Connected by the Tide (3 page)

“We all have bad days.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. She was easygoing and cool. He didn’t expect someone so beautiful to be so approachable and forgiving.

She glanced at his hand. “It looks pretty swollen.”

“Huh?”

“Your hand.”

“Oh.” He turned it over and looked at it. “It’ll be fine.”

“If you say so.”

He waited for her to ask him why he was so angry, but she n
ever did. He was relieved. Now he liked her even more. He looked at her textbook. “I was just reading, too.”

She nodded. “Fascinating, huh?”

“Yeah. Since I’m doing the same work as you, how about we work together?”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

He smiled. “I’ll grab my stuff.”

“Okay.”

After he retrieved his things, he sat across from her. He still felt nervous around her even though she was really nice, nicer than she should be. If he’d seen someone punching their car, he would stay away. “I’m really not an abusive guy or anything.”

That made her a little uncomfortable. “Uh, okay.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry. I just—”

“You don’
t need to explain yourself. Let’s forget it happened.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Now he thought she was just awesome. “Thanks.”

She turned back to her page and started highlighting. “I’m on chapter three.”

“Me too.”

“Looks like we’re both fast readers.”

“How about we
write our essays then we switch? We can grade and critique each other’s work.”

Her eyes widened. “That sounds great.”

“Cool.” He continued reading through the text while she did the same. He peeked up at her a few times, noticing how her hair would fall from behind her ear and cover her face. He had the urge to touch it. When he recognized his perverted thoughts, he concentrated on his work.

He typed his
essay while she wrote hers on paper. After she was done, she transferred it to the computer.

“You
write everything by hand?” he asked.

“It’s a habit.”

He glanced at the paper. “You have beautiful handwriting.”

“It’s beautiful but illegible
,” she said with a laugh.

“Does your hand hurt?”

“No. I write everything by hand. It helps me organize my thoughts. On a computer, I type so fast that I jump ahead. Writing longhand forces me to go slow.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“How do you write?”

“On my computer.”

“What do you write?”

He shrugged.
“Short stories.”

“I do too. Maybe we should exchange and critique each other.”

Henry had never shown anyone his work before. “Yeah, maybe.”

She smiled. “Never show anyone?”

“What gave me away?”

“I can tell when you’re nervous. One side of your mouth smiles while the other doesn’t.”

He felt his mouth move against his will and form the awkward grin she just spoke about. His cheeks reddened when he realized she was right.

“I think it’s cute.” She held his gaze for a moment before she looked down.

“Well, that’s a relief. I know I look like a total dork.”

“Dorks are cute.”

“I guess I don’t mind being a dork, then.”

“I’m done. You want to switch?
”

“Yeah, sure.”

They switched computers. When he placed her computer before him, he noticed it was a white Mac but with a purple covering. The background of her computer was a picture of a huge shaggy dog. She had her arms wrapped around him and her lips were puckered like she was kissing the camera. They both wore antlers and red noses. He assumed she’d taken it over Christmas break. Against his will, he chuckled.

“What?” she asked.

“Your picture. It’s cute.”

“Me and Perry?
”

“Is Perry your dog?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s nice.”

“Thanks.” Her cheeks flushed and she looked away, staring at his computer screen.

He hoped she wouldn’t go through his history or see his most recent websites. Just like any other guy, he had porn on his laptop. She didn’t mention it
, so he assumed she didn’t notice.

Henry read her paper and felt his heart hammer in his chest. Her work was phenomenal. Just a simple sentence was written with such precision and amazing word choice that
her meaning leapt off the page. “Ren, you’re an amazing writer.”

Her cheeks turned
a darker shade than before. “Thank you. You’re very talented too.”

He shook his head. “No. Your work is exemplary.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear, not knowing what to say.

“What do you want to do with your degree?”

“Be a teacher.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing.
You’re just so talented that I assumed you would be a writer for the
New York Times
or a major magazine.”

“Well, they don’t have any of those around here.”

“You could move.”

She didn’t respond to that comment.

He looked back at the screen and read through the paper. He didn’t have any critiques. There wasn’t a single spelling mistake or grammatical error. “I have nothing to say. It’s perfect.”

“Wel
l, I think you should change your last paragraph. It sounds a little redundant. I took out a few sentences and dispersed them through the page. Also, your citations were in the wrong format. I changed them.”

He took the computer back and looked through them. “Thanks for the help.”

“No problem.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help to you.”

She smiled. “You did help.”

“Maybe your ego.”

She chuckled. “I don’t have an ego.”

“That’s surprising. Most beautiful girls are
conceited. And if they are smart too, then they’re usually just bitches.”

“You thin
k I’m beautiful and intelligent?”

He felt his cheeks redden and his lips turn into an awkward grin. “Uh, well…”

She smiled at him then stared at her computer screen.

Henry sat in silence as he waited for the tension to disappear. He felt stupid for telling her she was beautiful. She obviously already knew that. He didn’t want her to think he was hitting on her. “I’m sorry about what I said.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you always this nervous?”

“What? No.”

“I wasn’t offended, Henry.”

“I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to pick up on you.”

