The Lost And Forgotten Memories

      One day later. While their friends and familiars were sleeping tightly, Peter and Helene went for a walk with Sammy in the early morning. After a few days when the bright sun was shining in the city and warming up the citizens, it’s definitely going to be warm but gloomy. And at such an early time, there is literally nobody on the streets, and the lovers are going somewhere with a slow, straight step all alone.       “Hey, Sammy is kind of quiet today,” Peter notices thoughtfully.       “He is,” Helene agrees with a slight smile, keeping Sammy on the leash, while he is following her obediently and sniffing something on the asphalt with interest. “Though, he was taking us after him some time ago, not otherwise.”       “He’s starting to understand who he must obey.”       “I’m imagining what’s gonna happen if he sees a sympathetic doggy.”       “M-m-m…” Peter glances into the distance, sees a married couple walking hand-in-hand and leading a sympathetic doggy on the leash, while it follows them, and smiles slyly. “We’ll see it now. There’s a good candidature. Very sympathetic.”       When the married couple and the dog go by, Sammy moves his to the small yorkshire terrier and starts to wag his tail energetically and barking funnily. Then the doggy answers him back and wants to come to the retriever and sniff him. But the man slightly pulls the leash on himself, telling her to follow him. And when they hide somewhere in the corner a few moments later, Peter and Helene stop and scratch Sammy’s hair, while he makes a quiet sound with sadness in his eyes.       “Sorry, boy, but you aren’t lucky again,” Peter throws his hands up. “We did our best…”       Sammy whines quietly, inclines his head, and closes his nose with a paw, making Helene smile widely and yank his ears softly.       “C’mon, Sammy, don’t be so upset,” Helene says amicably. “Not that dog, but another.”       “Yeah, buddy, people may look for a beloved person for ages,” Peter adds confidently.       Sammy barks quietly two times, wagging his tail amicably.       “Okay, my boy, we’ll talk about it later,” Helene says amicably. “Now, let’s find a place where we’ll play with you, and you’ll run.”       Sammy twists around himself several times, chasing his own tail and making Helene and Peter laugh shyly and shake their heads.       “Hey, bandit, stop chasing your tail,” Peter pets Sammy’s head. “Sammy! Let’s go!”       Sammy barks happily and starts to follow his owners after Helene slightly pulls the leash on herself and goes somewhere straightly along with Peter.       “Oh, I wanna sleep so badly,” Peter moans tiredly, running his hand over his face. “Yesterday, I watched a good show ‘till late time. Though, I only watched Season 1. I fell asleep on Season 2.”       “You could sleep longer. Instead of going for a walk with Sammy and me.”       “You have three guesses to guess it.”       “You fought with Marta again?”       “Bingo!” Peter claps his hands.       “The war with cats is still on?”       “It hasn’t ended. And I’m gonna tell you honestly. If it doesn’t stop, I’m definitely gonna start to hate cats. Those bandits got me wild with their loud meowing. Every single day, I listen to that freaking show. Sometimes I wanna sit in silence, have dinner, take a bath, and lie on the bed… But that cat gang ruins my plans. They started to perform at half past six today.”       “You went to talk to her again?”       “I did, but it doesn’t make sense! Trying to talk to Marta and assuring her to do something to ‘her sweet cats’ leads to a lecture about how I should live, and the door closed before my nose.”       “Gosh, doesn’t anyone try to do anything against her?”       “Worthless. At first, my neighbors tried, but they gave a damn later. And I’m now the only one to try to fight with her and her cats.”       “Maybe, you should give a damn, as well? Let them meow as much as they want!”       “I would do it, but they don’t let me sleep. Because of them, I always wake up earlier than the roosters and can’t fall asleep anymore. Yes, I’m not a lover of sleeping ‘till twelve o’clock, but I have nothing to do at five hours in the morning.”       “Oh, Peter, the guys and I have asked you to look for a different place to live and sell your apartment so many times,” Helene sighs quietly. “You have money, and there are enough variants of selling houses and apartments. You’ll surely choose something that you like.”       “I’m starting to think about it more and more. Think of moving into a hotel ‘till I buy a new place to live.”       “Excuse me, but I don’t understand why you waste your time.”       “When do I check advertisements and make calls? It takes a lot of time! I’ve lately, terribly lacked that!”       “Maybe, some of the men could help you? What if someone has familiars that are selling something?”       “Actually, there’s one suggestion…” Peter clears his throat. “Chris said he had a familiar, who was selling an apartment. He said the apartment was good, and the owner wanted to get a little money.”       “That’s awesome!” Helene smiles shyly. “Why don’t you look at the apartment? What if it’s excellent!”       “Maybe later. Now I don’t have time.”       “What if someone buys the apartment?”       “Chris said that person has been selling that apartment for six months. But if it’s sold, it’s okay. Moreover, we’ve got another potential buyer. Mrs. Middleton. She’s looking for an apartment in the USA and wanna finally move here.”       “Does Mrs. Middleton know it?”       “I think Terrence will tell Raquelle, but she’ll tell her aunt.”       “I don’t know…” Helene sighs quietly. “Of course, you decide, but living in that hell is not good. You’ll have to move somewhere, early or late.”       “I know, but I’d like to find a house, not an apartment. Somewhere in the country. I wanna play guitar and play music quietly. I can’t do this at home because Marta and Hillary come to me shortly and tell me to turn off the shit that makes their ears bleed. Moreover, I also wanna practice recording songs. I have everything I need – I only need to find a room where nobody will bother me.”       “Do you wanna find a way to earn some money doing what you like? Or you and the lads decided to record songs for personal use?”       “Yeah, I could earn money,” Peter shrugs. “And the lads don’t mind recording a couple of personal songs. But first, I should find a room. Second, I need practice. I know the theory, but I ain’t able to practice it.”       “I think you won’t have to practice for a long time,” Helene assumes with a slight smile. “You’re my smart man, who learns everything very easily and quickly.”       “When you give everything to something, you always do it well.”       “And I hope to hear something exclusive.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, you’ll be the first one to hear my own songs,” Peter replies confidently with a slight smile and hugs Helene around the shoulders.       “M-m-m, it’s so nice,” Helene smiles shyly.       Sammy moves his eyes to Peter and barks quietly.       “You, too, fluffy, you too,” Peter says amicably, petting Sammy’s head. “I didn’t forget you. Moreover, you have a musical talent, and you know everything about good music.”       “So, start to plan your move little by little,” Helene advises confidently. “The sooner you move, the sooner we’ll hear your creativity.”       “When the problems are solved, I’ll start to think about it,” Peter promises confidently.       “I hope. I believe Marta and Hillary have a grudge against me, too. Those women always look at me so weirdly when I see them in front of the building where you live.”       “Don’t pay attention to them, Helene,” Peter smiles shyly. “They look at the men in the same way when they go to my home. And when you visit me with Sammy, Marta literally gets hysterical. Those two women resent that I often bring someone to my home and ain’t gonna get a job, which is fine, in their opinion.”       “I’m working with one woman, who loves telling everybody what to do. Single girls suffer much more ‘cause she forces them to get married and give birth to children.”       “She annoys you, too?”       “She does! She says I must do it while I have time ‘till I turn thirty. It’s like, after a single girl turns thirty, her life is over. But I learned to take it easy. Moreover, my grandma always says she wanna see me as a married woman with children.”       “I notice that those things are said by those, who are single, unhappy in a marriage, or got divorced. For example, Marta or Hillary. I don’t believe that a lot of men paid attention to them when they were twenty or twenty-five.”       “As far as I remember, Marta said she had a husband.”       “It’s not confirmed. If she’s so annoying and unhappy with everything now, a good man would’ve hardly stayed with her for a long time.”       “Who knows, sweetie… Anyway, we shouldn’t care about it. We shouldn’t care about whether she had a husband.”       “I don’t care, either. I wouldn’t notice her if not for her shouting cats that pee in front of my door and her lectures about the life I should live.”       “I feel like I hurt Hillary and Marta too much, and they decided to hate me all their lives.”       “Nope, they just need to fight and teach someone. Those old ladies don’t need a quiet life.”       “Moving, honey,” Helene replies with a slight smile, pressing herself close to Peter. “Moving will solve all your problems.”       “I know, but first, we should better solve all our problems.”       “Oh, we don’t know when everything’s solved…” Helene sighs quietly. “There’s no solution yet.”       “And honestly, I’m a little worried that Anna hasn't woken up yet.”       “Me too… But I believe her doctor, who gives positive forecasts.”       “At least, he says it confidently. But I think Daniel and Anna’s parents would tell us if something changed in her state. They spend almost all the time in the hospital.”       Sammy whines quietly, as if he is showing his regret and hope for the best.       “Hey, did you see the condition of Daniel when we all came there yesterday in the evening?” Peter asks with sadness in his eyes.       “I’m not surprised,” Helene shrugs with sadness in her eyes. “He’s worried about Anna and regretting what he did.”       “Honestly, I’m starting to worry about him more and more. Daniel does scare me. It seems like he needs a little before he brings himself to a more horrible condition.”       “Yeah, he’s so exhausted…”       “Although he tries to hold on and sometimes tries to smile and laugh, I don’t believe in his absolute positive mood.”       “Actually, Daniel doesn’t hide the reason why he’s worried. But we can only guess how much he’s worried. Perkins doesn’t talk too much about it.”       “I must confess that I’m really surprised that I see him like this. I never thought Daniel would be so weak… When I met him for the first time, he seemed a cold, cruel, and unbroken man, who gave a damn about everything. That’s why I was afraid of him. But later, he showed the other side of him and proved that he wasn’t what he seemed. Though, that man was hiding all his emotions under a mask… And he just took it off.”       “Well, I’ve never found him bad. Anna dated him for so long, and her parents now treat him like a close person for a reason. At least, Daniel will never do anything bad, hurtful, or dangerous to anyone. Despite nothing, he’s a good guy.”       “But I’m afraid to imagine what he’s gonna do if Anna leaves him,” Peter confesses with anxiety in his soul. “I know that a breakup is hurtful and unpleasant… Especially, when you love… But could Daniel accept it and keep living? And find the one, who could outstand Anna?”       “Anna won’t also feel better after breaking up with him. That girl may regret not trying to understand him. I see that Seymour would like to be with him, but her offense doesn’t let her get through it. Yes, I don’t exclude that she’ll just forget it someday. But it might take so much time that it may be too late to try to get it back.”       “Do you wanna say you don’t believe they could reconcile?”       “No, I believe… My hope isn’t just so great… I don’t know, I can’t be as confident as you are. The case is complicated.”       “But I do believe,” Peter smiles shyly. “I believe it will get better. Yes, the situation is really complicated. But now it’s possible to understand everything and, maybe, not forgive, but at least give a chance.”       “Anyway, Anna’s gonna decide everything.” Helene tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “But she thinks of Daniel less than everything. Our friend just wants her and her parents to have a quiet life. She doesn’t care about other things.”       “But someday she’ll have to come back to this question. The problem is not solved yet, and ignoring it will change nothing.”       “No matter what they decide, we can only do one thing – accept it and support the two. And now we better focus on saving Anna and her parents from the Potters.”       “You’re right. We better get these thoughts out of our minds before we go crazy.” Peter cracks a smile. “And just walk with Sammy.”       Sammy barks loudly in a jump.       “Sammy supports you,” Helene smiles slightly.       “And he believes it’s gonna be okay,” Peter assumes. “Sammy never gets wrong thanks to his excellent brain and good intuition.”       Sammy barks with a proud look, looking at Peter with his tongue out and wagging his tail amicably.       “Of course, my boy,” Helene says amicably, stroking Sammy’s hair. “Nobody doubts you.”       Sammy barks happily again and starts to pull Helene after himself.       “Sammy!” Helene exclaims and pulls the leash on herself several times. “Sammy, heel! Heel, I said! Samuel!”       “Maybe, we should let him go?” Peter suggests, stopping quietly. “Look, we’re at a good place where he could run and play.”       “Yeah…” Helene, frowning slightly, looks around and unsticks the leash from Sammy’s collar. “I think you’re right. This place is wonderful.”       And when he is free, Sammy quickly starts running on the whole large territory and closely examines the ground with his keen nose.       “I wonder, when’s he gonna get tired this time?” Peter asks with a slight smile.       “Not less than half an hour or an hour, my sweetie,” Helene replies with a slight smile, wrapping the leash and putting it in her pocket. “We’ll have to run after him for a long time.”       “Well, I’m kinda ready… I’ve gotta keep my sharp.”       “It’s perfect anyway.”       Helene and Peter share slight smiles before Sammy runs to them, holding a little wood stick in his teeth.       “Oh, the long-eared boy has found a toy,” Helene laughs shyly.       “So, the first round is starting,” Peter says with his head proudly raised. “C’mon, Sammy, show us everything you can.”       Peter takes the stick from Sammy and throws it as far as possible. The dog runs to where it falls shortly, takes it quickly, and gives it to Helene, whose throw is not the same as the man’s. The dog gives the stick to one or another multiple times. But at some moment, the lovers start to deceive Sammy from time to time, pretending that they throw the stick but hiding it behind their backs or secretly giving it to each other.       “Sammy, aport!” Peter orders with an innocent smile, hiding the stick behind his back. “C’mon, man! Why are you standing?”       Sammy barks loudly and determinedly, not stopping to look at Peter.       “What’s up, my boy?” Helene smiles cutely. “Give us the stick!”       With these words, Helene, hiding her hands behind her back, secretly takes the stick from Peter, who goes aside. But Sammy understands it quickly, sits in front of the girl, and barks loudly at her.       “C’mon, Sammy, look for the stick,” Helene keeps insisting. “Where is the one? Huh, baby?”       “So, buddy, are you tired?” Peter wonders. “After a few minutes?”       “Okay, Sammy, you’ve bitten us through!” Helene exhales sharply and shows the stick to Sammy. “C’mon, my sweetie, a-a-a-po-o-o-ort!”       When Helene throws the stick, Sammy runs to get it. She and Peter keep throwing the stick by one and running from one side to another, so the retriever runs as much as possible. A little later, the lovers start to tease Sammy with a sly smile and laugh by using the stick, which they wave in front of his nose and or get up higher, so he does not reach it. And they sometimes give him some commands that he does without problems.       “Ah, you’ve got a good life, boy,” Peter chuckles kindly, playing with Sammy by pulling the stick. “Wake up, eat, play, relax…”       When Peter manages to grab the stick, he throws it as far as possible.       “I wouldn’t mind living his life at least for a week,” Helene confesses with a slight smile.       “Yeah…” Peter agrees and cracks his knuckles. “No problems… No cares… No need to hear lectures I don’t need…”       Sammy runs to Helene with the stick in his teeth, but she takes it and throws it as far as possible. The dog finds it for a few moments and gives it to Peter, who wraps this thing in his hands, looking at the dog with a sly smile on his face.       “Hey, boy, what about taking it from this height?” Peter asks, raising the stick in his hand at ninety degrees.       Sammy tries to reach the stick in a jump with a loud bark, but Peter does not let him do it, raising his hand higher and higher.       “Hey, you can’t do this?” Peter chuckles kindly.       “C’mon, Sammy, it’s not so hard!” Helene cheers up funnily, clapping her hands quietly.       After a few unsuccessful attempts to catch the stick, Sammy decides to strike Peter down. But this time, the blond reveals the retriever’s plan quickly and, shaking his finger, clatters quietly.       “No, no, Sammy, don’t even hope,” Peter shakes his head with a sly smile, going aside sharply and starting to wrap the stick around. “You won’t strike me down.”       Sammy runs after Peter for a few seconds and tries to find a moment to strike him down, while Helene watching what’s happening laughs shyly.       “Don’t yawn, Pete!” Helene advises cheerfully. “Otherwise, this hooligan’s gonna use your distraction.”       “Oh, no, my sunlight,” Peter pronounces with his head proudly raised. “I shall make him run after me.”       “With this doggy, you should always watch out. If you distract yourself for a second, you’ll fall down.”       “Not in the case of mine. I won’t let him…”       At this moment, Sammy stands on his hind paws with a happy bark, puts his front paws on Peter’s stomach, and takes the stick away from him.       “Hey!” Peter exclaims. “What the heck!”       “I warned you, pretty boy,” Helene smiles innocently, coming closer to Peter.       “Ha, it’s okay he took the stick!” Peter chuckles kindly, putting his hands on his hips. “He didn’t strike me down.”       “He might do it, blond. Don’t relax.”       “It’s okay, leave it,” Peter waves a hand with a sly smile. “I shall take revenge.”       “Yeah?” Helene puts her hands on her hips with a kind chuckle. “Try, then! But I doubt he’ll give up on you so easily.”       “We will see now.”       When Peter wants to come to Sammy, the dog holding the stick in his teeth runs aside with a quiet bark and looks at the man innocently, wagging his tail amicably.       “Sammy, come to me!” Peter makes a calling gesture and claps on his knees. “C’mon, come to me! Sammy!”       But Sammy keeps standing in the same place, looking at Peter questioningly and turning his head to one or another side.       “Samuel!” Peter pronounces a little harsher.       Sammy makes a sound to express his resentfulness and turns his face aside for a second.       “C’mon, Sammy, be a good boy…” Helene says softly. “Don’t be mean…”       Now Helene tries to take the stick from Sammy, but the dog runs aside again and looks amicably at his owner with his tongue out, while she watches him for two seconds and comes closer to him, making her retriever run as fast as a meteor.       “Sammy…” Helene smiles cutely. “My sweetheart… What’s wrong? Why are you running?”       When Helene comes much closer to Sammy, he runs away and starts to run from one side to another as fast as a bullet, stopping at times and looking at her and Peter as if he is calling them to join him.       “Aha, do we have to run after you?” Peter chuckles kindly. “Not you after us?”       Sammy barks loudly in a jump, runs some distance, and turns on Helene and Helene again.       “My sunshine, say…” Peter smiles slyly. “Were you planning a workout this morning?”       “I have it on my plan list every day,” Helene replies confidently.       “So, get ready, You’re gonna have one more.”       Helene and Peter move their sly smiles to Sammy, who barks loudly again, not stopping to look at them. The two shrug and come to the restless dog that runs away from them when they get close enough. After they take one more step, the retriever starts running on the whole large territory non-stop. The lovers run after him for some time before the dog puts the stick on the ground. The blond takes it and runs aside with a wish to tease the dog that starts chasing Rose everywhere, trying to take the prize or playing pulling the stick with him. Not wishing to lose, the retriever tightly sinks his teeth into this thing and tries to take it away from the owner of gorgeous wheat blond and yellow and brown eyes, who does not even think of giving in. While Helene is just standing aside and watching the man, who makes her heart beat faster, with a tender smile full of admiration.        Helene thinks about something nice, biting her lip slightly, and does not notice how Peter runs to her at some moment and hugs her from behind, putting his arms around the girl’s waist.       “Hey…” Helene shakes slightly.       “M-m-m…” Peter purrs with a sly smile and rubs his nose against Helene’s cheek. “Someone’s watching me closely…”       “Can’t I look at my beloved man?” Helene asks softly with a slight smile.       “You can.” Peter putting his hand on Helene’s belly, kisses her on the cheek tenderly. “Vice versa, it gives me much more confidence.”       “Resisting a guy like you is impossible.”       “I know, my sugar.” Peter smiles slyly and rubs the tip of his nose against the curve of Helene’s neck. “All girls have a thing for me and are ready to sell their souls to be with me.”       “There’s a reason,” Helene laughs shyly and closes her eyes for a second, feeling Peter’s lips slowly slide over the thin, sensitive skin on the nape of her neck. “M-m-m-m…”       “Since you chose me, you’ve got excellent taste,” Peter replies in a low voice with a wide smile.       Helene does not hide her wide, true smile and moves her eyes to Peter hugging her from behind and burying his face in her shoulder. The tips of their noses contact and rub against one another. That’s why the lovers feel a nice shake all over their bodies and give each other a much more tender smile with a feeling of a stopped heart. They just examine each other’s faces for some time with interest. And when their lips barely touch one another to give a short, tender kiss, they hear the happy bark of the dog. Peter and Helene move their eyes aside and see Sammy sitting in front of them and watching what’s happening with his tongue out.       “Sammy, you’re jealous again…” Helene moans tiredly.       “You know that I treat your owner like a queen,” Peter says with a slight smile, hugging Helene tighter from behind and rubbing his cheek against her temple, and kisses her tenderly on the top of her head. “Look, long-eared…”       “Yeah… And he’s driving me crazy…” Helene closes her eyes in pleasure and softly grabs Peter’s arms, which he keeps wrapped around her neck. “So good…”       Peter kisses Helene on the cheek with a wide smile, noticing a bright blush on it. And Sammy barks loudly, comes to the girl, takes the small rope that gets out of the pocket of her jeans with his teeth, sits down in front of her and the man, and looks at them as if he says, “Play with me first and then flirt with each other!”       “Okay, fluffy, let’s play!” Helene exclaims and steps back from Peter softly. “Sammy…”       When Helene takes the rope, Sammy grabs her bracelet and pulls the girl after him. She laughs shyly and starts playing with the dog, teasing him a little with the rope and starting the pulling game.       “Try to catch me!” Helene yells funnily, starting to run after Sammy with a contagious laugh. “C’mon, Sammy!”       Sammy runs after Helene for some time or tries to take the rope that she waves in front of his nose. But later, after a long run, the dog takes the prize away from his owner’s hands, running up too fast, jumping, and catching it in the air. Then the girl gets down on her knees and pets Sammy’s head to cheer him up, while he wags his tail amicably and holds the rope with his teeth.       “Good boy, good boy,” Helene cheers up softly.       Sammy lets the rope go, nuzzles his nose in Helene's face for two seconds, and licks the tip of her nose shyly.       “Okay, stop licking me,” Helene laughs shyly, scratching Sammy’s hair while he tries to lick the other parts of her face. “Sammy, stop… You’re gonna destroy my makeup! Gosh, Sammy… Stop…”       Some time later, Sammy stops washing Helene’s face and just enjoys the way she scratches and caresses him.       “Okay, baby, let’s keep working on your shape,” Helene says confidently, gets up, and takes the rope.       While Helene keeps playing with Sammy, thrilling with loud laughter and not thinking about any problem, Peter smiles widely as he watches the owner of slanting hazel eyes, who makes him forget about his wish to sleep a little. The way her black, glossy hair is blowing in the wind. He literally forgets all the bad things when he sees this charming girl having a lot of fun with her retriever. And he realizes that he made the right choice this time by letting himself fall in love with this tender, caring, loyal, dark-haired, and short beauty, who makes him feel endless pride and self-confidence.       Some time later, Sammy gets so busy with the rope that he starts biting with no mercy with a quiet growl. Helene pets his head and decides to go aside to catch a breath after a long, intensive run. A little later, she stops her eyes on Peter, who smiles widely when he catches her glance. Getting blushed, the girl moves her eyes down for a second and comes to the blond confidently, saying:       “M-m-m, you’re literally undressing me with your eyes.”       “It’s hard to resist when such an attractive girl is next to me,” Peter shrugs.       “Okay, you can do anything!”       Helene comes to Peter, hugs him touchingly, putting her arms around his waist, and presses herself against the male chest so that she can hear his fast heartbeat. The man presses her to himself tenderly and caresses her head and back, running his fingers through her short hair.       “You know…” Peter pronounces thoughtfully with a slight smile and moves his eyes to Helene. “I’m glad they didn’t let me sleep. Yes, I’d be happy to take a nap for two hours. But being with my beloved girl is much nicer. And with her, I forget that I want to sleep…”       “Maybe, I didn’t plan to take you with me,” Helene replies thoughtfully. “But I’m glad you decided to join me.”       “As they say, you can find good things in everything.”       “You can use the moment to sleep as much as you want. But I’ve gotta get up very early every day to walk with the dog, wash him, feed him, and go to work.”       “When my band is back to regular performances, we won’t have time to sleep. However, as I’ve said, walking up early is not torture for me. Because I never sleep too much.”       “I’m sure your fans can’t wait to see you on the stage again.”       “I’m also dreaming of playing the drums and singing again. Dreaming of renewing rehearsals with the men.”       “Soon, sweetheart, soon,” Helene says with a shy smile and caresses Peter’s cheek tenderly. “I can’t wait to see you there.”       Peter hugs Helene tighter with a wider smile, kisses the top of her head tenderly, and caresses her head, while she presses herself to his chest and buries her nose in it with the thought that she feels very warm and nice. But the lovers do not stay alone for a long time because the thrilled Sammy runs to them with the rope in his teeth, puts it on the ground, sits down in front of them, and barks confidently, so they pay attention to him.       “And Sammy is here,” Helene laughs shyly.       “Yeah, when we just hug, the fluffy runs to us,” Peter agrees.”       “I didn’t know my boy would be so jealous.”       Sammy barks again and nuzzles his nose in the rope as if he hints at the wish to play a little again.       “Again?” Helene wonders.       “Hey, boy, if you have a ton of energy, it doesn’t mean everybody should have it,” Peter says confidently.” We’re getting tired!”       Sammy barks two more times, grabs Peter and Helene by bracelets on their hands, and pulls them on himself as if he begs, “Please… Play with me…”       “Sammy, have some respect,” Peter says a little harsher.       Sammy starts to whine quietly, inclining his head or looking at Helene and Peter with pity.       “Samuel, let us have a rest!” Helene exclaims. “If you wanna run, do it. There’s so much space!”       Sammy lies on the ground at some moment, and rolls onto his back or stomach multiple times.       “Hey, hey, don’t roll on the dirty ground! Sammy, hear me! You know I will put you in a bath and wash you carefully.”       Sammy whines quietly, lies on his stomach, and just looks at Peter and Helene with his tongue out, while they shake their heads and look at each other.       “Okay…” Peter exhales sharply. “We’ll play with you a little.”       “But after we do it, you’ll let us have some rest,” Helene adds confidently. “You got it?”       Sammy barks confidently two times.       “Good boy,” Helene smiles shyly. “Give us your rope.”       Sammy takes the rope with his teeth and gives it to Peter, who takes it and starts to pull it, setting a great pace and running on different sides, while the dog grabs the thing tightly with his teeth and tries to take a victory. Meanwhile, Helene finds a small stick that the dog played with before and teases him a little. The dog loses interest in the rope immediately and runs to his owner with a happy bark. Then she starts to throw the stick every time he gives it to her. Sammy has the pleasure of playing with her and Peter and making them run on the whole territory, not forgetting to amuse them somehow with his tricks.       The retriever that is still full of energy could probably, easily run one or two miles. But Helene and Peter, despite their good physical data, start to get a little tired and breathe much heavier after quite a long, active game. And the girl is the first one to give up, stopping slowly, doubling over, leaning on her laps with both hands, and trying to catch a breath.       “No…” Helene barely pronounces. “No… I’m done… I wanna have some rest… Don’t count on me…”       Helene comes to two stumps placed together, doubles over, and leans on her knees with her laps, still breathing heavily. And some time later, Peter also stops and raises his hands in front of himself.       “Okay, I’m out…” Peter pronounces tiredly with a heavy breath. “I need a rest…”       Peter comes to Helene, doubles over, and leans on his knees with both hands, trying to come to himself a little. And Sammy not being tired at all looks at the two questioningly, runs to them, and starts to bark loudly, determinedly.       “Damn, are you kidding us?” Helene wonders loudly. “I’m not a horse to run fast all day long!”       “Sorry, long-eared, you’re gonna have to play and run here alone,” Peter puts his hands on his hips.       Sammy barks again, looking at Peter and Helene with pity in his eyes, but it does not impact them.       “Actually, you promised to let us have a rest after one more game,” Helene recalls.       Sammy whines quietly, inclining his head slightly.       “Sammy…” Helene moans tiredly.       “Okay, okay, boy,” Peter says quietly, getting straight quickly and raising his hands up. “We’ll play with you again. But give us five or ten minutes to come to ourselves.”       Sammy does not make any sounds and keeps wagging his tail amicably.       “Yeah, please, don’t forget you’re gonna take a way home. On your paws. Yes, yes, buddy. If you’re tired to death, nobody’s gonna take you in their arms. So, remember this when you’re running here as fast as a bullet.”       Sammy barks quietly.       “Wonderful! Now leave us alone.”       