The Secrets Hidden In The Scars

      It’s a new day. It’s about a quarter past twelve. One of the largest airports in New York. Natalia is waiting for her parents, Letitia and Anthony, who are about to arrive in New York from Mexico. The girl is not bored alone because Edward is with her. The lovers are a little nervous because they will have to explain the reason for their breakup and reveal all their secrets. Nevertheless, Edward and Natalia try to distract from the bad thoughts and start a talk about yesterday, sitting in the waiting room on metallic, uncomfortable chairs, keeping the fingers of their hands locked, and closely listening to all announcements.       “We spent a good time yesterday,” Natalia says with a wide smile, putting one leg on another. “I hadn’t hung out with my close people for ages!”       “Yeah, that was really cool!” Edward replies cheerfully, leaning back in the chair. “And I can say I finally got better for the first time in a while, That was what I needed!”       “Honestly, I forgot how it’s great to play the fool with your close people. Of course, I spent time with girls, but that wasn’t so good. Yesterday, I literally had fun to the fullest.”       “I got kind of sad when we had to say goodbye and go home. I wanted that time to last as long as possible.”       “I do know why,” Natalia laughs shyly. “Because you had much fun and mocked your brother. Though, you two couldn’t stop torturing each other! You only needed a reason to start sharing claps on the head.”       “But I had fun!” Edward chuckles quietly. “I’ve always adored chasing my brother and kicking his gorgeous ass. While I didn’t watch him, our handsome Terry got unleashed. So, I had to kick that rooster a little.”       “I’m sure he told Raquelle the same, ‘cause he’s sure he keeps you on a short leash.”       “Huh, he does think so! He may think whatever he wants, but my bro is under my control. He does whatever I tell him.”       “Oh, it’s so dangerous when two people want to get control of each other so badly,” Natalia replies funnily, leaning back in the chair. “Because it’s really gonna be a bomb!”       “I personally get pleasure from kicking Terrence’s ass. You know how I lacked it!”       “You say it as if you reconciled with him for that.”       “Not only for that, my love. But a chance to kick my brother was one of the reasons.”       “So, you got it and can make up for the lost time.”       “And I’ll use it!” Edward promises confidently. “Because that’s what I wanted! You know how long I didn’t feel so good! Yesterday definitely gave me some strength.”       “Yeah, I got it,” Natalia laughs shyly.       “Probably, it’s the first time I relaxed entirely. I never had fun to the fullest, ‘cause something always held me down. Not only shyness…”       “It did,” Natalia agrees thoughtfully. “You really seemed tense and discreet. But now you opened yourself a little and showed the real you.”       “You’re right. I wasn’t myself before. I didn’t show my real side. Because of my problems.”       “It’s true…” Natalia shrugs. “I dunno, maybe, you just felt uncomfortable in our company… You were shy ‘cause you knew nobody… I understand how hard it is to join a company. It doesn’t always happen. You may not be accepted.”       “I partly agree with you. I didn’t wanna look like an insolent, non-educated man and give a bad impression. So, I tried to be as shy as possible and be careful with my words. I didn’t show all my emotions and feelings and kept many things inside.”       “You know, sweetie, on the one hand, that’s good you tried to show the best side of you. But on the other hand, you shouldn’t have been too shy. You saw that Terrence, Raquelle, and their friends accepted you well. So, you could be a little braver.”       “Yeah, I know,” Edward replies shyly. “But I’ve kind of always gotten on well with people and had no problems with coming to someone and introducing myself.”       “I doubt you would’ve come to me at the café if it’d been a problem for you.”       “I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I hadn’t decided to meet such a charming girl.”       “But you seemed confident then. As if you knew what you wanted to get. But when you met MacClife, you immediately became a sweet, shy one.”       “I was just worried about the problems that united all of us. But now I see no meaning in being afraid, ‘cause my family knows all the truth. No matter how terrible it is.”       “Don’t think about it, sweetheart,” Natalia says softly, caressing Edward’s cheek tenderly. “You did enough to be understood and forgiven. So, I think it’s time to become more confident.”       “I’ve become!” Edward confesses confidently with a slight smile. “I got rid of the fear and discomfort that I felt when being in the company of Terrence, Raquelle, and their friends. Now I ain’t afraid to talk about something much more opener and more confident. Because I know I'll be understood. That nobody will look at me weirdly.”       “Yeah, I noticed it. You’ve really changed lately and become more confident. In my opinion, you had much less confidence before.”       “Maybe. But only the problems and the fact that I wasn’t used to having so many people in my life were the reason for that. I was lonely for a long time and counted only on myself. And then I met so many close people… I… I got kind of confused, to be honest.”       “I get it. It’s hard to get used to many people that surround you if you barely speak to someone too closely.”       “You’re right…” Edward agrees thoughtfully. “I wasn’t used to being in big companies. That’s why I feel uncomfortable. But despite that, I could easily get on well with a stranger. I think it’s my mental issues… Because of them, I can only speak to those I know well. And I’ve never managed to speak to more than one person at the same time. I was only surrounded by a big company in my teenage years when many people spoke to me.”       “It’s just shyness, Edward, there’s nothing bad about it,” Natalia replies softly with a slight smile. “I completely understand someone not to be able to be in a big company of people. Especially if they don’t know them.”       “I think shyness really makes a person better,” Edward says thoughtfully. “Unless it’s too great. But I must confess that we can’t be the ones in the present. Sometimes we’ve gotta be cruel and shameless.”       “That’s right.”       “But now I don’t wanna be the one. I’m sick of being all alone. I felt it for such a long time that I feel sad now. I withdraw into myself on purpose and didn’t rush to share my emotions and feelings.”       “Now you’re not alone, Edward,” Natalia says softly, running her fingertips over Edward’s cheek and putting a free hand on his lap. “You’ve got many close people that would help you.”       “I know. And I will no longer withdraw myself from others. Now I need to talk to someone. Otherwise, I’ll go insane.”       “But didn’t you wanna talk to someone before? Did you really like keeping everything inside?”       “I was ashamed of talking to someone. A sense of shame made my condition worse. Made me withdraw from people more and more. Something told me that if I withdraw from others, it would be better for me and everybody. I probably thought so because of my insecurity.”       “But now it’s all over.” Natalia, looking at Edward with sympathy, puts her hand softly on his shoulder and hugs him with one arm. “You can stop thinking about it and torturing yourself. We forgave you and gave you a chance to prove that we weren’t an empty place for you. And the fact that you feel your fault says you have kindness, regret, and very many good things.”       “Oh…” Edward sighs tiredly. “I also need to explain everything to your parents and prove that I didn’t want it to happen…”       “I’m sure they’ll understand you,” Natalia says confidently with a slight smile. “You know that my parents have always treated you very well and said only positive things about you. And if they see regret in your eyes, they’ll believe you as well as Terrence, Raquelle, and I did.”       “I don’t know, Natalia… This time, it’s gonna be much harder. Much harder than the attempt to apologize to you, Raquelle, or Terrence. It’s your parents. They won’t forgive me after they know how I treated you. They may actually ban us from dating.”       “I’m afraid of it more than anything. But something tells me it’s gonna be okay. The best thing you can do is to stay honest.”       “I’m gonna hide nothing. Maybe, I wouldn’t tell everything too openly, but your mother and father will know the main things.”       “Let’s hope they’ll understand and forgive you.”       “I’m terribly nervous, but I understand I wanna do it now,” Edward confesses with anxiety, rubbing his hands nervously. “I need to know how they’d accept the fact that we kept dating. Whether they tear us apart.”       “I swear, Edward, I’m also terribly nervous and shaking from fear.” Natalia glances down, getting nervous enough and a little scared. “From the thought that I’d have to tell them the truth. I’m madly worried about how to tell them what happened to me. It’s… Gonna be disgusting for me to think about it.”       “You can do it, Natalia,” Edward, who was hugging Natalia with one arm, hugs her with another arm and caresses her shoulder softly. “You’re my strong girl and wouldn’t turn back.”       “I’ll definitely get hysteria and start crying without stopping when I start telling them the whole story. The reason why I wanna die.”       “No, sweetheart, don’t say it!” Edward gets horrified and kisses one cheek of Natalia, holding another with his warm, soft hand. “You can do this. If your parents let me in, I’ll be with you and support you. I’ll hold your hand if you feel better. And if you aren’t able to speak, I’ll tell them everything. It’s gonna be disgusting for me, but I’ll explain everything I know from your words.”       “No, Edward,” Natalia shakes her head sharply. “I must tell them everything that happened to me. And I will do it. Even if I crush myself and am choking on tears. The truth must be out of my mouth.”       “Alright, if you can, speak yourself. Anyway… If you can’t do it, let me know, and I will continue.”       “Okay, I shall let you know it,” Natalia promises with a slight smile.       “It’s gonna be okay, my sunshine. At least your parents will understand and support you.”       “I hope.” Natalia glances at Edward, smiles much wider at him, and kisses him cutely on the cheek. “Thank you so much.”       Edward hugs Natalia a little tighter, while she puts her head on his shoulder, feeling the man’s fingers in her hair and the nice warmth that he generously shares with her. They say nothing for a few seconds and just listen to the announcements on the speakerphone that spread all over the airport literally every second.       “Hey, what time is it?” Natalia frowns slightly. “I think I’ve been sitting here forever.”       Edward looks around and sees a big electronic table, on which the right time is shown.       “It’s half past twelve. As far as I remember, they announced that the airplane from Mexico landed in New York. So, your parents are supposed to be here.”       “They’re probably working on documents and getting their bags. It takes a lot of time.”       “You better know it. Because I’ve never been abroad and attended other cities.”       “Oh, that’s terribly exhausting… I’ve never liked flights on an airplane. After them, I always feel absolutely emptied… And the only thing I can think about is lying on my bed and falling asleep.”       “Well, if your flight leaves at three hours in the morning and lands one day later, it’s quite explainable.”       “And if you go to another country, you’re gonna have jet lag.”       “And I believe, haven’t you used to that even if you often fly on airplanes?”       “Nope. It makes me exhausted. And irritated at times.”       “Do you often fly?”       “Quite. I fly somewhere at least once in a year. For a couple of weeks to have a rest.”       “Have you probably seen the whole world?”       “Well, not the whole one, but I’ve been in many places. So, the last time, I was traveling to Italy. For one month. I went to many cities and tasted some delicious things. Later, I’ll show you some photos I took there.”       “And which’s the shortest trip?”       “I think a trip to London,” Natalia replies thoughtfully. “When I was gonna visit Raquelle, who was visiting her aunt Alicia. It’s quite a calm country for celebrities ‘cause reporters, journalists, and paparazzi rarely chase them.”       “Did my bro follow you?”       “Exactly! That idiot bought a ticket for the same flight I did! And our places were next to one another! Oh… Thank God, I didn’t have to share a room in the hotel with him. Otherwise, I would’ve kicked him out in his underwear.”       “Aren’t you really planning to come together?”       “Cut your tongue! I didn’t invite him to my party! I bought a ticket for the early flight with the hope that I would not see his face. But no! MacClife didn’t leave me alone while we were waiting for news about a boarding call for a flight. He tried to add himself to my friends and was looking for ways to pick Cameron up.”       “And how long were you there?”       “For one week. And we were trying to go there for two or three days. We had to expect our flight for very long because it was canceled hundreds of times due to the weather or technical reasons.”       “And was it what you two were enraged?”       “I almost killed that donkey! I told him everything when we finally arrived in London! And after fighting to the heck, Terrence and I went on different sides.”       “He told me how you tried to kill him,” Edward laughs shyly.       “But the trip was worth it,” Natalia notices with a smile. “I spent a wonderful time with my friend and met Alicia for the first time in a few years. And your bro made Cameron sure that he didn’t spread the rumors about her. And as you know, they fought again before the eyes of people and kissed passionately in the end. So, since that, he has been dating the girl that he could hardly live without.”       “Without Raquelle, his life is deprived of any meaning. Terrence will not be able to replace her with another girl. As he said, any girl seems homely against your friend.”       “And even if they fight like a cat and a dog, these lovebirds are still together and planning a wedding.”       “At least, this time, they had conflicts because the two were in a strong tense due to all the problems. Maybe, they had some secrets that they didn’t tell each other, but they tortured every one of them.”       “Well…” Natalia bites her lip slightly. “As for Terrence, I can assume that he’s still worried about what he did to my friend. And as for Raquelle, I can surely say she finds herself guilty of the fact that I was almost raped. If she hadn’t gone to my home and fought with me, nothing would’ve kind of happened.”       “Raquelle fought with Terrence because of that.”       “Do you know it?”       “Sure. It happened with my pretense. Daniel and Anna can confirm it. They heard everything as well.”       “Wait, did you know the reason?” Natalia frowns slightly and glances at Edward, tearing her head off his shoulder. “You knew, but said nothing?”       “Yes, I knew,” Edward replies quietly. “She fought with him because of that.”       “I guessed it. When Anna told me about it, she mentioned you two times and let me know you were a witness of Raquelle screaming at Terrence and blaming him for giving a damn about her feelings.”       “Your guesses are correct.”       “I got it.” Natalia falls into silence for two seconds and puts her head on Edward’s shoulder again. “But it surprised me. I never thought Raquelle would love to blame herself for the fact that I had problems because of her.”       “Terrence got surprised, as well. He tried to tell her that she thought up everything, but Raquelle thought he didn’t understand her and started to scream at my brother. Blame him for not wishing to understand her feelings. She kind of gave him everything, but he gave her nothing.”       “But it’s not the truth!” Natalia opens her eyes wider. “Terrence has done much for Raquelle and is ready for anything for her.”       “Yeah, but I think they’ve solved their conflict.”       “You’re right. But I can’t understand it. It goes without saying, I told Raquelle she was worried for nothing. And I didn’t blame her when I said I went to that place because I was in despair after our fight. She calmed down, but who knows…”       “You must’ve seen how discouraged Terrence was when Raquelle screamed at him. How he got confused and resented at the same time. My brother definitely got sick of her, but he didn’t wanna ruin everything and barely held me down not to do something bad to her and tell her everything he thought about it.”       “And I completely understand his feelings. I’d also be discouraged if someone, for whom I did very much, said they didn’t feel my care and support.”       “I’m sure you’ll never have to hear it,” Edward smiles shyly. “You’re surrounded by people, who will say, ‘thank you’ to you many times and do anything for you.”       “I hope I will not also hear charges for cheating or something like that,” Natalia expresses hope. “I don’t want anyone to talk about my betrayal and turn everybody against me…”       Natalia glances at her hands, but Edward softly grabs her chin with a hand and raises it, making the girl look into his eyes and saying softly:       “I’ve already told you it would never happen again. And it will not happen. I promise.”       “I believe, sweetie,” Natalia smiles slightly.       “I swear, before blaming you, I’ll try to calm down and find out everything first, and then make some conclusions and decide what kind of fault to claim about.”       “I’d like to live without fights. I can’t take fighting with someone or sorting out a relationship. Any quarrels, conflicts, and fights are like a knife in the back to me. I take these things too seriously.”       “It would be incredible,” Edward replies with a slight smile. “I don’t also wanna any wars and fights. I wanna live in peace with those I love with all my heart.”       “May it happen.”       Edward smiles shyly and caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly, making her smile widely and caressing his hand softly. The lovers say nothing for a few seconds and just look at each other with great tenderness, paying no attention to what’s happening around them. And they would definitely be sitting here for a long time if the man did not decide to move his eyes to where those, who just landed in New York, go at some moment.       “Oh, look!” Edward points to the side. “Aren’t your parents there?”       Natalia glances sharply at the same side as Edward, who gets a little white and nervous and starts shaking his leg. The girl also gets obsessed with excitement when she sees her parents, Anthony and Letitia, going together, talking about something, and looking tired enough. Later, the man pushing a big card with multiple cases glances at the side where Edward and Natalia are and says something to his wife, who looks there, too. Seeing the Rochesters getting closer, the lovers get up slowly and just look at them for a few seconds. And they then decide to come closer to them, trying to stay discreet. They just take each other’s hand, as they slowly go towards the Rochester spouses.       At some moment, Natalia quickens a step and lets Edward’s hand go, leaving him behind. And when only two meters tear them apart, the girl takes Letitia in a hug with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face. The woman accepts it with pleasure and tightly hugs her daughter as if she has not seen her for ages, feeling that tears are rolling over her cheeks, and her heart is squeezing not so strongly. Anthony watches the two with a shy smile, but later, he comes to them and hugs his daughter and wife, pressing them closer to himself and exhaling quietly with relief.       A few seconds later, Natalia steps back from Letitia and hugs Anthony with a slight smile through her tears, being obsessed with strong emotions. While the man hugs his daughter, caresses her head softly, and kisses her on the top of her head, Letitia strokes the backs of the two and just watches them with a shy smile. This moment is so touching that Edward standing at some distance from the Rochester family does not try to hide his smile. But his whole body is tense strongly, and his heart is beating faster from the thought that he is going to overcome a very hard talk.       Later, Natalia steps back from Anthony, wipes the tears off her face that are the reason why her makeup made of brown and black colors got worse, and fixes her wavy blonde hair.       “I missed you,” Natalia says in a little shaking voice with tears. “If you only knew how much!”       “We missed you, too, honey,” Letitia replies softly with a smile, tucks a strand of Natalia’s hair behind her ear, and sniffs quietly. “We had been worried before we saw you safe and sound.”       “It’s true, sweetie,” Anthony confirms, caressing Natalia’s cheek. “We were afraid to imagine what we could see. What could happen to our daughter.”       “I’m fine, don’t worry,” Natalia smiles slightly. “I am now, really.”       “We see.”       “Your father and I would’ve come back earlier, but we had to do some important business,” Letitia says confidently.       “But now we’re home, and I truly hope you’ll finally tell us everything that happened to you,” Anthony adds softly. “Would you?”       “Sure,” Natalia nods with tears in her eyes. “I shall tell you everything. No more lies. Only the truth.”       “Remember, we want to know the truth not only about what the news issue said, but also about what that man did to you.”       “Yes, yes, sure. I shall tell, swear.”       While Letitia kisses Natalia on the cheek, Anthony stops his eyes on Edward, who sharply gets white from a scare and glances down for two seconds, bending his arms at his elbows and locking his fingers tightly.       “Natalia, what’s that man doing here?” Anthony frowns strongly.       “What man?” Natalia asks, looks at Anthony, and glances at Edward. “Ah… He… Erm…”       “Indeed, Natalia, what’s Edward doing here?” Letitia wonders.       “Erm… Well…” Natalia bites her lip slightly, looking at Letitia and Anthony a little scarily. “You know, everything has changed for the past few days…”       “Changed? What do you mean?”       “Erm… I…”       Anthony raises a hand and makes a calling gesture, looking at Edward and calling him loudly:       “Hey, Edward, come to us, please!”       At first, Edward gets frozen and literally stops breathing, but then he slowly comes to the Rochester family and looks at Anthony and Letitia shamelessly with widely open eyes.       “Erm…” Edward stutters. “H-hello, Mr. Rochester, Mrs. Rochester… Glad to see you…”       “Hello, Edward,” Letitia says quietly.       “Hello,” Anthony greets coldly.       “You…” Edward pronounces hesitantly. “Had a… Safe flight?”       “Yes,” Letitia nods.       “So, young man, now be pleased to explain, what does it all mean?” Anthony demands an answer in a low voice. “Why are you and Natalia in the airport together? We did not expect to see you here.”       “Yes, Edward, explain, please…” Letitia says. “Natalia said you broke up.”       “Erm…” Natalia stutters, starting to breathe a little heavier and shifting her weight from one foot to another. “I…”       “You see…” Edward pronounces hesitantly, locking his fingers tightly. “Something has recently changed… And…”       “What?” Letitia rounds her eyes.       “Are you together again?” Anthony frowns slightly.       “Well, actually…” Natalia pronounces quietly and nods. “Yes. We’re together. Became a couple a few days ago.”       “You…” Letitia pronounces hesitantly. “Reconciled?”       “Yes, Mother… We renewed our relationship. And… Edward came here to accompany me and… Meet you and Father…”       “Wait…” Anthony pronounces hesitantly. “I don’t understand! Three days ago, I talked to Natalia, and she said nothing about it.”       “Actually, we reconciled three days ago,” Edward confesses hesitantly.       “Yup, when you called me and said you and Mother would come back in three days,” Natalia specifies with a scare in her eyes. “After your call, I met Edward, and we talked about our future…”       “Talked about everything and…” Edward continues hesitantly. “Decided that… We’d like to give each other a chance.”       It’s hard to understand if Anthony and Letitia are happy Natalia reconciled with Edward. The spouses say nothing for a few seconds and look at each other, and then the man shakes his head, looking at Edward, who glances at his girlfriend.       “Wait, wait, Edward, but how!” Anthony wonders. “How? You blamed my daughter for not being loyal to you! She said it to Letitia and me on the phone when we got an answer to the question about what happened to her.”       “That was a lie, Mr. Rochester!” Edward says confidently enough. “I was deceived, and Natalia was cruelly slandered! She is actually guilty of nothing, and I attacked her with charges for nothing.”       “That’s how you speak! At first, you showered Natalia with mud, but now you say she is not guilty!”       “I swear, I’m very sorry about finding out nothing and leaving her. If I had known that was slander, I wouldn’t have done such a cruel and unfair thing.”       “That was my fault!” Natalia confesses scarily. “I should’ve told him everything that happened to me. But I was silent and put an end to what I didn’t wanna lose. If I had had the courage to tell Edward everything much earlier, he wouldn’t have left me.”       “Never! I would not have thought this girl could be framed to turn me against her.”       “But why did you leave Natalia so easily?” Letitia asks quietly. “Why didn’t you want to find out the truth? I know my daughter well. She’s never betrayed anyone. This girl has always been loyal to her friends, those she dated before, and you.”       “Jealousy, Mrs. Rochester,” Edward replies with pity in his eyes. “Jealousy got obsessed with me and turned off my brain. I couldn’t control myself and think of anything else but the fact that your daughter betrayed me. I didn’t get over that disgusting feeling. I had nobody by my side to help me wake up.”       “I think you did not get obsessed with jealousy, you did not get enough brains!” Anthony throws a little rudely.       “Mr. Rochester…”       “Could you not talk to her? Huh, Mr. MacClife? Are you too stupid to do that!”       “Don’t say it, please…”       “My daughter has never betrayed anyone! ALL OF her close people know it! And if she does not want to have a relationship and thinks of a breakup, Natalia says it IMMEDIATELY!”       “I would’ve said nothing!” Natalia says with a part of despair. “I had a strong hysteria! I fell into a stupor ‘cause I didn’t understand what I was blamed for. But when everything got clearer, I realized I was framed.”       “She’s still shaking every time she talks about what happened to her,” Edward adds with sadness in his eyes. “She can barely talk about that horrible event.”       “Do not look at us with puppy eyes and think it would work,” Anthony says crossly. “No, Edward, it will not work!”       “Please, let me explain everything.”       “Did you have no brain to come and calm her down if you saw that she was shaking? Was it the fuck hard to guess that you gave my girl terrible pain?”       “I was not able to think about Natalia’s feelings. The only thing I cared about was the fact that she betrayed me.”       “Stop finding excuses for your disgusting act!” Anthony cries irritably, literally wishing to attack the scared and terribly white Edward. “You acted like a scumbag toward her! A brainless asshole that comes to us, says he is sorry with an innocent look, and unsuccessfully tries to excuse his behavior.”       “Anthony, please, calm down…” Letitia whispers, taking Anthony under his arm. “People are here.”       “I will kill this little kid now! A fucking asshole! Because of him, you and I almost lost our daughter! Because of him, she suffered for so long! And after all of that, Natalia decided to go back to him! That’s disgusting!”       “He is not guilty, Father!” Natalia exclaims with pity and tears in her eyes. “Please, don’t blame Edward for what happened. I messed up everything!”       “Don’t you have pride, Natalia? How could you come back to such a horrible man, who was showering you with mud? Scumbags like him will never get better! He can easily do this disgusting thing to you again!”       “Please, Daddy, don’t say that! You don’t know what happened! I told you just a little part of what led to this result! I… I started all of that.”       “Don’t dare to take fault for what this man did.”       “Dad!”       “You must be above it! You deserve a better man! Not this scumbag that gave you so many sufferings.”       “But I love him! And for love, I am ready to forget and forgive anything! Especially if I’m the one to blame! What I asked for!”       “Natalia!”       “Please, don’t shout,” Letitia says softly. “We’re at the airport, where there are many people. Let’s calm down, so we don’t get attention on us.”       “Mom, at least you believe me!” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “I know Edward did a bad thing. But I have no right to judge him because I provoked that result.”       “Shut up!” Anthony demands coldly. “Do not dare to say it! Hear me! Do not dare!”       “Alright, Anthony, stop!” Letitia meddles confidently and glances at Edward looking at Natalia’s parents much more scarily after Anthony started to show such aggression toward him. “Sorry, Edward, but you really did a bad thing to Natalia.”       “I’m very sorry, Mrs. Rochester,” Edward replies with pity in his eyes. “But I swear I didn’t want it. I didn’t want everything to be over like this.”       “Anthony and I considered you a wonderful man. But your disgusting act towards my daughter might change our opinion about you. My husband says the right things, and I can’t disagree with you.”       “I’m not going to deny everything Mr. Rochester said. He is absolutely right! I really did a disgusting thing and confessed it. I know I really had no brain to calm Natalia down and figure the situation out.”       “And how would you prove it?”       “As you want. I’ve already proved my regret to your daughter and those, who were also mad at me. And I am ready to prove it to you two.”       “Oh, alright…” Anthony calms down a little and crosses his arms over his chest, still looking at Edward gloomily. “Let’s pretend you are telling the truth, and we believe you. But couldn’t you meet Natalia later? When you would have calmed down!”       “I was ashamed to come to her when I calmed down,” Edward replies quietly, looking down for two seconds shamelessly. “I know you would say I’m excusing myself, but that’s the truth. I was afraid I wouldn’t control my emotions and would make the hard situation worse. I could barely control myself during fights with this girl and could easily say and do what I would regret all my life.”       “And why did nobody hold you down? Someone was supposed to put an end to that hell!”       “Nobody had known it before a certain time. However, when one person became a witness to those fights, he tried to hold me down.”       “So, didn’t you talk to Natalia because you were afraid to do something you would regret later?” Letitia frowns slightly.       “Exactly. I was praying that I was able to control myself and didn’t do anything bad to your daughter when she was near me. And… I was lucky that we didn’t go further than mutual insults and humiliations. Because… Everything could’ve been much worse.”       “I told him many painful things, I can’t deny it,” Natalia confesses hesitantly. “I wanted to see him much less… But at heart, I knew I had no right to do it.”       “And as I understand, did the fact that you told Edward what happened to you play its role?” Letitia asks thoughtfully.       “It turned everything upside down. In a good sense. Because Edward realized what he did and started to regret behaving like that.”       “And who decided to start that talk?” Anthony asks gloomily.       “Raquelle pushed me,” Edward replies quietly. “She made me sure to talk to Natalia and openly hinted that there was a reason why your daughter did it. Raquelle thought it would be better if I knew everything from Natalia. And I was lucky I met her on the same day.”       “And didn’t you fight?” Anthony wonders.       “Nope,” Natalia shakes her head. “At first, we had a big fight, but then I said that I was almost raped and told him more. I didn’t wanna do it from spite, but Edward made me sure to tell him the truth. And I realized I didn’t wanna be silent anymore.”       “I believed her because she spoke truly and was close to the same hysteria that she had on the day when I blamed her for cheating,” Edward adds. “And I really felt terrible from the thought that I betrayed the girl, not knowing how much what she had to remember was killing her.”       “Well, we already understood Natalia was killing herself,” Anthony says thoughtfully.       “It was hard not to see it,” Letitia adds. “And we, her parents, quickly realized that something was not right.”       “I really felt very bad,” Natalia says in a little shaking voice, starting to sob at times. “So bad that I wanted to die not only when someone mocked me but also when Edward left me…”       “Gosh, daughter, don’t say these things!” Letitia opens her eyes widely.       “I thought I’d forget that nightmare. And I started to forget it slowly, ‘cause nothing reminded me of that horror. But when I realized someone used that horrible situation, the memories came back and are still clear.”       “No…” Letitia shakes her head, closing her mouth with a hand. “We shouldn’t have left you alone and gone to Mexico. My gosh! I was leaving the USA with such a heavy heart and sometimes wanted to come back here to find out how you were doing.”       “I’m sorry…” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “I didn’t want it to happen.”       “Why, Natalia?” Anthony wonders, shaking his head. “Why are you giving this pain to me and your mother? Were you thinking of us? About how we would be worried, knowing you’re dead?”       “I didn’t wanna make you upset and give you pain, I swear,” Natalia says with tears and sniffs. “I thought I’d solve it by myself, but I messed up everything. You always say I’m not a child and should solve my problems on my own, not counting on Mommy and Daddy.”       “Yeah, but you shouldn’t have brought everything to that! Pretended that everything was fine when absolutely EVERYBODY saw you weren’t fine! You looked into everybody’s eyes and lied insolently! You lied not for one day! For a few months!”       “I know, Dad! I’m really sorry… Those few months were real torture to me. And I only survived them thanks to the help of Terrence and Raquelle. Without them, I would’ve done something bad and… I wouldn’t be standing here and meeting you at the airport.”       “It’s true, Mr. Rochester,” Edward confirms with sadness in his eyes. “They really saved Natalia and got her out of depression. They did their best for her to trust them and let them make her condition better. And I’m madly grateful to them for helping her survive such a hard time.”       “I’m also madly grateful to those people. Because I got out of the hole only thanks to their care and attention.”       “Yeah, we know,” Letitia nods. “You said about Raquelle and Terrence…”       “Erm, listen…” Anthony pronounces thoughtfully, stroking his chin. “I think the airport is not a good place for such open talks. Let’s better go home and talk quietly.       “Right now?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “But you got tired after the flight! Maybe, you have a good rest and then…”       “No!” Anthony stops sharply. “No more excuses for hiding the secrets! Letitia and I will have time to have some rest. We are going to understand why you broke up with Edward and know what the sick bastard wanted to do to you.”       “Your father is right, Natalia,” Letitia says quietly. “We’d better know the truth now.”       “Well…” Natalia pronounces hesitantly, biting her lip slightly. “Okay… If you want…”       “And yeah…” Letitia glances at Edward. “That’s very good you came here, Edward. Be pleased to go to our home, so Anthony and I listen to your version of the events.”       “Yeah, you will go with us!” Anthony says determinedly. “Moreover, I want to talk to you as a man and a man and get some things stuck in your empty head. And you will explain what you two have to do with a certain Michael MacClife.”       “Yeah, I’m ready to tell everything,” Edward shrugs. “Let’s solve it as soon as possible to stop torturing ourselves and each other.”       “Sounds good. You deserve praise at least for deciding to tell us everything, not giving this mission to my daughter.”       “Do not worry, Mr. Rochester, Natalia and I will tell you everything.”       “Good, let’s go home then,” Letitia suggests and glances at Anthony. “Stay here, Anthony, I’ll find a taxi and call all of you.”       “Actually, I came here in my car,” Natalia says shyly.       “Great!” Anthony exclaims. “How far it is?”       “Not very far. C’mon.”       Natalia turns around and goes to the exit from the airport, while Anthony, Letitia, and Edward follow her, end up outside some time later, and reach the big parking lot. The girl is walking first, her mother and boyfriend are behind, and her father pushes a big card with a few black bags that belong to him and his wife. MacClife, Jr., and his girlfriend get much more nervous and pray that the talk ends well. And the Rochester spouses are terribly excited and are afraid to imagine what they might hear. Their own fantasies make them fall into a stronger panic and be sure that at least a part of them will be the truth.       

***

      It’s about one hour o’clock. Terrence and Daniel are near the hospital, being a little nervous because they are going to talk to Peter. The friends quickly reach the hospital because the roads are almost free today and talk about much in the hope of relaxing a little.       “Hey, have you talked to George?” Terrence asks, leaving the car and closing the driver’s door. “Does he know we’re here?”       “Yes, I called him yesterday and told him everything you said,” Daniel replies, closing the door. “Smith was madly happy when I said it. And he asked me if that was a lie about two or three times.”       “I think we all reacted in the same way.” Terrence locks his car with a key he puts in the pocket of his jacket. “Yeah, will George come to the hospital?”       “Yeah, but a little later. By two hours or somewhat. He said he had a meeting with a couple of artists, with whom he was working.”       “I think it’s good. We don’t know how everything would go.”       “Exactly!” Daniel steps back from the car, while Terrence checks if it’s locked again. “It would be great to check the situation first.”       “That’s what we will do!” Terrence quickly catches Daniel, who goes a little further and comes to the entry to the hospital.       “Oh, honestly, I’m kind of nervous,” Daniel confesses, exhaling slowly. “My heart is heavy when I think we’ve gotta see the blond.”       “Why? Afraid that Peter wouldn't love to see us?”       “Mainly, whether he wants to see me. I don’t know how I’m gonna talk to him after what happened between us. Or whether I can actually say something…”       “But Rose said he wasn’t mad at you. He even apologized to you, as I remember.”       “It changes nothing. And his apologies could be sort of despair.”       “And I thought he was absolutely true. Peter really regretted what he did and apologized with all his heart.”       “Oh, I do need to ask him for forgiveness,” Daniel sighs tiredly. “I provoked almost all our conflicts and am partly guilty that he was fighting for his life for so long.”       “I won’t deny you really did a bad thing to him. But you shouldn’t blame only yourself. Peter had tons of problems anyway.”       “Nevertheless, I really feel guilty of Peter. And I’m terribly nervous… I think I’m gonna start shaking before we go to his room.”       “Listen, dude, I’m also terribly nervous because of how everything would happen,” Terrence sighs tiredly. “But at least, I didn’t fight with Peter, even if I think I’m kind of guilty of him for not being able to help him.”       “That’s what makes me worried! A sense of fault! I don’t even know how I could make amends with the blond and deserve his forgiveness. Peter had to tolerate much from me, even if I didn’t wanna give him pain.”       “It doesn’t look like he’s mad at you. He clearly let us know he blamed nobody for what happened during the phone call and in the death note. You, me, and anyone else.”       “If I had known what happened to Peter, I would’ve never provoked him. And I wouldn’t have let him destroy himself. If I’d seen him cutting himself, I would’ve done my best to make him stop doing that. I wouldn’t have left Rose if I’d known what happened to him.”       At this moment, Daniel and Terrence enter the building of the hospital, where there are many members of the hospital staff and ordinary people, and start looking around. And when Perkins finishes his mind, MacClife, Sr., looks at his buddy with pity in his eyes and slightly claps him on the back, saying softly:       “Don’t blame yourself, Dan. None of us knew it. We tried to help him, though. And Pete didn’t want someone to help him. He withdrew into himself and rejected any help.”       “We two just needed to go to his home as soon as possible. We mustn’t have acted like cowardly assholes and delayed that trip ‘till the end. Yes, we didn’t talk to him at the agency. But we could’ve gone to his home a little later. However, we were, the fuck, playing time…”       “Yeah, we screwed it up. We were looking for excuses and refused to brace ourselves and go to his home.”       “That’s right!” Daniel says in a low voice and simpers without emotions on his face. “But when we found out about Peter’s plans to kill himself, we immediately went to him, hoping to become heroes and believing we’d save our friend at the last moment. Something like a movie scene, in which someone jumps outta a window of a building one second before a bomb explodes.”       “If we’d come later, Rose would’ve died. We wouldn’t have saved him! But you and I did our best not to let him die.”       “But we can’t deny that we started to move our asses some time before Pete tried to kill himself.”       “Damn, Daniel, why are you thinking of the worst?” Terrence moans tiredly. “Be happy Peter has woken up! He survived after he got his blood infected.”       “Do you think I am not?”       “Judging your gloomy face, no.”       “Wrong, MacClife, I’m really glad Peter stayed alive. But I’m terribly nervous because of how he'll meet us. I mean, me.”       “I get it, but the worst things are over.”       “Yeah, and the hardest are waiting for us.”       “Oh, Perkins, stop being so gloomy. Did you fight with Anna again because of stupid things? Is that why you are so upset?”       “No, no, I didn’t fight with Anna. Vice versa, she supports and comforts me. I don’t know what I’d do without that wonderful girl.”       “Then stop being so pessimistic and blaming just yourself,” Terrence says confidently. “We’re all guilty to some extent. But it doesn’t mean we should bury our heads in the sand and pretend to be invisible.”       “But you sharply got wings on your back and started to believe in the best.” Daniel looks at Terrence questioningly, frowning slightly. “What metamorphoses, MacClife? Some time ago, you were darker than a cloud and said everything was lost, but now you have become a walking positive.”       “A day doesn’t last forever, and time is going by and changing everything in your life,” Terrence smiles mysteriously. “So, I change day by day.”       “Shit, don’t start philosophizing about life!”       “What’s amazing? Life is just getting better. That’s why I’m happy.”       “So, it happened that you and I exchanged our roles?” Daniel chuckles kindly. “At first, you were gloomy and depressed, but now I am?”       “It seems like, yes.”       “Yeah, Terrence, you’re a chameleon…” Daniel smiles slyly. “Or someone just had cool sex that was impossible to forget.”       “Sex is just a wonderful addition that makes my life better and lets me relax enough. But actually, a good mood is the consequence of the fact that everything is getting better in my life.”       “Okay. Since you have the responsibility to comfort me and not to let me become an indifferent vegetable, I’m leaving it to you.”       “Think it’s my thankfulness for supporting me when I felt bad,” Terrence replies amicably. “I needed a good word and a couple of hugs from someone that would let me know everything would be okay.”       “I couldn’t let you become something like the vegetable that you were when your cutie almost left you. Since you’re my friend, I must help and support you. And I do know what a real friendship is and can use what I’ve given and give something back.”       “Thanks, buddy.”       Terrence and Daniel share a clap on the back with a slight smile, hugging each other amicably on the way. The guys are walking in the hall of the hospital for a few seconds, but they decide to look around again at some moment. Then Daniel notices the anxious blonde and the brunette standing aside and talking about something.       “Hey, look!” Daniel exclaims. “Jessica and Helene are there!”       Terrence glances to the side where Daniel looks and recognizes the girls as Helene and Jessica. At some moment, the girls move their eyes to them and wave a hand to get their attention. The men nod quickly and go to the friends, who seem excited and look at them with a scare in their rounded eyes.       “Hey, Terrence, Daniel,” Helene greets.       “Hi, Helene, Jessica,” Terrence says.       “Hey, girls!” Daniel exclaims.       “Hey, we saw you when you entered the hospital,” Jessica adds with a shy smile.       “And we didn’t see you immediately, to be honest,” Terrence shrugs.       “How long have you been waiting?” Daniel asks.       “Nope, we came here literally two minutes ago,” Helene replies amicably, shaking her head.       “I don’t know what about you, guys, but Helene and I are a little excited,” Jessica confesses, tightly squeezing the belt of her purse hanging on her shoulder.       “We’re nervous, too…” Daniel replies thoughtfully, running his hand through his hair.       “But trying to think positively,” Terrence adds.       “At least we can be happy about one thing,” Jessica notices thoughtfully. “Peter survived. The blood infection didn’t kill him.”       “I’m madly happy, too,” Helene cracks a smile. “But it would be much happier if Peter didn’t try to harm himself again.”       “I hope we’ll make him sure to stop,” Daniel expresses hope. “I don’t know how, but we must not let him try to kill himself again.”       “Not for anything. If we don’t do something now, it will probably be too late.”       “Daniel and I ain’t gonna leave Peter, even if he rejects help and pushes us off himself,” Terrence says confidently. “Now we have no right to miss something and find excuses. We must do our best to help that guy.”       “Yeah, without a doubt,” Daniel adds confidently. “If we need it, we’ll be ready to sacrifice anything. To save our friend.”       “We won’t leave him, either,” Jessica says confidently. “Now Peter needs every one of us like never ever. And we can’t leave him alone. The guy has nobody but us, his close friends.”       “Yeah, he doesn’t even have a family,” Helene adds quietly with sadness in her eyes. “He had a mother, but she betrayed him.”       “We will not leave him,” Terrence says confidently. “Everybody, who knows him, is ready to give him their help. Not just you and me.”       “Yeah, our girls and many other people are truly worried about Peter,” Daniel adds amicably. “They even wanted to go with us, but we said we wanted to check the situation first.”       “My mother wants him to get well, too. Even if she doesn’t know him personally. She is the one… She’s worried about those I know, even if it’s an unfamiliar person.”       “Anyway, Pete is not alone,” Helene says thoughtfully. “He has us. And if he feels it, we’ll make him sure to explain the reasons for his act.”       “Exactly!” Jessica exclaims. “If we’re his friends, we’ve gotta prove it.”       “We’re ready,” Daniel replies confidently with a shy smile.       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, after which Lewis Todd, comes to Terrence, Daniel, Helene, and Jessica, holding a folder with papers in his hands.       “Good afternoon, young men, girls,” Lewis greets amicably. “I have been looking for you in the whole hospital.”       “Hello, Mr. Todd!” Terrence, Daniel, Helene, and Jessica greet gently and shake him by the hand.       “We were going to go to your office,” Daniel says.       “I have a scheduled check of all my patients,” Lewis confesses. “You would not have found me at my office.”       “So, did Peter come to himself?” Helene asks hesitantly.       “Yes, Mr. Todd, is what you told me on the phone true?” Terrence asks. “Did Peter really wake up?”       “Yes, Mr. MacClife, your friend has woken up,” Lewis replies with a slight smile. “One of the nurses checked the patients yesterday and called me when she saw that Peter Rose started to come to himself. At first, I was not surprised because your friend often woke up and lost consciousness again. But then I saw he was absolutely awake.”       “And hasn’t he lost consciousness since yesterday?” Daniel specifies.       “No, he has not.”       “And how does he feel?” Terrence asks.       “The condition of Mr. Rose is stable, but he is very weak yet. But it’s not amazing because he experienced massive blood loss, got it infected, and was unconscious. Don’t think that he would be able to get up sharply and run.”       “Can he speak?” Jessica rounds her eyes.       “Yes, Peter can speak. I asked him a few questions to check how his brain worked. And fortunately, he completely understands everything. No problems with it.”       “And…” Helene bites her lip. “What about his reaction when he woke up?”       “Not what you would like to get. When Peter woke up, he didn’t understand what happened, but asked if he had died. And when I told him he was alive and was in a hospital, your friend, saying softly, did not get happy.”       “Do you think he could try to make another attempt to kill himself?” Daniel asks hesitantly. “Couldn’t it happen that Peter would love to try to kill himself again, while he is alone in the room?”       “It’s possible,” Lewis replies thoughtfully. “But don’t worry, we’re closely watching him and regularly telling one of the nurses to watch him. And I check on him often. Of course, I have many patients, but Peter is under my special control.”       “And what about his mood?” Jessica asks. “What’s the condition of Peter? Depressive? Depressed? Aggressive?”       “No, no, I see no aggression from him. He is probably indifferent to what’s happening. He just does what he is told. While there is nobody, your friend is just lying on the bed and looking at the ceiling.”       “Hasn’t he tried to run away?” Terrence asks. “Threatened to kill himself?”       “No, fortunately. He doesn’t try to run, and he shows no aggression. He’s just indifferent to everything, looks very tense, and doesn’t almost talk.”       “You think he has depression?” Daniel asks with sadness in his eyes.       “Maybe. But I actually think he is just ashamed. Ashamed of what he did. Ashamed of those, who are watching him. Ashamed of you. Ashamed of everything.”       “Has he said something about one of us?” Terrence asks hesitantly.       “Peter asked the nurse that I left him with how he ended up here. So, that girl explained everything. And she said he asked her about the men, who found him.”       Terrence and Daniel share a short, sad look with each other.       “And what did he ask?” Daniel asks. “Don’t you know?”       “Sadly, I can say nothing to you,” Lewis shrugs. “That girl didn’t say it because she was asked to come somewhere shortly. But she let me know he said something about shame for you.”       “And did he say something about Jessica and me?” Helene asks, glancing at Jessica standing near her.       “The nurse told him about you,” Lewis confirms. “And Mr. Rose got much sadder. I guess he is ashamed of all of you. There’s something he would like to apologize for.”       “But you talked to him, too,” Jessica notices. “Can you really say nothing?”       “I’ve already said what I think about it. But I can say your friend does not think of another suicide attempt. I don’t know… Maybe, he barely understands what happened to him… Maybe, he does not care… But everything is fine so far.”       “Gosh, if only Peter did nothing to himself…” Helene begs quietly. “I don’t want him to try to kill himself again…”       “Do not worry, Mrs. Marshall,” Lewis says softly, looking at Helene with pity in his eyes. “While Peter is here, he will be under the control of doctors. We know how to behave with aggressive people and those, who threaten to kill themselves. You know how many events I’ve experienced. Someone threatened to jump off the roof, drink alcohol, and cut themselves with scissors… And someone was just aggressive. Anything has happened.”       “What if he does it by deceiving?” Jessica asks excitedly.       “Don’t worry, sweet girls. Your friend will do nothing to himself while he is under the control of the hospital staff. And if he does, we’ll immediately take measures.”       “You know, we cannot be sure about anything,” Daniel says in a low voice. “Especially, now, when we have a deal with the one, who wants to die.”       “I get it. But if you really want, you can solve any problem. Although suicide attempts often happen, there is little chance to save someone, who wants to die.”       “Can we help him by ourselves?” Terrence asks.       “I think you can. Peter had nobody to help him survive this hard time. He needs the support of someone that he appreciates, loves, and respects. That guy lacks love, care, and attention. After the talk with you, I thought he had nobody. So, I think you must not leave Mr. Rose alone with his problems. Maybe, at heart, he is waiting for your help, but he’s afraid to ask you about it. So, don’t disappoint him.”       “We will do our best to help him,” Helene promises confidently.       “I hope.” Lewis looks at everybody and stops his eyes on Terrence. “Some of you should know that loneliness and silence don’t always give us something good. Understand that you sometimes need someone to listen and support you. Of course, loneliness is good because sometimes we have to stay alone and calm down. But withdrawing yourself from everybody and hiding your real emotions and a wish to do more horrible things that someone is afraid to think about is bad.”       Helene, Daniel, and Jessica move their surprised gazes to Terrence, who gets a little confused because of this and looks at everybody tensely.       “I think you know what I mean, Mr. MacClife,” Lewis says quietly. “I will not make you say something because I do not have to do with your life. But if you want, you will tell your friends something you are worried about. Though, even if you have been silent, I’m sure some people suspected that your soul was not quiet.”       “But everything is fine about me now,” Terrence throws his hands up. “And I complain about nothing. Of course, I have some problems, but they will be solved soon.”       “Yes, maybe, everything is really fine with you, and your life is getting better,” Lewis says quietly. “Nevertheless, it’s very hard to let go of the past and forget it as if it’s never happened.”       “Erm… Mr. Todd?”       “I’m not trying to hurt you or make you think of something. But I guess something happened in your past and doesn’t still let you stay calm.” Lewis clears his throat. “But I think you would get better if you told one of your friends what you’re worried about.”       Terrence swallows up nervously, feeling discouraged but trying not to show it. Meanwhile, Lewis pays attention to Daniel, setting his eyes on him and frowning slightly.       “Mr. Perkins, I know what’s happening to you,” Lewis says thoughtfully. “You feel your fault for Peter. It seems like you are ashamed of him for something. I’ve been seeing it for a long time, even if you try to hide your emotions.”       Now Terrence, Jessica, and Helene move their eyes to Daniel, who gets a little white and starts pulling a sleeve of his jacket.       “Erm…” Daniel bites his lip slightly, locking his fingers tightly.       “I see you’re truly worried about that guy and want him to get well,” Lewis says softly. “And you are kind of obsessed with a sense of fault for something. I don’t know what kind of relationship you have lately had with Peter, but it seems like something had happened between you some time before he tried to kill himself.”       “Yeah, you’re right…” Daniel replies hesitantly. “We had a conflict… Some time before Peter tried to kill himself.”       “And as I understand, was it serious?”       “I would say so.”       “And do you feel your fault?”       “Yeah. I… Really feel guilty. There are many reasons. For example, I’m truly sorry for not guessing that Peter had serious problems. Not thinking they were so horrible that he easily took a blade and opened his veins.”       “Are you really guilty? What was your conflict about?”       “Everything started because of me,” Daniel confesses with sadness in his eyes. “I annoyed Peter so much that he just got nuts and got really mad at me. I was talking about some bad things for a long time. Even if I never wanted to insult him and just joked. But it lasted for so long that Rose eventually got sick.”       “So, do you want to say the fight happened because of you?”       “Next, I provoked almost all of our conflicts. Peter got nuts during the first one, and I started to do it later.”       “And what’s the reason?”       “I was just insulted that he screamed and hit me for nothing. I couldn’t leave it unnoticed and eventually started to treat him very rudely: insulting, humiliating, and even beating him at any good moment. We fought like cats and dogs. Terrence is a witness. He had to watch our fights and try to prevent them.”       “It’s true,” Terrence nods. “And I didn’t know why it happened. They got on well and were good friends. But then a black cat ran between them… I just recently found out why they fought.”       “I couldn’t assume those emotions were the consequences of his depression. Peter is usually a quiet and shy guy, who never showed aggression and was always soft enough.”       “Yeah, it happens,” Lewis replies thoughtfully. “When people have depression, they often take it out on someone. Even if it’s their close person. A quiet, level-headed person easily gets out of control.”       “I’m really very sorry about doing such a bad thing to him. And I understand his reaction was quite fine. Because I was really annoying Peter with what was his painful thing to talk about for a long time.”       “If it’s true, I cannot deny your fault. Didn’t you see that it was unpleasant for that guy to talk about it? Did you like mocking him?”       “I swear, Mr. Todd, I didn’t want to insult Peter and give him pain,” Daniel excuses himself with pity in his eyes. “I never had a bad thought. Vice versa, I wanted to joke a little. He always reacted to these things well, but he got nuts on the day of our conflict.”       “So, now you see what your jokes led to.”       “I get it.” Daniel glances down for two seconds. “I know I’m guilty of what happened to Peter. Even if he said he blamed me for nothing.”       “Well, I’m happy you understand it. But why did you answer aggression with aggression? You did know you were wrong, but you attacked Mr. Rose.”       “I think the problem is the character. Although I’m not very short-tempered and don’t explode after one bad word, it’s possible to make me enraged. Well, Peter did it when he started to insult and humiliate me and attacked with fists.”       “Hm…” Lewis falls into silence for two seconds, frowning slightly. “So, would you have held yourself down and not made the conflict worse if Peter hadn’t hit you?”       “I think so,” Daniel shrugs. “And you don’t think that I liked it. I don’t actually like fighting with people.”       “Say, have you lately experienced stress? Tiredness? Maybe, you had problems that made you terribly nervous?”       “I wouldn’t say it’s a problem, but… There was something that got all of us tired. Peter, Terrence, and me.”       “Yeah, at the end of August, we finished giving shows in the whole of America,” Terrence confirms quietly. “We really got exhausted, but got a lot of pleasure.”       “So…” Lewis frowns slightly. “Quite explainable… I believe the conflict was caused by tiredness, too. You saw each other every day and could wish to stay apart.”       “Yeah, we lived together when we were on the road. We played one show, got on the bus, and went to another city. Though, we were never sick of each other. We spent time together with pleasure. Only a few days before the end of the tour, Peter was kind of distanced and didn’t almost talk to anyone.”       “And did Mr. Rose and Mr. Perkins have conflicts before?”       “No, never! The guys fought only when Rose got nuts.”       “And when they were in the same room, couldn’t they quietly work? Did they find a reason to fight?”       “That’s why our work was always disrupted, and all our attempts to come together and work on songs at the studio led to the moment when at least one of them left. But everything led to a fight only during their latest conflict.”       “Alright… Well… Everything is more or less clear about Peter’s claims. But what claims did you have, Mr. Perkins?”       “At least the fact that he became irresponsible,” Daniel shrugs. “Peter refused to work and constantly asked us to postpone everything to tomorrow. After getting cool, I was ready to close my eyes to insults and attacks with fists. But he gave me a reason to get mad at him when he stopped being a part of the band’s work. I thought Peter got sick with something like star-struck after the tour and thought everybody owed him, and fame would come to him.”       “Moreover, Peter often went to the studio in horrible condition,” Terrence adds. “He suffered from a handover after drinking somewhere at a bar or club.”       “Drinking?” Lewis wonders.       “Yes, and we think Rose drank much. He never stopped after one glass. Peter definitely drank to the heck.”       “That’s what…”       “And our manager pressed strongly,” Daniel confesses. “He wasn’t shy of insulting and humiliating us three… He thought we did nothing and didn’t want to work, believing someone would do everything instead of us.”       “Though, Daniel and I were ready to work like crazy,” Terrence adds. “Because we knew we should’ve worked hard to get something. The problem was with Peter. About his reluctance to work. Because of him, the work was stopped.”       “I see…” Lewis, still frowning, starts stroking his chin. “Mr. Perkins, when did you start feeling guilty about Peter?”       “Well…” Daniel pronounces thoughtfully. “Honestly, when I didn’t see him, I calmed down a little and wasn’t so aggressive, even if I kept being mad at that man. But when Peter, Terrence, and I had to meet our manager, and I saw what that guy brought himself to, my offenses kind of disappeared, and I lowered my hands. He was in such a horrible condition that I felt sorry for him. And I lost my wish to scream at him and blame him for ruining our band. I asked myself if everything was right…”       “Alright, but why didn’t you two support him? Did you two wait until the end and leave Peter alone, completely understanding that something wasn’t right with him?”       “Yeah, it’s our fault…” Terrence inclines his head guiltily. “We confess it…”       “We feel guilty about not going to Peter’s home much earlier,” Daniel confesses with regret. “We should’ve stayed with him, even if he’d kicked us out. We know we could hardly be called good friends. But we want to fix everything and let him know he can always count on us.”       “It was a bad act of you, but I’m not going to judge you.” Lewis smiles slightly. “The most important thing is that you called an ambulance and brought him here just in time. Though, I must notice that you must not miss a chance. You must do your best to help that guy. Listen to him. Support.”       “We will do our best,” Daniel promises confidently and looks at Terrence, who nods energetically. “Don’t doubt it.”       “Jessica and I will not leave him, too!” Helene says confidently.       “As for you, Ms. Marshall, I have no doubt,” Lewis replies and glances at Helene, while Terrence, Daniel, and Jessica start looking at her. “I think you helped Peter come to himself and survive when nobody hoped for that. You were by his side all the time when I allowed you to go to his room.”       “Yeah, and I’m madly grateful to you for the chance. I felt a little quieter when I was next to Peter and managed to talk to him and hold his hand.”       “I did say he could feel your pretense. He definitely heard your voice or felt your pretense and decided to come back to the real world for you.”       “I don’t know…” Helene replies thoughtfully. “Maybe, you’re right…”       “I’ve always been sure that people can hear someone’s voices when they are unconscious and follow their sound.”       “I think there’s a part of the truth about it…”       “Yeah, and something else…” Lewis says thoughtfully, smiling at Helene slightly. “Don’t be afraid to tell him what you want to say. I have no doubt that you mean very much to Peter, judging what you and your friends told me.”       “You think he’ll understand me?”       “At least, let him know your attitude toward him. And then may it happen as it wants. Sadly, I cannot help you in this case. Everything depends on him.”       “Who knows, Mr. Todd…” Helene sighs quietly, embracing herself with both arms.       “But let’s hope a miracle will happen and make two more people happy,” Jessica says confidently with a slight smile.       “Do you believe it would happen?” Lewis asks.       “I want to believe. I want to see these two happy. Well… Or at least, I want Peter to know what Helene wants to tell him.”       “Well, I want you, Ms. Taylor, to stop being mad at Peter for kicking you out of the apartment. I’m sure that was the consequence of his depression and emotions.”       “Honestly, I’m no longer mad at him,” Jessica confesses with a slight smile. “I forgave Rose a long time ago. Because… I did almost the same thing as Daniel… I talked much about what gave him pain…”       “You too?”       “Yeah, but I swear, I’m very sorry about it and want to apologize to Peter when I get a chance. I understand I shouldn’t have done that. Because I knew it was his hurt thing to talk about.”       “I’m glad you think so,” Lewis says softly, nodding in approval. “And if you want to apologize, I wish you luck.”       “Thanks, Mr. Todd.”       “Remember what I told all of you,” Lewis insists, looking at Terrence, Daniel, Jessica, and Helene. “I’m sure you will need it now.”       “Thank you so much, Mr. Todd,” Terrence thanks amicably. “Thanks for spending time talking with us.”       “Glad to help.”       “Excuse me, Mr. Todd, can we go to Peter’s room right now?” Daniel asks carefully. “We would like to talk to him and find out what made him commit a suicide attempt.”       “Sure, I wanted to tell you that when trying to find you,” Lewis replies confidently and clears his throat. “You can go to Peter right now. But I have two little pleases for you.”       “What?” Terrence asks hesitantly.       “As Peter has not gotten better, I’m asking you not to get him overloaded psychologically. Don’t make him talk about why he did that by force because it might make his condition worse. Do not press on him. Talk about it only if he wants it.”       “No, no, we will not make him speak by force. Peter will tell us everything when he wants to do it. And if he thinks it’s right.”       “We completely understand it would be hard for him,” Daniel adds. “So, we’ll just show him that he can count on us. That we’re ready to do anything for him.”       “I hope,” Lewis pronounces and puts a finger on his lip. “Ah, yeah, something else… I ask you to follow the rule: more than two people are not allowed to be in Peter’s room. We don’t know how he will react to your appearance or whether it will provoke something bad. Only two can enter his room.”       “We got it, Mr. Todd,” Daniel nods confidently. “We will do what you want.”       “Good. You can visit him now, but I will come later and check how he is feeling. You and I do not say goodbye yet.”       “Thank you so much,” Terrence replies amicably.       “Alright… Now excuse me, I have to leave you. I have to check some patients. I wish you luck.”       Lewis fixes his glasses on his nose, turns around, and leaves somewhere, leaving Terrence, Daniel, Jessica, and Helene alone and setting his eyes on the papers from the folder that he is holding.       “I’m making sure more and more that this doctor is a good psychologist,” Helene says thoughtfully. “He sees all of us through… And it makes me feel uncomfortable…”       “Yeah, the man is perceptive…” Jessica says thoughtfully. “I still can’t understand why he stopped his eyes on Terrence and said something about loneliness, silence, and something else…”       “Honestly, I don’t understand it, either…”       “Yes, buddy!” Daniel exclaims, moving his eyes to Terrence and frowning slightly. “What did Lewis mean when he said you’d tell us something when you wanted?”       “Erm…” Terrence gets nervous, while his eyes start running from one side to another. “Nothing special… I… I will tell you about it later… A little later…”       “Lewis recalled you leaving the office,” Jessica notices thoughtfully. “Maybe, he thought about something?”       “I have no idea…” Terrence shrugs.       “Okay, let’s talk about it later,” Daniel suggests quietly. “We have a more important business now.”       “Yeah! We should talk to Peter. I mean, try to talk.”       “It’s gonna be hard,” Helene says hesitantly. “Especially for Daniel and Jessica. The two mocked Peter because of his failures in a relationship with girls.”       “I’ve said many times that I’m sorry about that,” Daniel replies quietly.       “And I understand I crossed the line when I let him know he was a loser due to the problems with girls,” Jessica says with regret.       “And we did a bad thing when we were afraid to go to Pete’s home to talk about everything,” Helene says with sadness in her eyes. “Sadly, we decided to do it too late.”       “Daniel is right that we decided to become heroes when Rose openly let us know he was gonna kill himself,” Terrence notices. “And earlier, the guys and I ran on different sides: Peter was killing himself, Daniel was doing something, and I was trying to save the band to show our manager that we were working.”       “At least we woke up just in time,” Jessica notices. “I mean, you and Daniel went to Peter’s home just in time. Lewis said it right.”       “Yes, guys, you did a good thing when you decided not to wait for us and went to him,” Helene says softly. “If you’d decided to wait, it would’ve been too late. If you had decided to wait for us, we would’ve hardly seen Peter alive.”       “And that was good none of you saw what was happening in Peter’s apartment,” Daniel adds. I mean… You didn’t see the half-alive blond lying in a pool of blood unconscious, almost not breathing.”       “But we had to watch his blood on the floor and walls anyway,” Jessica recalls. “We came there to clean it up. We couldn’t let the apartment turn into some jungle.”       “Oh, we would’ve cleaned it up…” Terrence replies thoughtfully, running his hand through his hair. “But since an ambulance quickly took Peter to the hospital, and we were deeply shocked, the apartment wasn’t cleaned up.”       “Yeah, and we’re really very sorry that you had to see that hell…” Daniel says with regret. “We should’ve braced ourselves and cleaned it up.”       “It’s alright,” Helene replies quietly. “We didn’t spend so much washing the floors and walls, throwing off the trash, and putting all the things in the right place.”       “Forgive us anyway,” Terrence says with regret. “We didn’t want you to see that…”       “Gosh, guys, stop, please,” Jessica replies amicably. “It’s okay, don’t apologize to us. Think it’s our thankfulness for everything you’ve done to us and the blond.”       Terrence and Daniel say nothing and just smile slightly.       “Oh, okay, guys, let’s go to Peter,” Helene suggests.       “Erm…” Terrence pronounces thoughtfully and runs his hand over his stomach, feeling a slight rumbling. “And I’d like to go to the cafeteria and eat a little first. At least to drink coffee with a fresh bun. I’ve been running like a hamster in a wheel since the early morning and haven’t eaten well.”       “Well, if it’s so, I’ll make a company for you with pleasure,” Daniel replies. “Although I don’t wanna eat, I could take something tasty and sit down with you. Talk a little while the girls go to Peter.”       “Erm…” Jessica stutters. “Actually, we’d also like to go to the cafeteria…”       “Yeah, I’d drink coffee with pleasure,” Helene agrees. “I barely slept the last night because of worrying. And I was so nervous that I ate nothing this morning.”       “So, let’s go to the cafeteria and eat something.” Jessica hugs Helene around the shoulders. “Otherwise, we’ll have to wake this sensitive beauty up in case she barely stands on her feet or faints from hunger.”       Terrence, Jessica, Helene, and Daniel turn around and go to the cafeteria.       “Oh, look, girls, don’t bring yourself to a horrible condition,” Terrence sighs tiredly. “Don’t starve and bring yourself to exhaustion.”       “I ain’t gonna,” Helene shrugs. “I just couldn’t eat a piece. And my grandmother is used to cooking a big breakfast ‘cause she thinks you'll have enough energy. She got a little shocked today when I said I had no appetite. Though, she knows I don’t like eating much since the morning and prefer eating only a couple of soft-boiled eggs and drinking a cup of strong coffee.”       “That’s good if it’s true. I have a close friend, who was in depression for a long time due to her personal problems. And she tortured herself with hunger and got so exhausted morally and psychically that she eventually fainted… I barely got her outta depression and taught her to enjoy her life again.”       “Actually, Jess and I didn’t try to bring ourselves to depression and starvation,” Helene replies thoughtfully. “We were just worried about Peter too much… And yesterday, we got excited also because of what our meeting would be.”       “I understand it. But you shouldn’t do this. Otherwise, it’s gonna be very hard to come to oneself after these things.”       “Hey, Terrence, what happened to your friend if she brought herself to that?” Jessica shows interest.       “Oh, Jessica, it’s a terrible story…” Terrence sighs tiredly. “My friend had to experience something terrible that almost ended badly for her. But it’s very personal, and I won’t spread it. I can only say that the girl had to suffer much.”       “Hey, I’m also a friend of that girl and saw what he brought herself to,” Daniel confesses. “And my girlfriend knows her and befriends her.”       “Just like my fiancée. Our girls are very close friends of hers.”       “Great,” Jessica smiles slightly.       “You know, girls, that girl was in such a terrible condition that Daniel and I compared her to Peter. Because the two were in depression and said nothing about their problems.”       “So, did she feel so bad?”       “Oh, yeah!” Daniel exclaims. “The poor girl was also silent about her problems and fell into a depression deeper and deeper. But that’s good Terrence and his fiancée were by her side and literally saved her.”       “After Peter tried to kill himself,” Terrence specifies. “After what I saw, I was afraid my friend would bring herself to an attempt to kill herself. She even talked about a wish to die… So, I had to apply many efforts not to let her open her veins or jump off the root.”       “My gosh, poor girl…” Jessica shakes her head with pity in her eyes.       “I’m so sorry for her,” Helene says with sadness in her eyes. “I hope she’ll solve her problems.”       “Luckily, it’s all over now,” Terrence replies with a slight smile. “She got rid of depression, but she still feels, so to say, a bitten aftertaste.”       “I’m glad she didn’t end her life.”       “Oh, listen, let’s change the subject,” Daniel moans quietly. “Otherwise, I’m gonna see these suicide and depressive people in my nightmares. If I listen to that a little longer, I’ll go crazy.”       “I doubt that it threatens you,” Terrence smiles slyly, going a little further than Jessica and Helene but being close to them. “Your beloved beauty is doing her best for you to feel good.”       “Then it doesn’t threaten you, as well,” Daniel chuckles kindly. “Because your sexy cutie is distracting you. One night of unforgettable sex with that hellcat, and you forget anything in the world.”       “I believe everything is wonderful about it. As people say, perfect sex is a cure for anything.”       “And when it happens to you and your beloved girl, who is freaking good and full of sexual energy, it’s gonna be a madly nice drug.”       “The important thing is to stop in time, so it doesn’t become a usual thing and stops giving you pleasure.”       “I personally never get sick of that. My cutie may sometimes be not only tender and obedient, but also sexy and sassy. And when a girl may be different, that’s really cool.”       “I can’t deny it. But sexual, sassy, and little rude girls get me much more attracted. And my beloved fiancée perfectly fits the criteria of the woman of my dream.”       “Well, I already understood that you’re a pervert and lover of light BDSM.”       “Said by a pervert.”       Daniel and Terrence keep talking about something, while Jessica and Helene going behind look at each other, and set their gazes on the guys’ backs, being busy talking about something and asking themselves what makes these men laugh shyly.       

