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let me take the beating for it. I swear to god that bitch never loved me.” Coen stared at the ground while he listened to her, hiding any emotion he felt. “I applied to Hawaii University simply because it was an island away from home. I knew they wouldn’t be able to afford to visit me and I would be free of them—and his son.” She paused for a moment. “Johnny was the worst. When my stepfather wasn’t making my life miserable, his son was there to take his place. I think I may hate him more.”
    “What did he do to you?” he asked with a weak voice, his gaze averted.
    “Sexual things. When I told my mom about it, she did nothing, calling me a liar. I woke up in the middle of the night with his finger down my pants.  He told me if I said anything, he would tell his dad and he would beat me. So I did nothing, letting him take advantage of me. When I get older, I fought back, disgusted with him. When he told his dad that I was misbehaving, my stepfather would beat me. But it was worth the pain. I would rather be punched and kicked than be fingered by a disgusting pervert. The last thing I did before I left California was break two of his fingers. I know he’ll get retribution for that eventually. That’s my story.”
    Coen said nothing, still staring at the sand while he held her hand. He seemed calm and in control, but she knew him better than that. A war was raging inside him, wanting to explode. The retelling of the story did make her feel better. She didn’t feel like the grief was only her burden, but his as well.
    “Thank you for telling me,” he whispered. His eyes were lined with red and a few tears escaped. He blocked his face and looked away before she could get a good look at him. When he felt he had regained control of his emotions, he turned to her and wrapped her in his arms, holding her to his chest. “You’re safe now. That’s all the matters.”
    “I know.”
    “I’ll never let either one of them touch you again. I promise you.”
    “I know, Coen.”
    “I’m so sorry you had to suffer through that.”
    “I don’t have to suffer alone anymore.”
    “No, you don’t. I can’t believe you became such an amazing person through all that grief. It’s truly astounding.”
    “My father. He raised me to control my mind. Nothing else mattered. As long as they couldn’t take my mind, thoughts, and beliefs away, I would stay sane. They could have my body.”
    “Sydney, it wasn’t your fault he passed away. It was a horrific accident that was completely out of your control.”
    “It is my fault.”
    He looked into her eyes. “If the situation was reversed, would you want your daughter to feel this way? Carrying all this guilt for the rest of her life? Even if it was your fault, it wouldn’t change anything. He would want you to be happy, Sydney. It was a tragic accident. It could have happened to anyone.”
    She nodded. “You’re right. I would n’t want my child to live in regret for the rest of their life.”
    He kissed her forehead. “So let it go. He would want you to.”
    She started to sob. “You’re right, you’re right.”
    He rocked her back and forth and held her while she sobbed her heart out, remembering all the pain and suffering she experienced through those painful years. She didn’t know how long she sat there but hours seemed to trickle by. Coen never removed his arms from around her . He just whispered words of love into her ear.
    When she finally felt calm, he pressed his lips to her ear. “I’m your family now, Sydney. I will take care of you as long as you’ll have me.”
    “My family?”
    He rubbed his nose against hers. “Yes. Henry, Nancy, and I are your family. Those piece s of shit you used to live with hold no sway over you anymore. You belong with me.”
    “I’ve always wanted a real family,” she said through her increased breathing.
    “And we’ll make one of our own.”
    “We will?”
    “Yes.”
    “You still love me?”
    “Always,