Sammy barks confidently and loudly for the last time, runs somewhere as fast as the wind, and starts to play with the stick and the rope, sniff something on the ground, or chase a bird or something that flies in the air. While Peter and Helene watch him with slight smiles for two or three seconds and look at each other.       “My gosh, finally!” Helene exclaims, as she gets up slowly from the stump.       “I thought he didn’t wish to leave,” Peter chuckles kindly. “But I won’t be surprised if the fluffy decided to play a joke on us, so we suspected nothing.”       “I hope Sammy will show respect and agree to leave us alone.” Helene touches Peter’s shoulder softly. “Moreover, I’ve wanted this for so long…”       “Just like me…” Peter turns his body on Helene with a wider smile and tenderly runs the back of his hand over her cheek. “I should know that I woke up in the early morning for a reason…”       “Every gloomy morning gets better for me when I see you or hear your voice.”       “Hey…” Peter moves his eyes into the distance, looking at the amazingly beautiful view placed far from here. “There’s such a wonderful view… Don’t you wanna sit on that abyss?”       “I’d do it with pleasure,” Helene shrugs with a shy smile. “But I’m afraid we may fall from it.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, while I’m here, nothing will happen to you. Let’s sit down! Watch the sunrise!”       Peter takes Helene’s hand, brings her to the right place, seats her up on the smooth surface, and sits comfortably next to the girl, who presses herself to the man as close as possible, putting her head on his shoulder, and locking her fingers with his long fingers, while he hugs her around the shoulders with a free arm and kisses her on the temple. The shots of the bright sun are trying to get through the thick gray clouds and light up the city. The slight, warm wind is nicely blowing the faces, bright green grass, and sticks of many trees, leaves on which make quiet noises. Uneven valleys are placed far from the busy city. And sometimes birds fly by this place, please an ear with their quiet tweets and fly in crows above the abysses or high in the sky.       “Ah, it’s so good…” Helene pronounces with a blissful smile and her eyes closed, letting herself relax in a strong but tender hug from Peter, who is enjoying the warmth that her body is spreading. “I didn’t feel this easiness for so long…”       “Me too…” Peter smiles shyly, rubs his cheek against the top of Helene’s head, and kisses it cutely. “I’d watch these magnificent views forever.”       “I wish I could stay here forever… Never came back to reality… Never thought of problems…”       “I’d stay anywhere with you,” Peter replies in a lower voice and runs his fingertips tenderly over the skin on Helene’s head. “Any place would seem a paradise if you were there.”       “Take me down into your paradise,” Helene pronounces in a whisper with a slight smile, kisses Peter on the cheek, and rubs her nose against it. “Take me where we could be together.”       “I can do this right now,” Peter purrs and caresses Helene’s cheek tenderly with a much wider smile, while her face is very close to his face. “I’ll make all your wishes come true… Anything to make my attractive beauty happy.”       “Peter…”       “How long I was waiting for this moment…” Peter moves a couple of dark strands of hair off Helene’s face. “The moment when I’d caress you…”       “I missed it so badly… The feelings you make me feel.”       “You wanna remember them?” Peter caresses Helene’s head, runs his fingertips over the curve of her neck, and barely touches her ear and the area behind it with them. “I’d help you with great pleasure.”       “I want…” Helene pronounces in a much lower voice and puts her hand on Peter’s chest, looking into his eyes closely. “I want my beloved man to caress me a little.”       “I’d do anything my beauty wants…” Peter pronounces in a low, deep voice, runs his hand over Helene’s hair, and caresses the girl’s shoulder and forearm. “Who drives me crazy…”       “I’m doing nothing yet.”       “You don’t have to. I’m losing my mind when I just look at you.” Peter caresses Helene’s hand placed in front of her and moves his hand to her knee. “When I just touch your soft skin…”       “Watch your hands,” Helene purrs quietly. “Don’t go too far. Or the doggy named Sammy will resent.”       “I ain’t gonna ask him for permission,” Peter says confidently and runs his hand over Helene’s thigh. “Come on! I won’t ask the dog to let me kiss and hug my girlfriend… Ha, ha…”       “You’re asking for trouble, Rose.” Helene puts her hand on Peter’s cheek and caresses it tenderly, while the man’s hand reaches the inside of the girl’s thigh. “Sammy doesn’t like when you feel me up so instantly.”       “The most important thing is that you and I like it.” Peter cutely kisses Helene on the cheek, brings his face to her ear, caresses it and the sensitive area behind it with his lips. “You do like it. You’re shaking… Asking me to kiss you to feel dizziness…”       “I don’t want my doggy to consider you an enemy.”       “Don’t worry, sweetie, he won’t,” Peter whispers in Helene’s ear and leaves a short kiss on the area behind it, while a slight shake gets through all the cells of her body. “Sammy let us stay alone for a while.”       “But it doesn’t mean Sammy wouldn’t like to play the fool.”       “Not in the nearest time.” Peter glances aside and sees Sammy that is chasing the dove and barking at it loudly. “He cares about the dove that he’s torturing much more.”       “The dove isn’t lucky today.”       “It’s okay, babe, relax,” Peter says confidently in a quiet, low voice and caresses Helene’s cheeks with both hands. “Would you refuse to get pleasure because of the dog’s jealousy?”       “Yeah… Right…” Helene smiles much wider. “I’m his owner, he’s not my owner.”       “And you belong to me, not him.”       “Completely,” Helene pronounces in a lower and nicer voice. “And forever.”       Helene puts her hand on Peter’s cheek, gives him a short, tender kiss on the lips, and runs her hand over his disheveled blond hair.       “Wonderful, then,” Peter purrs with a wide smile and rubs the tip of his nose against Helene’s nose, holding the back of the girl’s head and at some moment starting to caress the nape of her neck with his fingertips.       Peter leaves a short kiss on Helene's lips and some parts of her face, over which he slowly runs his lips, feeling her heavy breath.       “Oh, damn, you smell so nice…” Peter notices in a quiet, low voice, as he runs the fingers of one hand through Helene’s soft hair and lets his other hand slide slowly but confidently over her laps and thighs.       “You like the smell of my perfume?”       “Much…”       “A little bit of jasmine in my lipstick… And a little bit of lavender in my perfume…”       “I immediately felt the smell of lavender. And I know you’ve always loved it as well as the violet color.”       “I adore those flowers… And I admire violet and lilac shades.”       “And I admire you.”       Peter presses Helene closer to himself, gives her a more continuous kiss on the lips, holding her by the cheek and running his fingers through her hair, and breaks it a few seconds later.       “I see you’re confidently gonna drive me crazy,” Helene assumes in a low, quiet voice with a shy smile.       “And you have a choice: either you give yourself to me without a fight, or you pretend to be hard-to-reach, making the pleasure longer and waking up a greater fire inside me,” Peter says confidently with his head proudly raised.       “You forgot the third variant, sweetie: telling you that I ain’t gonna agree on anything,” Helene smiles slyly.       “Forgot? Erm…” Peter moves his eyes aside for a second. “No, everything’s correct! Two variants! No third one.”       “Whatever you want, I won’t do this.”       “You will, beautiful, you will,” Peter says confidently and moves his hand to the inside of Helene’s thigh. “Because you won’t be able to resist a guy like me.”       “Don’t be so self-confident, Rose,” Helene replies in a low, nice voice, looking into Peter’s eyes confidently and walking her fingers shyly over his chest. “It never leads to anything good.”       “Well, it depends on the situation.”       Peter gives Helene another more tender and exciting kiss on the lips, keeping his hand on her cheek, and chuckles kindly when hearing a very quiet, sensual sigh.       “You say you wouldn’t do…” Peter pronounces quietly, pulls Helene’s lips slightly, and slowly runs his half-open mouth over every single part of her face.       “Wow…” Helene laughs quietly. “I’ve always thought you were super shy.”       “When such an attractive girl is next to me, I wanna tell my shyness to go to hell.”       Peter slowly slides to Helene’s neck, on the curve of which he leaves a few more tender kisses that make the girl feel that her heart stops for a moment and feels a little dizzy.       “And I like your neck,” Peter confesses in a low voice and just runs his open lips over the curve of Helene’s neck.       “It’s short,” Helene laughs shyly, while her fingers run through Peter’s hair, and she smiles blissfully. “And not very beautiful…”       “No, my sunshine, it’s not true.” Peter keeps smothering the front of Helene’s neck and another curve of it with tender kisses with greater love. “It’s so gorgeous…”       “My gosh…” Helene pronounces sensually, closing her eyes in pleasure and starting to breathe a little heavily. “Christ…”       “Remember, Helene, you’re magnificent…” Peter says confidently and, holding Helene by the cheek with his hand, tenderly kisses the area behind her ear, which he caresses with his lips, and in which he wants to whisper something. “You’re gorgeous…”       “Oh, Peter, stop making me blush…” Helene says shyly with a slight smile.       “But it’s the truth, babe.” Peter runs his lips over the curve of Helene’s neck and slides to her shoulder, which he caresses and kisses tenderly, using the fact that she is wearing a beautiful violet tube top made from light fabric with one naked shoulder and a short sleeve. “And I can’t be silent about it… About how you drive me crazy…”       Helene says nothing and presses herself close to Peter with a quiet, sensual sigh and closed eyes, while he covers her neck and naked shoulder with kisses, caresses her ears, and leaves a kiss behind one of them.       “Oh, Peter, what are you doing?” Helene makes a quiet moan, getting her back straight unconsciously and sticking her breasts up.       “Nothing special yet,” Peter replies confidently and gives Helene a short kiss on the lips, while his hands slide confidently over her arms, the curves of her waist, her laps, her thighs, and the inside of them. “It’s just the beginning…”       “A little bit before I lose the rest of my mind…”       “I’m trying. Doing my best for my beloved girlfriend to feel beloved, beautiful, and happy.”       “With such a wonderful man, any insecure, plain girl would feel like a queen.”       “Don’t ya mean yourself when talking about a plain girl?”       “I don’t consider myself a plain girl, but I can’t call myself a stunning beauty.”       “But I can. And I will.” Peter hugs Helene tightly and starts to slide over her back with both hands, one of which he runs confidently underneath her nice-to-touch tub top, feeling that his touch to her naked skin makes her shake slightly. “My girl… Smart… Beautiful…”       “Peter, sweetheart…” Helene pronounces with a wider smile and moans quietly when she hides her face in the curve of the neck of Peter, the back of whom she caresses tenderly with both hands. “You’re the best…”       “I love you, too, my sugar,” Peter replies softly, still caressing Helene’s head and hugging her tightly, and leaves a short kiss on her shoulder.       “You’re so warm… I just need to hug you to warm up.”       “And when I hug you, I immediately get rid of any depression.”       “We’re gonna need a lot of love and warmth soon…”       Helene steps back from Peter and looks into his eyes confidently, while her hand shyly runs over the man’s chest, touching which makes her shake.       “It’s gonna be cold in two months. Though, we want a little bit of warmth at this time… The warmth of the beloved man.”       “Don’t worry, Helene,” Peter pronounces softly with a slight smile, putting his hand on Helene’s hand placed on his chest. “I have enough warmth that I can share with me and also you.”       “Let’s warm each other up and save ourselves from fall depression?”       “Do you suffer from it?”       “Sometimes I feel sad when I look through the window and see leaves falling, and it’s gloomy and rainy outside.”       “If you’re sad, I’m always with you.”       “I don’t need too much to be happy.” Helene puts her hand on Peter’s cheek with a tender smile, puts her free arm around his neck, and gives him a short kiss on the lips. “My happiness is you. You’re the meaning of my life.”       “And you’re the meaning of mine, beautiful.”       Helene smiles widely, showing her straight teeth, looking at Peter tenderly with a gloss in her eyes, and seeing the same blushes on his cheeks as hers. They examine each other’s faces shyly for a few seconds, locking their fingers tightly. And when the man wants to kiss his sweetheart, she steps back with a sly smile and laughs playfully, wrapping her hair around her finger. The girl does it several times before the blond starts to tease her and does not let her kiss him. But when the lovers tenderly rub their noses against one another, they powerlessly give each other a short kiss on the lips. After which they start a more continuous one. While Helene’s soft, warm hands caress Peter’s face and hair, he does not keep his hands on her face and slides down slowly but confidently: from her cheeks, neck, shoulders, and forearms to the sides of her waist, belly, laps, and the inside of them.       “Oh, my gosh…” Helene makes a quiet, sensual moan and smiles widely, enjoying the nice burning that is getting stronger in her abdomen.       “I know, baby,” Peter pronounces in a low, velvet voice and leaves short kisses on every single part of Helene’s face, seeing that his hot and cold breath makes the girl’s skin a little blushed and covered with goosebumps. “I am imitable…”       “I didn’t know…” Helene puts her hand on Peter’s lap and then the inside of his thigh. “That you… That you… M-m-m…”       “What me?” Peter smiles slyly and leaves a short kiss on Helene’s lips, as he runs his fingers through her hair at the roots.       “That you could be so amazing…” Helene sighs sensually, caresses Peter’s cheeks for two seconds, and places her hands on his chest, which she starts to caress tenderly, feeling his fast heartbeat.       “I haven’t shown you everything I can do,” Peter replies in a low voice with a sly smile, caressing the neck, shoulders, and collarbones of Helene with both hands but later moving them to the curves of her waist and her thighs.       “I’m afraid to imagine what’s waiting for me.”       “The important thing is to forget about your shyness for a while.” Peter tenderly caresses Helene’s ear with his lips, bites it slightly, and kisses her earlobe and the area behind it, while the girl cannot hold down her quiet, sensual moan with a feeling of sweet tension. “If you feel good, feel free to say it. And show…”       “I can’t lie now…” Helene sinks her nails into the nape of Peter’s neck, while the fingers of her other hand squeeze and pull his hair. “Even if I wanted…”       “Oh, Helene…” Peter runs the tip of his nose over the curve of Helene’s neck and pinches the skin on it tenderly, breathing in the smell of her velvet skin and the lady’s perfume on it. “You’re driving me crazier and crazier…”       Peter slides down to the curve of Helene’s neck, making a path from tender kisses, and covers the most sensitive parts of it where the skin is thin.       “My gosh…” Helene exhales quietly with closed eyes, bending her back with a heavy breath and aiming to press herself close to Peter. “Peter…”       “Quiet, baby, it’s okay,” Peter pronounces in a quiet, low voice and starts to give attention to another curve of Helene’s neck, while one hand of his slides over her thighs confidently, and another hand slides over her back and caresses tenderly the tender skin underneath her top. “I know what to do.”       Helene rolls her eyes and makes a quiet moan, slowly running her hands over Peter’s torso and placing it on his lap later. Meanwhile, the man reaches the front of the girl’s neck, caresses it with his lips with great love, and leaves short kisses, tender bites, and slight pinches on it.       “M-m-m, you’re incredible,” Peter purrs with a wide smile and, breathing heavily enough, starts to caress and kiss Helene’s collarbones with his lips while one hand of him caresses the girl between her legs confidently, and the second one holds her by the nape of the neck. “And how you smell… M-m-m… I’m thrilled!”       “Me too…” Helene sighs sensually and squeezes Peter’s knee tightly with her fingers, getting her buttocks tenser and feeling how goosebumps run over her skin after every single touch and kiss of the man, who runs his hands over her back and the curves of her waist and leaves a few more kisses on her neck, the area behind her ear, naked shoulder, and collarbones. “Me too…”       Helene breathing heavily connects her lips with Peter’s lips and gives him a much more passionate and continuous kiss, to which he answers powerlessly, grabbing her face. The girl’s fingers caress his blond hair and the nape of his neck, his shoulders, and his forearms, and she pleases her boyfriend’s ear with her blissful moans and smiles smugly when she hears his moans.       All this time, Sammy was running on the whole territory as fast as a bullet, playing with everything he saw. But at some moment, he gets a little tired and decides to have some rest, lying on the ground and just watching what’s happening in nature with a heavy breath and his tongue out. At some moment, his eyes stop on Helene and Peter, who are kissing each other as passionately as they never did before. The dog is interested in watching them, seeing how the man’s hands slide confidently over the laps, the thighs, and the buttocks of the girl, who gives attention to his tough torso, feeling the man’s muscles even through his simple gray t-shirt.       At some moment, Helene bends backward and leans her head back when Peter covers her collarbones with kisses and squeezes the lady’s careful, middle-sized breasts super tenderly. After hearing the quiet moans of his owner, Sammy gets up quickly on his paws, shakes the dirt off himself, and comes closer to the lovers, who are enjoying the feeling of unearthly pleasure next to each other.       “Oh, Rose, you’re imitable,” Helene pronounces in a quiet, low, hoarse voice and bites her lip slightly when Peter, holding one of the curves of her neck with his hand, covers another with tender kisses. “Imitable…”       “You make me feel a strong wish to make you mine,” Peter replies with a heavy breath and presses Helene to himself by the waist with pressure. “I want you…”       “You make me think of indecent things.”       “I’m on the right track, then.” Peter caresses tenderly Helene’s ear with his lips and gets closer to it to whisper something in it. “Think of nothing and relax.”       The tender whisper blows Helene’s mind up and vibrates in her chest, making her feel that her heart misses a beat. And several exciting kisses on the front of her neck make the girl take a breath away and feel a slight dizziness, being happy that his efforts were worth it and feeling truly proud. Since the lovers do not even think of looking at him, Sammy decides to let them know about him, sitting in front of them and barking loudly. However, he does not get any reaction from them. Being definitely happy with this thing, the dog barks several times very determinedly, making Rose step away from Marshall to say with a wide smile:       “Sammy, get off! We’re too busy now!”       Peter gets Helene involved in a more exciting, assertive kiss, grabbing her face tightly. She moans quietly a couple of times and bends her back slightly, understanding that the beat of her heart echoes in her head. And Sammy barks a few more times before his owner starts to speak in a hoarse voice after the man pulls and squeezes both of her lips tenderly:       “Sammy, go somewhere else… I'm busy…” Helene rolls her eyes and makes a more sensual, loud moan when Peter leaves a few kisses on the area behind her ear and runs his hand over her belly, and massages her breasts with the same one. “Oh, gosh, Peter…”       Sammy tries to reach the abyss, on which the lovers are sitting, with a loud bark several times, but he cannot do this. This small victory over the dog makes Peter feel proud and smile smugly.       “Hey, boy, can't you reach it?” Peter chuckles kindly, running his fingers through Helene’s hair. “Too high, huh?”       Sammy keeps barking determinedly, jumping from one side to another and wagging his tail amicably.       “You won’t finally stop me from giving attention to my girl,” Peter says with his head proudly raised and shows his tongue to Sammy. “Be jealous as much as you want! I shall give pleasure to Helene.”       Peter gets Helene involved in a continuous kiss on the lips and carefully tries to run his tongue over her palate. She reacts positively to it and shows it with the same action and a sensual moan, the sound of which echoes in his chest and makes his heart squeeze nicely. While Sammy keeps barking non-stop and jumping around the lovers.       “C’mon, Sammy, don’t be so nervous,” Helene smiles shyly and, grabbing Peter’s face tenderly, kisses him cutely on the cheek. “I also wanna give some attention to my man. I forgot about him a little.”       “C’mon, long-eared, get out!” Peter says with a sly smile, while Helene starts to cover his face with tender kisses and caress his laps and tough torso. “Run after a bird or fly.”       Sammy makes a weird sound, not even thinking of moving and still looking at Helene and Peter with his tongue out.       “Don’t stop adult people from relaxing, boy!” Peter exclaims, starting to breathe a little heavily because Helene caresses his ear tenderly with her lips and leaves a short kiss on the area behind it. “Your paws can’t stand?”       Sammy lies on the ground in front of Peter and Helene and looks at them with interest, while the girl starts leaving short kisses on the curve of the man’s neck and lets her hands slide confidently over his chest, laps, or thigh.       “Oh, shit…” Peter pronounces, feeling that his muscles are tense enough, and his heartbeat gets much faster. “Helene…”       “It’s okay, pretty boy, it’s okay,” Helene whispers with a sly smile and gets Peter involved in a continuous kiss on the lips, getting a hand underneath his t-shirt shamelessly and moaning quietly at the slight touch of the tough male torso.       Peter also runs his hands underneath Helene’s top and caresses the curves of her waist and her back, while she is not going to resist the wave of passion that she got obsessed with under the influence of emotions. Sammy watches the lovers for a few seconds and tries to get their attention again by barking loudly several times.       “Sammy, don’t ya see we’re busy?” Peter moans quietly and closes his eyes with a wide smile, while Helene gives some attention to another curve of his neck. “How good I feel…”       Helene gets Peter involved in another continuous, passionate kiss on the lips, running her hands over his hair, cheek, neck, shoulders, and torso with a quiet moan, while his palms caress her thighs and buttocks. But after another bark from Sammy, the lovers step away and move their eyes to the dog with slight smiles.       “Hey, Samuel, I see you got excited as if you’ve watched a lot of 18+ content,” Peter laughs shyly.       Sammy barks two more times and starts rolling on the ground and making some sounds.       “Sammy, are you rolling on the ground again?” Helene asks harshly.       Sammy barks funnily and draws something in the air with his paw, looking at Helene with his tongue out.       “Do you like being a piggy? My grandma and I wouldn’t like to live in the dirt!”       Sammy gets up quickly, shakes the dirt off his hair sharply, and barks funnily.       “No, it won’t work! You’ll be washed. That’s all!”       Sammy whines quietly with pity in his eyes.       “Alright, Samuel, I warned you,” Helene warns confidently. “And if we move into a country house, you will live outside.”       “It’s right, my love,” Peter says with a slight smile, putting his hand on Helene’s cheek and kissing the girl on the temple. “Of course, we love this doggy so much, but that doesn’t mean he can do anything.”       “You’re right, sweetheart.” Helene cracks a shy smile at Peter while he tenderly caresses her cheek. “We’re bosses here.”       “Yeah…” Peter smiles mysteriously and runs his fingertips and the back of his hand over the curve of Helene’s neck. “Aren’t you confused that the long-eared one is watching us with such interest?”       “Nope, while he does nothing.”       “I doubt he could do something.” Peter throws a sly look at the naughty Sammy wagging his tail and looking at them amicably. “I mean, he’s too lazy to climb up to us.”       “It’s better for us,” Helene smiles mysteriously, puts her head on Peter’s shoulder, and takes his free hand that she caresses tenderly.       “Yeah…” Peter pronounces in a much lower voice. “He won’t bother us.”       Sammy barks cheerfully and starts to jump from one side to another as if he wants to play.       “What about teasing him a little?” Peter suggests with a sly smile.       “Aren’t you afraid he’ll kick your ass?” Helene laughs shyly.       “I shall think about it later.” Peter touches Helene’s forehead with his one and smiles blissfully. “Now I want to kiss you so badly.”       Peter confidently gets Helene involved in a continuous kiss, to which she answers with pleasure. While the girl puts her hand on his chest and runs another hand through his hair, the man starts to hold her by the back of her head and grabs her softly by the throat, caressing her neck tenderly at times. Sammy watches what’s happening with interest, having an opportunity to climb up to the abyss and stop the lovers but showing patience. But he gets excited enough when the man covers the girl’s neck with tender kisses and softly pinches the skin on it with his lips. That’s why she makes loud, sensual moans with closed or rolled eyes, squeezes his hair tightly in passion, and runs her hand over the male torso with pleasure. While Rose’s hands slide over the curves of Marshall’s waist, her laps, thighs, and buttocks, move to her belly, and end up on the lady’s breasts, which his long fingers tenderly squeeze. It makes the girl make a more sensual moan, slightly bend her back, and get her buttocks tense.       “Oh, gosh…” Helene leans her head back with a sensual moan, getting her buttocks tense. “Gosh…”       “Damn, Helene, you’re a goddess…” Peter pronounces with a wide smile, caressing Helene’s breasts with both hands and covering some open parts of them with exciting kisses.       Even if Sammy barks loudly, Peter does not react to this and keeps giving attention to Helene’s breasts and collarbones, while his hands slightly over her flat belly underneath her tube top, and she is pressing herself close to her boyfriend, whose body spreads heat, scratches the nape of his neck with her nails, and pulls him by the hair, breathing deeply and heavily enough with a feeling of slight dizziness.       “Don’t stop…” Helene sighs sensually, grabs Peter’s face, and kisses his lips. “Please, Peter…”       “If we were at my home…” Peter pronounces in a low voice and caresses the front of Helene’s neck with his lips. “I’d show you everything… I can do… I wanna do…”       “Show it here… I agree for anything…”       “I’m gonna leave the sweetest things for dessert…”       Peter runs his hand over Helene’s tense thigh and places it on the inside of it, smiling slyly when he realizes that it’s hot enough between her legs. Alongside another bark of Sammy, the lovers connect their lips for a tender kiss, caressing the faces and heads of each other with both hands and using their tongues confidently, which they run slowly over each other’s palate. But some time later, Helene and Peter break the kiss and look into each other’s eyes with a wide smile, breathing heavily enough. Then the girl presses herself close to the man and puts her arms around his neck, in the curve of which she hides her nose. And the blond places his hands on his sweetheart’s back, hugs her as tightly as possible, and has the pleasure of kissing her temple, cheeks, neck, and her naked shoulder.       “Helene, sweetheart…” Peter pronounces in a low voice, caressing Helene’s back tenderly and placing his hand on her thigh.       Helene just makes a sensual, quiet moan with closed eyes. Peter smiles much wider and moves his eyes to Sammy, who is already sitting.       “You see, buddy, how good your owner feels!” Peter says confidently, caressing Helene’s head tenderly. “How much I love her!”       Sammy barks loudly and confidently, raises his paw up, and shows something in the air. Then Helene moves her bedroom eyes to the dog with a cute smile and a slight blush on her face, putting her head on Peter’s shoulder.       “Ah, Sammy, you can’t imagine how good I feel…” Helene purrs with enjoyment.       Sammy barks happily, wagging his tail amicably, and Peter caresses Helene’s head and kisses her tenderly on the forehead and the top of her head.       “Thanks for approving of my choice, Sammy,” Helene smiles slightly and softly caresses Peter’s lap, on which she puts her hand. “Approving of my man.”       “She chose the best man,” Peter adds amicably, while Helene kisses him on the cheek sweetly.       Sammy barks confidently again and comes closer to the abyss, on which Helene and Peter are sitting. Two seconds later, the girl takes the small packet of treats for dogs from the pocket of her light blue jeans, takes a couple of delicious treats, and throws them to the dog. Who catches one of them quickly, eats it with pleasure as well as another one that falls in front of him on the ground, and looks at his owner with thankfulness.       “Good boy, good,” Helene says with a slight smile.       Sammy barks again, wagging his tail and amicably looking at Helene and Peter, who runs his fingers through her hair and then strokes it down carefully.       “Hey, what time is it now?” Helene asks thoughtfully.       “Nine and a half in the morning,” Peter replies, looking at his watch.       “I think we need to go home before Sammy is tired to death.”       “Aha, or the fluffy will really ask us to take him in our arms.” Peter crunches his knuckles lazily. “I don’t wanna carry him.”       Sammy barks confidently again.       “Yes, yes, Sammy, that’s correct,” Peter smiles slyly. “You’ll go home on your dirty paws.”       Sammy barks much quieter, inclining his head slightly.       “Excuse me, Sammy, you should think better when you run like a hurricane,” Helene shrugs with an innocent smile. “And save your strength somehow.”       Sammy whines quietly, wagging his tail energetically.       “Oh, c’mon, my long-eared hooligan, let’s go,” Helene says confidently and fixes her little disheveled hair. “I have some things to do today.”       “Well, I’ll try to take a nap,” Peter replies thoughtfully and stretches himself with a blissful smile. “If the cat crowd doesn’t decide to ruin my plans again.”       Peter quickly jumps down from the abyss and helps Helene do the same, taking her in his arms, placing her on the ground, and holding her by the waist for two seconds to make sure she stands confidently. To thank him, the girl kisses the man on the cheek and strokes his hair down a little, feeling how she is getting warm, while he looks at her with a tender glance full of admiration. And when Sammy comes to them, these two pet his head or yank him by the ears with pleasure.       “C’mon, Sammy, come to me,” Helene says softly, taking the leash from her pocket.       After unwrapping the leash, Helene sticks it to Sammy’s collar, which she fixes slightly. Then, the girl starts to lead him to where she should go. The dog starts to follow her immediately, as well as Peter, who puts his arm around the neck of his girlfriend, kisses her on the cheek, on which there is a natural pink blush, and smiles widely and truly, as he embraces the one, who makes every single day of his life brighter even in the darkest and hardest times.       