***

      Anthony, Letitia, Natalia, and Edward arrived at the apartment of the Rochesters. After taking a glass of water and sitting at the table in the dining room, they start discussing what has lately happened. For Natalia, it’s very hard, and she starts shaking and crying quietly, while she has to recall everything that she had to overcome. When it’s unbearable for her to speak, Edward continues to speak for her. It’s madly hard for him, too, but he has greater control over his emotions.       Letitia and Anthony got sharply white and got totally horrified after Natalia told some part of the story. Every single word of their daughter makes them shake and open their eyes full of scare widely. But while Anthony is holding on more or less, Letitia takes Natalia’s story so seriously that she is about to lose consciousness. Her husband has to hug the white, shaking woman, from whose eyes tears are getting out slowly, and take her hand.       After Natalia and Edward finish the story, silence settles in the air for the first few seconds and may only be broken by the blonde’s quiet sobs and the whisper of the shocked Letitia. But later, Anthony becomes the first one to calm down a little and become able to start speaking.       “My gosh…” Anthony gets horrified, shaking his head. “I can’t believe everything you’ve said! I’m shocked! I have nothing to say! It seems like I’m sleeping and seeing a nightmare.”       “Gosh, Natalia…” Letitia gets horrified with widely open eyes. “How could you be silent for five months? How could you be silent about almost getting raped? Do you understand you could’ve never come back home if the situation had gotten much worse?”       “What irresponsibility! Damn! You must have told us everything! And as your mother was not in New York, you must have come to me. I would have immediately put my business aside, gone to the police with you, and done my best for that bastard to be found and arrested!”       “Daughter, how could you do it? What were you thinking of when going outside in the dark time? How could you think about it?”       “I’m very sorry…” Natalia says with pity and tears in her eyes, folding her hands in front of her. “I swear I didn’t know what I was thinking when deciding to do it.”       “How many times have you and your mother said that you are not allowed to walk in desert places alone?” Anthony resents. “How many, the hell? Does everything go in one ear and out the other?”       “I know I did a stupid thing, for which I’ve already paid a great cost… When that man almost raped me…”       “What an irresponsible girl you are! Pity your mother, at least A LITTLE!” Anthony glances at Letitia crying quietly. “Look, Natalia! Look what you brought her to with your irresponsibility and stubbornness!”       “Please, Dad, don’t say it!” Natalia begs in a shaking voice.       “While we are doing our business, you are walking somewhere at night and getting into trouble. While your mother is spending her time and energy taking care of your sick grandmother, you don’t the fuck know what to do!”       “Honey, why did you say nothing before?” Letitia gets horrified. “How could you be silent about that? That’s violence! You can put a person in prison for that!”       “I was terrified,” Natalia makes a quiet sob. “That man said if I opened my mouth, he’d bury me somewhere in the woods. I don’t wanna die, though!”       “It’s not a reason to be silent! Criminals terrify their victims, so they’re silent and cover their tricks. Whatever he told you, you must’ve told us everything. You could tell your father everything. He would’ve immediately taken measures and told me. I would’ve left my business and come here. I would’ve found what to say to your grandmother and gotten into the first airplane to New York.”       “I didn’t wanna make you upset! I didn’t want you to be worried about me. I swear, Mommy, I didn’t want anything to happen.”       “But that the fuck HAPPENED!” Anthony starts shouting and hits his fist against the table so strongly that Natalia shakes slightly with widely open eyes. “HAPPENED, THE FUCK!”       “Dad, please…”       “Do you think that letting a sick stinker touch all parts of your body is fine? And undressing you like a dirty whore that sleeps with everybody. It’s disgusting for me to think my daughter… MY own daughter would act like a prostitute and stand absolutely naked in front of a STRANGER!”       “I’m not a prostitute!” Natalia says loudly with tears and despair. “I’ve never undressed for everyone! That man did it! Could you really think I would do that at my own wish?”       “I do not know what to expect from you! You should probably give a child to your mother and you! You were VERY lucky that the police scared that bastard. VERY LUCKY! Otherwise, you would have been pregnant with his child! You would have had a big belly, visited doctors, and bought baby stuff! And if you hadn’t gotten pregnant from that asshole, he would’ve surely killed you. And the police would’ve been looking for your course nobody the fuck knows where!”       “I tried to break free and run!” Natalia gives a loud sob. “But he and his friends caught me quickly!”       “You should not have run away from that scumbag! You must have STAYED HOME and waited for ME! Instead, you were wandering somewhere and paid a high cost for the disorder. VERY HIGH!”       “But, Dad!”       “Natalia, you are twenty-five! TWENTY-FIVE! An adult girl that reaches for something in a career or gets married and gives birth to a child at your age! But you are acting like a little, irresponsible girl! You’ve always treated life too easily and thought everything would always be fine because your mother and father kept you safe and tried to provide for your good future, working so hard just for you. We were raising you like a princess and giving you everything you asked for. You wanted to go to the university – we paid for that. You decided to travel around the world – we bought a ticket and made a reservation at a hotel. You saw something beautiful at a store – we gave you money and said, ‘Buy!’ You have had everything! But people are right when they say a person must not be too spoiled. Now I understand we overdid it.”       “No, Daddy, don’t say that,” Natalia shakes her head with tears in her eyes. “Please…”       “We shouldn’t have probably let you live such a good life on our account. We should’ve made you go to work and earn money for life. So, you were busy with just something and learned to appreciate every single cent, and the work of your mother and me. And stopped wandering nobody knows where and hanging out with men. We were too soft on you, and this is what it led to! Our daughter became an irresponsible egoist that does not think of consequences and believes everything would be done instead of her!”       “That’s not the truth! I’m not an egoist!” Natalia shakes her head sharply and moves her wet eyes to Letitia. “Mom, say something! Why are you silent? Why does Father think I’m so terrible? That’s not true!”       “What can I say?” Letitia rounds her eyes. “Sorry, Natalia, but your father is saying the right things. Your act was irresponsible. And Anthony and I were too soft for you.”       “I know I did a stupid thing and acted terribly. But it doesn’t mean I’m bad.”       “And you paid a high cost for your stupidity,” Letitia says a little colder. “And that’s good the stinker was an accomplice of Michael MacClife. You were madly lucky that the man would pay for helping that man and for the attempt to rape you. But what would have happened if that man hadn’t had to do with Michael? Would he have kept walking on the streets as if nothing happened? Found a couple of more victims and raped them? What if he had met you again and really raped you? Or, heaven forbids, killed?”       “But I didn’t know that man was connected to Michael,” Natalia says with tears. “And I wouldn’t have thought about it! I found it out when I saw him among the people, who worked for that man.”       “What’s the freaking difference who was working for?” Anthony resents, rolling his eyes. “That sick bastard must’ve been put in prison anyway! You must have told me what happened, and I would’ve called everyone for him to get a punishment. Do not worry, your mother and I have many good contacts. We know someone, who is able to get that scumbag out of the ground.”       “Sorry…” Natalia inclines her head guiltily. “I really did a disgusting thing… But I’m really ashamed. And I didn’t want it to happen. I swear.”       “Oh, God, give me patience, so I don’t do anything to this stupid girl…” Anthony begs quietly and exhales sharply.       “Please, Dad, trust me…”       “Alright, never mind! Let’s think we made everything about the rape attempt more or less clear.” Anthony glances at Edward. “Now let’s talk to you, Edward. The boy, who shamelessly moved his eyes down and thinks we would ask him about nothing because he is sitting here as quietly as a mouse.”       Edward was silent all the time, looking at Natalia with sadness in his eyes and feeling that his heart was squeezing while she was trying to excuse herself with tears in her eyes. But now he gets sharply white and looks at Anthony scarily, putting his head on his shoulders.       “You behaved much more disgustingly than this long-haired beauty,” Anthony says quietly but coldly. “I understand you were jealous of my daughter and thought she was a betrayer after seeing those photos. But I do want you to remember some things. First, Natalia has never cheated on those she dated. She exactly says she wants to end a relationship if she wants it. Second, my daughter has always loved you and has openly said it to Letitia and me. And she was not going to leave you. And third, let me ask you something. Did you have no brain to guess she had hysteria because of those fucking photos? How could you be such a blind, brainless moron, before whom a girl was crying?”       “I saw her hysteria, Mr. Rochester,” Edward replies quietly. “But please, understand my feelings and what I felt when I saw my girlfriend with another man. I didn’t think someone would mock her. And I wouldn’t have thought she’d be framed with those photos.”       “Yeah? I think you knew your uncle started all of that.”       “No, I swear I didn’t know the offender of your daughter was connected with my uncle. He never showed up at his house, and Uncle Michael never talked about him. But at some moment, Uncle started to hint that he knew something about this story. Though, I found out everything too late. When I had already done many bad things.”       “Alright, let’s assume you’re telling us the truth.” Anthony glances at Natalia. “The question for you, Natalia. What stopped you from telling Edward what happened to you?”       “I did already say it, that man terrified me and threatened to kill me if someone knew it,” Natalia replies quietly.       “We got it. But were you consciously ready to sacrifice your relationship because of your fear of telling the truth?”       “I was too shocked. I began to forget that nightmare because Edward, not knowing it, was doing his best for that.” Natalia sniffs quietly. “But when he showed me those photos, the memories instantly attacked me, and I could do nothing to myself. I swear, I wanted to tell him everything, but the horrifying voice of that man stopped me… And at heart, I knew it was worthless because Edward was too mad and probably wanted to hear nothing.”       “Alright. And how did Edward get those photos? They did not come up from the sky!”       “They were sent to the address where I lived,” Edward says quietly. “I mean, my uncle Michael sent them. That was a simple envelope with my name and the address of the woman, with whom I lived. And when I opened it and saw those photos, I immediately went here to make Natalia explain it.”       “And what happened to those photos after that event? Who has them?”       “Edward left them to me,” Natalia says quietly. “He didn’t take them when he left. They were in my room for a long time. I hid them so that you and Mother didn’t find them. But somehow, I got a call from someone, who was investigating the case of Eugene Wainwright and asked me to give him the photo to add to the materials in the case. Well… I was happy to get rid of them… And I gave the envelope.”       “Oh, gosh, how awful…” Letitia pronounces in a little shaking voice, putting her hand on her forehead. “I’m shocked… I have nothing to say…”       “Alright, we made it clear,” Anthony says quietly and glances at Edward. “Edward, now explain to me one thing, please… Were you so cowardly that you couldn’t find the courage to talk to Natalia some time later after your fight? How could you believe in my daughter’s betrayal if she didn’t confirm it? Yes, the photos allegedly proved it. But you know that it’s now possible to make fake photos on a computer. It’s a two-minute thing! Didn’t you think it could be a fake?”       “Erm, yeah, I could say so…” Edward replies a little hesitantly. “I was afraid I wouldn’t control myself… And I couldn’t do it because your family went to Mexico, and Uncle Michael’s people wounded me, and I was in the hospital for three weeks.”       “And you say, did the idea of pretending belong to you?” Letitia frowns slightly.       “Yeah. I thought it would help me… So, I decided to start that show and ask Terrence and Raquelle for help when I came to myself after the wound.”       “Well, as for pretending, we understood everything,” Anthony says thoughtfully.       “Did you think Terrence and Raquelle would help you and find out what happened to Natalia?” Letitia wonders.       “I just knew they would care,” Edward shrugs.       “Why didn’t you talk to us?”       “I was a little ashamed to talk to you… I didn’t want to say your daughter… Well… She was undressed and photographed… And I didn’t talk to Natalia because I knew it wouldn’t be over with anything good. I was afraid I wouldn’t hold myself down and would do something to her. I didn’t want it, though.”       “You could ask us for help. We wouldn't have refused and would’ve thought up something.”       “Yeah, you could come to us and explain the situation,” Anthony adds. “We would’ve talked to Natalia and gotten all the secrets out of her.”       “We were also trying to find out what happened to her. I even went to Terrence and Raquelle’s home and talked to your brother. We thought Natalia’s friends knew more, but we were wrong.”       “Yes, I know you talked with Terrence,” Edward nods. “You had talked to him some time before I came to him. We agreed to go to Mother’s home. I missed her, and my brother wanted to find out what happened between your daughter and me.”       “Everything is clear about it, too,” Anthony says thoughtfully, drinks some water from his glass, and folds his hands on the table, locking his fingers tightly. “Alright, next line in the list… We don’t care about the conflict between Edward and Terrence. May they solve it. Everything is more or less clear about the kidnapping… But I would personally like to know more about your biggest secret, Edward. Not only about you being actually Edward MacClife. But also about getting arrested and being on trial soon.”       “It’s true,” Edward says in a lower voice, moving his eyes to his hands for a second. “But I told you I killed nobody. I just saw that man, the friend of my father, was cruelly killed before my eyes. I know I made a great mistake by grabbing the pistol left by the killer. My friend warned me that I’d have great problems, but I didn’t listen to him.”       “But you left prison on bail that your uncle made?” Letitia specifies.       “Yes. But because I’m featured in this case, I will have to be on trial as a defendant. Alongside the real killer. I told the police about it and blamed him for killing that man. And while I’m free, I need to find better proof of my innocence. I don’t know if my relatives are questioned, but I’m going to find a person, who could prove my innocence. That’s my friend. The one, who was with me on that day, but ran away by my plea.”       “To find a person six years later?” Anthony frowns slightly. “Are you sure you can do it? What if that person moved somewhere and forgot what happened?”       “I know there’s a small chance. But I have the number of that man… At the nearest time, I’m going to call him. And if I hit the bullseye, I’ll talk to that guy and ask him to come to the trial as a witness. I’m sure he still remembers me and wouldn’t refuse to help me. We were good friends. We worked together and went home together every day.”       “So, I hope you can do it.”       “I will do everything I can.”       “Alright, we made it clear… And alright, I will believe you didn’t kill that man. But you cannot deny that you tried to kill your own brother.”       “I don’t deny it, and I told you what happened.”       “And did you dare to do it?” Anthony resents. “You’ve always said you love Terrence!”       “It’s true. Terrence is my brother, whom I truly love and deeply respect. He’s my best friend, to whom I could tell anything.”       “Yeah, but you forgot it when you said so many bad things to Raquelle and him,” Letitia notices. “And that girl did nothing bad to you.”       “I know, Mrs. Rochester. And I’m really very sorry about what happened. But yesterday, I apologized to Raquelle and Terrence for my behavior, and they forgave me.”       “I can confirm it!” Natalia exclaims. “We went to their home together.”       “Good, if Edward reconciled with them, we’re very happy,” Anthony replies quietly. “But the situation of the murder attempt makes us upset. And it scares us. Because you almost killed Natalia! You almost shot our daughter.”       “I wanted it!” Natalia says confidently. “I did it to save Terrence. At first, I tried to stop Edward verbally, and then I pointed the pistol in his hands on myself and asked him to shoot. And it worked the way I wanted.”       Letitia and Anthony get horrified by what Natalia said and say nothing for a few seconds, looking at their daughter with widely open eyes, while she drinks some water from her glass.       “Oh, I’m shocked…” Letitia moans quietly, putting her hand on her forehead and leaning on the table with her elbows. “Really shocked.”       “Natalia, of course, we are proud of you and glad you found the courage to save your friend from death,” Anthony says quietly. “But you could’ve died! Edward could’ve shot you!”       “I was ready to sacrifice my life and knew what I was doing,” Natalia says confidently. “And I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I hadn’t tried to save Terrence from death.”       “Yeah, my girl… You’re confirming your madness more and more… That’s just insanity, Natalia! In-sa-ni-ty! How could you point a pistol at you and ask someone to shoot? Did you go crazy? The four days spent at the house of that man impacted your brain badly?”       “It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been scared of Uncle Michael’s blackmail,” Edward says with despair. “He threatened to tell everybody about my arrest and make everything look like I killed that man. He wanted to turn everybody against me and watch me suffer all alone.”       “But weren’t you afraid to lose your close people?” Letitia resents. “Weren’t you afraid to kill my own daughter? If you have your child, you will understand Anthony and I feel when hearing what happened to our daughter.”       “Trust me, I got overwhelmed when Natalia decided to do it. In my mind, I begged her to stop, but she didn’t do it.”       “It does not excuse the fact that you almost killed Natalia and Terrence.”       “Mom, Dad, please, don’t blame him,” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “Edward didn’t really wanna kill Terrence and me. He was just terribly afraid of Michael, who kept him under psychological pressure. He needed a strong push that would make him give a damn about that sick man.”       “It’s true,” Edward nods. “But I was paralyzed not only by my fear of Uncle. I still remember Father’s friend being killed with horror in my eyes. Although it’s been six years, I still remember that like it happened yesterday.”       Edward sets his gaze into the distance and swallows up nervously, understanding that he starts shaking slightly.       “That was horrible…” Edward says thoughtfully with widely open eyes. “It started from strangling against the wall… And ended with a shoot in the stomach and beating with the foot and hands on all parts of the body… Those shoots scared me to death… Being a little boy, I never thought a person would be killed before my eyes… Then and now – my feelings haven’t changed… I still can’t think about it quietly… I’m still afraid of a cold gun to death… I start to panic when I see it… And if I hold it in my hands, I get much worse…”       “Well, everyone is afraid of a cold gun,” Anthony notices thoughtfully.       “Now I’m afraid of a gun more than death… I… Stopped fearing when I was close to the one… It’s like losing consciousness. At first, you feel terrible, but then fall into darkness and remember nothing. But while you wake up after losing consciousness, you never do it after death.”       “You know, Edward, I personally believe you,” Letitia says quietly. “I’m glad you’re trying to be honest with us. But it doesn’t get you rid of the fault for what you did. You’re guilty, and it’s impossible to deny it. I understand you were terribly afraid of the gun, but you should’ve overcome yourself for your close people. You shouldn’t have brought everything to that.”       “I know, Mr. Rochester.”       “And stop being so cowardly and hesitant,” Anthony says confidently. “Your cowardice may lead to terrible consequences. Look, what it brought Natalia to! You almost left her because you believed she cheated, and she was afraid to explain what really happened. And it’s okay that the girl shows weakness, but you, Edward. You’re a man! You must be strong! It sounds like a stereotype, but you will not be understood if you show weakness. Sociality doesn’t accept weak boys. No matter how rude it sounds, it’s the truth.”       “Oh, I’ve never been brave,” Edward sighs heavily, leaning back in the chair. “As long as I remember myself, I’ve never been able to say I have braveness. I’ve always been terribly weak and afraid of literally everything in the world. And I will not hide – starting to cry is very easy for me. I… Have cried much… In my whole life… Especially when I had problems with Natalia, and my uncle was holding her near him. I couldn’t have the strength to hold myself down…”       “Edward…” Natalia pronounces with pity in her eyes, moving her surprised gaze to Edward.       “And how could I feel fearless when everybody thinks I’m a little boy? I’ve always been called the one. And Uncle loved calling me a shabby puppy… A talentless, worthless puppy that nobody needs and gets kicks from everyone like a ball. I’ve never in my life been praised… I couldn’t even dream about Father saying something kind to me. He insulted and humiliated me all my life. That man could easily give me a slap at times. That’s why I didn’t feel mature, brave, and confident. I didn’t feel like a man. I’ve always thought I’m stuck somewhere at a young age. I’ve experienced much in my life but haven’t grown up yet. I haven’t become the same as Terrence. We are two opposites. He’s an adult, strong, confident, and brave man, but I’m a weak, insecure, and cowardly boy. A girl, I could say.”       “Gosh, Edward, what are you talking about?” Letitia wonders.       “The truth, Mrs. Rochester. I was pretending to be strong and hiding it so hard. But I can no longer lie to everybody and myself. I can’t pretend that I fear nothing. Actually, I fear maybe not everything but much. I feel terribly insecure and always doubt what I do. I can’t easily make decisions and always reflect on them. And I sometimes doubt if it would be better to choose something different.”       “Well, don’t say too bad things about you,” Anthony says thoughtfully. “Everyone has their shortcomings. Your brother is not perfect, as well. He has a hard character and has always been short-tempered. If you give him a reason, he’d attack anyone with fists.”       “But he’s strong and confident. So confident that I’m sometimes jealous of him. But I can’t say the same about me. I can’t say I’ve been a wanted and beloved child. Uncle Michael always said Father and Mother never planned my birth. They thought of getting rid of me before my birth, but were against abortion and made a decision to save my life. And I feel it. Because I’ve been on my own all my life. Nobody cared about my problems. But everybody has told me to be perfect. Uncle always said I’m a weak, tender boy that must grow up and become a man. But… He’s right about it. Because I haven’t really grown up.”       “Please, Edward, don’t say it,” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “Forget everything that sick man told you. He just wanted to make you feel terrible and press on you as much as possible.”       “Indeed, Edward, don’t think of everything that Michael told you,” Letitia says softly. “I think he loves nobody.”       “But he hated me probably much more,” Edward replies without emotions. “And he’s also guilty of making me so weak… Weak, hesitant, cowardly… Making me think I’m talentless and necessary to nobody… Sometimes I thought I wouldn’t have better been born. Or nobody would’ve been worried if something had killed me.”       “But I wouldn’t say you’re timid, fearful, and weak,” Anthony notices. “Letitia and I saw nothing like that about you.”       “It’s all thanks to your daughter.” Edward falls into silence for two seconds. “When I met Natalia, I realized she treated me the way the others didn’t do. This girl truly admired me, cared about my feelings and me, and never let me know she considered me weak. Thanks to her help, I got rid of a sense of inferiority for a while and realized that… That not everything is lost in my case. And later, I became more resolute and confident because of her. Only with Natalia’s pretense, I got rid of this disgusting feeling and got stronger for her. Because I knew she didn’t need a weak boy.”       “You want to say Natalia started to change you?” Letitia frowns slightly.       “Yes. Your daughter made me overcome my fears. For her, I would do what I’m afraid of much more. For example, I’m terribly shy about performing in public. But when she asked me to sing, I couldn’t refuse. I made myself overcome my fear, go and sing.”       “My gosh…” Anthony pronounces thoughtfully. “But I thought you just wanted to seem shy.”       “I’ve always been the one. I’m so shy about everything that I prefer being quiet and invisible. You even asked me about it somehow… And… Here’s the answer. I could be less withdrawn and more confident only with Natalia’s pretense. Yes, at first, I was really shy of you and those I just met. But then I got used to you.”       This confession becomes a shock for Letitia, Anthony, and even Natalia, who noticed Edward’s great shyness and could just guess it. The Rochester family says nothing for a few seconds and tries to accept what they heard, while MacClife, Jr., looks at everybody hesitantly and drinks some water to wet his throat.       “My gosh…” Letitia breaks the silence. “I didn’t think…”       “Believe it or not, I know who I am and can explain the reasons why I don’t believe in myself and my strength,” Edward replies with sadness in his eyes. “I was hiding it for a long time and denying everything when Uncle Michael, who knew about my weaknesses, talked about it. But now I’m done. I no longer want and cannot pretend to be brave. I want to stop being the person I’ve never been. From now on, I wanna be me. No matter what weaknesses and character I have. If I was born like this, it’s my real side.”       “But, Edward, we saw you were not the one,” Natalia says hesitantly. “You aren’t a coward and can behave more than just worthily if you have to.”       “No, Natalia, I was just trying to seem resolute. Actually, I’m not the one.”       “No, Edward, don’t say it!” Letitia protests. “You’re not cowardly! A cowardly person wouldn’t even try to fight with such a dangerous man as Michael MacClife and protect my daughter from her offender and the stinkers, who surrounded you.”       “I don’t deny that Natalia made me brave and determined for some time. I just knew if I showed weakness and did nothing, she would suffer. And people would hate me for not even trying to do anything. You can’t imagine how much effort I had to put in to stop being a weak, cowardly boy. Being a milksop that is terribly afraid of his own uncle, who went insane because of money, jealousy, egoism, and a wish to revenge on his brother just because he was loved more.”       “You think you’re cowardly. Your uncle made you think so. And you started to believe in it seriously. But you’re actually brave. Much braver and more determined than you think.”       “No, Mrs. Rochester, I’ve never been brave and determined, but I’ve always hidden it under a mask. I took it off when I realized I’m sick of pretending and want to be me. Even if I’m afraid of everything in the world and can easily cry from fear and despair, and I can’t almost hold myself down.”       “I don’t personally think a man must be insulted and humiliated when he cries. All people cry. It’s quite fine. Many men may shed a tear, but they would tell nobody about it.”       “Sadly, only a fewer people have nothing against crying men. Others are obsessed with the stereotype that they don’t cry and always stay tough. So, my uncle is one of them. He was mocking me because I could cry like a girl. Many people were laughing at me… For example, when I spent two weeks in prison, my cellmates beat me cruelly every day. One of the reasons was the fact that I was crying. They saw it many times and showed no mercy. They didn’t think I felt terribly bad. That I was too young. That I was put in prison for nothing. That I just wanted to die after everything I had experienced there. I still can’t forget everything they did for me. And now, when I’m about to be sentenced to twenty or more years for the murder that I didn’t commit, I have a strong panic. I'm terribly afraid to come back to those beasts. I’d better die than let them beat me and lead to a wish to take a rope and hang myself in a restroom.”       “Please, Edward, don’t talk about it anymore,” Natalia begs with pity in her wet eyes. “I can’t hear this.”       “And how could I be strong and determined after all of that? I could’ve easily become cold, cruel, and ruthless. I felt no shame for my actions. Revenged on those, who made me suffer. I could’ve gotten mad at the whole world and hated everyone. But I didn’t become the one. I still have kindness and shame. I can’t do a terrible thing and have no regret. I can’t blame anyone for my problems because I’m guilty. And I know exactly that I would never be cruel. Never! I’m too soft, cowardly, and tender to become something like my uncle. For him, this type of person is bad. He appreciates only those, who are ready to step over people. But I will never be the one.”       “We completely understand it’s very hard for you,” Letitia says softly with sadness in her eyes. “But you can forget everything your uncle did. You’re surrounded by people, who would say no bad word about you if you gave them no reason. If you understand how strong and confident you can be, people will see it, too. Michael insulted you not only because he hated you. He just saw that you were terribly insecure, afraid of everything, and wanted to hide behind someone’s back. Sometimes you can feel a person’s weaknesses without any effort. But if they’re a good psychologist, you will not hide your real emotions.”       “At heart, I understood it. But recognizing my weakness was a humiliation for me. At least, I didn’t want to give Uncle Michael the pleasure. Yes, I probably looked stupid when waving my hands, screaming at the top of my lungs, shaking like a cowardly bunny, and feeling like a little, unprotected boy in front of that horrible man and his gang. But I couldn’t admit it. I must’ve been strong and done everything I should’ve done. This duty became more important to me when trouble happened to your daughter. Sadly, I couldn’t save her, but… I tried… And I’m not so ashamed.”       “You aren’t guilty that those men took my daughter away. You should’ve known you wouldn’t deal with fewer people alone. You would’ve done something if someone had helped you. But since you were alone, you shouldn’t blame yourself. You did everything you could.”       “I agree with Letitia,” Anthony says confidently. “Despite nothing, I’m glad you didn’t leave Natalia and didn’t become a coward when those men surrounded you. It deserves praise and gives us a reason not to think you did nothing for her salvation.”       “I would never forgive myself for that,” Edward replies quietly with sadness in his eyes.       “I don’t deny that you did many things I don’t approve of and behaved disgustingly for some time. Nobody will close their eyes to your actions, no matter what your excuses are. But you truly regret what you did. I’m not a psychologist and can’t read the emotions of a person when looking at their face. I can’t see what a professional would see. But anyone would see you’re regretting it and trying to do just something to get better for everybody. If Natalia forgave you, and Terrence and Raquelle gave you another chance, I think it says about much.”       “I’m really very sorry.”       “So, I think it would be wrong not to give you a chance to do your best for Letitia and me to believe in your regret. Remember, Edward, if someone hurts our only daughter somehow, they hurt us, too. For our child, we’re ready to tear anyone, even if she is not perfect and makes mistakes. My wife and I love Natalia for nothing, just because we have her in our life. She doesn’t have to do tons of good things, so we love her with all our hearts. And I know people that love their children for their actions. If they do something good and necessary for their parents, those people adore them. But if they do nothing, they get no love.”       “I completely get it,” Edward replies with sadness in his eyes. “And I’m very sorry I made you have a bad opinion of me. I swear I didn’t want to disappoint you, Natalia, or anyone else. And I didn’t want to do such a nasty thing to your daughter and humiliate her. I know how you feel, but please, trust me. It will not happen anymore. This time, everything is going to be different.”       “Listen, Edward…”       “Mr. Rochester, Mrs. Rochester… I’m truly asking you for forgiveness for leaving Natalia and doing such a cruel thing to her. If I had known the truth, I would have done my best to help your daughter come to herself. I’m ashamed of not wanting to find out everything and of deciding to get the other people involved in it. But as my brother said, it eventually happened that we solved everything. Even if my brother’s fiancée had to push me to that thing.”       “And will you really not give my daughter pain? Will you not make her suffer and cry? Give her no reason to doubt you need her?”       “Never!” Edward replies confidently. “I’m ready for anything to make Natalia happy and give her everything she wants. Even if I have no opportunity to give her something, I will do anything. For me, her happiness, safety, and calm are very important.”       Letitia and Anthony at each other and whisper about something for two seconds, also drinking some water from their glasses. And then they move their eyes to Edward and Natalia, who look at each other with sadness in their eyes.       “Listen, my dears, Anthony and I are very glad you established your relationship,” Letitia says. “If you decided to start everything again, we will not mind it. As people say, making barriers when there is love is worthless.”       “Yes, we don’t really want to meddle in it,” Anthony agrees. “But before we approve your relationship, Letitia and I would like to talk to you by one. Every one of us wants to talk to you openly and give you a few pieces of advice about how to avoid these mistakes in the future.”       “Erm, yeah, sure…” Natalia shrugs hesitantly.       “I think it would be better if you, Natalia, talked to your mother, and I talked to Edward,” Anthony says quietly.       Edward getting sharply white tenses his muscles and opens his eyes widely, thinking Anthony is going to torture him in all possible ways. However, the man says nothing and just shrugs, literally forgetting how to breathe.       “Yeah, sure, as you want…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice.       “Natalia, let’s go to your room,” Letitia suggests. “And your father can talk to Edward here. They will come to us later, when they finish the talk.”       “Alright, let’s go,” Natalia says quietly.       Before going, Natalia caresses Edward’s hand lying under the table on his knee. The man smiles slightly at the girl, scarily looking at her as if he sees her for the last time. Then she gets up from the table and goes to her room along with Letitia. MacClife, Jr., watches his girlfriend with widely open eyes, feeling like a little, unprotected boy in front of Anthony.       “Edward, calm down already,” Anthony says softly with a slight smile. “I’m going to do nothing bad to you. Calm down, please, and don’t be so nervous.”       “No, I…” Edward pronounces hesitantly and drinks some water from his glass, glancing aside. “Q-q-quiet…”       “Nobody is going to kill and torture you. Don’t be afraid of me as if I’m a beast.”       “No, Mr. Rochester, c’mon…” Edward smiles falsely and nervously. “I don’t think so…”       “I just want to talk to you, give you some pieces of advice, and make sure I can trust you.”       “Alright…” Edward shrugs and folds his hands on the table in front of himself, looking at Anthony hesitantly. “I’m listening to you, Mr. Rochester.”       “I will not speak much and will try to say everything shortly.” Anthony takes a couple of sips from his glass. “Edward, you know that Letitia and I have never had anything against you. Although we accepted everybody Natalia had dated, we liked you much more. My wife and I saw that our daughter was happy when talking about you. So, we were happy she started to date you. With you, Natalia has always been very happy and could talk about you with her friends, Letitia and me for hours.”       “I don’t dare to doubt,” Edward smiles slightly. “I was also very happy with her. Probably, for the first time in my life.”       “I think you know she wasn’t lucky in relationships for a long time. She always met guys, who only found her a sexual object. They saw her as the one, with whom they could lie in bed. Of course, it’s not amazing that many guys had a crush on her because Natalia is a very beautiful and memorable girl. But they had a crush just because of her beauty.”       “Natalia complained much about it. She felt hurt because nobody appreciated her inside world, and everybody only saw her beauty and youth.”       “That’s why all of her relationships were doomed to failure. But she never cried her eyes out after breaking up with a guy. She could be sad for a while and then be ready for a new relationship again. But not because my daughter is amorous enough. Because she didn’t have a decent guy by her side. There was nobody to love her, not her beautiful body. But you became the first person to love Natalia’s soul, have interest in her feelings, show care, and not to stay indifferent to her life.”       “I’ve always been interested in what she feels, what she’s worried about, what she wants… Originally, it was an amicable feeling, but then it became something more. And I started to understand that I had an interest in Natalia not only as a friend but also as a girl.”       “Natalia’s mother and I have always wished our daughter happiness and wanted her to find a good person that would love, protect and take care of her. We wanted her to have someone to make our princess feel like a queen. We weren’t going to give her to the one not to deserve to be with our daughter. And if she said she’d marry one of her exes, Letitia and I wouldn’t approve of it.”       “I completely get you.”       “Though, I’m surprised she hasn’t gone home with happy whoops, ‘I’m gonna get married! He proposed to me!’”       “I think it’s for the best.”       “At the beginning of a relationship, people love so much that they agree to do anything for a beloved person. But nobody thinks of the difficulties they would have to run into in a together life. In a real relationship, having romantic and beautiful dates is not enough. You also need mutual respect, care, and a wish to support each other. Those, whose relationship exists thanks to affection, break up quickly because they are not ready to respect a partner, hear them, and understand their wishes.       “But I love your daughter with all my heart. Love her not only for her beauty and youth, but also for what she is. For making me much better, braver, and more confident. With her, I literally forget about all the bad things. And because Natalia reminds me of a little child, I want to protect her, take care of her, and give her all my love. She’s so tender, vulnerable, and sensitive. I can’t hold down a wish to press her to myself when I see her in front of me. And… My heart squeezes from the thought that something terrible happens to her.”       “I agree with you,” Anthony smiles slightly. “Natalia is really like a little, unprotected girl. She can be strong, confident, and brave when she has to be. But my daughter has actually always been a very sensitive and vulnerable person. Natalia really needs someone to love and take care of her. She consciously seeks the same love and care that her mother and I gave her. That girl is terribly afraid to lose it all. So, understanding that she’d get married and leave us early or late, Natalia aims to find a man that wouldn’t make her feel deprived of what she’s used to.”       “And I completely understand it. I see she gets attracted to me with the hope of getting love and with a wish to feel relaxed, protected, and beloved. It’s seen in her eyes. She silently lets us know that she needs the one to give her what her parents gave. And I want to do my best for her to have it.”       “I saw Natalia trying to get close to you when telling us about her trouble. I saw you supporting her. You wanted to hug her, but contained yourself.”       “I just thought you and Mr. Rochester would dislike it.”       “I got it. But if you had hugged her, we would’ve said nothing. Vice versa, that’s great you aim to show your care for my girl.”       “I look for everything that she wants to get from me about her. I’ve always lacked attention, love, and care because nobody gave them to me. I wanted someone to be by my side and make me feel necessary. And… I’ve found the girl… To whom I get attracted with pleasure. Who gives me what I’ve been deprived of all my life. And who would always be loyal to me.”       “It’s nice to hear it. But you know, Edward… I want to know if I could trust you with my daughter without worrying or being afraid something would happen to her because of you. Although I see you’re regretting it, I have no guarantee that you will not start that scandal again. I can’t be one hundred percent sure.”       “Even if something like that happens, I will not leave Natalia not for anything,” Edward replies confidently. “I promise I shall find out the truth before making conclusions and making charges. Though, I’m sure it will not happen again. Your daughter got a good lesson and would no longer be silent about similar things, even if everyone terrified her.”       “She would not probably do. But what about you? Did you learn some lessons from what happened?”       “Sure, Mr. Rochester! I understood everything very well and will try not to let that situation happen. I'm going to learn to trust Natalia and not to let jealousy get obsessed with me and make me a monster.”       “Listen, I completely understand that jealousy is a disgusting feeling that doesn’t let a person live and ruins many relationships. And it doesn’t always mean a person loves someone. Sometimes it happens that one is jealous of another and everybody and gets enraged if someone’s attention is paid not to them.”       “Yeah, I’m a little jealous, I don’t deny it. But it doesn’t mean I’m jealous of a girl or everyone. Just… I just can’t control myself if this disgusting feeling gets obsessed with me.”       “In your case, jealousy was caused by the reason, and I don’t think it’s bad. It’s fine when a man lets everyone know a woman belongs to him, and nobody has a right to steal her from him.”       “Something like that.”       “I see no reason to feel jealous. Natalia is a very loyal girl, who always loves truly and honestly says she feels no feelings for someone if it’s true. You have a girl that loves you with all her heart and wouldn’t think of having another man.”       “I’m trying to, Mr. Rochester.”       “And I’m sure Natalia would also be jealous if someone took photos of you hugging another girl. If you were instead of her and became a victim of a girl, who would separate you from her, her reaction would be the same. Or maybe, even worse, knowing girls are more emotional.”       “As for me, she may be absolutely quiet. If I date someone, I never look at other girls. And I don’t need another girl because I’m sure nobody could be better than Natalia.”       “I think you better look at your brother. He’s engaged to the famous model that the whole world has a crush on. You know how much nerve he has to spend because of this thought. It’s much harder for him. Terrence chose a girl that all men want to be with. I’m sure the male part is now jealous of your brother.”       “Maybe, that’s true. But he learned to take it quietly, even if they had been jealous of each other and others.”       “Because they realized they needed nobody else. Even if the whole world admires them, it doesn’t mean one of them has an interest in someone else but each other. Terrence is hardly jealous of Raquelle, you, and his friends because he knows she’s just their friend. And Raquelle is not jealous of Terrence, Natalia, or Anna because she knows about his friendship with those girls. Despite crazy popularity among the opposite sex, they kept their relationship, made it much better, and learned to love passionately, respect deeply, take care of each other, and support each other.”       “I think it would be stupid to be jealous of a man or a girl and your friends or especially relatives. I don’t get furious when Natalia talks to Terrence or one of our friends.”       “Wonderful then. But you should quietly accept the fact that she speaks to other men. There is nothing bad in just speaking. But if a man lets himself untie his hands, it’s a different thing.”       “Yeah, you’re absolutely right.”       “And remember, even if you love someone so much, no couple lives without scandals. They might be very stupid, and people forget them easily. But after fighting because of something once, you must not shout about a breakup everywhere. I understand you may say anything in anger, but you must not leave a person after every single fight. It’s one of the stages in a relationship you should overcome: fighting because of something to know what your partner is not pleased with and learning to find a compromise to avoid it in the future.”       “Do you mean the fact that I told Natalia about our breakup?”       “Yes. You must not do it.” Anthony takes a couple of sips from his glass. “So, tell me, please, did you feel like you really broke up with Natalia? Did you take it quietly? You felt you were ready for a new relationship?”       “No, I didn’t,” Edward shakes his head. “I couldn’t take that thought and refused to call her my ex-girlfriend. At heart, I protested when someone called her so because I kept loving her and thinking she was mine.”       “Well, if it’s so, a dot wasn’t put in your relationship.”       “And that’s why I asked her to pretend that we had no breakup. We just fought seriously, and I told her about a breakup in anger.”       “I think that situation would be a good lesson for you. You’d understand you must not shout about a breakup after any fight. You’d better go aside and try to talk later when your mind is clear.”       “I will try to do my best for it not to happen again.”       “Do you think everything was fine between Letitia and me? No, Edward, you’re wrong! In the first years of our life together, we had conflicts. We were getting used to each other and all of our habits. But later, we learned to live in peace and solve problems in a good way. My parents and Letitia’s mother helped us well. We had people that could advise us on something. That’s why we’ve been together for twenty-seven years and raised a wonderful daughter.”       “I think the important thing to me is to get control of my emotions and not to be afraid to come to Natalia because of fear of making everything worse.”       “I hope you won't make the same mistakes. You’re quite a smart guy, unlike some guys that my daughter dated. Many of them were openly stupid. But you’re different. Even if you have no education, it doesn't make your intellect worse.”       “Glad to hear it,” Edward smiles slightly.       “And I must notice changes that happened to you. At first, you were super shy, but now you opened yourself up a little and showed your real side. Let us know what you really are. And I think you should have great courage to recognize your weakness. For a guy, it’s a strong hit, but you did it.”       “As I’ve said, I no longer want to lie and pretend to be another man.”       “Of course, shyness is very good. But now you may get rid of it because you got used to a collective, established contact with everybody, and found out who was who. Almost everybody behaves in this way for some time, and it’s fine. But after getting to know some people better, you can get a little braver.”       “I think it would happen,” Edward replies thoughtfully. “Now everybody knows who I am, what happened to me, and something like that. The only reason why I may be afraid of people is that I’m gonna be judged. Even if I killed nobody, it’s kind of a mark. A bad mark.”       “It would be okay if you were really guilty. But if there is no fault in the murder, you’ve got no reason to be ashamed. May the one, who killed that man, be ashamed. I don’t deny that Letitia and I were shocked when we heard it in the reportage. But now you explained everything, and we will not show rudeness to you and turn Natalia against you.”       “I only have to prove my innocence on the trial.”       “I’m sure justice will glory. And now do everything to prove it.”       “I am doing.”       “And whatever happens, you should always stay yourself. Don’t pretend to be someone else, don’t wear any masks… If you’re a good, educated, kind, and decent person, who is ready to do a lot for their beloved person, stay the one. Don’t listen to anyone to try to humiliate you. Those, who truly love you, don’t care if you’re rich or poor, and what kind of status you have in sociality. Don’t be ashamed of having no job or home. If you want and do something, you will have everything. The important thing is being the Edward that everybody knows and loves.”       “I know, Mr. Rochester,” Edward replies confidently. “I promise I will stay the one I am now. Now I’m as real as never ever.”       “I see it now. And yeah… Never, hear me, never get someone involved in the problems that have to do with you and someone else. The problems of you and your girlfriend have to do with you two. And you must solve them by yourself. Nobody will do it instead of you, and you made sure about it. Other people could only support you, just like your brother and his fiancée did. That’s why Natalia’s mother and I forever owe Terrence and Raquelle and will personally thank them when we have a rest after the flight.”       “Not just you. I also owe them and will never forget what they did for Natalia and me.”       “Anyway, you got a wonderful lesson and got life experience you will need.”       “Sure,” Edward smiles slightly. “Thank you so much.”       “And thank you for making my daughter happy,” Anthony smiles wider. “I’m happy you and Natalia reconciled. You look good together, and you made Letitia and me smile.”       “Everybody says it.”       “I hope you’ll no longer have such serious conflicts, my daughter would no longer wish to hide something, and you would not leave her and make her suffer.”       “Never in my life,” Edward replies confidently. “Natalia’s happiness is very important to me.”       “Good. I’m glad we agreed on everything.”       “Thanks for the chance given to me.”       “And yeah, don’t be mad at Letitia and me for being rude to you. Understand our feelings that we felt as parents, who were worried about a child.”       “It’s alright, Mr. Rochester, don’t think about it. I get it.”       “Good then. Anyway, we talked about everything. And I hope you understood me well.”       “Very well.”       Edward smiles slightly and drinks the rest of the water from his glass, feeling a great relief because his talk with Anthony was quite well, and he agreed that Natalia continued to date him.       

