The Tide Between Us Novels & Stories

ELI'S POV When Marin pulled the boat free of the tide and dragged it onto that jagged stretch of rock, the moon was a thin sickle hovering behind a veil of clouds. It is already midnight. I could still taste the brine on my tongue, the cold that had gnawed at my ribs the moment the sea tried to claim me. The waves muttered against the cliffs in a rhythm that felt like a summons; each slap of surf against stone was a reminder that the ocean never truly lets go.

Just a crumpled napkin left behind like some kind of signature. I exhaled slowly and started toward my car. Why hadn’t I said hi? Would it have been weird? Or would he have wanted me to? I wasn’t sure anymore. I wasn’t even sure what we were to each other. Not friends. Not exactly enemies. Something else. Something in between. Entangled. That was the word. Like wires twisted together. A connection that shouldn’t exist but somehow did. And now Malik had seen it—well, part of it. And his warning was just the echo of what I already knew.

ETHAN Maya doesn’t stay long, and that's always been the thing I like best about her. The clean edges of it, the unspoken agreement that whatever exists between us begins at my door and ends long before sunrise. It’s uncomplicated and temporary and blessedly free of the kind of emotional excavation that other people seem to crave from intimacy.

"Let's make it happen." And gods help me—I don't think I could play along much longer. —— The wind carried the scent of pine and damp earth, crisp and cold against my skin. The trees swayed like silent witnesses, towering all around us, and the only sound between us was the rustling of leaves. We were alone—finally alone—near the border. No judgmental whispers. No crowd. No distractions. Just me and him. And yet, as I held the ice to his face, pressing it gently against the blooming bruise under his eye, it felt like I was sitting across from a stranger.

Something that whispered across his skin like a memory not fully recalled. “Where?” he asked. Lady Marcella tilted her chin. “We don’t know. Not precisely. But the shift began near the coast.” Isolde’s gaze flicked toward him. “And you were already there, weren’t you?” “Yes, I was filming.” Deverell noded hs head. “Convenient,” she said, folding her hands. “Or fate.” Deverell ignored the sting in her tone. Isolde had always been the Cabinet’s moral compass, twisted in blood and secrets. She never liked him. Never trusted him. And perhaps she had her own reasons.

Lights shone from this side and and as we got closer, we began to hear the soft chatters of the other people from school. I turned a look at Harden, gave him a small smile which he returned. With my hands tucked into my sweatshirt pockets to shield them from the harsh cold, we walked towards the beach where everyone stood around. There's a little fire made in the middle of some fallen tree trunks, where I saw Tephanie seated. She has a red alcohol cup in one hand, talking and laughing with some of the other kids seated beside her. I saw Jeremy standing over a high table and pouring something into red party cups for some students lined up in front of him.

It was pregnant with possibility, with the weight of newly discovered understanding. The wind whispered around them, carrying the distant sounds of the city. Below, life pulsed and throbbed. But on the rooftop, suspended between the vastness of the sky and the intricate tapestry of human existence, two souls had just found an unexpected resonance. And in that quiet, shared moment, amidst the shimmering city lights, everything had indeed changed.

“So are you.” There was silence and the wind rustled through the leaves overhead, carrying with it the faint scent of pine and something she couldn’t place but it was warm, rich, grounding. She almost thought it came from him. She took a step closer without realizing it. “I don’t think I recognize you,” she said. “Are you from the city?” His lips curved, faint but noticeable. “You could say that.” “That’s not an answer.” “No,” he agreed, and for a moment the air between them reduced, it was charged, as though his words carried more weight than words.

Evan chipped in. Maureen sighed. “Fine, I understand but we’ll still talk." She faced Evan. "Since you’re my friend’s boyfriend, I’ll treat you as such. You better make me come out well in the documentary and treat your girlfriend right.” Evan laughed, pulling Aria closer to himself. “Sure, I’m an award-winning director. Can we go enjoy our date now?” Maureen nodded. “Enjoy yourselves, lovebirds.” Evan was still holding unto Aria’s waist as they reached the car. He opened the door for her and helped her go in before he went in, himself. He started the car and drove away.

--- Liam and Alex: The Calm Before the Storm The days after the news of Chester’s engagement felt like an emotional storm for Alex Her thoughts had been in a constant whirlwind—her son, Liam, and now the reminder of the life she had once shared with Leon. But amidst all the chaos, she was slowly finding a new sense of peace.