The Lost And Forgotten Memories

      Edward, Raquelle, Natalia, Daniel, Helene, Peter, Jamie, Rebecca, and Anna left the hospital and went on different ways. For example, Peter and Helene went to the home of the girl to spend time with her grandmother Scarlett and Sammy. The doggy does not leave Marshall and Rose for a second, while they are sitting on the bed, embracing each other in the room of the girl and telling the woman about what happened today.       “That’s horrible…” Scarlett says with sadness in her eyes, shaking her head. “I’m very sorry for your friend, Peter. But if the doctor says not everything is lost, it is the truth.”       “Everything could have been worse if not for his brother,” Peter replies, caressing the head of Sammy looking at him. “I could say they saved each other.”       “I guess those men’s parents taught them to respect and protect each other.”       “We believe their brotherly relationship is an example to follow,” Helene confesses. “And we’re sure that this is how close people should treat one another.”       “And their father and uncle are the opposite of Edward and Terrence,” Peter replies with sadness in his eyes. “In one case, the two are obsessed with a wild hate, and in another case, the two feel true love and respect.”       “Sadly, it happens,” Scarlett sighs quietly. “When I was young, I knew two sisters, who couldn’t stand each other. And a brother and a sister, who were very friendly.”       “The MacClife brothers are quite close and friendly. Of course, they love arguing, but they’re happy with everything.”       “The important thing is that they love and respect each other.”       “Edward is too worried about what happened to Terrence and thinks he’s guilty.”       “I’m sure that the man will be fine,” Scarlett says with a slight smile. “He was lucky that the doctors took him to the hospital in time.”       Sammy sitting next to Peter barks quietly.       “You see, Sammy agrees with me,” Scarlett notices and runs her hand over Sammy’s neck.       “Honestly, I got a little horrible when we entered Terrence’s room and saw him like that,” Helene confesses with sadness in her eyes. “He was so pale and literally helpless… We were horrified…”       “Agree,” Peter nods. “He has pale skin from nature, but now, looking at Terrence gives us goosebumps.”       “And how much poor Raquelle is worried…” Helene sighs. “We could do nothing to calm her down. And when we found out everything, we did lose hope to make her stop crying.”       “Poor girl…” Scarlett pronounces thoughtfully. “I imagine how much her heart hurts. I know it. I still remember what I felt when your grandfather Roger was sick. Any his illness was like a knife in the heart to me. And when he got much worse, I barely held on.”       “Terrence’s parents were also worried and excited. At first, his father was mad at Edward and blamed him for what happened, but he calmed down a little later and stopped being mean to his son.”       “I get it, the pain of a mother and a father might be unbearable,” Scarlett nods. “Until you become a parent, you can’t understand their feelings.”       “Everybody confesses that Terrence did a thoughtless thing, but he did it for the best,” Peter confesses.       “As well as Edward,” Helene adds. “The problems of their close people are what may break these two down.”       “Same about Raquelle…”       “And you,” Scarlett says confidently. “You also consider these guys your close people.”       “You’re right, Mrs. Marshall,” Peter nods with a slight smile. “For me, those guys are not just friends, but literally a family. With them, I forget that I somehow felt lonely, worthless, and unnecessary. And I start to think I’ve always been surrounded by love and care.”       “They’ve also become very close friends to me,” Helene confesses with a shy smile. “I’m sorry that I met the men some time ago, and I didn’t have a good relationship with the girls. But thank God, it all is in the past, and we speak as if nothing happened.”       “Better late than never, darling,” Scarlett smiles shyly. “Of course, your grandfather and I were upset that you disliked those girls and hurt them. But I’m happy you forgot everything.”       “The men and I are also glad the girls became friends,” Peter says amicably. “We were a little nervous because we didn’t know how they’d accept Helene and got much more excited when we heard the school story. But fortunately, everything ended very well.”       Sammy barks confidently, and Helene scratches his neck with a slight smile, seeing how much he enjoys it.       “Oh, it’s getting dark outside…” Scarlett says thoughtfully. “And it’s more than eight hours…”       “You know, I’m supposed to feel tired now,” Peter says, glancing aside. “But I don’t feel it. And I don’t even know if I can fall asleep after what happened today.”       “You just need to relax. You are too excited.”       “It’s true… My whole body is strongly tense… And I’m shaking, honestly…”       “Maybe, you take something sedative?”       “Thanks, I don’t need it now…”       “Listen, Peter, if you want, you can stay with us and have a night here. Why would you stay alone?”       “Don’t you mind it?”       “Of course, not, dear! Stay with us! And Sammy would be very happy. Look, he doesn’t leave you alone.”       Sammy barks two times and puts his paw on Peter’s lap.       “I don’t know about staying for a night, but I would love to be with Helene and Sammy for a bit longer,” Peter says thoughtfully.       “Stay then,” Scarlett encourages with a slight smile. “It’s pretty late, and you can’t go to your home for five minutes. I will cook something for dinner and let you drink a sedative, so you sleep well.”       “Oh, thanks, Mrs. Marshall… It’s very nice of you.”       Scarlett says nothing and just caresses Peter’s shoulder with a slight smile. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, which Sammy breaks at times, barking shyly or whining quietly.       “Okay, my dears, I think I’ll leave you,” Scarlett says thoughtfully. “I think you have something to talk about.”       “Thanks, Grandma,” Helene smiles mysteriously.       “I will go to cook the dinner. I will call you when everything is ready, or I need your help.”       Scarlett gets up, softly caresses Helene and Peter on the shoulder, and slowly goes to the kitchen, leaving the lovers in the girl’s room. After watching the woman, the young people look at each other.       “Oh, too hard day…” Peter exhales tiredly with sadness in his eyes.       “At least, not everything’s lost,” Helene notices quietly, twirling a thin, silver chain on her hand. “The doctor gives us hope for the best.”       “But how much he risked! We could’ve lost Terrence if everything had been worse.”       “I hope we won’t do.”       “What if Wainwright had injected everything from the syringe into him? What if Edward hadn’t called the police and an ambulance? What if we had to go to the hospital by themselves?”       “I’m glad Edward understood that you three could suffer and was trying to do everything to save you. Yes, he risked very much and ‘made’ the lads go with him, but it all was for Natalia. So, she wasn’t afraid to walk alone outside.”       “No, Edward, made nobody do it. Vice versa, he begged us to leave. But we couldn’t leave him alone.”       “I know, Peter, I know.”       “At least, our mission is completed. And I hope Wainwright will no longer bother anyone. No girl will suffer because of him.”       “I wonder if Natalia could become the same as Daniel’s sister if she hadn’t had a protector?” Helene sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes. “Would she have become a victim of Wainwright’s harassment and turned into a drug addict?”       “Wainwright wanted it. He wanted to drug and rape. Not only Natalia. But also you, Raquelle, and Anna. Since the trial of Michael MacClife, on which he memorized all of us.”       “Gosh, I’m even afraid to think about it…”       “But it’s the truth.”       “I guess he’s a hater of women. He can’t take them. He loves watching them suffer.”       “I guess a certain girl rejected him… And it got him mad and made him think all the girls were guilty of him. That they all deserve tortures and sufferings.”       “Wainwright hates not only girls but also people, and he gets pleasure when they feel bad.”       “It’s true. And he doesn’t deny it.”       “Oh, God, it’s terrible…”       While Helene sighs heavily and looks into the distance with her sad eyes, Peter hugs her tightly, presses her to himself, and kisses her temple, putting his hand on the back of her head.       “Don’t think about it, sweetheart,” Peter says softly and confidently. “Now you and your friends have no reason to fear.”       “I know,” Helene pronounces quietly. “I just shake at the thought that the girls and I could’ve become victims of that stinker.”       “It’s okay, Helene, don’t worry. You and the girls have the men and me. We will protect you from any trouble. Moreover, there is also Sammy that will tear apart your offender.”       Sammy barks confidently, as if he says he would tear anyone for his owner and her sweetheart, and puts his face on the laps of Helene, who pets his head with a slight smile.       “What right is right,” Helene says confidently. “For us, Sammy is the most wonderful and cutest baby in the world, but he will turn into a monster in front of an enemy.”       Sammy barks again, happily accepting a bit of caress from Peter, who yanks his ears softly.       “Peter, say honestly…” Helene says hesitantly. “You… When you decided to go with the lads to follow Wainwright… How much were you afraid? Or weren’t you afraid?”       “Of course, I was afraid,” Peter replies confidently, moving his eyes to Helene and stopping to pet Sammy. “Very much… First, that man is a crazy drug addict, who could’ve killed us easily so that nobody would’ve known it. And second… We didn’t know where we'd go, what we’d do, whether we’d suffer, or whether we could get out. We were afraid of suspense… It was like playing roulette: you don’t know what you get and what it may lead to.”       “Did you go with them for a wish to help?”       “They’re like my brothers, Helene. I can’t leave them. And I owe them. I am used to getting and giving. Even if I understood that it might’ve been dangerous, I thought helping them was my duty.”       “But I could’ve lost you,” Helene says with sadness in her eyes and takes Peter’s hand. “Somehow, you almost left me alone. You made me cry for hours! I could’ve grieved as well as Raquelle is doing it now.”       “I knew all the risks. But I promised myself to do my best to stay alive and save the lads’ lives.”       “Thank God, Wainwright didn’t cut your hand too much.” Helene looks at Peter’s bandaged wrist and caresses it softly. “That drug addict could’ve gotten the knife into deeply.”       “It’s just a small scar.” Peter caresses Helene’s cheek with the back of his hand and raises her face by grabbing it by the chin. “Don’t worry about me. You’ve got no reason.”       “Please, don’t disappear anymore,” Helene begs with pity in her eyes. “I thought I’d go crazy from worrying. I was afraid that something would happen to you.”       “Nothing will happen, Helene. But even if something happens, I will protect myself ‘till the end.”       “You can?”       “I can. Now I know it for sure.”       “You know, Peter…” Helene says nothing for two seconds, runs her hand through Peter’s hair, strokes it, slides to his cheek, and caresses it tenderly. “I think you’ve changed lately… You’ve been more confident and braver…”       “I feel otherwise, too.”       “I’m proud of you! You behaved so worthily. You weren’t afraid of the danger… You were fighting confidently and protecting the guys. It does prove your loyalty again… Bravery… Confidence… You surprised me nicely… I… I didn’t know you could be so strong.”       “I just knew I couldn’t give up and act like a coward when a danger was threatening my friends,” Peter replies confidently. “I didn’t want to lose my close people and wasn’t gonna die. I understood I could do a lot to help the people, who helped me once. Who saved me from the loneliness that I’m afraid of so badly… We must’ve been together to get a victory. So, I found the strength to get up and fight as if my life was at stake… For my friends, who replaced my family… For the girl I love with all my heart…”       “Peter, sweetheart…” Helene smiles shyly.       “Moreover…” Peter moves his eyes to the bracelet with an engraved signature and reads it silently. “The phrase on the bracelet also helped me get rid of the wish to give up. It always helps me at hard times…”       “It’s a small but nice thing.” Helene takes Peter’s hand and, caressing it softly, looks at his bracelet.       “Nice and very important to me.”       While Helene smiles shyly, Peter runs his hand over her hair and moves some strands off her eyes. But then he thinks about something and moves his eyes aside for two seconds, starting to pull the bracelets on his hand slightly.       “You know, Helene…” Peter pronounces hesitantly. “A wish to help my friends… I mean my brothers… This is not the only thing that made me follow Wainwright…”       “Really?” Helene wonders. “But what else?”       “It was a certain challenge to me.” Peter slowly moves his eyes to Helene. “I went to find out what I could do. Find out whether I could stand for myself. I wanted to check my strength and, maybe, learn something new. And you know… Now I know that I can do anything. Every time I successfully attacked Wainwright and fought off him, my confidence got stronger.”       “You thought it was a test?”       “Yup.” Peter glances aside for a second. “I wanted to prove myself that the timid, cowardly, and weak boy was gone. The one, who everybody was bullying… Who was always beaten for the reason and without… Who was always told bad things… Who was made the one to laugh at… Using the fact that this boy was weak in all senses.”       “Peter…”       “That boy is gone, Helene. Gone. I’ve grown up and become different. Now I’m not the Peter Rose, who I used to be. I’m absolutely different. A complete opposite of him: strong, confident, brave, determined… The one, who can protect himself with words and fists. No more the weak and cowardly Peter. There is me. The one, who is awake and alive. The one, who will get what he wants and never up. I do have the reasons to live and fight… Many reasons.”       Not being able to hide her shy, tender smile, Helene softly kisses Peter on the cheek and runs her hand over his face.       “You’re real now,” Helene says softly. “You don’t pretend to be happy and strong. You’re really happy, I can see it in your eyes. You’re strong, confident, and resolute. And your actions do prove it.”       “I’m also glad I stopped being the one, who I am ashamed to be,” Peter confesses.       “No, Peter, don’t be ashamed of your past. You must be happy that a hard life and a terrible attitude of some people didn’t make you evil. You could’ve become a mean rat and made everyone guilty, but it didn’t happen.”       “Even if I wanted, I would not be able to become evil. I am not what Wainwright is. Yes, I’ve been beaten, humiliated, and insulted many times. But I’ve never wanted to revenge on someone. Maybe, I was mad, but I did not make people guilty of me being a loser.”       “That’s awesome!” Helene takes Peter’s hands. “Revenging on your haters doesn’t make sense when there’s so much that should reach to be happy.”       “Without my close people, it wouldn’t have happened.” Peter caresses Helene’s cheek tenderly with a slight smile. “They gave me motivation to do what I want.”       “You know that we’re all by your side.”       “I know. And now I feel much easier, freer, and better. I got out of the cocoon I was locked in. I had to pretend to be a different man for a long time. But it didn’t make me the one. I became different only when I trusted the people, who wanted to help me. After breaking the invisible barrier, I started to understand that I am not alone. That the world has many good people that don’t wanna hurt me.”       “I’m glad to hear it,” Helene smiles shyly.       “And now I know for sure…” Peter moves his eyes to the hand with the scar on it. “The decision of dying and cutting myself ‘till death was my greatest mistake. And I’m madly glad it didn’t happen. Now I understand that self-harming would’ve taken me to the grave. I didn’t feel better from getting many scars on my hands and a wide pain. I didn’t get better from the wild pain that I regularly caused. With a belief that I deserved it. I thought I felt better, but I was getting worse.”       “Peter…”       “I’m madly grateful to you and my friends for proving to me that life could be beautiful. For making me the one, who I am now. Without all of you, it wouldn’t have happened. I wouldn’t gotten through this unbearable pain alone…”       Sitting on the floor next to Peter and watching him closely, Sammy whines with pity and brings his face closer, so the man can pet it.       “And thank you, Sammy,” Peter says amicably. “For accepting me and making me smile. Thanks to those like all of you, I get a stronger meaning in living.”       Sammy barks quietly and, having his tongue out, gives his paw to Peter, who shakes it with a slight smile, as he scratches his neck with a free hand. While Helene puts her head on the blond’s shoulder and hugs him sweetly, caressing the man’s bicep softly.       “I won’t get sick of saying how much I’m proud of you,” Helene says confidently. “And I think you did a very noble thing by deciding to help your friends for friendship, despite all the risks. This is the act of a truly courageous and loyal man.”       “All I do is for love and friendship,” Peter replies with a slight smile. “No self-interest. Just a wish to thank.”       “I’m sure that nothing threatens me with such a wonderful man by my side.”       “Don’t doubt it, my sweetheart.” Peter hugs Helene tightly with both arms, presses her to himself, and caresses her head and cheek. “No mercy for your enemies!”       “It’s so nice to hear it…” Helene closes her eyes for two seconds with a tender smile on her face. “I don’t know what I would do if I hadn’t met you… I’d probably work all day long and become a certain careerist.”       “Your grandmother wouldn’t be happy,” Peter laughs shyly.       “Yeah… I thought she needed a little to start looking for a boyfriend for me.” Helene falls into silence for a second and waves her hand shyly. “Anyway, I found the one, who makes me happy. I don’t need another man.”       “Another man would have no chance,” Peter raises his head proudly. “You wouldn’t reject such a gorgeous, handsome man, who would caress his sweetheart like a puppy and become a wild animal to protect her.”       “Of course, no, honey. I’ll always love you. All your love won’t be unanswered. I’ll give you everything you want.”       Peter looks at Helene with a true smile for two seconds and hugs her touchingly, starting to caress the girl’s back with one hand and putting the other hand on the back of her head. Marshall caresses Rose’s shoulder with one hand and runs her second hand through his little dirty wheat-blond hair, and runs it against and with the grain. While Sammy watches them with interest, sitting in front of the lovers with his tongue out.       “I don’t need too much, sweetie,” Peter says in a quiet, soft voice. “I just want you to be by my side. Not to let me forget that someone needs me yet.”       “I will,” Helene promises confidently, embraces Peter tighter, putting her arms around his neck, and kisses him on the temple. “I promise.”       Peter presses Helene closer to himself with a much wider smile and enjoys her pretense with closed eyes, caressing her head and back, snuggling his nose in her shoulder and hair, and breathing in the smell of the tanned skin on the lady’s neck. A few seconds later, the man weakens the grip and, holding the back of his sweetheart’s head and back, kisses her on the cheek tenderly, making her smile shyly and look down. Rose looks into Marshall’s eyes for two seconds and gives her a tender, short kiss on the lips. Then she answers him with the same one.       After a few kisses, the lovers cannot refuse the pleasure of connecting their lips for a longer one. Peter tenderly puts his warm palms of his hands on Helene’s cheek and softly grabs her face later. While she holds him by the neck with both hands, later runs one hand through the man’s hair, slides over it, and starts to caress his head tenderly. Sammy would be happy to play the fool with the young people and prevent their idyll. But for a certain reason, the dog is quietly sitting in front of Helene and Peter and watching them with interest, letting the lovers relax just a little.       

***

      Meanwhile, Natalia and Edward decide to spend their time together. After doing what he should have done, the man went home, and the girl decided to visit him for some time. He is just starting to feel that he can barely stand from strong exhaustion, while all his muscles are still tense, and every single movement is hard for him due to the hellish pain in his whole body. Edward, who has already taken a shower and put on a soft hoodie with a hood, a t-shirt, and paints, is sitting in the office chair and nervously knocking at the writing table with a pen, as he looks into the distance with his tired, sad eyes. And Natalia is walking in the room slowly, but later she leans on the wall with her back near a half-open window, from which the cold wind is blowing.       “Yeah, I didn’t think today would be over like this,” Edward confesses in a low voice.       “Nobody knew it would happen…” Natalia replies with sadness in her eyes. “The girls and I didn’t also think you’d be in trouble. At first, only Raquelle was terribly nervous. But later, Helene and I began to be anxious. We couldn’t calm down… And then Sammy started to whine and bark. Oh… Those three hours were so unbearable…”       “Trust me, for the lads and me, those three hours were more terrible. Though, none of us thought everything would last for so long.”       “If I’d known it would happen to you, I would’ve begged you not to go there,” Natalia says with pity in her eyes. “I could’ve lost you so many times… Wainwright beat you black and blue, and you have no area without bruises and blood… And you could fall from that cliff…”       “I knew I could die or suffer. But I also knew I must have fought. Fought until the last breath. While I could stand on my feet. For my close people. For those I was responsible for.”       “Edward…”       “It’s true,” Edward turns himself to Natalia, sitting in the office chair. “The thoughts about my close people helped me hold on even when my legs got weak, I got bruises and blood all over my body, and a wish to fall, have a rest. and catch a breath got obsessed with me.”       Edward swallows up nervously.       “I kept the images of my close people in my head and played their voices that said I should’ve fought,” Edward adds with a quiet voice. “That they loved me, and I had no right to lose and turn into a coward shabby puppy. It was a game, in which the lads were involved because of my wish to follow Wainwright. It meant I must not have put my tail between my legs. For me, it wasn’t just a fight with your offender. It was a fight for life.”       “I know, sweetie,” Natalia replies with a slight smile, comes to Edward, and takes his hands softly. “I’m proud of you and your braveness and resolution. I highly appreciated everything you did. And I’m glad you were ready to take on this responsibility and pay for the consequences. That’s why nobody can say you’re an irresponsible idiot, who thought of nothing and wanted to pay for nothing.”       “I always take responsibility for all the consequences. This time is not an exclusion. I knew what I was gonna do and was ready to risk and sacrifice myself.”       “And you didn’t give up.”       “Yeah, but I didn’t finish what I started successfully.”       “Why? Wainwright’s been caught!”       “But my brother! He suffered!”       “Edward…”       “Oh…” Edward sighs with despair. “If I could turn time back, I would do something for that syringe was gotten into me, not Terrence. My brother shouldn’t have suffered. As well as Daniel and Peter. I am ashamed that I let it happen.”       “The doctor said that everything wasn’t lost,” Natalia recalls. “So, Terrence can get well.”       “Yes, his words definitely give me hope.” Edward turns on the table again and folds his hands on it, looking into the distance with sadness in his eyes. “But I think I should’ve been instead of Terrence. Now it’s not about my regret, it’s about what would’ve been right. Fair. And it would’ve right if I had become Wainwright’s victim.”       “No, Edward, don’t say it.”       “I didn’t resist when he would’ve wanted to get the needle into me. I was ready to die… But… Terrence didn’t let… And he decided to become a victim…” Edward falls into silence for two seconds and shakes his head. “It shouldn’t have happened… Shouldn’t have…”       Natalia watches Edward with sadness and sympathy in her eyes for two seconds, comes to him slowly but confidently, and hugs him from behind tenderly, putting her arms around his neck and snuggling her nose in the top of his head.       “Hey, sweetheart…” Natalia pronounces quietly and kisses Edward on the top of his head. “Are you blaming yourself for everything again?”       “Whatever the people say, Terrence ended up in the hospital because of me,” Edward replies without emotions.       “Nobody blames you for anything. Vice versa, everybody’s thankful to you for keeping Terrence alive. You’re the reason why Wainwright injected much less sedative into him than he wanted.”       “Nobody just finds the courage to say it, looking into my eyes. They’re afraid to hurt me… Even my brother didn’t wanna blame me.”       “No, Edward, it’s not the truth!”       “It is, Natalia. It is. One day, I was judged for almost killing Terrence under the pressure of Michael. But now everybody blames me for him being close to death.”       “But you didn’t inject that shit into Terrence.”       “I took him to that wood!”       “Terrence wouldn’t have let you go there alone. He loves you and protects you as a loving older brother.”       “Damn, I’m so sorry about going there… How many people suffer because of my thoughtless act! Because I’m an idiot, who turned off his brains.”       “Terrence’s gonna be fine.” Natalia tenderly kisses Edward’s cheek, still hugging him from behind, while he keeps looking into the distance. “Please, stop blaming yourself for what happened.”       “I can’t…”       “Edward, sweetie…”       “I am an idiot… Brainless and irresponsible idiot…”       “Even if you risked a lot, your actions prove your bravery and determination. You weren’t afraid of messing up with such a horrible man, who could’ve easily made you a cutlet. You were protecting the lads, and they were helping you. You all acted like people, who are connected by a strong friendship.”       “I would’ve killed myself if Rose and Perkins had suffered because of that bastard. If Wainwright had injected that shit into them… Not to feel this fucking sense of shame… Which’s tearing me apart…”       “Please, Edward, don’t say such horrible things,” Natalia begs with pity in her wet eyes. “You’re hurting me…”       “I just wanted to save you from that sick bastard… This is the only reason why I went there…”       “Yes, sweetie, I know. You proved that I could feel quiet next to you again. That you could protect me from any stinkers.”       “I’m ready to tear anyone for you.” Edward softly caresses Natalia’s arms that are wrapped around his neck with a shy smile. “Even if your enemy is dangerous. When the case is about you, it doesn’t scare me. I don’t care who to fight with.”       “I know.”       “If Wainwright hadn’t had to do with you and hadn’t danced attendance upon my uncle, I wouldn’t even come to him. I was so horrified when being next to that man… Especially now, we know he is a pervert, who hates young girls, and a drug addict. But knowing that my beloved girl can’t sleep at night quietly and is afraid to meet him, I told myself I must have ended it.”       “But now everything is over,” Natalia replies quietly, presses Edward closer to herself, and rubs her cheek against his cheek with a slight smile. “From now, Wainwright is under the police’s control. I’m sure that he’s gonna be under triple control now.”       “We don’t know what’s gonna happen to him after the fall… Maybe, that motherfucker is so tough that he will survive. Or much worse – he will find a way to run away again and kill us.”       “I think Mr. Johnson will tell us about it if it happens. And he’ll keep us aware of what’s happening and what the doctors say.”       “And it would be terribly unfair if that stinker survived, and Terrence or Daniel’s sister got worse. They’re victims. Innocent victims.”       “I don’t know what about Daniel’s sister, but I’m sure that Terrence will live,” Natalia replies confidently. “I believe his doctor, who says there’s a chance to save him. He didn’t look like he wanted to calm us down, so we weren’t too worried.”       “I’m also trying to believe it. But I can barely do it.”       “I get it, Edward. I know how much you’re worried about your brother, whom you love so much.”       “Right… I love… And I am closely attracted to my brother… If I lose him, I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”       “It’s gonna be okay, honey,” Natalia says softly and runs the back of her hand over Edward’s cheek. “You need to relax. You’re too tense.”       “I can’t…” Edward shakes his head, looking at his hands with sadness in his eyes. “I can’t come to myself after such a great shock… I… I’m kind of tired and barely can stand on my feet… I feel… How I’m shaking. All my muscles… They’re tense…”       “I guess you’re still on the adrenaline.”       “I’m supposed to be quiet and indifferent, but no…” Edward looks around the whole room with his dead eyes. “It seems like I’m back to the state that I had during the fight with Uncle.”       “Edward…”       “Seriously, Natalia, I don’t feel myself now… I am at war with nobody knows what… Even if I tell myself something to calm down, I can’t relax. I keep shaking… Being a paranoic that waits for someone to attack them.”       “Sweetheart…” Natalia pronounces with sadness in her eyes, stroking Edward’s hair down.       “I…” Edward swallows up nervously, still looking into the distance with empty eyes. “I have to hide it so hard, so people don’t think I’m out of my mind. I… Shake at any noise. I’m ready to… Attack anyone… Seriously, if someone came to me without warning, I would immediately attack. But it scares me, you see…”       “Are you ready to attack me?” Natalia rounds her eyes.       “I’m afraid of it… Afraid to hurt my close people.”       “My gosh, Edward, you’re scaring me.” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheek and kisses him on the temple. “I’m worried about you.”       “Oh, I’m afraid of me, too…” Edward gets up from the chair slowly with a quiet sigh, comes to the window, leans on the windowsill with both hands, and starts to look at the lights from windows or streetlamps in the darkness. “I’m spending my last strength to keep my emotions inside… But if only you knew how much I wanna destroy my fucking room… Hit someone… Shout at someone…”       Natalia does not find the courage to come to Edward, being afraid to stand in his way, and keeps standing not far from the chair and watching the man with sadness in her eyes.       “But I can’t…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice. “Because I may mess up everything… I shall pay for the consequences, not anyone else.”       Edward stands near the window for two seconds and watches what’s happening, but then he steps back, comes to the bed slowly, sits on it, and looks at the zipper on his unzipped hoodie. At first, Natalia watches the man with pity in her eyes and listens to him closely, not having the courage to attack him with hugs. But when he sits down, the girl comes to him slowly, sits down behind him, and caresses his shoulder and back a little hesitantly.       “Maybe, I'm pretending?” Edward asks. “Maybe, I haven’t become a really strong man? What if I made myself think I changed, became different, and began to feel freer? What if I still remained a cowardly and worthless puppy?”       “No, Edward, don’t say it,” Natalia protests. “You’re not cowardly and worthless.”       “What if this is an autosuggestion? What if the people told me the truth about me never being able to become different? Uncle Michael, Wainwright, their gang… They said I’d always stay cowardly and insecure. And… I’m starting to think that those people were right.”       “Sweetheart…”       “I’ll hardly change someday and become brave and confident. I shall remain a little, cowardly boy that fears everything in the world.”       “Jesus, forget everything they told you. It’s not the truth. You’re not what they called you.”       “Maybe…” Edward half turns on Natalia and looks at her with sadness in his eyes. “Maybe, am I not the brave, strong, and confident man that you need? Maybe, you should… Find another man?”       “What?” Natalia opens her eyes widely, feeling how her heart misses a beat.       “I can’t be as trustworthy as you want. I may easily be cowardly and hide in a bust. But you need the one, who would always protect you, even when he’s scared. You deserve to be with a brave and confident man. Not a coward that could be a hero only in his dreams.”       “No…” Natalia shakes her head sharply with tears coming to her eyes. “No, don’t say it!”       “It’s all an act. Autosuggestion. I’m actually still as hesitant and cowardly as I was when I came into the life of the guys.”       “Please, Edward, get these things out of your mind! You don’t understand what you say!”       “Such a cowardly man like me may destroy you someday,” Edward replies without emotions on his face. “Though, I don’t want it so much. I won’t forgive myself if something happens to you because of me.”       “No, Edward, no!” Natalia grabs Edward’s face tenderly and caresses it, looking at him with wet eyes full of pity. “You’ve changed really much in the past year.”       “I thought I changed.”       “No, you’ve really become different.”       “Please, Natalia…”       “Yes, maybe, you were a hesitant and unhappy man to some extent. But now everything’s different. Now I’m sitting in front of a brave, confident, and strong man. The former Edward MacClife is gone –there’s a different one now. The Edward MacClife, who I’m gonna get married to soon. Who has proven that he’d be my loving protector.”       “Don’t count on me…” Edward shakes his head. “I may frame you… As well as I framed the guys.”       “Listen, Edward…” Natalia moves a strand of hair off Edward’s eyes and starts to caress his head tenderly. “I know it’s very hard for you now. But you shouldn’t give up. You must believe everything’s gonna be okay.”       “How? Losing my close people is my weakness! If something happens to someone, I go crazy from grief.”       “You’ll see Terrence will get well, and you’ll calm down and stop blaming yourself for what happened.”       “No… I will not…”       “You can do it, I know it. My man can do anything!”       “I’m sick, Natalia…” Edward pronounces with pity in his red eyes. “Terribly exhausted… I’ve got no strength…”       “You just got too nervous. And the adrenaline doesn’t let you relax. You want it, but it makes you fret and fume.”       “I’m in despair… I wanna piss everything off and withdraw from everyone…”       “No, don’t withdraw yourself.” Natalia runs her warm hand over Edward’s cheek. “You’d get worse.”       “Nothing would be changed if I whined.”       “You’d get better.”       “I doubt.”       “Listen, Edward… Look at me.” Natalia raises Edward’s face by taking him by the chin and making him look into her eyes shamelessly. “Please, don’t keep everything inside. You feel bad now because you’re holding yourself down. But trust me, when you open your heart, you will get better.”       “I don’t hide what I’m worried about.”       “Yes, but you’re hiding many things. You talk briefly about what you’re worried about. You don’t reveal your soul.”       “I don’t wanna say the same thing for the hundredth time.”       “Maybe, you wanna shed a tear?”       “No!” Edward turns his back on Natalia sharply. “No, I can’t. I must not do it! I must not!”       “There’s nothing bad in a crying man. It’s not weakness, it’s bravery. When someone cries, they aren’t afraid to show their real side. They can stay themselves. They aren’t afraid of being a little vulnerable.”       “Everybody thinks I’m weak… But if I cry, I will lose their respect.”       “But you’ve shed a tear many times before.”       “Yes, I cried. And I’m ashamed. Ashamed of letting myself be weak.”       “Expressing your emotions should never make you feel ashamed. You must be ashamed when you can’t be sorry, feel pity, and be afraid. When you stay cold even when your close people are dying.”       “I know…”       “You can always count on me.” Natalia hugs Edward from behind tenderly, wrapping his waist with her arms, and puts her head on his shoulder. “Just tell me how I could make your condition better. I’d do anything for you.”       “I’m afraid nothing can help me.”       “It’s okay, Edward, it’s okay,” Natalia says in a soft voice and cutely kisses Edward on the cheek, holding him by the head. “Relax…”       “Damn, how much I hate to be like this…” Edward replies in a low voice and runs his hands over his face. “My own powerlessness irritates me! When I can’t behave like a man.”       “Even in these situations, I don’t stop believing in you.” Natalia takes Edward’s hands. “Do you remember what I always tell you?”       “I’m stronger than I think?”       “Exactly! The fact that you’re still standing on your feet after what’s happened to you, means you’re incredibly strong. You’re not a coward because you don’t run from your enemies, you fight with them. A coward would run away with wet pants! But you raise your head proudly and go to fight. For yourself and your close people.”       “Yeah… I fight with my enemies on my shaking legs…”       “Because you’re very purposeful. You wanna get what you want, despite any barriers. Failures don’t scare you. You keep moving on. While someone else would piss everything off.”       “I am disappointed in me. Because I could not protect my brother. And I let my friend suffer.”       “But we weren't disappointed in you. We’re proud of you. Proud of such a brave man like you.”       “I’m very sorry… I didn’t want everything to be over like this.”       “Please, Edward, don’t blame yourself.”       “You see… I’m acting like a whining boy… A little fucking whining boy…”       “Just let me help you, and I promise you’ll get better soon.”       “Will you do it?”       “Undoubtedly.” Natalia steps back from Edward, moves closer to the wall, puts the pillow comfortably, and leans on it with her back. “I can accept and give. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have had the point in marrying me.”       Edward says nothing and looks into the distance with dead eyes for two seconds, clenching his hands into fists tightly and shaking his leg nervously. Then the man moves his eyes to Natalia hesitantly and swallows up nervously.       “Hug me?” Edward asks quietly with sadness in his eyes and moves closer to Natalia.       Not saying a word, Natalia hugs Edward tightly from behind and presses him to herself, running her fingers through his hair, kissing him on the temple cutely, and putting her hand on his cheek, while the man’s head rests on her chest, and he looks into the distance with dead eyes with the thought that the corners of his eyes get wet.       “It’s okay, sweetie, it’s okay,” Natalia says literally in a whisper and kisses Edward on the cheek. “I’m with you.”       “It’s insane…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice. “Unbearable…”       “You can overcome it, I’m sure about it.”       Edward says nothing and just exhales slowly with closed eyes, while Natalia caresses his head.       “You know…” Edward pronounces a little hesitantly. “I almost gave up… When Wainwright locked me in the house… And when he beat me strongly enough…”       “Despair?” Natalia asks quietly.       “Yup… And I had no strength. He got me so exhausted that I was literally falling… I thought I stayed alone, without the guys, who left, as I thought.”       “That’s why the guys didn’t leave you.”       “At heart, I knew I wouldn’t hold on alone for a long time. But I didn’t wanna confess it. I didn’t wanna seem weak.” Edward sniffs quietly. “I took a heavy burden and thought I could take it. I was too stubborn and obsessed with the wish to make that stinker pay for everything he did. I couldn’t stop and knew I would die if I let myself give in.”       “If something happened to you, I wouldn’t bear it.” Natalia kisses Edward on the top of his head and carefully wipes off a tear under his eye. “I wouldn’t care if Wainwright was free. And… I would let him do anything to me. With the thought that nobody could save me.”       “That’s why I made myself hold on.”       “But why did you go if you knew you wouldn’t do it alone?”       “For you. To save you from that sick freak.”       “And because you wanted to prove to someone that the people were wrong when they thought you’re worthless and cowardly. You wanted to be a hero for them again.”       “Yeah…” Edward falls into silence for two seconds and glances aside. “I don’t deny that I like being a hero. But I was playing a hero for a noble reason. For what made me get up when I fell. From despair and a wish to give up. I could not make everybody think they were wrong when saying I changed. I should’ve proven to everybody and myself that I was the one they thought I was.”       “Why? Your close people do know who you are!”       “I’ve been trying to prove it all my life.” Edward sniffs quietly again. “I wanna stop hearing that nobody needs me, and my birth was a mistake. I’m sick of feeling like a worthless reject.”       “Stop, Edward, you don’t have to prove anything. Did Wainwright make you think of the way you were treated?”       “I’ve never forgotten it. I just didn’t think about it when I was next to those, for whom I’m not an empty shell and a cowardly puppy. But I do remember everything well.”       “No, honey, it’s all over.”       “I know it’s a trauma. The trauma that I got in childhood. It’s the reason why I always wanna know that I mean something to someone and can do something. I’m not a narcissist, who always needs praise, but I do need it. I need someone to appreciate what I do. I wanna know that I’m loved. I wanna make everybody stop associating me with a little baby. With a little, barking puppy.”       “Many people need you. You’re loved by them. They all believe in you and appreciate your efforts, even if they criticize you sometimes.”       “To hear just one good word, I’m ready for anything. Even to risk my life. Play a hero and save the whole world.”       “But any heroes also have failures,” Natalia notices confidently. “They sometimes may have a breakdown, feel despair, and want to wish up. But every real hero understands that nothing can stop them.”       “I know, but it’s like a humiliation to me. Any failure and any moment of shame is a hit on my underbelly. That’s what makes me vulnerable.”       “I understand you, Edward, but you shouldn’t react to failures like this. It’s hard, I don’t deny it, but you’ve gotta move on. With your head up.”       “I am moving on. And I’m pretending that I’m taking all of that easily. While I’m tearing apart from shame and soul pain.”       “Edward…”       “I was really scared when I thought I’d have to fight alone. Though, I couldn’t show it… But when I saw that the guys were safe and sound and didn’t leave… I was madly glad because it would be easier for me with their help. But on the contrary, I was terribly scared, ‘cause Wainwright could do anything to them. And… I realized I had a triple responsibility: protecting myself, standing for the lads, and making what I wanted come true, It was a too great responsibility… And I was afraid I couldn’t take it.”       “But you did all of that brilliantly.” Natalia tenderly kisses Edward on the cheek, locking her finger on his chest. “Wainwright is under the police’s control, and you protected yourself and the lads.”       “But I couldn’t…” Edward wants to say with sadness in his eyes.       “Sh-h…” Natalia softly puts her fingers on Edward’s lips. “Quiet, sweetheart. Say nothing.”       “My brother…”       “I repeat, you aren’t guilty of what happened to Terrence. Your brother would’ve done it anyway. Moreover, it happened that you also saved him. He’s alive now. We would’ve lost him if not for you.”       “The case of my brother will be my sin. As well as your suffering. I was a stupid idiot when I believed in your betrayal and let the people of Uncle take you away from me.”       “Please, Edward, don’t think about it,” Natalia begs with sadness in her eyes. “Thinking about it gives me pain.”       “But it’s true, Natalia. I am a walking mistake. That ruins everything.”       “Do you think your brother is holy and innocent? Ask Mrs. MacClife about how many times Terrence made her worried when he was a kid. That guy has never been a good boy.”       “For the years of my life, I’ve beaten much more times than Terrence, Daniel, and Peter all together. Bruises and scars literally became my ‘inseparable friends’. And how many insults I’ve heard!”       “Yes, you all were scared. But you three behaved so worthily and didn’t get confused in a dangerous situation. You all are our heroes, who proved your bravery and loyalty and the power of your friendship.”       “It’s called an instinct for self-preservation. Even a coward would become brave and start to fight as if their life depended on it.”       “You’ve never been a coward,” Natalia replies confidently, puts her hand on Edward’s cheek with a slight smile, and, caressing it softly, turns his face to herself. “You’re my hero. A brave, determined, and confident hero.”       Natalia carefully fixes Edward’s hair and moves some strands off his face that she caresses with both hands, looking into his half-wet, sad eyes.       “A coward is used to counting on someone and waiting for their protection. They’re always hiding and ready to frame the others to stay alive.”       “So, I…” Edward pronounces hesitantly. “Not… Cowardly?”       “Not at all! A determined and brave man is sitting in front of me. You’re no longer a little lion. You’re an adult lion. A wild animal that’s ready to tear apart anyone for the memories of their pride.”       “I’ve always doubted myself… What I do…”       “Maybe, it’s true. But you’ve always been unbelievably kind, very tender, caring, and loyal. Life stories didn’t turn you into a monster. Though, you’ve been under pressure many times. You were wanted to suffer and feel shy of you. And maybe, they did it. But they did not deprive you of a pure heart. They didn’t make you a heartless scumbag that was sure other people were guilty of their problems.”       “Love for my close people is the reason.”       “And when you love someone, you accept them anyway,” Natalia smiles shyly. “And you do encourage them to change. You don’t criticize them and ignore their strong sides.”       These words make Edward smile much wider for the first time today. A special gloss shows up in his red, wet eyes, and something nice and warm spreads all over his body and helps him relax his tense muscles.       “Natalia, my angel…” Edward pronounces softly, reaches his hand to Natalia’s cheek, and caresses it softly, looking at the girl tenderly, while she touches his wrist with her fingertips.       “Sweetheart…” Natalia smiles cutely and rubs the tip of her nose against Edward’s nose, making him laugh shyly.       “You know… I must confess I got a little better. At least, I can finally breathe well.”       “It’s gonna be okay,” Natalia assures in a low, nice voice. “You can do this.”       “Oh, I don’t even know how I’ll come to myself after what happened…” Edward says quietly, caressing one of Natalia’s hands resting on his chest.       “I’m ready to help. I’d anything you’d ask me about.”       Edward steps back from Natalia silently and turns his face on her. The man looks at her red, little fluffy eyes that look at him with sympathy for two seconds, opens his arms, and takes the girl in a tender hug that she accepts with pleasure. He buries his nose in his beloved girl’s shoulder that he caresses softly and runs his other hand over her back very slowly. While his head rests on the blonde’s shoulder, and he is breathing a little heavily and keeping his eyes closed tightly with the realization that a tear is rolling down his cheek, she caresses it very tenderly, strokes her sweetheart’s hair, and the other hand holds the nape of his neck.       After all the painful hits, this tender care seems to be something wonderful to Edward. Because of their argument, Natalia and he distanced themselves from each other a little. But now the lovers are madly happy to see, hug, and kiss their beloved person, who they missed so much. This girl is like the air for the man. It seems like he will die if he lets her go. Go crazy. This fear makes Edward press Natalia tightly to himself with a shake in his whole body and breathe in the flower smell of her soft, golden hair, as he buries his nose in the top of her head, caresses it, and runs his hands over her back. He feels much quieter, while she, sobbing quietly, keeps her arms wrapped around his waist, caresses his back, and snuggles her nose in the tough, wide chest that always spreads incredible warmth.       “You’re so warm…” Edward pronounces with a slight smile.       “You are, too,” Natalia confesses. “I just realized how much I missed your strong hugs.”       “And me?”       “Everything about you.”       Edward tenderly kisses Natalia’s temple and the back of her head with a shy smile and presses the girl to himself like she is the dearest thing that he has. He closes his half-wet eyes for two seconds, raises his head up, exhales slowly, and snuggles his nose in the top of his fiancée’s head, running his fingers through her thick hair.       “After long-time hits, slaps, and humiliations, this moment seems magical to me,” Edward confesses in a low, nice voice and kisses Natalia on the cheek cutely. “You literally bring me to life.”       “It’s okay, it will be gone soon,” Natalia replies softly and cutely kisses Edward on his neck. “I will be kissing all of your bruises, so they’re gone sooner.”       Natalia tenderly caresses Edward’s back with both hands, on which there are many bruises, and makes the man shake and wince when she strongly presses on some hurtful area.       “Oh, sorry, sorry…” Natalia jabs and softly caresses the same place on Edward’s back. “I didn’t mean…”       “It’s okay, my sunshine…” Edward pronounces in a nice, low voice, slowly running his hand from the top of Natalia’s head to the small of her back. “It’s okay…”       A few seconds later, Natalia steps back from Edward, moves her eyes to him with a slight smile, and just examines the man’s eyes. The distance between their faces is only a few centimeters. That’s why they get more attracted to each other and it’s getting harder to resist a wish to kiss their beloved person. While their eyes look deeply into the soul, the man steps back from his fiancée and lowers his hands. Like charmed, the lovers look into each other’s eyes or at each other’s lips for a few seconds. And then the girl cuts a short distance confidently. He closes his eyes with the feeling that he can barely breathe, and his heart stops when he feels the tender touch of the lady’s hot lips on his lips, but he does not step away and stays quiet and relaxed.       A few seconds later, Natalia puts her hands on Edward’s cheeks tenderly, while he caresses the girl’s head and moves some golden strands aside. The man powerlessly answers the continuous kiss of his fiancée, who is caressing his lips so tenderly that he forgets everything in the world, and starts to hold her face with his warm hands, feeling how nicely his heart trembles. Planning just to help him relax and give him a small dose of pleasure, Natalia slowly steps back from Edward a few seconds later and looks into his eyes with a slight smile. While he expresses his thanks with just one glance and leaves a cute peck on the tip of her nose at some moment.       “Stay with me for a night,” Edward says shyly, caressing Natalia’s cheek.       “Stay for a night?” Natalia specifies hesitantly.       “Yes… Please, sweetheart, spend this night with me… I don’t wanna stay alone. I’m afraid I’ll start to think of bad things again… I’d feel much better if you were near me.”       “Won’t your parents mind?”       “Of course, not, my love. They’re always happy to see you here. And they’ll hardly know you’re here ‘till tomorrow, ‘cause Father and Mother went to their room a long time ago and wouldn’t leave it.”       “Well, if it’s so…”       “So, will you stay?”       “Well, I don’t know…” Natalia smiles shyly, rolling her eyes. “I need to think…”       “Please, the light of my life, don’t leave me alone…” Edward takes Natalia’s hand and caresses it softly. “Moreover, it’s dark outside. But I don’t want you to be alone outside at this time. I won’t be quiet…”       “Even if I get on a bus?”       “Stay with me, Natalia…” Edward begs with pity in his eyes. “Please… I need you… I can’t do without you… And I want you to be with me tonight.”       “You know…” Natalia bites her lip slightly. “I… Won’t be quiet if I leave you here alone.”       “That’s why I must have my queen by my side.”       “So, you will have!” Natalia exclaims with a much wider smile.       “Do you agree to be my company tonight?”       “Since you asked me about it, refusing would be a sin.”       Edward smiles shyly, kisses Natalia on the cheek, and hugs her touchingly, wrapping the girl’s waist with both arms. While she caresses his head tenderly, being happy that the man asked her to stay because she did not want to miss such a wonderful chance to spend much more time with him.       

***

      Two days later. Lunchtime. Daniel went to the room of his younger sister, Cassidy. Luckily, the girl stayed alive after everything that happened to her, even if she is going to take a very long, hard way to her final recovery. After the talk with the doctor, he is finally allowed to visit her, finds out the number of the room, and goes to her. When he quickly finds the door he needs, he opens it carefully and enters the room. The double one. There is light laminate on the floor, and two beds are placed not far from one another… A lot of light gets into the room through the large window, and there are also small bedside tables and a few comfortable chairs.       Cassidy is lying on one of the beds. It might seem that the girl is unconscious, but she is not – she is just sleeping on the side with her back turned to the door. Her quiet, regular breath is saying it. A cannula that lets her breathe is set in her nose, a needle is gotten under her arm and gives something to her organism from a small capacity that is hung near the bed, and machines show how some of her organs work, making stable, monotonous sounds. Daniel watches his sleeping sister for two or three seconds with sadness in his eyes. But then he comes to her slowly but confidently, sits on the bed, and caresses her hand softly. A few seconds later, the girl winces slightly, opens her eyes, and moves her sleepy eyes to her brother.       “Hey, sis,” Daniel says softly.       “Danny, bro…” Cassidy pronounces in a hoarse voice with a little exhausted smile.       “How are you? You feel better?”       “At least, not as terrible as I did before.”       “I went to you shortly after the doctor let me visit you.”       “I didn’t believe when I realized I didn’t die…” Cassidy falls into silence for two seconds and looks at Daniel with sadness in her eyes. “I thought I’d never see you…”       “I was also terribly scared that I’d lose you again,” Daniel replies softly and caresses Cassidy’s hand. “The doctors were worried because of your hard condition and couldn’t guarantee that you’d survive.”       “Yeah…” Cassidy smiles slightly. “I’m glad I’m alive, too… And saw you again.”       “And we will never be apart.” Daniel softly caresses Cassidy’s cheek. “I promise, sissy.”       “Hey, what happened after I passed out? What happened to Wainwright? What about your friends? How did you get out of there?”       “The police and an ambulance came there some time later.”       “Really?”       “One of the guys called the friend of his father, who worked in the police, and asked him to send the police. We had to wait for a long time, but they came.”       “Cool… I’m glad you got out and stayed alive.”       “Not quite… My friend was also taken to the hospital.”       “What?” Cassidy gets horrified. “He suffered?”       “Sadly, yes.”       “But what happened to him? It’s because of Wainwright, yeah?”       “Yes, Wainwright was the one to blame.”       “He injected drugs into him?”       “No, the doctors said it was a large dose of sedative. It’s a little higher than a normal one, but there’s hope that Terrence survives.”       “Oh, how awful!” Cassidy closes her mouth with a hand with horror in widely open eyes. “I was so afraid that he could do something with one of you… Especially, you…”       “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”       “I’m very sorry about your friend, Daniel,” Cassidy expresses sympathy, taking Daniel’s hand. “I hope he’ll get well soon.”       “Although he’s been unconscious for two days, we try to believe that everything’s gonna be okay,” Daniel replies with sadness in his eyes. “At least, his fever is finally gone. Yesterday, it was high, but after yesterday, it was super high.”       “Just something.”       “It would be madly unfair if Terrence died.”       “Terrence? The one to be in the hospital?”       “Yup.”       “Who’s that from the guys?”       “The tallest one with black hair.”       “And there was another one with black hair, as I remember!”       “That’s Edward, his younger brother. And the only blond is Peter.”       “I quickly memorized him thanks to the hair color,” Cassidy smiles mysteriously. “And he’s very handsome.”       “So, Cass, did ya like the blond?” Daniel laughs shyly, slapping Cassidy on the nose slightly.       “He’s really a pretty boy! I’ve never met a more handsome guy.”       “M-m-m… My sis got a crush on Pete…”       “Listen, Dan…” Cassidy says nothing for two seconds and smiles slyly. “Does he have a girlfriend? Maybe, I try to hook up with him?”       “No, sis, close your mouth! Peter is taken and dating a girl.”       “Sorry… That guy is freaking good.”       “Of course, I wouldn’t mind being the brother-in-law of my best friend. But alas, his heart belongs to a very good girl.”       “You can encourage!”       “I just let you know you had no chance.”       “Okay! But Peter is handsome anyway. The girl, who got such a pretty boy, is lucky. And I’m a little jealous of her.”       “Many girls wanted to be with him, but he chose only one.”       “Okay! It’s a fail then!”       “I’m surprised that you had time to examine someone.”       “Of course, I did! And I must confess that you have very good friends. These guys are so sweet and kind. Though, I was scared when they just entered the room.”       “Oh, I’d trust those guys with my life,” Daniel confesses with a slight smile. “I’m madly lucky to have such cool friends. They’re like brothers to me, who I can confidently call my close people, who will never betray me. Unlike those, who betrayed me a few years ago.”       “How long have you befriended them? How did you meet them?”       “I’ve known Peter for much longer… We met one year later after you’d left home. And four years later, I met Terrence, and then he introduced Edward to Peter and me.”       “And what were you doing after I left home?”       “At first, I tried to find you with the police’s help, but they couldn’t help me and pronounced you a missing person some time later. I was worried for a long time and trying to earn money for life and furniture for the house that was almost empty.”       “And you did it?”       “Yup, my love for guitar play was good to me ‘cause I found the announcement about looking for a bass guitarist in a band. I thought I could try and decided to go to the audition. And I met Peter there. So, after all the auditions, we both joined the band: I became a bass guitarist, and he was a drummer.”       “Wow!” Cassidy wonders. “Peter is a drummer… Such a sexy pretty boy plays drums…”       “Yes. We played in the band for a few years. I earned a lot of money for life and home improvement. And some time before Peter and I left the band, we met Terrence. He joined our band and became a guitarist.”       “He went to the audition?”       “Nope, a girl, who was his friend, persuaded her father to admit him to the band. So, as he loved his daughter very much, he couldn’t refuse.”       “I see…”       “One nasty girl that we all couldn’t take was singing in our band. She was a terrible egoist and the rudest and most non-educated girl I had ever known. Oh, how much she annoyed Rose and me! We were ready to strangle her. But on the contrary, we loved mocking her. Sometimes we had a lot of fun.”       “And what happened later?”       “Terrence left the band two weeks later. He had a conflict with the daughter of the band’s producer, she complained to him, and he, speaking rudely, kicked him out. And some time later, Peter and I left, too. The producer disliked us before, but he crossed all the lines the last time. So, the blond and I couldn’t bear it. We stopped speaking to Terrence because of one conflict, but later we met him, reconciled with him, and met his brother, Edward. I came up with the idea of starting our own band, and I told Peter about it, and he agreed to try it. Then Terrence joined us.”       “Yeah, and when there was nothing in the refrigerator, did you all have to go to work?”       “No, I had money at that time. I didn’t live like a rich man, but I didn’t suffer from poverty. Even when I regularly pay for my accounts, I still live well and can always please myself.”       “Come on?”       “The hobby of the band became something serious when we performed as an opening act for one popular band and got an offer to sign a contract with a label.”       “Seriously?” Cassidy rounds her eyes. “So, are you gonna be famous soon?”       “I’ve already become,” Daniel says proudly with a sly smile. “We signed the contract and started to work on the album.”       “Wow!” Cassidy smiles widely. “As it turned out, you’re lucky! You got everything easily enough!”       “Not quite… After signing the contract, our band almost broke up. And we almost lost Peter.”       “What happened to him?”       “He tried to kill himself.”       “Come on?” Cassidy opens her eyes widely. “That cute blond tried to die?”       “He had many personal problems that we didn’t know about. And… To some extent, we pushed him to that… Because we, not realizing it, hurt him with our mean jokes.”       “My gosh… That’s good he was saved.”       “Yeah, luckily, we did it in time. And we saved the band. And we even made it larger by asking Edward to join us. So, we became a quartet. We all sing, I’m still a bass guitarist, Peter is a drummer, Terrence is a lead vocalist and a rhythm guitarist, and Edward is a solo guitarist.”       “But why did Edward join you last?”       “He actually helped us with the band’s work from the beginning. And we couldn’t understand what we needed for a long time. But we eventually realized that we needed another guitarist and a bit of powerful energy. Edward perfectly fit us, and we suggested he become one of us. Why not? He’s a talented guy with great potential! You know how much our band changed after he joined us!”       “Did it change so much?”       “You’ll know it when our album is out!”       “Wow, did you record your album?”       “We did. Before the story with Wainwright, we were promoting it actively and even shot our first music video.”       “Yay, Dan…” Cassidy smiles mysteriously. “I see you didn’t feel bored all this time!”       “Yeah, I didn’t have to be stuck at a store and scan purchases in cash. Wash the floors… Or consult people.”       “Anyway, you made the right choice. You’ve always played guitar incredibly! And you sing amazingly!”       “Thanks, sis,” Daniel thanks with a slight smile. “When you were nice to be sweet and kind, I learned to take a few chords on the guitar.”       “I showed you how to play when you could sometimes stop being an annoying ass.”       “Don’t dare to tell everybody that you taught me to play guitar, ‘cause it’s not the truth.”       “Why not? May your pals know who they must thank for such a talented dude!”       “Yeah, Cass, I see you haven’t changed at all and still remained the same annoying asshole.”       “I’m sure that you’re still the same insolent donkey that you were a few years ago.”       “I’m gonna think you congratulated me on getting that success.”       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Cassidy just laughs shyly.       “Listen, bro, can I listen to you and the lads someday?” Cassidy asks. “I would love to know how you sing!”       “We’ll think about it when you leave the hospital,” Daniel promises thoughtfully. “But now I can just play our first single from the album on my phone.”       “Play it, please!” Cassidy puts a pillow differently and leans on it with her back, being in a half-sitting position. “I wanna hear it.”       “Now.”       Daniel takes his phone, unlocks it, finds the song of “Against The System” called “The Story About Us” and plays it at a low volume. Cassidy falls in love with the song literally after the first few seconds and starts to shake her head with a slight smile along with the music. The man does not hide his wish to sing along with his lyrics, thinking of all the performances of the band, which he cannot wait to renew.       “Wow, it’s fantastic!” Cassidy wonders truly. “I’m in love with this song!”       “Do you recognize my voice?” Daniel asks with a slight smile and starts to sing along with himself.       “Of course, I do! You’ve got such a beautiful voice!”       “Ah, if only you knew how much pleasure I get when I listen to my own song…”       “By the way, your voice has changed so much… It got much lower but much nicer.”       “I’m no longer a boy, I’m an adult man.”       “Yeah, man, I see how much you’ve grown up.”       “Hey, here’s the moment that I’ve screwed it up lately,” Daniel confesses shyly.       “Did you learn to take higher notes?” Cassidy wonders truly. “You usually sang the low notes ‘cause you felt comfortable!”       “The lads and I took a few vocal lessons and worked with teachers. But… I’ve kind of forgotten them lately and… My voice shakes at these moments when singing these lyrics live.”       “Got too excited?”       “I’m always nervous before I go on the stage…”       “But why your voice was shaking?”       “There were the reasons.”       Daniel and Cassidy listen to the rest of the song silently, shaking their heads along with the rhythm slightly. And when it ends, the man puts his phone in his pocket.       “Good, Dan,” Cassidy encourages. “I believe Mommy and Daddy would’ve been proud of you. You’ve gotten so much by yourself and, I guess, made your dreams come true.”       “Yes, some of my wishes have come true,” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “But there’s much more that I’d like to make come true.”       “Do you your band to be famous around the world? And have many fans?”       “I think we have enough fans. Quality is more important to us than quantity. We want us to have the loyal fans that would be by our side, despite nothing.”       “I’m sure you’re gonna have them,” Cassidy assures. “Our parents were right when saying you were very talented at singing and playing guitar.”       “Nice to hear it,” Daniel smiles slightly.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which Daniel throws a little sad look aside.       “You know, I miss our parents sometimes…” Daniel confesses with sadness in his eyes. “It’s been six years since we lost them, but I still can’t believe it happened. You were such a baby…”       “I’ve always lacked them,” Cassidy sighs heavily. “Especially, Mom… I’d like her to hug me and say she loves me.”       “I want it, too… And I’d like to spend some time with Dad. Go somewhere with him, talk to him, ask him about many things… Now I understand how important those moments were.”       “I know… I didn’t appreciate them… And I was actually a bad daughter…”       “No, Cass, don’t say it.” Daniel caresses Cassidy’s shoulder softly, while she looks at her hands with sadness in her eyes.       “It’s true, Daniel. I made Mom and Dad upset so many times…”       “Our parents loved you anyway,” Daniel says confidently. “Besides, I wasn’t a perfect son and gave them many problems. I was a real bandit.”       “At least, you didn’t take drugs,” Cassidy sighs heavily. “And you didn’t have to suffer that some friends used you and spoke to you for some reason.”       “Are you serious? Someone only cared about my money! If I hadn’t had the provided parents, many of those people wouldn’t have come to me closely. They insolently used the fact that I had unlimited money. And I mean girls and men.”       “But there were those, who spoke to you for nothing. Because you’re cool!”       “Right, but there were not so many.”       “Yeah!”       “Listen, I still don’t understand why you actually decided to take that shit. You did know that it wouldn’t lead to anything good.”       “I know… But I was in despair! I felt so bad… I wanted to distract myself somehow… And drugs… They helped me forget about the pain that I felt. When I took it for the first time, I felt very happy. As happy as I had never been.”       “Cassidy…”       “Trust me, I’m regretting taking this hit. I wanted to stop many times, but I couldn’t do it.”       “You ruined your whole life with that thing! And yeah…” Daniel takes a thin strand of Cassidy’s hair and looks at this. “You better tell me what happened to your hair? You had such long hair! Did you cut it?”       “It’s a long story… Do you want me to tell you everything from start to end?”       “No, Cassidy, don’t do it. The doctor said you must not get excited. We’ll talk about it later when you get better.”       “No, I wanna tell you everything now. You must know the truth. The truth about how I started to take drugs.”       “Are you sure you want it?”       “Yes. I need to let it go.”       “Okay. I’m listening to you.”       Cassidy says nothing for two seconds before she looks at Daniel with sadness in her eyes and starts to speak quietly:       “It started with our parents’ death. I mean Dad’s death… And… I wanted to get the attention of the boy, who I liked.”       “Get the attention of one boy?” Daniel wonders.       “Yes, I know it’s too early to think of boys when you’re thirteen, but I did like one boy. He was almost sixteen… It was a friend of one of my schoolmates, who I spoke well with.”       “Excuse me, Cass…” Daniel frowns slightly. “But what did your sympathy for that boy have to do with starting to take drugs?”       “It had, Daniel.” Cassidy sniffs quietly. “That boy was a part of a bad party. At some moment, I started to ask my schoolmate to tell me about his friend. He told me many things, but he warned me not to get in touch with him because they weren’t trustworthy people for a young girl. But I didn’t listen to him and… I found a way to join his party.”       “So, did you start to take drugs after you joined a bad party?” Daniel shakes his head slowly.       “I just wanted to find a reason to talk to that guy,” Cassidy shakes her head with tears in her eyes. “As I was a friend of the schoolmate and hung out with him, his friend was often with us. They loved smoking at times… I also tried to smoke a cigarette a couple of times… But I stopped ‘cause I was coughing strongly.”       “So, one of them was taking drugs?”       “I found out about their dependence on grass at the party at the home of the guy, who I liked. His family got out somewhere for a week, and he decided to have a grandiose party.”       “You were there?”       “Yup, that guy invited me.” Cassidy falls into silence for two seconds and looks down shamelessly. “That party was cool… We were having a great time, drinking alcohol, playing something, dancing… And somewhere in the middle of the party, I told him about the problems of our family. Mom was grieving for Dad, who died from a hard illness. A few weeks were gone after his death… I complained that I felt very bad and had nobody, who could support me. The boys and the girls supported me and said I could count on them. But since I couldn’t stop crying and speaking, they offered me something to smoke. They said it would’ve helped me feel very good…”       Cassidy falls into silence for two seconds to exhale slowly with closed eyes, while Daniel caresses her shoulder or hand softly.       “At first, I refused,” Cassidy says, fingering over nervously. “Drinking a lot was enough to me… But those guys pressed on me more and more. So, I eventually agreed to smoke… I realized that I wanted to forget everything… They showed me how to smoke the grass, and I quickly felt the first feelings. We were laughing like idiots. For nothing… But I felt so perfect. I forgot about my problems, was absolutely relaxed, and stopped crying… I gave a damn about everything and everyone. But later, the euphoria was gone, and I felt bad… And… I wanted more… I really liked those feelings.”       Daniel says nothing for a few seconds and just tries to accept everything that he just heard.       “Why, sis?” Daniel shakes his head with pity in his eyes. “Why? You were such a baby! You were only thirteen!”       “I know,” Cassidy makes a quiet sob.       “You started to call yourself mature too early. Cigarettes, alcohol, grass… Damn, I’ve got nothing to say!”       “I just wanted to talk to that guy and forget that I lost Dad, at least for some time. And when we lost Mom, I felt super lonely. I wanted to get a parental love so badly and couldn’t believe I stayed alone.”       “You weren’t alone.”       “You always gave a fuck about me. You weren’t almost at home and always disappeared somewhere with your friends. But if you were, you and I always fought.”       “It had been happening before Mother and Father died.”       “I was all alone. There was only one way to comfort myself – drugs and the people, who took them with me. I thought they were my friends. But I was deeply wrong…” Cassidy sobs and wipes tears off her cheek, inclining her head guiltily. “They just needed my money, which we wasted on drugs.”       “Is that why you started to steal expensive things and money from home?”       “Yup… I could do anything to get the money from Mother. When she refused, I just stole it from her wallet or the places where she was hiding it. I stole much of her jewelry and everything that could be expensive. And I sold everything… By myself or… With someone’s help… But I had no courage to sell the bracelet that I gave you.”       “Why were you the one to get money?”       “All my friends-addicts weren’t so rich. The boy that I liked had money. However, after finding out about their son’s passion for alcohol and drugs, his father and mother deprived him of any money and banned him from having parties at his home. So… I was the only one to be able to get money and buy more or less enough grass or something strong. Of course, the guys stole something at times, but it wasn’t enough. But I was also deprived of it later because Mother found out that I was taking drugs. She was told by my familiar girls. I wasn’t their friend, but I wasn’t their enemy. But I got a strong hate for them when they betrayed me to Mother, who started scandals literally every single day.”       “I remember. You became very aggressive… Not only did I suffer, but also Mother. Who I could barely calm down. And you stopped eating. Every time Mom asked you to eat, you said you didn’t want to. She was worried that you’d die soon.”       “I know…” Cassidy pronounces in a shaking voice, falls into silence for two seconds, and starts to shake slightly. “So much happened after I’d turned thirteen… You and I lost Dad… And Mom didn’t live for too long because she loved him and couldn’t live alone…”       “They always loved each other so much…”       “I’ve always wanted to have the same touching relationship with a boy as our parents had. They did take care of each other… I don’t even remember them screaming and fighting…”       “Listen, sissy, I understand it was hard for you to survive that tragedy. But you must not have get used to drugs! I don’t deny that I smoked cigarettes and drank alcohol when I was a teenager. But I never even thought of tasting a drug. A couple of friends of mine were drug addicts, but I always rejected an offer to get high and taste something. And when they became chronic drug addicts, and one of them stole a few dollars and some expensive things from me, I actually stopped speaking to them.”       “I know, Dan, I do… But at first, I didn’t understand it was bad and thought I could stop at any time. But I didn’t stop even after Mom’s death…”       “You must’ve harshly said, ‘no’ and left that party where they made you dependent on drugs,” Daniel says determinedly. “You shouldn't have attended it and gotten in touch with that company! Damn, you found people to be comforted by! You had spoken with more decent guys, but you preferred being comforted not by them but by the members of the bad party.”       “I felt bored with those decent folks! I preferred speaking to people, who were a little older. With them, I felt like an adult.”       “Why? Why did you rush? Your childhood is one of the things that we underestimate. A person starts to understand how valuable it is only through the years.”       “I didn’t like that everybody considered me a baby. I was irritated that I was a baby for everybody, while you were called an adult. We even got different gifts! You received cool gadgets, cool clothes, a skateboard, and many more interesting things. And I got stupid dolls, horrible dresses, and other shit that I couldn’t even see.”       “We got gifts that fit our ages.”       “I always liked what you got! But I wasn’t allowed to take any of your gifts! Our parents refused to buy me the same things! I literally got hysteria when our parents or one of our relatives gave me another Barbie or a baby that you should’ve fed and sat on the pot in time.”       “Ah, Cass…” Daniel shakes his head with a slight smile. “You can’t choose gifts. If you get something, you should thank someone. They chose a gift so hard and paid money to make you happy…”       “I would’ve been happy if I had gotten what I wanted, not what everybody thought I needed. I never loved those dolls, babies, dresses, and other girls’ things. We had them unpacked at the closet. I was made a little girl so hard, while you were called an adult man.”       “Don’t forget that you and I have a nine-year age difference."       “It was irritating me. So, I chose a party of older people. Of course, there were people of my age, but not so many. I hang out a lot with people of your age… I was choosing the parties that had more boys. It was hard for me to speak to girls, but it was super easy to speak to boys. With older people, I felt like an adult, and they never cared about me being a little baby. We were the same, and I liked it.”       “I understand your wish to seem older, Cassidy, but it doesn’t mean you should’ve taken drugs. Any bad habit is the way to the abyss. Smoking, alcohol, drugs – every one of these paths may lead you to the middle of nowhere, so you never get out of the labyrinth.”       “I know…”       “Do you understand how Mother was suffering that her daughter was a drug addict? And I was ashamed to tell my friends that my sister was taking drugs! I even said nothing to anyone about you for the same reason. I was afraid that people would reject me! Start to insult me and humiliate me.”       “I’m madly sorry, Daniel!” Cassidy exclaims with despair. “I know I was the punishment of my family. But I understood nothing and was stupid. I didn’t know I was doing a bad thing to Dad, Mom, and you…”       “No, sweetie, don’t say it.” Daniel hugs Cassidy around the shoulders and presses the girl crying quietly to himself, caressing her head. “You weren’t our punishment. Mother and Father loved you with all their hearts, were worried about you, and tried to help you, even if you were a wild child.”       “If I could bring them back… To ask them for forgiveness for everything I did… To say I love them. That I appreciate everything they did for me. That I didn’t wanna hurt them, refusing to play with dolls that they gifted me.”       “Believe me, sis, I also want to apologize to them for many things. For example, for not watching you and letting you leave home. Our parents always told me that I must take care of you as an older brother. These were the last words that I heard from Mother two minutes before she died. But I didn’t take them seriously. Sometimes I actually pretended that I didn’t have a sister. I gave a damn about you… And paid a high cost when I thought you were dead. So, as I was given a chance to fix everything, I will not miss it and will take care of you.”       “I could probably try to stop then…” Cassidy sniffs quietly, stepping back from Daniel, who caresses her shoulders softly. “Before Mother left us, I hadn’t tried stronger drugs yet. But I didn’t even think of stopping… And when I realized I went too far, it was too late.”       “If you tasted it once, you’d never stop.”       “I swear, bro, I really wanted to stop and tried to hold on a couple of times. But I felt very bad. I became very aggressive and stopped realizing what I was doing. I did understand that I changed much… And many people said they didn’t recognize me as the sweet girl that I was. The former Cassidy disappeared and was replaced by a long-time drug addict with a destroyed personality.”       “I promise, Cass, I will do my best to help you get cured,” Daniel promises confidently, taking Cassidy’s hands. “Yes, it’s gonna be a hard way, but we can get through it. We’ll make this way together.”       “Hey… Aren’t you surprised why I know Wainwright?”       “I am, honestly.”       “I’ll tell you now.” Cassidy falls into silence for two seconds and looks at her hands with dead eyes. “In short, the boy, who I stopped having a crush on, had the number of one man. He was the one to give him that shit. That was Eugene Wainwright. They met through their common familiars… I think one hung out with another…”       “That’s how…”       “So… Then… I asked him to give me the number of that man. Just… In case… The boy agreed, but he gave a claim: I should’ve bought the drugs for myself, him, and his friends. Well, I didn’t mind it.”       “And you called him?”       “Yup… I explained who gave him my number, and he understood me.” Cassidy sighs heavily and throws a short, sad look aside. “So, every time I wanted a dose, I just called Wainwright, agreed on the meeting, gave him the money, and got a packet with drugs.”       “Weren’t you afraid? You did see that this man was ugly and horrible.”       “I was terribly scared when I saw him for the first time. And I kept being scared… But I didn’t show it because I needed a permanent dose of drugs. Though, I felt creepy when his wild eyes looked at me from head to foot… Literally looked into my soul… He was about twenty-five… And I was more than ten tears younger…”       “Oh, my poor girl…” Daniel shakes his head with pity in his eyes.       “When I had money, I bought drugs from him for my friends and me. But when I was deprived of it after those chicks betrayed me, it was harder to find a dose. And that boy and his friends got enraged when I had to tell them I had no money anymore… They literally attacked me, screamed at me, and insulted me… As if I was their biggest enemy… Then, I realized that they only needed my money all the time. They easily pissed me off and refused to talk to me.”       “I think I suspect what happened later…”       “Yes…” Cassidy nods and sniffs quietly. “Someday, I had a terrible withdrawal and contacted Wainwright again. So, as I had nothing to pay with, I decided to lie and say I wanted to buy drugs but would give him the money later. At first, he refused and said I should’ve paid immediately, but then Wainwright agreed to pay his money. But on the condition that he’d get the pay in two weeks. I swore that I’d pay everything ‘till the last cent, and he gave me quite a great dose for me.”       “Hey, did you meet Wainwright after the death of Mother or Father?”       “After Mother’s death.” Cassidy sniffs quietly and wipes a tear from her cheek. “I didn’t take drugs for some time, but then I got a strong withdrawal. That’s why I didn’t even come to the funeral…”       “But when did you get used to stronger drugs?”       “After meeting Wainwright. He said he could get something better than grass, and I agreed. I quickly got used to cocaine. And I could sometimes take heroin…”       “Damn, Cassidy, I don’t know what to say!” Daniel gets much more horrified. “You would’ve had a chance to wean yourself from it if you’d asked for help. But now there’s a small one. Yes, I will do my best to help you. But remember that therapy doesn’t guarantee that you’ll wean yourself away from this dependence. You’ll literally have to be a client of a narcological clinic forever.”       “I know, Daniel, I know!” Cassidy exclaims with pity in her eyes. “But I swear I really want to heal and am ready for anything for it. I wanna live a normal life, make up for the lost time, find friends, and fall in love someday.”       “The fact that you want to cure is very good.”       “Help me, brother… Please, do something! I don’t wanna take that shit again! I don’t! I can’t do it without you!”       “Don’t worry, sis, I shall help,” Daniel promises confidently, hugging Cassidy tightly and pressing her to himself, caresses her head, and kisses her on the temple or forehead. “I will agree on your therapy in a very good clinic where you’ll be under professional doctors’ control and working with experienced doctors and psychologists. You’ll get rid of your dependence and come to yourself after what Wainwright did to you.”       “He gave me stronger pain than the friends of the boy, who gave me drugs.”       “So, didn’t you pay for that?”       “Nope… I deceived Wainwright for a long time, making him give me cocaine and promising to pay the duty very soon. He was angry but did what I wanted. But one fateful day, he lost his temple… Wainwright said he’d give me a dose only if I paid the full debt. No pleas, tears, or words about my withdrawal helped me. And I didn’t know what to do ‘cause I had no money. Stealing something wasn’t good ‘cause my debt was very high. I should’ve literally gone outside and sold myself all day, all night to get the necessary amount.”       “But how did Wainwright get money for drugs?”       “I think he stole things. Or maybe, he did some dirty things. Well… Killed someone or robbed someone…”       “And how much time was gone?”       “Everything happened one year later after I left home. I… I couldn’t stay where everything reminded me of them…”       “Maybe, I gave a damn about you, too. But after our parents’ death, I realized I was an idiot, who I didn’t appreciate what he had. And as you and I got closer, I hoped we’d become friends.”       “I didn’t think of anything else but the way to get another dose.” Cassidy closes her mouth with a hand for two seconds, barely holding herself down not to fall into hysteria from the memories that tear her soul. “I gave a fuck. And I paid for that… When Wainwright offered me something.”       “I’m guessing what…”       “He said he could forget about my debt and even keep giving me drugs. But I must’ve become his slave. Have sex with him and make his dirty wishes come true.” Cassidy sniffs quietly. “I was just shocked by this offer and rejected it for a long time. I didn’t give my agreement to this madness. I didn’t let the adult man, who always sniffed some shit, fuck me.”       “I was sure you didn’t agree.”        “Somehow, I had a terrible withdrawal. I became too evil and irritated and was literally ready to kill anyone to get a dose. It happened before the eyes of Wainwright, who used it insolently… He injected something into me even if I tried to resist. That… That was a drug… Because I felt very good… That man did it to tease me. If I pleased him, I would get a dose. And when I refused again and started to get out, he took a syringe with some shit and injected it into me. Some time later, I stopped understanding what was happening… I was in a weird condition… Through, I understood I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t resist. I barely remember how Wainwright started to feel me up, kiss me, lick me from head to foot, and undress me… And then… The real hell started… Yes, I barely remember everything, but I felt that it was disgusting and horrible… It was very hurt…”       Cassidy closes her face with both hands and starts to shake and cry much more bitterly in fear. Daniel hugs her with both arms much tighter, trying so hard to comfort his sister.       “Okay, sis, enough,” Daniel says softly, caressing Cassidy’s head. “I got it all.”       “No, no, you must know it,” Cassidy replies with despair. “You must. I wanna hide nothing.”       “Wainwright already told me everything.”       “He told you everything briefly. You don’t know what horrible things were actually happening.”       “Please, don’t torture yourself with these terrible memories. I’m glad you opened yourself to me, but don’t tell me everything. I’m scared, and you’re hurt.”       “I think you asked what happened to my hair.” Cassidy sniffs quietly. “So, Wainwright cut it. A long time ago. But it's grown up now. And two years ago, I had a haircut of a boy.”       “But why did he need your hair?”       “I don’t know it.”       “Okay, it doesn’t matter. When you leave the hospital, I will take you to a hair salon where they will make your hair beautiful.”       “That’s bad it’s no longer beautiful… Drugs killed its beauty… And my youth…”       “No, sweetie, you’re too young yet. After one or two years of therapy, you will look much better. Your hair will get healthy, and your skin will be clean and smooth.”       “I was at Wainwright’s mercy for a few years because of drugs. Sometimes he made me memorize the way he was raping me. Sometimes he injected something that made me pass out or barely understand what was happening… That man had crazy sexual wishes, and he wasn’t shy of telling me about them. That’s why I felt sick. I was shocked. So shocked that even normal things seemed something disgusting to me. I began to associate sex with unbearable pain, blood, and suffering.”       “I beg you, don’t blame yourself. You’re guilty of nothing and did not provoke him. Wainwright is just out of his mind. A woman hurt him somehow, and he got mad at all female folks.”       “I tried to run away from him several times and was a homeless girl,” Cassidy confesses in a shaking voice. “I had no place to go. So, I was wandering on the streets, sleeping with homeless people, asking someone to give me money, and seeking ways to get drugs. But Wainwright always found me and mocked me much harder. He was doing everything for me to feel terribly disgusting. And I was terribly ashamed when I was lying naked in front of that man… I was shocked when he was talking naked in front of me and shaking his genitals… When Wainwright was getting his hands into all my holes and forcing me to do what I don’t even wanna remember forcefully.”       “Cassidy, please, don’t tell me these details,” Daniel begs with widely open eyes, caressing Cassidy’s back softly. “I do feel bad after what you’ve told me.”       “The last time, I ran away from him on the day when he disappeared. Later, I found a magazine in the trash and learned about his arrest. I slept literally in all the places of New York, asked for money, felt frozen in the cold weather, suffered from the heat in the summer… And, of course, I took drugs. But at some moment, I realized I must’ve braced myself and weaned myself away from that shit in any way. I was torturing myself for a long time, but I felt very bad. It was like torture. And I started to understand that I wouldn’t do it on my own. But nobody would’ve healed the drug addict without documents, money, and a home.”       “But why didn’t you find me?”       “I thought of you a lot and wanted to find you, but I didn’t know where you lived. It would’ve been stupid to knock at every house and ask if my brother lived there.”       “Oh, Cassidy…”       “But one month ago, Wainwright found me again.” Cassidy sniffs, not stopping to look into the distance. “He took me where you and the lads found me. And he told about me you and the trial, on which you came to support some of your friends. When I ended up at his mercy, he took my phone, in which he found a photo of you being a teenager. I mean, Wainwright knew you were my brother and recognized you quickly when he saw you in the courtroom. He decided to destroy you not to let you prevent him from mocking me… And he wouldn’t have minded getting money for my debt.”       “And you knew he almost did it?”       “Yup, I knew you got hit by a car and lost your memory. But Wainwright was sure that you died for some time. And I cried a lot of tears at the thought that I had nobody. But what a great relief I felt when I saw you in that room. You came, and I was ready to dance from happiness. But… Seeing that you didn’t recognize me, I decided to hold myself down.”       “I would’ve recognized you if not for the memory loss.”       “Ah, Danny…” Cassidy sniffs quietly, looking at Daniel with pity and tears in her eyes. “I’m so ashamed of you. Ashamed that you almost died because of me.”       “Cassidy, darling…”       “Forgive me, bro,” Cassidy begs with despair. “I’m really very sorry! I didn’t want it to happen! You and our parents always suffered because of me. I always messed up everything and was never a perfect child. Mother wanted a good girl, who would put on beautiful dresses… Get dolls… And be taught to cook something delicious. But she got me, the underage drug addict, who just wanted some love and attention.”       “Please, don’t blame yourself for what happened to me. It’s not your fault.”       “Do I really deserve to live? Why did I survive when I should’ve died? I must’ve died right there! After I saw you, hugged you, and gave you Mother’s bracelet!”       “No, sis, don’t dare to say it!” Daniel shakes his head sharply with horror in widely open eyes and softly puts his hand on Cassidy’s cheek, making her look into his eyes and still hugging his sister tightly. “I want to hear nothing about your death! Hear me!”       “I didn’t want it to happen.”       “It’s okay, Cass, don’t cry.” Daniel presses Cassidy closer to himself and caresses her head tenderly, while she cries her heart out on his shoulder. “I’m with you. This time, I shall become your guard. I almost went crazy when you tried to kill yourself after Mother’s death.”       “I didn’t wanna live. After our parents’ death, my life seemed worthless.”       “Thank God, I saw you quietly drinking a whole pack of a sedative in time and drove you to the hospital. I was told that if we had come later, I would’ve lost your sister.”       “But if I’d died, I would’ve been with Mother and Father.”       “And I would’ve stayed alone?”       “Dan…”       “Do you know how long I was coming to myself after our parents’ death and the news about the police pronouncing you dead! It took years to accept the fact that I had nobody! I mean, I haven’t accepted it! I kept everything inside and told nobody about my pain. And the work with the band was what saved me from despair and insanity! Made me forget that I was alone.”       “I understand it, Dan… I also wanted to believe all of it was my nightmare until the end.”       “I felt so bad that I tried not to check out the family photos and cassettes with our videos. I have them at home. I got rid of nothing. But I can’t remember when I checked them out the last time.”       “Did nobody know about your grief?”       “Nope…” Daniel falls into silence for a second and looks at Cassidy with pity in his eyes, still holding her with both arms tightly. “Nobody even guessed what I was hiding. I was asked about my family many times, but I just said my parents died and bought me a large house.”       “Yeah, you were ashamed of me…”       “Ashamed and hurt… I didn’t wanna talk about what hurt me. It was easier for me not to think about my family. And… All this time, I behaved like a tough and insolent guy that gave a fuck about everything. But a lot of pain was hidden under the mask. My personal tragedy that I wanted to forget.”       “I didn’t want it to happen, I swear!” Cassidy exclaims loudly tears. “I just felt very lonely… I wanted to find someone to talk to about everything. I want it now. I want to fall in love with a good guy… But I know someone will hardly look at the fucking drug addict, who looks like a thirty-year-old when she’s nineteen.”       “No, don’t say it, sis,” Daniel protests softly, kissing Cassidy on the temple. “You’re a very sympathetic girl. I’m sure many boys would love to speak to you if you were near.”       “No, Dan, boys always considered me one of them.”       “Because you show yourself like this. If you dressed up and were much softer and more tender, boys would run after you.”       “Huh, don’t make me laugh, bro! Boys will never run after me. I’m not a sex bomb.”       “First of all, people love someone for what they are. If you meet a stunning, pretty boy, he might be a real cad. But a guy, who is called a gray mouse by everyone, would give you so much love and care that you wouldn’t love to leave him. All the same about girls.”       “Even a gray mouse won’t look at me. And if someone knows that I took drugs, I will have no chance.”       “If someone really loves you, they won’t care about your shortcomings and the sins of your past. Real love doesn’t have limits and prejudices. Even an old, poor, or sick person has a chance to meet someone, who may consider them the whole world.”       “You know, I wanna find friends more than fall in love. Someone, with whom I could talk about anything. With whom I could feel myself. Be a tomboy that would prefer a hoodie of her bro and comfortable sneakers over a beautiful dress.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll have friends. I’ll always be your best friend. And if you want, you can get to know the men and the girls better. They’re all trustworthy people, who wouldn’t hurt you.”       “Well, the men are really very good…” Cassidy shrugs I think I could find a common language with them. But I’m not sure about the girls…”       “The girls are also very sweet and kind,” Daniel says with a slight smile. “They’re gonna like you.”       “You know that I’ve never gotten along with girls.”       “Trust me, I’ve been a friend of them for a long time and am sure about them not less than the men.”       “Okay, I’m gonna believe you.”       “By the way, one of them has a dog.”       “A dog?”       “Yes. When you leave the hospital, I’ll ask her to bring her doggy to you and show it.”       “You reminded me of Chelsea…” Cassidy sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes. “How much I miss my girl…”       “I’m missing Chelsea, too. And I thought of her when that girl brought her dog to the guys and me.”       “I’d like to meet that dog.”       “You will, I promise. And if you want, we could think of having our own dog.”       “Us?”       “Sure! After leaving the hospital, you’ll live with me. I will not kick you out.”       “Hey, where are you living now?”       “In the house that our parents gifted me on my twenty-first birthday.”       “My gosh…” Cassidy opens her mouth slightly. “You’ve lived there all this time?”       “Yup, since Mother died.”       “Damn, what didn’t I think of going there?” Cassidy claps herself on her forehead. “I thought you didn’t live there, but…”       “And you will live with me. Choose any of the two free rooms and change it as you want. One day, I will drive you to a store, and you will choose cool clothes. And after the end of therapy, I will think about what you could do. Maybe, you’ll go to study. Or maybe, you’ll find a job. I dunno yet.”       “But what about you? What if you meet a girl and wanna marry her?”       “Don’t worry about it. Even if I marry and have children, you’ll still live with me.” Daniel falls into silence for two seconds and sighs quietly with sadness in his eyes. “But I think I’ll hardly get married.”       “Why? You’re handsome! Young, with money! Many girls would like to get this treasure.”       “The case is not about it. I’m just close to breaking up with the girl that I madly love. I don’t want to be with anyone but her.”       “Really?” Cassidy rounds her eyes. “Did you fall in love so much?”       “Yup, somewhere one and a half years ago, I met a girl that I liked at first sight.”       “Oh, my gosh!” Cassidy smiles mysteriously. “C’mon, tell me more about it…”       “We started to date a little more than one month later after we met. Our relationship was getting stronger quickly. And because she wanted to run away from her parents, who decided everything for her, I suggested that she live in my house some time before our affair began. At first, she refused, but then she agreed.”       “Her parents were harsh?”       “Yup, they controlled literally a whole life of hers and wanted to have a wedding for her and someone they liked. Nobody cared about the opinion of that girl, and she decided to run.”       “What craziness!”       “Benefit, Cassidy. All the marriages in her family were concluded for the benefit of both sides.”       “I see… And what’s next?”       “Next…” Daniel sighs quietly with sadness in his eyes. “We lived together for a long time and were happy… She was the best thing that had ever happened in my life. That girl became the entire world to me. I was ready for anything for that girl and patiently tolerated her caprices. But despite nothing, I was very happy with her… She supported me in everything and comforted me when I felt bad… No other girl made me as happy as she did… My house was never more comfortable than with her. I let her rule everything and do anything she felt was right. And she made my house the place where I wanted to come back again and again.”       “But why do talk about her in the past time?” Cassidy asks. “Did you break up?”       “I’d say so…” Daniel slowly moves his broken look to Cassidy. “Our beautiful story was ruined. After I got hit by a car and lost my memory, I forgot her, my friends, and everything that happened to me… One girl used it… She lied to me and said I was supposed to marry her… She pretended that she was my fiancée… And I didn’t know the truth and believed that liar.”       “Where did she come from?”       “I dunno, she literally fell from the sky over my head. If not for that insolent bitch, my relationship wouldn’t have ended…”       “Your girlfriend saw you together?”       “That liar kissed me before the eyes of my girlfriend, who saw me, thought that I cheated on her, took her stuff, and left my house. So, as I believed that girl, I didn’t resist. Though, I didn’t know that my girlfriend saw us together.”       “Wow…”       “I hoped nobody would know it. But I told my friends about her when I thought they lied to me.”       “Really?”       “Yes. That gal got me to fight with the guys. She said so much about them… The attempt on me was their work, they literally hated her and insulted her, those people allegedly wanted me to have a relationship with my girlfriend that I allegedly left for her. And I believed her like a naive idiot and made myself look like an idiot to the guys… I barely begged them for forgiveness. I was afraid they’d turn their backs on me after that, but… I was lucky.”       “Dan…” Cassidy shakes her head with sadness in her eyes.       “And because of that liar, I may lose my girlfriend. Because I believed that bitch and cheated before my sweetheart’s eyes.”       “You love her so much?”       “To death. And I can’t imagine my life without her. I’m ready for anything to get her back, but I understand it’s all over…” Daniel sighs quietly with sadness in his eyes, inclining his head slightly. “Because of my stupidity and naivety…”       While Daniel falls into silence for a few seconds and looks at his hands with sad eyes, Cassidy watches her brother closely and caresses his hand softly.       “Brother…” Cassidy says with pity in her eyes and moves a couple of strands of hair off Daniel’s forehead. “I’m so sorry… Gosh… I’ve never seen you being so upset…”       “I don’t want to lose her, Cass,” Daniel confesses in a low, shaking voice. “That girl is the best thing that’s happened in my life in the past few years. I don’t know how I’d live without her. She’s my everything!”       “Was your relationship good before amnesia?”       “Good! Yes, we could sometimes argue, but these were mainly household conflicts.”       “And weren’t you gonna leave her?”       “No, Cassidy! I didn’t even think of leaving her! I swear I didn’t wanna cheat on her! Next to her, I felt as happy as I had never been for twenty-eight years of my life.”       “And… Did she tell you that everything is over?”       “She doesn’t wanna talk to me. She doesn’t wanna hear anything and does pretend that I’m not near her. That girl and I come to visit Terrence as well as the guys, but she doesn’t even look at me.”       “Daniel…”       “Damn, I never thought I’d suffer so much because of a girl… But I do really feel bad without her…”       “Maybe, everything is not lost?” Cassidy assumes with sadness in her eyes. “What if she understands and forgives you? You do say you didn’t want to cheat on her and kissed that liar because you couldn’t remember your real girlfriend!”       “No… Any explanation will lead to her bad reaction. And if she knows that I nearly slept with that bitch, I may stop hoping that she will be back to me.”       “What? You slept with that bitch?”       “Luckily, no. Her younger sister prevented it. And I’m grateful to her ‘cause I didn’t make another mistake.”       “Damn, will you let your girlfriend go so easily? You should fight! You should get her back!”       “What can I do?” Daniel throws his hands up. “No apologies will make her heart melt, and my actions will also give nothing.”       “But you must do something! She must know that you didn’t wanna cheat and just became a victim of the lie!”       “No, Cassidy, that girl is too hurt and listens to nobody. Neither me nor the guys, who tried to tell her that I didn’t wanna cheat on her.”       “I dunno… Wait for a while… Maybe, she’ll calm down later…”       “But it’s been a little more than one month! She’s still mad and doesn’t wanna see and hear me!”       “Oh… I don’t know how to help you then.”       “It’s impossible now.” Daniel shakes his head and looks around the room with his empty eyes. “My case is hopeless. Unlike the cases of two friends of mine.”       “They cheated, too?”       “Only one cheated, but he just pretended to be in love for his benefit. But the second one didn’t cheat. Both almost broke up with their girls. Their enemies made the men believe the girls cheated on them, though it wasn’t true. They said many bad things… But everything ended well: both couples are engaged and getting ready to get married.”       “Sorry…”       “And now it’s my time to be in their skin…” Daniel sighs quietly. “But I will obviously lose the one, for whom I could sacrifice my life.”       “Don’t give up, Daniel, please,” Cassidy says quietly. “You shouldn’t give up if you love that girl so much. I do see that you’re too in love with her and afraid to lose her.”       “You’re right… I’m too in love with her… And I was terribly afraid to lose her one day… That girl literally breathed into me and was my light. Even if there were ruins around me, I’d smile when looking at her. My sweetheart. Without whom I feel madly lonely now.”       “You’re not guilty of that.”       “You’ve gotta pay for what you’re doing, Cassidy. I paid a high cost for cheating on my girlfriend with the foreigner.”       “No, don’t say that…”       “I imagine how much her father’s mad at me… I promised to make his daughter happy and never disappoint him. But I did not keep another promise of mine. She’s suffering. Because of me.”       “Bro…”       “Idiot…” Daniel doubles over and runs his hands through his hair that he pulls out slightly, while Cassidy caresses his shoulder and head softly, looking at her brother with pity in her wet eyes. “You’re an idiot, Daniel… If you’d pushed that liar off and fucked her off on the day when she began to hit on you, Anna would be with you now.”       Cassidy hugs Daniel around the shoulders, kisses him on the cheek, and caresses his back softly, while he runs his hands over his face.       “Your girlfriend’s name is Anna?” Cassidy asks hesitantly.       “Yup…” Daniel pronounces with sadness in his eyes. “Since I met her, I’ve begun to think this name and her middle name, Charlotte, are the most beautiful ones in the world.”       “Anna Charlotte…” Cassidy smiles slightly. “Sounds interesting… Kind of aristocratic…”       “She’s my princess.”       “Is that girl beautiful?”       “Stunning!” Daniel exclaims with a sad smile. “That girl is the most beautiful one in the world for me. Flawless red hair, bright green eyes, a short height, a baby face… A charming smile and a perfect mixture of kindness, trueness, tenderness, loyalty, mannerliness, and care… She’s always been able to show herself, but she sometimes becomes more careless, funny, and open.”       “Not similar to any of your exes…” Cassidy notices thoughtfully.       “Right… But my inside voice told me that it was what I needed.”       “You know, when you talk about her, something changes about you… You get a gloss in your eyes… And your voice changes… It never happened to you, bro. Your eyes never burned so much when you saw any other girls. And you didn’t speak so tenderly and touchingly.”       “What I’m feeling for Anna is not what I felt before. With her, I’m kind of back to the time when I lived with our parents. Anna showed the same care that I got from Mother. The house was always clean and comfortable… The air smelled something tasty… I knew I’d always be caressed and listened… I knew I’d feel warm next to my beloved girl on every cold night… My own home became a paradise. The paradise that I never wanted to leave.”       “Gosh, you say it so tenderly that I wanna be surrounded by the same care,” Cassidy confesses with a wide smile.       “Any breakup with my exes wasn’t painful to me, and I quickly came to myself. Or sometimes I didn’t care about it and acted as if nothing happened. But if I break up with Anna, it will become a tragedy to me.”       “Bro…”       “I’ll have to hide my pain under the mask not to seem to be a whining boy. Though, it’s gonna be hard ‘cause I’m literally obsessed with the wish to scream out about my pain. I can’t keep it inside, but I have to.”       “Why do you keep everything inside? If you feel bad, say it!”       “I can’t be a whining boy.”       “That’s wrong, Daniel…”       “Don’t worry, Cass, I’ll overcome it. I know I have to do it. Because I owe too many people and can’t betray them.”       “Are you sure you can do your business in this condition?”       “I was silent about the loss of my family for so many years, even if I was literally torn apart deep inside. Since I did it then, I could do it now. The only problem is that it will be very hard to hold down my wish to get closer to Anna and kiss her. I ain’t sure if I can control my instincts as well as my emotions.”       “You wanna kiss her now?”       “Very much.” Daniel smiles sadly. “I loved kissing her. Kisses with her are the best of those I’ve had. They drive me crazy… Although Anna seems very shy and discreet, she can be different. And I like it. I love the girl, who can change sometimes.”       “Agree, sometimes you need to make some changes.”       “I can’t do without her… If we break up, I will not be myself and will lose a part of me. Though, I don’t want it. I wanna be me. The Daniel Perkins, who I’ve always been. Who I was before breaking up with Anna. I got sick of living like a different person when I had amnesia. I no longer want it.”       “Ah, Danny, Danny…” Cassidy sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes and runs her hand over Daniel’s hair, while he looks into the distance with dead eyes. “I guess you’re really in love! I didn’t think you’d be so sentimental. You used to be more secretive…”       “I didn’t also think I could love so much…” Daniel chuckles quietly. “My relationships with girls were just an infatuation, and I didn’t aim for anything serious. But thanks to Anna, I looked at many things differently. I became different after I met her… And Peter often said it. He’s known me for longer than the others… I met him when I was one person, but now he knows a different man. Who changed after he began to fall in love with Anna.”       ‘That’s right. You’ve become a man. An adult man, who’s ready to take responsibility.       “Though, I also see that the former Peter and the present Peter are two absolutely different men.”       “And what’s the difference between the two Peters?”       “The present Peter is much braver, more confident, and more determined. He didn’t use to be the one. He has changed lately. But there’s something that hasn’t changed. Kindness, honesty, and loyalty. Pete became my first real friend, who understood me well.”       “You know, I’m a little surprised that this guy is your friend. You… You’re too different. You’re much sassier and tougher, but he’s sort of a nerd or outsider… At first sight, it seems that you could always insult, humiliate, and even beat that guy, and he wouldn’t pay and would take everything silently. From fear or… Inability to defend himself…”       “When people see us for the first time, they also get surprised that we’re friends,” Daniel confesses with a shy smile. “They think I could easily hurt anyone ‘cause I look like a potentially dangerous man. And they’re sorry for the blond, thinking that he’s an unprotected, unhappy guy.”       “But he’s actually not so unprotected and weak.”       “Right. You can make Pete mad. He can protect himself with words and fists. Yes, he was vulnerable when he was young, but as long as he was growing up, he learned to fight and stopped tolerating the way people insulted, humiliated, and beat him.”       “I guess people are right when saying you shouldn’t underrate someone and judge them by their appearance ‘cause anyone might give you a couple of surprises.”       “The case of Rose and me proves it.”       “Rose?”       “It’s Peter’s last name.”       “Huh, I see!” Cassidy glances at the window. “Hey, did your friends approve of your relationship with Anna?”       “Yes, they liked her very much,” Daniel replies confidently. “The guys found us quite a cute couple and were happy for us.”       “Maybe, they will help you get Anna back?”       “Hardly… I did say that she listened to nobody.”       “Anyway, don’t let her go so easily. As Anna left you because of jealousy, she surely loves you. And I’m sure that she ain’t still indifferent to you. If her love is very strong, it might get a victory under her offense someday.”       “I never doubted her love. And I believe she loves me now. She doesn’t just wanna confess it.”       “Anna understands everything. She’ll confess it early or late.”       “Still, I understand her. I also caught the girl cheating on me one day.”       “Is that the hysterical girl, who fucked your buddy and walked half-naked in front of him when you caught them?”       “Yup. Although it happened after I left that girl, I was madly wild when she confessed she fucked him even when we dated.”       “C’mon, she’s not worth worrying!” Cassidy waves her hand. “That girl sucked everything out of you. Mom and Dad never loved that chick and saw that she was like a vampire sucking your blood out.”       “I still haven’t forgiven the guy, who I called my friend.”       “Oh, may that idiot go to hell! You’ve got much better friends, who’d hardly betray you.”       “I think I learned to pick up friends.”       “Anyway, I’m sure that Anna is the girl that you need. She gave you so much caress that you don't need anything but her.”       “You’re right…” Daniel nods with a slight smile. “That girl was taking care of me like nobody else. Anna is very attractive, incredibly caring, and kind. She conquered me by her tenderness and ability to listen… She couldn’t be interested in something, but that girl supported my interests anyway. And she made me happy with her cooking skills. You know how well she cooked! For her food, I was ready to let a big belly become my permanent company.”       “So, do you want to lose that treasure so easily?” Cassidy wonders. “That girl is just a gem! You must not reject her so easily!”       “Alas, Cass, but I can do nothing.”       “Listen, Dan, I don’t know what I’m gonna do to you if you don’t fight for her.”       “If I knew what I could do… I’m making everything worse yet.”       “Dude, you’re such a stubborn man! You’d get anything if you wanted. If you started a band and recorded an album, you could get the girl back.”       “Ah, Cass, you know how to comfort me,” Daniel pronounces with a shy smile, caresses Cassidy’s cheek with the back of his hand and pinches it slightly.       “Don’t even dare to give up! When a cat sees a mouse, it will catch it! Run after it, chase it, and destroy everything in its way, but it will reach its goal.”       “I’m gonna feel pain if I know another man may be next to her. But I’m guilty of everything. If I had been smarter, nothing would’ve happened.”       “Don’t dare to let her go, brother!” Cassidy threatens Daniel with a finger. “Don’t dare! Or you will have to deal with me!”       “Okay, my warlike girl. But first, you should get recovered.”       “I’m gonna do everything I’m told.”       “I’m glad to hear it. But I won’t calm down until I know you don’t have dependencies and depression.”       “I’ve got a bro, who will help me get through this shit,” Cassidy says with a slight smile, hugs Daniel tightly, putting her arms around his neck, and kisses him cutely on the cheek. “Am I right?”       “That’s good you’re smiling. A good mood means that you’re pretty fine.”       “I feel good just because you’re with me.”       “I feel good too because you’re alive.” Daniel caresses Cassidy’s head with a slight smile. “It’s okay, sister, you and I will get through it. At least, you will get well soon and never be alone.”       “Aw, bro, how much I love you…”       Daniel hugs Cassidy tighter, presses her to himself, and cutely kisses her on the top of her head. While the girl caresses his head and smiles much wider at the thought that she has a trustworthy older brother, who promises himself not to make the mistakes of the past and to do what he should have done many years ago.       