***

      It’s about twelve in the afternoon. Natalia just woke up and barely got out of her bed because she could not fall asleep for a long time. Despite a lack of sleep, she decided not to lie in bed but to get up, clean herself up, and eat something for breakfast. After finding something in the refrigerator and making a cup of strong coffee, the girl returns to her room and sits at the table to eat. In parallel, the blonde is getting through everything placed on the table in search of everything she needs for painting. Before, she decides to look at her old works that she keeps in a special folder.       Viewing her works, Natalia finds the one that she finds the best. There is kind of nothing special in it: this is just a painting of the coast with the bright blue sky, in which a lonely seagull is flying, clean white sand, and the endless sea that brings and carries away high waves. But this work does warm the girl’s soul up and makes her feel something warm and nice when imagining the sounds of the sea and feeling the sand under her feet and the light wind blowing up her face. But a little later, Natalia puts her paint and folder aside and looks into the distance with sadness in her eyes, still drinking coffee and eating what she took for breakfast with the thought that life may sometimes be too unfair.       After drinking her coffee, Natalia puts the empty cup on the table and just sits for some time, silently praying that everything gets better as soon as possible. Then the girl exhales sharply but quietly, gets straighter quickly, runs her hands over her face, and decides to try to paint something, hoping to forget the bad things at least for a while. But when she takes a pencil and puts a clean piece of paper in front of herself, she cannot decide what to create. Even a few lines that she draws do not help her go further. After sitting with her eyes set on the paper for some time, Natalia decides not to torture herself. The girl puts the pencil aside, leans on the table with her elbows, runs her hands over her face with a slow sigh, and looks into the distance again. And at some moment, a quiet knock makes the girl wake up from a trance quickly.       “Come in,” Natalia pronounces quietly, getting straight slowly.       Two moments later, Anthony shows up on the doorstep.       “It’s me, sweetie,” Anthony says softly with a slight smile. “I see you’ve woken up. I came here two hours ago, but you were sleeping.”       “I just woke up…” Natalia replies thoughtfully, scratching the back of her head. “You and Mom were in your room when I went to the kitchen.”       “Wow… I didn’t see you leaving your room.”       “Though, I’d sleep a little bit more…” Natalia runs her hands over her face. “I didn’t have enough sleep…”       “Sleep, then!”       “No, I can’t fall asleep anymore. Moreover, I can’t stop thinking of bad things. They chased me last night. That’s why I fell asleep in the early morning.”       “Are you worried about Anna so much?” Anthony closes the door, comes to Natalia, and hugs her around the shoulders. “Or is there something else?”       “No, Dad, it’s okay,” Natalia shakes her head. “I’m just worried about Anna…”       “Your mother said she hasn’t woken up yet.”       “I know, and it scares me a little. And I’m actually surprised that she got off so easily. Though, knowing all the tortures that she survived, everything could’ve been much worse.”       “Yeah, we’re shocked, too. The girl suffered so much, but she only got a little scare.”       “But it means nothing.” Natalia sighs heavily and puts her hands on the table with sadness in her eyes. “I’m afraid that the consequences might show up later…”       “Right, but you said her doctor was optimistic.”       “I know, but I’m worried about her…”       “Daughter, I’m truly sorry about Anna, who experienced what no girl must experience,” Anthony replies softly. “But if something threatened her, the doctors would let us know it. However, they do believe she’s gonna be fine if she isn’t beaten again.”       “It scares me, you see!” Natalia moves her sad eyes to Anthony. “When she leaves the hospital, Anna may become a victim of that stinker again. And the men won’t be able to do anything.”       “It won’t happen, Natalia,” Anthony says quietly, caressing Natalia’s shoulders. “As I understand, her parents have already agreed with Mr. Johnson on the help. And the men are always ready to protect her.”       “Sometimes dangerous things happen suddenly.” Natalia falls into silence to swallow up nervously. “Anna was madly lucky the men found her and saved her from that stinker. But what if everything had been otherwise? I’m even afraid to think about it!”       “I swear, daughter, I completely understand how shocked Anna’s parents are, and how much her friends are worried about her. We’re all dumbfounded by what happened. Your mother and I are also very sorry. And your grandmother prays for her.”       “I’m afraid to lose her, Dad,” Natalia confesses quietly, setting her wet eyes on her hands folded in front of her. “Anna has been my best friend since school times. She’s always known what to say and how to support. Without her, I wouldn’t have gotten through half of what happened to me. I don’t wanna lose my friend forever… I wanna help her so badly, but I can’t. I don’t know how.”       “No, Natalia, you can help her,” Anthony takes Natalia’s hands softly and looks at her confidently with sadness in his eyes. “Your friends can help her. The men can protect her from that stinker, and the girls and you can help her come to herself after that hall. Don’t leave the poor girl and don’t make her do anything. Anna should wish to do something. Nobody has the right to force her. And give her a chance to speak out if she wants to talk to you. Don’t give a damn about her. Now, she needs close people like never before.”       “I don’t understand…” Natalia pronounces in a little shaking voice. “Why did it happen to her? Why? What did she do? Anna is such a good and innocent girl! She’s never done anything bad to anyone!”       “Sometimes good people suffer much more than bad people, darling. It’s life. Only strong people survive.”       “Yeah, but torturing her so cruelly is too much! That stinker beat her for a reason and without! At any time!”       “Now Anna is under the protection of the men, who won’t let anyone hurt her.”       “Besides, the poor girl suffers not only because of that stinker,” Natalia gets up slowly from the chair and sits on the bed, starting to look at her hands. “Also because of a breakup with the man, whom she loves but can’t forgive.”       “Listen, sweetie, I am truly sorry about what happened and really want everything to get better.” Anthony sits next to Natalia and hugs her tenderly around the shoulders. “But you mustn’t be so pessimistic and expect the worst. Even if the case is complicated, your friends believe that it will get better.”       “Only the men believe, but the girls and I are worried and doubt it,” Natalia confesses quietly.       “They do it right! Nobody says they could easily strike the offender down, but you can hide behind their backs. With them, Anna and her parents have nothing to be afraid of, and the police will help them.”       “I know, but I can’t calm down anyway… It might happen that we get more victims, and the police won’t get that stinker caught.”       “The police know what to do. They’ve caught much more dangerous criminals.”       “I dunno, Dad, I don’t… I’m scared…”       “Ah, Natalia, what’s happening to you?” Anthony sighs heavily, presses Natalia close to himself, and caresses her head tenderly. “I completely understand your feelings, but you must believe in the best. Truly believe it.”       “I do want everything to be solved…” Natalia makes a quiet sob. “I know life is not a careless tale. But we’ve suffered for too long… We’ve been living like a volcano over the past few years. We don’t know what to expect today or tomorrow.”       “It’s gonna be fine, my sweetheart,” Anthony promises confidently and kisses Natalia on the temple. “A black road is not endless. It always has an end. Everything comes to an end someday.”       “I can’t… You see…”       “Oh, Natalia…” Anthony exhales slowly, shaking his head. “My impressive girl… What I do to you?”       “I can’t be indifferent to the problems of my close people.”       “Maybe, I should call Edward and ask him to come here? I think he can do this very well.”       “No, no, don’t call Edward,” Natalia shakes her head. “He’s now repairing something at his house and then will meet Christopher and Kevin. They invited him to spend time with them, and Edward agreed with pleasure.”       “But he’s the only one, who knows how to calm you down!”       “We’ll meet in the hospital if we go there.”       “He will be upset if he knows you broke down.”       “Edward knows what I feel and does his best to help me. He… He got my promise that I’d believe in the best.”       “Well, if you promised, you should do this.”       “I know…” Natalia moves her sad eyes to her hands. “I don’t keep my promises… And Edward would be unhappy if he knew it…”       “Sweetie, if your future husband says it’s gonna be fine, it will be,” Anthony replies softly and confidently. “Edward sees the way to solve the problem and knows that he, his brother, and his friends will deal with that stinker if he comes to Anna again.”       “I’ve said everything might go wrong.”       “Even if it’s true, it won’t stop the men. They’re all strong and brave. Edward will surely fight ‘till the last breath. That guy isn’t used to giving up. If everything is, as they say, fine, nothing can stop him.”       “I dunno, Dad, I dunno…” Natalia sighs heavily and runs her hands over her face, doubling over slightly. “Maybe, everything is really not so bad? I’ve always been like this. Always been too worried about me, my close people, and their problems, tried to help them, and was upset when I was powerless.”       “But that’s good you can be worried about someone.”       “I guess I’ll never learn to be cold and confident at hard moments and in front of danger… And distract me not to go crazy.”       “Just always remember that you and everybody, who is important to you, are not alone,” Anthony says with a slight smile, caressing Natalia’s cheek. “our mother and I will always be by your side and do anything to help you. And Edward’s gonna be another armor for you soon.”       “Do you think he’ll get mad if he sees I don’t keep my promise?”       “He won’t be mad. But he’ll definitely be upset.”       “I don’t wanna disappoint him so badly…” Natalia shakes her head. “Of course, I try to hold on when he’s next to me… But without him, I feel despair. I really want Edward to be next to me all the time. But I can’t make him do it ‘cause he needs personal space. I’m not an obsessed egoist, who thinks everybody must go around her all day long.”       “Listen, daughter, if something was too bad, Edward would say it. He always says what he thinks and tries to rate a situation soberly.”       “I know…” Natalia sighs quietly. “I wish I had the same confidence, which he does… I lack it so badly…”       “You can’t get so upset because of any situation, Natalia. There will be a million problems and failures! You can’t live without it! If your mother and I were saddened by every single misfortune, we’d go crazy and wouldn’t get what we have.”       Natalia says nothing and sighs heavily, looking at her hands with sad eyes. Anthony watches his daughter for two seconds and takes her in his hug, pressing her to himself tenderly but strongly, and caresses her head, while she nuzzles her nose in her father’s shoulder with very quiet sobs.       “It’s okay, honey, calm down,” Anthony pronounces softly. “It’s gonna be fine… Your dad wouldn’t lie to you.”       Natalia closes her wet from tears eyes tightly, while Anthony caresses her back and kisses her on the top of her head. And a few seconds later, they step away after Letitia enters the room.       “Oh, hey, daughter,” Letitia smiles shyly. “I thought you slept and wanted to wake you up.”       “No, I ain’t sleeping,” Natalia replies quietly and moves a thin strand of her hair off her eyes.       “By the way, what are you doing here? Discussing secrets without me?”       “No, no secrets,” Anthony laughs shyly and caresses Natalia’s head softly. “I’m just trying to replace Edward.”       “Edward? She is missing him?”       “Just worried about Anna.”       “Oh, Natalia…” Letitia comes to Natalia and, bending to her, caresses her cheek tenderly. “My girl, I completely understand you take everything too seriously, but you can’t be so impressive.”       “It’s okay, Mom…” Natalia says hesitantly. “I’m trying to get through it. For Edward and the promises I gave him.”       “Honey, we are all worried about the poor Anna, praying for her recovery, and wishing her the best. But we try to believe in the best not for someone or our promises. We just truly hope.”       “You do know that I take everything too seriously.” Natalia cracks a smile. “And I can’t do anything.”       “But it’s not a reason to be so upset,” Letitia says softly, fixing Natalia’s hair. “That’s good you care. But you shouldn’t always think about bad things.”       “I just want my close people to be happy, safe, and sound…” Natalia sighs heavily and doubles over, looking down with her sad eyes.       “Don’t worry, honey,” Anthony says confidently, taking Natalia’s hand. “It’s gonna get better very soon. Yes, Anna’s case is very hard, but thank God, she’s not alone.”       “Not only Anna has problems… Something weird is happening to Raquelle. And nobody knows what ‘cause she doesn’t call the reason.”       “Raquelle can’t be silent forever, my sweetheart,” Letitia notices softly. “She’ll explain everything early or late. Terrence will make her confess everything.”       “And how he’s feeling now!” Natalia pronounces quietly with sadness in her eyes. “Although Terrence is a strong man and can take anything, he has less strength to fight with my friend. And I’m afraid he’ll lose patience and leave her someday.”       “No, Natalia, why do you think so? Terrence loves Raquelle and understands that relationships are the thing you need to work hard on.”       “I don’t want them to suffer because of Raquelle’s secrets. If she doesn’t confess everything, their relationship will be over.”       “Oh, Natalia…” Anthony exhales slowly, caressing Natalia’s shoulder. “I believe you just need to have a good rest.”       “I think about it even at nights…”       “Ah, daughter…” Letitia pronounces with sadness in her eyes, sits on the bed next to Natalia, and hugs her around the shoulders. “I believe you can’t do this without Edward’s help.”       “I don’t wanna bother him now. He should distract himself from bad things and have some fun. I’m madly grateful to him for helping him distract me. But I feel very sorry for him… And I… And I feel guilty of…” Natalia moves her sad eyes to Letitia and Anthony. “Lying to Edward. If he saw me being like this, he’d be terribly disappointed… Though, I don’t wanna make him believe I can’t do what I promise.”       “No, Natalia, don’t say it,” Letitia says with sadness in her eyes, fixing Natalia’s hair a little. “You’re not guilty of Edward.”       “Sometimes I think he’s a little sick of me whining,” Natalia confesses a little hesitantly. “Just like you, Dad, Grandma, and all my friends…”       “Daughter, what are you talking about?” Anthony rounds his eyes. “Where did you get these thoughts?”       “Don’t say you wanna withdraw yourself from everybody!” Letitia exclaims.       “I can’t pretend that nothing happens,” Natalia sighs heavily. “Everybody knows me too well and sees me through. Raquelle has always been right when saying I’ll never learn to lie.”       “You know, my sweetheart, I think your father is right,” Letitia says confidently. “You just need to have a good rest. Sleep a little, relax, do something… If your friends are busy, go somewhere alone.”       “No, I wanna stay home now…”       “Edward did it right by deciding to have fun with his friends,” Anthony notices. “And the others are hardly home and expect the worst things, like you do.”       “I know, Dad, but…”       “You know, my beauty…” Letitia pronounces with a slight smile, taking Natalia’s hands. “Let’s stay home all together and have a good time.”       “Won’t you and Dad go to work?” Natalia rounds her eyes.       “No, it’s a free day,” Anthony smiles shyly.       “And you’d spend time with your grandmother,” Letitia says softly. “You said you wanted to spend much more time with her.”       “Grandma is here?” Natalia specifies.       “Here. Sitting in the living room.”       “But how long ago did she come?”       “In the early morning, when you slept,” Anthony explains. “Your mother brought her here.”       Natalia wants to say something, but at this moment, Adriana smiling shyly enters her room.       “Does it seem to me that you’re talking about me?” Adriana asks cheerfully.       “We could say so,” Letitia replies.       “Oh, Natalia, you woke up! You slept when I came here.”       “Hey, grandma,” Natalia waves his hand shyly.       “Hi, my sunshine.” Adriana comes to Natalia and shares an amicable kiss on the cheek with her. “Yeah, what are you all doing here? I was waiting for you in the living room, but nobody came.”       “It’s alright, Mrs. Lascano,” Anthony shrugs. “We’re just trying to comfort Natalia. I think you see what’s happening to her.”       “No, no, it’s okay,” Natalia says in a lower voice, drying tears off her face. “I guess I should really have some rest… I just barely slept…”       “Gosh, Natalia…” Adriana rounds her eyes and takes Natalia’s hands softly. “My girl, what’s going on? Why do I see tears on your beautiful face?”       “It’s my personal problem.”       “Don’t say you have problems with your fiancé.”       “No, Grandma, it’s okay,” Natalia shakes her head.       “You fought, yeah?”       “No, no, we didn’t.”       “But what happened?” Adriana caresses Natalia’s cheek softly. “Tell me, my birdie! Your grandmother will help you and give you a wise piece of advice.”       “Natalia is just worried about her friends’ problems,” Letitia exclaims. “And he feels guilty for Edward for holding on when he’s next to her but giving up when he is not.”       “Oh, gosh.”       “C’mon, Mom, you should stop being surprised. You know our Natalia.” Letitia caresses Natalia’s head. “She’s our very sensitive girl and takes everything too seriously.”       “Oh, sweetie…” Adriana sits on the bed next to Natalia instead of Anthony, who gets up quickly, hugs her granddaughter, and caresses her head tenderly. “It’s okay, my birdie. Don’t be so upset.”       “I can’t…” Natalia shakes her head. “I can’t…”       “Gosh, you surpassed your mother. She has never been so sensitive. I was also worried because of everything. But not so much.”       “But my friends are suffering…”       “I completely understand it and am sorry for you and your friend. But you must not always think of it.”       “I’m trying, Grandma,” Natalia replies quietly and glances at the engagement ring on her left hand. “I really want to stop being a whining girl and brace myself. Just like I promised Edward. I can’t betray and disappoint him. And make him angry.”       “This is love, my sunshine. Your fiancée just does what he must do. He takes care of you, protects you, and loves you at his wish. Nobody makes him marry you, prove his love, and be a perfect man against his wish. Edward is ready for anything for you, even sacrificing his time.”       “I have no right to be with Edward all day long.”       “A loving person would come to help you at any time. If you call someone at night, they will come shortly. If you ask for help, they will do everything to get it. Your fiancée is one of them. That man is a gem. The treasure, losing which would be your great mistake.”       “I can’t deny it,” Natalia pronounces thoughtfully. “I don’t want to lose him… I love him. Edward has done so much for me that giving my life wouldn’t be enough to thank him.”       “Ah, Natalia, what an impressionable girl you are…” Adriana sighs heavily, hugging Natalia tighter. “You do love thinking up false problems.”       “But I don’t hide, what I worry about.”       “Okay, honey, let’s shake it off,” Anthony says quietly. “Forget all the bad things and spend time like a family. Use such a rare opportunity.”       “As Edward is not here, we’ll be next to you,” Letitia adds confidently with a slight smile.       “Nice mind!” Adriana exclaims with a slight smile. “Your mother and father are absolutely right! I came here especially to be with you.”       “And I’m very glad,” Natalia smiles shyly.       “You know, my sparrow, let’s go to the living room. If you haven’t had breakfast, your mother and I will cook something quickly.”       “I’ve already drunk coffee and eaten something,” Natalia glances at the empty cup and the plate placed on the table. “The tableware is on the table…”       “Let me wash them, but you go to the living room,” Letitia says confidently, gets up from the bed, and takes the cup, the plate, and the fork from the table. “Take her. Mother, Anthony…”       Letitia goes confidently to the door, which Anthony opens and holds.       “C’mon, my birdie,” Adriana says nicely, caressing Natalia’s cheek with the back of her hand. “Wipe off your tears and make your grandma happy with your stunning smile.”       “I haven’t changed my clothes and brushed my hair…” Natalia confesses shyly. “I just washed my face…”       “It’s okay, you’re beautiful anyway.” Adriana tucks some strands of Natalia’s hair behind her ears. “Get up, birdie, get up. Go to the living room…”       “I’m coming, Grandma… Coming…”       “We’ll finally spend a whole day together. We haven’t come together just to sit and talk for ages.”       “I know…” Natalia cracks a smile.       “C’mon, let’s go.” Adriana gets up from the bed and hugs Natalia around the shoulders when the girl does the same lazily. “We won’t let you drown in this pool.”       “Oh, God, thank you for giving me such a wonderful family!”       Two moments later, Adriana and Natalia, who embraces the girl on the way, leave the girl's room and go to the living room, where Letitia and Anthony are waiting for them and having a nice talk.       

***

      After three hours, Edward met Christopher and Kevin in one of the small bars. Listening to good music and drinking alcohol from his glass, he tells his friends what happened to Anna on the day when he, Terrence, Daniel, and Peter went to Maximilian’s home.       “In short, here’s the story,” Edward says thoughtfully, sitting on the bar table with a glass of cognac. “I’ve told you everything from start to end.”       “Oh, poor girl…” Christopher pronounces with sadness in his eyes, taking a sip from his glass of port wine. “Because of that bastard, the innocent girl has to suffer…”       “I’d strangle that motherfucker if he did it to the one I would date,” Kevin says confidently, putting his glass of whiskey on the table. “That asshole would howl from pain, so that he regrets coming to my girlfriend.”       “Daniel almost tore that bastard apart,” Edward shrugs and takes a sip of cognac. “But I understand him. I would kill anyone to dare to hurt Natalia.”       “We know it… Remembering the case of Wainwright.”       “That motherfucker got what he deserved. Though, he would’ve died early or late from drugs.”       “Anyway, you and the men did good work! You taught Anna’s offender some manners and kicked him.”       “The guys and I had to apply many efforts. But even if Anna’s father said he was dangerous, everything is actually not so bad. That bastard didn’t almost resist and got out beaten in torn clothes.”       “Well, nobody said it would be easy,” Christopher says confidently and drinks some port wine. “But you all fight well and would be a good opponent for anyone.”       “We just knew we shouldn’t have been cowards. I mean, Daniel knew he shouldn’t have let that bastard bring Anna to death. And Terrence, Peter, and I understood we must’ve helped them two.”       “And all of you completed your mission,” Kevin replies confidently with a slight smile. “And Sammy kicked that stinker’s ass.”       “Yeah, Sammy tore a part of his sleeve.” Edward cracks a smile. “Potter was definitely scared of the long-eared ‘cause he looked at him with a scare in his eyes. Though, he didn’t confess it and hit him with his leg several times.”       “He didn’t even pity the dog…” Christopher exhales sharply.       “I know… But thank God, Sammy is okay. And we saved Anna in time.”       “Oh, yeah, you’re madly lucky! Who knows what that bastard would’ve wanted to do to her if nobody had stopped him.”       “It’s not the end, Chris.” Edward takes a sip of cognac. “The lads and I will have to meet him again.”       “Do you think he’ll love to harm Anna again?” Kevin frowns slightly.       “This story won’t be over so easily, Kev. And as I said, Anna’s parents agreed with Mr. Johnson about help. And they can’t do it without us.”       “Yeah, but how are you gonna catch him?” Kevin wonders, drinking some drink from his glass. “Do you have a plan?”       “Not yet. But we’d like to catch him in a crime.       “Are you and the lads so sure about your strength?”       “Yup, we have enough.” Edward drinks some drink from his glass. “And together, we will get what we want and let Anna and her parents live a quiet life.”       “It would be great to end it all soon,” Kevin says thoughtfully and drinks some whiskey. “Anna shouldn’t suffer like this. She’s such a good and kind girl… Smart, educated, soft… You can’t meet such shy and decent girls every day.”       “We all want it, buddy,” Edward replies, knocking on the glass with his fingers. “But it will end very soon. We’ll do our best for this.”       “I like your positive mood!” Christopher exclaims cheerfully with a slight smile. “Keep going, Ed!”       “There’s a chance, there’s an opportunity, there’s strength… And our support is amazing.” Edward proudly raises his head. “So, we’ll give that bastard a couple of lessons in good manners. And Sammy will be happy to bite his ass again.”       “Ah, buddy, I do love when you’re so determined!” Kevin smiles widely. “A man must be the one!”       “I suggest we drink for this!” Christopher suggests funnily. “For luck and the good end of this story! Huh, dudes?”       “Cool idea, Chris!”       “Wonderful!” Edward nods.       Christopher, Edward, and Kevin take their glasses with some drinks and raise them slightly.       “So what, lads, for luck!” Edward suggests with a wide smile.       “For luck!” Christopher replies cheerfully. “For that bastard and his father going to prison and leaving Anna and her parents alone.”       “And for hanging out at the double wedding of the MacClife bros!” Kevin adds confidently.       “For us!” Edward, Christopher, Christopher, and Kevin pronounce funnily with a wide smile.       After making a happy whoop, the friends slightly click on each other’s glasses with their glasses and drink something.       “Listen, drinks are awesome!” Christopher notices cheerfully.       “Agree,” Kevin agrees. “I don’t know the secret, but the taste is speechless. I never tasted such cool whiskey.”       “And how cool music is!” Edward exclaims with a wide smile. “Incredible! That’s what I love!”       “Hey, what if your band’s song plays here?” Kevin asks funnily, clapping Edward on the forearm.       “I’d listen to it with pleasure.”       “It plays literally in all the corners! I’ve seen the music video of your band hundreds of times over the week.”       “We’re definitely getting popular! And we’re madly lucky with our PR team.”       “Hey, buddy, tell us what it’s like to listen to your own songs everywhere?” Christopher asks with a slight smile.       “Oh, I can’t describe it!” Edward exclaims with a wide smile, gesticulating actively. “Listening to your songs and someone’s tunes are different things. In these moments, you’re proud of you and your bros, with whom you did a good job.”       “That’s cool to have something own!” Kevin says confidently and drinks some whiskey from his glass. “What you were working on so hard… What you gave your everything to… It doesn’t make sense what this is: a book, a song, or something else. The fact that you did it is more important.”       “You even feel different when you see the result of your work. And I never thought I’d listen to your songs on the radio and act in music videos.”       “Yeah, I also didn’t think you’d go so far,” Christopher says thoughtfully.       “If I had been told I’d be a vocalist in a band somewhere two years ago, I would’ve laughed at the person loudly.”       “As you see, you’re lucky!”       “Yeah, you just need to have a famous worldwide bro, who stopped getting a chance to walk half-naked and imitate sex with young cuties in front of a camera. Who thought he’d be noticed if he started to sing.”       “It’s not enough, MacClife,” Kevin replies confidently. “You need a talent. You can’t go far without it. Even if your family consists of first-class stars, you’ll never have real fans.”       “I’m lucky my chances were as good as my wishes. I always wanted to do something related to music. And it became real!”       “And don’t even dare to stop singing! Your talent must be shown to everyone! And don’t let the men do it!”       “We aren’t gonna do it,” Edward shrugs and takes a sip from his glass. “Vice versa, we can’t wait to come back to rehearsals and performances again. The last show of us took place a long time ago, before problems started to rain thick upon us like out of the blue.”       “Yeah, I remember…” Christopher says with a slight smile. “I watched a part of your interview when going to go to work.”       “We weren’t good on that day… So, the interview wasn’t good, and we failed our performance…”       “I’ve gotta agree…” Kevin says thoughtfully. “You had much better performances.”       “But I think we’re gonna play much better.”       “You better come together and play someday,” Christopher suggests cheerfully and drinks some port wine. “For you… To relax. You shouldn’t always fight with your enemies like superheroes.”       “When the situation gets better…” Edward drinks some cognac from his glass. “I don’t know what about Terry, Dan, and Pete, but I sometimes play guitar at home. To warm up my fingers.”       “Gosh, Edward, have you finally learned to distract from problems? Won’t you withdraw into yourself every time something happens to you?”       “Imma trying to hold on, Chris. But if you play on my weakness, I break down. I fall into despair and start to withdraw into myself… Remember all my sins…”       “Easy to guess what that is,” Kevin smiles slyly. “Your close people’s problems make you vulnerable.”       “Well done, Kevin!” Edward cracks a slight smile. “You’re a smart guy!”       “We don’t have to guess!” Christopher exclaims. “Folks know everything about you!”       “Everything?”       “Everything, Eddy, everything.” Christopher claps Edward on the shoulder. “We do know what’s happening in your mind!”       “Oh, how acute you are!” Edward chuckles kindly.       “You always say what you have in your mind,” Kevin recalls and drinks some drink from his glass.       “So, it’s easier for everyone to guess what kind of guy with a great bush of hair on your head and a pretty face you are,” Christopher adds confidently.       “Maybe…” Edward laughs quietly and takes a sip of cognac. “But I’m open with my friends and close people. The door in my mind is closed to strangers. When I open myself to someone, it means they deserve a higher level of my trust.”       “That’s right,” Christopher pronounces thoughtfully and smiles slyly. “But we are know who you really are.”       “Oh, you do know everything, Christopher Morgan!”       “Listen, MacClife…” Kevin smiles mysteriously, takes a big sip of his drink, and puts his glass aside. “You’re kind of a walking happiness today! Did a glass of cognac impact you? Or do your cute fiancée’s charms do real miracles?”       “This and that, I guess,” Christopher chuckles kindly.       “My fiancée really keeps my fighting spirit and gives me strength,” Edward replies confidently with a slight smile. “She’s the reason why I’m still alive… The one, who makes every single day of mine better.”       “Oh, yeah!” Kevin exclaims. “You and your brother have found the brilliants!”       “Definitely…”       “Ben told us the whole story of Terrence and Raquelle that was happening literally before his eyes.”       “I know,” Edward cracks a smile. “Parker dinged into my eyes about those lovebirds.”       “Well, whose ears did you ding into about Natalia?” Christopher asks with a sly smile. “Your bro or someone else?”       “Why should I say something when everybody sees it? I can one hundred percent hide nothing from Terrence, Daniel, and Peter. No matter how hard I hide something.”       “Not only them, Edward, but also us,” Kevin replies cheerfully, drinking some whiskey from his glass. “You may say nothing ‘cause your pretty face can tell everything for you.”       “Okay… And what does it say now?”       “Well…” Kevin frowns slightly, looking at Edward closely. “It says everything’s cool, and you complain about nothing. Not saying about Daniel and Anna’s problems.”       “You guessed,” Edward smiles shyly and drinks some cognac. “Yeah, what’s happening between Perkins and Seymour makes my mood worse… But I complain about nothing. I have everything I need: my family, my beloved girl, many loyal friends, and my music band. I’ve finally relaxed. After living half of my life like on a volcano… In tension.”       “Well, knowing what a hothead you are, and how much you love asking for trouble, an absolutely quiet life won’t make you happy,” Christopher notices confidently.       “It does make me happy now.”       “C’mon, Ed, you can’t live without adrenaline! I’m ready to bet even that if you’re old and helpless, you’ll run on the tiny glass above the fire.”              “After everything I’ve experienced, I have enough adrenaline for the rest of my life,” Edward chuckles kindly.       “Oh, it won’t be enough for you!” Kevin waves his hand.       “Of course, I don’t wanna live an absolutely quiet life. I can’t stay in the same place. It’s killing me.”       “There are many ways to use your great energy,” Kevin notices confidently. “Which would be much safer.”       “There’s an idea…” Edward drinks some cognac from his glass. “Play with the band. It’s what makes me feel a lot of drive!”       “Soon, buddy, soon!” Kevin exclaims cheerfully, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “You’ll kick everyone’s asses and make them scream!”       “I can’t wait…” Edward smiles slightly.       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Christopher and Kevin drink a little bit from their glasses, listen to the music along with Edward, and look at other visitors and members of the staff, who are serving their clients and washing tables. And at some moment, Morgan pays attention to a young girl wearing a short, provocative violet mini-dress with peroxide blonde thigh-length wavy hair and bright makeup.       “Hey, that gal is pretty good,” Christopher notices with a mysterious smile, scanning the girl with interest.       “What?” Kevin wonders and glances at the girl Christopher is looking at. “The one wearing a short dress?”       “Is she good, huh?” What a cool body! And her boobs and ass are just a bomb!”       “Yeah, the bumper is tough…” Kevin smiles slyly. “And very good… And she’s pretty.”       “And how stunning her legs are… M-m-m… That dress fits her thin body so well.”       “Her legs are really cool. But I love her butts more.”       “But I love her boobs. And I wouldn’t mind checking how tough they are.”       “Aren’t ya gonna harass her before the eyes of everyone?”       “Of course, not! If I start to feel her up, she’s gonna scream that she is getting violated and beg to call the police.”       “Okay, just come to her then and talk.”       “Me?” Christopher rounds his eyes.       “You did like that dolly!”       “No, I can’t do it so quickly…” Christopher shakes his head, starting to twist on the chair. “I need to get ready…”       “You kind of afraid?” Kevin chuckles kindly.       “Are you not? You could get up and come to her!”       “If you miss the moment, I shall do this.”       “Hey, I actually saw her first! She’s mine!”       “Huh, while you’re getting ready and brave, she’s gonna be felt up by another man.”       “Girls in that type of dress pick someone up quickly. The imagination gets so bright.”       “Well, nobody’s come to her yet. So, you still have a chance.”       “I’m just gonna watch her from afar. M-m-m…” Christopher smiles much more widely and slyly, stroking his chin. “I feel I get excited when looking at that cutie…”       “Then pick her up before it’s too late!”       “Hear, Spencer, how do you think she’d move if I asked her to perform a striptease for me?” Christopher asks thoughtfully, wrapping his finger around his glass.       “Oh, he wants a striptease!” Kevin chuckles kindly and drinks some whiskey.       “What’s wrong? A sexy cutie wearing a bra and strings performs a sexy dance! Bends like a cat in front of the pole… Or the wall… M-m-m…” Christopher smiles widely, still watching the girl, who is talking about something to the one to work at the bar table. “I’m imagining her in such an intimate atmosphere…”       “Yay, Chris…” Kevin claps Christopher on the back with a grin. “You’re a maniac!”       “Why am I?” Christopher wonders, throwing a short look at Kevin. “My wishes are natural! I don’t ask her to play BDSM games with me! I just wanna see her dance in front of me in a bra and strings.”       “Oh, as for BDSM, you can ask Terrence for help. He’s a professional in that and adores something spicy and hot. Parker talked about it, and MacClife confessed that he loved tying a girl up and being tied up himself.”       “Just confess that you’d like to feel up her boobs and ass and see her in underwear,” Christopher replies with a sly smile. “I bet that you’re imagining her wriggling like a cat and getting you excited by moving her thighs smoothly.”       “Okay, I confess it!” Kevin raises his hands. “I’d take that cutie to my bed. I wouldn’t like to date her, but I’d have sex with her.”       “Huh, who said I wanna start a relationship with her! It’s kind of boring to have sex with one girl.”       “You won’t believe it, Morgan, but sometimes men date one girl and even marry her. And someone becomes a father for her children.”       “Sorry, but monogamy is not for me.”       “You haven’t grown up for that yet.”       “Anyway, I’m happy with everything now.”       “Oh, man, you’re a lover of getting kicked by girls!”       “I can do my best for girls to melt away next to me,” Christopher smiles slyly, fixing his wavy hair with his head proudly raised. “No cutie has been able to resist my charms.”       “Then show that cutie what you can do.” Kevin pushes Christopher in the back. “C’mon, Chris, go! Show what a macho you are.”       “To become a macho, I need to drink enough alcohol at first. To relax and feel confident.”       “Can’t you do it without alcohol?”       “I didn’t say I needed to drink to the fuck. Just drink a glass.”       “Okay. Drink your port wine and go, but Ed and I will be watching you.” Kevin glances at Edward. “Right, Edward?”       Meanwhile, Edward is thinking about something with a slight smile and not paying attention to Kevin and Christopher.       “Hey, MacClife, did you fall asleep?” Kevin asks, clicking his fingers in front of Edward’s face. “I hope you aren’t gonna climb on the table and undress!”       “I did say Ed would start to pass out after the first glass,” Christopher says confidently. “He's already having a stupid smile. He's about to sing a song!”       “C’mon, he just decided to dream of Natalia,” Kevin assumes with a sly smile. “Think about what to do to her on their first marriage night. When she’s walking half-naked in front of him.”       “MacClife, are you with you?” Christopher asks loudly and clicks his fingers in front of Edward’s face. “The Earth is calling Edward! Hey! Or I’m gonna take your alcohol away!”       Christopher claps Edward on the cheek with the back of his hand, but the guy turns around sharply and moves his friend’s hand off himself.       “Sorry, guys, I fell into my thoughts,” Edward says, fixing his hair and clearing his throat.       “Okay, thinking of your gorgeous fiancée is not a sin,” Christopher smiles slyly.       “So, what are you talking about?”       “About Chris’ sexual fantasies,” Kevin chuckles kindly.       “That’s how?” Edward glances at Christopher and smiles slyly. “So, Chris, don’t girls rush to please you? Or are you starving?”       “I just want someone to perform a private dance for me…” Christopher confesses with a mysterious smile, leaning on the surface of the bar table with his elbow and on his hand with his cheek. “In strings… In a bra… Or naked…”       “He got a crush on one gal and is now trying to pretend that it’s not hard in his pants,” Kevin laughs shyly.       “What gal?” Edward frowns slightly.       “That one!” Kevin shows Edward the girl, on whom Christopher got a crush. “In a violet dress! You see?”       “That one?” Edward rounds his eyes. “With burned peroxide hair?”       “Isn’t she a bomb?” Christopher asks in a low voice with a sly smile. “Posh boobs, tough, ass, a cool body…”       “Serious, Chris?” Edward wonders loudly. “You liked that one?”       “I’d bend her over and fuck her.”       “Did you get a crush on the girl with a lot of cosmetics on her face? And her breasts are about to get out! And if she bends down in that short dress, everybody’s gonna see her underwear If she actually wears it!”       “And what?” Christopher shrugs. “I wouldn’t mind looking at her wearing underwear… Or better without it…”       “Yeah, dude… Sorry, but you’ve got bad taste.”       “Everyone’s got different tastes, buddy. And I don’t care how many cosmetics she has. I care about her ass and boobs much more… Well, maybe also her legs… They’re so attractive…”       “Her boobs are one hundred silicone,” Edward says confidently.       “Oh, how do you know it?”       “Dude, I learn these things without touching a girl. I can differentiate natural breasts from fake.”       “If they’re fake, it’s okay!”       “Yeah, Ed, I guess you’re right,” Kevin laughs shyly and drinks some whiskey. “Someone hasn’t just had sex for ages.”       “Listen, Kev, let’s pay a prostitute, so she satisfies all his needs?” Edward suggests with a quiet chuckle. “Help our friend?”       “Or better two! Or three! It would be much better!”       “Huh, I pick up much more cuties when I go to a striptease club every weekend,” Christopher says confidently. “Or on the salary day. Celebrate, so to say.”       “Weekend and sex are incomparable words.”       “I suggest you go with me. What if you seduce a cutie to your happiness and have a nice time?”       “Oh, Morgan…”       “Enjoy your freedom, Spenser!” Christopher claps Kevin on the shoulder. “Hang out now while you’ve got a chance! MacClife doesn’t have this chance ‘cause he’s gonna get married soon!”       “I’m not upset at all,” Edward says confidently with a wide smile and drinks some cognac. “And I’ve actually never liked casual sex.”       “C’mon, losing freedom for that sexy cutie is not a sin,” Christopher smiles slyly.       “I regret nothing and know what I’m doing,” Edward proudly raises his head up. “Moreover, the freaking sexy girl belongs to me. No girl has gotten me much more excited than Natalia. Who is much more stunning than the dolly you got a crush on.”       “But you previously got a crush on girls, who weren’t similar to Natalia,” Kevin chuckles kindly.       “Never! I’ve always preferred beautiful but natural girls. Without fake lips, boobs, and with tons of plastic surgery. If I had a choice between a silicon doll and a homely girl, I’d choose the second one. Without hesitance. Any homely girl can be beautiful, but a silicone dolly would hardly be able to fix something.”       “Oh, how critical you are…” Christopher pronounces thoughtfully and drinks some port wine.       “Yes, I do hate girls with fake lips and fake books! And I will not be happy if I eat powder and foundation by just kissing her on the cheek! And Natalia is a hundred percent natural beauty that can make herself much prettier.”       “You’ve got taste, though.”       “I got a crush on her not because she’s a blonde with blue eyes, a gorgeous feminine body, big, tough breasts, and a memorable appearance. I appreciate Natalia for who she is much more. What she’s doing for me… And how she treats me.”       “I couldn’t disagree,” Kevin smiles slightly. “I also appreciate a girl’s character and what she is. I don’t wanna date a calculating or freaking jealous madam.”       “Undoubtedly, friends,” Christopher agrees and throws a mysterious smile at the girl he liked, while she is sitting on the bar table and checking something out on her phone. “But I madly want that chick to give me a blowjob…”       “Excuse me, Morgan, but I don’t really understand how you can like that,” Edward says confidently. “What did you find about her? I guess she never leaves the office of the plastic surgeon!”       “She makes me feel hard.” Christopher strokes his chin, as he keeps looking at the girl that he liked with interest, while she is sitting at the table in quite a sexual pose and talking to someone on the phone. “You just look at the way that bitch is sitting! Oh, fuck… My mouth got dry… And if she buys something to drink and starts to drink it through a straw, I’m gonna go crazy. I will come to her and say I wanna fuck her.”       “Oh, yeah, Ed…” Kevin laughs shyly. “I see someone’s gonna get a slap today.”       “In the best case,” Edward chuckles kindly. “In the worst one, someone else will call the police. That girl will say she is wanted to be raped, and Morgan will be taken to the police station and put in jail.”       “Hey, calm down!” Christopher exclaims, clapping Edward and Kevin on the shoulder. “You also got excited, I see!”       “If you don’t have a brain, both of us do!”       “C’mon, teachers, get off!” Christopher drinks some port wine from his glass. “I want sex – that’s all!”       “Yeah, the lady’s boobs charmed you!” Kevin chuckles funnily.       “You’re gonna break your neck if you keep turning your head like an owl and staring at her ass!”       “I’d bet on who’s gonna break it!”       “Hey, you two only think of big boobs and tough asses!” Edward chuckles kindly and drinks some cognac. “Haven’t you tried to move your eyes to the face or somewhere else?”       “Why do I look at something I don’t care about?”       “Oh, yeah, but he looks at his blonde’s big boobs and thinks about how to suck it,” Christopher smiles slyly.       “I have the right!” Edward exclaims. “She’s mine. That cutie belongs to me.”       “Dude, don’t ya really like the boobs and the ass of that cutie?” Kevin wonders and, looking at his hands, imagines the way the lady’s tough breasts are placed on them. “Don’t you… Don’t ya wanna feel them up? Kiss them? Squeeze? Naked breasts…”       “Thanks, Spencer, I’ve got the stunning female breasts and ass that I caress with great pleasure. I don’t need others.”       “So, your heart didn’t stop?” Christopher smiles slyly and slightly pushes Edward on his hip. “Just a little!”       “I don’t feel hard from this.”       “Oh, are you an appreciator of natural beauty and minimalism?” Kevin chuckles kindly.       “I’ve always been for naturality.”       “Yeah, Natalia charmed you so hard. You even decided to get married and educate children!”       “Aha, as far as I remember, you somehow said you didn’t wanna marry,” Christopher adds with a sly smile, drinking some port wine.       “People can change, buddy,” Edward notices with an innocent smile. “Maybe, you’ll think differently in five years. You’ll wish for a wife and children…”       “No, fuck up marrying!” Christopher throws funnily, waving his hand. “I’m only twenty-four! I’m too young for a wedding.”       “It’s weird you’re playing with children,” Kevin notices thoughtfully.       “I do love children. And my godchildren are like my own children to me.”       “If only they knew about the life their godfather is living,” Edward laughs shyly.       “Good! I work hard on regular days and spend my free time with my godchildren or friends or go to relax at a striptease club.”       “We got it…” Kevin smiles slyly.       Christopher says nothing, just chuckles quietly and shakes his head, while Edward and Kevin laugh quietly. And while they drink some alcohol from their glasses, a man in black comes to the girl, whom Christopher liked, and puts his hand on her shoulder.       “Hey, Chris, it seems like you’re unlucky today,” Kevin sighs quietly with a slight smile.       “Why am I?” Christopher wonders.       “Another man has come to your crush,” Edward says with a sly smile, throwing a look at the man, who came to the girl.       “Hey, really?”       “Aha! A long-haired, six-foot-tall hunk in black. With tattoos on his arms.”       Christopher turns around sharply and sees the girl smiling widely and paying attention to the rude at first sight man, who has come to her. At some moment, he takes her in his tight hug, putting his hands confidently on her thighs and buttocks.       “What a fucking closet…” Christopher says in a shaking voice.       “Yeah, that big boy would knock you out after the first attempt,” Kevin says thoughtfully.       “I think it’s her boyfriend,” Edward assumes confidently. “He’s feeling up her ass, but she’s smiling like a Cherish Cat.”       “And that big guy unbuttoned his shirt, so she felt up the six-packs on his torso,” Kevin adds, seeing the girl put her hands on the naked chest of the six-foot-tall man.       “No, men, I won’t stand in his way,” Christopher shakes his head. “Fuck it! Otherwise, that closet will give me to dogs as food.”       While Edward and Kevin laugh shyly, the girl and the man keep talking after sitting at the bar table. While the man drinks his drink and gives the same one to his partner, she is acting as provocatively as possible toward this man, who confidently caresses her lap and thigh.       “So, Christopher, we’re very sorry,” Kevin says thoughtfully, clapping Christopher on the shoulder. “You struck out… The girl is already taken.”       “Yeah, we’re sorry for ya,” Edward adds with sadness in his eyes and claps Christopher on the back. “But don’t worry. You’re gonna be lucky next time.”       “I give a fuck!” Christopher throws cheerfully and drinks the rest of the port wine in his glass. “Not so much to lose! I’ll find another cutie!”       “That’s good you didn’t come to her,” Kevin notices confidently. “Because that big boy would’ve kicked your ass, and Ed and I would’ve done nothing.”       “Yeah, or someone from visitors or the staff would’ve wanted to call the police because of a fight,” Edward says thoughtfully, scratching the back of his head.       “Okay, men, okay!” Christopher waves his hand. “Give a fuck about that gal! Let her be with that hunk. There are many boobs and butts in the world that I could caress.”       “You’re coming to yourself quickly!” Kevin wonders truly.       “Why should I be upset? Life doesn’t stop after this failure! But I want to live it as excellently as possible!”       “We can help!” Edward says confidently with a mysterious smile. “If you want, Kevin and I will drive you to the nearest striptease club. A cutie will surely get caught in your webs.”       “Or girls will like your pretty face more.” Christopher chuckles kindly. “I’d say they’re now going crazy for you more than your bro.”       “Yeah, Terrence’s little bro is gonna outshine him and become much more popular,” Kevin assumes confidently.       “First, don’t dare to say it to Terrence,” Edward says confidently. “And second, those girls have no changes for my love. I am loyal to the other girl. And I love only one girl. I’m not a horndog and will never be.”       “Okay, MacClife,” Kevin jabs funnily and drinks some whiskey. “We’ve understood that you’re a perfect lover, and all girls can bite their elbows ‘cause they lost a chance to get such a cool man.”       “Of course, getting so much attention to my unique persona is madly nice to me. And I don’t deny that I consider myself incredibly handsome. I’ve never doubted nature gave me the best, and my parents gave me wonderful genes.”       “Huh, of course, you feel nice!” Christopher rolls his eyes with a quiet chuckle.       “Who wouldn’t like to be praised? Especially, when you don’t doubt yourself!”       “Oh, yeah! Now, when your fiancée looks at you like God and calls you a sexy, pretty boy, you puffed up like a peacock and became too confident.”       “Is that bad?” Edward smiles innocently and drinks some cognac. “That’s cool when you’re tough, sassy, and confident and act like a fearless hero! And when you’re attractive and fucking sexy, that’s two times better!”       “If Terrence heard you, he’d quickly take a crown off your head,” Kevin laughs shyly, drinking some drink from his glass.       “Aha!” Christopher exclaims. “Terry doesn’t confess it, but he’s madly jealous when someone dares to think you’re much sexier.”       “But Terrence loves his little bro anyway,” Edward replies thoughtfully with a sly smile. “And he’d be my loyal servant at his wish.”       “Well, I’d bet who would be a servant,” Kevin laughs shyly.       “Aha,” Christopher agrees. “Terrence is nervous because you’re getting much more attention than he did somehow. He was at the peak of his fame in the 00s, but now, in the 10s, he’s giving up.”       “He’s got no reason to worry, ‘cause he still has many admirers,” Edward replies confidently. “Girls still scream when he shows up in front of them.”       “But I don’t exclude that MacClife will get his fame back if he goes around the world with his band. People are forgetting him because Terrence hasn’t acted for a few years. But the star is about to shine bright again.”       “No, men, Terrence won’t give up on his fame,” Kevin assumes confidently. “He’d crush himself to do his best to swim in the attention of girls happily whooping.”       “My bro loves competing with everyone and proving that he’s better,” Edward laughs shyly, drinks the rest of the cognac from his glass, and puts it aside. “At first, it was Ben, now it’s Daniel, Peter, and me.”       “Yeah, if he’s got a too handsome son, he’s gonna compete with him,” Christopher says thoughtfully. “Buy tons of crèmes, get a couple of plastic surgeries, and spend hours at the gym not to gain weight.”       “That’s why I rarely tell him I recognize his uniqueness and importance.”       “Right, he sometimes gives us very wise pieces of advice,” Christopher confesses thoughtfully. “Anyway, your brother is a man with a brain.”       “If he was shyer, he’d be much better.”       “Yay, Ed…” Christopher laughs shyly, leaning on the bar table with his elbow. “If you and Terry had grown up together, you would’ve made each other’s lives hard. You would’ve always fought for the toys, clothes, and your parents’ attention. You two are as stubborn as donkeys! One never gives up on another.”       “So, I’m also glad we met when we became adults,” Edward smiles shyly. “Who knows… Maybe, we would’ve become enemies as well as Father and Uncle.”       “Yeah, Tedward became a good team,” Kevin notices confidently.       “I'm sorry everything wasn’t so good in the case of my brothers on the father.”       “Do you think you could establish a relationship with them if you met someday?” Kevin asks.       “I dunno, Kev…” Edward shrugs. “But it’s been a lot of time… And we fought for stupid things… We were kids… We barely understood what we did…”       “Did you never befriend them?” Christopher asks.       “Nope. But I can’t say I hated them. Then, I wanted to strangle them, but now I forgave them. No reason to be mad… They’re not guilty that Father left Mother, took me with him, and lived with my stepmother for a few years. And I can’t blame her… She just loved and wanted to be loved…”       “And Terrence? What does he think of it?”       “Terrence?” Edward falls into silence for two seconds and shrugs. “It’s hard to say it… But I think he could befriend them.”       “But Ben said Terrence hated them.”       “He hated them because of Father. Because Uncle framed him cruelly and made my brother believe that man was terrible. But there are no reasons for hate now, and Terrence sometimes says he’d like to meet his brothers.”       “But is there a chance to meet them?” Kevin asks.       “Anything may happen. Life is an unpredictable thing. But those guys have no contact with us.”       “I think your father would love to see them,” Christopher assumes.       “Yeah, but he doesn’t know where to find them. There is nobody, who knows my half-brothers and father.”       Christopher and Kevin say nothing and shrug, and the latter drinks his drink from the glass and puts it aside, while silence settles in the air for two seconds.       “Ah, whiskey is good!” Kevin notices cheerfully, wiping his hands with his hand.       “Port wine is cool, too,” Christopher replies with a wide smile.       “And cognac is awesome!” Edward exclaims confidently.       “The important thing is not to go too far in this case.”       “That’s right.” Edward folds his hands on the bar table. “One glass of something strong would never be bad.”       “Listen, that’s so cool we decided to spend time together,” Kevin notices cheerfully. “We’re always super busy with our problems…”       “Yeah, thanks a lot for inviting me. I wanted to do it a long time ago, but with friends.”       “Were you afraid to outdrink and not to find a way home?”       “No, I just wanted to talk with someone and laugh.”       “Then think you saved you,” Christopher says cheerfully, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “You need to distract yourself, even if your life is bullshit.”       “Sounds like you don’t have problems and owe nobody.”       “What kind of problems could I have?” Christopher throws his hands up with an innocent smile. “I’m not married, without children, live alone, and spend my free time as I want… The only thing that makes me bored is my job. But I have to work, ‘cause I have to take care of myself and pay for my apartment. My parents have always thought an adult person should prove themselves and never helped me with a cent.”       “If you had musical talents, you could try to find yourself in the music business. But since you’re absolutely voiceless, sorry, dude, the way to the music world is closed to you.”       “But I could act in movies,” Christopher says with a sly smile and his head proudly raised, fixing the collar of his t-shirt. “Girls would have water mouths if they saw such an attractive, young, and hot guy on the screen.”       “Yeah, but you can only play one role,” Kevin laughs shyly. “The role of a horndog that changes girls every day and has sex with no obligation.”       “Well… Good! I love girls and good sex.”       “You could build a brilliant career as an actor in adult movies,” Edward replies confidently and chuckles quietly. “Tender erotic, hot porno… You could try everything!”       “Oh, yeah, you’d have sex for some years to come,” Kevin smiles slyly.       “Shut up, idiots!” Christopher exclaims.       “Hey, what!” Edward exclaims cheerfully. “Actors earn a lot of money, but porno actors get much more money.”       “How do you know it, let me ask you?” Christopher smiles mysteriously. “Did you secretly film in the role of a bad doctor or policeman and kick your client with a whip?”       “Think about it, buddy! You’d be very good in that role. Besides, you won’t always imitate sex. Sometimes you’ll have to do it in reality. So, everything looks good!”       “Are you pretending to be a sex expert?” Kevin laughs kindly.       “I know many things,” Edward says with a sly smile. “Don’t call me a stupid and inexperienced boy.”       “No, bro, you know nothing yet,” Christopher replies confidently. “I know literally as much about sex as Parker knows about alcohol.”       “Okay, teach me something, then! Show me how to bring a girl to a wild orgasm and fly high from pleasure.”       “Hey, do you wanna add some spice to your relationship with your blondie?” Christopher wonders with a sly smile. “You’re sick of romance?”       “Maybe,” Edward smiles mysteriously. “Whispering tenderly in her ear wouldn’t be enough for Natalia to get a speechless orgasm on our first marriage night.”       “Ask Terrence to give you a whip, handcuffs, and a blindfold,” Kevin suggests cheerfully. “I’m sure that Natalia is gonna be overwhelmed by the new feelings! And you won’t have to spend a lot of time making her get wet and moan like she’s about to explode.”       “Of course, I can do my best for the girl to lie naked in front of me two minutes later, scream, and beg me to fuck her. But I never mind listening to pieces of advice from other, more experienced people.”       “Okay, Edward MacClife, okay,” Christopher laughs amicably. “Since you’re turning from a boy to a man, there is a good Uncle Chris, who will teach you everything. He’ll tell you secrets that can help you drive your beloved girl crazy.”       “Uncle Kevin will also share a couple of secrets,” Kevin promises funnily.       “I’m actually not a virgin,” Edward says confidently. “I know how to treat a girl! And I find all of her sensitive areas!”       “Okay, okay, soon-to-be hubby, we’ll think about it,” Christopher promises confidently. “Your gorgeous blonde will be absolutely thrilled.”       Christopher and Kevin grin kindly, and then the first one claps Edward on the back, and the second one ruffles his black hair.       “Okay, shut up now!” Edward exclaims and sharply moves Kevin’s hand off his hair with a quiet chuckle. “Calm down, I say! Or Daddy Ed will punish you!”       “Oh, oh, I’m so scared!” Kevin rolls his eyes with a kind chuckle.       “Yeah, me too…” Christopher adds funnily.       “Oh, fuck…” Edward moans tiredly, running his hands over his face. “What kind of idiots I got in touch with…”       “We love you, too, buddy,” Christopher replies cheerfully, clapping Edward on the shoulder.       “Be happy to live, MacClife!” Kevin exclaims funnily. “Everything isn’t as bad as you think!”       “Do I look like a man, who has a deep depression?” Edward wonders truly.       “We’re just keeping your fighting mood. You wanted to distract yourself – we’re working on this mission.”       “And you’re doing this great.” Edward claps Kevin and Christopher on the shoulder at the same time. “Thanks again, guys!”       “Okay, men, let’s think about what to do,” Kevin says confidently. “What if we buy something else? Something non-alcohol! We’ve crossed the limit today! And I don’t wanna spend a night in jail.”       “Oh, I briefly thought you decided to drink to the fuck,” Christopher chuckles quietly. “And Ed and I would have to take your drunk ass to my home and put you under the cold shower.”       “Why? Everything’s fine! And there are no special events!”       “But if something happens, will you drink ‘till you pass out?” Edward laughs shyly.       “Anything may happen.”       “Better don’t,” Christopher shakes his head confidently. “I don’t wish to waste time on you. Somehow, I had to wake up one drunk person that got my restroom dirty by vomiting, lied on my bed, and slept deeply for nobody the fuck knows how long.”       “Okay, then!” Kevin chuckles kindly. “I have Edward! He won’t leave me! Yeah, MacClife?”       “Spenser, are you serious?” Edward wonders loudly. “I do have so much to do, but I have to waste time on your drink ass!”       “Okay…” Kevin glances aside.       “Oh, relax, bro!” Edward squeezes Kevin’s shoulder with a shy laugh. “Of course, we’ll help you!”       “Our word, man!” Christopher adds funnily and claps Kevin on the back. “If you drink, you’ll be in the hands of MacClife and me!”       “Oh, thank you, my caring friends,” Kevin chuckles amicably.       The three men laugh shyly and shake their heads. And a few seconds later, two young girls wearing short mini dresses of different colors come to Christopher, Kevin, and Edward.       “Hey, pretty boys,” the girl with dark long hair pronounces with a shy smile in a nice, low voice.       “Don’t we bother you?” the blonde with a side-swept bang asks in the same voice.       “Oh, hey, girls,” Christopher purrs with a wide smile, looking at the two girls with interest.       “We’ve been watching you for a long time,” the blonde confesses with a slight smile, running her hand confidently through Christopher’s hair and caressing his face with both hands.       “Maybe, we introduce ourselves, boys?” the brunette suggests with a mysterious smile. “I’m Erica.”       “And I’m Lumina,” the blonde introduces herself with a slight smile.       “Lumina?” Christopher asks and smiles much more widely. “Beautiful name for such an attractive girl.”       “And not less beautiful name for a cutie with such incredible eyes,” Kevin says confidently, looking at Erica with interest, while she looks at him playfully and tries to strike sexual poses.       “Would you introduce yourself, pretty boy?” Erica asks, putting her hand softly on Kevin’s cheek. “And let your friend call his name.”       “Kevin, dolly. Call me Kevin.”       “And I’m Christopher,” Christopher introduces himself with his head proudly raised. “At your service, cute ladies.”       “Nice to meet you, boys,” Erica nods.       “Erica and I have been watching you since you came here,” Lumina confesses, fixing Christopher’s collar. “But you never looked at us.”       “But we were sitting not far from you.”       “We sincerely apologize, cuties,” Kevin replies with sadness in his eyes. “Very sorry about not noticing such beautiful creatures.”       “But we’ve finally fixed it,” Erica says in a tempting voice, caressing Kevin’s chest confidently and rubbing her nose against his face tenderly and slowly.       “We need someone to spend a good time with,” Christopher confesses in a much lower voice.       “Wonderful, then!”       “Maybe, we know each other better?” Lumina asks in a low voice, running her hands over Christopher’s arms. “Let’s drink for a meeting and spend time together.”       “We know a very good place where we could stay alone,” Erica adds.       “M-m-m, sounds very good…” Kevin purrs with a wide smile.       “Ask anything, babes,” Christopher says confidently. “Kevin and I are at your service.”       “I want just one thing – you, pretty boy,” Lumina replies in a tempting voice, caressing Christopher’s arms and neck, and moans quietly. “Oh, God, your arms! I would not mind if you held me with them… Pressed closer to your tough chest… M-m-m…”       “Nobody could resist such a handsome guy like me.”       “And how sexy your neck is! I do want to kiss it from all sides!” Lumina grabs Christopher’s face with both hands and leaves a few kisses on the curve of his neck, moaning quietly and bending her back slightly. “M-m-m…”       “M-m-m, yay, babe, you’re awesome…” Christopher purrs with a wide smile. “I’m sure you’d give me incredible sex. You know, I am hungry now.”       “I’d do anything you want… Just give me a sign.”       “Make me yours, baby,” Erica says in a low, seductive voice, caressing Kevin’s chest tenderly and sliding over his back slowly. “I want you… I want to take this t-shirt off and see your body. I know it’s gorgeous. When I shake after touching the male chest, I always know that’s what I need.”       “I’d take off my t-shirt right now for you,” Kevin says confidently, while his hands confidently caress and squeeze Erica’s thighs and buttocks. “But I’d rather do this where nobody could bother us. Not to make all the girls at this bar crazy… I’m so sexy that there might be not enough of me.”       “That’s right… I want you to be only mine… If you’re a good boy, I shall suck you enough.”       “Do this, cutie. Your body is fully yours. Do anything you want to it. Everything that can give me unreal pleasure.”       “I’m sure you’re gonna be delighted.”       “Go with us, Christopher, Kevin,” Lumina suggests with a mysterious smile, while her hands slide over Christopher’s torso up and down or stroke his hair. “We’ll have an unforgettable evening that you will keep in your memory for a long time.”       “I’m assuring you, babe, you won’t forget this day, either,” Christopher replies confidently. “Because I am a king of sex. Who can give girls real pleasure and make them feel a crazy orgasm.”       While Christopher says it, he lets his hands slide over Lumina’s body: from her neck, collarbones, breasts, and belly to her thighs and buttocks. The girl does not mind it and sometimes puts his hands where she would like them to be. And Kevin gives the same attention to Erica, while she caresses him anywhere, breathes on some especially sensitive parts of the skin, and bites them slightly.       “Hey, cutie, don’t you wanna drink something?” Kevin addresses Erica in a low voice. “I’m ready to pay for you.”       “Order anything you want, cuties!” Christopher exclaims cheerfully. “We will pay for anything!”       “Martini…” Erica pronounces with a heavy breath. “I want a martini… It’s incredible…”       “But I want whiskey with ice,” Lumina says confidently and bites her lip slightly. “I adore cold drinks… M-m-m… They get me so excited.”       “Okay, whiskey then,” Christopher shrugs, raises his hand, and, holding Lumina by the waist, calls the barman, who comes to Kevin and him two seconds later. “Barman, please, give a glass of whiskey with ice to this cute girl.”       “And martini for this beauty,” Kevin says confidently, pressing Erica to himself and keeping his hand on her thigh.       “Alright,” the barman nods. “One minute.”       While the barman is working on the order, Erica sits on Kevin’s laps and answers a couple of his short kisses on the lips and the area behind her ear. Lumina covers Christopher’s face with kisses, while he caresses her neck with his lips and runs his hands over her thigh and lap. And Edward is silently watching what’s happening and trying not to laugh at the sight of his thrilled friends.       “Oh, gosh, seems like they really lack sex if they got a crush on these girls they’ve known for one minute,” Edward thinks, knocking at the bar table with his fingers. “I bet that these two will not remember them tomorrow! They’re far from being sober! They’re ready to fuck everything that moves.”       Edward does not notice how another girl with light brunette hair that reaches her big buttocks comes to him at some moment, wearing a mini skirt, stockings, and a top with a deep décolleté, because her big breasts are literally about to show up.       “Hey, cutie, why are you sitting here so sad?” the girl asks in a thin voice with a wide smile. “Your friends found a couple, but nobody pays attention to you?”       “Erm…” Edward comes back to reality and looks at the girl hesitantly. “Pardon, what?”       “I liked you very much. When I saw you, my heart started to beat much faster. I’m sure that we could have a wonderful time together.”       “It’s impossible.”       “Yeah, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Lisa! It’s nice to meet you.”       When Lisa reaches her hand to try to caress Edward, he steps back sharply from her with both hands raised.       “No, no, no!” Edward pronounces determinedly. “There may be nothing between us!”       “Why not?” Lisa rounds her eyes, moves her thigh aside, and puts her hands on her waist. “Don’t you like me?”       “I’m sorry, miss, but I’m almost married.”       “Married?”       “I’m engaged and going to have a wedding soon.”       “And what?” Lisa shrugs. “Who can be stopped by a ring on the finger at the present time?”       “I am not one of those, who cheats on their girls. And I am not interested in casual sex.”       “C’mon, pretty boy, relax. You know how well I can please a man. Everybody has loved the way I make a blowjob… Your girl would hardly do this…”       Lisa tries to caress Edward’s face and slide to his torso again, but he steps back sharply from her.       “Girl, did you hear what I said?” Edward asks quietly and confidently. “I’m not going to cheat on my fiancée before my wedding!”       “Give a damn about your fiancée!” Lisa smiles slyly. “You will regret marrying. I don’t know anyone, who would get something else except disappointment from the marriage.”       “Please, leave me alone and do not touch me,” Edward demands confidently.       “You just try. After spending a night with me, you’ll forget about your fiancée.”       “You confused me with a horndog that changes girls like gloves.”       “You smell so sexy that my knickers are already wet,” Lisa does not give up, running her fingertips over her breasts. “I’m imagining you getting into me and bringing me to an orgasm.”       “Girl, please, give me alone,” Edward demands coldly. “I already have the one I love and would not exchange her with anyone.”       “But, babe…” Lisa tries to touch Edward’s chest.       “Girl!” Edward raises his voice, stepping back sharply.       “Alright, alright, I got it,” Lisa hums with her poured lips, raising her hands. “Got it… Sorry…”       Crossing her arms over her chest and not hiding her disappointment, Lisa goes aside sharply.       “Another man is out…” Lisa blunts under her nose. “Ar-r-r, fucking fiancée! I could’ve taken this handsome boy to bed!”       Lisa stands aside for a few seconds and thinks about something, but then she is called by Christopher, who is keeping his hand on Lumina’s thigh.       “Hey, cutie, don’t be so upset!” Christopher exclaims cheerfully.       “Sadly, this pretty boy is really taken,” Kevin confesses. “He’s no longer having sex with strangers.”       “So sorry…” Lisa throws gloomily with sadness in her eyes, coming closer to Lumina, Erica, Kevin, and Christopher. “This pretty boy smells as sexy as nobody else I’ve met before.”       “Don’t worry, dolly, you’re gonna be lucky next time.”       “But my friend and I are single,” Christopher says cheerfully. “If you want it, join our fun.”       “Yeah… We’d give attention to all of you…”       “So, girls, I think we’re gonna have an unforgettable time tonight,” Lumina smiles mysteriously. “Even if only two men will join us.”       “Maybe, we’ll meet someone else on the way,” Erica expresses hope with a slight smile.       “Well, as such handsome men invite us, I don’t mind it…” Lisa replies in a lower voice, biting her lip slightly and looking at Kevin and Christopher with interest. “Listen, they’re really handsome.”       “Thanks, babe, you’re sexy, too,” Christopher thanks with a wide smile.       “Maybe, you will call your names? Huh, boys?”       “We’ll do it!” Lumina replies confidently and points at Christopher and Kevin. “This is Christopher, and this is Kevin.”       “And, guys, this is our friend, Lisa,” Erica adds.       “Hey, cutie,” Kevin waves a hand.       “Nice to meet you,” Christopher adds amicably. “If you want, you can order something to drink.”       “Can I do it?” Lisa smiles slightly.       “Yes, Lisa, you can order any drink,” Lumina says confidently. “The guys said they were ready to pay for us.”       “Yeah, we’re drinking!” Erica adds with a slight smile. “And the boys paid.”       At this moment, Christopher and Kevin leave some money at the bar table, and the barman takes it as well as empty glasses and tips.       “Order anything you want, babe,” Christopher says confidently. “Any wish for our money.”       “I love martini so much…” Lisa replies with an innocent smile. “Erica and I love it so badly…”       “Okay, martini!” Kevin exclaims cheerfully and moves his eyes to the barman. “Barman, another glass of martini!”       “Listen, guys, let’s go where nobody would bother us?” Erica suggests. “It’s very loud here.”       “Yeah, let’s go where we will have an unforgettable time,” Lumina adds with a wide smile.       “We promise that you will feel very good,” Lisa promises confidently, softly raises Christopher and Kevin’s faces and caresses them tenderly, while they stare at her like charmed. “We can give men pleasure…”       “We’re all yours,” Christopher replies in a low voice.       “Yeah, babies, but could you wait for a little?” Kevin asks thoughtfully. “We’ll quickly say goodbye to our friend.”       “Do it quickly, pretty boys,” Erica purrs. “We don’t wanna wait for too long…”       “One moment, cuties!”       While Erica, Lumina, and Lisa go aside and start to talk about something nicely, as they drink their drinks, Kevin and Christopher smiling widely clap Edward on the shoulder and back, and the guy moves his eyes to them immediately.       “Sorry, dude, but you’ll have to keep having fun on your own,” Kevin smiles mysteriously. “We’re gonna have something interesting…”       “I didn’t expect anything else from you,” Edward wonders. “You got a crush on girls with short skirts, tons of cosmetics, and big asses and boobs?”       “But they are such dolls!” Christopher exclaims with a wide smile. “And their asses and boobs are perfect! Especially, the blonde’s… Lumina is just a bomb!”       “And the brunette is fucking sexy!” Kevin rubs his hands with a sly smile. “I do wanna undress Erica and feel up every part of her sexy body. And get into her…”       “It’s super easy to bribe you with a short skirt and big boobs!” Edward chuckles kindly. “They barely caressed you, but immediately became slaves of those dolls! Who you don’t the fuck know at all!”       “What’s wrong?” Christopher smiles innocently. “I’m a single man and have the right to spend time with anyone I want!”       “And I’m single,” Kevin recalls. “As I got a chance to have sex with a young, beautiful girl, I can’t refuse it.”       “Yeah, how did you see the beauty?” Edward wonders. “They put on fake hair! Made makeup of whores! And their boobs are about to go on stage and dance!”       “Oh, c’mon, Edward, stop blunting like an old man,” Christopher throws funnily. “And yeah, why did the fuck hurt the cutie, who tried to seduce you. Lisa was so upset when you rejected her.”       “I barely got off that girl! She gives a fuck about the fact that I’m gonna get married soon!”       “C’mon, you can have fun one time before your wedding,” Kevin laughs shyly. “Say goodbye to the life of a single man in a good way.”       “Stop saying bullshit, Spencer!” Edward throws gloomily. “I love Natalia and ain’t gonna lose her because of cheating!”       “By the way, she’s also got many fans,” Christopher exclaims. “If you miss the moment, a whole harem of men will lie at her feet. That dolly wakes up all the wildest wishes of men.”       “Yeah… And you say I get wild from just one glass. You’re drunk, and those prostitutes felt you up!”       “Oh, MacClife, you’re really like an old woman,” Kevin replies confidently. “Blunt, blunt…”       “Tomorrow, you won’t remember hanging out with those dolls! And forget who Erica, Lumina, and Lisa, or what their names, are!”       “It’s okay!” Kevin throws funnily with a wide smile. “But I’m gonna have sex!”       “I am just getting pleasure from life,” Christopher replies cheerfully.       “Okay, do it,” Edward says quietly and crosses his arms over his chest. “But I shall watch your happy faces.”       “Huh, you must see your face when someone talks about Natalia,” Kevin chuckles kindly.       “Oh, yeah, you’re kind of drunk,” Christopher says cheerfully.       Kevin and Christopher laugh quietly until Erica, Lisa, and Lumina decide to hurry them up.       “Boys…” Erica pronounces with a tempting voice. “We’re waiting for you…”       “You promised to say goodbye quickly,” Lumina recalls.       “Second, doll,” Kevin throws with his head proudly raised and moves his eyes to Edward. “Okay, MacClife, Chris, and I are getting out. Beautiful girls and lots of pleasure are waiting for us.”       “Oh, get out now,” Edward exhales sharply with rolled eyes up. “I’m done with you, idiots!”       “And yeah, don’t dare to bother us ‘till tomorrow!” Christopher says confidently. “We’re gonna be busy! Or maybe, until after tomorrow! I dunno!”       “We’ll call you, in short,” Christopher promises.       “Deal!” Edward exclaims. “Yeah, don’t dare to mix alcohol. And don’t forget you might become daddies if you don’t use a condom.”       “Don’t worry, MacClife, it’s gonna be cool!”       “Aha,” Kevin agrees and raises his thumb up. “Very cool!”       Edward shakes his head with a quiet chuckle and says goodbye to Christopher and Kevin by amicably shaking them by the hand, hugging them tightly, and clapping them on the back.       “Good luck, love heroes,” Edward says funnily. “Have unforgettable sex.”       “Thanks, dude,” Christopher and Kevin reply cheerfully.       “Chris, Kevin…” Lisa calls the men in a low voice.       “We’re coming, birdies,” Christopher purrs with a wide smile.       “We’re here…” Kevin adds funnily.       Christopher and Kevin shortly come to Lumina, Erica, and Lisa, who surround the men and start to hang on their arms. Edward chuckles quietly with his mouth closed with a hand, seeing his friends smile widely, raise their heads as proudly as eagles, hug the girls around the waist, caress some parts of their bodies, and touch or clap them on their buttocks, making them thrill with a loud laugh.       “Oh, fuck, luckily, I got off that prostitute…” Edward thinks, running his hand through his hair. “And I didn’t drink to the fuck… Or I would’ve cheated on Natalia with that gal. My girl wouldn’t forgive me for that. And I don’t wanna leave and lose her. Never. I love her. I don’t need any other girl except her.”       Edward clears his throat quickly, looks around, gets straight, and massages the small of his back a little.       “Okay, I’ve gotta get out before someone gets attached to me. I’d better walk in the city and go home on my feet. I’ll spend some time somewhere alone. I haven’t done it for ages.”       After turning his head and massaging his neck a little, Edward takes the money from his wallet to pay for the order, leaves it on the bar table, gets up slowly, and leaves the entertainment establishment to go on one of the ways to enjoy the gloomy but warm weather and walk in desert places, which have always been his favorites.       

