Stephen stood tall against the sea breeze. The hood of his black windbreaker hissed at it slapped him in the face. It kept the rain out of his eyes, though, so that was something. Better than nothing, he thought casually. He had set the boat on autopilot so that he could watch as the three-story cruise came upon him. Just as they were within range, he ran down to the cabin, cut the engine, and turned the wheel to avoid a collision. The first time that he'd attempted this maneuver, it had been close, and it had scared him half to death. Now though, he had it pretty much down to a science.

When Ethan saw it though, he nearly shit his pants. Looking down from the sea cruiser, he could easily imagine the smaller boat exploding into a million pieces. It was enough to make him doubt his decision to enlist the services of Stephen.

​​

Ricky and Nate stood on either side of him. They were each wearing a life jacket and a silly white sailor's cap. It hadn't taken long for Ricky and Nate to mend their relationships with Ethan. He knew that anything that they'd done – even if they'd gotten carried away in the end – had been done with his best interests at heart.

One of the crew members threw a rope ladder down to Stephen, and he caught it on his first attempt. He strapped it to the side of his boat, winched it tight, and radioed up to the bigger boat that Stephen and his friends were safe to board.

Looking down, Nate looked positively sick. The crew member put his arm around him in a friendly manner. He gave a tug at his life jacket and said, "Don't worry. Even if you fall, you won't drown."

This only made things worse for Nate, though. "I'm not afraid of drowning," he cried. "It's the falling that is scaring the shit out of me!"

Hearing this, Ethan rolled his eyes and said, "Don't be such a fucking baby. You can go first. And that's an order!"

***

Once they were all on board Stephen's ship, Ethan began to wander from room to room casually. He was looking for Kylie, but he didn't want Stephen to know it yet. After doing a full search of the boat, he went into the main cabin, where Stephen was setting a new course for Seattle. He didn't know what Stephen was doing, but he thought it best to wait until he was done doing it before he demanded to know where Kylie was.

It took over half an hour, but finally, Stephen was done. Before Ethan could accost him, though, Stephen faced him and said, "I presume that you are looking for Kylie. Have no fear. She is safe. Most likely, she is still sleeping."

Ethan scowled. "It is already half-past five," he hissed. "What is she doing asleep still?"

Stephen looked at him, curiously. "Are you daft?" he laughed. "The sun isn't even up yet, and you're acting as though it were midday. Give her head a shake!"

"Alright then," Ethan grumbled. "Never mind that. Just tell me where she is, and then take me there."

Stephen suggested they go on deck and sit so they could talk more comfortably. Ethan didn't really want to move, but he allowed himself to be led in the hopes that Stephen would be more reasonable if he was comfortable. They were both silents for a few minutes, and Ethan was keenly aware of the waves as they crashed against them. The idea that the boat was sailing itself made him nervous.

Finally, Stephen adjusted his body so that he could look Ethan in the eyes. "You and me," he began. "We are well matched. It is as if we were born to face off against each other eventually. For now, Kylie will go with you. Over time though, she will give up on you, and she will come to me. Your jealousy and your anger will be your undoing. The more she comes to resent you, the more she will find herself thinking about all of her late-night chats with Stars. After all of our conversations, I know her better than you do. I will have patience, and she will be mine in the end."

"It won't be like that," Ethan interrupted. "She will never leave me."

Stephen laughed. "We'll see," he said. "In the end, it is her decision."

As Stephen spoke, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Ethan smiled. He would have recognized Kylie's footsteps anywhere. When she stepped on the deck, though, the light hit her eyes, and she was momentarily blinded. "Stars," she cried as she covered her eyes with her hands, "Why did you leave me alone? I had nightmares again."

Originally, Stephen had insisted on Kylie staying at his beach house, but she had been afraid, and she had wanted to go with him. As always, he could not deny her anything. Furthermore, he had been putting off this confrontation between Ethan, Kylie, and himself, for too long.

Seeing Kylie in Stephen's robe, Ethan was struck speechless.

Even as she stepped towards Stephen, she was completely unaware of Ethan's presence. Stephen rested his arm against the back of the sofa and invited Kylie to sit down beside him. Slowly, she walked towards the sofa and snuggled up next to him.

Nate and Ricky were sitting nearby and, when Nate saw what Kylie was up to, he smashed his fist against the table. "What the fuck is this?" he roared. "Isn't that Kylie? Shouldn't she be with Ethan?"

Ricky just shrugged, pouting. "Nobody tells me anything," he complained.

Hearing Nate and Ricky's voice, Kylie turned in their direction and slowly uncovered her eyes. The light no longer seemed as bright as it had, and after blinking a couple of times, she could see Nate clearly. Her face turned bright, and she turned away from him, only to come face to face with Ethan!

Kylie slowly moved away from Stephen and smiled meekly. "Hi," she said. "Fancy meeting you here…"

Hearing such a simple answer, Ethan nearly lost his mind. He pursued his thin lips, hummed, and tried to smile. "Right back at you," He replied. Right then, he wanted to rage, but he knew that if he did, he would only prove that everything Stephen had said about him was true, and it would only serve to push Kylie away.

The air seemed very thick suddenly as silence descended upon them.

Not knowing what else she could do or say, Kylie stood up and said, "I have a headache, so I am going back to bed. I will leave the two of you to catch up…"

Stephen touched her hand and said, "Ethan seldom comes to visit us. Don't you think you could stay on deck for at least a little while longer?"

Kylie frowned and pouted. "The two of you are brothers," she argued. "You must have a lot of catching up to do. I'm not feeling well now. It will be easier for you guys to talk freely if I'm not here."

"Okay," Stephen replied. "You're the boss. Go and take a nap if that is what you need."

After Kylie left, Stephen turned to Ethan and said, "I'm sorry, but I've got to check on something in the cabin. I'll be right back."

Stephen's boat was big, and there were sleeping quarters below deck as well as an above deck. Kylie had been sleeping below deck earlier, and she had found the dark unsettling so, this time, she went above the deck. The stairs going up seemed safer than the stairs going down but, after only a few steps, she lost her footing and fell backward. In anticipation of a hard landing, she opened her mouth to scream. Lucky for her, though, Ethan was there to catch her.

"Be careful," he insisted as he helped her to her feet.

"I will," she replied. "And thank you for saving me."

"It was nothing," Ethan said, and he watched after her until she'd disappeared into the upper deck.

Unbeknownst to Ethan, Stephen hadn't gone to the cabin. He had actually gone to the sleeping quarters where he knew Kylie would be. Once Kylie arrived, he pulled her into his arms, and they fell together into the bed. Once they were comfortable, Kylie looked at Stephen and said, "There is something wrong with Ethan. He is acting strange, and it is making me uncomfortable."

"How so?" Stephen wondered.

"I don't know," Kylie replied as she rubbed her temples with her thumbs.

Stephen looked at her with concern in his eyes, but he said nothing. Whatever she needed at that moment, he knew that he could not provide it for her, so he simply lay beside her and silently supported her. In the entire world, she was the only thing he wanted, and as he lay beside, he could imagine that she was his.