***

      Meanwhile, Raquelle, Edward, Natalia, Helene, Peter, and Anna are in Terrence’s room. While Cameron, who has not left the hospital for the second day and literally spends the nights near the bed of her fiancé like a loyal dog and expressing her love for him, Seymour is sitting next to her and embracing her around the shoulder. Natalia is sitting in a small armchair with both hands folded in front of her, while Edward is standing next to her and keeping his hands on her shoulders, and Helene and Peter are standing against the bed, embracing each other, and watching their depressed friends with sadness in their eyes.       “Damn, it’s been two days, but he’s still unconscious,” Edward notices with sadness in his eyes.       “At least, he no longer has such a high fever,” Raquelle replies quietly, putting her hand on Terrence’s forehead. “But he’s so white that I’m feeling horrified.”       “I can’t deny it,” Natalia agrees thoughtfully with sadness in her eyes. “Terrence is pale from nature, but now I’m afraid to look at him.”       “I’m sure he’ll wake up soon,” Anna sighs heavily, softly caressing Raquelle’s shoulder.       “By the way, the Internet already has the news about Terrence being in the hospital,” Helene confesses thoughtfully. “But they wrote such things that my eyes socked out!”       “Yeah, I also saw those horror stories,” Peter nods. “They literally bury Terrence… They say he’s in a critical condition, can’t breathe, is in the ICU, and many more false things. These things are much worse than what they came up with Wainwright took a shot at Edward.”       “They’ll know the truth,” Raquelle says without emotions. “But later.”       “And our manager must know it, too…” Edward notices with sadness in his eyes.       “Haven’t you talked to him?” Natalia asks.       “George has disappeared. And he doesn’t try to contact us.”       “And it’s really a little weird…” Peter agrees confidently. “Though, we should tell him so much.”       “Maybe, you should call him?” Anna suggests.       “We’ve tried to, but he doesn’t answer,” Edward replies.       “We better talk to him when Terrence gets better,” Peter suggests thoughtfully.       “Yeah, you’re right… I could hardly explain something to him clearly. I’m only obsessed with a wish that my brother is okay.”       “Not only you but also us,” Anna replies quietly.       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Raquelle keeps holding Terrence’s hand and caressing it softly, closely looking at his white face with the hope of noticing some sighs of awakening.       “Hey, will Mr. and Mrs. MacClife come here?” Helene asks hesitantly, embracing herself with both arms. “I haven’t seen them today yet!”       “Yup, they will, but a little later,” Edward says quietly. “Father got something to do at the company and can’t leave. Mother and I will come here shortly after he finishes it.”       “Won’t Alicia join us?” Anna asks.       “I dunno…” Raquelle shakes her head. “I haven’t talked to her.”       “Haven’t you told your grandfather about Terrence?” Peter wonders. “I believe Mr. Cameron must know what happened.”       “Honestly, I’ve forgotten about him and Aunt lately.”       “Mr. Cameron would be madly upset when he knew what happened to Terrence…” Edward assumes with sadness in his eyes.       “I know… But I think Aunt Alicia will tell him everything. And Grandpa Frederick may wish to come here. It would be so good. I need their support so much…”       Raquelle inclines her head and thinks about something not very nice, while the others watch her with pity in their eyes.       “Raquelle, darling…” Anna pronounces softly, caressing Raquelle’s hand. “We completely understand that you’re worried about Terrence. But you’ve been here for two days.”       “I will not leave,” Raquelle replies in a low voice.       “Looking at you without tears is impossible. You’re so exhausted and don’t literally eat. A few days of living like this before you end up in the hospital.”       “I must be here, Anna. Being next to Terrence is my duty. He needs me, I know it.” Raquelle softly runs the back of her hand over Terrence’s cheek and fixes his black hair, which stands out against the background of his deathly white skin.       “Please, friend, think of yourself,” Peter begs with sadness in his eyes. “At least, go to the cafeteria and eat something. You really eat nothing.”       “No, Peter, I want nothing,” Raquelle replies quietly, shaking her head. “Nothing gets in my throat.”       “But that’s wrong, Raquelle!” Helene exclaims.       “Until Terrence wakes up, I will not leave. Nobody can kick me outta here.”       “Nobody kicks you out,” Natalia notices confidently. “You just need to clean yourself up and eat something. We value your wish to be with Terrence, but you should go home.”       “I’m ready to be here as long as I need to.”       “Nobody needs your sacrifices, Cameron. Even if you’re in the room, crying, and refusing to eat and drink, it won’t make Terrence wake up sooner.”       “My heart tells me that Terrence needs me… That he may wake up sooner if I’m with him. He’s always taken care of me when I felt bad or sad. Now it’s my time to take care of him.”       “He wouldn’t like that you torture yourself like this,” Edward assumes confidently. “Terrence wanna see you happy and healthy. Yes, he’ll surely appreciate your wish always to be with him, but your sacrifices will likely make my brother get worried.”       “I just want to wait for him to wake up.”       “He will wake up,” Peter replies quietly. “His condition is getting better. For example, his fewer is less, and the sedative has been out of his organism.”       “Sometimes I feel so guilty for him… For not being able to be perfect for him. For not meeting many of his expectations.”       “Gosh, Raquelle, what are you talking about?” Helene frowns slightly. “You aren’t guilty for Terrence!”       “Sometimes I make too many mistakes… That’s why I may make my beloved man turn his back on me forever.”       “Nobody’s perfect, friend,” Anna notices softly. “But Terrence loves you anyway. No matter how hard you irritate him and make him upset.”       “There are the mistakes, for which he won’t forgive me.”       “Raquelle, don’t say stupid things.”       “It’s true, Anna.”       “Did you do something that might make Terrence get mad at you?” Peter frowns slightly. “If you’re afraid to tell him something, tell us. We’ll try to help you.”       Raquelle says nothing for two seconds and bites her lip slightly, thinking about whether she should tell her friends about the miscarriage. But after thinking a little, the girl shakes her head and says in a little shaking voice.       “Erm, no, no, Peter… I did nothing… It seemed to you… Yes, seemed…”       “Are you sure?” Natalia frowns slightly.       “Yeah…”       “No, no, I don’t want to tell them about the baby now,” Raquelle thinks, while her eyes are running from one to another. “Although I trust the guys, someone might tell Terrence about it. Though, I must confess everything by myself…”       While everybody frowns and looks at each other suspiciously, Edward thinks with sadness in his eyes:       “She means the lost child… These words are about Terrence’s baby… Raquelle doesn’t wanna talk about it now. So, I must be silent, too. The most important thing is that she keeps her promise to talk to my brother as soon as possible.”       “Hey, guys, will Daniel come here after he talks to his sister?” Natalia asks in a whisper.       “I think, yes,” Peter replies in a whisper. “But he will probably be too nervous because of Anna. I mean, because she’s acting like he’s invisible to her.”       “Don’t think that I’m rude and have something against Perkins, but he’s guilty of that,” Helene says gloomily, crossing her arms over her chest. “He had a choice and a chance to avoid the breakup with Anna.”       “Agree,” Natalia nods. “I’m obviously sorry for him, but it’s Perkins’ fault. And we can’t help him.”       “But Daniel’s ready for anything to get Anna back,” Peter notices confidently. “Even survive amnesia or get hit by a car again.”       “Alas, it won’t help him,” Edward says thoughtfully. “No miracle will happen… Of course, I’m truly sorry for him. But I’m much more sorry for Anna, who loves him but is mad at him.”       “He should be happy that at least Cassidy is alive.”       “Who is Cassidy?” Natalia frowns slightly.       “His sister.”       “Could we meet her someday?” Helene asks. “I’d love to look at that girl.”       “Now only Daniel is allowed to visit her,” Edward replies quietly. “But he said we’d get a chance to visit her soon.”       “Is she good?”       “Yup, that girl is very sweet and kind. But she’s terribly scared and has a bad condition. Psychical and moral.”       “Poor girl…” Natalia pronounces with sadness in her eyes. “She’s so unlucky…”       “I hope she’ll come back to a normal life,” Peter expresses hope with sadness in his eyes. “And forget everything that this stinker Wainwright did to her.”       “He is more dangerous and worse than we thought,” Edward replies thoughtfully. “I wish he died. I don’t want him to survive.”       Meanwhile, Anna and Raquelle, frowning slightly, look at them after they stop talking to each other.       “Hey, what are you whispering about?” Anna asks.       “Well, nothing,” Natalia replies thoughtfully, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Everything’s fine.”       “Just discussed what we were worried about…” Edward shrugs.       “Maybe, you have some secrets?” Raquelle asks.       “No, no secrets,” Helene shakes her head.       “Nothing,” Peter smiles slightly.       Silence settles in the room for two seconds.       “Erm, listen, guys, I’d like to go to the cafeteria and drink something…” Anna says thoughtfully. “Do I give something to you?”       “Thanks, I was already there,” Peter refuses correctly.       “Me too,” Helene pronounces.       Edward, Natalia, and Raquelle shake their heads silently.       “Okay then,” Anna shrugs. “Then, I’ll be back soon.”       Anna softly caresses Raquelle’s shoulder with sadness in her eyes, stands up from the bed, and, putting the handle of her purse on her shoulder, leaves Terrence’s room. The girl, crossing her arms over her chest, slowly goes down the halls of the hospital, where she meets doctors, cleaners, other members of the hospital staff, patients, visitors, and some other personas. Everybody hurries up somewhere and does not care about what’s happening. For example, Anna sees how a man runs into a young girl before her eyes, apologizes to her, and runs somewhere, while she looks at him perplexedly until he hides in the corner.       Later, Anna sees an unconscious, deathly pale girl carried on a gurney by a few doctors, who say that she must be brought to intensive care and do a few things at the same time to save her life. Seeing that unhappy girl, her heart squeezes badly at the thought that someone is worried about her now. And when they disappear, Seymour keeps going somewhere, embracing herself with both arms on the way, thinking that she has felt much better since she met her friends, who are helping her not to remember that Julian will keep mocking her after he returns to the city.       Thinking about everything that she had to experience because of that horrible man, Anna does not notice how she almost comes to the stairs, on which she can go down. She looks around quickly and gets a little surprised that there is nobody in this part of the hospital. But the girl decides not to stay here longer, to go to the cafeteria, drink water, and return to her friends. But at some moment, Daniel appears from the corner after leaving Cassidy’s room. He puts his plans aside after seeing Anna and is determined to talk to her, even if he understands that it’s going to be worthless.       “Anna, wait, please!” Daniel calls.       Anna stops sharply, crosses her arms over her chest, and turns on Daniel, raising her head proudly and putting on a mask of indifference to hide her real emotions.       “We have nothing to talk about, Daniel,” Anna says coldly. “Leave me alone.”       “I want to talk to you,” Daniel replies, trying to keep calm. “Give me a few seconds.”       “I do not care about your explanations.”       “Listen, I understand you’re mad at me because of what happened in the room. But I swear, I didn’t want it to happen. I didn’t want to cheat on you!”       “Huh, do you think I will believe you?” Anna sneers contemptuously.       “I’m telling you the truth! If I had known who you were, I would’ve pissed that liar off. But I couldn’t remember you. I became the victim of the lie. The insolent lie of the girl that I had never known.”       “Do not find excuses for your betrayer!” Anna throws rudely and loudly. “I saw everything from start to end! I saw you not minding the way that gal was seducing you! Right before my eyes.”       “She lied to me and pretended to be you! That liar told me the story of how you and I met and started to date as if it happened to her and me. And I felt that it was true and believed her blindly.”       “Yeah, and how does she know it all?”       “I don’t know! And I can’t even imagine! But I am really sorry that I believed her. You can’t imagine how much that girl made me feel sick. She… She kissed me so that I wanted to go to the restroom and clean my stomach.”       “Stop telling tales, cheater!”       “It’s true, Anna, I swear!” Daniel exclaims with despair. “You thought I was delighted, but that’s not true. I felt nauseous! But I hid it because I was afraid to hurt her.”       “But it did not prevent you from kissing her!” Anna notices loudly, looking into Daniel’s eyes with evil and hate. “Hug her! Smile at that fat cow!”       “Yes, I believed and smiled. From fear of hurting her. Because I remembered nothing.”       “How did you dare to do it to me?” Anna shakes her head. “After everything we went through together!”       “I didn’t want it, I swear! I never thought of cheating and leaving you. I loved, love, and will love you.”       “Love as much as you want! But you killed my love!”       “Please, Anna, forgive me,” Daniel begs with pity in his eyes. I’m really very sorry about what happened. I am an idiot. A brainless and naive idiot that was fooled well.”       “You’re not just an idiot. You are a horndog. All men are the same! You live with one girl, but you think of another!”       “Please, try to understand me. I remembered nothing and believed everyone. All of that made me a different man. And that foreigner killed the rest of what helped me be myself. Because of her, I almost lost my friends. I barely asked them for forgiveness for everything I told them.”       “Why do you say it to me?” Anna smirks contemptuously, crossing her arms over her chest. “It will not change my mind. Don’t show puppy eyes and try to pity me.”       “I just want to tell you the truth. And confess that I really betrayed you.”       “I do not need your truth, Perkins! Go to hell!”       “That’s not all the truth…” Daniel inclines his head guiltily for two seconds. “That kiss was not the only one. There were many kisses.”       “The fact that you had an affair with that fat gal is not a secret to me! And I wouldn’t be surprised if you hung out with her when we dated.”       “No, no, I swear I hadn’t known that girl before I lost my memory! She went to my room when nobody was there and said she was my fiancée.”       “Aren’t you ashamed of lying, looking into my eyes?”       “I honestly confess that I cheated on you! And I confess something else.” Daniel swallows up nervously, locking his fingers tightly. “Somehow, I could’ve ended up in bed with her…”       “What?” Anna rounds her eyes, understanding that everything starts boiling inside her from anger.       “I’m very sorry.” Daniel puts a hand on his heart. “I’m ashamed to confess my betrayal, but I think you must know everything. Yes, I kissed that liar. Yes, I believed her. Yes, I almost slept with her. But I always thought of you, even if I didn’t know it. I was attracted to the red-haired girl that made my heart tremble.”       “So, did you have sex with her?” Anna resents, getting literally green from anger and clenching her hands into fists tightly. “And you state it so quietly!”       “I am not quiet at all!”       “How did you actually dare to come to me and talk to me? First, you sleep with another gal, and then you come to me and say you love me!”       “I didn’t want it, I swear… It was one of the greatest mistakes in my life.”       “Cad!” Anna throws a little louder. “Cheater! You want to give me a stronger pain!”       “Telling you the truth is the best thing that I can do now. I can’t find excuses.”       “I’m shocked that the men and the girls believed your words. And they are trying to defend you and prove to me that you’re guilty of nothing.”       “I’m guilty of making the wrong choice!”       “Go to your fat gal and fuck her! Marry her! May she give birth to a baby! Live the fuck happily!”       “What do I do for you to believe me? What? Tell me! I’d move a mountain for you!”       “Nothing!” Anna cuts off coldly. “I need nothing from you. I hate you!”       “Please, Anna…”       “I did tell you so many times that I would never forgive a betrayal of my beloved man and would leave him with no regret. And my opinion has not changed.”       “Don’t tell me this is the end of our relationship.”       “Haven’t you realized it? Are you deaf? Or became stupid because of your love for that pizza-face ugly, fat lady?”       “No, Anna, please, don’t do it!” Daniel takes Anna by the forearms tightly but softly, looking at her with pity in his eyes. “I don’t want to lose you! I am ready for anything for you to forgive me!”       “Don’t dare to touch me!” Anna cuts off sharply, moves Daniel’s hands off her forearms, and steps back from him. “I’m not going to forgive you after what you did!”       “Please, sweetie…”       “Close your mouth! I do not want to hear you! Your voice is disgusting to me! Everything about you is disgusting!”       “I don’t wanna break up with you!” Daniel exclaims with despair. “I love you and ain’t gonna replace you with anyone!”       “Get out of my way and go to that cow. Let her please your fucking ass!”       “How could I be with her if she’s disgusting to me?” Daniel throws his hands up with widely open eyes. “I will not be with the one, who I don’t love! That insolent gal used my condition! She lied to me! Knowing that I wouldn’t mind it!”       “Enough, Daniel, shut up!” Anna breaks into a cry, raising her hand sharply. “Stop saying that you were fooled and didn’t want it!”       “But I did not really the hell want it!” Daniel protests.       “I give a damn! I do not wish to hear your stupid tales! You never loved me if you easily preferred that hundred-ton cow over me.”       “Not true! I’ve always loved you!”       “You had a choice! You could reject that idiot when she began to seduce you! But you did not do that. You started to kiss and hug her. And you took her to your bed later. So, you cannot talk about any kind of love for me! You fucked her on the bed where I was sleeping!”       “I did not sleep with her, I was just close to that. A call prevented it! It stopped this madness in time! Yes, we were half-naked, but we didn’t even start what she wanted so badly.”       “I guess you felt good. She praised you, moaned louder than a porn actress, and sucked you enough… And you were lying happy and proudly shaking your genitals in front of her!       “I never felt good! I made myself tolerate all of that and prayed that this girl stopped to kiss me. That was terrible! Even a nerd would kiss me better than that bitch!”       “Insulting your beloved girl is bad, Perkins,” Anna throws gloomily. “If she knows it, you’ll have to please yourself in a restroom! And finally learn to cook well!”       “I only love you! I always have! And I will love you! I don’t need any other girl!”       “Say this lie to Peter, Edward, or Terrence! They are defending you much more than the others. So, they can keep doing it!”       “They could do anything, but I will not be mad.”       “So, did you lie to them and say the same thing that I heard?”       “I told the guys the truth that you just heard! I have nothing to hide from my friends and the girl that I madly love. I’d rather tell all the truth and be judged than lie and pretend that nothing happened.”       “Close your mouth, Daniel!” Anna throws irritably. “Shut up!”       “I will not be silent about what I feel.”       “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have betrayed me.”       “Do you want to say I’m lying?”       “You are!”       “If I say I don’t love you and want to break up, it will be a lie.”       “If I say I love you and want to pretend that nothing happened, it will be a lie.”       “I would never cheat on you if I knew you were my girlfriend. I swear on my life. On the graves of my parents.”       “But you cheated!”       “Please, Anna, don’t leave me,” Daniel begs with pity in his eyes. “Anyone can turn their back on me: friends or the whole world. But not you… My life doesn’t make sense without you.”       “I already consider myself a single girl. It’s all over! I am ready for a new relationship and open to meeting men!”       “No!” Daniel tenses his muscles, looking into Anna’s eyes confidently. “No men! You are mine! And nobody else! I will not tolerate any other man next to you! I swear I shall kill anyone to dare to pay attention to you!”       “If I want, I shall have a hundred men!”       “Until I decide that I broke up with you, you will belong to me. But I will not decide, do not even hope.”       “You cannot tell me what to do!” Anna resents. “Especially after you fucked a gal in a bed!”       “If I have to fight for my love with my fists, I am ready to do it,” Daniel says confidently. “I will get rid of any barriers, so you are only mine. So, any other men don’t even dare to look at you!”       “You have no right,” Anna says rudely. “I am an adult girl and can decide who to date and what to do!”       “You are mine and belong to me! Only to me!”       “I am not your property!”       “You are my girlfriend!”       “I am not!”       “Yes, maybe, I sound a little rude now. But I am just trying to save what belongs to me.”       “You should’ve turned on your brains earlier, Perkins.”       “Listen, Anna…”       “Stop!” Anna cuts off sharply, raising her hand up. “If you want to please yourself and hear that you’re sassy, you better go to your friends. If they’re so blind and believe the liar naively, it’s okay!”       “Please, don’t say it,” Daniel shakes his head with pity in his eyes. “Hearing this hurts me… It’s hurtful to know you consider me terrible… That you don’t wanna understand I didn’t want to betray me.”       “I feel pain, too!” Anna breaks into a cry, putting her hands on her hips. “You know how it was the fuck hurtful to see you kissing that fat gal! I did want to pull her hair out right there! In the room! Strangle her with my own hands! But I did not do that… I decided to show ‘nobility’ and let you, lovebirds, enjoy each other.”       “If you’d entered the room, I would’ve thanked you one hundred times. If the doctor hadn’t gone to the room and told her to work, she would’ve kept annoying me. That girl went to me and washed my brains literally every day.”       “I repeat: if you had wanted, you would have rejected that girl,” Anna says coldly. “And you would not have acted like a coward! The coward, who was afraid to hurt that fat cow!”       “I remembered nothing… Please, get it…”       “You can’t change what you did and can’t take the words you said back. You missed a chance.”       “Anna…”       “I was shocked when the doctor said you remembered nothing. When you recognized none of us. But later, I came to myself and told myself I must’ve been with you. I was ready to help. But you, scumbag, put a knife into my back. You betrayed me the way nobody else had done it before.”       “Yes, I’m an insolent coward!” Daniel exclaims with despair. “Yes, I did a disgusting thing and don’t deserve forgiveness! I know that cheating is bad. And I would not forgive it, either. Trust me, I do know what it is because I was betrayed somehow. I still can’t forgive the girl and the guy, who was my friend, just saying.”       “I do give a fuck about your feelings! Gi-ve a fu-ck!”       “Anna, please, forgive me… I’m really, very sorry about what happened. I didn’t wanna hurt you…”       “But you did it! Did!”       “Even if you hadn’t seen me being with that liar, and nobody had known about us, I would’ve told you everything. Because I wanna be honest with you. I wanna tell you the truth.”       “Go to the fuck with your truth!”       “Please, trust me… At least confess that you appreciate my honesty.”       “Do you think everything will be over in the same way as it happened to Terrence and Raquelle and Edward and Natalia?” Anna sneers contemptuously. “No, Daniel, you’re wrong! It will not happen.”       “Listen, Anna…”       “They were just madly lucky that they fixed everything. Those guys just became the victims of the lies and conspiracies. They’re guilty of nothing.”       “I did also become the victim of the lie!”       “You are not a victim! You are a cheater!”       “Now I understand the men better ‘cause I have to be in their shoes. And feel lousy because I messed up everything.”       “It was possible to understand and forgive the men because they were deceived, and the girls weren’t guilty. But you betrayed me. Really. And I saw it. With my own eyes.”       “Anyone deserves a second chance. Especially, if they regret something truly and wanna fix everything.”       “You can fix nothing. I will not forgive you and come back to the one to split at my face.”       “No, Anna, please, don’t tell me this is an end,” Daniel shakes his head sharply with widely open eyes. “I don’t want this!”       “It’s all over, Daniel,” Anna replies coldly. “Now you’re living your life, and I’m living mine.”       “We didn’t break up! We did not! I didn’t leave you!”       “I made up my mind. And I’m not going to forgive the cheater.”       “Please, give me a chance to show and prove it. Tell me what I should do for you to forgive me. I’d do anything for you! Even the impossible!”       “Leave me alone, Perkins,” Anna demands coldly. “And never dare to come to me. I don’t want to see and hear you.”       Anna turns around sharply and wants to leave as fast as possible with her head proudly raised. But Daniel runs to her shortly, takes her under an elbow, and turns her on himself.       “No!” Daniel pronounces in a high voice and takes Anna under a second elbow. “You can’t do this to me! You can’t leave me!”       “Don’t touch me!” Anna throws rudely, trying to get her arms out of Daniel’s grip. “Let me go!”       “I will not let you go! You’re mine! And only mine!”       “I said we’re over! Get out on all four sides and go to your fat gal! May she please you and work as a free servant at your house.”       “Only one girl will hold my house. The one I cannot imagine my life without.”       “Then ask that gal to move into your home. You can even marry her and have children with her!”       “I’d rather get amnesia again than live with that sick girl, who literally chokes me with jealousy for everything that moves.”       “You do like it! So, enjoy it!”       “I like everything about you.”       “Enough, I’m done with hearing your voice! Let me go now and get out of my way!” Anna sharply tries to get out of the grip of Daniel, who literally understands that he will lose her if he lets her go. “Let me go, I said! Hear what I say! Let me go, idiot! Let go!”       “I’m not going to give up and will fight for you until the end!” Daniel says confidently.       “You will waste your time.”       “No matter how much time it takes, I will not be sorry. Especially if you’re back to me.”       “Never!” Anna cries. “We’re no longer a couple! And you will have to take it!”       “While the love for you is living inside me, I will not stop fighting for it!”       “You’ve made your choice.”       “You will come back to me,” Daniel says with his head proudly raised. “Because you’ll not feel as good with anyone as with me.”       “I am young and beautiful and will meet a man that will be better than you. Much better, Perkins.       “You will not find anyone better than me.”       “Come on!”       “You’re waking the passion inside me…” Daniel confesses with a sly smile. “You do want me to show you who rules everything. Want me to kick my red-haired beauty and let her know that nobody dares to take my place.”       “You better kick your cow that you kissed in the room so passionately. Since you don’t like me anymore, fuck that ugly, fat gal.”       Anna tries to get out of Daniel’s grip much harder. She does it and turns around sharply with a wish to leave. But the charmed man comes to her, takes her hands, brings her to the wall, presses her against it, and stands too close to her, understanding that the smell of the tender, light skin with a pink subtone gets into his nose. The man smiles peacefully and feels how his heart starts trembling nicely, while his eyes are closely looking at the baby face of the girl, and a slight shake runs over his skin. Her soft, perfectly shaped lips do ask for a tender kiss full of love. And even the champagne turtleneck that she is wearing does not make him refuse to kiss her on the neck. Such a long and thin one. Maybe, not one time, but a few ones…       When their gazes meet, Anna stops resisting sharply and looks closely into Daniel’s eyes, noticing nothing around. Every single muscle of her body relaxes, while the man is holding the girl by the wrists and pressing them to the wall, as he literally stops breathing and tries to subdue her to him with just one glance of his charming brown eyes. No matter how much she is mad at him, Anna has to confess that Daniel is still freaking sexual, her legs get weak, her heart stops, and a sweet, tormenting tension is getting born in her abdomen. The girl missed him. His smell, his pretense, his face, his lips… His breath. The way he makes her feel hot with just one look…       But even if Anna forgot all these feelings, she feels comfortable enough, while Daniel is breaking into her personal borders so shamelessly and literally looking into her soul. The girl briefly imagines the way this strong and confident man would protect her from Julian and let her live a quiet life. But she quickly gets this thing out of her head. And two or three seconds, she understands what’s happening, and tries to break free, while the smile on Perkins’ face gets wider and wider, and his look gets more lascivious.       “What are you doing?” Anna resents. “Hey! You went crazy!”       “Damn, baby, you’re still attractive…” Daniel notices in a low, bedroom voice. “Still drive me crazy… Still make me happy…”       “Let me go now!” Anna tries to get out of Daniel’s grip and push him off her, but she cannot do it because the man is much stronger than her physically. “Let me go, Daniel! Now!”       “I don’t want to,” Daniel replies with a sly smile. “I don’t want to let go of the girl I love.”       “You hear what I said?”       “Relax, princess, don’t be so nervous.” Daniel touches Anna’s forehead with his forehead and smiles much wider, feeling how the nice warmth is spreading all over his body. “I haven’t done anything yet.”       “Crazy! Let me go now!”       “Quiet, quiet, baby, quiet…” Daniel slowly runs his open lips over Anna’s forehead with a little heavy breath and slides to her cheeks. “It’s okay…”       “Don’t dare to touch me!” Anna throws rudely, feeling a slight shake on her skin. “Don’t dare…”       “How much I missed…” Daniel pronounces in a low, very quiet voice and leaves a tender kiss on the areas of Anna’s face, over which he runs his lips. “Missed a chance to hug and kiss you…”       “If you don’t let me go now, I swear I will scream and say you’re accosting me.”       “Call whoever you want…” Daniel runs his lips over Anna’s ear and tenderly kisses the area behind it, feeling how tense she gets. “I don’t care…”       “You want me to hit you between your legs?”       “You can’t.”       “Why I can’t?”       “You’re too educated.”       “You want me to prove that I could put out a claw?”       When Anna wants to make her threat come true, Daniel, taking her by the wrists and pressing her tightly to the wall, leaves her a couple of tender kisses on her lips.       “Sh-h-h, no, don’t be a bad girl now,” Daniel whispers tenderly with a sly smile and gives Anna a little longer kiss on the lips. “Better be a good one.”       “Get off me…” Anna demands in a little shaking voice and feels how her heart misses a beat when Daniel’s soft, hot lips touch her lips. “Get off! I can’t breathe…”       “Me too… I can’t breathe…” Daniel fixes Anna’s hair carefully and runs the back of his hand over her cheek, looking into her eyes confidently. “But I don’t care. You’re with me…”       “I’m not kidding, Perkins!” Anna hisses through her teeth. “You will regret it if you don’t let me go!”       “I will regret only if I let you go.”       “Do I really hit you between your legs?”       “You won’t do it to the man that you love,” Daniel says confidently in a low, nice voice.       “Ha, why do you think I love you?” Anna chuckles nervously. “I do not actually care about you!”       “Yeah? What if I do this…”       Daniel, putting his hand on Anna’s cheek, gives her a tender, continuous kiss on the lips, slides to one of the curves of her neck, and leaves a few short ones, putting the collar of her turtleneck slightly. And he chuckles quietly when he sees that the girl shakes with closed eyes, being mad that her weakness is stronger than anger.       “M-m-m, you’re shaking…” Daniel smiles widely, slyly. “My baby is delighted…”       “Not truth!” Anna protests in a high, shaking voice. “It’s disgusting! I feel sick!”       “It’s just the beginning. What would happen to you if I went further…” Daniel covers another curve of Anna’s neck with tender kisses, holding her face with one hand and the back of her hand with another. “If you did what I dreamed about when I couldn’t remember you…”       “I will scream if you don’t get off me!”       “Don’t dare to deny you’re indifferent to me.”       “I don’t love betrayers!”       “Yeah, I believed you! I saw how you looked at me and started to breathe heavily when you were very close to me.” Daniel caresses Anna’s head tenderly and runs his fingers through her hair brushed in a tail. “You were shaking… And you were unsuccessfully trying to hold down your quiet moan full of enjoyment.”       “Lie! I didn’t look at you!”       “You wanted me…” Daniel slightly touches the tip of Anna’s nose with his lips, caresses her cheek, and grabs her by the neck tenderly, understanding that he is losing control of himself and might do crazy things. “I’ve never doubted that I am freaking sexy. I know how to give a girl pleasure and how to kiss her to make her forget her name.”       “Maybe, these things will work on that fat freak, but they will not work on me,” Anna says coldly, confidently.       “You still love me,” Daniel replies in a low, deep voice with a slight smile. “I know it…”       “If you want to fuck someone, you have the fat cow.”       “Your body doesn’t agree with you.” Daniel leaves a couple of tender kisses on Anna’s lips and moves his hands to the lady’s waist, slowly running them over the curves of the one and smiling widely when he hears a quiet, uneven breath of the girl. “It craves my kisses and caress…”       “I feel sick from them!”       “So sick that you’re literally ready to bend backward like a cat for me…” Daniel kisses the place between Anna’s chin and the front of her neck, over which he slowly runs his lips, breathing in the smell of the lady’s smooth skin. “Like a snake…”       “You’re crazy, Perkins…” Anna pronounces quietly, biting her lip strongly to hold down a wish to moan. “Just crazy…”       “Yes, I am crazy…” Daniel purrs with a wide smile and puts his arms around Anna’s waist, caressing her back tenderly, while the man’s lips kiss the girl’s lips, cheeks, chin, forehead, and the area behind her ears. “I’m sick… Lovesick… And I will not reject my sweetheart…”       “Stop, Daniel! I’ve said everything!”       “Tell me what you want.” Daniel runs the back of his hand and his fingertips over the curve of Anna’s neck, clearly hearing her heavy breath and seeing how sharply every muscle of the girl’s body shakes. “What do I do to get your forgiveness? Which would be the best gift for my birthday.”       “I need nothing from you!” Anna throws loudly and irritably. “Nothing! We are over!”       “No, nothing is over…” Daniel says confidently and leans on Anna’s forehead with his forehead, breathing heavily in unison. “It will never end…”       “Let me go now!” Anna tries to get out of Daniel’s grip much more furiously. “Let me go, I said!”       “Don’t tease the excited lion, baby.” Daniel raises his head proudly with a wide smile on his face and grabs Anna’s face with both hands, while she literally kills him with her contemptuous look full of evil. “Through, if you wanna give me pleasure, keep doing this.”       “May your fat gal please you!”       Anna tries to get out again, but Daniel, who no longer tries to control himself, presses his body very close to the girl and leaves a few kisses on the curve of her neck and the area behind her ear that he caresses tenderly with his lips, as he is breathing heavily and loudly.       “If you’re resisting, I will kiss you so that you will lose consciousness from pleasure,” Daniel says confidently with a sly smile.       “Don’t dare!” Anna throws rudely.       “Don’t I have a right to kiss my beloved girl that I missed so badly?”       “I am not your beloved girl!”       “I did say you belonged only to me.” Daniel gives Anna such a tender and sensual kiss on the lips that her heart stops for a moment, and she makes a quiet moan powerlessly. “Anyone to wish to look at you after me will regret it.”       “Aren’t ashamed of accosting me after you were licked by the whore from head to foot?”       “There’s no other girl. There is just you and me.” Daniel leaves a couple of kisses on the front of Anna’s neck and runs his lips over the curve of it. “I do feel how you’re begging me to kiss you and caress you.”       “I swear, Perkins, if at least someone comes here, I will scream and say that you’re harassing me,” Anna says confidently. “And you’ll have to explain everything to the police, sitting in their office.”       “I’m doing nothing bad to you… I’m just hugging you, kissing you, and caressing you…” Daniel caresses Anna’s head and runs his hand over the curves of her neck and waist, by which he hugs her tightly, while the fingers of his other hand get through the lady’s hair gathered into a big ponytail. “You’re not my victim. You’re my girlfriend.”       “You definitely became deaf and can’t hear me. I’ve told you hundreds of times that we’re no longer together? That I am single and able to meet other men!”       “Are you provoking me again?”       “I will repeat it until you leave me alone.”       “I shall not leave,” Daniel says confidently, looking into Anna’s eyes. “And I will not let another man be with you.”       “You’re not the only man in the world. So, not so much to lose!”       “Ah, how much I love the moments when you don't give me everything immediately!” Daniel, putting his hands on the curves of Anna’s waist, presses her closely against himself. “But you forgot who I am. I am Daniel Perkins! The man, who’s always known how to please a girl. Who gives incredible kisses.”       “I don’t get hot or cold from your kisses.”       “You didn’t say it in our bed.       “You will play with your lover in it,” Anna sharply pushes Daniel off herself, putting her hands on his chest. “And yeah, I’m getting out! I’ll better be back to the guys.”       “You will not go,” Daniel smiles slyly. “Until you say you forgave me.”       “Go to hell, horndog.”       Anna turns around sharply and wants to leave somewhere, hiding her great wish to hug Daniel tightly and kiss him passionately. But the man, who turned off his mind, turns on her sharply, grabs her face tightly but tenderly, and cravenly kisses her soft lips to gift her an unforgettable kiss that she has never had. The girl tries to say something and moans loudly, and then she starts to beat him on his arms and chest to push him off. After a few unsuccessful attempts, she relaxes her whole body, succumbing powerlessly to the wave of love and warmth that she gets obsessed with and putting her hands on the curves of the man’s waist. Perkins caresses her soft lips so skillfully that her brain turns off, and all offenses are put in second place.       Being happy with his little victory, Daniel smiles slyly during one of the breaks. When Anna answers his kiss, he gives it much more love, using his hands to caress her face and head and pressing his body as close to her as possible. How much his current feelings differ from those that he felt when being next to Blanca! Nothing is forgotten, nothing has changed! That’s what Daniel was missing all this time! A chance to kiss and hug Anna. And the man naively believes that this quiet passionate kiss full of love could melt the ice in his beloved girl’s heart and tries to make it unforgettable. Understanding how it’s great to feel her sweet lips, caress the lady’s cheeks, the skin of which is more tender than silk, and breathe in the smell of her body that possesses with his mind.       However, Anna understands that she missed Daniel. She missed the touches of his warm, soft hands and exciting kisses that made her feel a fast heartbeat, a slight dizziness, and a weakness in her legs. After all Julian’s mockeries, what’s happening seems a real paradise to the girl. Daniel is the only one, in whose arms Anna feels absolutely safe and surrounded by love. She cannot resist him. But she does not want to confess that she is ready to obey this man completely. However, her feelings are so strong that she melts in the kiss, putting her arm around his neck and pressing him closely to herself, while he caresses his sweetheart’s face and head so tenderly as if it’s something super sensitive and tender.       But at some moment, Anna recalls Daniel kissing Blanca right before her eyes. It wakes her up more or less and makes her understand that what’s happening now is a real insanity that should not have started. She opens her eyes, while the man keeps pulling her lips softly, and understands that tears are rolling down her cheeks slowly. At the thought that this man still means a lot to her, but she cannot at least try to forgive him. Nevertheless, the girl braces herself quickly and tries to stop this madness, pushing the man off. But it’s not so easy because Daniel is confidently smothering one of the curves of her neck and the area behind her ears with tender kisses, while his hands caress the curves of her waist and slide confidently to her thighs and buttocks. And every single attempt to set free provokes him much more. But a few moments later, Anna pushes him away off herself with a strong hit on his chest. And while he tries to understand what is going on, the girl strongly slaps him in the face with tears in her eyes.       Daniel wakes up immediately and sharply grabs his cheek, which starts to burn. After the slap from Anna… This sweet girl, who never let herself slap a man. He feels madly hurt. He is confused. He feels much lousier than before. As if someone just splashed a bucket of icy water over him. All these magical moments are immediately forgotten, and his eyes get wet from the tears that the man is trying to hold down. Perkins is silently standing like a column, not moving, and looking into the distance with widely open eyes. While Anna starts to cry bitterly, while two opposite feelings are literally tearing her apart. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, which may be broken by the girl’s sobs and the man’s heavy breath. And then she shouts with anger in her shaking voice:       “Betrayer! Stinker! At first, you kissed one, but later you kissed another! At first, that fucking whore licked you from head to foot, and then you came to me, kissed me, and felt me up by force? How did you the hell dare?”       Anna falls into silence for a second and sobs two sobs, after which she slaps Daniel on his arms several times.       “You betrayed me!” Anna shouts with despair. “Cheated! You said you needed nobody but me! You literally swore your infinite love! And I believed you like an idiot! I blindly believed the lie you told me!”       Anna sniffs quietly and grabs her head with both hands, as she is breathing heavily.       “You were deceiving me for a long time! How long you had me as your servant! That would’ve given you everything! Cleaned your pigsty! Cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner on time! And show high class in a bed! But when you got sick of seeing the same face every day, you decided to change me! You brought that fat whore to your house!”       The discouraged Daniel is still trying to come to himself after the strong slap and shakes his head silently with widely open eyes.       “Scumbag!” Anna pronounces in a high voice and sniffs. “Do you understand what I felt when I saw you kissing that gal? I felt like I was spat on! I thought I was sleeping! I did not want to believe you cheated! But it happened! You had a choice: accepting or refusing! But you did choose the first thing! And you wanted to have sex with her! Huh! And after all of that, do you dare to come to me? Hoping that everything will be the same! No, cad, it will never happen! Never!”       “Please, Anna, give me a chance to fix everything…” Daniel begs in a quiet, hoarse voice with sadness in his eyes. “I’m very sorry… I didn’t want it to happen…”       “Never!” Anna cuts off sharply. “I will never forgive you! And you did know well that I would not forgive any betrayals!”       “I am guilty…” Daniel inclines his head. “But I really wanna fix everything.”       “No matter how many heroic things you do, I will not be back to you. Never!”       “No, Anna, don’t do this to me!” Daniel begs desperately with widely open eyes. “Please, let me fix everything. Don’t leave me… I love you!”       “Shut up!” Anna shouts irritably. “Enough! Stop pretending to be an innocent lamb and trying to pity me! I would have closed my eyes if that gal had been accosting you, and you had rejected her. But you made your choice.”       “Please, sweetie…”       “You killed me! Killed my love! Ruined my life! Because of you, what I could only see in my nightmares is happening to me!”       “If I can do something, let me know.”       “I did say I need nothing from you! No-thi-ng! Go to hell!”       “I know I’m guilty. But I swear I didn't want it!”       “I am really sorry for the time I wasted on you. It would have been better if I had listened to my parents and done what they thought was right. They did know you’d give only problems and were absolutely right. My grandparents were right when they said older people knew what I needed better. But I, idiot, rebelled and ran away from home. To serve one mean horndog until he decided to find someone, who could replace me.”       “You call me anyone. But I’m begging you, trust me. I hadn’t known that liar before the day when she began to accost me.”       “You will never be forgiven, Daniel! Cheaters don't deserve forgiveness. If you cheated once, you would do it again.”       “No, Anna, no… I’ll no longer betray you!”       “If the guys believed your false words, it’s okay. But I hope they will understand you are a liar and betrayer, who can’t keep his promises, pretends to be sassy and tough, and could betray them at any time. Someone like you can even frame their friends.”       “Yes, I can be a stinker. But I am not a bastard. I have a heart!”       “You deserve to be alone. And I hope that you will really have nobody someday. You don’t have a family. And I also want you not to have friends.”       “No, Anna, please, don’t speak to me like this,” Daniel shakes his head with half-wet eyes. “You’re hurting me strongly.”       “Alright, this talk doesn’t make sense!” Anna cuts off coldly, raising her hand. “We are over! Once and forever! Never run after me and try to tell me some tales about your love. I will never forgive you and won’t believe your empty words anymore!”       “No, Anna, my love for you is true! I’ve always loved you! More than anyone else! You’re the best thing that’s happened to me.”       “Hearing it when thinking about the tongue of that fat freak that was in your mouth is disgusting to me…” Anna says in a ruder, lower voice, while Daniel shakes his head silently and suffers from his powerlessness, which is the reason why he is losing his sweetheart.       Anna moves her eyes aside and swallows up nervously.       “Farewell, Daniel Perkins,” Anna says in a lower voice. “From now, both of us are single. We’re nothing, we’re over. Goodbye.”       Anna turns around quickly and leaves as far as possible, putting her head on her shoulders and starting to wipe the tears off her face frantically. While Daniel watches her desperately, breathing a little heavily and understanding how he is shaking from the tension. He looks at the side where she went for a few seconds, even when the girl hides. And then the man leans on the wall with his back and the back of his head, closes his eyes, and exhales slowly, being happy that there is nobody around, and he does not have to explain why he is in such a broken condition. The pain from the hit he got from Anna is much stronger than the one he felt during the fight with Eugene. Maybe, then, Daniel could bite the bullet and put himself together, but now he is not able to bear such a terrible torture and not to scream at the top of his lungs with tears in his eyes.       “Fuck, why?” Daniel wonders, setting his wet, widely open eyes into the distance. “What? It’s too much… I’m ready to bear anything but the breakup with Anna. I love her! I don’t need any other lady but my red-haired girl!”       Daniel slightly pulls the collar of his t-shirt with a feeling that he lacks air, while his eyes are nervously running from one side to another.       “Fuck, what do I do? I must fix everything! I need hope that everything is not lost. I think my honesty made everything worse. Anna got much madder because of my confession of almost having sex with that liar. But I couldn’t be silent. I don’t wanna lie to her. Everything would’ve come to light early or late.”       After looking around and making sure that nobody is around, Daniel slides down the wall powerlessly and bends his legs at his knees, sniffing quietly, closing his face with both hands for two seconds, running his fingers through his hair, and pulling it out strongly.       “Idiot… Brainless idiot! How could I screw it up? Fuck… I did feel that I shouldn’t have done that. My heart told me it wasn’t what I needed… It… It always let me know I needed Anna. I did feel something special when someone mentioned her or when I was thinking of her. But I didn’t listen to my feelings.”       Daniel pulls his hair out strongly.       Fucking Blanca! I wish she was swallowed by the ground! I dunno what I’ll do to that bitch if I meet her. Because of her. Because of her, I barely the fuck explained everything to my friends and am about to lose my beloved girl. Ar-r-r! I swear if she shows up again, I shall betray her to the police! That fat-ass asshole will pay me for everything… I will turn her to dust!”       Daniel clenches his hands into hard fists tightly, slaps himself on the forehead two times, and glances aside sharply.       “Damn, how much I wanna strangle myself…” Daniel sighs silently. “But… I promised Cass to be strong. I mustn’t give up… At least for my little sissy. She’s my only close person. Even if I feel lousy, it shouldn’t make me distance myself from my friends. Those, who I started to appreciate much more after I barely lost them.”       Daniel slowly runs his hands over his face, bending his legs at the knees and leaning on the cold wall with his back, sniffs, pinches his nose for a second, and scratches it with an index finger.       “No, I won’t tell them about what happened. I’m not ready. I will tell them later when I calm down a little… It’s gonna be super hard for me to pretend that nothing happens. But I must. I don’t want to be a whining boy and complain about how everything’s bad for me. Moreover, I am the one to blame for that…”       Daniel completely understands that a breakup is not the end of the world and knows that people break up with their sweethearts several times, but nobody has died because of it. But the man doubts that he could forget Anna someday because she is the first girl, who he loves truly and strongly. Who made him look at many things differently and realize that she was the perfection that he had been unconsciously looking for all his life.       