Her smile fell. “Oh. Okay.”

Henry cringed. Now he
’d just made it worse. He decided the best thing he could do was get out of the situation. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school,” he said as he gathered his things. “Thanks for working with me.”

“Sure.”

He looked at her. “Have a good night.”

“You too.”

He turned around to walk away.

“I’ll be here tomorrow, just so you know.”

He stopped and looked at her. “Great. I’ll you see you then.”

“
’Bye.”

He turned and left the coffee shop, unsure
of what had just happened. He’d made a total idiot out of himself, and she seemed amused by it.

His phone vibrated in his pocket
, so he glanced at it.

Come get me.

He sighed, not wanting to deal with this right now.
Where are you?

Tully’s

On my way

He got into his car and left the parking lot.

4

Bryce was slumped on the counter, his head lying on the cold surface of the table. The bartender moved in front of him, cleaning the counter and refilling the peanuts.

When Henry walked inside, he spotted
Bryce immediately. “Seriously, you need to knock this shit off.”

Bryce sat up and blinked. “Huh?”

The bartender, Tom, glared at him. “I like taking his money, but I’m sad to see him go to waste.” He reached into his pocket then handed Henry a ring of keys that he’d confiscated.

Henry looked at him, gratitude in his eyes. “Thank you.”

Bryce patted the seat next to him. “Come on, Brother. Let’s share a pitcher.”

“You asked me to pick you up. Now let’s go.”

He ran his fingers through his hair then slouched. “Changed my mind.”

Henry sighed, releasing his frustration. “Why are you acting like this? You think Dad would be proud of you?”

“How can a dead person be proud?”

Henry grabbed him by the arm. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Bryce jerked his arm away. “No. Have a drink with me.”

Henry didn’t want this to escalate into a fight and draw
more attention. He sat in the stool beside him and looked at the bartender. “One beer and one water.”

“Coming right up.”
The bartender handed Henry the beer while he gave Bryce the ice water.

Bryce took a drink. “This isn’t vodka. What the fuck?”

“It’s water, you idiot. Now drink it.”

He made a disgusted face.

“I did as you asked.”

He rolled his eyes and sipped it.

Henry looked at him. “I have school and work. I can’t pick you up every day.”

“But you will anyway.”

“Well, don’t abuse it.”

“Fine, I’ll just drive home.”

“Stop being an asshole. I’ve done nothing to you.”

Bryce ran his fingers through his brown hair, which was short and curly at the end
s, then covered his face with his hands. He looked similar to Henry. They both had the same build and the same startling blue eyes. “Sorry.”

“Thanks.” Henry sipped his beer then pushed it away. After having a cup of coffee, the last thing he wanted was beer. “Bryce, this needs to stop. You could get fired.”

“I don’t work today.”

“But you work tomorrow.”

“So? I’ll be sober.”

“Lifeguards are supposed to be respectable members of the community. If they knew you had a drinking problem, they would fire you.”

“Well, I won’t get caught.”

“Word travels.”

“They’ll let it go because we’re bastards.”

“We aren’t bastards.”

“Same difference.”

“Mom is really worried about you.”

“Good for her, that stupid bitch.”

“Hey, knock it off.”

“She’s a bitch.”

“She’s my mom too. Don’t talk about her like that.”

“You’re always so forgiving of everyone,” he snapped. “It’s gonna bite you in the ass, Henry. Not everyone is a good person.”

“Yes, they are. Sometimes we make mistakes.”

He shook his head. “Shut up, Henry.”

Henry bottled the anger he felt toward his brother. Since Bryce was drunk, he knew he
shouldn’t retaliate because it would cause a bigger argument. “Jacklyn misses you too.”

“Well, I’m not a good role model for her anyway.”

Henry pushed his drink away then stood up. “Let’s hit the road.”

When Bryce tried to get out of his chair, he stumbled and almost fell to the floor. Henry caught him by the arm then helped him through the dimly lit room. People stared at them
, but Henry ignored their gawking. When they got outside, Henry got his brother into the passenger seat of his car.

They drove to Bryce’s
apartment down the road, silent the whole way. Bryce kept bobbing his head every time they hit a bump in the road. His head looked like it would roll off. Henry glanced at him every few seconds until they parked and walked inside.

Henry had to practically
carry him inside. He dropped Bryce on the couch then stood up. A small plastic bag fell out of Bryce’s pocket. Henry picked it up and looked at it. He knew what it was. He walked to the kitchen and threw it in the sink then turned on the garbage disposal.

“What the fuck?” Bryce said as he jumped up.

“No more of that.”

Bryce tried to punch him, but Henry grabbed his arm
and pushed him back onto the couch. “That shit isn’t cheap.”

“Then you wasted your money.”

“Come on. It’s just weed.”

“Today, but what about tomorrow?
You obviously have a substance abuse problem.”

“No, I don’t.”

Henry didn’t bother arguing. He pulled a blanket over his brother then walked into the kitchen, taking his books and his laptop from his bag. After a few minutes, Bryce passed out. His breathing was deep and shallow. Henry could smell the alcohol on his breath even from across the room. He opened his books and began to study. He didn’t want to be there, but he couldn’t leave his brother alone. He was afraid he would choke on his own vomit and die, or he would get up and hurt himself. Bryce wasn’t his responsibility, but he couldn’t leave him. They were family.

