The storm raged on, and without Stephen in the bed with her, Kylie began to feel afraid. She looked out the window, but the sky had gone black, and she could see nothing. Not wanting to let her unease go, she found a flashlight and shone it out the window. Frowning, she turned the light off. It was only then, as the light dimmed that she thought that she saw someone on the deck. More afraid than ever, she turned the light back on; again, she saw nothing.

In the bathtub, Stephen was obsessively washing his private parts as he thought of the inevitable union that would happen between him and Kylie. He was nervous but excited as well, and just thinking of it brought his soldier to attention.

​​

Once he was sure that he'd properly cleaned himself, he drained the tub, dried himself off, dressed in his pajamas, and returned to the room that he was sharing with Kylie. He was in a good mood, but all that changed when he saw the look on her face. With a face that had gone a greenish shade of white, she looked as though she'd seen a ghost – and she was shivering.

Seeing her that way, Stephen rushed to her, wrapped her in a blanket, and said, "Everything is okay. Please tell me what happened while you were gone." When he realized that she wasn't ready to talk yet, he pulled her into the bed, put her on her side, and climbed in behind her. Then, without expecting anything in return, he wrapped his arm around her and continued to comfort her with his gentle words.

They'd laid like this for over an hour; until Kylie's nerves were settled, and she felt safe once more. With a soft smile on her face, she rolled over and asked him to tell her about the first time that they'd met.

"We met at the bar," he replied. "You asked me to pretend to be your date. You looked cute and desperate, and I fell in love with you at first sight."

"And then?" Kylie prompted.

"We drank together, dancing and chatting, until late in the morning. When we were done, you asked if you could come home with me. My house was under construction, so I brought you to Ethan's house instead. Ethan has always been jealous of our relationship, but he is still one of my friends."

"Did we have sex for the first time at your friend's house?" Kylie wondered. "It seems a bit inappropriate, don't you think?"

"It's not my fault," Stephen laughed. "You're passion knew no limits. You were on a mission to get into my pants. Can you blame me for submitting to your will?"

Kylie rolled her eyes to him and said, "I am sure that that is not EXACTLY how things went down!"

Stephen leaned forward and kissed her on the mouth. It was just a peck, but she seemed receptive, so he kissed her again. Before he could kiss her a third time, though, she pushed him away, covered her mouth, and ran into the bathroom.

Stephen was about to complain, but then he heard her vomiting into the toilet, and his anger turned to sympathy. Gradually, he got out of bed and joined her in the bathroom. Looking into the toilet, he saw chunks of chewed up ribs, and he stretched out his arm to flush the mess into the boat's septic tank.

Stephen pulled the hair out of Kylie's face and wrapped it into a ponytail at the back of her head. "Is it indigestion?" he wondered softly. She had vomited so hard, and he saw that she was actually crying. "I should get you some medicine," he said.

Kylie looked up at him and replied, "I know that you are just trying to help, but I don't want any medicine. I'll just sick it up again."

"Shall we go back to bed then," Stephen wondered.

Kylie nodded but, before he could lead her away, she said, "I'm sorry but, after being sick, I really just want to sleep by myself. Could you sleep on the couch?"

Hearing this, Stephen's jaw nearly hit the floor. "But we are a couple," he argued. "If one of us is sick, the other one must stand by them and never leave them!"

"Be that as it may," Kylie said, "please, just let me alone."

Stephen's head drooped in disappointment. "Alright," he whispered. "I will go."

Stephen took some blankets and pillows out of the closet and a book from his desk, and then he left. He wasn't gone long, though, when he returned with a glass of water. "I understand if you don't want to eat anything or take any medicine. At the very least, though, you must keep up your electrolytes. Please, drink up this water, and then I will not bother you again."

Kylie looked into Stephen's eyes and saw nothing but sincerity, so she took the glass from him and drank it. Once the cup was empty, she handed it back to him, kissed him on the cheek, and told him that she loved him.

***

Once Stephen was gone, Kylie began to hear strange noises outside her window. She walked to the window and carefully put her ear against it. Whatever was out there sounded like someone tapping on metal. She thought about it, and then, against her own judgment, she pushed the window open.

It was only open for a second when a figure half climbed/half fell through the window. He was completely wet and looked more like the girl from The Ring than someone in need of help. When the figure straightened up, though, she recognized the figure immediately. It was from Ethan. And she was afraid.

Ethan looked around the space in disgust. "So this is where you lay with that scoundrel, Stephen!"

It was more of a statement than a question. The man was obviously angry, but she had no idea why. Finally, though, she remembered what Stephen had told her about Ethan, and it suddenly made sense to her. "I know that you are obsessed with me," she cried, "but breaking into someone's bedroom is no way to win a person's heart!"

"Wasn't Stephen just in your room?" he scoffed. "What's the fucking difference between him and me?"

"What's the fucking difference?" Kylie hissed. "Stephen is my husband, and you are not! That is a big fucking difference if you ask me!"

Ethan took a step backward, startled. "Is that what he told you?" Ethan whispered. "Did he also tell you that your first time was at my house?"

"It is," Kylie replied. "What of it?"

Ethan took three steps forward, and when they were face to face, he said, "I know that you get sick when he kisses you. If you were really married to him, why would that happen? If I kissed you, I doubt that would happen!"

"It was only this one time," Kylie exclaimed. "It is because I have been seasick. There was no other reason for me to throw up!"

"We'll see who it is that you truly love," Ethan shouted as he grabbed Kylie by the shoulders and pulled her so close to him that her breasts mashed against his chest. He tightened his grip on her shoulders so that she could not move, and then he began to kiss her neck, earlobe, clavicle, and finally, her mouth.

Kylie fought him with all that she had, but he was just too strong. He kissed her again and again, and when he grew bored of that, he sucked her lower lip into her mouth and bit down on it hard enough to draw blood. He waited for a moment, and then he forced his tongue into his mouth and sucked her tongue into his mouth.

Ethan moaned her name as he pushed her against the wall and began to grind against her pubic mound. Kylie's legs became so weak that she could hardly stand. Her strength seemed to have been completely sucked out by the man in front of her.

Ethan ripped her bra open and mashed her breasts with his large hands.

"No!" Kylie cried out suddenly as she sat up in bed. She looked around the room and found Stephen kneeling at her side.

"What's wrong?" he asked her. "Did you have that nightmare again?"