***

      Raquelle, Edward, Natalia, Helene, and Peter start to ask themselves where Anna went and why she has not been back yet. After she told Daniel that she left him, she did not return to the others and did not warn anyone about her departure, even if she wanted to come back home or walk somewhere in the city.       “It’s weird…” Natalia frowns slightly, sitting on the chairs in front of Terrence’s bed alongside Helene. “It’s been so long, but Anna hasn’t come back…”       “Yeah…” Raquelle agrees, still sitting next to Terrence and caressing his hand softly. “She’s not here yet…”       “Notice that Daniel doesn’t rush to come,” Helene notices confidently.       “Maybe, they don’t wanna go here because they’d have to be here together?” Peter assumes, standing near the small table with his arms crossed over his chest. “Anna wouldn’t have come if she’d known Daniel would be here. And he’s embarrassed when she’s near him.”       “Maybe,” Edward pronounces thoughtfully, standing in front of the window, leaning on the windowsill with both hands, and watching people entering the hospital and leaving it alone or in groups. “But if they don’t come back here soon, we can walk into the hospital.”       “I think the guys just play time and believe every one of them is here,” Raquelle assumes. “So, that’s why nobody hurries to come back.”       “But they can do it forever,” Helene throws her hands up. “They’ll have to talk and sort things out early or late. If Anna thinks she broke up with Daniel, it doesn’t mean he broke up with her. This type of decision must be chosen together.”       “I’m afraid it will lead to nothing,” Edward exhales sharply. “Even if Daniel does a heroic act for her, it doesn’t mean Anna will melt. He cheated on her. It’s very hard to forgive it. Sometimes it’s actually impossible.”       “What if she appreciates his help in saving her from the violator?” Natalia asks with sadness in her eyes. “Daniel is the only one, who can protect her now.”       “There is a chance. But it’s too small.”       “Yeah, but will her father let him do it?” Peter asks. “I bet he’s now super mad at Daniel. Because that guy promised to make Anna happy, but he cheated on her, after all.”       “But he is not as blinded by anger as his daughter,” Helene notices. “So, that man can think soberly. If Anna’s father knows about Blanca, he must understand that Daniel did it when he couldn’t remember his daughter.”       “Yeah, Blanca has done so much…” Natalia exhales sharply. “She got him to fight with his girlfriend, had him wrapped around her finger, and turned him against his friends… Good girl!”       “Yeah, she felt the smell of the young guy with money and a gorgeous house and decided to work on him,” Peter chuckles quietly. “And she gave a damn that this guy had a girlfriend, who he was very happy with.”       “Right,” Raquelle agrees with sadness in her eyes. “We all saw how tenderly Daniel treated Anna and took care of her. It’s impossible to play these feelings so well. What kind of cheating! C’mon, guys!”       “Anyway, Daniel is guilty of everything,” Edward adds confidently and turns on everybody, still standing near the window. “He could’ve rejected that foreigner and let her know he wasn’t interested in her. That dude did say his heart felt that Blanca wasn’t his girlfriend and stopped after the mention of Anna.”       “Yeah…” Peter says thoughtfully and puts his hands on his hips. “It happened very interestingly: the brain didn’t remember the beloved girlfriend, but it gave the signs that she was special and beautiful. Meanwhile, his heart still remembered all those feelings and tried to show Daniel the right way. But he didn’t listen to those feelings and preferred believing the liar blindly.”       “I can’t deny it,” Helene nods and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Daniel thought with an empty head. Not only in the case of Seymour but also in the case of all of us.”       “And if our honorable friend had listened to his heart, he could’ve avoided many problems,” Natalia concludes confidently. “And poor Anna wouldn’t suffer now so much because of that stinker.”       “Hey, when do we ask Daniel for the address of Anna’s mother or father?” Raquelle asks.       “I think Anna has told her father that our buddy remembered everything,” Edward says thoughtfully and crosses his arms over his chest. “It means Daniel is gonna have a very unpleasant talk soon.”       “Yeah, the guy is gonna have to explain much,” Peter shakes his head. “Anyway, we should tell him about that bastard as soon as possible.”       “Okay, guys, let’s talk about it later,” Helene sighs tiredly, glancing at the door. “Our fornicator is coming here. I see him in the window of the room.”       Everybody falls into silence, and Daniel enters the room quietly two seconds later. Although he keeps an indifferent face as if nothing happened, his red, little puffy eyes full of sadness and pain betray him.       “Nothing has changed?” Daniel says quietly, closing the door.       “No, it’s all the same,” Edward shrugs. “What about Cassidy?”       “Better than two days ago. But she’s gonna have a long therapy for the drug dependence and talks to psychologists.”       “I’m glad she didn’t die,” Peter says quietly and exhales quietly. “At least one piece of good news.”       “And I’m glad Cass is determined to get therapy.”       “God shall help her,” Helene cracks a smile.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, after which Daniel crosses his arms over his chest and goes further into the room slowly.       “Were you with your sister for so long?” Raquelle asks a little hesitantly.       “Not quite…” Daniel replies thoughtfully. “I was with my sister for twenty or forty minutes. And then I… I went to talk to her doctor, who recommended me a place where Cassidy could get help.”       “A narcological clinic?” Helene specifies.       “Yes, but the doctor said there were also psychologists. My sister needs the one. The poor girl still can’t come to herself after what Wainwright did to her.”       “Is the clinic good?” Edward asks.       “The clinic’s reviews are kind of good. But the doctor warned that the service was very expensive. I don’t how much, but I don’t care. I’ll pay as much as they want.”       “The more important is that she gets help,” Natalia says quietly. “Her life is just starting… It would be terribly unfair if she had died from drugs. Because of the terrible man.”       “Yeah…” Daniel looks at everybody with sadness in his eyes. “I’ve got something to tell you… But I don’t know if you’re aware…”       “Speak then,” Peter allows.       “Erm…” Daniel moves his eyes aside for a second. “Do you know… Wainwright is dead?”       Everybody opens their eyes wider and looks at each other surprisingly.       “What?” Natalia cannot believe it.       “Wainwright died?” Edward specifies.       “Yup,” Daniel nods. “I just heard it from Mr. Johnson.”       “It has to do with the fall?” Peter frowns slightly.       “As well as a large dose of drugs. The fall led to many fractures, some of which were incompatible with life. And there was a great dose of drugs in his blood. As it turned out, he mixed them. I mean, he took not something same but everything at once.”       “My gosh…” Raquelle pronounces thoughtfully.       “Mr. Johnson said it?” Edward specifies.       “Yes, he did,” Daniel confirms and puts his hands on his hips. “I met him on my way to the cafeteria. We went together and talked a little. So, he told me about it.”       “How long ago did he die?” Helene asks.       “Literally two hours ago. The doctors told him about it, and he came here with his colleagues.”       “Wow…” Peter pronounces thoughtfully.       “By the way, I saw the body of the dead Wainwright was carried away by the doctors. Mr. Johnson went with them after we left the cafeteria and saw him.”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which everybody believes that Eugene Wainwright is dead, feeling some kind of relief. At some moment, Natalia stands up from the chair slowly, comes to one of the windows in the room, and looks at this with sadness in her eyes and her arms crossed over her chest.       “So…” Natalia pronounces quietly. “It’s all over?”       “Yes, Natalia,” Daniel confirms. “That bastard will burn in hell.”       “I know dead people can’t be judged, but Wainwright did bring himself into the grave,” Peter replies thoughtfully. “And I’m not sorry.”       “Anyway, he paid for harming so many people,” Helene adds confidently. “And I’m glad it happened. At least, that man will no longer threaten any one of us.”       “Minus one bastard…” Edward pronounces gloomily in a low voice. “It would be good if he took that old bastard, Michael.”       “I can’t disagree…” Natalia says thoughtfully, quietly. “But it’s impossible to forget all the memories related to him. No matter how much time is gone, I will never forget everything he did to me… I shall always be shaking.”       Natalia sighs heavily with closed eyes and shakes slightly, thinking of everything she had to experience because of Eugene, feeling tears roll down her face at some moment. While everybody watches her with sadness in their eyes, Edward comes to the girl confidently and hugs her from behind strongly but tenderly, locks his hands on her chest, and presses her closely to himself.       “It’s okay, sweetie,” Edward pronounces softly and cutely kisses Natalia on the temple. “You’re safe now.”       “Yup, I know…” Natalia replies without emotions, still looking through the window. “My memories are just too clear… I still shake every time I think of what that man did to me. What he didn’t do to me.”       “It’s okay, my girl… Come to me…”       Edward turns Natalia on himself and hugs her tightly with both arms, kissing her on the top of her head and caressing it, while she slowly runs her shaking hands over his back and puts her nose in his shoulder with quiet sobs.       “It’s all over now, Natalia,” Daniel says with sadness in his eyes. “That man will no longer do anything to you.”       “You may stop being afraid that he’ll get out of a bust,” Helene notices confidently.       “And be glad you were much luckier than Cassidy. That you had Edward, who protected you.”       “Daniel’s right, Natalia,” Peter agrees quietly. “If not for Edward, anything could’ve happened to you. And Wainwright finally paid for everything he did to Cassidy and you.”       “I know, guys…” Natalia makes a quiet sob and sniffs, while Edward keeps pressing her to himself and caresses her cheek tenderly. “I know…”       “I’m glad this story ended with his death,” Edward confesses confidently and caresses Natalia’s head. “That’s what I call justice. But I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t think he’d die when I sometimes wished him to die.”       “It would be fair if Terrence woke up,” Raquelle replies quietly and caresses Terrence’s cheek softly, looking at him with sadness in her eyes. “Then, I’d say everything ended as it should’ve ended…”       “He’ll wake up soon,” Helene expresses confidence. “If Daniel’s sister is alive after everything she had to experience, Terrence is gonna live, too.”       Raquelle says nothing and just nods, still caressing Terrence’s cheek and holding his hand with a free hand. And a few seconds later, the door opens, and Alicia and Frederick enter the room, being anxious.       “Raquelle?” Frederick pronounces excitedly.       Raquelle turns around sharply and opens her eyes widely, looking at Frederick and Alicia with pity.       “Grandpa Frederick! Aunt Alicia!” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice.       Raquelle stands up from the bed for the first time in the past two hours, comes to Frederick and Alicia, and hugs them by one with tears in her eyes, while they kiss her on the cheek cutely.       “I know about Terrence, sweetie,” Frederick says with sadness in his eyes, caressing Raquelle’s cheek. “Your aunt told me everything.”       “Thank you…” Raquelle thanks in a shaking voice. “Thank you for coming.”       “Hi, guys,” Alicia greets amicably.       “Hello,” Frederick pronounces. “Glad to see you all.”       “Hello…” Natalia, Edward, Helene, Daniel, and Peter say at a different time and greet Frederick and Alicia by hugging them amicably, shaking them by the hand, or kissing them on the cheek.       “I’m sorry about not coming earlier. I wanted to come yesterday, but I was at work.”       “It’s alright,” Raquelle pronounces quietly.       “You can tell me nothing because I know everything. I’m really sorry about what happened.” Frederick glances at Edward, Daniel, and Peter. “And I’m glad you’re safe and sound, men.”       “Thank you so much, Mr. Cameron,” Edward thanks with sadness in his eyes. “And thank you for coming. Raquelle needs your support so badly.”       “That’s why I am here. Moreover, Terrence is like a son to me. I couldn’t be indifferent when I heard what happened to him.” Frederick glances at the unconscious Terrence. “Jesus Christ… He’s so pale… Poor guy…”       “At least, his fewer is gone,” Natalia notices and wipes tears under her eyes carefully. “He was hot for two days…”       “So, he’s getting better.”       “Yeah, but he hasn’t woken up,” Edward throws his hands up.       “He will, don’t worry. And you, Edward, shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened. First, you did everything you could. And second, you didn’t make Terrence do that.”       “I feel a little better just because the doctors give us hope for the best.”       “Be happy that he is actually alive. Everything could have been worse.”       “That’s right, Mr. Cameron,” Peter agrees confidently. “Terrence is alive thanks to Edward and his quick reaction.”       “Yes, yes, I know everything,” Frederick nods with sadness in his eyes. “And I’m gonna tell you that I blame nobody for anything. And I am truly glad everything ended well at least for you three.”       “I will say it only when Terrence wakes up,” Raquelle says with sadness in her eyes.       “He’s gonna be fine, honey,” Alicia calms down, softly caressing Raquelle’s shoulder. “God sees everything… Justice will surely glory.”       “You said it right,” Daniel agrees confidently. “The enemy got what he deserved.”       “What do you mean?”       “Eugene Wainwright did. We just found it out.”       “What? That man died?”       “Two hours ago. From the traumas that were incomparable with life and a great dose of drugs in his blood.”       “But how do you know it?” Frederick wonders.       “Mr. Johnson said,” Daniel says quietly. “And I saw the dead Wainwright carried away by the doctors. There were a few policemen with them.”       “Jesus Christ…” Alicia closes her mouth with a hand with horror in her eyes.       “So, the cad paid for what his tricks…” Frederick pronounces thoughtfully.       “That’s fair,” Helene says quietly. “Yes, dead people can’t be judged, but Wainwright did deserve this end.”       “Wainwright punished himself,” Frederick replies confidently. “His death is the fair end of the story of that man.”       “At least girls will no longer suffer because of his dirty hands…” Edward notices, crossing his arms over his chest.       “And we can walk without looking around,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “Without a fear that Wainwright might be near…”       “No, Natalia, you will not meet him,” Frederick assures. “As well as your friends.”       “And from now on, you can forget what happened to you,” Alicia adds confidently. “It’s horrible, I don’t deny it, but you should leave these things in the past.”       “Easy to say but hard to do,” Natalia sighs heavily. “But I’ll try.”       “Not try but forget,” Edward says confidently, hugging Natalia around the shoulders. “I shall personally care about it.”       Natalia says nothing but smiles slightly and puts her head on Edward’s shoulder. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Frederick and Alicia look at Raquelle better, while she presses herself to them with the hope of getting comforted.       “Oh, Raquelle…” Frederick shakes his head with horror in his eyes and takes Raquelle’s hand. “How exhausted you are… What are you doing to yourself, my girl?”       “Yes, sweetie, your grandfather is right,” Alicia adds and caresses Raquelle’s cheek softly. “You must not get yourself so exhausted. What if you, heaven forbid, get sick?”       “She has spent the second night in Terrence’s room,” Edward confesses with sadness in his eyes.       “What?” Frederick gets horrified. “Spent the second night?”       “We’ve tried to make her go home, but she refuses.”       “It’s, Mr. Cameron…” Natalia confirms with sadness in her eyes, locking her fingers tightly. “No words work. Raquelle refuses to leave the room until Terrence wakes up.”       Alicia and Frederick slightly shake their heads and look at the pale Raquelle with horror in their eyes.       “Raquelle, come on?” Frederick wonders, embracing Raquelle around the shoulders. “That’s wrong! We all understand that you’re worried about Terrence, but there must be some lines.”       “I must be with him, Grandpa,” Raquelle replies in a quiet, shaking voice. “I can’t leave him! Terrence has sacrificed so much for me and taken care of me. So, I also must take care of him and be next to him. It’s my duty… I know he needs me at this hard moment.”       “Sweetie, of course, that’s very noble,” Alicia shakes her head with sadness in her eyes. “But for God’s sake, think of yourself.”       “Terrence will not like the fact that you get yourself so exhausted,” Frederick adds confidently.       “We told her the same, Mr. Cameron,” Peter says confidently with sadness in his eyes. “But Raquelle does want to be next to Terrence until he wakes up.”       “And the sad thing is that we don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Natalia adds quietly. “Maybe, now… Maybe, tomorrow… Maybe, much later…”       “I promise I will go home when he lets us know that he’s alive,” Raquelle promises with pity in her eyes.       “You will go home today, Raquelle,” Frederick says harshly. “Your aunt and I will personally drive you home. And we will spend the nights with you if we have to. In the worst case, you will live in my apartment.”       “No, Grandpa, I will not leave!” Raquelle protests with despair.       “First, put yourself to order, eat well, and have a good rest, and then you come back to Terrence,” Alicia says confidently.       “Please, Aunt…”       “Sorry, Raquelle, but they’re right,” Edward says confidently. “What if you end up in the hospital? We have so many problems! We will go crazy from worrying!”       “I can’t leave my fiancé, I cannot!”       “If you don’t think of us, pity at least Terrence. What if his recovery happens slower and harder because of worrying about you?”       “He needs me, get it…” Raquelle replies with tears in her eyes and despair.       “So, my dear Raquelle…” Alicia starts to speak harshly. “You will go tonight. Your friends are also worried about Terrence, but they don’t forget about their health. As well as his parents. And Mr. MacClife actually goes to work. So, my dear niece, be pleased to listen to Mr. Cameron and me and do what we say.”       “No, please!” Raquelle makes a loud sob. “Let me stay with Terrence!”       “Do you want us to be worried about you? Your grandfather to have a heart attack? Somehow, he was in the hospital! You want to drive us crazy?”       “Please, Auntie… I feel guilty because I don’t give him enough attention.”       “Gosh, Raquelle, how stubborn you are…” Alicia moans tiredly. “Your mother was a donkey, but you outdid her a long time ago…”       “Remember yourself when you were sitting next to your husband when was dying from cancer. You did say you spent all your time with him.”       “Right, I was next to Dominick. But even in that case, I went home to eat, sleep, wash myself, and change my clothes.”       “I’ll go home, I promise. I’ll just wait for Terrence to wake up…”       “Alright, enough!” Frederick cuts off sharply. “Alicia and I said everything! You will go with us! Live in my apartment until Terrence is released. You'll watch Amanda, while I work, and your aunt is looking for housing.”       “But…”       “No, I said! Don’t dare to argue with me!”       “I will not leave… I don’t want…”       “Alright, guys, let’s walk into the hospital a little,” Alicia says quietly. “Moreover, Mr. Cameron and I would like to talk to you about something.”       “Yeah, we will be back here in half an hour,” Frederick adds confidently. “Then Alicia and I will take her out.”       Everybody nods silently and leaves Terrence’s room slowly. Then Frederick and Alicia do the same, looking at Raquelle confidently, while she watches all of them with tears in her eyes and sniffs quietly.       “Oh, God, what she has gotten herself in…” Alicia sighs heavily, walking down the straight, wide hall alongside the others.       “We know, Mrs. Middleton,” Peter nods with sadness in his eyes. “But sadly, Raquelle doesn’t listen to us.”       “It’s okay, Alicia and I will watch her, while Terrence is in the hospital,” Frederick promises confidently.       “Thank you so much, Mr. Cameron,” Helene thanks. “I’m sure you’ll reach her.”       “Undoubtedly, Helene, don’t worry. And we will make her explain why she’s been so weird for a long time.”       “So, do you know she has been weird since the trial of Michael MacClife?” Natalia asks with sadness in her eyes.       “Everybody knows it, Natalia,” Alicia says confidently. “We all saw that she wasn’t quiet. We just didn’t pay attention to that. But we got anxious when Raquelle didn’t get better even after the trial.”       “Listen, Mrs. Middleton, Mr. Cameron, did Raquelle tell you something?” Helene asks. “What if you know something?”       “No, she said nothing to us,” Frederick shakes his head. “And one day, Terrence went to my home and begged me to give him a piece of advice. But sadly, I didn’t know how to help him…”       “What a twist…” Peter shakes his head.       “I’m sorry for that guy. Terrence is in despair and holding on so hard not to go crazy and piss my granddaughter off.”       “I believe Raquelle understands it if she says she’s guilty of Terrence,” Daniel assumes confidently. “I don’t exclude that there’s something she is afraid to talk about. Something that could make him mad.”       “But what did she do?” Frederick throws his hands up.       “I don’t think the case is about her feelings for him…” Natalia assumes. “We all see how much Raquelle loves Terrence.”       “No, no, it’s excluded! The case is something different… But it definitely has to do with him…”       “By the way, girls, hasn’t Raquelle talked to you about something you found suspicious?” Alicia frowns.       “Nope, nothing like that,” Natalia shrugs.       “Maybe, she told you about her wishes? For example, she said about a baby?”       “Do you think the case is about it?”       “But Terrence really wants to become a father,” Peter adds. “He often says it.”       “And Raquelle is absolutely healthy and can carry and give birth to many babies,” Frederick assures. “She doesn’t have any sickness.”       “I’m afraid that she might not wish to have a child,” Alicia shows anxiety. “She tells us she wants it, but she doesn’t actually think about it. What if Terrence wants to marry her and become a father, but Raquelle is afraid to confess that they don’t share the same dream?”       “Honestly, I’ve never seen a special gloss in her eyes when a talk was about children. Yes, Raquelle expressed an interest in the girl that you wanted to adopt, but she didn’t aim to meet her immediately. She doesn’t treat children as tenderly as you.”       “And it scares me. I don’t want her to miss a moment and not to give birth to at least one child. I personally still regret wasting the best years of my life and not completing my mission.”       “At least, she’s never expressed hate for children,” Helene notices. “Though, Raquelle doesn’t really melt in front of any baby.”       “Come on, maybe, we dream it up!” Daniel exclaims. “Maybe, Raquelle loves children, but her problem is something different.”       “But what?” Natalia throws her hands up with sadness in her eyes. “What does she need to be happy? She built a brilliant career, got surrounded by the love of fans, and got engaged to a wonderful man…”       “She will confess everything early or late,” Alicia replies confidently. “Maybe, not Terrence, but us.”       While everybody guesses what’s happening to Raquelle, Edward walks behind them and reflects on the secret of his brother’s fiancée, which has to do with the child.       “Damn, I shouldn’t accidentally tell Alicia and Mr. Cameron that I know Raquelle’s secret,” Edward thinks with both arms crossed over his chest. “I can’t betray her, even if I madly want to say everything, at least to my brother. But I shouldn’t meddle and make the situation worse. Terrence would get much anger if he knew about the baby’s death from someone else.”       Edward moves his eyes to the others and swallows up nervously.       “Oh, how I wish Terrence left the hospital as soon as possible and knew about the baby… I want this story to be over. And I truly hope my brother will understand and forgive Raquelle. She’s not guilty of getting pregnant at such a bad time.”       Edward swallows up nervously, feeling how his heart squeezes painfully from the memories of how Raquelle told him about her miscarriage. From how he tries to imagine what he would feel if he heard something like this from Natalia. At some moment, his friends turn back at a different time and see Edward trailing alone behind them and thinking about something.       “Oh, Edward is drowning in the pool of his sins again,” Helene sighs heavily.       “Hey, Edward!” Peter exclaims, waving his hand in front of Edward’s face. “Edward… Wake up! Stop withdrawing into yourself!”       “Erm, pardon, what?” Edward pronounces hesitantly after he shakes slightly.       “Stay where you are!” Daniel replies confidently. “What kind of stupid habit to withdraw into yourself every time something happens!”       “This is me,” Edward shrugs with a slight smile, deciding to support this talk actively. “Thoughtful.”       “Don’t withdraw from us, Edward,” Frederick says confidently. “Or you’re gonna drive crazy, too. Talk to us, distract yourself…”       “Erm…” Edward runs his hand over his face. “I can’t always whine. A man doesn’t whine. He tries to accept everything silently.”       “That’s wrong, Edward,” Alicia advices. “Don’t be silent. It’s hard for us now. And we should talk to each other to keep our minds clear.”       “I guess I’d better be silent. I’ve been whining too much over the past two days.”       “Gosh, man, don’t worry so much,” Frederick says softly, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “Relax. It’s gonna get better soon.”       “A way to your happy and quiet life always consists of difficulties and failures,” Alicia notices. “Ups and downs are an essential part of our lives that we cannot avoid.”       “I know…” Edward pronounces quietly and looks into the distance with dead eyes.       Thinking about the situation, Edward does not notice how Natalia comes to him and hugs him tightly, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing herself close to the man.       “C’mon, sweetheart,” Natalia pronounces softly and moves some strands of Edward’s hair off his forehead. “It’s gonna be okay.”       “I’m trying…” Edward replies thoughtfully.       “Listen, of course, we know that you’re our sentimental guy, but you are too much…”       “The case is not about it… I’m just trying to imagine what may happen in the future…”       “Stop, Edward, relax.” Natalia cutely kisses Edward on the cheek. “You’re too tense.”       “C’mon, man, stop thinking about bad things,” Peter says confidently, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “Let’s better go to the cafeteria and drink water.”       “Yup, sit there, while Raquelle is with Terrence,” Daniel agrees thoughtfully. “I haven’t reached the seller to drink water.”       Edward says nothing and cracks a little false smile, being a little nervous because of what might happen if Raquelle decides to tell Terrence the bitter truth about the child that was not destined to make them happy.       