Hours later, Bryce sat up and rubbed his head. “Damn.”

“Headache?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly.

Henry handed him the pills and a glass of water.

Bryce swa
llowed them along with the water.

“You should feel better soon.”

Bryce leaned back into the chair and stared at the blank television screen. “What time is it?” he said in a cracked voice.

“Two in the morning.”

“Wow. I slept for a long time.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you pick me up?”

“You don’t remember?” Henry asked sadly.

He was quiet for a moment. “No.”

Henry
sat next to him on the couch. They sat in deep silence for a long time. When Henry looked at his brother, he saw someone he didn’t recognize. He was pale and weak, nothing like he used to be. His older brother was someone he once admired, but now he just pitied him. “You need to stop this, Bryce. I’m getting really worried.”

He sighed. “I know.”

“I can help you.”

“No. I don’t need your help.”

“Clearly, you do.”

“I just had too many beers.”

“What’s the point in getting so wasted that you black out and forget everything? You’re missing out on life.”

“What does it matter? I’ll just die anyway.”

Henry shook his head. “That’s why you enjoy the time you have left.”

Bryce cracked his knuckles then stared at his hands. The sound of the
pop
filled the silent room.

“You can’t let Dad’s passing eat you up like this. It’s the last thing he would have wanted.”

“We all grieve in different way, Henry.”

“You aren’t grieving. You’re repressing everything.”

“How can you still talk to her?”

Henry knew
who he was referring to. “Mom is just like us. She makes mistakes.”

He shook his head
, and a slight laugh escaped his lips. “That justifies nothing.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re family. Families forgive one another.”

“Then I’m not part of the family.”

Henry closed his eyes, knowing he
’d lost this battle. “I just lost Dad, and I can’t lose you too.”

Bryce finally looked at him. “I’m sorry that I’ve been such a dick.”

“Imagine how Jacklyn feels. She lost a dad, and now she’s lost a brother. She’s scared, Bryce. She feels like she did something wrong.”

“She’s probably only my half-
sister, since Mom’s a tramp.”

“Knock it off, Bryce.”

He sighed. “It’s hard for me not to be a dick.”

“Well
, try.”

“How are you okay with all of this? You went to school like nothing happened, took care of the bills so Mom could take time off,
took Jacklyn to school. I don’t get it.” He shook his head. “You seem completely unaffected.”

“That’s untrue. I think about it every day.”

“It doesn’t seem like it.”

“I have two women in my life that I have to take care
of since Dad isn’t around. That gives me strength to be strong for them. I can deal with that. But I don’t want to be strong in front of you. I look up to you. You need to help me, Bryce. I can’t keep up this charade forever. And now I have to pick you up from bars three times a week in addition to my other responsibilities. I know this is hard on you, but you need to pick up your shit.”

“I know, I know.”

“Then start doing it.”

“I just feel so guilty.”

“Why?”

“I never told him the truth.”

Henry nodded but kept his mouth closed. It was a delicate situation. “You did the right thing.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. I feel like a coward.”

“It just would have made Dad feel worse. He would have been hurt, bitter, and angry.”

“But at least he would have died knowing who really loved him. That bitch begged me not to tell him
, and I wish I hadn’t listened to her.”

“Stop calling her that,” Henry said through clenched teeth.

“She had an affair for a year behind Dad’s back. How can you just let that go? She’s a liar. How can you forgive her?”

“I never said I forgave her.”

“Well, you don’t seem angry.”

“I am angry. It’s just not the right time. In light of everything, family has to ban together and stay strong, not rip each other apart. Besides, she broke it off as soon as you found out.”

“Or so she says. I bet she would have remarried by now if I didn’t catch her in the act.”

“I think she really regrets it.”

“I don’t even know her anymore. At least you had Sydney to get you through this.”

“She doesn’t know.”

Bryce looked at Henry, his eyebrow raised. “You didn’t tell her?”

“No.”

“I thought you guys were best friends.”

“I didn’t tell anybody.”

“That’s why none of your friends came to the funeral?”

Henry nodded.

“Why?”

“I just didn’t want anyone to know. They would feel bad for me and pity me. I couldn’t afford a moment of weakness. I had to be strong. When people know you’re in pain, they treat you like you’re fragile, about to break down at any moment, and then you start to act that way, getting a label you can’t remove. I don’t want to be known as the guy who lost his
dad. Everyone would walk on eggshells around me.”

“I guess.”

“Which is why I need you. But you’re too busy drowning yourself in booze to fucking notice.”

Bryce flinched at the venom in his voice. “I’m sorry, man.”

“Don’t say, show it.”

“I’ll try.”

“There’s no
try
. You do or you don’t.”

“Okay.”

Henry stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate, but he never did. Annoyed with his brother, he grabbed his bag then walked to the front door.

“Henry?”

“What?” he said without turning around.

“Thanks for everything.”

“Yeah.” He shut the door behind him.