***

      Meanwhile, Natalia is in her room and sitting on the big, soft bed with Letitia. As well as Anthony, the woman is not going to turn her daughter against Edward and has nothing against the fact that she decided to continue to date him.       “Ah, Natalia, you can’t imagine how happy your father and I are that you told us what happened,” Letitia says softly. “Though, I understand how hard it was for you.”       “That was very hard,” Natalia sighs heavily and inclines her head. “But I promised to stop lying and finally tell you the truth.”       “I know, honey. Now we can stop guessing.”       “And I’m glad I told you everything.”       “Of course, you did a bad thing by hiding these things from everybody. Not wishing to say anything to your parents and boyfriend. It’s okay that Edward didn’t know because you were friends at that period. But your father and I should’ve known it. We aren’t strangers to you and are worried when something happens to you.”       “I know, Mom,” Natalia replies with sadness in her eyes. “That was my greatest mistake. I did a terrible thing to you, Father, and Edward. I’m very sorry that I almost fought with you and Dad and lost my boyfriend because of silence.”       “I believe, sweetie, but the important thing is you’re alive and healthy.” Letitia softly caresses Natalia’s cheek with a slight smile. “Thank God, it stayed in the past, and that stinker has been arrested and will be on trial as well as his gang.”       “I hope he’ll really be sentenced.”       “Of course, he will be. You may get a great sentence for a rape attempt. And alongside it, that man did many bad things. So, sunshine, he will surely go to prison.”       “With God’s help, Mom…”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, which Letitia breaks, biting her lip slightly and caressing Natalia’s hand:       “Okay, let’s not talk about it. Now, I’d like to talk to you about your relationship with Edward. Talk about what makes me worried.”       “Please, Mom, don’t worry,” Natalia replies softly. “You have no reason.”       “Don’t worry, I’m not going to make you leave that guy. I just wanna make sure your choice doesn't give you sufferings and make you regret it.”       “I’m sure Edward would never do anything like that again. He truly regrets what he did and would be happy to come back to the past and fix all his mistakes. And that man has already proved it by his actions.”       “Yes, I believe you. I saw regret and pain in his eyes. Edward didn’t try to find excuses and honestly answered all of our questions. If a person talks about something so openly, he’s got nothing to hide or be afraid of. Now there is no reason to blame him for lying and being false.”       “No, Mom, he was speaking with all his heart.”       “And he was supporting you with all his heart. Your father and I saw him wishing to comfort you when you were telling us everything. What kind of pity he looked at you with at that moment.”       “And I’m madly grateful to him for being next to me. Without him, I wouldn’t have done it. Edward showed a wish to go with me to the airport, meet you and Dad and explain everything to you. He wanted to solve this question as soon as possible.”       “That’s good,” Letitia smiles slightly. “That’s good he’s ready to take responsibility for his actions.”       “Just wanted to do his best to get back the love and trust of those he hurt. And I think he’s doing this well, ‘cause he’s been forgiven by me, Terrence, Raquelle, and the woman, with whom he lived. Well… And you and Dad, as I understand…”       “Glad to hear it.”       “Maybe, he made many mistakes and wasn’t always honest and true with us. But Edward is a wonderful man. Who knows how to make me feel happy. It goeswithout saying, my friends did very much for me, and I’ll owe them forever. However, only Edward gave me what I lacked.”       “Nevertheless, you should appreciate such loyal friends, who are ready to do anything for you. Raquelle, who saved all of you and brought the police to Michael’s house, and Terrence, who is tightly attracted to you… Both are wonderful people. It’s so rare to find such loyal friends that would be ready to give you anything to make you happy.”       “I do appreciate their friendship infinitely,” Natalia smiles shyly. “And I am afraid to lose those I’m closely attracted to.”       “You will not lose, honey. I know you’re my loyal girl, who would do anything for her close people.”       “I’d sacrifice anything for them.”       “Yeah, I know, but let’s not forget that you and I wanted to talk about your relationship with Edward,” Letitia says softly.       “Yes, sure, I’m listening to you.”       “I think your father will talk to Edward about jealousy. But I want to tell you that he will always be by your side. Make yourself think he will not leave you, but don’t try to hold him by force. You two should give each other freedom and take a rest from each other. I understand that when you love someone, you wanna be with them for hours. But sometimes people get sick of each other and should do their business and spend time with someone else.”       “Actually, I’ve never limited Edward,” Natalia replies quietly. “He’s an adult man and has the right to do what he wants. Yes, I madly want that man to be by my side all the time, but I don't make him do it if he wants to stay alone or has a business.”       “It’s just my advice for the future. But the most important thing is to hide nothing from him! Nothing, Natalia! A lie ruins any relationship, slowly poisoning it more and more until nothing is left. If you fall out of love with him and wish to break up, you should say it and don’t pull a cat’s tail. If you have problems, you shouldn’t be silent and pretend that everything is okay. If you feel bad, share what you feel inside. Your boyfriend is not just a friend! It’s something more.”       “I know, Mom,” Natalia cracks a smile.       “Learn it now before you’re married. When you have a husband, you should learn much more if you want to marry once and until the end of your life. If your relationship with Edward ends with a wedding, you shouldn’t especially lie to him.”       “Ah…” Natalia smiles shyly. “It would be great if we really got married. But I think Edward is not ready for marriage. And I don’t wanna rush, despite my great wish to get married.”       “Early or late, it will happen. And now you have a chance to get a proposal one beautiful day.”       “I’d be the happiest girl in the world.”       “Just like your father and me. I am sure Edward’s mother would be terribly happy if he got married. He will have to think about it if he doesn’t plan it now. He can’t be a single guy forever and should think of creating his family: wife, children, grandchildren…”       “Ah, Mom, let’s not rush. Marriage is a great responsibility. Something you can’t doubt.”       “That’s right.”       “I am glad I haven’t gotten married yet. Because… I’m not sure if I would choose the right man… I wouldn’t like to get divorced, though.”       “There’s nothing bad with a divorce. Your grandmother got divorced from your grandfather, Dexter, because they couldn’t live together. And then she got married to Enrique, who was a more wonderful man.”       “But I’d like to have only one husband. I have nothing against divorces and think it’s the best way in case nothing connects people. But I don’t want it for myself.”       “Between us, would you love to marry Edward?” Letitia smiles mysteriously. “Could you imagine him as your husband?”       “Well…” Natalia smiles widely, getting a little blushed from shyness. “Yeah… I would be very happy if Edward wanted to marry me someday… I think he’d be an amazing husband.”       “I wouldn’t mind it personally. But I support you in your wish not to get married immediately. Quick marriages usually get ruined soon. So, better live for yourself and your pleasure and establish your relationship. Even though you reconciled, you’ll have to work your relationship out for some time and try to forget the conflict. Not to recall the situation of the alleged betrayal in anger during the fight.”       “Sure, I completely agree with you.”       “Moreover, you’re gonna have a trial that’s gonna make you very nervous. Finish it first, and then you’ll see. Moreover, there is a threat for Edward to go to prison.”       “Oh, gosh…” Natalia sighs quietly and runs her hand over her hair. “I wish everything ended soon… I do wanna forget this nightmare that almost destroyed me and ruined everything that was so important to me.”       “I already said it would last too long. But I promise, your father and I will come to all the hearings and support you. Whenever it starts, we will put our business aside.”       “I would feel much easier if you and Father were there. The more people come, the easier it will be for me and the others.”       “Don’t doubt it, you can count on us.” Letitia falls into silence for two seconds. “And you should also promise that you won't hide such terrible problems from Anthony and me anymore. And you would no longer do what you did while your father and I were in Mexico. We don’t wanna go home and find out that something happened to you.”       “I swear, Mother, I’ll never do anything like that,” Natalia says confidently and takes Letitia’s hands, looking at her with half-wet eyes. “I’m gonna be as open as I’ve always been.”       “And stay yourself.” Letitia caresses Natalia’s head with a shy smile. “The wonderful girl you’ve always been. Stay kind, loyal, caring, and understanding. Do everything for your father and me to keep being proud of you.”       “I am the real. Me is me, your beloved daughter, Natalia. The little girl of you and Dad.”       “The little girl with great power of will. Who is ready to sacrifice anything for her close people. Even sacrifice herself to save another person.”       “I’m ready to die for those, who I love, and who mean a lot to me,” Natalia says confidently with a shy smile. “After what happened, I finally realized it. And I checked it.”       “I hope you wouldn't have to die for another person,” Letitia expresses hope. “If Anthony and I lose you, we will not survive this loss. And your boyfriend and friends will grieve, as well.”       “But if I have to, I’ll easily do it.”       Letitia looks at Natalia with sadness in her eyes and takes her in a tender hug two seconds later, making a quiet sob through a slight smile.       “Ah, Natalia, my girl…” Letitia pronounces quietly, caressing Natalia’s head. “I think you understood many things and would no longer make the same mistakes. People are right when they say that what happens, happens for the best. Even if there’s nothing good about what happened.”       “No,” Natalia pronounces thoughtfully and sniffs. “There’s something good about it.”       Letitia steps back from Natalia and looks at her surprisingly with rounded eyes.       “Two things,” Natalia shows two fingers. “First, I got an experience and some life lessons. And second, it’s the fact that what happened made the relationship between Edward and me better. Maybe, that’s good we broke up for some time. Because… This separation helped me realize how much I missed that man. I felt so bad without him. I was crying bitterly at the thought that I had lost him forever.”       “I got it,” Letitia says with a slight smile.       “It all helped me realize I madly love Edward and can’t do without him. I didn’t feel so bad about the breakup with any other guy that I had dated. I knew that only our reunion would help me start to enjoy my life again.”       “You know, sometimes it’s good to be separated from your beloved one. An endless together pastime may get you sick somehow. But if lovers are apart for some time, they’ll be much happier to meet.”       “You’re right.”       “I’ll give you one more piece of advice. Remember, my dear, the problems that only have to do with you and Edward should only have to do with you two. You should learn to solve them by yourself, not count on a mother, a father, a brother, a sister, a grandmother, a grandfather, or other people. You and your boyfriend date each other, nobody else. So, if you have conflicts, you should solve them together.”       “But Edward and I eventually solved our problems by ourselves. Even if our friends played the role of peacemakers, who were ready to give their shoulder and help with some pieces of advice.”       “There’s nothing bad with asking people for a piece of advice. But asking someone to find out everything is forbidden if you want a strong relationship. Of course, you can share what you’re worried about with anyone. But if there’s something you and your boyfriend, with whom you have problems, should know, better be silent. Sometimes saying a few words is enough for others to feel sorry and support you.”       “That’s right. Thanks for the pieces of advice. I’ll surely remember them.”       “The most important thing is that you are happy, and everything is fine with you,” Letitia replies softly with a smile. “It’s very important to your father and me.”       Natalia smiles shyly and takes Letitia in a tender hug two seconds later, kissing her mother on the cheek at some moment. But a few seconds later, they have to step away because Anthony hugging Edward around the shoulders enters the room.       “So what, girls, did you discuss everything?” Anthony asks amicably.       “Yes, we talked about everything,” Letitia replies with a slight smile and caresses Natalia’s cheek. “I told Natalia everything I wanted.”       “Great!” Anthony smiles much wider and glances at Edward, who is standing next to him. “Edward and I talked about much, too. The guy is smart – he understood me immediately.”       “Thank God, then!” Letitia kisses Natalia cutely on her temple and gets up slowly from the bed. “In this case, the mission of you and me has been completed. I believe we should say the last word and confirm our decision.”       “Agree!”       Because Anthony stops his eyes on Natalia, she thinks it’s a plea to get up from the bed. The girl does it and, bending her arms at her elbows and locking her fingers tightly, comes closer to her father and mother. The man keeps a short silence and glances at his daughter and Edward before starting to speak quietly:       “Edward, Natalia… You know that Letitia and I have never minded your relationship. And we’ve said many times that we want only happiness and kindness for our only daughter. We’re worried about her with all her heart and can’t stay calm when something happens to her.”       “At first, we didn’t think something would happen between you,” Letitia confesses. “We thought you just had a passing infatuation. I don’t know… Maybe, we just got used to the fact that our daughter dated nobody for too long and automatically started to think all of her affairs would be short. Nevertheless, you proved that we were wrong and let us know everything was serious between you.”       “Seeing how much you’re attracted to each other, we’re assuring you that we won't meddle in your relationship and try to break it. If you love, date! For God’s sake! Every one of us is ready to give you another chance. I mean, give it to you, Edward. We’re giving you a chance to show the best side of you and do your best for us not to disappoint you and think nothing bad about you.”       “Yes, guys, we have nothing against your relationship,” Letitia confirms softly. “Live for pleasure, while you’re young. But remember that you will need some time to forget what happened. Solving this type of conflict is impossible: even if you reconcile and get on well, it doesn’t mean everything is solved. But I think you’d do it.”       “And yeah, never leave each other in trouble. Even if one of you is guilty, or both of you are terribly mad. Be able to solve your problems together, without asking others for help if it’s possible. Solve your conflicts when you have a cold head. Never hide something from each other, and do share what you’re worried about and your opinion. It doesn’t matter if you accept it or not. Building a relationship with a lie is impossible. Early or late, it would break, and all your problems would be out.”       “Real love is not only an endless romantic and infinite honeymoon period. You should respect each other, hear, understand, support your beloved person in any situation, and give them confidence about their strength. You should know you feel good with them by your side. If you feel you are uncomfortable, you better break up. Because you’d hardly make them what you like. Unless that person wants it.”       “We understand it might be hard, but if you love a person truly, you should get used to all their shortcomings. Would you really care if a person is a little clumsy, not disciplined, and always forgets everything? It’s a stupid thing! It’s okay that someone suffers from alcohol or drug dependence or raises a hand without regret. You must leave immediately because you would change nothing.”       “And remember, if you really love each other, none of you will look at someone of the opposite sex. And there’s nothing bad in the communication between a man and a girl or a woman and a man. No matter how hard you try to avoid it, you will not only have to speak to people of your sex. And it’s not a reason to go crazy with jealousy and claim about a breakup. Yes, I don’t deny that it’s very hard to control jealousy and get rid of it, but it’s possible if you want it. If your beloved person loves you, they will be loyal to you. You should learn to trust your partner and be sure they won't go too far.”       “Well, that’s all of our pieces of advice,” Anthony shrugs. “And we hope we helped you at least a little and told you how not to make the same mistakes in the future.”       Before saying something, Natalia and Edward look at each other with slight smiles on their faces and move their eyes to Letitia and Anthony.       “Thank you,” Natalia pronounces softly.       “Thank you so much for giving me a chance to explain it all,” Edward thanks amicably. “And prove that I didn’t want anything like that and didn’t think of harming your daughter.”       “Thank you so much for listening and supporting me in such a hard situation, even if I made tons of mistakes. I got much better after you heard all the truth. I calmed down a little, and I hope it will be earlier for me to survive that trial. With such wonderful support, I’ll surely forget everything like a nightmare when I finally tell the judge everything.”       “We understand it, but try to think about it as little as possible,” Anthony advises softly.       “I’ll try. I promise.”       “Your friends and Edward will help you survive this hard time and distract you from bad thoughts, at least now, while we don’t know when the trial of Michael, that sick bastard, and their gang starts.”       “Don’t doubt, I will care about it,” Edward replies confidently. “Although I also need to distract myself, I will do my best not to let Natalia think about that horrible story.”       “We count on you,” Letitia says with a slight smile.       “But remember, Edward, if you hurt my daughter again, you will have great problems with me,” Anthony says confidently. “And you will not get forgiveness from Letitia and me. I hope, did you understand me?”       “Yes, Mr. Rochester,” Edward nods confidently. “I got it.”       “Look, I am watching you!” Anthony points at his eyes at Edward with two fingers. “One bad thing before you are not able to come to Natalia.”       “As you wish.”       “Good,” Letitia smiles slightly, locking her fingers tightly. “Since we’ve solved the problem, Anthony and I can leave you alone.”       “Yeah, we need to have a rest after the flight,” Anthony says. “We slept for three hours only. And we can’t sleep on airplanes. As long as we fly, we’ve never been able to make ourselves sleep, at least for an hour.”       “Sure,” Natalia pronounces with a slight smile. “Have a rest and worry about nothing.”       Anthony comes to Natalia with a shy smile on his face and hugs her touchingly.       “Be happy, honey,” Anthony says softly, caressing Natalia’s head. “Remember, your mother and I love you very much, no matter what you do.”       “I know,” Natalia replies with a smile. “I love you so much, too.”       “And we’re sorry for screaming at you.”       “It’s okay, I was ready for that.”       Anthony hugs Natalia tighter and kisses her on the top of her head, running his fingers through her soft, golden hair. Edward and Letitia watch them with slight smiles, but at some moment, the woman comes to the man and says:       “I don't doubt you’re a good man, Edward. And I want to believe my daughter made the right choice by agreeing to come back to you.”       “Glad to hear it,” Edward replies amicably.       “Please, don’t disappoint us again.”       “I will not get sick of saying it will never happen again.”       “And feel free to ask Anthony and me for help. If you have problems with Natalia, tell us. We will do something.”       “Alright, Mrs. Rochester, I will remember.”       Letitia takes Edward in an amicable with a wider smile, and he accepts it with pleasure, relaxing from realizing that this hard talk ended well.       “Good luck, dear,” Letitia wishes truly.       “Thanks a lot!” Edward thanks with a slight smile.       Two seconds later, Letitia kisses Edward on the cheek amicably and steps back from him. Anthony steps back from Natalia, caresses her cheek tenderly, comes to her boyfriend, and shakes him by the hand tightly, while the woman caresses her daughter’s head and fixes her hair slightly.       “So, now Letitia and I can leave you alone with calm in the heart,” Anthony says with a smile. “Go to our room and sleep, at least for a few hours.”       “Will you eat nothing?” Natalia wonders.       “No, we ate well on the airplane. So, now we will change clothes, wash our faces, and go to sleep.”       “Okay then”       “So, we’re asking you not to be loud,” Letitia adds with a smile. “Yes, although there is good soundproofing here, and we’d hardly hear what you do, remember that Anthony and I want to sleep.”       “We’ll try,” Natalia laughs shyly.       “And yeah, Natalia, if you want to leave somewhere, lock the apartment with the key, please,” Anthony says. “Don’t leave the door open, while we’re sleeping.”       “Okay, I’ll do. Don’t worry.”       After sharing a slight smile, Anthony and Letitia turn around and leave the room, forgetting to close the door. That’s why Natalia comes to it and closes it after her parents go somewhere down the hall, starting to talk about something. Then the girl leans on the door with her and smiles truly at Edward, who exhales sharply with his hand put on the forehead.       “Oh, damn, is everything over?” Edward asks quietly. “Did your parents really forgive me?”       “Another mission of yours has been completed, pretty boy,” Natalia replies shyly. “Now you can fear no anger from them and come here quietly.”       “That’s right.” Edward comes to Natalia slowly and leans on the closed door with a hand. “And I can confidently say I survived this talk. That was good enough. In my opinion.”       “I told you everything would be fine. You just need to stay honest.”       “Yeah, but it was unpleasant when they were shouting at us.”       “Yeah, I got a little scared.” Natalia glances down for a second. “But I think it’s fine. They heard about all of our mistakes, for which we paid a high cost.”       “And during the whole talk, I was thinking of Daniel,” Edward confesses shyly. “I was wondering if he felt so horrified before and after the talk with Anna’s father.”       “I thought about him for a moment.”       “Now I understand his feelings. What he felt when he had to talk to Anna’s father, who wasn’t good to him at first.”       “But now he adores him, judging Anna’s story. And my parents have always loved you. It’s partly the reason why everything ended well.”       “Definitely, yes,” Edward agrees with a wide smile. “But the most important thing is that this talk is over, and I stayed alive.”       “Aw, Edward…” Natalia laughs shyly.       Silence settles in the air for two or three seconds, after which Natalia recalls something and frowns slightly, looking at Edward, who leans on the door with a hand, stands close enough to her, and looks at her face with interest, looking confident enough and a little taller because he no longer slouches.       “Hey, I must confess that you surprised me with your honesty,” Natalia confesses shyly. “Especially your confession.”       “What kind of confession?” Edward rounds his eyes.       “About always being terribly insecure and afraid of everything in the world.”       “Ah, you mean it…” Edward moves his eyes for a second, getting a little gloomy and less confident.       “Did you really feel insecure?” Natalia asks with sadness in her eyes.       “Yes, it’s true. I’ve always been a cowardly and insecure boy.”       “Edward…”       “I’ve never felt like an adult man. And I still hear everyone calling me a little puppy. Nobody has seen me as an adult man. Everyone says I’m a weak, talentless, worthless, and cowardly puppy.”       “No, no, don’t say so! Please!”       “Uncle Michael always laughed at me because of my too soft and weak character. Because I can’t be cruel and harsh. I believe in tales and the fact that everything has a happy ending, like a little girl. I may easily cry from happiness, grief, and despair. You heard and saw how he was treating me. How his pals treated me. They all laughed at me and made me much shyer about who I really am. Nobody has told me good things, but those people made me feel greater fear, hesitance, and insecurity. I heard it so often that I began to believe them and be terribly shy at some moment.”       “Please, honey, forget everything that sick man told you,” Natalia begs with pity in her eyes. “For him, all good people are cowardly and weak. He only appreciates someone like him.”       “That old man was doing his best to make me feel terrible. He always said my parents never wanted my birth. He said I was a loser because I had nothing, while my rich relatives got everything. He repeated that had done nothing good and hadn’t let people live. Uncle kept me under too powerful psychological pressure. Not for one day. Not for a month. Even not for one year. He was doing it for years. Years, Natalia! I was listening to all of that for years and started to doubt myself, my talents, and everything about me.”       “It’s not true!” Natalia puts her hand softly on Edward’s cheek and caresses it tenderly. “You’re not the one that your uncle considers you. I understand it’s hard for you to believe in yourself and stop thinking the words of that stinker are true. But now it’s all over. You’ll no longer hear anything like that.”       “And the case has always been about my character and my insecurity. Because nobody has told me I’m a terrible freak, I don’t think my appearance is ugly. But alas, I’ve never had a strong character and a great power of will. Fear and insecurity have always made me too vulnerable. Uncle found my weaknesses and used them as hard as possible. Because of him, I stopped to think I was really masculine.”       “Gosh, Edward…” Natalia shakes her head, looking at Edward with pity in her half-wet eyes. “I can’t believe it… I can’t believe the man, who was protecting me so hard says something about his weak character.”       “That was just a mask. I put it on to seem a little braver and hide my fear of danger and my sick uncle. And I refused to take it off even when he openly said I was pretending and afraid of him so badly.” Edward sighs quietly. “And it’s true. I’m afraid of that man to death. I always wanna run away when I see him one meter away from me. He’s always spread terrible coldness. Uncle has always made me feel strong fear and tension. His heart is stone and cold. There’s nothing light and kind inside him.”       “He made me feel the same. But believe me, you’re not weak. If you were weak and cowardly, you would’ve been afraid to go against your uncle’s wish and help me. You wouldn’t have recognized your mistakes. You wouldn’t have found the courage to go and apologize. Only a truly brave person with a great power of will could do it.”       “I did it for you,” Edward confesses, moving his sad eyes to Natalia. “You made me braver and do just something, even if I looked terribly stupid, playing the role of a certain hero that tried to save everyone. Because of fear and insecurity, I wouldn’t have moved off the place if not for you and your support. If not for the thought that you needed my help.”       “But you didn’t do it by force. You wanted it. You decided to go and do something to help me, save your family, and reconcile with everybody.”       “Yeah, but it required many efforts. I had to struggle with myself two or three times harder than with anyone else. Of course, Uncle Michael has always been my enemy, but there’s a more dangerous one. I am the enemy! I am the enemy of myself! My fears, doubts, and insecurity! All these years, I’ve had to struggle with myself to go and do something. And it was very hard because I had nobody to tell me that I could do anything. Who would say they believe in me and are ready to motivate me to do wonderful things. And I recently got that person. It’s you, Natalia. You made me fight with myself much harder.”       “Edward…”       “I knew you needed a strong man, who would hide you behind his back, not hide behind yours. You need care, love, and protection. So, I had to fight with myself. Remind me that a girl like you needs a masculine man, not a cowardly milksop that cries from happiness and grief. And after meeting Terrence and seeing how confident and brave he was, I wanted to change much more and swore that I’d do my best for it. I didn’t wanna look worse next to him. I didn’t want to seem weak next to you. I’ve got a wish – to keep you far from bad things. And I must do anything to do it.”       “Really?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “You wanted to do it for me?”       “Yes, Natalia, to give you everything you need.” Edward grabs Natalia’s face softly and caresses her cheeks tenderly, while she looks into his eyes. “Don’t think I could change if I didn’t have such powerful motivation. If I had no reason to get much better and stop being a cowardly, insecure reject. But since I have you now, I must try to get better.”       Little drops of tears show up in Natalia’s eyes, and she smiles widely, not hiding how nice it is for her to hear it. Silence settles in the air for two seconds, after which the girl sniffs quietly and caresses Edward’s cheeks tenderly with both hands and lets her fingers through the soft black strands of the hair.       “Sweetheart…” Natalia pronounces quietly. “My good one…”       “Now do you understand what I have to get over to make you happy?” Edward asks a little hesitantly. “You know how it’s hard to overcome my fears after all the humiliations that I had to endure? After nobody believed in me, paid attention, or said any good words! Maybe, it would be hard for you to understand it because you’ve always been surrounded by love and care, and almost nobody told you a bad word. But still…”       “No, I understand you very well! I know well what you feel and what kind of trauma those humiliations and insults gave you. And I’m not gonna hide that I’m madly proud of you. Proud that you’ve done such great work over you.”       “But I’m gonna have to work on it for a very long time. Not to pretend to be strong and brave, but to really be the one. Not to wear a mask, under which all my fears and doubts would be hidden.”       “As I said somehow, you don’t know how brave you can be. You don’t know what kind of power you have and have always had.” Natalia puts her hand on Edward’s chest. “Don’t know what’s hidden somewhere at the bottom of your heart. It’s locked under a key yet and can’t go outside. But if you let it show itself, you will be surprised what kind of unbelievable power you’ve had all the time.”       “You think I really have this power?” Edward rounds his eyes.       “Sure! You just need to let it show itself. Stop holding yourself down. Turn off the setup that Michael gave you. Believe those people that love you with all their hearts and say different things. They’re the only ones to tell you the truth.”       “Maybe, some part of it got out when Uncle ordered to bring you to his house and held you in there for four days. I think it became a strong push that made me do something.”       “And the moment when I was ready to sacrifice myself was the stronger push for you. When I asked you to kill me. I think it helped you discover another part of the power inside you.”       “You see,” Edward smiles slightly and tucks a strand of Natalia’s hair behind her ear. “Thanks to you, I started to understand that everything wasn’t so hopeless. Maybe, someday, I’ll finally forget everything I heard from Uncle and feel like a different man.”       “You can do it,” Natalia replies softly and confidently and kisses Edward cutely on the tip of his nose. “If I’m helping you so well, I will keep doing it. I’m always gonna motivate you. Even when you become strong and brave. Nevertheless, I think you started to change not because I gave you kicks. It’s because you wanted it. You told yourself it was time to end it and started to do something. I’m just a motivator for you. But there is only your merit in it. You set a goal and began to reach it, despite all the barriers. I consider you a purposeful person, and you’ve proved it many times. You wanted to find a brother and found him. You realized you wanted to reconcile with everybody, went, and apologized. You decided to get much better and swore to do your best. It’s the power of will, Edward! The power that starts waking up inside you.”       “You’re speaking so beautifully…” Edward says in a lower, nice voice with a slight smile and runs his fingertips over the skin on Natalia’s head, making her smile shyly. “I’d listen to you forever…”       “But you listen and remember. I'm gonna often tell you about it, so you start to believe in yourself and stop being afraid of something and doubting what you do. I’ll be your best motivator. Be sure, some time later, you’ll become as confident as Terrence. And if you admire the way he can show himself, make him another motivator. A role model.”       “Terrence is my role model anyway,” Edward confesses shyly. “Of course, I ain’t gonna imitate him. But there’s definitely something I wanna learn from my brother. Maybe, he turns up his nose too much and shows up with his uniqueness. But that’s very good for him, to some extent. He’ll never have problems with self-confidence. And people see how proud he is and recognize his superiority. Even Uncle Michael had to confess it and believed that Terrence was really so confident and knew what he wanted. And… I want people to believe in my self-confidence, too. I don’t need to be an irresistibly handsome guy that people will go crazy for. I just want to know someone believes in me, and nobody thinks that being soft and crying at times is not so bad for a man.”       “And I think you’re doing your mission brilliantly. If you keep doing the same, people will start to see changes and believe you really became different. Much braver, more masculine, more caring… Confident.”       “If you help me with it, I don’t doubt that I would do something without fears and doubts someday,” Edward says with a smile. “And I want you to show me the right track and not to let me succumb to the wish to succumb to provocations of bad people or wrong feelings.”       “I can give you a little piece of advice that’s always helped me. Try to stand in front of a mirror and, looking into your eyes, say clearly, you’re a brave, determined, and confident man with a wonderful character and talent for many things. You’re surrounded by loving people… That showing weakness and crying a little is fine for any man… That nobody would judge you for a wish to cry and the fact that you can’t earn a lot of money and live in your own house. Be sure, if you do it several times, you’ll feel that you’re getting inside self-confidence some time later.”       “Wow, sounds good… I should try it…”       “Try, sweetie.” Natalia grabs Edward by the nape of his beck and shyly strokes the hair on the back of his head with her fingers. “And remember the things that make you feel proud. Even if it’s something that means almost nothing. It doesn’t make sense when it happened. The important thing is to feel a sense of pride and remember what made you more confident. And stop slouching, please. If you keep your head raised and your back straight, It will mean you have confidence. Why did people doubt it? Because your body cried about it! And when you get your back straight, spread your shoulders widely, and start to speak confidently without fear, the situation will change for the best.”       “If you say it, I just must use your pieces of advice right now,” Edward purrs with a wide smile.       “Even if you start with a little thing, it will already lead you to a positive effect. The important thing is not to give up and not to let anything get you out of the right way.”       “Aw, Natalia, you’re my angel!” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the cheek and the forehead, holding her face, but then he moves his eyes to the necklace hanging on her neck, takes a gilded pendant in the form of the letter “N” and looks at this with interest, while she smiles widely. “How it’s great when someone has a wonderful motivator and a source of strength and inspiration. So, Raquelle is the reason why Terrence lives and aims to make his wishes come true. She’s the girl that gives him the wish to live and inspires him for some things.”       Edward glances at Natalia and, still holding the pendant in one hand, runs the back of another hand tenderly over her cheek.       “And you’re the reason that makes me get much better in all senses,” Edward adds in a soft, quiet voice. “The pretense, care, and love of which encourages me to be braver and more masculine and struggle with my weaknesses. You’re the one I want to love and protect. Who I’m not going to lose and let go so easily anymore.”       “Everybody has what they deserve and what they want to have,” Natalia replies with a shy smile, looking at Edward a little playfully and shaking from one side to another with her hands folded in front of her. “For example, I’ve always wanted to be with a strong man, who would love me truly and be caring to me. So, I got what I wanted – this man is standing in front of me. The man. Not a little, cowardly boy that’s not ready to take responsibility for his actions. But the real man, for whom it’s an honor matter.”       “Well, maybe I didn’t aim to find a girl and start a serious relationship with her.” Edward smiles shyly. “Nevertheless, I always knew I wanted to be with the one that would be loyal to me, show her care, support me, understand what I need… Help me believe in myself and feel more confident. And right now, the perfect girl that I’ve always dreamed about is standing in front of me.”       “And you will not get off this perfect girl so easily,” Natalia replies confidently. “She will make you a confident man, who will not let anyone think something is not right with him.”       “I’m not gonna leave you. Otherwise, I’ll become the one I was before I met you… But you know, I don’t wanna become a cowardly and hesitant puppy. Honestly, I like being a hero! Even if this hero looked stupid because of his wish to get attention and made lots of mistakes, for which he was terribly punished, almost losing everything that was so important to him.”       “Any hero, even the strongest, most masculine, and most resolute one, has failures,” Natalia notices with a shy smile. “There’s nothing bad about it. Even despite failures, they don’t give up and keep doing what they’re doing. Moreover, despite any mistakes, you’ll be my real hero that has done great work over him.”       Edward smiles widely, looking into Natalia’s eyes with tenderness and not hiding that it’s madly nice for him to hear these things. A few seconds later, the girl puts her arms around the man’s neck and takes him in a strong but tender hug, to which he answers with great pleasure, hugging the girl by the waist in the same touching way, snuggling his nose in her neck, and running his hands slowly over her back. At some moment, the blonde kisses her cutely boyfriend on the cheek and caresses his head, while he strokes her long, blonde hair and rubs his cheek against her shoulder with closed eyes. The lovers are enjoying the warmth that they share with each other, feeling great relief after a psychologically hard talk with Letitia and Anthony.       A few seconds later, Edward, not stepping back from Natalia, tears his head off her shoulder. The lovers are standing very close to each other, not moving their tender looks off each other and not stopping smiling truly. The girl still keeps her arms wrapped around her boyfriend’s neck, sometimes running her hand through the hair on the back of his head, and he wraps his strong but tender arms around her clearly thin waist. They look into each other’s eyes for some time before Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the tip of her nose and runs his open mouth slowly over all the parts of her face and breathes in the smell of her tender skin, while she smiles much wider with closed eyes.       A little later, the man leaves a short kiss on the girl’s lips, which he grabs tenderly and slightly pulls every one of them. Then he hides his face in the curve of her neck and tickles the tender skin with his nose. That’s why Natalia laughs and shyly tries to break free. But when Edward stops doing it, she puts her head on his shoulder with a cute smile, feeling how the warming warmth is spreading slowly all over her body, while the man’s hand caresses her head tenderly, and his fingers get through the silky golden hair.       “Hey, did I say that I was gonna bring my real name back?” Edward asks.       “Really?”       “I started to get all the documents. I have money, too. So, I will fill out an application to change my name. And become the one I was born.”       “Do you wanna get closer to your family?”       “Yup. And I no longer want to pretend to be someone else. I wanna be me. Be Edward MacClife. Even if Edward Lockhart has been my name for many years, I haven’t gotten used to it. Just like the image of the brown-eyed man with brown hair. It’s not for me. I feel much better when I have my real appearance.”       “Wise decision! Moreover, I also take the real you much better.”       “So, my little star, I’m gonna have my real full name in all my documents soon. Not the one I came up with randomly.”       “Yeah, but you kept your name, Edward.”       “I am used to it somehow. And I can’t imagine myself with any other name.”       “I will always support you if it makes you feel better. If you felt more comfortable with the last name Lockhart, I wouldn't mind it.”       “No, Edward Lockhart no longer exists and will never do,” Edward says determinedly. “I no longer wanna come back to it. And I hope that the others will also forget it soon and accept me as a member of the MacClife family.”       “I’m sure it’s gonna happen so. Yes, it’s gonna take some time, but nobody will remember about a certain Lockhart soon.”       “Let’s hope…”       Edward gets closer to Natalia’s lips slowly but confidently and gets her involved in a continuous kiss on the lips, to which she answers with pleasure, putting her hand on his cheek.       “My beauty…” Edward pronounces blissfully in a low voice with a wide smile and kisses Natalia on the top of her head while his fingers slightly squeeze her hair. “An angel came up from heaven…”       “Don’t go far, pretty boy,” Natalia pronounces in a quiet, low voice with a shy smile. “If you keep doing this, I’m not sure that I could be responsible for myself and let you go so easily.”       “Do I look like I wanna run away?” Edward chuckles quietly, moves Natalia’s hair aside and runs the tip of his nose slowly over a curve of her neck, breathing on this area with burning, hot air and making the girl feel how her muscles shake nicely. “How can I leave my beloved girl alone?”       “And what would you suggest to me this time?”       “Everything you want, sweetheart.” Edward leaves Natalia’s neck alone and softly snuggles his nose in her cheek or touches her nose with the tip of it, breathing in the unforgettable smell of the feminine skin that clouds his mind. “Anything you want…”       At this moment, Edward’s hands move from Natalia’s waist to her thighs and buttocks, which he caresses tenderly and squeezes slightly, smiling smugly when he hears her quiet, sensual moan.       “You still have a chance to run away from here,” Natalia says with a little hoarse in her voice. “Or it will be too late.”       “Somehow later,” Edward replies with a shy smile and leaves short kisses on Natalia’s face, cheek, cheekbones, nose, temples, lips, and chin. “And now I don’t wanna miss this perfect chance. A chance to relax a little after such a tense moment.”       “Aw, sweetie…” Natalia gets tender feelings, glances at Edward, and caresses his face with both hands. “Did you really get so excited?”       “Very much. I was terribly excited because I was afraid your parents wouldn’t understand me.”       “You know, I was also terribly nervous and afraid I’d explain nothing.” Natalia slowly turns around and wants to go aside. “But I did it because you were by my side and helped me.”       “And you helped me well.” Edward grabs Natalia by the waist from behind, presses her to the wall next to the door, caresses her head tenderly, and barely touches her cheek with his soft, warm hand. “And I’m ready to thank you for that. With all my heart.”       Edward leaves a couple of more kisses on all the parts of Natalia’s face, while his hands caress the curves of her waist and slide slowly across her spine. But then he tenderly runs his open lips over the area behind her ear that he barely touches, making the girl feel a little shake and a wish to close her eyes. At some moment, the blonde leans her head back, leans on the wall with the back of her head, and bends backward with a sensual moan, while the man leaves a few kisses on the front of her neck.       “Oh, gosh, Edward…” Natalia exhales sensually.       “You’re so irresistible, sweetheart,” Edward purrs with enjoyment and caresses another ear of Natalia and the area behind it with his lips with a much heavier breath, while she runs her fingers through his hair on the back of his head and pulls it slightly. “How stunning you are… I’m losing my head more and more…”       “And you decided to drive me crazy? Kill… With a sweet death…”       “I told you I could do much more than you imagined,” Edward smiles slyly, running his open mouth over the tip of Natalia’s nose and leaving a short kiss on her lips, as he is holding her face in his hands.       “Trying to make me sure you can be rude?”       “Everything depends on you, baby.” Edward steps back from Natalia and leans on the wall with a proud look, while the girl looks at him with a heavy breath. “How crazy you’d drive me.”       “Pretending, MacClife, pretending…” Natalia smiles mysteriously, spreading her shoulders and sticking her chest up.       “You doubt me?” Edward wonders, caressing Natalia’s cheek with a free hand tenderly, strokes her neck with his fingertips and slowly moves down, running his hand over her collarbones, breasts, belly, and the curves of her waist, shyly getting it underneath her tight slim shirt and softly touching the velvet skin of her abdomen, the muscles of which get tense enough. “Yes, maybe, I doubt my confidence and fear many things. But I can exactly say I’ve always been imitable at love and sex things.”       “Then show me everything you can,” Natalia suggests with a challenge in her eyes. “But it’s gonna be very hard for you to please me.”       “Let’s bet that I can get you excited for ten minutes only.” Edward softly grabs Natalia by the chin and caresses tenderly her bottom lip with his thumb. “In ten minutes, you’re gonna be shaking from just one touch of my finger to your body. The curves of which drive me insane…”       “You’re crazy,” Natalia laughs playfully.       “Why? Because the curves of your gorgeous body get me charmed?”       “That’s your relatives’ sort – all of you are too confident. Even you have this streak.”       “Next to such a posh girl, you’d forget about any shyness.” Edward leaves a tender kiss on a curve of Natalia’s neck, which makes her heart stop for a moment. “With you, being shy and insecure is impossible.”       “Oh, gosh, why is it your type, MacClifes? I thought your brother was the only sick one, who loved being chased by someone with a whip in their hands. But as it turned out, you, asshole, almost caught him. You definitely might like lying in a bed, being tied up, and wearing your underwear only.”       “M-m-m, decided to follow the way of your friend and say something sassy?”       “A bad example is contagious. What if you look at that rooster and get a love for wild fights and strong slaps.”       “Okay, baby, I got it.” Edward leaves a couple of short kisses on the corners of Natalia’s mouth. “If you don’t wanna be sweet and obedient, I will take measures. What does my brother call his beloved girl? Erm… A bitch, I guess! He’s got his bitch, but I’ve got mine!”       “Don’t worry, soon-to-be too confident handsome guy, if you don’t drive me crazy for ten minutes.”       “Sounds very nice. But at first, I wanna do something nice for you.”       Edward leaves a short kiss on Natalia’s lips and gets her involved in a more continuous one. She answers it with great pleasure, putting her arm around his neck and putting a free hand on his shoulder, but later moving it to the man’s tough chest. The man, holding the girl’s face, caresses the lady’s lips so skillfully that she cannot hold down her quiet moans full of enjoyment. It’s getting harder to breathe, the heartbeat becomes faster, the body gets obsessed with heat, and it’s impossible to resist a strong affection. A little later, Edward, tenderly kisses the area behind Natalia’s ear and generously covers her neck with kisses, while his hands are placed on her waist. The girl stays absolutely relaxed and fully enjoys what’s happening, not hiding her wide smile and pleasing the man’s ear with her quiet, blissful moans.       “Oh, gosh…” Natalia pronounces in a little hoarse voice, tightly grabs Edward by the hair with one hand, and slightly scratches his back with the nails of another hand.       “Damn, how incredibly you smell,” Edward pronounces in a low voice with enjoyment and covers Natalia’s collarbones with kisses, breathing in the natural smell of the lady’s skin, while his hands caress her arms, the curves of her waist, her thighs, and her buttocks. “I do want to eat you entirely…”       “Yes, eat me. You can do anything…”       “From the official permission now.”       Edward gives Natalia a continuous kiss on the lips that he pulls and bits tenderly, while one of his hands gets underneath her slim tight shirt and caresses her naked back, and a second one caresses her flat belly and squeezes her breasts tenderly but confidently. The girl keeps her arms around his neck and caresses tenderly the nape of it and the skin of his head with her fingertips, sometimes rolling or closing her eyes and smiling widely with a feeling of slight dizziness. At some moment, MacClife, Jr., takes a thin jacket off the lady’s fragile shoulder that he covers with a few kisses, while she raises her head and swallows up nervously.       “Oh, damn…” Edward exhales sharply, literally choking from the emotions that he is obsessed with. “Natalia… What are you doing to me? A little bit before I go crazy!”       “Wait, sweetie,” Natalia smiles smugly. “When I get control of you, you’ll definitely whine from pleasure. And you will not get off me so easily.”       “I already said I wasn’t gonna miss such a perfect chance to relax a little.”       Edward covers Natalia’s collarbones with tender, short kisses, caresses the area behind her ear with his open lips, and slides down to the gracious curve of her neck. While she runs her hand over his hair against the roots and exhales quietly with rolled eyes, feeling how the muscles of her body shake nicely. At first, his hands caress her arms and curves, but later they start sliding over her thighs and buttocks. At some moment, one of them moves to her abdomen, which the man caresses with his fingertips. It makes the girl get tense enough and press herself closer to the hot body of the man, who is caressing the inside of her thighs. Just one touch makes her feel hot. A quiet moan full of enjoyment gets out of her mouth by itself.       “Oh, gosh, I feel bad,” Natalia pronounces in a hoarse voice with a heavy breath. “Gosh… M-m-m…”       “Quiet, quiet, beautiful, quiet,” Edward says in a low, charming voice with a sly smile, putting his hand on Natalia’s belly, getting it underneath her slim tight shirt and starting to caress the tender skin on this area. “Relax, don’t be so nervous.”       “No, you do really wanna kill me.” Natalia sinks her nails into the nape of Edward’s neck with a blissful moan. “I can’t…”       “I’d bet who wanna kill someone.” Edward bites slightly the skin on Natalia’s neck and confidently squeezes her breasts, breathing heavily and feeling the tough, big nipples that he stimulates with his thumb.       “Please, Edward…”       “Nobody else has got me as excited as you do.” Edward runs his mouth over the skin on the front of Natalia’s neck and kisses some areas tenderly.       “Me too…” Natalia pronounces in a low voice and makes a sensual moan with a sense of dizziness. “M-m-m…”       “For such a stunning dolly, I’d go through fire and water,” Edward smiles widely, grabs Natalia’s chin, and leaves a tender kiss under the one. “Anything for you…”       “Did you decide to torture me?” Natalia raises her head with closed eyes, feeling how her body shakes when Edward kisses the hole in her throat. “MacClife?! I am talking to you!”       “I love you, too, baby.”       Edward gives Natalia a short kiss on the lips and covers her neck with the same ones, while one hand of him confidently squeezes her big, tough breasts, and another caresses her naked belly, plays with the silver jewelry in her belly button, and slides to her crotch, over which he runs his fingertips. The girl presses her body against the man as closely as possible and uses her hands to caress his head, face, shoulders, neck, and collarbones. At some moment, she gets them underneath his t-shirt and caresses his tough back and wide chest, admiring his every muscle, touching which makes her feel hot.       “You’re so magnificent, honey,” Edward purrs with a wide smile, runs his lips over the curve of Natalia’s neck, covers it with exciting kisses, and slides to the area behind her ear, in which he wants to say something. “Magnificent…”       Edward’s whisper makes Natalia’s heart stop for a moment and makes her body get covered with goosebumps.       “I did say you’d be moaning from pleasure in ten minutes.” Edward caresses Natalia’s ear with his lips and kisses the area behind it tenderly. “I needed even less, though. You get hot from the pretense of mine. From the smell of mine.”       “It seems to you, honey,” Natalia smiles slyly and closes her eyes with a feeling that her heartbeat echoes somewhere in her temples. “Seems…”       “Come on!” Edward kisses Natalia on the lips with greater pressure, getting his tongue into her mouth confidently and caressing her palate.       “M-m-m…” Natalia makes a sensual moan and does not refuse to caress Edward’s mouth with her tongue, running her hands over his chest.       “That’s how…” Edward covers another curve of Natalia’s neck with wet, exciting kisses, putting his hand on her cheek. “It’s just a part of everything I can do! But when the time comes, you’ll know what kind of pleasure I give girls.”       “I’m even afraid to imagine.”       “Don’t be. Let your fantasy get wild.” Edward runs his fingers through Natalia’s hair at the roots. “Soon, it’s gonna be very hot and wet between your legs.”       “Erm…”       “Sh-h-h…” Edward shushes, putting two fingers on Natalia’s slightly open lips, setting his bedroom gaze into her eyes, and seeing that her pupils are dilated. “Say nothing…”       “Here’s the case when still waters run deep,” Natalia laughs playfully, looking into Edward’s eyes closely.       “Get everything outta your head, relax, and get pleasure. And I promise, I will not disappoint you.”       Edward gives Natalia a continuous, more passionate kiss on the lips, holding her face in his hands. Later, he caresses her head, squeezes her hair slightly, and runs his fingers through it. The legs can barely hold the girl, she feels dizzy, and the body temperature is so high that it’s getting hot even in light clothes.       “Relax, babe, why are you so tense?” Edward wonders with a sly smile when he breaks the kiss and looks into Natalia’s eyes, caressing her naked belly tenderly and hugging the girl by the waist with a free arm.       “Are you serious?” Natalia chuckles.       “I’ve done nothing yet!” Edward runs his hand over Natalia’s tense thighs and claps her buttocks slightly. “Relax…”       “You’re sly, MacClife…” Natalia pronounces in a low, hoarse voice. “Very sly…”       “But now I feel much better.” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the cheek and rubs his nose against it. “Much better than I’ve done for twenty-five years of my life.”       Edward runs his open mouth over all the parts of Natalia’s face, the area behind her ear, and the curve of her neck, breathing on them with hot air, massaging her breasts tenderly with one hand, and running another hand over the curves of her waist.       “I don’t need too much…” Edward leaves a couple of kisses on Natalia’s collarbones and breasts. “Only my beloved girl by my side and the opportunity to kiss and caress her.”       While Edward covers her neck with kisses and wants to get his hand underneath her jeans, Natalia rolls her eyes from pleasure at first, but then she smiles slyly and waits for two seconds before she, locking the door with one easy movement, says:       “You say, better… Okay then… Now, I’ll do something for you to get much better. So, you, pretty boy, are whining like a hungry dog.”       Natalia takes Edward’s hands, turns him, and sharply pins him to the wall. That’s why the man sets his widely open eyes on the girl, who presses herself closely against him.       “Now we’re playing by my rules!” Natalia says confidently, grabs Edward by the collar, and sets her gaze into his eyes, keeping her back perfectly straight and sticking her chest out. “Got it, tiger?”       “M-m-m, I feel something hot is coming,” Edward purrs with a mysterious smile.       “Oh, you don’t even imagine what…” Natalia gives Edward a continuous kiss on the lips while her hands confidently walk over his tough torso, feeling like his muscles are tense, and his skin is covered with goosebumps. “I want to do a lot to you.”       “I’m ready for anything.”       “If only you knew how much I want you…” Natalia runs her hands through Edward’s t-shirt and runs them over his chest, bringing her face closer to his lips but not kissing them and glancing at them. “Right here… Right now…”       “Wanna have sex, while your parents are in the apartment?”       “Why not?” Natalia bites her bottom lip sexually. “My body really needs the attention of one strong, gorgeous man.”       “I’d never fuck a girl literally under the nose of our parents.”       “Don't worry, sweetheart, after flights on an airplane, Father and Mother always sleep for half of the day.” Natalia leaves a short, teasing kiss on Edward’s lips. “Their room is far from mine… And the soundproofing in this apartment is good… So… Fear nothing…”       “Yeah, Rochester, I used to think you were shy…” Edward laughs shyly. “But it seems like you outdid Raquelle a long time ago.”       “If I hadn’t stopped you, you wouldn’t have thought about it!”       “Do you think it’s easy for me to resist such a gorgeous blue-eyed beauty with long, blonde hair?”       “You know, I also shake when I see such a stunningly handsome man with the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen.” Natalia shyly runs her hands over Edward’s torso, gets them underneath his t-shirt, and caresses his naked stomach and chest. “God was very generous when He made you so attractive.”       “I have enough of it,” Edward purrs with a smug smile and his head proudly raised.       “And you’ve got a gorgeous body.” Natalia leaves a short kiss on the area behind Edward’s lips, which she caresses a little with her tongue, feeling how the muscles of the man’s stomach get sharply tense, his breath gets much heavier, his mouth is slightly open, his eyes are set on the girl, and his pupils are dilated. “I’d love to take these clothes off you and give this work of art the love that it deserves.”       “I don’t mind it. I can’t miss a chance to praise my body.”       “And you smell like a man,” Natalia purrs with a wide smile, leaving a short kiss on Edward’s lips. “The man that makes me weak and lose my will…”       Natalia leaves a few more kisses on the curve of Edward’s neck with a sensual sigh, keeping her hand on the man’s chest and feeling his fast heartbeat. While the man closes his eyes from pleasure and caresses the girl’s head, enjoying the way the lady’s soft lips and hands are examining his body. Edward falls into the hole of bliss so deeply that he does not notice how Natalia takes full control of him. He meekly answers the passionate and dizzying kiss, putting his arms around her waist and starting to run his fingertips across her spine up and down. Also, he gives special attention to the small of her back that he caresses after getting his hand underneath her shirt.       “Damn, my man is just perfect,” Natalia says in a low, velvety voice with enjoyment, leaving short kisses on another curve of Edward’s neck and breathing in the smell of his skin that makes her feel dizzy. “Ah… My gosh…”       “Oh, damn…” Edward exhales slowly, not hiding his wide smile. “I’ve never felt so good before…”       “The most important thing is to hold yourself down.” Natalia steps back from Edward softly and runs her hands over his torso. “Don’t do sharp movements…”       Looking into Edward’s eyes, Natalia slowly takes off her thin jacket and puts it aside, wearing only a slim tight white sleeveless shirt that perfectly expresses her thin waist, flat belly, and big breasts.       “Hold yourself down…” Natalia moves her thigh aside, puts her hands on her hips, and smiles slyly when seeing Edward swallows nervously and starts breathing much heavier after he sets his gaze on her naked collarbones and attractive décolleté. “Hold yourself down, I said! MacClife!”       “Oh, yay, babe, keep doing…” Edward pronounces in a low voice with enjoyment. “Take everything off yourself… Lemme see what you were generously given by nature…”       “Calm down, pretty boy, not at once,” Natalia smiles shyly. “I just took off my jacket, ‘cause I got hot, but you became too restless.”       “How can I stay indifferent to this beauty?” Edward looks at Natalia from head to foot with an eating look, licking his lips nervously. “Such a sexy girl…”       “I can imagine what’s gonna happen to you if I’m naked. And if I ban you from touching me, you’ll definitely go crazy.”       “You definitely want me not to get out of here alive…” Edward says in a low, hoarse voice and smiles much wider.       “I want you to get out of here happy.” Natalia comes very close to Edward, caresses his cheeks with both hands, takes off his coat slowly but confidently, and throws it where she left hers, leaving him in a simple dark t-shirt without signatures, and puts her arms around his neck. “Very happy…”       “Remember, babe, if I don’t come to myself some time later, you’ll be the one to blame.” Edward leaves a couple of kisses on the curve of Natalia’s neck and runs his lips over it, making her smile widely with closed eyes.       “I’ve done nothing yet.”       “Yeah? Is that okay that I feel like I drank too much alcohol? Barely stand on my feet… And can’t fight with affection… Affection to you…”       “Gonna tell you more, my love… That’s what I need.”       “So, do you want to bring me to a heart attack?”       “I want to help you distract from bad things.” Natalia runs her hand over Edward’s hair and caresses his cheeks. “And remember that life has unforgettable moments.”       “Wow, since when have you become so confident?” Edward gets nicely surprised.       “I’ve always been the one and never acted like an inexperienced girl that doesn’t know what to do,” Natalia says confidently, walking her fingers over Edward’s chest. “And you, pretty boy, should get used to it. Because I’m real now. That’s my real side.”       “M-m-m… I was naive and thought you’d be my quiet, shy, and obedient girl…”       “Maybe, I’d be the one. If I wanted. But not now!”       Natalia greedily kisses Edward on the lips, grabbing his hair tightly and pulling it slightly. The man tightly wraps his arms around the girl’s waist, runs his hands over her thighs, and squeezes her buttocks with great pleasure. Her hands confidently slide over the top of the man’s body to the abdomen, which he tenses after the touch of the lady’s warm hand. The faces of the lovers get a little blushed, their skin gets covered with slight goosebumps, the heartbeat gets faster and echoes in the head, and the breath is much heavier, louder, and more uneven. Under the influence of an all-embracing ecstasy, the muscles contract involuntarily, the body gets much hotter, and resisting the strong affection is impossible now.       When Edward leaves a few kisses on the front of her neck and the hole in her throat, Natalia makes a sensual moan with rolled eyes and bends her back, sticking up her breasts that he caresses tenderly. At some moment, she gives him a more passionate, assertive kiss with a loud breath, pulling, squeezing, biting, and licking the lips of her beloved man. A few seconds later, Natalia runs her mouth over all the parts of Edward’s face and looks into his eyes confidently, seeing that his pupils are dilated and hearing the man’s heavy breath. While he examines her face closely as if he is charmed, the girl softly grabs him by the collar and presses him to herself, starting to go backward to her bed. She turns him around and pushes him softly, so he sits down. Edward does it obediently, literally not blinking, as he looks at Natalia as if she is his lord.       The blonde puts her hair on her shoulder with a charming smile, comes closer to the man, and kisses his lips. Tenderly and a little shyly, at first. But then she becomes more assertive and deepens this kiss, caressing his face and hair and working with her tongue in his mouth so skillfully that he cannot hold down a quiet moan. Edward caresses Natalia’s buttocks with both hands, and runs them over the back of her thigh and the back of her knees. And when the girl breaks the kiss to catch a breath, the man raises her shirt up. At first, he caresses her flat belly with a hand and then leaves a few short kisses on it. That’s why a blissful smile shows up on her face, and she sighs quietly with closed eyes.       After this, Natalia softly pushes Edward so that he lies on the bed. When she gives the man a tender smile, the girl covers his whole face with kisses and then reaches for MacClife, Jr.’s neck, the skin of which she may bite slightly. Edward shows his wide smile, his hands are caressing the lady’s buttocks or the naked curves of her slim waist. A little later, Natalia raises his t-shirt and takes the way from kisses to the man’s chest, over which she runs her warm hands, being so confident as if she knows his whole body entirely and guesses what could get this man excited for a few minutes.       “Oh, Rochester…” Edward pronounces in a little shaking, hoarse voice with a heavy breath and closes his eyes. “Oh! Shit… What are you doing to me? Damn…”       “I’ve never met such attractive and sexual men,” Natalia says with enjoyment and bites her lip slightly, still sitting over Edward and slowly but confidently running her hands over his naked torso. “Damn, Edward… You’re driving me crazy… I’m losing my mind…”       “I’d say… Something… But I have no strength…”       “Don’t do it then!” Natalia kisses the area behind Edward’s ear that she caresses tenderly with her lips and wants to say something in it in a very quiet, soft voice. “Better relax and get pleasure.”       Natalia gets Edward involved in an assertive kiss, which he just cannot resist. The muscles in his body tense, the breath gets heavier, a blush shows up on his cheeks, and he tries to press the girl as close to himself as possible. To him, these minutes seem like paradise. Especially, after so many insults, humiliations, and beatings. It’s unusual for him that someone finds him so attractive, sexual, and confident. The body remembers even slight hits, and the memories of those, who made him nothing, are still alive. However, with such a wonderful girl by his side, who leaves a few kisses, pinches and bites on the curve of his neck, and strokes his hair with her fingers, the bad things are forgotten, and there is only one thought about this moment to last as long as possible, and nobody and nothing to stop it.       At some moment, Natalia gets down again and covers Edward’s stomach with kisses and caresses his chest with her lips. That’s why every single muscle shakes nicely, and quiet moans get out of the mouth. His hands are sliding over her naked waist or squeezing her tough-to-touch buttocks like a boss. The man really likes this behavior and feels that this girl is showing everything she can do, and she got rid of the barrier that did not let her give herself to her feelings.       But at some moment, he thinks that she overplays the boss and decides to fix it. When Natalia wants to leave a couple of kisses on his face, he turns her onto the back, raises himself above her, and gives her a greedy kiss on his sweetheart’s soft and sweet lips, putting his hand on her tender cheek. The girl gets confused for a moment but answers this assertive kiss with pleasure, playing with his hair, running her hands over the man’s tough back, holding him by the neck, or running her fingertips over the nape of it.       A little later, Edward sinks into Natalia’s neck, which he covers with more assertive kisses, looking for the most sensitive areas with the thin skin, biting them tenderly and running his open mouth or the tip of his tongue over them. Because he controls the power of bites, she does not feel pain when the man sinks his teeth into her velvet to touch skin like a vampire. Any action of his makes her moan sensually with a feeling of slight dizziness and an all-embracing ecstasy.       “So, you want some assertiveness?” Edward asks in a low, hoarse voice with a sly smile after he steps back from Natalia, who looks at him with bedroom eyes, keeps her mouth slightly open, and has a heavy breath. “So, okay, baby! I shall do what you want. But from now on, you won’t get off me so easily.”       Edward caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly, gets his fingers through her hair, and runs his finger slowly over her soft lips, on which he sets his bedroom eyes, and which smells of something sweet. The girl looks into the man’s eyes closely with a slight smile, feeling how the tender warmth is spreading all over her body. The way he caresses her head and strokes the golden hair that is beautifully lying on the bed relaxes her and makes her forget everything. Using it at some moment, Edward grabs Natalia by the nape of the neck, raises her head, and sharply kisses her on the lips, letting her know that the situation is under his control. She moans something in surprise, shakes, and shows resistance, but she relaxes fully with a sensual moan the next second, giving herself to the hands of this man.       A little later, MacClife, Jr., covers the neck of his girlfriend with exciting kisses and pinches her skin with his lips tenderly. That’s why her body starts bending backward, and she is not able to hold down her quiet moans, barely remembering that she should sometimes breathe. And when Natalia wants to hug Edward tighter and scratch his back, he grabs her by the writs, raises her hands sharply above her head, and holds them, still caressing the thin, gracious neck and her attractive collarbones that kind of ask for some attention. The girl’s attempts to get her hands free and caress her sweetheart bring her to failure. She has to obey her boyfriend and let him give her unforgettable pleasure.       But later, Edward lets Natalia’s hands go and gets busy massaging her big breasts, the open part of which he covers with tender kisses, and over which he runs his open mouth. Later, he raises her shirt, caresses her naked belly with his warm hands, runs his lips over its tender skin, and leaves a few short kisses on it. The blonde feels how it’s getting hot between her legs, and the tormenting tension is getting born somewhere in her abdomen. She leans her head back with closed eyes, tightly grabbing the blanket with both hands and bending her back backward, while the man caresses her thighs, the inside of it, her knees, and the inside of her knees. Natalia can feel how Edward’s soft, warm lips caress her tough nipples that are seen underneath a very thin, slim tight shirt, and his hands massage the lady’s breasts like a boss.       By this moment, Edward forgets about shyness and hesitance and just does what he wants, not being afraid to do something wrong. He does not think about the unsolved problems. He only thinks about how to give pleasure to Natalia and feel much happier. To understand that he is not so worthless and talentless, as Michael has always told him. And Natalia herself bans herself from being afraid to let her sweetheart go much further and completely trusts the one, to whom her heart belongs. And the girl does not doubt that this man would do his best for her to feel as happy as she has never been before.