***

      Meanwhile, Raquelle is still sitting next to Terrence like a loyal dog. The girl understands that she is terribly tired and wants to have a good rest, but he literally makes her forget about any discomfort and thinks she must stay next to her beloved man, despite nothing. She does not stop looking at her fiancé with pity, hoping that something will change, and sometimes glances at some machines that give some information about his condition.       “Forgive me, Terrence…” Raquelle apologizes in a shaking voice, caressing Terrence’s cheeks tenderly with both hands. “You were sacrificing yourself to make my life better. I know how hard it was for you… How much you were worried about me… Felt despair and didn’t know what to do. Did your best to help me… But… I didn’t get better. But the case isn’t about you, it’s about me… What I did… What I’m ashamed for…”       Raquelle takes Terrence’s hands with both hands and caresses them softly, sighing heavily at some moment.       “I’m guilty of everything…” Raquelle says quietly and sniffs. “Because I didn’t tell you about the miscarriage. I know I must’ve done it a long time ago… But I was cowardly and couldn’t tell you about our child… I’ve been sorry about it for a few months… And I understand I might ruin everything if I told about it.”       Raquelle shakes her head with tears in her eyes.       “All my care and all my love for you can’t help me make amends. Nothing can excuse my act… And if I lose you someday after I confess everything, it will be my punishment… Yes, I won’t take the breakup with you, but I understand I deserve it. After I made you sacrifice the time that you could’ve spent differently on me… After I said I was fine, hid the bitten truth, and wasn’t a perfect girlfriend…”       Raquelle falls into silence for two seconds, sniffs quietly, caresses Terrence’s cheek with the back of her hand, and runs her fingers through his hair with wet eyes.       “If you’re mad at me and leave me, it will be your decision,” Raquelle says in a low voice. “Fair decision. You can leave me if you don’t wanna stay. It’s okay, I’ll take it. But I’m begging you about one thing… Just one thing…”       Raquelle makes a loud sob, puts Terrence’s hand to her heart, inclines her head, and closes her eyes for two seconds.       “Don’t die… And live… Please, Terrence… Don’t die… I want you to live! For the God’s sake… I need you… I can’t do without you… Really, sweetie… I feel terribly bad while you aren’t by my side… I feel lonely… And bad… Because there is nobody, who would take care of me. Nobody could do it better than you, sweetheart. Nobody. Without you, I feel like a little, unprotected girl. Without you, I’m getting weak and losing myself. I don’t feel strong and brave. Just because I don’t have a beloved, trustworthy man by my side.”       After looking at Terrence with wet, red, and puffy eyes for two or three seconds, Raquelle moves the man’s hand to her cheek and caresses it softly.       “You’ve always said you’re living for me… So, I’m living for you. I… I never thought I could love someone so much. But I love. With all my heart. And now I can’t imagine myself next to someone else. I need you. Terrence! I need everything you can give me. Please, hear me! Come back to me! I don’t wanna lose you!”       After trying to hold her emotions down somehow, Raquelle starts crying much more bitterly, looking at Terrence with pity in her eyes, while a tear falls on his face at some moment.       “Please, Terrence, please…” Raquelle whispers in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “I’m begging you…”       Raquelle makes a sob and presses herself closer to Terrence, putting her head on his chest, burying her nose in it, putting her hands on his heart, and feeling weak enough pushes.       “Don’t leave me all alone…” Raquelle begs with despair. “Please… Please…”       Raquelle falls into silence and keeps crying an ocean of bitter tears, understanding how strongly she is shaking from tension in her whole body and tightly squeezing Terrence’s hospital robe. It’s easy to see that the skinny from nature girl lost some weight, and her skin got much whiter. It’s like the girl forgot how to feel truly bright and positive emotions. Even some happy moments give her temporary relief. The invisible chains tied her tightly and do not let her breathe with a feeling of easiness in her chest. The sense of fault is dragging Raquelle down and making her feel permanent anxiety. It seems like this darkness will never end, and the bright light will not show her the way out of this closed circle.       Even a few seconds later, Raquelle keeps heartbreakingly crying on Terrence’s chest and does not notice that he barely shakes his head at some moment and moves the fingers of his hand secretly. Then it’s possible to hear a very, very quiet moan, along with which the man winces slightly. A second or two later, he barely moves every part of his body, feeling a little nausea, dizziness, and dryness in his mouth. The man makes quiet moans and shakes his head for a few seconds while his eyelids move slightly. A little later, he slowly opens his eyes and looks around the whole room with a blurry look, trying to understand what happened to him.       At some moment, Terrence tries to breathe deeply, but he realizes something does not let him do it. More specifically, he understands that someone is lying on his chest. The man slowly moves his eyes down and immediately recognizes the brown hair of Raquelle, who is squeezing his robe tightly. Terrence cracks a slight smile but understands that his heart squeezes painfully when he hears her heartbreaking sobs. After watching her for two seconds, he reaches his hand to her head slowly but confidently and caresses it tenderly, pronouncing in a quiet, hoarse voice:       “Raquelle…”       Terrence’s voice makes Raquelle shake sharply in surprise. The girl stops sobbing, raises herself a little, and, sniffing quietly and wiping tears under her eyes carefully, moves her eyes to the man.       “Terrence…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice and sharply gets straight. “Oh, God…”       Raquelle puts her hands together and brings them to her mouth and then quickly wipes tears off her face, not moving her eyes off Terrence, who barely takes a half-sitting position, not caring about a terrible weakness in his whole body.       “Sweetheart…” Terrence pronounces in a hoarse voice.       Raquelle hugs Terrence tightly without words and presses him to herself as close as possible, making a couple of loud sobs. And a few seconds later, she steps back from him, looks at him with an exhausted but wide smile, and grabs his face tenderly with both hands.       “Gosh, I thought I lost you,” Raquelle says in a shaking voice and sniffs again. “You scared me to death…”       “But what happened?” Terrence wonders and looks around tensely. “Where am I?”       “Quiet, sweetie, quiet,” Raquelle tries to calm down softly, caressing Terrence’s cheek tenderly. “It’s okay, don’t be so nervous. You’re in the hospital. This is your room.”       “Hospital?”       “You were brought here after Wainwright injected a sedative into you. The dose was great enough… It was a little higher than a normal one…”       “And… How long have I been here?”       “You were brought here the day before yesterday, and you were unconscious.”       “Come on?” Terrence rounds his eyes.       “Say, how do you feel? Something hurts?”       “I feel dizzy… Strong weakness… And my mouth is dry…”       “Do you remember what happened? You look like you don’t understand anything.”       “Erm… I…”       Terrence thinks for a few seconds before he starts to realize that the last thing he remembers is the fight with Eugene Wainwright.       “Oh, fuck!” Terrence pronounces, while his widely open eyes full of horror start running from one side to another. “Wainwright! The lads! We were fighting with him!”       “Right,” Raquelle nods.       “Damn, what happened to the guys? Where are they? Are they fine? Wainwright did something to them?”       “Quiet, quiet, Terrence, calm down, please,” Raquelle replies quietly, softly, taking Terrence’s cold, little shaking hand. “They’re fine.”       “Wainwright wanted to kill all of us. We… We couldn’t get off him… And then the injection… I felt very bad… I threw up… And then I passed out… The next is the hole!”       “Thank God, Edward called Mr. Johnson and asked him to send the police and an ambulance. The doctors drove you and Daniel’s sister here, and the lads followed them.”       “They’re here?”       “Yup, the men are here. The girls, too. Everybody went on different sides. But I stayed alone.”       “So, do you know everything?”       “Yup, Edward told me what happened. And then Daniel and Peter added something. We were all shocked. The girls, your parents, and me.”       “What?” Terrence rounds his eyes. “My parents?”       “Mr. and Mrs. MacClife went to our home because you and Edward didn’t answer their calls. The girls and I told them that you, Edward, and Peter disappeared, and your father called Mr. Johnson. We had had to wait for three hours before he called him, and Edward contacted me and said you were taken to the hospital.”       “Oh, damn… Edward… Wainwright almost killed him! I… I wanted to save him and… I let Wainwright inject that shit into me.”       “Yes, sweetie, I know everything.”       “Did Wainwright do nothing to him? Please, tell me that my brother is okay!”       “He’s okay, don’t worry,” Raquelle says confidently, putting her hand on the hands of Terrence folded in front of him. “But Edward is too worried about what happened… He says he should’ve been here. Not you.”       “It’s not true. Edward’s guilty of nothing. That was my wish. I did want to do that with the thought that I could protect him. That was my duty. I couldn’t let him suffer.”       “I know, Terrence.”       “I’m sorry, Raquelle…” Terrence looks at Raquelle shamelessly and takes her hands. “I’m very sorry… Sorry for making you worried… But I couldn’t let Edward suffer. I didn’t want my younger brother to die.”       “No, no, please, sweetheart…” Raquelle kisses Terrence’s cheek tenderly and fixes his disheveled hair. “Don’t apologize. You’re guilty of nothing.”       “I’m really very sorry…” Terrence shakes his head with pity in his eyes.       “You behaved very worthily. That was insanity, but I’m proud of you. We all are proud of your braveness and resolution… Your love for your close people…”       “I briefly thought I could take that syringe and throw it. But when I decided to do that, I was ready for everything… Even to die…”       “Please, Terrence, don’t blame yourself,” Raquelle begs with pity in her eyes. “You did the right thing when deciding to save your brother.”       “I’d do anything for Edward. Even the craziest thing. If he decides to risk and sacrifice, I’ll go with him.”       “And I don’t blame you or him. I swear, I’d do the same. If I had to, I’d piss all my fears off and do everything to save my close person. Even put my life in danger.”       “I’m sorry, Raquelle… Please, forgive me for making you worried.” Terrence puts his hand on Raquelle’s cheek and caresses it tenderly, looking at the girl guiltily. “And don’t judge me for not having the courage to leave Edward. He would’ve died alone. But I don’t want to lose my brother.”       “My gosh, Terrence, stop apologizing,” Raquelle says confidently and runs her hand through Terrence’s hair. “I blame you for nothing. And I can’t judge you for worrying about your close person and wishing to save him.”       “I can imagine how much you suffered all these days,” Terrence says much quieter with sadness in his eyes. “I see it on your face… The way you look…”       While Raquelle looks down, folding her hands in front of her, Terrence grabs her chin softly and caresses her cheek, holding her face with the second hand.       “Damn, how pale and exhausted you are…” Terrence gets horrified and caresses Raquelle’s cheeks with both hands. “Your cheeks are gone… And you couldn’t literally stop crying…”       “I know I look bad,” Raquelle sniffs quietly and carefully wipes a tear off under her eye.       “What were you doing to you all this time?”       “I was next to you and waiting for you to open your eyes,” Raquelle replies without emotions. “I was worried about you… I thought I would’ve gone crazy if I’d lost you.”       “Oh, Raquelle…” Terrence hugs Raquelle tightly with sadness in his eyes, runs his fingers through her hair, and caresses her head tenderly, while she makes a quiet sob. “My little girl…”       “I was so scared…” Raquelle confesses in a shaking voice. “I was so scared that I’d stay alone.”       “So, you’re the reason why I survived.” Terrence kisses Raquelle on the temple cutely. “I was also terribly scared that I saw you for the last time… I had wished to survive to see you, hug you, and kiss you again before I knocked out. And you’re with me…”       Raquelle says nothing and, quietly crying on Terrence’s shoulder, puts her arms around his neck. He kisses her on the cheek two times, holding his hand on the back of her head, and hugs her tighter.       “Raquelle…” Terrence pronounces with a slight smile. “My love… My bright star…”       “I missed you so much,” Raquelle confesses with a slight smile through the tears. “I wanted to end up in your hugs so badly…”       “We’ll always be together. And nothing can tear us apart. Nothing.”       Raquelle smiles much wider for the first time in a long time, feeling much happier, while Terrence is running his hands over her back, having one arm around her neck and snuggling his face into her shoulder. The girl herself caresses his head slowly with one hand, holds the nape of his neck with the other hand, and kisses him on the temple a couple of times. Even if MacClife, Sr., still feels a strong weakness and dizziness so far, the pretense of his fiancée literally gives him strength and makes him forget about any malaise, even if he gets a little tense that she has kind of lost some weight.       “But promise me that you’d go home, clean yourself up, and have a good rest,” Terrence says softly, caressing Raquelle’s head, and rubs his cheek against hers. “Your look gives me goosebumps.”       “Yes, honey, I promise,” Raquelle replies confidently and shakes with a quiet sob. “I’ll just stay with you for some time and then go home.”       “I don’t wanna see you in such a terrible condition.” Terrence steps back from Raquelle, grabs her face, and looks into her eyes confidently. “If you refuse sleep and food, I shall have to make someone watch you, while I am here.”       “There is a line of people, who would like to watch me,” Raquelle replies funnily.       “Everybody just understands that the fiancée of Terrence MacClife must be taken care of as good as him,” Terrence says with his head proudly raised.       “Oh, MacClife, you just woke up, but you started to praise yourself,” Raquelle laughs shyly.       “I love you, too, my moon-face goddess.”       Terrence carefully wipes tears off Raquelle’s face, presses her to himself again, and cutely kisses her cheek. And when giving her a kiss for the second time, he kisses the girl’s lips because she slightly turns her face on him and smiles at him shyly. He realizes more and more that he loves hugging this girl, breathing in the smell of her soft, velvet skin, stroking her dark, silky hair, feeling her incredible warmth, and feeling how the lady’s soft lips kiss any part of his face or head tenderly. While the girl is crying, shaking, and breathing heavily from happiness and relief. Because she is now able to press herself to Terrence. Because she can feel his strong arms pressing her to his chest. The wide, warm, and comfortable… Raquelle feels so good that she forgets about having to tell Terrence about their child. She is just trying to relax and give her sweetheart some strength, even if she does not have too much.       And while Terrence and Raquelle are enjoying each other, Peter comes to their room confidently at some moment, looking at people going by without emotions and thinking about something. When he wants to open the door, he moves his eyes to the glass windows and sees Raquelle being hugged by Terrence. The man buries his face in the curve of the girl’s neck and has the pleasure of running his hands over her back, while she has her back turned to the door of the room and strokes her fiancé’s hair, giving him a light kiss on his temple at some moment. Being surprised, Peter opens his eyes widely, shakes his head, and looks at the lovers much better, while they do not see him.       “He’s awake…” Peter pronounces quietly with a slight smile. “Fuck! Terrence has finally come to himself! Oh, shit!”       After watching Terrence and Raquelle for some time, Peter smiles much more widely.       “They’re so happy,” Peter whispers with a slight smile. “I guess Raquelle was sitting with him and begging him to come back to us for the reason. Maybe, Terrence heard her voice… Just like I heard Helene’s voice when I was in the hospital after trying to kill myself. Yes, I heard her… I heard her calling me…”       Peter watches Raquelle, who relaxed a little for the first time in a while, and Terrence, who is smiling tiredly but truly, as he looks at the girl with a tender gaze and presses her closely to himself.       “Hey, I’ve gotta call the others!” Peter whispers excitedly. “Tell them that MacClife has woken up!”       Peter turns around sharply and rushes to the cafeteria, where all his friends and the relatives of the girl are now, not knowing that the blond is delivering them a piece of good news that everybody has been waiting for so long.       

***

      But there is everybody in the cafeteria except Edward, who went somewhere for his business. While Daniel is standing in a short line to cash to buy a bottle of water with both arms crossed over his chest, Natalia, Helene, Alicia, and Frederick are standing aside, talking about the situation with Anna and still asking themselves why she left so suddenly.       “I don’t understand Anna,” Alicia says thoughtfully. “She suddenly showed up, but now she has gone and warned nobody.”       “Was she here?” Alicia wonders.       “Yes, Seymour was in Terrence’s room with us, but then she decided to leave, saying she’d go to the cafeteria. However, Anna didn’t come back to us.”       “Oh, God…”       “Her terrible look does scare me,” Natalia confesses with rounded eyes. “Nothing left from the former Anna! She’s so unhappy and terrified…”       “Is everything so terrible?” Frederick wonders.       “Much more,” Helene replies with sadness in her eyes. “We were shocked when we saw her.”       “But why? What could happen to that girl?”       “We’re suspecting that a horrible man is mocking Anna. Somehow, Peter met her and a certain man at a shopping center and saw him humiliating, insulting, and even beating her.”       “Yes, yes, I know. Terrence told me about it when he was at my home. But I think you have a chance to try to move the case from its dead point. Daniel remembers everything now. So, you can get the phone number and the address of Anna’s parents.”       “I guess we need to talk to him now, while we have time,” Natalia says thoughtfully and throws a sad look at where Daniel is standing and giving money to the seller for a bottle of water. “Even if he has a very bad mood…”       “No surprised,” Alicia pronounces with sadness in her eyes. “Anna is going to leave him…”       “She doesn’t even look at him and pretends he is not with us. And when one of us talks about him, she tries to make us fall into silence.”       “You know, although I feel sorry for that guy, he is guilty of everything. He could’ve avoided all of that if he hadn’t let the unfamiliar girl lie to him and harass him.”       “We think so, too, Mrs. Middleton…” Helene replies thoughtfully with sadness in her eyes. “Still, we would all like to help him.”       “But we understand that even if Daniel finds a way to help Anna get saved from that man, it doesn’t mean she might forgive him,” Natalia notices with sadness in her eyes, embracing herself with both arms. “It would be okay if someone had entrapped him, and he hadn’t cheated… But he did. And Seymour saw it. Even if she hadn’t seen it, she would’ve known it anyway.”       “You’ll have to tell him everything anyway,” Frederick replies confidently. “Daniel should know all the truth.”       At this moment, Daniel comes to everybody and hears Frederick’s words.       “What should I know, Mr. Cameron?” Daniel frowns slightly.       “There’s something,” Alicia pronounces thoughtfully.       “Erm, if you mean my betrayal of Anna, I’ve already told you everything,” Daniel replies hesitantly. “I’ve got no reason to lie and find excuses.”       “The case is not about the betrayer, Daniel,” Frederick replies hesitantly, pursing his lips for a second. “The case is different.”       “But it’s about Anna, too,” Helene adds.       “And what’s going on?” Daniel asks hesitantly and swallows up nervously, looking at everybody tensely. “Does Anna have problems? Or do you think so?”       “We don’t think,” Alicia replies confidently. “We know.”       “And we need your help,” Natalia adds with sadness in her eyes.       “My help?” Daniel rounds his eyes. “But how can I help her? Anna doesn’t let me come closer to her! She doesn’t look like she needs something from me.”       At this moment, Alicia’s phone starts to ring. She looks at everybody, biting her lip slightly and saying hesitantly:       “Oh, excuse me… I have to answer. I’ll be back soon.”       Alicia quickly leaves the cafeteria where there are many people, who are the reason why it’s loud enough here, putting her phone to her ear on the way.       “Erm, I will also leave for two minutes,” Frederick says thoughtfully. “And then Alicia and I will take Raquelle with us.”       Frederick turns around and leaves somewhere for his business, while Natalia, Helene, and Daniel stay alone and say nothing until the old man hides.       “So, what about Anna’s problems?” Daniel asks hesitantly, biting his lip slightly. “I’m not sure if I can help her. But I want to know what’s going on.”       Helene and Natalia look at each other with sadness in their eyes and nod confidently.       “Anna has very big problems, Daniel,” Natalia says confidently with sadness in her eyes. “She’s in trouble.”       “What do ya mean?” Daniel wonders.       “We suspect that she has become the victim of the violator.”       “What?” Daniel falls into a stupor immediately and rounds his eyes. “The victim of the violator?”       “It’s true, Daniel,” Helene confirms quietly. “If we don’t help her, Anna might suffer. That man is very dangerous and might easily bring her to death.”       “Don’t scare me, girls…” Daniel shakes his head. “Please…”       “We could do nothing for the time being. But now we’ve got a chance. You can help us move the case off the dead point.”       “Me?”       “You’re our last hope, Dan,” Helene says with pity in her eyes. “All the ways lead to you. So, we can only count on your help.”       “Oh…” Daniel pinches the bridge of his nose, exhales sharply, and looks at Natalia and Helene questioningly. “Hey, Natalia, Helene, wait… Let’s talk about everything in order… Why are you so sure about it? Why do you think Anna’s become the violator’s victim?”       “We do know it. And don’t lie to you.”       “Listen… Even if it’s true, I can do nothing. Anna won’t accept my help.”       “All Anna’s changes have to do with you and the tortures that she has had to tolerate,” Natalia replies confidently.       “Tortures?” Daniel gets horrified. “Damn, is everything so terrible?”       “It’s terrible…” Natalia shakes her head. “If we don’t rescue Anna in time, we’ll lose our friend. The poor girl won’t take everything that is happening to her.”       “Please, girls, tell me everything,” Daniel says confidently, putting his hands on the shoulders of Helene and Natalia. “I should know what’s happening to Anna. And if I can really help her somehow, let me know. I’m ready for anything if a real danger is threatening her.”       “We’ll explain everything in order,” Helene exhales slowly. “We found out about Anna’s problem on the day when…”       But Helene does not explain everything because Peter comes to her, Daniel, and Natalia quickly.       “There you are!” Peter jabs and looks around quickly. “Where’s everybody? Went on different sides?”       “Sorta,” Natalia shrugs.       “Damn, wrong time! I have a piece of such good news!”       “Oh, I actually doubt there’s something that could make me happy,” Daniel sighs tiredly, running his hands over his face.       “Don’t doubt, bro, this piece of news is awesome,” Peter smiles slyly.       “But what happened?” Helene wonders and frowns slightly. “Huh, Pete? You have a too good mood for such a hard situation.”       “Yup, I have a good mood,” Peter replies with a slight smile, puts his arm around Helene’s neck, and hugs her tightly. “I’m happy because Terrence has finally woken up.”       Forgetting about Anna’s problems, Daniel, Helene, and Natalia round their eyes and stare at Peter surprisingly.       “Come on?” Helene opens her mouth slightly.       “Are you serious?” Natalia wonders. “Terrence woke up?”       “Yup,” Peter nods with a sly smile. “As we agreed, I went to the room to persuade Raquelle to come here and eat. So, after coming to the room, I saw MacClife hugging Cameron.”       “Aren’t you really kidding?” Daniel frowns slightly.       “No, I just wanted to joke,” Peter rolls his eyes up. “The atmosphere is kinda tense.”       “Dude, save jokes for later.”       “I’m not kidding! Terrence is really snuggling Raquelle in the room. Even if he looks terribly white and weak, And she’s finally smiling truly for the first time in a while.”       “Listen, that’s awesome!” Helene smiles shyly. “Everything’s fair now. Terrence and Daniel’s sister are alive, and Wainwright is dead. Everybody got what they deserved.”       “I hope Cameron will go home and put herself in order now,” Natalia sighs heavily. “Looking at her gives me goosebumps… She’s as pale as Terrence…”       “And Edward can stop blaming himself for what happened,” Daniel adds. “We could say Terrence survived thanks to him.”       “Hey, where is MacClife himself?” Peter frowns slightly. “Where did this natural disaster get out?”       “He didn’t say,” Natalia shrugs. “But he promised to come back soon.”       “Listen, guys, let’s go to Terrence’s room?” Helene suggests confidently. “Tell him how much he the hell scared all of us!”       “What about Edward?”       “Maybe, we’ll find him on the way!”       “I personally don’t mind watching the idyll of MacClife, Sr., and his freaking attractive wife,” Daniel smiles slyly. “Maybe, it’s gonna be super hot in their room while we aren’t there.”       “Relax, Perkins!” Natalia exclaims, clapping Daniel on the shoulder. “MacClife is weak to have a sex marathon. No spice yet.”       “But he won’t surely forget about his attraction, sexuality, and awesomeness,” Helene laughs shyly. “Not for anything.”       “Oh, yeah, he keeps his head up and proudly wears his crown in any situation.”       “It’s time to strike his crown off,” Daniel laughs quietly. “Sometimes that man goes too far when wishing to praise himself.”       “Okay, guys, stop working your tongues!” Peter exclaims cheerfully. “Let’s go to the room!”       “Wait, but we’ve gotta tell Mr. Cameron and Mrs. Middleton that Terrence woke up,” Helene recalls.       “I’ve told Mr. Cameron about it when I met him on the way. He said he’d come to us in a few minutes. And find Mrs. Middleton.”       “Let’s go then,” Natalia shrugs.       Natalia, Daniel, Helene, and Peter turn around and leave the cafeteria quickly.       “Damn, the folks always go somewhere at the wrong time,” Daniel notices.       “It’s okay, they’ll come together soon,” Peter replies. “If Edward doesn’t find us here, he’ll come back to the room. He won’t get lost.”       “And Mr. and Mrs. MacClife are gonna come here soon,” Natalia recalls.       “They’re gonna be so thrilled when they know Terrence woke up,” Helene says with a slight smile. “They were madly worried but tried to keep their emotions inside.”       “Though, it was super hard for Mrs. MacClife,” Peter notices.       “If Mr. MacClife hadn’t been next to her, she wouldn’t have taken it.”       “They actually treat each other with tenderness and respect,” Daniel says with a slight smile. “If I didn’t know their story, I wouldn’t believe they lived separately for many years. And I wouldn’t believe that Mr. MacClife is really as terrible as Edward and Terrence said.”       “But his brother is horrible,” Natalia throws gloomily, crossing her arms over her chest. “If that man hadn’t existed in their lives, the life of Mr. and Mrs. MacClife would’ve been good, and Edward and Terrence wouldn’t have been separated in childhood.”       “They would’ve met and found out about each other early or late,” Helene assumes notices confidently “For example, Michael could do something for them to end up in his house together.”       “To be clear, Terrence would’ve found it out,” Peter assumes. “Edward learned about their family ties in a teenage age. And his brother believed that his mother had only him ‘till the end.”       “That’s cool they accepted each other and got along,” Daniel adds.       “Oh, that’s such a sweet pair,” Natalia laughs shyly. “The guys found each other.”       “Aha, and they’re mocking us.”       “Not us, Perkins, but you and Rose,” Helene smiles innocently. “The boys love the girls and me.”       “It’s okay, we aren’t timid and could kick the two if they went too far,” Peter replies confidently.       Everybody laughs shyly and says nothing for a few seconds, as they go upstairs to the floor they need.       “Hey, guys, don’t you think that not only does Raquelle have a weird behavior?” Peter asks thoughtfully.       “What do you mean?” Helene frowns slightly.       “I believe Edward has been also kind of weird. Of course, we know that he’s sentimental, sensitive, etc. But there’s something that makes me confused.”       “C’mon, he’s just worried about Terrence,” Daniel waves a hand. “We all know he always withdraws into himself when something happens to his close people.”       “Yeah, I know. But I don’t like something…”       “Dude, remember how he got emotional because of Terrence. How he screamed and said he wanted to die.”       “It really happened?” Natalia opens her eyes full of horror wider.       “Yes, after Wainwright injected a sedative into Terrence, sniffed some shit, and jumped from the cliff. When we found MacClife, Sr., unconscious, and his brother freaked out.”       “We thought he’d do much more stupid things,” Peter confesses. “And we to do something radical and slap him in the face once. And it helped. Edward got much quieter.”       “Even too quiet. Until you address him, he’s fallen into his thoughts.”       “Oh, my gosh…” Natalia exhales sharply, grabbing her throat with a hand.       “But we can understand him,” Peter notices. “Edward was worried and pulling his hair out, and Terrence was excited and sometimes shouted to explain something to him.”       “Maybe, we shouldn't have let him go alone? I’m afraid that he stayed without us. Yes, Edward looks quiet now, but I feel how bad he feels.”       “We just should let him know that Terrence is okay,” Helene replies quietly. “It will calm him down. And I think Terrence will want to talk to Edward and make him sure that there’s nothing he should blame himself for.”       “Maybe,” Daniel nods. “Terrence has a strong influence on his brother. Remember how we asked him to play with him, Peter, and me, but Edward refused ‘cause he was insecure. Then MacClife, Sr., took him aside and said something that made his brother change his mind.”       “Right…” Natalia agrees. “Terrence knows how to talk to Edward. I can also impact him, but his brother does it much better. He has a greater authority.”       “No, Natalia, Edward listens to you two in the same way,” Helene notices confidently. “He’d do anything you’d tell him. Because he loves you and wants you to be proud of him and consider him trustworthy. And he finds his older brother a very smart and wise man. Your word means a lot to him.”       “By the way, there’s one thing about Edward that makes me confused,” Peter confesses thoughtfully.       “What?”       “Didn’t anyone notice that he was silent when we talked to Mrs. Middleton and Mr. Cameron about Raquelle?”       “Yes, yes, I noticed it, too!” Daniele exclaims. “Edward wasn’t a part of the talk.”       “And I guess that the case is not only about Terrence.”       “Do you wanna say he knows something about Raquelle?” Helene wonders.       “Maybe, he has some suspicions, but he can’t find the courage to confess it…”       “But what does he know about Raquelle?” Natalia wonders.       “Who knows. But I don’t like that Edward is so distanced.”       “Maybe, we should try to ask him?” Helene suggests hesitantly. “Or try to start a talk about what’s happening to Raquelle and watch his reaction? If he knows something, Edward can betray himself.”       “Or we better start a talk with Edward and Raquelle’s pretense,” Peter says confidently. “If something’s wrong, they’ll probably start to look at each other somehow.”       “Anyway, Raquelle can’t keep silent about what she’s been hiding forever,” Natalia notices.       “Oh, she’s so weird…” Daniel exhales slowly. “I treat Cameron very well and find her my close friend, but it’s hard for me to understand this girl’s behavior.”       “Cameron has been like this lately – it never happened to her before. And I must confess that Raquelle was crying and felt sad much less.”       “A meeting with Terrence just made her more sensitive,” Helene assumes. “When a woman is single, she pretends to be strong and independent and says she feels good alone. But when she meets a good man, she gets more vulnerable and lets herself show weakness. So, it happened to Cameron.”       “Maybe, you’re right,” Natalia confesses shyly. “It happened to me when I met Edward. Even when I was pretending to be sassy, I remained tender and sensitive. And I dreamed of a strong and trustworthy man by my side.”       “Although MacClife is too sentimental and shows his feelings openly, he quickly becomes brave and confident when he has to,” Daniel notices confidently.       “It’s like my dad: he’s very sweet at home, but he is quite harsh and determined at work. He never hurts his close people, but he shows no mercy for those, who hurt them.”       “As I understand, you saw your father in Edward and got a love for him,” Peter assumes confidently.       “Partly, yes. I always wanted to find someone to be similar to my father. Someone with his character.”       “You do fit each other too well!” Daniel exclaims. “You both are freaking sentimental! And you can make anyone smile when one of you shows love and care for another.”       “Alicia’s daughter thinks so,” Natalia notices with a slight smile.       “Oh, that girl is too sweet,” Peter confesses. “Sammy would be happy to play with Amanda.”       “Someday, we’ll introduce the doggy to that girl,” Helene expresses hope with a slight smile. “Sammy loves children and always wanna play with them when he sees them outside.”       “He loves children as well as female dogs.”       Everybody laughs shyly, finally coming to Terrence's room and seeing what’s happening in there through the glass windows and door.       “Oh, guys, I did miss that cute scene so badly,” Daniel says with a sly smile. “You just look at our lovebirds!”       All of them can see Terrence talking with Raquelle about something with a slight but tired smile and holding a glass of water in his hands. At some moment, the girl takes the empty glass and puts it on the bedside table. Then the man rubs the tip of his nose against the tip of her nose with a cute smile, holding her hands.       “Terrence is right when saying Raquelle is the reason why he’s living,” Natalia says with a slight smile. “And she stayed with him all this time for the reason.”       “I think I’ve said she is his guardian angel,” Peter smiles shyly. “And I made much more sure about it.”       “And his awakening is the confirmation of the fact that Edward really saved him,” Daniel adds confidently. “That guy reacted very quickly and did his best for Terrence not to get a full dose.”       “The thing I truly appreciate about Edward is his love for close people,” Helene says thoughtfully with a slight smile. “He gets brave when the case is about those he loves. I wouldn’t say that this man is afraid of something, seeing how easily he takes risks.”       “We all become brave for our close people,” Natalia replies confidently. “And Edward has an awesome reaction.”       “Yeah, that guy is very fast,” Daniel nods. “If not for his reaction, Wainwright would’ve sent him to another world much earlier.”       “I don’t even want to think about his death…” Natalia replies in a low voice and grabs her throat. “I’ll go crazy if something happens to him.”       Everybody keeps silently watching Terrence and Raquelle, who are hugging each other touchingly. While the girl strokes the man’s hair on the back of his head and caresses his head, he rubs his cheek against her cheek and runs his hands over her back with a slight smile on his face. At some moment, Terrence slowly moves his eyes to the glass door and windows and sees that Peter, Helene, and Daniel are watching him and Raquelle.       “Look, look!” Terrence exclaims with a sly smile. “The whole gang is watching us!”       Raquelle steps back from Terrence, turns herself to the door, and sees the slight smiles of Daniel, Peter, Helene, and Natalia, who laugh shyly at some moment.       “How long have they been there?” Raquelle asks.       “I just saw them,” Terrence shrugs.       “May they watch us from afar?”       “No, may they come in.” Terrence raises a hand and makes a calling gesture. “Hey, gang, come in! Stop watching us like spies!”       After looking at each other with a slight smile, Daniel and Peter let Helene and Natalia go forward and follow them. Then everybody raises their hands with happy smiles and quiet whoops.       “Oh, look, who is here!” Peter exclaims.       “Welcome back, Terrence!” Daniel pronounces happily and puts his bottle of water on the table near the hospital bed.       “I’m glad to see you, too, boneheads,” Terrence laughs shyly.       “How are you feeling, bro?”       “Much better than some time ago.”       “We prefer believing it ‘cause you’re smiling,” Peter says confidently.       “You could enter shortly, instead of watching us like spies.”       “We just got busy watching you and Raquelle,” Natalia shrugs with a slight smile.       “Yeah, you were so cute,” Helene adds.       “I’m not just cute, my darling,” Terrence replies with his head proudly raised. “I’m irresistible and imitable.”       “Here we go again…” Daniel, Peter, Natalia, and Helene moan.       While Terrence laughs shyly, his friends come to him to greet him with tight hugs. Also, Daniel and Peter give him a five and clap him on the back, and Natalia and Helene share an amicable kiss on the cheek with him.       “Damn, you know how to make us worried, dude!” Daniel exclaims. “You did the hell scare all of us!”       “We thought we lost you!” Peter adds a little excitedly.       “I know, Raquelle told me everything,” Terrence confesses hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. “Though, I also believed I’d die. Wainwright sounded too true.”       “Anyway, you’re a pig,” Natalia says confidently.       “Me?”       “Yes, you!” Natalia hits Terrence’s forearm with a slight smile. “Why did you the fuck scare all of us! We almost went crazy!”       “I know, guys, I know. I’m sorry about what happened. But I should’ve done it.”       “Listen, MacClife, I don’t know what I’m gonna do if you bring us to a heart attack again.”       “Calm down, Rochester!” Terrence raises his head proudly raised. “I understand that nobody wanna lose such an important man like Terrence MacClife. But you’ve got no reason to worry. Here I am!”       “I would get you outta the ground if you dared to leave us!” Natalia glances at Raquelle. “Look what happened to Raquelle while you were unconscious!”       “Yes, MacClife, do you actually know Raquelle didn’t leave you for two days?” Helene puts her hands on her hips.       “Yeah!” Peter exclaims. “And we couldn’t calm her down! No words changed the poor girl’s mind!”       “We tried to make her sure to go home, but she refused,” Daniel adds and points his finger at Terrence. “It’s all because of you, MacClife!”       “Oh, you said everything…” Raquelle moans tiredly, running her hands over her face. “It’s impossible to hide anything from you!”       “Sorry, friend, but Terrence must know what you brought yourself to,” Natalia throws her hands up. “What if you start to find excuses and deny everything.”       “It’s that true?” Terrence frowns slightly. “Raquelle hasn’t been home for two days?”       “The servants can confirm it.”       “Wow, she told me nothing…” Terrence moves his eyes to Raquelle. “Raquelle?”       “Okay, I won’t deny it,” Raquelle exhales sharply. “I didn’t wanna go home! I couldn’t leave, knowing that you were almost between life and death.”       “You can’t definitely stay alone.”       “I promised that I’d go home soon.”       “I hope. Or I will ask the guys to contact your grandfather and aunt and ask them to watch you.”       “You may not go far,” Daniel says confidently, putting his hands on his hips. “Mr. Cameron and Mrs. Middleton know about you and are here.”       “My parents told them?”       “No, on the day when you were brought here, we met Aunt Alicia,” Raquelle confesses. “We told her what happened, and she told Grandpa everything, and they came here together today.”       “I see…”       “Hey, why didn’t you tell me you met the adopted daughter of my aunt?”       “Amanda? Yeah, I know that girl. I met her when I was at the home of Mr. Cameron.”       “You were at the home of my grandfather?”       “Yup, I decided to ask him for advice. And later, Alicia came to him and introduced us to Amanda. They were drinking coffee and talking, but I was playing with that girl.”       “So, you played with my cousin…” Raquelle smiles slyly.       “Amanda is so cute and kind,” Peter confesses. “The child full of light…”       “Aha, that girl was comforting everybody when we were waiting for your doctor,” Daniel adds. “Amanda was with Mrs. Middleton on the day you were brought here.”       “Did you tell her what happened to me?” Terrence rounds his eyes.       “No, no, c’mon!” Natalia sharply shakes her head. “We didn’t find the courage.”       “We just told her you got sick but would get well soon,” Helene adds. “Amanda wanted to visit you, but we said she wasn’t allowed.”       “You did it right…” Terrence exhales sharply. “The little girl should know nothing about what we experienced…”       “No, no, Amanda will not know what really happened,” Raquelle replies confidently.       “She isn’t with you now?”       “Mr. Middleton said Amanda stayed at the home of Mr. Cameron,” Natalia confesses.       “Sorry… I’d like to see her, too…”       “Tell my Aunt about it, so she brings Amanda here with pleasure,” Raquelle advises confidently.       Silence settles in the air for two or three seconds, during which Terrence moves his sad eyes down. But then he quickly looks at everybody and just realizes that someone is missing.       “Hey, where’s Edward?” Terrence asks hesitantly. “Why isn’t he with you?”       “We don’t know,” Natalia shrugs. “He went somewhere, but he hasn’t come back yet.”       “He is fine? Wainwright did nothing to him?”       “Thank God, nothing.”       “If something happened to him, don’t hide it. I must know what’s happening to my brother.”       “Calm down, Terrence,” Natalia pronounces confidently, sits on the bed, and puts her hand on the hands of Terrence folded in front of him. “Edward is okay. Of course, Wainwright beat him strongly, and he’s all in bruises, but he's alive and healthy.”       “Oh, you made me so happy…” Terrence exhales with relief and smiles shyly, glancing at Daniel and Peter. “I’m glad you three are okay.”       “Yeah, but Edward’s blaming himself for what happened,” Daniel confesses with sadness in his eyes.       “It’s true,” Peter nods. “When we found you unconscious, we couldn’t calm that guy down. Edward just freaked out and said nobody the hell knows what. Of course, your brother is quiet now, but he is thinking of something literally all the time. It’s like he ran from one edge to another.”       “Oh, shit…” Terrence shakes his head.       “He’s worried about you,” Natalia confesses with sadness in her eyes. “Edward says he’d prefer being instead of you. Or actually die… He’s very ashamed…”       “But he’s guilty of nothing! We followed him at our wish! And nobody made me do what I did!”       “Edward just thinks you suffered for nothing,” Peter confesses quietly. “You shouldn’t sacrificed yourself.”       “Even after I asked him to blame himself for nothing?”       “And he doesn’t believe he saved you, too,” Daniel adds.       “Saved me?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “As it turned out, there was a lethal dose of a sedative in the syringe. If Wainwright had injected the full dose into you, you would’ve died. But you’re alive. Because Edward reacted immediately, and you eventually got just half of the dose.”       “The doctor confirmed it personally,” Helene adds with sadness in her eyes.       “He’s got nothing to worry about then,” Terrence shrugs with a slight smile.       “It’s okay, he’ll calm down now,” Natalia smiles shyly. “But we can understand Edward’s feelings ‘cause he didn’t wanna lose you. As well as we didn’t do. As well as your parents. As well as Raquelle’s relatives. Nobody wanted it.”       “Listen, MacClife, maybe, you should talk to Edward?” Peter asks. “You better know how to impact him. You’re an authority to him, and he’ll listen to you. Sadly, we all are… Powerless…”       “Sure,” Terrence nods confidently. “When he’s back here, I will talk to him.”       “Do it as soon as possible,” Helene encourages. “I’m a little afraid of quiet and thoughtful people. Edward is so desperate that he might easily do stupid things.”       “Don’t worry, guys, I shall solve it.” Terrence looks at everybody. “And I want to ask all of you to blame him for nothing. Edward is not guilty of what happened. I went with him and tried to protect him at my wish.”       “Nobody blames him for anything,” Raquelle shakes her head. “Vice versa, we’re proud of Edward. Proud of his determination and bravery. He understood all the risks and took the responsibility bravely.”       “Edward did it for a wish to protect Natalia from that sick bastard. And the lads and I… We understood that he would’ve hardly survived if he’d been alone. Wainwright beat him so strongly for a few minutes that he barely stood… Without us, we would’ve seen him for the last time.”       “I’m surprised that he stood up and went as if nothing happened,” Daniel crosses his arms over his chest. “It seems like MacClife is really too alive and still has nine lives of a cat.”       “Or as my bro said, he feeds himself with anger for his enemies.”       “Anyway, you all made the girls and me worried enough,” Helene confesses. “We thought we’d go crazy from worrying!”       “However, everybody’s alive and healthy, and we’re glad it’s all over well,” Natalia says with a slight smile.       “We were working on the important mission: saving our beauties from the beast named Eugene Wainwright,” Terrence replies with pride and takes Raquelle’s hand.       “Let’s think you completed it,” Natalia says confidently.       Everybody looks at each other with a slight smile, feeling much better after seeing Terrence alive. A couple of seconds later, the door of the room opens sharply, and Edward enters with a quick step, not noticing anything interesting at first.       “Oh, there you are!” Edward exclaims. “I was trying to find you in the cafeteria, but there was nobody. So, I decided…”       Then Edward moves his look to Terrence, gets frozen sharply, and shakes his head with widely open eyes.       “Terrence?” Edward wonders.       “Hi, brother!” Terrence shrugs with an innocent smile. “I see the guys lost you!”       “Erm…” Edward shakes his head and glances at the others. “Guys… Is this…”       “That’s me!” Terrence laughs shyly. “Me! Aliens didn’t abduct me!”       “Huh… Excellent…” Edward puts his hands on his hips. “Why did nobody tell me about it? Why am I the last one to know the news about my brother?”       “You need to wander in the hospital less,” Peter crosses his arms over his chest.       “I left for an important reason, to your information.”       “Oh yeah, going to the restroom is a very important thing,” Daniel laughs shyly.       “Am I not allowed?”       “You are. But you will miss something interesting.”       “Take a note: I’ve got a mobile phone, and any one of you can call me. To warn me about going to leave. And not to make me spend time searching for you at the large cafeteria.”       “C’mon, MacClife, stop grumbling like an old man!” Natalia exclaims.       “Exactly!” Terrence agrees. “Better come here!”       Edward purses his lips, closes the door, comes to Terrence, hugs him with a slight smile, claps him on the back, and keeps standing near the bed, on which Natalia and Raquelle are still sitting.       “Will Mr. Cameron and Alicia come?” Terrence asks.       “I think they’ll come soon,” Peter replies thoughtfully. “I have told Mr. Cameron that you woke up.”       “Aren’t Grandfather and Aunt together?” Raquelle specifies.       “Nope, they left on different sides,” Natalia replies.       “By the way, Mother and Father are also gonna come soon,” Edward adds.       “Aren’t they here?” Terrence wonders.       “Father said he had some business at the company. But when he finishes them, he’ll take Mom out and come here.”       “And they know everything?”       “Yup. But they don’t know you woke up yet.”       “Mom and Dad are mad at me?” Terrence asks hesitantly with sadness in her eyes.       “Not at all,” Daniel replies confidently. “They are proud of you and Edward. But at first, Mr. MacClife was mad at your brother.”       “It’s true,” Edward nods. “He kicked my ass enough. But it’s okay, I was ready that Father would kill me.”       “Daniel and I also got a little kicked,” Peter confesses thoughtfully. “But later, Mr. MacClife calmed down a little and confessed that Edward did a thoughtless thing but showed bravery and understood the responsibility, which he took.”       “I guess I’m gonna be kicked, too,” Terrence assumes.       “Maybe, they’ll tell you what they told Edward,” Daniel shrugs. “Your act is thoughtless, but they’re proud of you.”       “Anyway, forgive me again…” Terrence glances at his hands folded in front of him. “I’m sorry about making you worried.”       “Please, Terrence, stop,” Edward shakes his head. “You aren’t guilty of anything. The most important thing is that everything ended well, and we can relax a little.”       “That’s right!” Helene agrees. “And the one, who could really relax, is Raquelle.”       “These two were worried about you much more,” Natalia says confidently, pointing at Raquelle and Edward. “They literally pulled their hair out. We did our best to calm them down, but… We met a failure.”       “Anyway, thank you so much for taking care of Raquelle,” Terrence thanks with a slight smile, hugging Raquelle around the shoulders. “And for watching my unbearable bro.”       “We did everything we could,” Daniel replies confidently.       “Only your return could help them,” Natalia adds, while Edward comes to her and locks his fingers on her chest from behind. “Look, our friend is finally smiling.”       “And your fiancé finally relaxed,” Peter notices, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “Though… He doesn’t literally understand that you’re fine.”       “You all know us too well,” Raquelle says shyly with a slight smile. “But seeing Terrence alive, I really feel a great relief.”       “And I’m gonna be quiet when you’re back home, have a good rest, clean yourself up, and eat something tasty,” Terrence replies confidently. “Or we’re gonna hold your bones soon.”       “You’re right,” Helene agrees. “We tried to make her eat just something, but she refused.”       “It’s okay, I will watch Cameron personally.”       “C’mon, c’mon, MacClife, get well soon!” Daniel encourages and points at Edward and Raquelle. “You’re the only one to be able to control this sweet couple, Edquelle.”       “Don’t worry, I’m gonna be up soon. And while I’m in the hospital, I’m asking all of you to watch these two. I’m asking you, sweet girls, to watch Raquelle closely. I think Mr. Cameron and Alicia will be happy to help you.”       “Don’t worry, Terrence!” Natalia exclaims cheerfully, clapping Terrence on the hand and embracing Raquelle sitting next to her around the shoulders. “Marshall and I will not stop watching Cameron!”       “That’s right!” Helene exclaims with a slight smile. “We’ll easily complete this mission!”       “And I trust you two with Edward,” Terrence says confidently, glancing at Daniel and Peter. “Watch him closely and make sure he doesn’t find a couple of problems. And when I’m released, I’ll kick his ass for getting out of my control.”       “Your brother is on our hook, bro!” Peter exclaims cheerfully, putting his hands on his hips.       “You’ve called the right people, dude!” Daniel adds with a sly smile. “He won’t get off Rose and me.”       “They treat us like children,” Edward rolls his eyes with both arms crossed over his chest and glances at Raquelle. “Right, sis?”       “Oh, yeah, bro,” Raquelle smiles innocently and moves some of her hair aside. “But it’s okay, we’ll get through it.”       “Let’s be rebellious and violate all the rules?”       “We can! Sometimes it’s madly fun!”       Laughing shyly, Edward and Raquelle give each other a five, while Terrence, frowning slightly, shakes his head.       “Hey, I will kick you two!” Terrence exclaims. “You must be good folks, while I’m here! And when I’m released, I shall deal with you two!”       “Okay, men, stay here for a while, while the girls and I will go to the cafeteria and eat something tasty,” Helene suggests.       “Yes,, make Raquelle eat,” Terrence agrees.       “But I’m not hungry yet!” Raquelle protests.       “Aha, we believed you!” Natalia exclaims cheerfully and gets up from the bed sharply. “You’ve eaten almost nothing for three days! I’m surprised that you’re actually walking!”       “But…”       “Okay, I hear and know nothing!” Natalia glances at Helene, who helps her make Raquelle get up, pulling her by the hands confidently. “C’mon, Cameron, get up! The sound of your shaking bones can be heard in Paris!”       “Not truth!”       “Silent! Go to the exit!”       “We’ll be back soon, pretty boys,” Helene says with a slight smile. “Talk a little. I think you have something to talk about.”       “Don’t be bored, boys…” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheek tenderly and glances at Peter and Daniel. “You three should amuse the sick man and watch him. And we’ll deal with this beauty.”       “Don’t destroy the room with happiness.” Helene cutely kisses Peter on the cheek. “People do walk here.”       After clapping Daniel on the shoulder at the same time, Helene and Natalia take Raquelle under her arms and get out of the room when she takes her purse. A few seconds later, they close the door, and the tracks of the girls disappear. Then Daniel, Edward, Peter, and Terrence chuckle kindly and shake their heads.       “Does it seem to me that Natalia is in a too good mood?” Terrence asks thoughtfully. “She’s so cheerful and funny…”       “She’s probably happy that half of the problems have been solved,” Edward assumes, stroking his chin. “Perkins is with us, and you stayed alive.”       “Yeah, but the other part of the problems is unsolved yet,” Daniel says quietly, running his hand over his hair, and sits on the bed in front of Terrence, who fixes his pillow and leans on it with his back.       “That’s right,” Peter nods and sits comfortably on the bed next to Daniel in front of Terrence. “Many things stay unclear…”       “Hey, what about Cassidy?” Terrence frowns slightly. “She’s fine?”       “Yup, she’s okay,” Daniel replies quietly. “She had a hard condition before. A much harder than yours. But today, she feels a little better, and the doctor allowed me to visit her.”       “And what’s gonna happen to her?”       “She’ll stay in the hospital for a while. Come to herself after the strong exhaustion. And then go to the clinic. Get cured of the drug dependence and work with psychologists.”       “You agreed?”       “No yet, but the doctor recommended one clinic.”       “I hope she’ll get over that and… Forget what she had to experience because of that bastard, Wainwright.”       “He’s already paid for the terrible things that he did,” Peter confesses confidently.       “So, has he been caught?”       “Oh, yeah!”       “Hey, how did you actually run away from that drug addict?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “We were fighting with him for some time after he injected the dose of a sedative into you…” Edward confesses, glancing aside for a second.       “He was screaming, running, and waving his hands…” Peter adds, actively gesticulating, and shows Terrence his bandaged hand. “As you see, he also cut my hand.”       “Strongly?” Terrence asks.       “The wound wasn’t too deep, but a lot of blood was lost. And stars before my eyes performed a tap dancing.”       “Okay… And what’s next?”       “Next, that sick bastard sniffed some shit again, injected something into him, and went absolutely crazy.”       “He was running, screaming, swearing at everything that moved, and eventually jumped from a cliff,” Daniel says thoughtfully. “That drug addict rolled down, hit everything he could, and passed out. And he didn’t wake up after that.”       “When we wanted to come closer and look at what was happening, we didn’t see the edge,” Edward adds hesitantly, scratching the back of his head. “So, as I came first…”       “You almost felt and rolled down. And you would’ve done it if Peter and I hadn’t pulled you back.”       “Seriously?” Terrence rounds his eyes.       “I didn’t know there was an edge!” Edward finds excuses.       “Oh, kid, you are perfect at playing on people’s nerves.” Terrence claps Edward on the shoulder after he sits on the bed next to him and moves his eyes to Daniel and Peter. “And thank you so much, guys. I knew I could count on you.”       “So, your brother is safe and sound,” Daniel shrugs with a slight smile. “As you asked.”       “Keep watching him, while I’m here.”       “Thanks, but I will watch by myself,” Edward crosses his arms over his chest.       “I wouldn’t trust even a puppy or a kitty to such a brainless bonehead like you! And especially a little baby!”       “Oh, yeah, aren’t you brainless?”       “Nope, I’m a good boy!”       “Okay, when Mom and Dad come, I shall ask them who is a good boy.”       “Don’t even hope they’ll call you.”       “Nobody will praise you here.”       “Dude, I can be called an imitable hero for only my name,” Terrence replies with pride.       “Ar-r-r, fuck!” Edward groans irritably. “You just woke up, but you already make me wish to hit you on your face with a slipper!”       “Yeah… I naively thought you’d whoop with happiness. Attack me with hugs and words about loving your bro with all the heart.”       “You should think less. Or your head will explode.”       “Yeah…” Daniel laughs shyly with both arms crossed over his chest. “The MacClife are in their element.”       “Aha, weakness is weakness, but Terry always wears a crown on his head,” Peter chuckles kindly.       “A king remains a king even in a bed,” Terrence says proudly with a sly smile and slightly pulls the hospital shirt that he is wearing. “Even in this cheap shirt.”       “Your sickness is the only reason why your head will be safe yet,” Edward replies confidently.       “I love you, too, bro.”       Terrence claps Edward on the head and ruffles his hair a little, and the guy sharply moves his hand off and puts it in order quickly.       “Okay, jokes are jokes, but I haven’t heard how you got out of that wood,” Terrence says quietly.       “On our feet,” Peter replies confidently.       “I’m serious.”       “And I’m serious. We got out by ourselves. We agreed that Edward and Daniel would stay with you and Cassidy, and I’d go to find your car.”       “You didn’t get lost?”       “Nope, I quickly reached your old baby. And as it turned out, we didn’t go too far. With maps on my phone, it was easier to get out.”       “So, did you reach the hospital?”       “Not quite,” Daniel says quietly. “After Peter left, the police and the ambulance arrived.”       “So, did Mr. Johnson find us, after all?”       “He did,” Edward nods. “But we forgot about him by that time. I mean, I forgot I called him.”       “And it helped us a lot,” Daniel notices. “Or we would’ve had to reach the hospital with the two victims. I mean, three, counting Rose, who got his hand cut.”       “Hey, what about my car? It’s here?”       “I moved your car to your home and gave the keys to Raquelle,” Edward replies.       “Alright, thanks a lot.”       “Don’t worry about your old car,” Peter says confidently. “It’s safe.”       “I got it.” Terrence clears his throat quickly. “But what about Wainwright? He got caught?”       “Wainwright’s dead,” Daniel announces. “He died two hours ago.”       “What?” Terrence rounds his eyes. “Dead?”       “That man killed himself when he sniffed some drugs and jumped from the cliff. He got serious wounds that weren’t comparable to life, and the drugs made everything worse. Moreover, Wainwright mixed them… So, he eventually got… The Molotov cocktail…”       “That’s how…” Terrence says nothing for a few seconds to accept this fact. “So… He got what he deserved?”       “He did,” Peter nods. “That man is defeated.”       “And I think it’s fair,” Edward adds quietly. “If he’d stayed alive after harming so many people, I would’ve been resented.”       “So, aren’t the girls in trouble anymore?” Terrence concludes.       “Sorta. They can sleep quietly. Especially Natalia.       “I think I understand why she is so funny and cheerful.”       “Yup, but it would be great if she forgot what this man did to her. And didn’t think that everything could’ve been much worse…”       “Not just her,” Daniel exhales with sadness in his eyes. “Cassidy also must forget that nightmare… I don’t want her life to go wrong because of that bastard.”       “That’s bad she took this shit…” Peter notices. “Her life is just starting, but the girl spent a bigger part on drugs and… She suffered because of that pervert, Wainwright…”       “Bad people, Peter… She was persuaded to take grass and then decided to take much stronger drugs.”       “You didn’t know it?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “Nope. My mother and I found it out from some girls, Cassidy’s familiars. They saw that my sister taking drugs and told my mother about it. She said it to me and started a scandal for her. But it was too late ‘cause Cass got dependent on drugs.”       “And your father?” Peter wonders.       “Father had died before all of that. And Mother left us six months later.”       “But how did Cassidy meet Wainwright?” Edward asks.       “One of Cass’ friends knew that man and introduced her to him. Then she began to get drugs with his help. She was stealing money from home or asking Mother to give it to her. And sometimes my sister took some things and sold them. For example, she stole a lot of Mother’s jewelry. They costed very much. And when Mother stopped giving her money, Cassidy was borrowing drugs from Wainwright. But later he got sick of it. At first, he demanded money, and then… He agreed to forget about the debt by making her make his dirty fantasies come true…”       “A stinker!” Edward resents irritably. “I wish that asshole burned in hell!”       “She doesn’t remember half of that ‘cause Wainwright injected something into her that made her sleep or barely think. But she remembers the other part… Very well.”       “Poor girl…” Peter shakes his head with horror in his eyes.       “That bastard should’ve had his balls cut when he was born,” Edward says in a lower voice. “Wainwright would’ve died much earlier if something like that had happened to Natalia.”       “I’m really glad he ended his life like this,” Daniel confesses confidently. “Of course, I’m sorry that I didn’t have time to report him, His case has been closed due to his death. But that’s the best punishment. The most fair one.”       “But I’m sorry that Cassidy can’t bring back the years that she spent taking that shit,” Peter says thoughtfully.       “But not everything is lost. She can be back to her normal life, even if she’ll be getting therapy all her life.”       “Hey, has she always had short hair?” Edward asks.       “No, she had long, gorgeous hair that she always gathered into tales and buns. But Cass said Wainwright cut it. Don’t ask me why, but that’s what she said. It’s grown up now, but some time ago, she had a boy’s haircut.”       “Hair will grow up,” Terrence notices confidently. “The important thing is that she forgets everything she had to experience.”       “I understand that it was hard for her to accept the death of our parents. But I didn’t feel better, either. And I didn’t start to sniff some shit.”       “You did say bad people were guilty,” Edward recalls.       “She got in touch with them ‘cause she fell in love with a boy. She was told not to speak to those guys, but Cass listened to nobody. My sister wanted to seem an adult and didn’t like to speak to guys of her age. She preferred speaking to older people.”       “Yeah, nobody should take it…” Peter says with sadness in his eyes. “Nobody… Especially such a young girl like Cassidy.”       “And the most important thing is to make sure that she will never take this shit again,” Daniel notices. “Any therapy would be worthless if Cassidy did that again.”       “I think she will not,” Edward assumes.       “Let’s hope.”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which every one of them thinks about something, feeling relief but not wishing to shout loudly from happiness.       “So, what’s now?” Terrence asks hesitantly. “What do we do?”       “I will take care of Cassidy,” Daniel shrugs without emotions. “I must keep the promise I gave Father and Mother. Before dying, they asked me to take care of the baby Cass and not to leave her. They gave me the responsibility that I did not take. I mean, I didn’t wanna take it. I was too young… I wanted to walk with my friends, date girls, and have fun. I didn’t need a little sister. But I was suddenly made to be her nanny and wash her mouth. I’m just starting to treat it with greater responsibility. I grew up and don’t need what was like the air to me a few years ago.”       “I’m glad you understand it. Cassidy is your younger sister. Your flesh and blood. The only one from your family you have.”       “I know it’s gonna be a hard time for her and me. Therapy for drug dependence will be hard and long. But I’m ready to overcome that. And if Cassidy agrees, it must be a little easier. If I put my sister in a clinic by force, it would be like a fight with a lion. That would eat you anyway. Especially if it’s aggressive and excited.”       “That’s right.”       “And what are you gonna do to Anna?” Edward asks hesitantly. “You’ve gotta decide what to do…”       “What can I do?” Daniel shrugs. “Anna is ignoring me. She doesn’t wanna talk to me and does pretend that she doesn’t see me. I’m invisible to her.”       “Oh, dude, if she knew you cheated on her with the foreigner, your relationship would really end,” Terrence replies confidently.       “She knows,” Edward confesses.       “Knows?”       “As it turned out, Anna was aware,” Peter confesses. “That’s why she left Daniel’s home.”       “But how?”       “She saw me kissing Blanca,” Daniel says quietly, moving his eyes down. “She wanted to go to my room one day, but that bitch was there. So, Anna saw us together.”       “Wow…” Terrence shakes his head. “I didn’t think she knew about Blanca all the time.”       “And she found out earlier than all of us,” Edward adds.       “Oh, I’m afraid to imagine what’s gonna happen if Anna knows that these lovebirds almost slept,” Peter says confidently.       “What?” Terrence rounds his eyes, staring at Daniel surprisingly. “Did you really fuck that bitch?”       “No, it didn’t lead to sex!” Daniel throws his hands up. “Luckily!”       “Aha, if it had happened, you would’ve been afraid that the foreigner would say she was carrying your baby,” Edward says confidently.       “Cut your tongue, idiot! I swear I would’ve hung myself if I’d become a dad to her child!”       “Yay, man, you’re in trouble,” Terrence laughs loudly. “And even if Anna hadn’t seen you together, she would’ve known everything.”       “I know…” Daniel throws gloomily. “And I hate myself for that…”       “Don’t ya hope that Anna will forgive you easily and be with you as if nothing happened?”       “I don’t even try.” Daniel crosses his arms over his chest, moving his eyes aside. “I tried to talk to her when she came here. But Anna was very cold to me and let me know she didn’t wanna talk to me. And then she told everybody she saw me kissing Blanca.”       “Hey, wait!” Terrence raises his hand. “Was Anna here?”       “Yup,” Peter shrugs. “She was with us in the hospital for these two days. And she really never talked to Daniel.”       “But how did she know you were here?”       “Anna wanted to visit you and Raquelle at home on the day when we were fighting with Wainwright. But the servants met her and said you were taken to the hospital.”       “So, she showed up…”       “And honestly, we all got shocked when we saw what happened to her,” Edward confesses.       “Everything’s so bad?”       “Horrible! You must see what she’s become! Exhausted, pale, scared, insecure… She was literally afraid to speak!”       “So, were we right about someone to mock her?” Terrence asks with horror in widely open eyes.       “I think so. It's clear that Anna cries constantly because her eyes are red and fluffy. She shakes every time when someone comes to her suddenly or starts to speak. In the past two days, we haven’t seen her smiling and looking more or less happy.”       “Oh, shit… Did that man mock her so much?”       “What man?” Daniel frowns strongly.       “Ah, yeah, Daniel, we have to tell you something about Anna,” Edward replies confidently. “The case is very serious. If don’t do anything, she may suffer seriously.”       “What are you talking about, guys? And actually…” Daniel shakes his head sharply. “Maybe, you will explain what’s going on? I talked to the girls at the cafeteria, and they asserted that Anna became the violator’s victim.”       “It’s true, Daniel,” Peter nods with sadness in his eyes. “Anna spends time with a man, who mocks her regularly!”       “What? What man? Where did he come from?”       “He was insulting, humiliating, and even beating her. I don’t know who he is for her, but the guys and I guess that this man is the one, to whom Anna could’ve gotten married.”       “Married?” Daniel rounds his eyes. “Her parents wanted to get their daughter married to the one to beat her?”       “They don’t probably know it,” Edward assumes. “Violators wouldn’t reveal themselves and would behave like angels. And make their victims say nothing.”       “So, did they try to get her married again?”       “Maybe, that’s true,” Peter nods. “That man did mention that he was gonna marry her, no matter if she wanted it.”       “Oh, fuck…” Daniel says nothing for two seconds, running his hands over his face. “That’s why she’s changed… All of it explains many things.”       “She must be saved immediately,” Edward says with sadness in his eyes. “Or we’ll lose our friend. Nobody knows what that bastard will do to her today or tomorrow. Anna is in a great danger.”       “Second, guys, let’s talk about everything in order. What actually happened to Anna? Tell me more!”       “I found it out on the day when you pissed all of us off,” Peter confesses, folding his hands in front of himself. “Anna was at a shopping center with that man. They behaved quietly in public as if nothing happened. But when they ended where there was nobody, that bastard freaked out.”       “Fuck…” Daniel pronounces with horror in his eyes. “But why? What’d she do?”       “The case is, nothing! He was mad just because she began to argue with him and shout at him. Though, he got wild when Anna was obedient and did everything he said. He liked nothing about her. He is literally irritated by the fact that she’s breathing!”       “He might be like Wainwright: a girl hurt him, and he got mad at all of them,” Edward assumes. “Or maybe, there was an example of it before the eyes of that bastard. And it was made something like normal. Bastard aren't born like this, they become like this.”       “Is that man really Eugene Wainwright number two?” Daniel wonders, grabbing his throat with a hand and exhaling slowly. “He’s gonna beat Anna and take her to bed against her wish? Drug her with something, undress her, and fuck her?”       “Who knows,” Terrence shrugs. “Anyway, we’ve gotta do something. We must not let everything happen as it wants. Anna’s life is in danger, and she might suffer much more seriously than Natalia or Cassidy.”       “But how?”       “We need your help,” Edward says confidently. “We would’ve done something before, but it was impossible without your help.”       “But how can I help?”       “You know where her parents are living,” Peter recalls. “We must immediately contact them and tell them about that bastard. Tell us how to find them. At least Anna’s father. She only speaks with him.”       “Sorry, lads, but I don’t know where her father is living,” Daniel shakes his head with sadness in his eyes. “As far as I know, Anna’s mother and father sold the apartment where they lived before. He bought one apartment, and she found another.”       “But you must have the address of that man’s home!” Terrence exclaims.       “Alas, only Anna knew it. I’ve never been in his apartment.”       “Anyway, we should talk to her parents,” Peter notices quietly.       “Yeah, but I can’t help you, sadly. And I can do nothing.”       “And honestly, I don’t understand one thing: if Anna is a victim of that stinker, and he controls her in everything, how did she find the courage to come here? That man will probably kill her if he knows it!”       “Right… She’s literally supposed to be on the chain like a dog and do commands.”       “It’s okay, guys, we’ll solve it,” Edward replies confidently. “Maybe, we’ll even unite with her parents for saving their daughter from another bastard that must burn in hell.”       “What if we talk to Mr. Johnson first?” Daniel suggests hesitantly.       “We talked to him, but he needs proof anyway,” Terrence replies quietly. “Nobody’s gonna believe our words. And we can’t prove our charges.”       “And that asshole would get off it if he was charged just verbally,” Edward adds. “In the end, we’d be liars.”       “But we must do something!” Daniel says a little louder. “We must not leave it unnoticed! I will not do it! And I don’t care what Anna thinks about it.”       “We could just talk to her parents now,” Terrence replies. “Maybe, they will tell us something interesting about that bastard.”       “Hey, Daniel, don’t ya have her father’s number?” Edward specifies. “What if it’s written in the notebook? Anna surely wrote it down! There might probably be his new address!”       “I dunno, I’ve never called him. But I’ll try to check the notebook. What if there’s really a note in it.”       “Or just expect Anna’s father’s visit at your home,” Peter says confidently. “He probably knows about your betrayer thanks to his daughter and wanna talk about it.”       “Yes, dude, he might visit you someday,” Edward adds. “Anna was here and saw that you got your memory back. So, she may tell her father everything.”       “I know,” Daniel pronounces without emotions and looks at his friends confidently. “And I’m ready. Early or late, I’ll have to explain everything. But even if I don’t make Anna’s father sure that I didn’t wanna cheat, it won’t make me give up on a wish to protect her.”       “But be ready that nobody will caress your head and say nice words,” Terrence notices. “Anna is too mad and could lie enough to make you a greater bastard. I personally got through that. When Rachel said many bad things about me.”       “I don’t hope for anything. I will do everything I need not for good words. For having a quiet coincidence. If I do nothing, knowing that Anna’s in trouble, I won’t forgive myself.”       “Anyway, you can always count on our help.”       “I know…” Daniel cracks a smile. “Thanks, guys.”       While silence settles in the air for a few seconds, Daniel gets sadness in his eyes when he recalls how Anna announced their breakup and slapped him in the face after he kissed her.       “I will do my best to help Anna… To prove to her father that I didn’t wanna cheat on her. I won’t leave her in trouble. If that bastard touches her with a finger, he will regret it.”       “Listen, old man, don’t be so desperate,” Terrence says quietly. “I understand that it’s hard, but any situation has a solution.”       “Not in my case,” Daniel pronounces in a low voice. “Anna doesn’t wanna see and hear me. She doesn’t think about what happened then. That girl only thinks about one thing – my kiss with Blanca.”       “She’s mad,” Peter explains. “Jealous. If she didn’t care about you, Anna wouldn’t have reacted to your trick. She wouldn’t care even if you kissed all the girls in your way.”       “Exactly!” Terrence exclaims. “Now, she can’t think soberly and analyze the situation. Understand that you cheated not because she didn’t give you something or because you didn’t love her.”       “It’s hurtful when you tell the truth, but nobody believes you.”       “Just give her time to calm down,” Edward suggests. “Or maybe, Anna will feel so desperate that she will forget about her offense and ask you to protect you from that bastard. She won’t tolerate his humiliations forever and will wish to get out of this hell someday.”       “Ask or not, I don’t care,” Daniel replies confidently. “That deadbeat will pay me for daring to hurt that girl.”       “He might be more dangerous than Wainwright,” Terrence notices.       “I give a fuck. I’m not a coward, and I'm not going to hide. Wainwright paid for hurting my sister, but now it’s time for that scumbag, who mocks Anna.”       “Let’s hope she’ll appreciate it someday and thank you,” Edward expresses hope.       Daniel says nothing and just cracks a smile. Then he thinks about something for two seconds and asks himself the questions, to which he has not gotten the answer yet.       “Second, I don’t understand…” Daniel frowns slightly and looks at Peter, Edward, and Terrence suspiciously. “How do you know about that man? Peter… You said you found it out first.”       Peter swallows up nervously and purses his lips, understanding that he will have to confess that he did not protect Anna and might make Daniel furious.       “Yeah…” Peter pronounces hesitantly, locking his fingers tightly and glancing at it. “I found it out first and… Told the guys everything.”       “How?” Daniel asks. “How do you know that a man was mocking Anna?”       “Erm…”       “You don’t tell me something. It’s like you don’t wanna tell me something.”       “Listen, Daniel…”       “Answer the question, Rose!” Daniel shouts irritably and gets up from the bed sharply, while Terrence and Edward look at each other tensely. “Tell me everything you want to be silent about!”       Before saying something, Peter throws a hesitant look at Edward and Terrence, who nod confidently, as if they are letting him know that he would better tell the truth.       “I saw it,” Peter confesses quietly, moving his eyes to his hands folded in front of him. “From start to end…”       “Just something…” Daniel pronounces in a low voice and crosses his arms over his chest. “Tell me what you saw.”       “I was at the shopping center on that day…” Peter starts to say quietly, nervously pulling a piece of the bandage on his wounded hand. “I was with Jessica… We talked and said goodbye. I walked to the shopping center a little and saw Anna sitting on the bench in front of the shop. I came to her and tried to find out why she didn’t talk to us… But I couldn’t get an answer from her. And then that man came to us. I didn’t like him immediately and saw Anna, who was afraid of him. When he hugged her, she got too scared but pretended that everything was fine. Though, it was clear that her smile was false. That man introduced himself as Anna’s boyfriend, and she didn’t deny it. And I was really overwhelmed… I was shocked that she started to date the man, who spread endless negativity. And then he and Anna said goodbye to me. And… I saw Anna and that man again. He showed the real himself…”       Peter says nothing for two seconds, tightly locking his fingers and breathing a little heavily.       “He started to scream at her. He got wild because she talked to me. She kind of had no right to do it. Anna tried to excuse herself but heard more humiliations. About her being ugly, talentless, stupid… That man criticized her for actually being a woman. He can’t stand girls and women and doesn’t consider them humans… At some moment, he slapped Anna in the face strongly. Word by word, and that man started to beat her cruelly. Anna begged him to stop, but it made him much madder. He stopped two minutes later. Then he pushed her into the car by force and got out of the parking lot.”       Daniel listens to everything from start to end silently, pays close attention to every single word, and starts to breathe heavily enough, feeling how everything is burning inside him.       “Holy crap…” Daniel pronounces in a low voice. “I have nothing to say…”       “It’s true, Daniel,” Terrence confirms hesitantly. “That man beat Anna before Peter’s eyes.”       “He asked us to come together on the same day and told us about it,” Edward adds.       “And…” Daniel clenches his hands into fists tightly. “You… Watched? Watched all of that aside?”       “I hid behind my car and watched. His car wasn’t far from mine. So… I could see and hear everything.”       “And did you do nothing? You did not help Anna? You did not stand for her? You did not take her far from that bastard?”       “Nope…” Peter exhales sharply. “I did nothing… Just stood and watched…”       Daniel exhales slowly and puts his hand on his forehead, tensing all his muscles and holding down his wish to do something to Peter.       “Fuck…” Daniel pronounces in a very low voice and clenches his hands into hard fists tightly, while his breath gets heavier. “Fuck…”       “Calm down, Daniel, calm down,” Edward tries to calm down. “Don’t be nervous. Relax.”       “So…” Daniel throws a gloomy look at Peter. “While that sick bastard was beating my girlfriend, were you the fuck standing aside and watching it all?”       “I was scared,” Peter confesses hesitantly. “I was afraid of fighting with that bastard. He could’ve crushed me against the wall.”       “That’s not an excuse, Rose!” Daniel throws coldly. “It’s not an excuse for your cowardice!”       “Yes, I was cowardly! I was afraid I’d be killed by that bastard. He told Anna if I had stood for her, I would’ve died. My corpse would’ve been buried somewhere in the ground.”       “How could you? How? How could you stand quietly when the weak girl was getting beaten before your eyes? My girlfriend!”       “No, I wasn’t quiet! I was overwhelmed! It was the first time I saw a man beat a girl before my eyes. I had never seen anything like that before!”       “And what?” Daniel resents loudly, gesticulating actively. “You should have let that bastard keep beating the girl?”       “I’m really sorry, Daniel,” Peter says with pity in his eyes. “Yes, it was very mean of me, but I didn’t want it to happen.”       “Were you not sorry when Anna suffered? Were you not sorry when the poor girl tolerated all of those humiliations and hits?”       “My cowardice was the one to blame. A fear of not being able to deal with that dangerous man.”       “Yeah, Rose…” Daniel shakes his head, putting his hands on his hips. “I did not expect it from you… That’s how you treat Anna… How you treat me!”       “I’ve always treated Anna well and considered her my close friend.”       “But why did you not stand for her?”       “Because I was cowardly!”       “Hey, guys, don’t fight,” Terrence meddles.       “Am I not right?” Daniel wonders and glances at Terrence and Edward. “Rose was standing aside and silently watching Anna getting beaten by the bastard! How do I have to the fuck react?”       “Listen, we know it was mean of the blond and judged him,” Edward replies quietly. “But at least, he honestly confessed everything and hid nothing.”       “What if he didn’t stand for your girls? What if Raquelle or Natalia were beaten by some bastard, and Rose saw it and did nothing?”       “Of course, we’d be resented! We completely understand you and don’t defend the blond.”       “Please, Daniel, understand me,” Peter begs with pity in his eyes. “At least try. I didn’t want to do anything bad. I was just a coward. The coward, who could not do what he should’ve done.”       “Shut up, Rose!” Daniel raises a hand sharply. “Say no more! If you keep excusing your disgusting act, you will regret it.”       “I am not excusing myself, I’m telling the truth.”       “You know… I was right when I called you cowardly someday. You are a coward. The coward that is afraid to face a danger.”       “I can’t mind it. And say that’s a lie.”       “Poor Helene… You would probably do the same to her if a scumbag attempted her.”       “No, Daniel, you’re wrong! I would never…”       “I thought you were much braver. But that’s not the truth. You are a cowardly dog that peed and ran away. Millions of girls suffer because of someone like you!”       “Say what you want.” Peter moves his eyes to his hands. “I won’t argue…”       “Be silent and listen is the best thing you can do now,” Daniel throws coldly and takes two steps back, shaking his head. “And I do not even know how I could speak to you after this.”       “Your right.”       “Better shut up and be silent if you do not want to make me furious. And actually, I am getting out of here. I don’t want to see you.”       Daniel comes to the table next to the bed and takes a bottle of water, which he put after he went to the room.       “Daniel…” Peter pronounces hesitantly. “Daniel, please…”       “And do not dare to go after me,” Daniel cuts off sharply. “If I see you one meter away from you, I shall crush you against the wall.”       “Listen to me…”       “SHUT UP!” Daniel shouts, raising his hand sharply and clenching it into a fist. “Shut up… Or I will hit you.”       “Dude, don’t do it…” Terrence shakes his head.       “Sorry, Terrence, but I’ll come to you a little later. When he is not here.”       Daniel comes to the door with a quick step, opens it, and leaves the room, barely holding himself down. Terrence, Edward, and Peter watch him with sad eyes, and the latter, exhaling slowly, runs his hands over his face.       “Yeah…” Peter pronounces thoughtfully. “I thought everything would be worse…”       “You should’ve confessed everything,” Edward says quietly. “He would’ve known the truth anyway.”       “That’s good you didn’t excuse yourself,” Terrence adds. “It would’ve made him mad. In this case, an honest confession was the best decision.”       “I can say nothing to excuse myself,” Peter shrugs. “There was only one way: tell the truth and wait for his reaction. And I was sure he’d get mad and attack me with fists.”       “Perkins was on edge. I don’t know what held him down, but you were madly lucky.”       “Whatever Daniel does and says, he will be right. I have no right to be mad and say everything is unfair. It is all fair…”       “Anyway, don’t bother him now,” Edward advices. “Let him calm down. You’d make it worse if you ran after him and found excuses.”       “I’m not gonna do it,” Peter shrugs. “I said what I should’ve done, and then he should make a decision.”       “But don’t be upset,” Terrence says quietly. “We all were also unhappy. I mean… We’re unhappy now, but we appreciate the fact that you told the truth.”       “It’s okay, guys, I was ready for the conflict. But I expected that Perkins would strangle me immediately.”       “It’s clear that he wanted it, but he held himself down too hard. I dunno… Maybe, he didn’t wanna fight at the hospital… In the room…”       “It’s okay. What’s done is done.”       “Or Perkins probably understands that he’s not holy and decided to be silent,” Edward assumes. “Cheating is terrible, too. It’s a painful hit. A moral hit.”       “That’s right.”       “I’ve never approved of cheating, but I feel truly sorry for him in this case. He wouldn’t have done that if he’d remembered everything.”       “At least, he isn’t ready to give up and said he’d do everything he can,” Peter shrugs.       “Yeah, there’s a chance that we could help Anna,” Terrence nods.       “And I’m sure that they are not over. They do have a chance to reconcile. It doesn’t mean it will happen soon, but somewhere in the future, everything might get better. Besides, the decision about a breakup was made by Anna, not by Daniel and her.”       “And she’ll appreciate everything he’ll do for her. Even if Anna says she doesn’t care, Seymour will take a note.”       “Saving Anna is the best thing that Daniel can do,” Edward replies confidently.       “Daniel got a chance to play a hero and show what he’s ready for her,” Peter replies.       “But what’s gonna happen after that man is caught? Will Anna speak to us?”       “Maybe, Anna will speak to us after that. But now she’ll hardly do it. She’ll be afraid.”       “But the fact that she was coming here all this time really surprises me.”       “I won’t be surprised if she does it secretly,” Terrence replies confidently.       “Or she thinks she’s got nothing to lose,” Peter assumes. “Well… That man would beat her anyway. For speaking and being silent.”       “I think you’re right,” Edward nods. “Anna will suffer anyway…”       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which the three look at each other with sadness in their eyes.       “Okay, guys, I think I’ll walk a little, too…” Peter says thoughtfully. “I wanna be alone… Put my mind in order…”       “But don’t dare to fine Daniel,” Terrence advices.       “No, no, I think we shouldn’t talk yet. If I see him from afar, I’ll go on the different side.”       “And yeah, if you see Mr. Cameron and Alicia, call them here,” Edward says. “As well as Father and Mother. If they come.”       “Okay.” Peter claps Terrence and Edward on the shoulder. “Don’t be bored, guys. I guess you’ve got something to talk about.”       Peter gets up slowly from the bed and leaves the room quietly, closing the door after himself and leaving Edward and Terrence, who look at each other.       “Everybody left us,” Edward chuckles shyly, sitting in front of Terrence.       “It’s okay they’ll fill their stomachs and come back,” Terrence assumes.       “I wonder, how long is Perkins gonna be mad at Rose for not standing for Anna?”       “If the blond doesn’t bother, our former guy with amnesia will calm down quickly. And forgive him at least for honesty.”       “Anyway, Pete did the right thing. He didn’t excuse himself and said everything honestly. Confessing your cowardice or weakness is something that only a wise and decent person could do.”       “He just understood that it was the best thing he could do. Yes, he did a bad thing. He acted like a boy watching someone beat a weak person. But let’s at least appreciate his honesty.”       Silence settles in the air for two or three seconds, during which some unfamiliar people pass by the room.       “Hey, that’s good nobody’s here,” Terrence says quietly. “I want to talk to you about something.”       “Speak,” Edward shrugs.       “The guys said you blame yourself for what happened to me.”       “Yes, I was worried.” Edward moves his eyes to his hands for a second. “And I wanted to be instead of you. I wanted everything to be fair.”       “I did ask you to blame yourself for nothing.”       “I know, but it all happened because of me. Because I got you and the lads involved in it.”       “We did it at our wish. Did you really think we’d leave you and let you follow Wainwright alone?”       “I understand why you did it and can’t judge you. And I am truly grateful to you for that. Your help was very good to me and… I could’ve really died if you and the guys hadn’t been with me. Wainwright got me so exhausted that I literally fell from weakness. But I made myself get up. I couldn’t die and moan from pain.”       “If you’d been alone, you wouldn’t have gotten up at all.”       “So, it should’ve happened. I started all of that. I should’ve ended it. Even if I’d had to sacrifice my life.”       “I get it, bro, but you’ve got no reason to blame yourself.”       “You shouldn’t have done that, Terrence. Why did you push me and let Wainwright inject that shit into you?”       “Because I wanted to save you.”       “You should’ve saved yourself.”       “I know that was risky. I know my act was kind of thoughtless. But I should’ve done that.”       “It’s unfair that you’re here, on the hospital bed, but I’m safe and sound.”       “Nothing would be changed if you were here. Everybody would be worried. Because of you.”       “But nobody would say I’m guilty of someone’s sacrifices.”       “Edward, please, stop torturing yourself,” Terrence says quietly. “You’re guilty of nothing. Maybe, you’re judged for being stubborn, but everybody understands that you just wanted to protect Natalia and know she would be able to live without a fear of meeting her offender.”       “I just should’ve listened to you. You were absolutely right, but I was too stubborn and blinded by the wish for revenge for my fiancée.”       “Trust me, I would also listen to nobody if any scumbag dared to do that to Raquelle. Nobody would control me: neither you, Father, Mother, nor my friends.”       “I’m sorry about what happened. But I’m used to bringing a case to an end and… I should’ve ended that story. Even if the end of it would’ve been my death.”       “No, Edward, don’t talk about your death,” Terrence shakes his head.       “I… I got nervous when you told us about Raquelle’s nightmare. I thought it would really come true… And… I was much more scared when we all followed Wainwright. I was obsessed with the thought that everything would happen at that place. And I thought I’d avoid it if I became a victim.”       “To be honest…” Terrence says nothing for two seconds to swallow up nervously. “I started to think about it, too… I was afraid that the nightmare would come true… Especially, after you said you’d follow Wainwright.”       “I know it sounds kinda weird. Maybe, even stupid… But… I felt hurt that Raquelle was worried about you. I tried to change everything… But… It seems like it was the sign of the future… The sign of the fact that we can’t change some things.”       “Everything was coming to the moment when someone should’ve suffered. And I accepted this role.”       “But you could’ve died.”       “And I was scared. I was afraid to die and make everybody suffer. But that nightmare helped me accept it and believe that these were my last minutes. But it didn’t come true.” Terrence moves his eyes to Edward and smiles slightly. “Thanks to you. The full syringe could’ve killed me, but Wainwright injected just half of that into me. You reacted quickly.”       “It was the only thing I could come up with,” Edward confesses hesitantly. “It happened automatically.”       “But that’s what saved me,” Terrence notices and claps Edward on the shoulder. “So, I don’t understand how you could blame yourself for what happened.”       “Whatever people say, I’m guilty. Father was right when saying even if I was doing that for good things, it doesn’t make me irresponsible. And if you’d died, it would’ve been my fault.”       “But I did not die. Here I am! Here!”       “It’s a great relief to me. I didn’t wanna lose my brother at all.”       “And I didn’t wanna lose mine. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you. There is nobody, who I would trust the way I trust you. There’s something that I can’t tell others. But I could share it with you. With you, I can be as open as I’ve never been with the others.”       “I know,” Edward smiles shyly. “I trust you more than everyone else. And I know I could always count on you. My best friend. Who can comfort me, calm me down, and give me hope.”       “Anyway, you’re a fine fellow. I think your perfect gun in any fight is your good reaction. You held on because of that.”       “Maybe. But defeating such a competitor like Wainwright is very hard on your own.”       “I’m sure that you would’ve dealt with him if you’d had enough strength.”       “I held on thanks to the thoughts of my close people. Who I couldn’t make suffer.”       “Definitely strong motivator in any situation.”       “Right…” Edward glances at his hands for a second and looks at Terrence with a slight smile. “You know… I’ve thanked Peter and Daniel for their help, but now I want to say the same to you. Thank you so much, Terrence. I wouldn’t have done that without you.”       “I’d go anywhere with you. And I’d do any stupid thing to help you.”       “Forgive me for almost killing you,” Edward apologizes, looking at Terrence shamelessly. “I didn’t want anything like that. And I wouldn’t be able to live with the thought that my brother died because of me.”       “Stop, brother, please.”       “That case has kept me anxious for two days. Even if everybody tries to calm me down, I feel I’m guilty.”       “Listen, Edward…” Terrence pronounces quietly and takes Edward’s hands, looking at him confidently. “Nobody blames you and will do. I don’t especially think you’re guilty. Yes, I understand that it was hard for you, but it’s all over. I’m okay.”       “You almost died because of me for the second time.”       “Don’t tell me you’re gonna withdraw into yourself again and hide in your cocoon, not wishing to hear anyone.”       “I see no meaning in complaining constantly.”       “Do you see the meaning in making everybody worried?”       “I don’t hide my emotions and feelings. But I don’t want everyone to think I’m a whining girl.”       “So, do you think you should be a heartless robot?”       “I’ve gotta be a man.”       “You don’t tell everyone tales about things you’ve never done. You just go and do. And you give a fuck about who your opponent is: the old bastard Michael or the drug addict Wainwright. You did many things to restore the justice that you dreamed about.”       “But it was restored after so many sacrifices.”       “Pain and tears are your permanent company on your way to your goals. But you did it.” Terrence claps Edward on the shoulders. “Be proud of yourself, buddy. Be proud of being so brave and resolute. A coward wouldn’t start a fight with dangerous people. They would hide behind someone’s back and shake like a bunny. But you did it otherwise. You went to fight. You went to protect your beloved girl.”       “I must be the hero that she’s dreaming about.”       “And nothing threatens her with such a wonderful protector.”       “If not for her, I wouldn’t have decided to fight with that man afraid,” Edward shrugs. “Who I was, to be honest, afraid to death. Literally as much as Uncle Michael.”       “And I think…” Terrence says nothing for two seconds and glances aside. “I think Natalia could find my act thankfulness.”       “Thankfulness?”       “Once, that girl saved my life. She was ready to sacrifice hers to save me. And I’ll be grateful to her for that for the rest of my life.”       “So, did you also do it for a wish to thank her?”       “Let it be my little thankfulness. She didn’t let Raquelle suffer then, but I didn’t let Natalia suffer now.”       “But you made everybody too nervous,” Edward notices with sadness in his eyes. “Especially, Raquelle. We all thought that she’d get a nervous breakdown.”       “I know,” Terrence nods. “I’m ashamed of her.”       “But now she can finally think of herself.”       “You know… Even when I was saying farewell to everybody, I had the belief that we’d meet again. That I’d see Raquelle… And… I passed out with a wish to survive for her.”       “Didn’t you hear her voice while being unconscious?”       “I did…” Terrence nods with a slight smile. “I heard her pray about coming back… About the light that I should’ve reached…”       “I guess her pretense helped you come back to us.”       “I think Peter was right when calling Raquelle my guardian angel somehow. When we live happily, she always makes me feel alive and keeps the fire inside me. And when I’m in despair, that girl is next to me and… Shares her light… Her love… Care… A part of her…”       “You’re lucky to have her,” Edward smiles shyly.       “Not only her but also those, who surround me.”       “Although the case was hard, we believed you’d survive. It was hard, but we were waiting.”       “And as you see, I’m back,” Terrence smiles shyly.       “Yeah… Since you’re fine… I can relax.”       “Let’s take what happened as something that would make us stronger. And unite us much more.”       “You’re definitely on the right track,” Edward laughs amicably.       “Anyway, let’s agree on something,” Terrence grabs Edward by the nape of the neck. “From now on, you’re blaming yourself for nothing about this story. Never.”       “Okay,” Edward nods. “I’ll try.”       “And don’t care to withdraw into yourself and think of some dark thoughts. Getting you outta depression would be too much.”       “This is me, Edward MacClife,” Edward throws his hands up with an innocent smile. “I can’t stay cold when something happens.”       “Your emotions and feelings are not sin. If you have them, you’re living.”       “At least, I’m not pretending to be someone else. Me is me.”       “We wanna have a deal with the real Edward, not his fake identity. Even if Edward is the pain in the ass that plays on people’s nerves.”       “Now I’m as real as I’ve never been before.”       “In short, we agreed. You no longer blame yourself for what happened.”       “But…”       “No more ‘but’! You got it?”       “Got it,” Edward nods.       “That’s the deal!” Terrence ruffles Edward’s hair a little and hits him on the forehead with a fist. “Come here, you, little bandit.”       Edward and Terrence hug each other tightly, sharing a slight clap on the shoulder or the back and smiling much wider.       “I’m glad you’re alive,” Edward says, clapping Terrence on the head.       “I’m much happier you’re alive,” Terrence replies.       After hugging each other tighter for a moment, Terrence and Edward step away from each other and smile shyly. And a few seconds later, the door of the room opens, and the excited Rebecca and Jamie enter the room.       “Terrence!” Rebecca exclaims, closing her mouth with both hands. “Thank God!”       “Hey, mom, hey, dad,” Terrence waves a hand with a slight smile. “Glad to see you.”       While Edward gets up from the bed and says something to Jamie, Rebecca comes to Terrence, hugs him tenderly, and kisses him on the cheek. Then the father of the MacClife brothers hugs his older son tightly and caresses his head.       “How are you, sonny?” Jamie shows anxiety, squeezing Terrence’s shoulder slightly.       “Fine,” Terrence pronounces. “I just feel a little weak.”       “The most important thing is that you’re alive.”       “Yes, honey, thank God, you’re okay,” Rebecca adds, caressing Terrence’s shoulder softly.       “As I understand, you know everything,” Terrence assumes.       “Yes, we know everything.”       “I’m sorry about making you worried,” Terrence apologizes with pity in his eyes. “I know my act could deprive me of my life, but I had no choice.”       “Don’t apologize, Terrence,” Jamie says softly. “You’re not guilty of us. Vice versa, we highly appreciated what you did. That was very noble.”       “Don’t be mad, please. Especially at Edward. He’s guilty of nothing.”       “We are not,” Rebecca replies confidently and sits down in front of Terrence. “Neither you nor Edward.”       “But I can’t deny that we were upset and mad at first,” Jamie confesses. “You two did a thoughtless thing. But on the contrary, every one of you showed bravery and determination.”       “Anyway, we’re very sorry,” Terrence says with sadness in his eyes.       “We didn’t mean to do anything bad,” Edward adds guiltily, standing next to the hospital bed.       “It’s okay, my dears, we understand everything,” Rebecca says softly and confidently. “Since you two are alive, other things don’t matter.”       “At least, Wainwright is dead.”       “Dead?” Jamie wonders truly. “What means dead?”       “Didn’t Mr. Johnson tell you that?”       “No, he said nothing.”       “But what happened to him?” Rebecca asks. “And when did he die?”       “Two hours ago,” Edward explains. “From the traumas incomparable with life and the mixture of strong drugs.”       “A doctor told you?” Jamie specifies.       “Mr. Johnson talked to Daniel, who saw the doctors carrying away the body of Wainwright.”       “Dead people can’t be discussed badly, but that’s the fair end,” Rebecca says with sadness in her eyes. “Wainwright got what he deserved.”       “I’m also glad that Natalia can exhale with relief. From now on, nobody’s gonna hurt her anymore.”       “So, fighter, you got what you wanted,” Jamie notices and claps Edward on the shoulder.       “My goal wasn’t his death, I just wanted h to help the police get him caught. But I’m happy with this end.”       “So, we can relax a little now,” Terrence says confidently.       Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which everybody looks at each other or around.       “Hey, did the guys tell you about me?” Terrence asks.       “Yes, we met them on the way,” Rebecca confirms. “They said you woke up.”       “Yeah, why did they run on different sides?” Jamie wonders. “Did someone make Raquelle sure to go to wash her face and eat something?”       “Natalia and Helene took Raquelle to the cafeteria,” Edward replies. “She has eaten nothing for two days.”       “I was shocked when I saw what happened to her,” Terrence confesses with anxiety.       “As well as Mr. Cameron and Alicia. Who wanted to drive Raquelle home by force and watch her.”       “That girl falls into extremes,” Rebecca notices thoughtfully. “That’s bad. That’s good she’s worried about her fiancé so much. But she must think of herself. God shall not let Raquelle get sick and fall into depression.”       “Yeah, but I won’t stop being worried about her…” Terrence confesses. “I still don’t know why Raquelle’s so weird.”       Edward, Rebecca, and Jamie look at each other hesitantly, recalling Raquelle’s secret that she begged to keep silent about.       “Nobody knows it, sweetie,” Rebecca shrugs.       “She’s afraid to tell me something,” Terrence replies. “But I can’t even imagine what it could be. And it drives me crazy.”       “We all wanna know what happened to her. What could happen during the trial of Michael.”       “I’m regretting not paying attention to that before. Blaming stress for everything. I got suspicious when the trial was over, but she didn’t calm down.”       “Nobody cared, Terrence,” Edward notices. “We thought the same.”       “Oh…” Terrence, exhaling slowly, runs his hands over his face. “What do I think? Who do I ask for help? I want to know what’s happening to her, and what’s literally killing her! But I can’t even assume anything! Mr. Cameron and Alicia can’t help me. I talked to them some time ago, but they advised me nothing.”       “She can’t be silent forever, Terrence,” Jamie says confidently. “Raquelle will have to confess everything early or late. Or she’ll betray herself, not notching it. It happens. Someone falls into despair or hysteria and reveals all their secrets.”       “Maybe, she lacks something?” Terrence looks at everybody with sad eyes. “Or Raquelle is afraid to ask me about it?”       “The case is not about you, brother,” Edward says confidently. “Raquelle has no reason to complain! You give her everything she wants. And even more sometimes.”       “But sometimes I think there’s my fault for her sufferings… I can’t exclude that she’s afraid to tell me something. I get enraged and lose control of myself kind of easily. I may beat her or scream at her.”       “No, Terrence, don’t think about it,” Rebecca says softly, caressing Terrence’s hand. “Raquelle does know your character. If she disliked something, she would leave you a long time ago. But she loves you even in this case.”       “But she’s acting like it’s not the truth. And I’ve tried to get her into a talk millions of times! And she always says everything is okay.”       “Try to be soft but insistent,” Jamie advices. “Turn on the man mode, so to say! I can’t exclude that Raquelle may cry if she’s hiding something terrible. In this case, try to calm her down and promise that you will understand her.”       “No, Dad, everything’s not so easy,” Terrence shakes his head. “Raquelle is too stubborn. I’m sure that she’s gonna avoid the answer again and find some stupid excuses even if she’s pressed to the wall.”       “Someday, she’ll confess everything,” Edward replies confidently. “Raquelle has been silent for too long. She must understand that if she doesn’t tell you the truth soon, it may be a threat to your relationship.”       “I have to apply many efforts not to give a damn about her. I love her and don’t wanna leave. Raquelle is the best girl in my life.”       “We know, bro. But Father said right that you should turn on the man mode! Don’t be aggressive, be insistent. Don’t threaten. Just let her know that you wanna hear the truth immediately.” Edward bites his lip slightly. “And please, remember… Whatever Raquelle hides, try to understand her… Watch your words. Don’t be mad at her.”       “Do you think I’m gonna find out something that will make me enraged?” Terrence frowns slightly.       “We can’t exclude it… But the important thing is that you don’t let your emotions decide everything for you. Sometimes it’s too hard to fix your mistakes.”       “Your brother is right, sonny,” Rebecca agrees. “Whatever she tells you, control yourself. But if you understand you can’t hold it down, leave and calm down.”       Although Terrence does not suspect that Rebecca, Jamie, and Edward already know Raquelle’s secret, their words wake up a greater interest in this situation and make him much more determined in his wish to find out the reason for his fiancée’s tears. Silence settles in the air for a few seconds. Then someone knocks at the door of the room, and then Alicia and Frederick enter it, not being surprised to see Terrence awake.       “Terrence!” Alicia exclaims. “Thank God, you’re awake!”       “Hello, Alicia, Mr. Cameron,” Terrence greets amicably with a slight smile, while Frederick closes the door. “Thanks for coming.”       “How are you feeling?” Frederick asks.       “Pretty good.”       “Nothing hurts?” Alicia asks.       “Nope, just a little weakness.”       “Thank God!” Frederick exclaims.       Alicia and Frederick come to Terrence to greet him: the man hugs him tightly and shakes him by the hand, and the woman shares an amicable kiss on the cheek. Then they greet Rebecca and Jamie in the same way and nod at Edward, who just smiles shyly.       “Hey, where is Raquelle?” Alicia expresses anxiety. “And where are the others? The men? The girls?”       “The girls took her to the cafeteria,” Edward replies. “And the men went on different sides. Terrence and I had been alone before our parents came.”       “That’s very good,” Frederick smiles slightly. “Anyway, we will watch her.”       “Yes, please,” Terrence says amicably. “Or I will be worried.”       “Don’t worry, Terrence, while you’re here, taking care of her will be our responsibility.”       “Thanks a lot. I won’t be worried that Raquelle will be alone.”       “Well…” Alicia stutters, biting her lip. “Of course, she will not calm down completely… Because of her secrets.”       “We had been talking about it before you came,” Jamie confesses quietly.       “This situation makes us much more scared,” Rebecca adds. “The poor girl has been torturing herself for a few months.”       “What do you all think she could hide?” Terrence asks hesitantly, looking at everybody.       “Ah, Terrence, I don’t even know what to say…” Alicia sighs heavily.       “But the problem is not you,” Frederick replies confidently.       “What if it is?” Terrence expresses anxiety. “You and Alicia are fine. Raquelle didn’t fight with the girls. The men don’t hurt her, either. So, it happens that the problem is me.”       “But why?”       “I don’t know…” Terrence shrugs. “I can’t even imagine.”       “We’ve already advised you to talk to her and be more insistent,” Rebecca recalls.       “Of course, I shall show harshness if I have to. It seems like I have no choice. Quiet talks don’t help. She says everything is fine.”       “But please, don’t cross the line,” Jamie says confidently.       “You know, I must confess that your words made me nervous. At the thought that I might know something terrible. Something that will get me shocked.”       “It’s possible,” Frederick nods.       “Damn, I wracked my brains… What could she hide? What? I don’t get it!”       “Don’t worry, Terrence, if you don’t get her into a talk, we will try to do it,” Alicia promises confidently.       “And please, don’t be mad at us, but let’s not forget that you’ve got a very short-tempered character,” Frederick adds. “Raquelle knows it well and is afraid to make you mad. She knows that if you get enraged, you’ll lose control of yourself.”       “So, doesn’t she trust me just because of my character?” Terrence asks hesitantly.       “Let’s be honest, you don’t control yourself sometimes,” Edward shrugs.       “But you do know that I’d never hurt Raquelle!”       “We know, honey,” Alicia says confidently. “But she’s been a witness of you getting furious many times. Yes, you've become a little quieter now, but it was otherwise before.”       “And you were fighting with everyone in childhood and got enraged after just one insult,” Rebecca adds.       “So, do you think Raquelle’s afraid of me?” Terrence wonders. “I am her fiancé! We’ve been together for almost two years! We’re gonna get married!”       “Two years is nothing,” Jamie replies. “You should live with someone for twenty or thirty years to know everything about relationships.”       “It seems like she’s living with a beast that would tear her apart if she did something wrong. I’m not a tyrant. Not a violator. I respect women and their feelings.”       “Likely, Raquelle is afraid that you’re gonna get angry, say too many bad things, and leave her,” Rebecca assumes.       “And we know how much Raquelle is afraid of losing you,” Jamie adds. “She’s never hidden it.”       “Right,” Frederick nods. “Yes, she didn’t originally understand what she was doing when deciding to date you. Maybe, she didn’t appreciate you enough. She loved her job more. But after barely losing you once, my granddaughter realized that a man is not jewelry that she could put in a box after putting it on once.”       “But I’m not going to leave her!” Terrence exclaims. “That girl is very important to me. I do everything for her to be happy and always listen to her wishes and pleases. I try… Try to be better for her.”       “We know, Terrence,” Alicia says softly, putting her hand on Terrence’s shoulder. “Anyway, your parents are right: if you wanna find out something, you have to be harsh to some extent. Now talking softly to Raquelle is worthless.”       “It was hurt for us to be harsh toward her,” Frederick adds. “But it was what we had to do.”       “I can’t imagine what my girl is hiding from you, but that’s definitely something very important to her.”       “So, I shall work on it after I leave the hospital,” Terrence promises confidently. “It can’t happen like this anymore.”       “Anyway, we are all ready to help you,” Frederick replies.       “Thanks a lot, Mr. Cameron, I knew I could count on you,” Terrence thanks with a slight smile.       “Anyway, always keep calm,” Edward replies, locking his fingers tightly. “Emotions are a tricky thing.”       “I will try.”       After listening to what Edward, Rebecca, and Jamie say, Frederick and Alicia, who look at each other at some moment, start to believe that these people suspect something or know the reasons for Raquelle’s weird behavior.       “Okay, let’s change the subject,” Terrence suggests and moves his eyes to Alicia. “Alicia, you better, tell me how Amanda is doing. I would be happy if you took her here.”       “Amanda is doing well,” Alicia replies amicably. “She asks a lot about you.”       “She doesn’t really know what happened to me?”       “No, come on! My daughter thinks you just got a little sick. But today, I shall make her happy by the fact that you’re getting well.”       “You can bring her here?”       “I shall surely do it.”       “I heard everybody has already met her.”       “It’s true. Amanda comforted everybody and said that everything would be alright. And she’s worried about Raquelle much more.”       “Amanda is an adorable girl,” Edward smiles shyly. “She spreads kindness and light. What we need at such a hard time.”       “All children bring light and happiness,” Frederick notices.       “That’s right…” Terrence nods and thinks about something for two seconds, looking into the distance.        “What are you thinking of, honey?” Rebecca asks, caressing Terrence’s hand.       “I just thought of something…” Terrence replies thoughtfully and looks at everybody. “You know, when I met Amanda, I… Thought of something…”       “What, sonny?” Jamie asks.       “I’m realizing more and more that I want to be a father. When I played Amanda, I felt so happy. It was madly nice to spend time with that girl. And the case is not that I was literally back to childhood when my biggest tragedy was the fact that someone stole my favorite toy car, or I crushed it.”       Frederick and Alicia look at each other and Edward, who nods with a slight smile on his face.       “I realized I wanted to play with my own children. I understand that I’m ready to take on this responsibility. My time has come. I can give my child everything. I know who I want to make a mother of the one.”       Meanwhile, Jamie, Rebecca, and Edward look at each other with sadness, understanding that Terrence could have been carrying his child in his arms if not for the bad events.       “We realized that you were ready for fatherhood when Amanda was playing with you,” Frederick confesses with a slight smile. “Your eyes were full of a special gloss when you looked at that girl.”       “I really felt good,” Terrence nods. “And I forgot about all my problems.”       “I’m sure that you’d be an amazing father,” Alicia assumes confidently. “You’d have very sympathetic children because you and Raquelle are both good-looking.”       “Yeah, genes are amazing!” Frederick exclaims.       “I don’t care who I’d have: a boy or a girl,” Terrence smiles shyly. “I will be happy to have a boy or a girl. The most important thing is that my child is healthy and happy.”       “I’m sure it will be so,” Edward says confidently with a slight smile. “But knowing that the MacClifes make only boys, there’s a small chance that you have a daughter.”       “Why?” Alicia wonders. “Maybe, Raquelle will become the one to break this tradition!”       “Every man from my family thought so,” Jamie laughs shyly. “My great-grandfather, my grandfather, my father, and me. We were all sure that we’d have a girl someday. But we’ve got a male company.”       “It’s alright, someone will have a daughter!” Frederick exclaims cheerfully.       “Come on!” Terrence chuckles kindly. “Even if I have only sons, I will be happy.”       “Anyway, those children will have fantastic parents,” Rebecca says with a slight smile.       “And having so many helpers, it will be much easier for you,” Jamie adds amicably.       “I know,” Terrence pronounces with a slight smile.       While Edward, Rebecca, and Jamie look at each other tensely, Frederick and Alicia watch them closely and make much more sure that these people know something, but they do not rush to tell Terrence the truth for some reason.