

  “I miss you, too,” he said automatically, his voice full of emotion. Not talking to his best friend was hard. It was worse than a breakup. It was like she’d died.

  “Were you avoiding me on purpose, Henry?” Her eyes were staring into his, waiting for his honesty.

  When he told her their relationship wouldn’t change, he meant it. He thought he would get over her eventually, especially since she was engaged, but his emotions seemed to only become stronger, more intense. She should be with him, not Coen. He hated that guy, hoped he died. When the thought entered his mind, he shook his head. He couldn’t think like that. It was wrong. But he couldn’t change the way he felt. Sydney should be his. Their relationship was unique and powerful. There was more than just friendship, there was lust. He felt it for her whenever he looked at her. His dick always swelled and twitched when he was around her. Whenever he saw her in a swimsuit, he thought that would be enough to send him over the edge. But this wasn’t her fault. He should have pursued her a long time ago. It was just difficult to accept—they weren’t going to be together.

  “Henry?”

  “No, I wasn’t avoiding you.”

  She stared at him for a long time, examining his features. “Okay.”

  Henry doubted she believed him. She knew him too well. But she accepted his response, knowing it didn’t matter anyway. “Are you ready for school?”

  She sighed. “Not at all.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “I thought you loved school.”

  She shrugged. “I do, but I like research more. I’m tired of learning so many different things. I just want to study the ocean.”

  He patted her hand. “You’ll get there. You have a long way to go, Dr. Quartz.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

  He considered asking about the wedding plans, but he really didn’t want to hear about them. He never asked Coen about it, either. Sydney hadn’t decided on the wedding party, but he hoped she wouldn’t ask him to be involved at all. If he didn’t care about being a completely selfish bastard, he wouldn’t go at all. But he couldn’t do that to her. He still loved her more than anything and wanted her to be happy, even if it wasn’t with him.

  S
he leaned back and lay beside him, her body on top of the covers. Henry was suddenly aware of how naked he was. She used to lie in bed with him, but now he felt awkward because she could guess the direction of his thoughts. Since she belonged to someone else, he felt guilty. But he couldn’t stop the feelings. He’d already tried.

  She closed her eyes and sighed. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

  He turned his head slightly and smelled her hair. The tropical scent of coconut reminded him of all the movies they’d watched together at her shack near the beach. He thought of all the times he’d rubbed his nose in her hair when he hugged her, or the times he’d recognized her scent when she entered the room. Just the smell alone reminded him of his deep obsession. These feelings had to end, but he didn’t think they ever would. He was stuck. “No. There’s nothing anyone can do.”

  2

  The admissions building was packed with students on the first day. People were trying to pay their tuition, get their class schedules, or buy their books from the bookstore. Henry waited in line until he finally reached the front.

  “I need to change my schedule,” he said.

  “Which class did you want to drop?”

  “All of them.”

  The receptionist raised an eyebrow. “All of them?”

  He nodded.

  She turned to her computer and started to type. “What classes did you want to add?”

  He handed her the paper that held the information.

  She typed it then pressed “enter.” “All those classes are available. You’re very lucky.”

  Henry didn’t think he was lucky at all.

  She handed him the schedule. “Thank you, and have a good day.”

  He shoved the paper into his pocket then walked across the campus. Sydney would probably be confused when she didn’t see him in their first class—or any of her classes. It was a tough decision, but he knew he’d made the right one. He walked until he reached the building. The Hawaiian sun warmed his skin, and the moisture from the climate made his skin feel damp. He hardly ever used lotion on his skin because he didn’t need it. His complexion had improved after he moved here as well. He wasn’t sure what caused it.

  He walked into his first class and took a seat in the back. After he opened his bag, he took out the textbooks he needed for the course. He didn’t recognize any of the other students, which he was grateful for. Nothing would remind him of Sydney.

  “You have the wrong book.”

  He turned and saw a girl with blonde hair looking at him. “What?”

  She nodded to the book on his desk. “You have the wrong book.” She opened her bag and held up her textbook. “This is the one you need.”

  His gaze returned to his desk, and he appraised the book. “I must have gotten confused.”

  “It’s okay. We can share.”

  “Thanks,” he said with a smile.

  “I’m Ren.”