***

      Meanwhile, Terrence and Raquelle are sitting at home. They spend some time in the living room talking about something with high glasses in their hands. But then their eldest servant, Christiana, comes to them hesitantly and asks them to give her two minutes. The lovers agree to give her a chance to say something very important, putting their empty glasses on the table, getting up from the sofa, and coming closer to her.       “Speak, Christiana,” Terrence says quietly. “What’s wrong?”       “Do you have problems?” Raquelle expresses anxiety with sadness in her eyes. “You look very excited.”       “Oh, actually, yes…” Christiana replies hesitantly, locking her fingers. “I have a problem…”       “How can we help you?”       “I should tell you something… My heart literally bleeds… But… Sadly, I have no choice.”       “Don’t worry, we will accept anything you will say,” Terrence says quietly.       “Oh…” Christiana moves her tense look aside, says nothing for two seconds, and looks at Terrence and Raquelle again. “I’m sorry… It’s just very hard…”       “What’s wrong?”       “So…” Christiana falls into silence for two seconds and exhales sharply with sadness in her eyes. “I must inform you that I want to leave my job.”       Raquelle and Terrence say nothing for two or three seconds, opening their eyes widely, looking at each other questioningly, and shaking their heads.       “Leave your job?” Raquelle specifies.       “But why?” Terrence wonders.       “I spent a lot of time deciding on it,” Christiana confesses quietly. “And I think the time has come…”       “Aren’t you happy with something? The problem is money? Or something else?”       “No, no, Terrence, no!” Christiana rounds her eyes. “I’m happy with everything! And I’m truly grateful to you for giving me this job.”       “But what’s wrong?”       “I have to get fired for family reasons. You know that my daughter is sick. I’ve been working here to get money for therapy for her. I’ve saved enough. And now it’s time to say goodbye to you… To keep taking care of Annabelle.”       “But, Christiana…” Terrence pronounces hesitantly.       “My husband and I have agreed with a clinic where my daughter would get help in recovery. And being next to Annabelle is very important to me during this long and hard therapy.”       “Listen, Christiana, we are really sorry for your daughter and truly wish her to get well,” Raquelle replies with sadness in her eyes. “But you can come back after the therapy is over at any time.”       “I’ve already decided it, Raquelle,” Christiana replies quietly. “It was very hard for me because I got attracted to you, Terrence, Blair, and Violetta. I feel like someone is taking a part of me… But… My child needs me.”       “We don’t want you to leave us,” Terrence replies with sadness in his eyes. “Neither Raquelle nor I want to say goodbye to you. And Violetta and Blair would be very upset if they knew about your wish to leave your job.”       “I had told them that before I decided to talk to you. Violetta and Blair got very devastated, but they said they’d accept my decision.”       “Listen, Christiana…” Raquelle frowns slightly, putting her finger on her lips. “How long ago did you start thinking of getting fired?”       “A long ago…” Christiana confesses with sadness in her eyes, barely holding her tears down. “But first, I didn’t want to leave my job. But now… I want to be next to my daughter. I’m ready to sacrifice anything for Annabelle. Even accept the fact that I will never find a job with the same salary.”       “Raquelle and I completely understand your pain,” Terrence says softly, putting his hand on his heart. “But, please, think better. How would you live after you got fired?”       “I wouldn’t do it, Terrence…” Christiana sniffs quietly. “But I have to. The therapy abroad is going to be long and… I will not be able to work at your house… I will not earn my money honestly.”       “It’s okay, you can leave for any period and come back after you finish her therapy,” Raquelle says confidently.       “You have Blair and Violetta. They are doing their job very well without any instructions. But if you want to have three servants, I will personally find someone to replace me. I have a familiar girl, who is looking for a job.”       “But we are all used to you,” Terrence replies with sadness in his eyes. “You’ve been doing your work so well. Raquelle and I have had no claims against you. And you, as the eldest of the servants, have controlled Violetta and Blair. We haven’t had to meddle and change a thing.”       “I thank you for such nice words with all my heart,” Christiana cracks a smile. “I’m glad to know you are happy with my work, and I'm sure you paid me for a reason.”       “We really appreciate everything you’ve done for us,” Raquelle says correctly. “But please, don’t make hasty decisions. Think well!”       “My husband and I would sell our apartment to get money for therapy and live with our relatives on their account if we had to find money for therapy. I know it’s going to be hard. But I’m ready to get through it for my girl’s health.”       “Christiana…”       “Let me contact my familiar girl today and ask her to come here, so you talk to her,” Christiana suggests. “The girl is very good. Very young… Even younger than Blair… Yes, maybe, she doesn’t have an education and doesn’t have a good brain, but my familiar is hard-working and obedient.”       “Listen, let’s sit down,” Terrence suggests thoughtfully, hugs Christiana around the shoulders, brings her to the sofa, seats her on it, and sits in front of her along with Raquelle. “Listen, Christiana, we are not going to make you work here against your wish. If you decide to get fired, we will not mind it. And we’ll probably talk to your familiar.”       “Terrence…”       “But Raquelle and I are worried about your life and your daughter’s. We want her to be okay. Want her to get through this illness, no matter how hard it is. Try to ask yourself what you’re going to do when your daughter gets well? We both completely understand how hard everybody, who’s working at our house, is working. And it must be well paid. Though, there are fewer people like us! There would be those, who give a damn about your hard work and obedience. Those, who pay you little money.”       “Don’t worry about me, I shall find the decision,” Christiana promises in a low voice, folding her hands in front of her. “But my daughter is more important to me now.”       “Terrence and I completely understand your situation and respect it,” Raquelle notices. “If you have to travel abroad, you can do it quietly without leaving your job.”       “Yeah, but I can’t!” Christiana exclaims excitedly. “If I leave and don’t work, what should you pay me for?”       “No problem,” Terrence says confidently. “We will just give you a vacation for as long as you need and pay no money.”       “Better give a job to my familiar.”       “Listen, let us at least take responsibility for a part of the cost of your flight and therapy,” Raquelle suggests. “As far as I understand, the amount is high.”       “Yes, Christiana, let us pay for just something,” Terrence adds.       “No, no, don’t do it!” Christiana rounds her eyes, raising her hand with her pal turned on Terrence and Raquelle. “My husband and I worked hard for many years to save the money. Yes, sometimes we had to refuse something, but we spare nothing for Annabelle.”       “Alright. But don’t leave your job. Get a vacation. For any period. You will come back to work when you heal your daughter.”       “Sure,” Raquelle agrees. “But if you wish to leave your job by that time, we will not hold you.”       “And even if we find another servant, you will always be able to come back.”       “Could you give me such a long vacation?” Christiana asks hesitantly. “The therapy is going to last for a few months or much more.”       “Your reason is honorable,” Raquelle replies amicably. “We can’t fire you for that.”       “I’m very sorry about what’s happening… But I have to do it.”       “Don’t apologize, Christiana, please,” Terrence says softly with an encouraging smile. “We understand everything and are ready to do everything you and your family need. Just let us know what you need, and we’ll do everything.”       “Thank you so much, Terrence, Raquelle,” Christiana pronounces with sadness in her eyes, folding her hands in front of herself. “You’ve always been very kind.”       “By the way, when are you planning to start therapy for your daughter?” Raquelle asks. “When are you going abroad?”       “In a mouth. And before the trip, we need to get some documents… Actually, my husband is working on it. I’m talking to doctors and working on money issues.”       “I’m sure it’s gonna be okay,” Terrence says with a slight smile. “Your daughter will be treated by experienced doctors.”       “I’m praying about it every day…” Christiana sighs quietly. “But no matter how hard I feel, I’m trying to believe in the best. And my daughter is holding on. Annabelle is actually a strong girl. She never falls into despair. She calms my husband and me down when we literally have hysteria.”       “I think it will help your daughter get rid of her illness,” Raquelle smiles shyly.       Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which everybody thinks about something with sadness in their eyes. But later, Terrence gets up from the sofa first, and then Raquelle and Christiana do the same.       “Okay, go to have a rest, and then we’ll talk about it again,” Raquelle says, folding and bending her hands in front of her.       “Yeah, have some rest,” Terrence nods. “Think a little and tell us your final decision.”       “Alright…” Christiana pronounces hesitantly. “Maybe, you have some orders?”       “No, we need nothing. Go to your room. Talk to Blair and Violetta. We told them to have a rest.”       “Maybe…” Christiana glances at the empty glasses placed on the table. “Do I take the glasses?”       “Yes, take them to the kitchen and go to have a rest,” Raquelle says thoughtfully.       “I’m sorry about what happened…”       Christiana takes the empty glasses from the table and goes to the kitchen, doing her best to hold on and not to cry. After watching the woman with sad eyes, Raquelle looks at Terrence, who shakes his head and locks his fingers tightly.       “Now I understand why she’s lately been so sad,” Terrence says with sadness in his eyes.       “I’ll be very upset if she decides to leave her job,” Raquelle replies quietly, embracing herself with both arms.       “Me too. But something tells me she’ll stay.”       “Ah, why is she so unlucky?” Raquelle sighs quietly with sadness in her eyes. “Christiana is such a good woman. But her daughter has been ill since birth.”       “I don’t know the illness of that girl, but I hope she’ll get through it. Or at least keep it under control.”       “Hey, what’s her age?”       “I dunno,” Terrence shrugs. “But seems like about twenty or twenty-five…”       “Young… Life lies in front of her…”       Seeing Raquelle embrace herself with both arms and looking down with sad eyes, Terrence hugs her tightly, presses her close to himself, and caresses her head.       “Let’s hope she’s gonna be fine,” Terrence expresses hope. “That she will get some help abroad.”       “Sometimes life can be too unfair,” Raquelle replies in a low, depressed voice. “Some bastards live as if nothing happens, but good folks suffer.”       “Don’t be upset, sweetie,” Terrence cracks a smile. “A black path can’t be forever. It will end early or late.”       Raquelle says nothing and sighs quietly, pressing herself as close as possible to Terrence, wrapping her arms around his waist, and putting her head on his shoulder. The man tenderly caresses the girl’s head with a slight smile and kisses her on the top of her head. But a few seconds later, Terrence steps back from Raquelle, puts his arm around her neck, and goes to the stairs, while she embraces herself with both arms again.       “Hey, hasn’t Daniel said anything about Anna?” Raquelle asks. “Hasn’t she woken up?”       “No, nothing has changed so far,” Terrence shakes his head. “But he’ll let us know if something changes. Daniel spends all his time in the hospital with Anna’s parents.”       At this moment, Terrence and Raquelle start getting upstairs.       “Oh, how much was the poor girl beaten that she is still unconscious?” Raquelle asks, holding the railing.       “Anna was madly lucky she didn’t get hard consequences.”       “Do you think she’s gonna be okay?”       “I believe the doctors. If they say, there’s nothing dangerous, that girl will be fine.”       Raquelle and Terrence go to the second floor and keep quietly going to their room down the long hall.       “But I’m getting more worried…” Raquelle confesses, putting her hand on her heart.       “Really?” Terrence rounds his eyes. “Somehow, you said you believed in the best!”       “I meant Daniel and Anna’s relationship. At least, I’m sure that my friend will appreciate his attempt to save her. But I can’t be sure that stinker won’t try to put her in a grave.”       “No, that bastard will no longer dare to touch her with a finger,” Terrence promises confidently. “He’s gonna get caught soon. As well as his father.”       “Hey, none of them have shown up after what happened to Anna? Maybe, they came to the hospital or the Seymours’ home?”       “Daniel said nothing about it. But I actually believe they’ll be hiding for some time. They’ll show themselves and become much more determined.”       “I hope we’ll know about their plans earlier and save the Seymours.”       “It’s gonna be fine, sweetheart. We’ll do our best for that.”       Terrence kisses Raquelle tenderly on the temple and comes to his room at this moment. The man opens the door, lets the girl go forward, and follows her after she enters.       “My heart squeezes when I think about everything poor Anna has had to experience,” Raquelle confesses, exhaling slowly and going further into the room. “She’s too sensitive and impressionable… I’d say, even more than Natalia.”       “We will help her forget everything and come to herself soon,” Terrence replies confidently, comes to Raquelle, and takes her softly by the shoulders. “She will no longer have to suffer alone.”       “It’s gonna be very hard for her. Nobody treated Anna like this before. She was never beaten and humiliated.”       “I’m sure Anna can do this. Natalia is also very sensitive and impressionable. But she survived what happened to her one day more or less well.”       “It took much effort,” Raquelle replies thoughtfully. “At least, she had Edward, who managed to make her happy and make her forget everything she experienced because of Michael and Eugene.”       “Yeah, Edward can find words to comfort Natalia. My little bro is pretty good at this. And he always knows what to do.”       “That guy knows his mission and is doing this successfully.”       “Yeah…” Raquelle nods and moves her sad eyes down, embracing herself with both arms. “But if Anna wanted to give Daniel a chance, he’d bring her back to life after everything she has experienced because of Julian.”       “Anything is possible, my sweetheart,” Terrence replies confidently with a slight smile. “Never say never.”       “Oh, I don’t know, Terrence…” Raquelle turns her back on Terrence, comes to the bed, and sits on it, setting her sad eyes on the floor and folding her hands in front of herself. “I’m scared… What if the former Anna will never come back to us? What if violence changed her forever?”       “Don’t be afraid, Raquelle, please,” Terrence sits down next to Raquelle, hugs her around the shoulders, presses her to himself, and puts his free hand on her hand. “I completely understand your feelings, but please, don’t think everything’s worthless, and we can see the solution to this problem in a dream.”       “Well, it’s not worthless…” Raquelle replies hesitantly. “But there is a reason to be afraid of bad things.”       “It’s gonna get better, my love,” Terrence smiles slightly. “Terrence MacClife himself promised.”       Terrence hugs Raquelle much tighter with both arms, burying his nose in the top of her head, caressing her head, and kissing her on the temple, while she just presses herself to her fiancé’s chest, and listens to his heartbeat, which calms her down a little.       “The guys and you are too sure it’s gonna be okay,” Raquelle notices quietly.       “We just see clear things and rate the situation soberly. Moreover, Edward and I went through similar things and had some experience that we could share with Daniel. It’s very hard for him now. No matter how hard he tries to hide his feelings. And we help him somehow.”       “His breakup with Anna is gonna break his heart.”       “Of course, the guys and I can try to talk to Anna and make her think better. But she’s gonna decide what to do. We can’t make her do what she doesn’t want.”       “Anna will be hiding her real feelings and even lying openly that she doesn’t love Daniel anymore. I mean, she is lying…” Raquelle shrugs. “I dunno… I just think of Natalia and me. Both of us hid what we felt and lied with no shame.”       “The wall between Daniel and Anna will break soon. It’s too fragile: one little push before nothing is left of it. Who knows, maybe, that girl will lose her temple someday and reveal her soul. Confess what we already know.”       “Maybe, you’re right…” Raquelle sighs tiredly. “But offense and pride may be too strong. Even if you love, these feelings don’t let you confess it.”       “Ah, Raquelle…”       Terrence sets himself comfortably on the bed, putting his legs on it, leaning his back on the wall, and presses Raquelle closer to himself. The girl lies next to him, puts her head on his shoulder, and puts her arms around her fiancé’s waist, while the man caresses her head and tenderly runs his fingers through her soft hair.       “Why do you, girls, love being so dramatic? You, Natalia, Helene… It would be okay if the situation was worthless, and we didn’t know how to help Anna. But we can end this story and save her!”       “You never know what’s gonna happen today, tomorrow, or else,” Raquelle replies with sadness in her eyes. “Today is kind of good, but tomorrow something will go wrong.”       “Raquelle, do you trust me?”       “Erm…” Raquelle stutters and rounds her eyes. “Excuse me?”       “You heard my question.”       “Terrence, what kind of question?” Raquelle steps back from Terrence, gets up, and surprisingly looks at the man. “I’ve always said and say I completely trust you.”       “Then trust me now, when I say your friend is gonna be okay, and her relationship with my buddy will get better,” Terrence replies confidently and gets up. “Early or late.”       “Sorry, sweetie, but I can’t be so sure.”       “It’s okay, the men and I will help you believe.” Terrence softly caresses Raquelle’s cheek and just puts his hand on it. “Edward has an influence on Natalia. Peter has something that helps him calm Helene down. But I know how to make you think what I want.”       “Yeah, but it’s a temporary thing…” Raquelle replies hesitantly, moving her eyes down.       “Then do everything to make it work all the time.” Terrence raises Raquelle’s face up by the chin and looks into her eyes confidently. “For example… Do you believe me when I say you’re a freaking attractive girl?”       “You don’t have to say it,” Raquelle cracks a smile. “You make me think so by saying nothing. By just looking at me.”       When Raquelle moves her eyes down, Terrence raises her face and grabs it.       “I know I can’t make you forget it and pretend that nothing happened,” Terrence says quietly. “But I want you to truly believe everything’s gonna get better. Yes, it’s very hard, but please… Try to do it for me. It's hurtful for me to see you sad.”       “You know that I’m trying,” Raquelle shrugs and chuckles nervously. “The day when I, Raquelle Cameron, don’t worry about what happens to my close people… Even when the case doesn’t have to do with her…”       At this moment, Terrence calls the memories of the talk in the hospital when Raquelle promised to tell him something. And this time, he is finally going to find out the secret that his beloved girl is hiding.       “You’re worried not only about Anna, Raquelle,” Terrence says quietly. “But also something else.”       Getting a little white and feeling how her heart starts beating faster, Raquelle looks into Terrence’s eyes hesitantly.       “Erm…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly. “What?”       “Don’t deny it. Because I’m right.”       “I… Erm…”       While Raquelle looks down and runs her hands over her face, Terrence takes her by the wrists.       “Do you remember our talk in the hospital?” Terrence asks quietly but confidently.       “Erm…” Raquelle gets confused. “The talk? In the… Hospital?”       “Bad memory? Or do you pretend?”       “Terrence…”       “Okay, it’s going to be easy for me to remind you. When I was in the hospital, I asked what you were worried about. I knew that the reason was not about your presentiment or what happened to me. You said there was something that made you nervous, but you swore you’d tell everything after my release from the hospital.” Terrence falls into silence for a second, while Raquelle starts breathing a little heavily. “So, I left. It’s been three days. But you promised to tell me everything on my release day.”       “Yeah, but…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly.       “I didn’t think about it due to Anna’s problem. But I did not forget it. And if you thought I wouldn’t come back to this, I want to disappoint you. I want to know everything you’re hiding from me.”       Understanding that she will not avoid the answer this time, Raquelle starts to shake from fear and twirl nervously on the bed, while her widely open eyes are running from one side to another but do not look at the man.       “Listen, Terrence…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice.       “No, Raquelle, you will not avoid the answer this time,” Terrence replies confidently. “No excuses. Stop, enough! I’ve been waiting for it for too long and am now going to find out the truth.”       “But…”       “Now!” Terrence pronounces a little louder.       “Maybe, we will talk about it the next time?”       “No! You will tell me everything right now!”       “The situation is not very good to talk about it and…”       “I said, no!” Terrence replies harshly and loudly. “You will tell me everything now! Enough, Raquelle, I am not going to watch your tears for a few more months!”       Being scared, Raquelle puts her head on her shoulders, feeling like a little child, while Terrence talks to her in such a severe voice.       “Terrence, please…” Raquelle begs in a shaking voice with tears in the corners of her eyes.       “Don’t irritate me, Cameron,” Terrence raises his voice, not hiding that he is irritated. “I’m sick of all of this! S-i-c-k! I’m fucking sick of guessing what the heck is happening to you, and what you need! Sick of your endless lies and pretense! I cannot take it forever!”       “But I…”       “Do you imagine how tense I’ve been because of trying to get into your mind and see your thoughts? We have nobody the fuck knows how many problems, but I also have to try to help you get through what I don’t know about! For a few months! I’ve been trying to understand why you’re unhappy when you must be happy for a few fucking mouths!”       “Please, honey…”       “Either you say what you hide immediately, or I leave you to the fuck! Take my stuff, cancel our engagement, and get out!”       “What?” Raquelle rounds her eyes.       “I am no longer going to be good for you. If you’re acting like you give a fuck about me, live your life. In which there won’t be me.”       “No, please, don’t talk to me like this,” Raquelle begs with despair and wipes tears under her eyes. “You’re hurting me…”       “I am not kidding, Raquelle,” Terrence replies coldly. “I no longer have a wish to spend my time on you. If you keep doing this, I will piss you off as well as all your problems. I am sick of all of this! SICK, THE FUCK!”       “No, no, Terrence, please…”       Raquelle gasps and shakes sharply with widely open eyes when Terrence grabs her by the wrists painfully and shakes the girl strongly, saying loudly and irritably:       “Do not test my patience! IT’S ALMOST GONE! DO NOT MAKE ME MAD IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO REGRET IT!”       Terrence sharply lets Raquelle’s hands go, and she starts to cry much more bitterly, doubling over, closing her face with both hands, and starting to shake from fear and horror much more strongly. A few seconds later, the man exhales slowly, recalling the words of his relatives about having to be soft and patient to learn the girl’s secret. Then he runs his hands over his face and softly caresses the shoulders of his pale and shaking fiancée.       “Okay, okay, sorry,” Terrence says much quieter and puts his hand on his forehead. “I crossed the line…”       Raquelle says nothing and keeps making quiet sobs, looking at Terrence with widely open eyes.       “But you see, you can’t hide your secrets forever. And I can’t tolerate it and pretend that nothing happens forever.”       “I know…” Raquelle pronounces in a quiet voice, looking at her hands folded in front of her.       “Let’s stop it all, Raquelle. It won’t make anyone feel better. Just tell me what you’re worried about, so I can help you.”       “Erm…” Raquelle swallows up nervously and moves her scared look to Terrence slowly and hesitantly. “It’s too hard… I’m scared…”       “Don’t be, sweetie,” Terrence replies quietly, tenderly caresses the cheek of the crying Raquelle, and moves some strands of hair off her face. “I’m your fiancé, not someone you don’t know. And I think I have the right to know about everything that’s happening to you.”       The closer the moment of the confession is, the more Raquelle gets nervous, not being able to hold her tears down.       “Forgive me…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice. “Forgive me, Terrence… I didn’t want it… I didn’t want it to happen…”       “It’s okay, honey, it’s okay,” Terrence replies softly, takes Raquelle’s hand, and puts his free hand on her cheek. “Try to calm down first and brace yourself. Look how you’re shaking…”       “How could I calm down at such a hard moment?” Raquelle makes a quiet sob.       “Listen, sweetheart, I know I scared you. But I promise I won’t do this anymore.”       “The case is not about it… I… I…” Raquelle closes her mouth with a hand and sniffs quietly. “Gosh…”       “Is everything so serious?”       “Yes, very serious… Very important…” Raquelle moves her eyes to Terrence slowly but confidently and rubs her hands nervously. “And… It… Has to do with me… And… You.”       “Me?” Terrence pronounces hesitantly. “So, am I the one to blame?”       “I’m sorry…” Raquelle apologizes loudly in despair. “Sorry… I didn’t want it…”       “Christ, what are you apologizing to me for?” Terrence wonders, being afraid that Raquelle would love to leave him. “What did I do?”       “You do…” Raquelle pronounces in a quiet, shaking voice.       “Please, Raquelle, explain everything to me. I can’t understand you and help you before I know the reason why you’re suffering.”       Raquelle hesitates for a few seconds, trying so hard to calm down and bracing herself at least for one word that would explain what is poisoning her. Tears are the reason why she gets blurry vision, her heart beats like crazy and is ready to jump out of her chest or actually stop, and her skin gets literally the same skin color as Terrence’s skin, which is pale from nature.       “Speak out!” Terrence exclaims, taking Raquelle’s hands tighter. “Don’t waste time!”       Raquelle exhales slowly with closed eyes and inclines her head, understanding that it’s hard for her to breathe, and the crazy beat of her heart echoes in her head. But a few seconds later, she barely makes herself pronounce just one word in a shaking voice:       “B-b-baby…”       “Baby?” Terrence frowns slightly. “What baby?”       “Your baby,” Raquelle sobs quietly and moves her wet eyes to Terrence. “I… Was pregnant… With your baby…”       “What?” Terrence feels how his heart starts beating faster. “My baby? You were pregnant?”       “Yup…”       “Gosh, Raquelle what are you talking about? And… Why you… Were pregnant?”       “I had a miscarriage,” Raquelle confesses hesitantly, making a quiet sob. “A few months ago…”       Getting sharply white and freezing from horror, Terrence opens his eyes widely and starts to choke from a lack of air.       “W-what?” Terrence pronounces hesitantly in a shaking voice. “What… Did… You say?”       “I lost the baby,” Raquelle confesses very quietly, inclining her head and moving her eyes to her hands. “Our baby… That could’ve been born…”       Terrence becomes speechless for a few seconds and feels like his tongue becomes numb. He can barely move his lips and understands that someone literally blocked oxygen, while every single muscle of him shakes involuntarily from a strong tension.       “Wait, wait, Raquelle…” Terrence jabs excitedly in a lower voice. “I don’t understand… What do you mean, ‘you lost our baby?’”       “It’s true, Terrence. There was the baby, who wasn’t born. To the great sadness…”       “But if it’s the truth, why didn’t I know anything? And how did it actually happen? When? Why?”       “It happened during the trial of your uncle Michael,” Raquelle confesses hesitantly.       “Trial of Uncle Michael?”       “Everybody was right when saying I’d been weird since that time. I was told about my pregnancy during the trial. I…” Raquelle moves her eyes to her hands. “I felt bad and went to a doctor. So, he said I was expecting a child…”       “But why? Why didn’t you tell me you were expecting a baby? How could you say nothing about it?”       “I swear I wanted to do it, but I didn’t know how!”       “And what does it mean?” Terrence, frowning slightly, puts his hand on his forehead. “Did you visit court proceedings when you were pregnant? And you were nervous!”       “I didn’t think it would happen at such a hard time!” Raquelle makes another sob. “I was told about it two weeks after the trial started.”       “And am I finding it out now?” Terrence wonders loudly. “You felt bad and went to the doctor, but I didn’t know it?”       “I didn’t know how to tell you about it!” Raquelle confesses with despair and grabs her head, as she is breathing heavily. “The situation was so tense, and I got pregnant at the bad moment.”       “But that’s not an excuse!” Terrence resents loudly. “Not an excuse for your cowardice!”       “Listen, Terrence…”       “No, that’s not the truth!” Terrence shakes his head. “You’re lying to me… The problem is different. You thought up the child!”       “No, I swear it’s true! That’s what I was hiding all this time. What was poisoning me and not letting me be truly happy.”       “You must have told me about it anyway!” Terrence says loudly and irritably. “I’m the fucking father of that baby! I must have known it!”       “I swear I tried to find a way to tell you about the child,” Raquelle replies with despair in a shaking voice.       “How could you?” Terrence wonders in a low voice. “How? What did I do to you if you did that to me?”       “Please, Terrence, forgive me…”       “Or am I not a father of the child?” Terrence crosses his arms over his chest. “Were you afraid to tell me about your pregnancy because I wasn’t the father? Did you the fuck have a wild time? You fucked another man secretly from me?”       “Gosh, honey, how could you say it?” Raquelle makes a couple of sobs. “That was your child! I didn’t sleep with anyone!”       “I would not be surprised! How many hungry men go around you and drool over you! ANYONE could spread your legs and make a child with you!”       “You’re outta your mind, Terrence! You don’t know what you’re saying!”       “Is it not true? Didn’t you want to tell me about your pregnancy because I wasn’t the father?”       “I just didn’t wanna make you upset and much more nervous at that hard time, when the trial of your uncle, his gang, and your brother was happening.”       “Ha! Upset? UPSET?” Terrence gets up sharply from the bed, breathing heavily enough, tightly clenching his hand into a fist and looking at Raquelle with dumbfounded, widely open eyes. “Is this how you excuse your cowardice? DID NOT WANT TO MAKE ME THE FUCK UPSET!”       “Don’t scream at me…” Raquelle cringes from fear. “Please…”       “Insane! FUCKING INSANE!” Terrence puts his hands on his hips. “It seems like I’m a stranger to my fiancée. Who THE FUCK LOVES PLAYING ON MY NERVES!”       “Terrence, for God’s sake…”       “Did I deserve it?” Terrence wonders with evil in his eyes. “WHAT DID I DO IF YOU HAVE NOT LEARNED TO RESPECT ME? IF YOU KEEP TREATING ME LIKE I AM NOTHING?”       "I didn’t have time! I was coming to myself and thinking about how to tell you about the child for a too long time.”       “Stop excusing yourself, Cameron!” Terrence shouts and starts to wave his hands. “YOUR ACT CANNOT BE EXCUSED!”       “Terrence, please…”       “You must have taken care of you. Thought of your child! But no! You thought of anything but that! You knew what all of that would lead to. But you kept harming the baby. Who wasn’t guilty of anything. Who wasn’t guilty of having a mother without a brain!”       “No, don’t say that!”       “And how long did it last? How many times had you gone to the hearings before you killed my child?”       “I ran into the consequences two weeks later…” Raquelle replies, moving her eyes to her hands. “I lost the baby on the day when the lads and you decided to spend time at the studio.”       “Great! Why did nobody tell me? Where were the servants?”       “There was nobody near me… I was alone when I felt a strong pain in my stomach and found out I started to bleed. Not wasting time, I got into my car and went to the hospital… And I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to do it because I got worse somewhere in half of the way.”       “Idiot…” Terrence exhales sharply. “Just a brainless idiot… I’ve got nothing to say…”       “The doctors examined me and said my baby died…” Raquelle doubles over with tears much more and embraces herself with both arms, while Terrence watches her with evil in his eyes, tightly clenching his hands into fists and breathing heavily enough. “The doctors insisted that I stayed. And they wanted to call someone from my family… But I persuaded them to say nothing to anyone and let me go. They said they should’ve watched me and done some tests… But I eventually left after taking responsibility for the consequences.”       “Oh, shit…” Terrence growls irritably.       “And using the fact that nobody guessed anything, I decided to hide it… And confess everything after the trial. But I didn’t do that… I was afraid… I thought it wouldn’t make my life worse. But… It did…”       Raquelle’s confession makes Terrence enraged and disappointed. The man says nothing for a few seconds and looks at the girl crying bitterly with eyes full of hate and despise. Being blinded by the anger, he does not notice the girl’s tears and hear her voice full of pain and despair, nervously walking in the room, grabbing his hair with both hands, and getting literally red from anger.       “I can’t believe it!” Terrence says, being excited. “I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!”       Terrence turns on Raquelle sharply and tightly clenches his hands into fists, looking at the pale, crying girl with his evil eyes.       “So, is that why you tortured me all this time? All of those hysterics that you had all day and all night, tears, sufferings… Because of your reluctance to confess you killed my child?”       “No, Terrence, please, don’t say it!” Raquelle begs desperately with tears in her eyes. “I killed nobody…”       “How do you call it? HOW? TELL ME? Don’t dare to say it was an ACCIDENT! Because it was NOT AN ACCIDENT!”       “Not truth!”       “Why, Raquelle? Why did you do it to me? Did I deserve it?”       “I didn’t want to hurt you…”       “Did you decide to take revenge on me? For the mistakes of the past! Even if you were guilty of the fact that our relationship was about to end!”       “No, I didn’t try to take revenge on you!” Raquelle protests with greater despair. “I didn’t even have this thought!”       “Have you played love with me all this time? Haven’t you gotten a real love for me? Don’t you still need me?”       “No, Terrence, it’s a lie! I didn’t play love for you! I truly love you!”       “Maybe, I’m not a perfect man and have made tons of mistakes in my life. But I didn’t deserve it! I DID NOT DESERVE!”       “I know you feel pain, but…”       “You knew how much I wanted a child! How I dreamed of taking my little baby in my arms someday! But you deprived me of that chance. You killed my child! KILLED!”       “I also wanted this child! I fell in love with the one shortly after I heard about my pregnancy!”       “My baby…” Terrence pronounces in a shaking voice, barely holding tears of despair down. “My baby is dead… They’re gone… Because of you! BECAUSE OF YOU, IDIOT!”       “I’m very sorry,” Raquelle pronounces with tears in her eyes. “I didn’t want it to happen.”       “Yeah? Maybe, you don’t actually want children?” Terrence turns on Raquelle sharply and tightly clenches his hands into fists, doing his best to hold himself down toward Raquelle not to do what he may regret. “I never heard about your wish to become a mother! You care about your modeling career much more, just like then.”       “Yes, I wasn’t ready for children then! But when I got a love for you, I realized I wanted to raise them with you.”       “Yeah, but when you got pregnant, you decided to provoke a miscarriage! Kill my child!”       “You’re unfair to me!”       “UNFAIR? UNFAIR? SHOULD I HAVE CARESSED YOUR HEAD? KISSED YOU AFTER OUR CHILD DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!”       “I know my act can’t be excused!” Raquelle pronounces in a heartbreaking way. “But I’m very sorry… I swear I didn’t want to hurt you.”       “Don’t try to pity me!” Terrence throws rudely. “It will not work with me!”       “I was just afraid to confess everything. I was afraid of your reaction… I was afraid you’d leave me and cancel our engagement. That’s why I delayed this moment…”       “Ha, were you afraid I’d leave you?” Terrence smirks evilly. “But weren’t you the fuck afraid to keep silent and get on my nerves?”       “I didn’t want it…”       “Didn’t you think my patience wasn’t endless? Someday, I could leave you to the fuck!”       “No! I’m even afraid to think about it!”       “I’d rather have found out everything THEN, during the trial of Uncle. Instead of suffering for more than half a year and trying to please Her Highness. How many times I dried your tears off, calmed you down, and took of you like a child… Woke you up when you were unconscious on the floor… Trying not to go crazy when looking at you IN SUCH A TERRIBLE CONDITION!”       “I understand it…”       “YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!” Terrence screams at the top of his lungs, waving his hands nervously. “NOTHING!”       “Forgive me…” Raquelle begs with tears in her eyes and sniffs quietly. “I’m really sorry…”       “You did a disgusting thing, Raquelle,” Terrence says rudely. “And it cannot be excused!”       “I didn't do it on purpose. It happened accidentally…”       “I was ready for anything. ANYTHING! Even for your wish to break up with me. But I could not think one confession would make me SO disappointed in you.”       “I did it because I was afraid of your reaction.”       “You must have told me that!” Terrence says rudely. “MUST HAVE! So, I, bitch, locked you at home and did not let you go to the hearings!”       “I would’ve been worried, no matter if I had been at home or in the courtroom.”       “NO!” Terrence comes to Raquelle sharply and sets his cold, confident gaze at her. “I would have MADE you forget about the trial and take care of yourself and my child. If I had had to, I would’ve brought you to your relatives or much further.”       “Please, Terrence, try to understand me,” Raquelle begs with pity and tears in her eyes. “I didn’t really want that to happen.”       “Since you kept behaving like that, even when you knew about the child, you definitely gave a fuck about the one.”       “Not truth! You can’t even imagine what kind of guilty conscience I felt all this time.”       “If you had wanted, you would’ve taken CARE of yourself and the child!” Terrence says rudely. “But you gave a fuck about them and did not think of my feelings. You tortured me with your fucking hysterics instead of telling me the truth.”       “Listen, Terrence…”       “I’m sick of your caprices, Raquelle! SICK! I AM SICK OF EVERYTHING! I CANNOT TAKE IT ALL ANYMORE!”       “Don’t scream, please…” Raquelle begs quietly with a scare in her wet, widely open eyes, feeling like a little, unprotected girl.       “DON’T SCREAM?” Terrence starts to wave his hands sharply. “I BARELY HOLD MYSELF DOWN NOT TO STRANGLE YOU! NOT TO SLAP YOU IN THE FACE! YOU, BITCH, LOVE PLAYING ON MY NERVES!”       “Not true! I don’t want to play on your nerves!”       “Do not pity me, Cameron,” Terrence demands coldly. “Your puppy eyes will not help you.”       “But, Terrence…”       “Do you really think I will forgive you after THAT? After you killed my child and said nothing about it?”       “You promised to understand me…” Raquelle makes a couple of sobs. “You’re like a mother, who promises not to swear at her child for an honest confession, but does it when they trust her.”       “Yeah? Should I also thank you?”       “Please, honey, support me…” Raquelle sniffs quietly and inclines her head. “I need you… I can’t fight with this alone.”       “Ah, support you?” Terrence exclaims with rolled eyes.       “Terrence, please…”       “Are you really asking me to support you?” Terrence wonders in a strongly shaking voice full of despair and pain, while his eyes get a little wet. “After you showed your real attitude toward me!”       “I’m not a betrayer!” Raquelle protests loudly.       “Yeah, but who are you?” Terrence snaps rudely. “Innocent angel?”       “No…” Raquelle moves her eyes to her hands. “I’m not perfect… Besides… Erm…”       Raquelle falls into silence and bites her lip slightly, realizing that if she continues to speak, the furious Terrence may easily kill her.       “What?” Terrence hisses through his teeth. “Why did you fall into silence?”       But Raquelle says nothing and sniffs quietly, wiping tears off her face with her shaking hands.       “Speak out if you started it!” Terrence demands rudely. “Or will I have to get everything out of you by force?”       Raquelle gasps loudly when Terrence comes to her sharply, grabs her by the shoulders painfully, and shakes strongly, looking at her with such a horrifying gaze that her heart misses a beat.       “SPEAK, I SAID!” Terrence breaks into a cry. “DO NOT MAKE ME ENRAGED!”       “You…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice, forgetting how to breathe from fear. “Y-y-you…”       “WHAT!” Terrence screams with widely open eyes full of evil. “WILL YOU SPEAK?”       Raquelle cringes in fear and puts her head on her shoulders, still crying bitterly and making Terrence much more enraged.       “STOP THE FUCK CRYING!” Terrence screams at the top of his lungs, clenches his hand into a fist, and raises it to slap Raquelle.       “No, don’t do this!” Raquelle screams hysterically, closing her face with both hands. “Don’t do this…”       “SPEAK THE FUCK OUT!”       “Y-y-you… Y-you…”       “WHAT!”       “You’re not the first one… Who knows about the child…”       “What?” Terrence pushes Raquelle sharply off himself and looks at her more furiously and colder.       “Not first…” Raquelle inclines her head and sniffs quietly. “Not first…”       “Did you, bitch, tell someone else about it?”       “Yeah…” Raquelle pronounces hesitantly.       “Fuck!” Terrence gets enraged. “FUCK! I don’t know what the fuck to say!       “Sorry!”       “Do you think you did not betray me? You did not mix my feelings with dirt? I did everything for you and your happiness, but that’s what you did to me. You thanked me for everything I did for you in THAT WAY? I’ve done so much for you, but you did not appreciate it! DID NOT!”       “No, Terrence, that’s not the truth!”       “Who knows it?” Terrence runs to Raquelle sharply. “Who learned about the child earlier than me?”       But Raquelle says nothing, silently praying that this hell ends as soon as possible.       “Did you hear my question?” Terrence hisses through his teeth, grabs Raquelle painfully under her elbows along with her loud shout, and shakes her strongly. “WHO ELSE THE FUCK KNOWS ABOUT THE CHILD?”       “P-p-please, T-t-terrence…” Raquelle pronounces in a whisper in a shaking voice.       “SPEAK BEFORE I STRANGLE YOU!”       “Y-y-your f-family…”       “CLEARLY, THE FUCK!” Terrence screams and hits his hand strongly against the table placed near the bed, making Raquelle shake sharply.       “Terrence, stop!” Raquelle screams with horror in widely open eyes.       “WHO KNOWS IT, I ASKED!” Terrence squeezes Raquelle’s throat tightly, making her choke from a lack of air. “SPEAK, BITCH!”       “P-parents…” Raquelle barely pronounces, clenching her hands into fists. “Y-u-your p-p-p-parents… And b-b-brother…”       “What? My parents and brother?”       “They know everything…” Raquelle confesses quietly with tears in her eyes.       “And since when have they known it, let me ask you?”       “They…” Raquelle makes a quiet sob. “They…”       “ANSWER, BITCH!” Terrence demands irritably, grabbing Raquelle rudely by the collar of her black silk blouse. “DO NOT PRETEND THAT YOU ARE DEAF OR STUPID!”       “When you were in the hospital!” Raquelle jabs in one breath.       “When I was in the hospital?” Terrence sharply pushes Raquelle off himself, thinks for a few seconds, and recalls the days that he spent in the hospital. “Second… No, it’s impossible… I don’t believe it…”       Terrence puts his hand on his forehead.       “Did…” Terrence shakes his head. “Edward… Mother… Father… They know everything?”       Raquelle says nothing but inclines her head, doubles over, and sniffs quietly, still choking with bitter tears.       “That’s why… That’s why they insisted on this talk so hard… I’m an idiot… Why didn’t I pay attention to their weird behavior then? I saw them being nervous, but didn’t care about it.”       “Listen, Terrence…” Raquelle tries to say hesitantly.       “They knew everything. They knew everything but decided to say nothing. MIX MY FEELINGS WITH MUD!”       “No, that’s not the truth!”       “Fuck…” Terrence runs his hands over his face with an irritated moan. “My own family betrayed me, too… At first, it was my fiancée, and now my parents and brother.”       “Terrence, please, don’t be mad at them,” Raquelle begs with pity. “I told them everything and asked them to keep silent. I thought you should’ve heard about the miscarriage from me.”       “They pretended that they knew nothing…” Terrence sneers contemptuously. “I should’ve guessed Edward really knew something. He spoke with some hints much more. And he’s lately been restless. And when I asked if I had to hear something shocking, that guy avoided the answer.”       “Please, honey…”       “I wonder, who heard about the miscarriage first?”       “Edward…” Raquelle moves her eyes to her hands. “He was the first one to know it… And then your parents…”       “Ha, fuck!” Terrence puts his hands on his hips. “You decided to talk to my brother, not me! Edward became more important to you. If you started to trust your secrets with HIM, NOT ME!”       “I couldn’t keep silent anymore! And I told him everything when you ended up in the hospital. Edward and I talked face-to-face when your doctor told us about your condition. I told him what made me anxious all that time. And then your parents came to us, and I told them everything. They all agreed to be silent when I begged them to let me tell you everything.”       “Bravo, Raquelle Allison Cameron, bravo!” Terrence applauds loudly. “I have nothing to say!”       “I didn’t do it on purpose!”       “So, is my family more important to you than me? Do you give a fuck about me? You forgot that I am your fiancé! LOOK!” Terrence shows Raquelle the back of her left hand and points at the engagement ring on her ring finger. “WE ARE ENGAGED! YOU AGREED WITH IT! But if you didn’t want it, you could say it THEN! SO, I DID NOT SPEND MY TIME ON YOU!”       “No! I love you! I want to get married to you! I wanna live with you and raise our children!”       “Don’t tell me Mr. Cameron and Alicia also know about the child. I am sure that’s true! Those people also got nervous at some moment!”       “Yeah, they know everything…”       “Here’s the proof!” Terrence throws coldly. “They went against me! When I was in the hospital and dying after saving the man, who preferred being by the side of the betrayer.”       “Edward, your parents, and my grandfather and aunt don’t have to do with this story. Yes, they know everything, but they were silent at my plea. They’re guilty of nothing!”       “I will even tell you WHEN Alicia and Mr. Cameron found out everything. When they allegedly took you to the cafeteria, while Amanda and Anna stayed in the room.”       “It’s true, but…”       “YOU ALL BETRAYED ME! ALL! You didn't surprise me! But I am shocked by how MY FAMILY betrayed me!”       “Nobody betrayed you, Terrence,” Raquelle protests with tears in her eyes. “You are out of your mind.”       “I DO KNOW WHAT I SAY!” Terrence sharply turns on Raquelle and clenches his hands into fists so strongly that his knuckles get white, as he looks at the crying girl, who does not know where to hide from the man’s anger. “I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING! MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE!”       “You got it all wrong…”       “I GOT IT ALL CORRECTLY!”       “Forgive me…” Raquelle begs with pity in her eyes and sniffs quietly. “I didn’t want…”       “Now I don’t know how I can be with you after what you did to me. HOW I CAN MARRY YOU!”       “Don’t say it, Terrence…” Raquelle gets up slowly from the bed and comes to Terrence, while he looks at her with his arms crossed over his chest. “Don’t you see how bad I feel? I know I did a bad thing to you. But I swear, I’m very sorry about it.”       “Shut up, nasty gal!” Terrence throws rudely. “And stop hoping I will calm down and forgive you for your lie and betrayal. This time, you REALLY betrayed me.”       “I didn’t betray you…”       “Alright, I’m done! I’m no longer going to be your babysitter. ENOUGH! I am sick of you whining and having hysterics. I am fucking sick of this. THESE FEW MONTHS GOT ME SUPER EXHAUSTED!”       “Please…” Raquelle tries to touch Terrence’s forearm.       “Do not dare to touch me!” Terrence throws rudely, stepping back from Raquelle sharply.       “Terrence, listen to me…” Raquelle makes a quiet sob and just wants to come to Terrence.       “I said it unclearly?” Terrence grabs Raquelle under the elbow painfully. “DO NOT TOUCH ME! DO NOT DARE TO COME TO ME!”       “No, Terrence, for God’s sake…”       “You’re disgusting to me…” Terrence pushes Raquelle off himself and looks at her from head to foot with contempt. “Bitch… An insolent, selfish liar…”       “I don’t deserve to be treated like this,” Raquelle shakes her head.       “DON’T YOU DESERVE?” Terrence sneers contemptuously. “How do you, scumbag, dare to say it? YOU DO KNOW YOU’RE GUILTY, BUT YOU PRETEND TO BE INNOCENT AND WANT ME TO PITY YOU!”       “But you promised!”       “I don’t know what I promised! But DO NOT COUNT on my support!”       “Please, Terrence… Don’t do this to me…”       “Fuck, when will you STOP THE HECK CRYING?” Terrence groans irritably, grabbing his hair. “I AM SICK OF YOUR TEARS AND WHINING!”       “I need your support…” Raquelle replies in a strongly shaking voice with tears in her eyes.       “Can you actually be happy and smile? Can you live just ONE day without tears and hysterics?” Terrence painfully grabs Raquelle by the forearms and shakes her strongly, while she feels how her legs get weak from a fear of a man. “I cannot remember when I saw you in a normal condition the last time!”       “Please, Terrence, come to yourself. You don’t know what you’re doing.”       “I DO!” Terrence bellows with anger. “I KNOW IT!”       “You are not the Terrence I know. Not the one!” Raquelle sniffs quietly. “I’m standing in front of the monster!”       “If you, bitch, don’t shut up, I shall slap you in the face,” Terrence threatens and pushes Raquelle sharply off himself. “YOU WILL KNOW WHO TERRENCE MACCLIFE IS WHEN SOMEONE GETS HIM MAD!”       “You’re sick! JUST SICK! AND YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE!”       “You are guilty! If you did not make me mad by your tricks, everything would be OKAY!”       “Ask yourself WHY I was afraid!” Raquelle raises her voice and puts her hands on her hips. “WHY did I want to say nothing? Because you are a hysterical psycho! And it’s not a secret for anyone! The show business knows it! Your family knows! All your friends! And me!”       “I NEVER get wild without a reason!” Terrence says confidently, gesticulating actively. “If I lose my mind, I do it because some scumbags like you MAKE ME ANGRY!”       “You must get therapy, MacClife! A little bit before you definitely go outside with a gun and start to shoot everyone down to the fuck!”       “Ha, you dare to insult me?” Terrence points at himself with a finger.       “You thought I would be silent?”       “We agreed to be open to each other. And I have ALWAYS been honest with you. But you lied to me!”       “If you didn’t have mental issues, I wouldn’t be silent!”       “Stop, I lost my patience! I no longer wish to fight with you and your demons. I am SICK of that! SICK, THE FUCK! LIFE WITH YOU IS LIKE A VOLCANO! YOU GOT ME SUPER EXHAUSTED!”       “DON’T SCREAM, PSYCHO!” Raquelle breaks into a cry.       “Close your mouth, nasty bitch…” Terrence hisses through his teeth, threatening Raquelle with a finger. “AND NEVER OPEN IT!”       “Don’t tell me what to do!”       “You will ask for trouble, bitch!” Terrence grabs Raquelle’s hair painfully. “Or I shall hit you. AND I WILL NEVER REGRET IT!”       “I expected nothing else from you, sick bastard,” Raquelle smirks contemptuously. “You can wave your hands very well! As well as give slaps to girls and pull them by the hair.”       Terrence sharply grabs Raquelle under her elbows and throws her on the bed, making her scream loudly with horror in her eyes. Then the man raises himself above her, raises her hands above her head, and holds them tightly, while she starts to resist with a fast heartbeat.       “Do you like to make me mad?” Terrence asks with evil in his eyes. “LIKE? YOU DO WAIT FOR A SLAP IN YOUR FACE FROM SOMEONE!”       “Oh, yeah!” Raquelle rolls her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to get her hands out of Terrence’s grip. “I kind of dream about it! I want to get a slap from the bastard, who must be in a mental hospital!”       “If you don’t close your mouth, I WILL STRANGLE YOU! WITH MY OWN HANDS!”       “COME ON! COME ON, KILL ME! END ALL OF THIS! I’m sure you will find a good lawyer, who will make the judge sure that you are sweet and fluffy, and I am the only one to blame.”       “You got too brave kind of quickly. You cried and shook like a cowardly bunny some time ago, but now you are sassy.”       “I am not afraid of you!” Raquelle says confidently.       “So, you will be now!” Terrence tightly grabs Raquelle by the throat and squeezes it strongly, making her shake slightly with a loud shout and widely open eyes and start to choke from a lack of air. “So! Why are you silent? You put your tail between your legs?”       “Let go…” Raquelle barely pronounces, slapping Terrence on his arms strongly. “I… I can’t… Breathe…”       “Are you regretting being sassy?” Terrence asks with an evil smirk and squeezes Raquelle’s throat much tighter, while she unsuccessfully tries to weaken his grip. “You should’ve thought about it earlier. I am not the one to blame for the fact that you’re a brainless idiot, who does first and then thinks.”       “Psycho… Just a psycho…”       Said by the hysterical gal!” Terrence strongly hits the back of Raquelle’s head against the pillow but weakens the grip later. “YOU MADE ME THE ONE!”       “You’re unfair to me…” Raquelle pronounces in a shaking voice through tears and a cough. “I DID NOT DESERVE IT!”       “YOU DID DESERVE IT!” Terrence screams with evil in widely open eyes and rudely grabs Raquelle’s hair, which he pulls painfully. “YOU BETRAYED ME! KILLED MY CHILD!”       “I DID NOT BETRAY YOU!”       “SHUT UP, BITCH!” Terrence sharply turns Raquelle’s head to the side, gets off her, and stands up from the bed. “AND STOP CRYING! AND WHINE LIKE A DOG!”       “Please, Terrence…” Raquelle sits up slowly, fixing her disheveled hair and coughing at times. “Don’t do this to me…”       “You always cry! ALWAYS! Every fucking day! Tears have become your companion! THEY MAKE ME THE FUCK IRRITATED! I CANNOT SEE THEM! I CANNOT!”       With these words, Terrence sharply throws everything off the table near the bed, on which there is his stuff, and hits it with a fist. While the white and shaking Raquelle presses her knees to her chest, looking like a little child, who is hiding from creepy ghosts.       “Stop…” Raquelle begs in a shaking voice and makes a loud sob. “Please…”       “Do not dare to come to me,” Terrence throws coldly, breathing heavily enough. “Never. Hear me… NEVER! You better go to my brother or my parents! They will be happy to wipe your tears off! And I am done!”       “N-no…” Raquelle shakes her head sharply. “Terrence, no, don’t d-dot it to me… P-p-please!”       “I do not wish to see you and hear you.”       “No, Terrence!” Raquelle screams with despair and tears in her eyes. “No! You can’t leave me! NO!”       “I have said everything, Cameron!” Terrence throws rudely. “From now on, I do not care about your life anymore!”       “Please, sweetie, don’t do this… Don’t leave me!”       Raquelle creeps closer to the edge of the bed to get closer to Terrence, who steps aside sharply after she barely touches his hand.       “Leave me alone!” Terrence throws rudely.       “Please, stay,” Raquelle whispers. “Don’t leave me alone…”       When Raquelle manages to take Terrence under his arm, he sets his arm free sharply the next second and pushes the girl away very rudely so that she falls on the bed with a loud shout.       “I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!” Terrence screams irritably.       “Please, Terrence…” Raquelle begs loudly.       “STOP IRRITATING ME!” Terrence runs to Raquelle, squeezes her chin tightly with one hand, and squeezes her throat with another hand while she, lying on the bed, chokes from a lack of oxygen. “I HAVE A HEADACHE!”       “Wake up!” Raquelle screams with greater despair and sniffs quietly. “YOU’RE NOT YOURSELF!”       “I wish you never stood in my way, asshole.” Terrence grabs Raquelle rudely by the hair and pulls it strongly. “If I see you one mile away from me, you will regret being born in the world.”       “You will regret what you’re doing now.”       “SHUT UP!” Terrence closes Raquelle’s mouth tightly with a hand, setting his widely open, bloodshot eyes in her wet eyes full of horror, while her whole body is shaking strongly. “SHUT UP, I SAID!”       Raquelle whines quietly, as she is crying bitterly, having a fast heartbeat while looking at Terrence with eyes full of horror, and being scared to death of his behavior.       “Don’t dare to chase me, bitch,” Terrence says rudely and, still keeping Raquelle’s mouth closed, raises her sharply and grabs the girl painfully by the hair with his free hand. “If you do not want to die, do not get closer to me. NEVER! YOU GOT IT, IDIOT? NEVER! I DO NOT WISH TO HEAR AND SEE YOU!”       Terrence sharply throws Raquelle on the bed and takes his phone from the table near the girl’s side and something from the floor. Then the man finds a black denim jacket that he sees first and comes to the door with a short, confident walk. While Raquelle having red, puffy, and wet eyes moves closer to the edge of the bed and starts to shout with despair:       “Terrence! Terrence, please, don’t leave me! Don’t do this to me! Terrence! I didn’t want to do it! Terrence!”       But Terrence ignores Raquelle and leaves the room as fast as a bullet after taking everything he needs and slamming the door.       “Don’t leave me all alone…” Raquelle pronounces in a whisper and runs her hands over her disheveled hair, doubling over.       Raquelle, burying her face in the blanket, cries bitterly for a few seconds and curses herself for bringing the situation to such a serious scandal.       “My gosh, for what?” Raquelle asks in a shaking voice. “For what? I didn’t want it to happen… I didn’t… I didn’t wanna make him so wild… Gosh… If the MacClifes stand in his way, they’ll surely fight. Because of me…”       Raquelle closes her face with both hands for a few seconds and runs them over her head: from the top of her head to the nape of her neck.       “I don’t wanna lose everything…” Raquelle whispers with a part of despair. “Don’t wanna lose my beloved man… I won’t take it. I will not do this!”       Raquelle takes one of the pillows from the bed and hugs it tightly, getting up slowly, putting her laps under herself, and continuing to cry bitterly.       “This time, our relationship will be over. Because of me! Because of the cowardly idiot, who messed up everything. Terrence will never forgive me. Never! I lost him! LOST! LOST!”       After screaming out the last words at the top of her lungs, Raquelle throws the pillow aside, falls on the bed like a stone, and closes her face with her hands, still crying bitterly all alone and being terribly afraid that the confession of the truth is going to make the situation much worse.       

