It was almost morning and, as the storm settled, so did the boat. It was still raining, but Ethan knew that it wouldn't be long before Stephen un-battened the hatches, and he would be set free. After sitting up all night with nothing to amuse him but his thoughts, he wondered if today would be the day that Stephen finally sat them down and asked Kylie to decide between them who she wanted to be with. When he'd walked away from Stephen's boat that first time, there had been no doubt in his mind that she would choose him, but things seemed different now – and that difference scared the shit out of him.
He had been scared long before this final engagement on the boat, though, and he'd done everything in his power to distract himself. He'd even laughed when he'd beaten Tom, knowing that he was innocent. Dora had thrown him under the bus, so he'd punished him for teaching her a lesson, and Dora, who'd been caught by her own lie, had been unable to say a thing.