  He raised an eyebrow. That was a very masculine name for a girl. He stared at her for a moment, making sure he wasn’t confused. Her long blonde hair reached her breasts, which were perky and noticeable. She crossed her legs, revealing her long and slender thighs. She was tanned, darker than most girls with that hair color. A string bracelet was on her wrist, embedded with different stones. She was eye-catching and attractive. Not man-like at all. “Is Ren short for something?”

  “Renee.”

  He nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “Did you think I was a guy?” she teased.

  He glanced at her legs then returned his look to her face. “Definitely not.”

  She smiled at him, looking him straight in the eye with a high level of confidence. “Why haven’t I seen you before?”

  He shrugged. “We never crossed paths.”

  “But I know all the English majors. Why don’t I recognize you?”

  “I changed my major recently.”

  “When?”

  “Today.”

  “Wow. Are you a freshman?”

  “A junior.”

  “What was it before?”

  “Zoology.”

  “I don’t even know what the hell that is.”

  He laughed loudly, making the rest of the students glance at them. “I still don’t know what it is.”

  “Do you study zoos?”

  “No. It’s the study of animals.”

  “That live in a zoo?”

  He laughed again. “It has nothing to do with zoos.”

  “Well, they should change the name. It’s confusing.”

  “Not really.”

  “So why did you change your major?”

  For the first time, Henry averted his gaze. “I just didn’t belong there.”

  “It took you two years to figure that out?”

  “I’m not that bright.”

  “I guess not.”

  “But at least I knew what zoology meant.”

  She smiled. “Touché.”

  The professor walked in and immediately began lecturing. He handed out a short story for the class to read and analyze, and Henry was immediately taken to the assignment. The words stood out to him, their cadence and rhythm. Every sentence seemed to set up the next one while completing the previous one. When the class started discussing the story, Henry took the lead and analyzed it. When he was done, Ren stared at him, a look of approval on her face. Perhaps Sydney was right; he was better with language. He should have changed his major a long time ago.

  When the class was over, Henry was happy to see that Ren was in his next class. She sat beside him and shared her textbook with him. Again, he’d bought the wrong one. He had been confused and devastated lately. He probably wasn’t paying attention to what he was doing. When their British literature class ended, Henry watched Ren leave the classroom and disappear down the hallway. He was glad he’d made a friend on his first day of class. It made the change a little easier to accept.

  He walked to the cafeteria and grabbed his food before he walked to the usual table he sat at with his friends. When he arrived, Coen was kissing Sydney, rubbing his nose against hers. Henry watched them for a moment before he averted his gaze. He was starving when he walked into the cafeteria, but now he wanted to vomit. He dropped the plate on the table then sat down. Sydney’s engagement ring flashed in the light, sparkling like a rainbow. Henry wanted to grab it and throw it in the ocean, never to be seen again. He took a deep breath. He didn’t like the bitter person he was becoming. It wasn’t in his nature to be this way—an asshole.

  Sydney broke their kiss and looked at him. “Why weren’t you in plant physio?”

  He took a bite of his pizza and ate it slowly, stalling for as long as possible. “I don’t have that class this semester.”

  “And what about physics? We have to take that this year to graduate.”

  “I’m not taking that, either.”

  Nancy stared at him but said nothing, her eyebrows raised.

  Sydney looked more confused. “So what are you taking, then?”

  “British literature and advanced composition.”

  Sydney said nothing for a long time. “Did you change your major?”

  “Yep,” he said, still eating his pizza.

  “When did you decide this?”

  “A couple of weeks ago. You were right, Syd. Zoology wasn’t right for me.”

  “I never said that. And you’re halfway done. Now you have to start over.”

  “It’s what I want to do. I should have done it a long time ago.”

  Coen turned to her. “Baby, you should be supportive.”

  “I—I just wasn’t expecting that.” She looked at Henry. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  He pushed his plate away, completely full. When he saw Coen lightly touch her neck with his hand, being possessive like he always was, Henry wanted to stab his eyes out. “I’m more than sure.”

  3

  Henry went by the bookstore and exchanged his books, getting the right ones. This time he asked for the worker to point him in the right direction. Clearly, he couldn’t figure it out on his own.

  When he went home, he locked himself in his room and worked on his homework. There wasn’t much the first day, but he went through the assignments in his syllabus, getting an early start. He desperately wanted to get his mind off Sydney, the woman who held his heart in her palm. She seemed upset that he’d changed his major, but he knew it was the right decision. Now that he would only see her for an hour a day, he might be able to move on.