***

      Somewhere after four in the afternoon, Daniel, Maximilian, and Lillian met at the hospital again and decided to discuss the current situation at the cafeteria, where they came to drink some water and coffee that they bought.       “It’s been so long, but she hasn’t woken up yet,” Maximilian notices with anxiety with a cup of coffee in his hands. “Honestly, I’m getting more nervous.”       “I don’t like this, either…” Daniel confesses thoughtfully, wrapping a bottle of water in his hands. “I thought she was supposed to wake up earlier.”       “But her doctor gives us hope and says everything’s going to be alright,” Lillian recalls, folding her hands on the table in front of herself. “It still makes me believe the miracle will happen soon.”       “Now we only have to wait…” Maximilian concludes. “We can do nothing.”       “But we can do our best for her to get through this nightmare,” Daniel notices.       Lillian and Maximilian silently throw a sad look at each other and look at Daniel, noticing that he looks white and tired.       “You know, Daniel, you better have a good rest,” Lillian says with sadness in her eyes. “You’ve been so exhausted over the past days.”       “Don’t worry, Mrs. Seymour,” Daniel replies quietly, putting the bottle of water on the table and locking his fingers tightly. “I’m fine.”       “Say, do you actually go home?” Maximilian asks suspiciously and takes a sip of coffee. “Or do you spend nights at chairs in the hall or Anna’s room?”       “Yes, sure,” Daniel nods. “I go home. I would like to be with Anna all the time. But the doctors don’t allow me to do it.”       “I get it…” Lillian pronounces with sadness in her eyes and sighs heavily. “Honestly, Maximilian and I would also be next to our daughter all day long. But we have something to do and can’t save it for later.”       “But if we had to find out some news about our daughter, we would come here shortly,” Maximilian adds confidently.       “Just like the friends of Anna and me…” Daniel replies thoughtfully.       “By the way, will they come today?”       “Some of them said they would do it. And I can’t call the others.”       “Busy, too?” Lillian rounds her eyes.       “I don’t know, maybe… Anyway, I keep them aware of everything. But I have nothing to say because there are no changes.”       “You know, Daniel…” Lilian drinks some coffee from her cup. “Although we’ve said it, I want to repeat that you have amazing friends. And Anna’s friends are very good. I know none of them will hurt my daughter.”       “Come on, Mrs. Seymour!” Daniel cracks a smile. “If some of them were bad, I would not approve of Anna’s communication with them. I completely trust my friends and feel quiet when she is with those people.”       “Oh, God, how unfair we were to all of you…” Maximilian sighs quietly with sadness in his eyes. “It hurts that we didn’t notice we were pushing Anna to bad people.”       “It often happens that parents and children don’t understand each other and speak different languages. There are those, who can’t solve this problem many years later.”       “Anyway, we’re sorry about understanding this too late…”       “But Anna doesn’t love you less,” Daniel cracks a smile. “She’s always said she loves her parents, despite nothing. Your daughter is grateful for everything you have given to her.”       “Maximilian and I are starting to realize that we were bad parents for her,” Lillian confesses with sadness in her eyes. “We’ve always wished Anna the best and said we did everything for her best. But we decided everything for her and didn’t give her a right of voice. She was kind of a child.”       “But our daughter was much smarter and braver than all of her relatives,” Maximilian adds thoughtfully.       “Don’t blame yourself,” Daniel says softly. “You aren’t bad parents. Bad parents are those, who leave their children and don’t educate them. You didn’t leave your daughter, and you raised her. You gave her everything.”       “Yeah, but we’ve made a lot of mistakes anyway,” Lilian replies confidently. That’s good our daughter was perfectly educated, has great manners, and got a good education. But we forgot the most important thing – happiness. The happiness we always deprived her of. Alas, we didn’t want to think of giving her freedom after she grew up. We planned to keep controlling her life.”       “But she always went against our opinion and never listened to anyone,” Maximilian adds. “It was easier to watch her when she was a child. Anna obeyed older people and did everything she was told. But after becoming a teenager, she started, so to say, get wild. Though, my daughter didn’t stop studying and still was one of the best students at school.”       “I understand her,” Daniel confesses, glancing at his bottle of water. “She just wanted to be free and live as she wanted. And the case is not only her age and wishes. Her wings were kind of cut… She… She couldn’t get up and fly above the places she wanted. Any bird needs freedom. Moreover, when a person is banned from something, they show a great interest in that. As they say, forbidden fruit is sweet.”       “And you know, I’m glad she aimed it,” Maximilian says confidently and takes a sip of coffee. “Lillian and I can’t live forever. Anna should’ve learned to live alone, no matter if she had a man.”       “I’m sure she could do it. Of course…” Daniel shrugs. “I don’t know what kind of job Anna would get with a theatrical education. But I think she would find a way. For example, she’d go to work at a restaurant because that girl cooks incredibly.”       “Ah, yeah, theatrical…” Lillian pronounces thoughtfully. “Honestly, I was truly happy when Anna expressed a wish to study at the factory of drama because I wanted her to do it. And she always studied well. When it was time for exams, my daughter passed everything brilliantly.”       “Anna said you moved to New York due to her studies at the university.”       “We had wanted to leave Kingston before. The city seemed small to us. We wanted to live in a large city. And the fact that Anna decided to study at the New York University was good for us. We often came here for work and visited friends. Including the Potters.”       “Have they always lived in New York?”       “Yes, always.”       “By the way, Anna said she liked studying, but now she understands she felt bored.”       “I know…” Maximilian says thoughtfully. “But I also find it a little boring. I’m not a lover of being in theaters and watching performances with actors for two or three hours… I prefer watching TV at home. Though, I don’t watch it. I don’t like it and don’t have time.”       “And I’m not a fan of theater,” Daniel smiles shyly, moving a strand of hair off his eyes. “The things I’ve always loved are music and soccer.”       “I think all the boys love soccer,” Maximilian laughs shyly. “I also love watching soccer or rugby games.”       “I played soccer as a child for a few years. But later, I lost interest and stopped doing that. I lost interest in permanent workouts, not soccer itself. And I didn’t play well… I was always a shadow for my couch. If I got a chance to play a game, I would be a reserved player.”       “And the music?”       “I’ve always loved singing. And I sang something all day long when I was at home. Moreover, my parents liked the way I sang so much. Not less than my guitar play.”       “I also love music, but I prefer playing piano more than singing,” Lilian smiles shyly. “And I play at times with pleasure. But I prefer classical music. Beethoven, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Mozart… They are my favorites.”       “Everybody’s got different tastes.”       “By the way, didn’t Anna tell you she could play piano, too?”       “She did,” Daniel nods with a shy smile. “But I don’t have this instrument at home, and I’ve never heard her play. But I’m sure she plays perfectly.”       “That’s true. My daughter plays brilliantly.”       “At least, I can say she played guitar very well.”       “Guitar?” Maximilian rounds his eyes. “But she can’t do it!”       “Before I lost my memory, Anna expressed a wish to learn to play. And I was happy to give her a few lessons. I explained something and showed her how to play a song. Very simple.”       “Anna has always taught quickly,” Lilian notices thoughtfully. “You can explain hard things to someone so that they understand them at once. Someone would not understand the easiest things now or later. But my daughter can learn any skill in a short time. Especially when she is interested in it. At least, she played piano willingly. Anna was able to play for guests later. Everybody was delighted!”       “Great,” Daniel smiles shyly. “You taught her?”       “Yes, but I sometimes invited teachers, who taught her to play piano and sing.”       “She sings amazingly. Sometimes we sang something together or with our friends for fun. And I really liked it. Anna has an angelic voice that fits any song. And I think our voices fit together very well. We’d have a good duo.”       “I hope I will hear you sing and play someday. I’m interested in listening to it.”       “I’d be happy to sing and play.”       “I hope I will listen to my daughter someday…” Lillian sighs quietly with a slight smile on her face. “I want to hear her play on a piano and sing again… The last time it happened was when she was a child. And as you understand, it’s been very many years.”       “I’m sure you will have a chance when we get rid of the Potters.”       “Oh, I can’t wait…” Maximilian sighs tiredly and drinks some coffee from his cup. “Honestly, what’s happening gets me super exhausted. I can’t even focus on my work.”       “I think you should take a vacation when everything is over.”       “Yeah, I’m thinking about it. It’s time to go somewhere abroad for a week or two. I haven’t been anywhere as a tourist for ages.”       “I’d be happy to go to the mountains and ski,” Lilian confesses. “Or buy a ticket to some tour…”       “By the way, have Julian and his father not shown up?” Daniel asks hesitantly. “They have said something to you?”       “No, nothing,” Lillian shakes her head. “They were kind of swallowed by the ground.”       “They’re just afraid to look into our eyes and confess that Julian almost sent our daughter to another world,” Maximilian says gloomily.       “Or they hid themselves and are planning something else…” Daniel assumes thoughtfully.       “Right…” Maximilian drinks some coffee from his cup. “Who knows what those monsters plan…”       “Don’t worry. No matter what they plan, we will fight against anything to protect you and Anna.”       “Ah, Daniel…” Lillian sighs quietly. “To us, Anna’s safety is more important. My girl is not guilty of anything for those people and doesn’t have to do with the business of Maximilian and me. The conflict didn’t start because of her. So, we should deal with the Potters.”       “I know, Mrs. Seymour. But we will do our best to protect your daughter and you. None of you should suffer because of those people. It would be madly unfair if those scumbags defeated you.”       “Thank you so much, Daniel,” Maximilian thanks with a slight smile. “We knew we could count on you.”       “Don’t worry, Mr. Seymour. Those people will pay for everything, early or late. We will reflect on the plan now, but when they show up, we will apply much more effort.”       “I hope we will actually know it. It might happen that nobody knows what those people want to do. If you and your friends hadn’t gone by, we would’ve hardly known that Julian beat Anna and probably wanted to do something much more horrible to her.”       “Let’s be happy it didn’t happen. And… Believe that Anna will wake up soon.”       “I pray that my girl is okay every day,” Lillian confesses with anxiety in her soul, putting her hand on her heart.       “It will be so, Lillian,” Maximilian replies confidently. “Or Anna is a strong and stubborn girl.”       “I completely understand your pain,” Daniel says softly. “I can imagine what’s happening inside you. And I know what you feel as parents… Even if I don’t have my own children…”       “You will feel it someday. And yeah, if you have a daughter, do your best for any stinker not to do the same thing that Potter did to Anna.”       “I haven’t thought about children yet, but if I have them, I will do my best for them to be happy and feel safe.”       “I think you’re gonna be a good father,” Maximilian assumes with a slight smile. “Seeing how you take care of your sister.”       “That’s my duty, Mr. Seymour. Cassidy has nobody but me. I can’t leave my sister on her own.”       “Although your parents died, they will always be near you,” Lilian replies confidently. “You can’t see them, but those people see you and do their best to make your life better.”       “I don’t want to disappoint them again and break the promise I gave them before their death. They asked me to take care of Cassidy and not to leave her, but I didn’t do it. I paid a lot for being indifferent to her and everything about her.”       “So, absolutely indifferent?” Maximilian frowns slightly.       “Many people are jealous of parents and siblings, but I didn’t care at all. I don’t know… Maybe, I just had no time to be jealous because I spent all my time with my friends or at school. But I didn’t think my life changed much after Cassidy’s birth. The only thing that irritated me was the fact that she screamed loudly and cried a lot when she was a baby.”       “Did you feel nothing when looking at her?” Lilian wonders.       “When I didn’t babysit her, I felt nothing. But when I did… Something definitely clicked…”       “You did it at your wish or at someone’s wish?” Maximilian asks.       “Mother asked. I didn’t come to her at my wish. But when I was asked to watch her, I agreed with reluctance. Not always, though. And now I think it was a good experience because I learned to feed babies, change their diapers, and put them to sleep.”       “So, do you have experience with this thing?”       “Yes. So, when I have my own child, I will not get confused. And when my friends have babies, I will be happy to help them.”       “That’s good,” Lilian smiles slightly.       “By the way, when Mother asked me to watch my sister, Cassidy was always very quiet with me, didn’t cry at all, slept deeply, and ate well,” Daniel confesses with a slight smile. “But she was much more restless in the arms of Mom and Dad.”       “I guess she just liked you.”       “At those short moments, I got a love for her. Yes, I didn’t want to be a nanny and wanted to walk with my friends or spend time with a beautiful girl. But her good behavior definitely bribed me.”       “You know, I would’ve also refused to work as a nanny when I was a child,” Maximilian confesses confidently. “I wanted to run, jump, and spend time with my friends…”       “For working as a nanny, Mother offered me something tasty or a little bit more money than usual. Well, I was ready to take it for a couple of hours for that.”       “Anyway, you did the right thing,” Lilian replies confidently. “You should’ve helped your mother and father. You’re an older brother and should give an example to your sister.”       “I’m just starting to realize this responsibility. These words used to irritate me.”       “Get experience, Daniel,” Maximilian advises. “You will need it when you have your own child.”       “Someday it will happen. But not now. And I think of different things. For example, I want to sort everything out in my life.”       “Anyway, never give up, no matter how hard you feel,” Lillian advises softly. “Especially, now. Please, Daniel, hold on for my daughter. You’re the only one to be able to save Anna and end this story. She needs you, even if she doesn’t confess it.”       “I’m not going to give up,” Daniel promises confidently. “There’s no point in hiding that it’s very hard for me. But remember that I’m still holding on because it’s my duty. There are too many people, who I can’t betray… And who encourage me not to give up. Give me strength to keep moving on…”       “Don’t give up, Daniel,” Maximilian advises quietly. “You’re a strong and purposeful man, who always gets what he wants. I think you would’ve hardly thought you’d play for many people someday.”       “Performing on stage was always my dream,” Daniel confesses with a slight smile. “No matter if I had been a solo singer or been a part of a band.”       “So, you’re now a part of the band, which’s gonna release the debut album soon.”       “It’s hard to believe it… I can’t believe the guys and I have reached so much.”       “It’s one of the reasons you should fight for. You would make a mistake if you left the band.”       “No, Mr. Seymour, I will never give up my dream,” Daniel says confidently. “And I will not leave my band. Only my friends can kick me out. If they want, I shall do it.”       “Although I don’t know what you sing, I’m sure you’re all very talented and can reach many things,” Lillian says amicably.       “When we end the story of Julian and his father, my band will come back to our work. We need to perform and give interviews… And in one or two years, we will go on a worldwide tour.” Daniel smiles sadly. “I can’t believe it…”       “It will help you not to fall into a depression,” Maximilian expresses hope with sadness in his eyes, taking a little sip of coffee and folding his hands in front of himself.       “Don’t worry, Mr. Seymour, I will keep moving on. There’s so much I should care about. I don’t want to get the men and the girls upset, hurt them, and give them problems. They spent a lot of time on me when I forgot everything… When I looked at them and couldn’t understand who they were, and why those people cared about me.”       “That’s why you must be happy,” Maximilian says confidently. “You know how it’s bad to live when you have nobody to talk with. Who would take care of you.       “I know. I stayed all alone for a long time after the death of my parents. Much later, Peter came into my life and became my closest person and best friend. The brother, who didn’t let me go crazy. And then I met the others… Anna… Terrence, Edward, Natalia, Raquelle and Helene… And a couple of people…”       “They say when some people befriend you for many years, they will never leave your life,” Lillian notices with a slight smile.       “I know, Mrs. Seymour… I have a family. The people, thanks to whom I no longer feel lonely.”       “You can choose people, Daniel. You know who you can let get close to you and who you should keep at a distance.”       “Life taught me to know people better and not to have a viper in my bosom.”       “And you’re good at this,” Maximilian notices. “Just like Anna, who completely understands who she needs. If my daughter wanted to communicate with you, she liked you. We can trust you.”       Daniel silently moves his sad eyes to his hands folded on the table and thinks about something for two seconds. Maximilian claps the man on the shoulder with sadness in his eyes, while Lilian drinks some coffee.       “Don’t be sad, Daniel,” Maximilian comforts. “It’s gonna be okay.”       “If you do a good thing, you will get a good reward,” Lillian adds confidently.       Daniel puts on something like a smile to thank Maximilian and Lillian for the support that they have been giving him all this time, while they have to be together.       

***

      Meanwhile, Cassidy is sitting on her hospital bed in the room with her legs bent under herself and writing or painting something in a small notebook. Her eyes are focused on what she is doing with a pen with a little fluffy ball on the top that is so nice to touch. At some moment, the girl gets sick of it, and puts the notebook and beautiful pen aside. Then she lies on the back, puts her hands on her stomach, and looks at the ceiling, not paying attention to the sounds of the apparatus that is set up to Anna still being unconscious or the noises behind the door that are caused by the members of the hospital staff and some strangers and patients, who are run from one side to another. Daniel’s sister thinks of something for some time, scanning the white ceiling with her eyes and being upset that she has nothing to do here.       Some time later, Cassidy sits up slowly, stands up from the bed lazily, comes to the window as slowly as a snail, and watches what’s happening with interest, pulling her soft hospital robe slightly. It’s possible to see further views of the city, which looks fantastic and big. Cars, trucks, and public transport go non-stop on a long road and stop at traffic lights or pedestrian crossings. There are high green plantings, skyscrapers of different widths and heights, and some buildings for stores, and public places. Much further, it’s possible to see the sea, on which steamers, cutters, and boats with people are flowing. The sky is covered with thick clouds, but small shots of the sun try to get out of them.       This beauty makes Cassidy smile slightly and think of something, wishing to take a phone or a photo camera and take a couple of gorgeous photos. And she does not notice how Anna’s fingers and eyelashes barely move at some moment, and she whines and makes a painful moan. The girl barely shakes her head and starts to move every part of her body slowly. Anna quickly realizes that she feels pain all over her body, strong dizziness, and an unpleasant dryness in her mouth. That’s why the girl moans quietly and whines much louder. But later, she finds the strength to open her eyes slowly and look around with a blurry vision, not knowing what happened or where she is. A little later, Anna moves her eyes to the tube that is stuck in her arm, touches the cannula in her nose, and looks around the room with a confused look, moaning a little louder from the strong pain in her body after she tries to move sharply.       It makes Cassidy get all the thoughts out of her head, step away from the window, and turn on the hospital beds. Seeing Anna looking at everything she sees with widely open eyes, blinking often, and moaning with pain in her whole body, the young girl smiles shyly.       “Hey, you’ve finally woken up,” Cassidy pronounces softly, bending her arms at her elbows and locking her fingers.       Anna moves her eyes to Cassidy, whom she did not notice before, looks at her questioningly, and clears her throat after the first attempt to say something turns out to be a fail, feeling how the pain echoes in her chest.       “Am I…” Anna pronounces hesitantly in a hoarse voice. “Alive?”       “Of course, you’re alive!” Cassidy replies amicably. “And I must confess that you’re madly lucky. A little bit before you could’ve died.”       “Oh…” Anna makes a quiet, painful moan again with closed eyes. “My body hurts…”       “Not surprised,” Cassidy shrugs, comes to her bed, and lies on the side with her face turned to Anna, who is trying to sit up unsuccessfully. “After what you experienced.”       “Erm… Where am I? What happened to me?”       “You’re in the hospital. You were brought here after being beaten strongly. You were unconscious for two days.”       “After being beaten? Two days?” Anna thinks for a few seconds and recalls everything that happened before darkness took her into its hug. “Ah, yeah… I remembered…”       “How do you feel?”       “Feel strong weakness… And…” Anna winces strongly when she tries to move again. “Damn, everything hurts… I can’t move…”       “Erm, maybe, I should call a doctor?” Cassidy frowns slightly. “You feel too bad?”       “Oh, no, no… Don’t need… Don’t need.”       “May he examine you. Make sure you’re okay.”       “It’s okay… I just feel dizziness and pain in my whole body.”       Anna tries to get up a little again but meets failure.       “Okay, I got it,” Cassidy says quietly. “But I think you’d better lie and don’t move.”       “I guess I have no choice…” Anna exhales resignedly. “I have no strength to move my hand…”       Cassidy sits up slowly, bends her legs under herself, and folds her hands in front of herself, while Anna scans the ceiling with her much clearer vision, frowns slightly, and moves her questioning look to the young girl.       “Hey, who are you?” Anna asks hesitantly. “I don’t know you…”       “Ah, yeah…” Cassidy scratches the back of her head and smiles amicably. “I forgot… I’m Cassidy. Your roommate.”       “Cassidy?” Anna finds the strength to smile. “So, nice to meet you. And I’m Anna.”       “I know. I’ve been told about you.”       “Told? But who?”       “Your friends and parents. They were all worried about you and impatiently waiting for you to wake up.”       “Wait!” Anna frowns slightly. “You said, ‘My friends and parents?’”       “Aha,” Cassidy nods confidently with a slight smile. “They’re cool people, though… I like talking to them. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour are very nice to me. As well as the men and the girls.”       “Wow…” Anna moves her aside for a second. “Wait, but how do you know them? Did you meet someone before? Or they were just in the room and saw you?”       “No, I didn’t use to know them,” Cassidy replies amicably. “Something just happened to me, and it let me meet those men. The brothers, Terrence and Edward, and the blond, Peter.”       “Terrence, Edward, and Peter? You know them?”       “Yup. They’re cool guys. Sweet, kind… Very sympathetic… Especially Peter. He’s so handsome… M-m-m…”       “You like him?”       “I’m literally in love. But I was told he was already taken. So, I don’t count on anything. But I will keep calling him the most handsome guy I’ve ever known. And what arms Peter’s got! What biceps! What muscles… M-m-m… I’d get wet if he was shirtless.”       “Many girls like Peter,” Anna smiles shyly. “That guy is a gem. And he’s really handsome. Helene, my friend, is madly lucky to have this treasure.”       “Yeah, I know her. Sympathetic girl. As well as her friends.”       “The truth is true.”       “Hey, if you wonder who brought you here, that was the men.”       “Men?”       “Aha,” Cassidy smiles mysteriously and lies on her stomach slowly. “And my brother got a crush on you. That guy was literally pulling his hair out when you were unconscious.”       “Your brother?” Anna frowns and slightly tears her head off the pillow.       “Yeah, Daniel.” Cassidy leans on her hand with her chin. “I don’t know what you did, but that guy is ready to give the whole world to you. I never saw him being worried about the beloved girl so much.”       Anna opens her mouth and rounds her eyes, being surprised by what she heard.       “Daniel?” Anna pronounces amazingly. “Your brother?”       “Aha, older,” Cassidy confesses with a slight smile. “After our parents’ death, I left home and lost contact with Daniel for a few years. But we’ve recently reunited, and I met his friends, who helped that hooligan save me when I was in trouble.”       “But…” Anna shakes her head. “He’s never said he had a sister…”       “He thought I was dead, ‘cause the police pronounced me a missing person after a long search.”       “I can barely believe it, honestly…”       “The men and the girls were also shocked when they heard about me. Dan didn’t like talking about his family ‘cause it was a pain for him. He instantly stayed all alone… He lost his family and all his friends in the same year.”       Anna says nothing for two seconds and looks at Cassidy with greater mistrust, not rushing to believe her.       “Erm, excuse me, are you really telling me the truth?” Anna frowns slightly. “What if that cheater asked you to pretend to be his sister?”       “No, Anna, I swear I’m telling the truth!” Cassidy replies confidently. “I’m Daniel’s younger sister. The one both of us mean. Just in case, I’m Cassidy Perkins.”       “Sorry, but I don’t believe you.”       “I can tell you anything about Daniel and me. Just ask me! And I’ll answer immediately!”       “Okay…” Anna glances aside. “For example, what’s your age? How much are you younger than Daniel?”       “I’m eighteen. Danny and I went our separate ways when he was twenty-two, but I was only thirteen.”       “Thirteen? Do you wanna say you left home when you were a child?”       “Soft of.”       “But why?”       “The death of the parents of my brother and mine was the one to blame. I mean… I just couldn’t accept it. I still don’t wanna believe it, honestly…” Cassidy throws a sad look at her hands. “We lost them a few months apart: first, Dad, and then Mom. Dad died two weeks before my birthday… He was seriously ill. But one fateful day, Mom received a call from the hospital and was told Dad was gone.”       “But why did he die?”       “He had heart issues. He always worked hard and was in permanent tension… It led to the moment when he had a heart attack. He experienced a couple of surgeries, but he didn’t survive. Though, Dad was only forty-two…”       “That’s what…”       “We were deeply shocked. Nobody wanted to believe our lives would never be the same. Daniel had to forget about his careless life and start to help his family, ‘cause we lost the provider. Yes, he worked and earned something, but it wasn’t enough. That’s good we had some safe money. But then it got much worse. It was madly hard for my brother ‘cause he got a great responsibility. Although Mother also tried to hear something, she preferred sitting in her room and crying for Dad. She didn’t wanna live without him. She was so devastated that she forgot about my brother and me.”       “And you?”       “I went loose… I met bad people, among whom there was a boy I had a crush on… They suggested that I smoke grass. And I agreed. Then everything went downhill. Later, grass stopped giving me the pleasure I wanted, and I started to try much stronger drugs.”       “You took drugs?” Anna rounds her eyes.       “Yup… I got used to them after my mom’s death.” Cassidy sniffs quietly, while tears roll down her cheeks slowly. “I tried to kill myself… I found two packs of a sedative that Mom took for depression. I took only one pack, and Daniel took the second one. He drove me to the hospital and took me home after I was there for a few days. But then, we started to fight because of my passion for drugs, and I eventually ran away from home. I wandered on the streets for a few years, took drugs, and met one man, who became my main nightmare.”       “Oh, poor girl…” Anna pronounces with sadness in her eyes. “I’m very sorry…”       “I’m so ashamed of my parents and brother,” Cassidy confesses and sniffs quietly, as she wipes tears off her face. “Mom and Dad didn’t want such a terrible daughter. And because of me, my brother suffered and almost died.”       “What do you mean?”       “The man, who was mocking me and giving me drugs all the time, threatened him. Because of him, Daniel got hit by the car and lost his memory.”       “Do you know about his amnesia? He told you that?”       “No, the man, who pushed him to a car. He knew my brother since a certain trial. But that man managed to run away from prison, find me, and start to mock me again.”       “Since a trial?” Anna frowns slightly and thinks for two seconds. “Hey, do you mean Eugene Wainwright?”       “Him,” Cassidy nods. “I know Eugene was put in prison for helping an old man, who went outta his mind, and tried to rape a girl. She’s Edward’s fiancée… What her name is… Natalia! Right, Natalia! I heard the MacClife fought with each other because of that old man.”       “It’s correct.”       “But now the story of Wainwright is over! That man is dead and will no longer harm anyone.”       “Dead?” Anna raises herself a little, looking at Cassidy surprisingly. “Wainwright is dead?”       “Yeah… Didn’t you know it? The guys didn’t tell you?”       “No…” Anna shakes her head. “But how long did he die?”       “Two days after Terrence ended up in the hospital. Daniel said Wainwright died because he took too many drugs, fell from a high height, and got many traumas that were incompatible with life.”       “Oh, that’s why…” Anna says nothing for two seconds. “So… I’m glad it happened. At least, the danger of meeting him no longer threatens Natalia. He was obsessed with her and wanted to rape my friend.”       “Yeah, Eugene was obsessed with young girls. He never denied it and literally chased every single lady with a wish to feel her naked body or put a girl to sleep and do anything he wanted.”       “I still remember the way Wainwright looked at the girls and me when we were in the courtroom. He was about to undress all of us and rape us…”       “He said his father was raping his mother and never asked if he wanted sex.”       “I imagine what kind of relief you felt when you heard it.”       “I got much better,” Cassidy smiles slightly. “Yes, I still can’t forget the way Eugene raped me when I was on a high or under the influence of a sedative. But I’m quiet ‘cause I’ll no longer experience it. And the fact that I have my lost and found brother, who promised to take care of me and help me start a new life.”       “Hey, why did you end up here?”       “Drugs, Anna. Honestly, I thought I would’ve died on the day when Daniel and his friends came to Wainwright’s hideaway where he held me. But luckily, I didn’t die. My bro saved me.”       “And when will you leave the hospital?”       “I dunno yet,” Cassidy shrugs. “But I think I’d leave soon. I’ve actually been here for way too long. At first, I felt bad, but now I feel much better. Though, I’m weak yet and can't stand on my feet for too long.”       “Okay…”       “You know… When I thought my time of dying came… I was madly happy I met my brother and hugged him tightly. I wanted to see him, at least for a moment. It was my last wish…” Cassidy sighs heavily, looking at her hands with sad eyes. “But my heart was broken for a while because he said he didn’t have a sister and never knew his friends because of amnesia… Daniel explained everything later, but he confessed I seemed familiar to him.”       “You recognized him immediately?”       “Yup, but I said nothing. At first, I was afraid to make a mistake. And then Dan denied that I was his sister, even when Wainwright himself told him about it.”       “But he could’ve changed a lot in the past few years!”       “No, that hooligan hasn’t changed. Not saying he grew up into a man and started to remind me of Dad much more. I remembered him as a little guy, who celebrated his twenty-first birthday. But then I saw an adult man with a more serious face and a noticeable bristle… He’s always been good-looking, but now my bro is more handsome.”       “You said he lost his family in the same year…”       “Yeah, that year was the worst one in our lives. Our parents promised to help us build our lives and never spared money for us. Daniel and I had the best. There was no day when someone said, ‘We didn’t have money’ at our home.”       “Is that true he got the house where he’s living from his parents?”       “Mom and Dad bought it for Dan’s twenty-first birthday. And on his birthday, he got the documents and keys to his new place. But they wanted me to live with him for some time after I turned eighteen. Yes, Mom and Dad always said they wouldn’t leave us and would help if we had a hard situation. But they wanted us to earn money by ourselves. We always knew it and were ready. But it happened too sharply. We had to forget about our past life… My brother only thought of hanging out with his friends and girls. And I had a lot of fun… But alas, all of that was over,”       “Excuse me for my curiosity, but why did you actually try drugs? You should’ve understood it would’ve led to some consequences.”       “I regret going to that party… But I felt madly bad, you see… I felt hurt and lonely.”       “Lonely?”       “Yes, I lacked the attention of Father and Mother, who were always busy with their business. One worked all day long and spent his free days getting ready for a new work week. And another always found something to do at home… Sometimes I wanted to come to them, hug them, and talk about something. But they were very busy… They got so tired that they had no strength to talk. Expensive gifts and lots of money are cool, but I didn’t get as much love as I wanted. We only came together on holidays: Christmas, Thanksgiving Day, a New Year, birthdays…”       “I get it…”       “I thought my brother didn’t suffer from that. He just confessed he didn’t also feel happy and sometimes wanted to talk to his parents.” Cassidy shakes her head with wet eyes. “And I always suffered from a lack of attention. I had nobody to share my feelings and emotions with. Any child wants attention, warmth, and care. My parents compensated for all of that with expensive gifts. But sometimes I wanted us not to have money. I thought… Mom and Dad would have much more time for my brother and me. And when I complained to my friends, they just offered me drinks, grass, and drugs. Now I understand they didn’t care about my problems. They didn’t need me. They needed my money.”       “You know, Cassidy, I understand you…” Anna confesses with sadness in her eyes. “Very well… I felt all the same when I was a kid and lived with my parents.”       “You lived in luxury but without love?”       “Almost. My family educated me harshly. They wanted me to act like a lady. When I was a child, I obeyed them. But I expressed a wish to be independent at a teenage age. I wanted to play the fool… Play… But they banned me. Because a girl must be shy.”       “You read boring books and examined everything about the etiquette all day long?”       “Exactly! My family was categorically against my wish to choose hobbies, friends, and a lifestyle. They decided everything for me! But at some moment, I started to aim to get out of the cage. Find someone, who I could have fun to the fullest with. And I wanted to talk openly… Nobody from my family ever talked about their emotions. Even if you felt bad, you should’ve kept it inside. Locked your heart away.”       “And as I understand, was there no tenderness in your family?”       “Sadly,” Anna pronounces with sadness in her eyes. “No love. No care. No revelations. But thank God, I had Raquelle and Natalia, my school friends. The girls knew how to encourage me and amuse me. Thanks to them, I found out that life might not only consist of everyday lessons of good manners, boring books, and lectures about how a girl must not behave.”       “Honestly, I always got on badly with girls,” Cassidy confesses. “And I wasn’t interested in it. I always befriended boys. I had a lot of fun with them, even if I didn’t feel really happy.”       “Girls didn’t accept you?”       “No, they did. I just didn’t have interest in talking about buying another gorgeous dress or an incredible pair of shoes or stories of a boy, who left a girl. I… I am not a fan of these girls’ talks. But my parents always tried to make me a real girl. They bought me gifts for girls and literally made him hate the pink color. Dolls, dresses, skirts… I was silently jealous of Daniel, for whom Mom and Dad bought cool clothes, a skateboard, roller skates, a bike, a car… I asked them to give me the same, but they said they wouldn’t buy what wasn’t for girls or what it was too early to dream about.”       “I think if I’d told my family I wanted to get a tattoo or buy something from men’s clothes, they would’ve killed me,” Anna laughs shyly.       “Well, I wouldn’t have been killed, but Mom and Dad hoped I’d change my mind someday and stop stealing Dan’s old clothes, which he put in the corner when they were too small for him.”       “You wore men’s clothes?”       “Aha. Although they were large for me, I only wore them and didn’t even look at girls’ clothes. I never put on the dresses and skirts that I was given. Dan says when I was a baby and lied in a bed with a pacifier in my mouth, I cried loudly and yelled when Mother tried to put a dress on me.”       “Wow, you are a tomboy?”       “Yeah… A tomboy that always put her long hair into a high bun.”       “Men also have long hair. I knew one guy, who studied with me at the university. He had long, thick hair and either put it in a tail or a bun… I must confess it was gorgeous.”       “Anyway, I was one of the men. I think it’s the reason why I easily got on well with Daniel’s friends.”       “So, did you befriend those, whom your brother spoke to, in childhood?”       “Yup, we got on well.”       “As I understand, did you get on well?”       “No, I didn’t get on well with my brother when we were kids,” Cassidy waves her hand. “He, speaking rudely, gave a damn about me. He wasn’t jealous of our parents or me when I was born. Dan only thought of hanging out with his friends. That guy always resented when he was deprived of the chance to do it. But even if we communicated, we always argued because of something and loved doing bad things to each other.”       “Brothers and sisters rarely get on well in childhood.”       “We got a little closer when Dad was taken to the hospital with a heart attack. When I cried bitterly and was sure we’d lose him, Daniel hugged me and said it would be okay. After his death, our relationship got much better but got worse again when I started to take drugs. After Mother’s death, we were supposed to unite, but it didn’t happen. We fought to the hell, and I ran away from home.”       “And now what?”       “Now we’re close again,” Cassidy cracks a smile. “I realized I love my brother with all my heart. And I can only count on him. He’s the only one I have from my family. If I lose Daniel, I’ll stay all alone.”       “But what about grandparents, aunts, and uncles?”       “My grandparents died a long time ago, and we barely kept in touch with our other relatives. Mom had an older sister, but they didn’t get on well and didn’t speak. So, Daniel and I know almost nothing about her.”       “Did you never invite them on holidays?”       “Nope. We never talked about our relatives during dinners and never invited them to celebrate holidays.”       “And relatives of your father?”       “They all died. Dad was a late child: my grandparents were about thirty-five or forty when he was born. They died some time later after he got married to Mom. And my parents did it early enough: both were only eighteen. But they knew each other from childhood.”       “That’s how…” Anna keeps silent for two seconds and sighs heavily. “My grandparents died, too… Some died a long time ago, but some did recently. For example, my grandmother on the mother died after I began to live with your brother.”       “Sorry.”       “Mom and Dad became more independent after their deaths. When they were alive, they decided everything for my parents and me. They were the leaders of our family. It lasted for many years. But I realized I didn’t wanna live the same life and become another unhappy girl that spent her life on someone she didn’t love and didn’t feel happiness because she did what older people told her, who knew what was better for me.”       “I know your parents are divorced…” Cassidy notices thoughtfully.       “Yes, divorced a few months ago.”       “You’re upset?”       “Nope,” Anna smiles slightly. “I ain’t upset. It would be better. They never had love for each other and kept their marriage because of me. Because of their parents. But after their divorce, they kept a good relationship and continued to work together.”       “You know, my darling, looking at them, I wouldn’t say they’re divorced,” Cassidy smiles mysteriously. “Your parents look like they’ve lived all their lives together and love each other with all their hearts.”       “Really?” Anna wonders with a gloss in her eyes.       “Your father treats your mother very gently and sweetly, and she constantly presses herself to him.”       “They just respect each other. As parents of their child.”       “I dunno… But I saw how they spoke to each other when you were unconscious.”       “Did you manage to talk to them?”       “Aha. I liked them. Mr. and Mrs. Seymour are so sweet. Those people are very nice to me and Daniel.”       “Daniel?” Anna rounds her eyes.       “They do adore him!” Cassidy smiles mysteriously. “They treat him like he’s their son.”       “Christ… Do Mom and Dad speak to him after that man betrayed me?”       “Daniel didn’t want it, Anna,” Cassidy says with sadness in her eyes. “He’s sorry about what he did.”       “He should’ve thought then instead of regretting now,” Anna throws gloomily in a low voice.       “You can’t imagine how much he was worried about you. My brother didn’t almost leave you when you were unconscious.”       “If you think it will make me feel pity, you are wrong.”       “I’m not lying to you, Anna, I swear! He would’ve stayed here all day long, but the doctors asked him to go home for pity. They see that Dan has been exhausted for the past few days. I ain’t sure if he actually sleeps and eats well at home.”       “And you believe everything you see and hear from that betrayer.”       “Of course, I do! Because I see he’s insanely worried. And your parents wouldn’t treat him with love if they didn’t believe his regret.”       “Hm, so, he’s trying to be good…” Anna notices gloomily, crossing her arms over her chest. “At first, he was hugging and kissing another gal, but later he decided to pretend to be good and become a hero with the hope that I would forgive him.”       “Anna, please, don’t be so cruel to my bro,” Cassidy begs with pity in her eyes. “I understand that he didn't do the best thing. But Dan did it unconsciously. When he didn’t understand it.”       “Don’t protect him, Cassidy. He doesn’t deserve it.”       “I’m not protecting him. Vice versa, I also think he did a bad thing. And his friends don’t hide his act made them upset. But please, don’t forget about the events, during which it happened.”       “I want to know and think of nothing.”       “Daniel has always been a loyal man and has never betrayed his girlfriends or his friends. My brother just became a victim because of Wainwright and that fatty, who started to kiss him by herself.”       “And that horndog didn’t mind it!”       “He couldn’t remember you! He remembered nothing!       “Who cares! If he cheated, goodbye!”       “At least give him a chance to fix everything. You can’t piss someone off when they’re truly sorry!”       “I repeat, if he cheated, he can go on four sides!”       “Daniel would do anything for you. He’d do anything you’d ask him about.”       “I need nothing from that cheater,” Anna says coldly, barely holding down her wish to cry. “May your brother leave me alone and go to that fat cow. Who he licked with such great pleasure. Who he had sex with on the bed, in which we slept together.”       “But you want it,” Cassidy says with sadness in her eyes. “I see it clearly!”       “Me? Want?” Anna points at herself with widely open eyes and chuckles nervously. “No, girl, you’re wrong! I don’t need that horndog for anything!”       “But, Anna…”       “Tell that donkey that he could play a hero and prove that his regret is true as much as he wants, but I will never come back to him.”       “Nobody asks you to come back to him. Just listen to him and try to understand him.”       “He cheated on me, Cassidy,” Anna cuts off sharply, moving her eyes to Cassidy. “I saw that! With my eyes! And that man did know I’d never forgive a betrayal.”       “I swear I don’t also approve of cheating and wouldn’t forgive that. But don’t forget that Daniel remembered nothing due to his head trauma and believed nobody, who told him the truth about you and his friends. And he didn’t pay attention to his feelings that were still alive.”       “It’s his problem.”       “I completely understand your feelings, but please…”       “I don’t wish to see your brother after he betrayed me. And I don’t care about what’s happening to his life. I swear I will not even move my eyebrow if someone tells me he was hit by a car. And I will not come to help him. He’s got one fatty.”       “Ah, Anna, don’t you feel sorry for him at all?” Cassidy asks with pity in her eyes. “Just a little!”       “Cheaters don’t deserve it!”       “But he does feel bad without you! I swear I’ve never seen my brother so broken. He was never worried about breaking up with all his exes as much as he’s worried now, when you wanna leave him.”       “I’ve already left him! Already, Cassidy!”       “Don’t do this, Anna, I’m begging you. If you leave Daniel, he won’t bear it. He’s restless now, but his breakup with you is gonna break him down. And he won’t care about his friends, band, and me…”       “Why do you say it to me?” Anna asks in a low voice without emotions on her face, as she looks at her hands. “Did he ask you to play on my pity?”       “No, no, Dan asked me about nothing!” Cassidy puts her hand on her heart. “I am asking you! Personally! Give my brother a chance! I promise he won’t disappoint you again!”       “Sorry, Cassidy, but it will not happen. Never.”       “I don’t wanna lose him someday…” Cassidy says with pity in her eyes. “If something happens to Dan, I’ll have nobody to help me. I wanna get cured of my drug dependence and start a new life, but I can only do it with my brother’s help.”       “And what’s your problem? He will help you!”       “If you don’t give him a chance and do leave him, Daniel’s gonna get a deep depression and give a damn about everyone and everything. We’ll have to heal him, not me.”       “Don’t dramatize. Perkins doesn’t have time to be sad ‘cause he’s got a behemoth that is ready to take care of him.”       “Gosh, he is not dating that fatty!” Cassidy exclaims. “And he doesn’t know which truck she fell from! She went to his room and started to tell him some shit, pretending to be his fiancée and using the fact that he got amnesia. Dan believed her, and she was happy and kept washing his brains.”       “M-m-m… Very good story… Who’s got such a good imagination: you or him?”       “Please, Anna, don’t be so heartless,” Cassidy begs with half-wet eyes. “I’m not kidding: my brother is on edge and barely holding on. Daniel has always tried to seem cold and unbroken. So, his character fit his little rude appearance. But now it’s otherwise. Nothing is left of the Dan, who I knew, and the one, who the others knew.”       “Gosh…” Anna pronounces thoughtfully. “I didn’t know Perkins was such a good actor… If he acted in a movie, he’d probably be literally more popular than Terrence MacClife himself.”       “Yeah, is that okay the guy is crying, while no one sees it? Do you know I saw him crying beside your bed? I never used to see a tear on my brother’s face! Even after he heard about Mom and Dad’s death! Even at the funeral of the two! Daniel shed no tears. But now, he broke down! Such a strong guy suddenly started to cry! Because of love for the girl, who became the whole world to him! And he’s ashamed. Ashamed of crying like a girl. But he can do nothing ‘cause he’s in despair. For you, Danny is ready to refuse anything, even the dearest things he has.”       Seeing how Cassidy is saying all of this with tears in her eyes, Anna gets a little confused and starts to doubt if she should be so categorical. The words of the young girl hurt her heart painfully and make it squeeze badly, even if the wish to try to give Daniel a second chance is much weaker than her offense.       “Really?” Anna asks without emotions.       “You can’t imagine how it’s hurtful for me to see him like this,” Cassidy replies with pity in her eyes. “But it’s much more painful that I can’t help him.”       “He feels so bad?”       “Very bad…”       “Anyway, he’ll get through it.”       “No, he won’t do it. Neither his friends, your parents, nor I can do anything to help Daniel. There is only one person, who can do this. You, Anna. You’re the only one, who can breathe into my brother. Danny is like a little baby that needs love, care, and attention.”       Anna says nothing and moves her sad eyes to her arms, on which she sees many recent bruises.       “He loves you, Anna, don’t leave him,” Cassidy says softly with sadness in her eyes. “I know you feel very hurt, but please, don’t be so categorical. If Daniel didn’t wanna be with you, he wouldn’t do anything for you. Be worried… Cry… Pull his hair out… My brother would give his life for those he loves and respects.”       “I don’t care,” Anna replies coldly. “He can do anything he wants.”       “Would you be indifferent if he brought himself to what his friend did? Would you be happy if he decided to kill himself? Do you want this? Do you want my brother to put himself in a grave?”       “I’ve never wished death to anyone. Even your brother. But I want him to leave my life.”       “But you will not be happy.”       “I hope Perkins will see that I don’t care about his heroic actions someday.”       “If Daniel wants to kill himself, it’s gonna be your fault!” Cassidy exclaims in a heartbreaking way with tears in her eyes.       “Stop, Cassidy,” Anna pronounces in a low voice. “He will do nothing to him.”       “Do you think it will happen just because he swore not to do anything to himself? Do you think Daniel won’t go somewhere in the city and jump from the bridge or abyss?”       “He can do anything he wants with his life.”       “Listen…” Cassidy exhales slowly. “Sorry for sounding rude and blaming you for my brother’s suffering. But please, understand me… It’s hurtful for me to see Daniel like that… And I’m worried about him… I’m afraid that his breakup with you is gonna bring him to despair. That it’s gonna be much worse to him than his parents’ death.”       Anna says nothing for a few seconds, praying that Cassidy stops saying these things that make her hold her tears down. And then she sighs heavily and swallows up nervously, saying in a low voice:       “He’s strong, Cassidy. He can do this. He’s got a band that will break up without him… And the younger sister, who needs him.”       “Yeah, Daniel is strong,” Cassidy replies with sadness in her eyes. “But he needs the source of power. Of course, friends and family are cool, but they can’t replace a loving girl.”       “He’s got a madam, whom he kissed in the room. So, get on well with her.” Anna makes a quiet, nervous chuckle. “She’s gonna be your relative soon!”       “Listen, Anna, why don’t ya wanna hear others? You are tried to say that Daniel became a victim of that gal and never knew her! But you literally closed your eyes and ears!”       “You’re all just trying to excuse him. You don’t wanna believe everything is over between us.”       “Nothing is over for him! Daniel still considers you his girlfriend.”       “He can think what he wants! My heart is free, and I’m ready for a new relationship. I’ll surely meet the one to be more decent than your thankless brother.”       “Daniel won’t tolerate it. He will not tolerate another man beside you. He said he got mad at the thought of it.”       “He’s nobody to tell me what to do. I am an adult girl, who has the right to live with anyone and in any way. Who does that brainless donkey think he is?”       “Anna, please…”       “Stop hoping for something, Cassidy,” Anna replies confidently. “Remember, I shall not be back with your brother, no matter what he does.”       “But you both are suffering!”       “Life doesn’t stop after a breakup. Trust me, it’s not a worldwide tragedy. It’s a life story that it’s hard but impossible to get through.”       “Not in your case! You and Daniel love each other and should be together!”       “Ah, Cassidy…” Anna sighs quietly. “You’re too young to understand some things.”       “I ain’t young! And I understand many things!”       “Anyway, stop hoping your brother and I will be together. I…” Anna moves her eyes to her hands, breathing a little heavily and fingering over nervously. “I don’t love him… I don’t love him anymore… My love died. After he betrayed me.”       “Gosh, do you believe what you’re saying?”       “Perkins made his choice, and I accept it.”       “Sorry, but I don’t believe any of your words. I see you wanna be with my brother. But you can’t do it because of your offense and fear that you won’t be able to trust him anymore.”       “I will never trust him,” Anna says gloomily and smirks with contempt. “He should’ve thought about his actions earlier. So, he didn’t have to complain to his friends and make them believe he didn’t want it.”       “But he didn’t really want it,” Cassidy says with pity in her eyes.       “If he hadn’t wanted to cheat, he would’ve rejected that girl when she started getting stuck on him.”       “How could he piss her off when he remembered nothing? No-thi-ng! He looked at you and the guys and didn’t know that you were his girlfriend, and they were his friends!”       “I’m not guilty of the fact that he lost his brain and memory!”       “Believe me, the men and the girls don’t also approve of Daniel’s act, and my brother does curse himself. We all wanna help you and see you together. Happy.”       “I want to have nothing in common with that man.”       “Anna, please…” Cassidy begs with pity in her eyes. “I don’t make you come back to him right now. But at least, don’t be so aggressive and give Daniel a chance. Every person, who recognizes their fault and regrets it, truly deserves a second chance.”       “No…” Anna shakes her head. “No… I can’t… And I won’t. I don’t need cheaters.”       “You can do it, I know! Just stop acting like Snow Queen and let yourself confess you feel bad without my brother.”       “I’ll live without him…” Anna pronounces in a low voice and sighs quietly. “There are many decent men, who wouldn’t cheat.”       “Think about what he gave you, and how you felt next to him. Something tells me you felt very good. Just like Daniel. His eyes had never been so bright when looking at his exes. He always talked about you with great admiration. And when you were unconscious, he looked at you with tears in his eyes.”       “I guess you just can’t remember or don’t know.”       “I do swear, it never happened! If the parents of Daniel and me were alive, they would’ve liked you. And when Mom was alive, she criticized every single girl that my bro chose. She liked nobody! And there were the reasons. Those bitches didn’t love him so much and only thought of sex. And because Dan came from a provided family, calculating girls did get attracted to him. He never aimed to hide his luxury and loved showing off in new clothes or with a phone of the last generation. And I must confess that this hooligan never had a good taste for girls and chose nobody the hell knows who. I didn’t also like those bitches, whom he brought at home.”       “His parents are probably watching what Perkins is doing and getting horrified.”       “Trust me, darling, if you’d met Mom and Dad, they would’ve been ready to do anything for you. They would’ve literally killed Dan if he’d lost such a precious treasure.” Cassidy looks at Anna with greater pity and shakes her head. “He suffered a lot when he dated one bitch, who our parents didn’t especially like. That idiot got him so exhausted with her hysterics that he stopped being himself. She was jealous of everything that moved and told him to give her permanent attention. Daniel tried to leave her several times, but she begged him not to do that and promised to get better. And he, idiot, was in love and forgave her. But one day, he broke down and finally broke up with her.”       “That fat cow is probably the same type,” Anna replies gloomily. “That horndog decided to remember the old times and realized that he lacked that.”       “No, girl, it’s not the truth! Daniel needs the love and care of a decent girl, who’d always listen and support him. Yes, he used to have terrible taste, and my bro hung out with every single empty shell with a fabulous, sexy body and face covered with a lot of cosmetics. But this time, Dan chose an excellent girl! Beautiful, smart, and educated!”       “And I, idiot, did everything for him! Cooked, washed, cleaned his fucking house, and tried to be perfect! But that asshole didn’t appreciate my work and forgot all of that when he saw that fat bitch.”       “He did appreciate!” Cassidy exclaims loudly. “Ha! Daniel only talks about the dishes you cooked for him! And I hear his stomach grumbling when he talks about something delicious.”       “Yeah, sure…”       “He lacked attention, love, and care. And maybe, he… He was looking for those things in a girl. He was looking for someone, who could be better than Mom. And he found it all in you. No girl took care of him as well as you did. You were excellent in bed and could be a wonderful housewife, who took care of what was important to her with love. As my mother said, when it’s a pleasure to be at a house, it has a good housewife. And my brother said when you lived with him, he wanted to come back home again and again.”       “Now, his lover is gonna watch his house,” Anna replies gloomily. “Cook, wash, clean… Serve His Highness!”       “This is the first time Daniel let a girl live in his house and has never regretted it.”       “I am regretting standing in his way,” Anna says in a low voice. “Not listening to my parents and not stopping to speak to that man, who eventually disappointed me.”       “Gosh, silly, Daniel loves you, but you’re rejecting him, even if you are not indifferent to him. When people love, they should be together!”       “Not in this case.”       “Think better, Anna. Think about whether you’re doing this right. I know you’re hurt. But please, think! Think about what’s gonna happen to you. What’s gonna happen to him.”       “I don’t care what’s gonna happen to him.”       “You were scared when I said Daniel could bring himself into a deep depression and kill himself,” Cassidy frowns slightly. “I saw you getting nervous! And I am almost sure that you do care about my brother. At heart, you’re afraid to be guilty of his suffering.”       “Nobody wants to know someone dies because of him or her,” Anna sighs quietly, inclining her head. “Perkins was madly worried when everybody blamed him for Peter’s attempt to kill himself. He was afraid to lose his friend… And be the one, who brought him to that condition. So, I don’t also want to be charged for those things.”       “Just don’t be so categorical and give him a chance,” Cassidy advises softly. “Nobody blames you for anything. But even if Daniel starts to harm himself, he will do it because of his love for you. The love that you’re rejecting.”       “Your attempt to pity me was failed.”       “Trust me, I know what I say. I befriended a boy, who hung himself at home because the girl that he loved with all his heart left him. He made a mistake in anger and couldn’t get forgiveness. So, he wrote a death note, in which he said he couldn’t live without his sweetheart. His mother showed the note to the guys and me, and we guessed why it happened.”       “So, are you suggesting that I come back to Perkins not to let him kill himself?” Anna wonders. “So, his tender soul doesn’t suffer?”       “I’m asking you to come back to him because you love him, and he loves you and swears to make you happy if you give him a second chance.”       “He can say anything, but he’s gonna have great problems making it come true.”       “Do you know why Daniel loved you originally?”       “Because I was an idiot, who didn’t know about his affairs when cooking, cleaning, and washing his clothes all day long?”       “No, silly! You just never got jealous of him and put him under total control of everything he did. To Daniel, it’s very important. He’s always been independent and wanted to decide how to spend his time. And after the toxic relationship with that hysterical girl, my brother started to choose girls much better. When she just mentioned the fact that she’d be jealous of him, he rejected her. And his wish is quite clear. That girl said Dan wasn’t allowed to spend time with his friends and just look at girls. But he must’ve always been next to her and given her gifts and compliments.”       “Or he understood nobody would please him the way I did. I guess I’m the only one to be so stupid…”       “Daniel said you never made him tell you what he did and where he went. My brother could spend time in any way, be independent of you, and know that you wouldn’t make him forget all his friends and only pay attention to you. That’s what helped you get a key to his heart…”       “I just trusted him and understood we should’ve spent time apart…” Anna sighs quietly, looking at the white in the room. “I saw nothing bad about that…”       “I think anyone appreciates independence. If you ask Peter, Edward, or Terrence if they love being under someone’s control, they say no. Do your friends limit them somehow? Start scenes of jealousy?”       “No, no, the girls don’t start scandals without reason,” Anna shakes her head. “They completely trust their men and know they won’t betray them. Those guys can be loyal… Unlike your brother.”       “That’s why they treat the girls so tenderly,” Cassidy replies confidently with a slight smile. “I saw it when they were here. The girls barely held their tears down when you were unconscious, and the men comforted them.”       “The men always do it when the girls are upset or scared.”       “Ah…” Cassidy sighs blissfully. “I wish the same amazing man had noticed me… The same pretty boy as Peter…”       “I’m sure you’re gonna be lucky,” Anna replies amicably with a slight smile. “You’re a very sympathetic and sweet girl. And if you wear something beautiful, you’ll look much better. Boys won’t let you go.”       “I dunno…” Cassidy gets a little blush, moving her eyes to her hands. “Honestly, I’ve never dressed up. As I said, I don’t like girls’ clothes. And I always stole Dan’s clothes.”       “You said you didn’t wanna cut your hair. But now it’s short.”       “Wainwright cut it.”       “Wainwright?” Cut your hair?”       “I used to have long and beautiful hair, but he took scissors and gave me a boy’s haircut. I don’t know why…”       “A boy’s haircut?”       “Aha. It grew up a little for two years. But as you see, it’s in a bad condition due to my lifestyle.” Cassidy takes a strand of hair with split ends and looks at it for two seconds. “Daniel promised to take me to a hair salon to get my hair cured.”       “You’re young. If you don’t take drugs, it will get better: your hair, your skin, and your health. And boys will surely run after you.”       “Erm, you see…” Cassidy pronounces hesitantly, looking at her hands. “There’s a problem… I… I don’t know… If I could trust a man…”       “If he’s good, you can trust him.”       “Honestly, I don’t have any experience at love things…”       “Have you never been in love?”       “I’ve been. Many times. But I only dated one guy. The one, who, however, only drugs united me with. When I had no money, our relationship ended. And when we were stoned, we didn’t think of love. I mean, I ain’t sure if he loved me. I did fall in love when my friend showed that guy to me. He seemed handsome to me… And I found a way to join his party…”       “That’s how…”       “And then… I met Wainwright… I started to take much stronger drugs… And I became his slave to pay my big debt…” Cassidy sniffs quietly. “I experienced cruel violence… That man did crazy things to me!”       “And did you tolerate his mockeries?” Anna wonders with horror in her eyes.       “I had no choice. Wainwright injected a drug into me or put me to sleep. Or sometimes he actually tied my hands to a bed…”       “Oh, Christ…”       “I was a child. What happened impacted me a lot, and… I’m afraid I’ll be scared if I have an intimate. If a guy said he wanted sex, I might be scared. Remember everything Wainwright did to me. Because of him, sex is associated with something painful and terrible for me. I felt very hurt… My body hurt every time Wainwright got into me. And I’m still shocked, thinking of that man being naked.”       “Did he walk naked in front of you?”       “Yup, absolutely naked… And… He often pleased himself… He made me watch it.”       “Oh, gosh, Cassidy…” Anna shakes her head with widely open eyes.       “When I see a naked boy and hear he wants sex, I’ll be scared and scream in horror. And as you understand, it’s gonna scare anyone.”       “Intimacy shouldn't give you pain and suffering and happen against your wish. He should give you pleasure and give you a chance to get closer to your beloved person and show all your weaknesses.”       “I know! You can’t imagine how much I wanna get rid of these fears! How much I wanna heal from my drug dependence, overcome my trauma caused by violence, and start a new life! I know even professionals can’t help you sometimes, but I’m ready to do anything they say. I wanna live a regular life! I wanna make up for the lost time! I wanna find friends, fall in love, feel needed…”       “I’m sure you can do it,” Anna smiles slightly. “A true wish is the most important thing you should do to reach any of your goals.”       “I know. I’ve got an older brother, and all of his friends are very nice to me. With them, I feel safe and surrounded by love.”       “You know…” Anna glances aside for a second and looks at Cassidy again. “I think our problems are kind of similar. Because I also have a deal with a terrible man.”       “Yes, I heard your story,” Cassidy nods with sadness in her eyes. “And I really want everything to be over. You don’t deserve anything from what that man did to you. And you’re not guilty of the fact that the deadbeat went insane, and his father made him think a woman was a piece of shit.”       “Gosh, why were my parents so blind that they didn’t notice how terrible Julian was?” Anna sighs resignedly. “If they’d listened to me, everything could’ve been otherwise.”       “Now it’s otherwise, Anna. Your parents woke up and do know what that stinker is made of. Now they are trying to decide what to do, and your friends and my brother are ready to help at any time.”       “I doubt they can do something. That man and his father won’t calm down until they take revenge on our family.”       “It will be over early or late. Wainwright got what he deserved! So, those people will also be punished.”       “I’d like to believe it…” Anna sighs heavily with wet from tears eyes, moving a thin strand of hair off her face. “I wish everything was the same as before.”       “It’s gonna get better. Early or late.”       “I didn’t even notice how suddenly everything changed.”       “Why? Your friends are still with you, and your parents have never stopped loving you.”       “Yeah, but due to Julian’s threats, I forgot about the guys. Though, I madly miss the old times that I spent with those, who’ve become my brothers and sisters. I trust them literally more than my parents. Sometimes I can tell them much more than Mother or Father.”       “I think you need to tell them everything and reveal your emotions,” Cassidy advises softly. “Those guys will support you and help you forget everything you had to get through. They will always be by your side.”       “I know…” Anna cracks a slight smile. “Without them, I’d feel helpless and lonely. I wanna to trust them and… Ask for help…”       “Ask for help?”       “Yeah, I need it. I don’t want to keep silent anymore. I’m sick. And there’s no meaning.” Anna shrugs. “Everybody has seen me like this, and that man beat me before the men’s eyes. I can’t and don’t wanna pretend that nothing happens. It can’t be worse.”       “You’d get much better if you told them everything you have inside. I felt a great relief when I told my brother everything that happened to me. Well, if you can’t get through it, you will ask for professional help.”       “No, I don’t wanna tell someone I don’t know everything. Only my friends and parents could understand me. I could only trust them. I could only cry on their shoulder.”       “Are you sure you can do this?”       “I hope I will. Natalia did it when Wainwright almost raped her. She had the support of her parents, friends, and beloved man. If such a vulnerable girl survived it, I can do this, too.”       “Maybe, I can’t help you, but you can always count on me and my support. We both experienced hard moments and… I think we could unite to forget everything together. Discuss everything we’re worried about. I’d listen to you, you’d listen to me. Well… If you want it, of course…”       “Thanks, Cassidy,” Anna flashes a smile. “You’re very nice to me.”       “Don’t be mad if I hurt you somehow or touch your nerve. And…” Cassidy glances at her hands and looks at Anna hesitantly. “I wouldn’t like you to treat me kind of… Judgmental…”       “No, it’s okay. I’m not mad at you. You’re not guilty of the fact that your brother is a stinker.”       “And remember, I don’t defend Daniel at all. Yes, I love him very much, but I understand he did a bad thing and can’t tell everyone Dan is an innocent angel. The guys don’t hide it, and he understands everything.”       “Anyway, I will not despise you because of his tricks,” Anna replies amicably. “Vice versa, I like you. It’s nice to talk to you.”       “I love talking to you, too,” Cassidy confesses shyly. “My bro wasn’t mistaken when he said you were kind, sweet, and good. Now I’ve made sure about it.”       “Glad we got on well.”       Cassidy smiles shyly, and Anna answers her back. And during the short pause that settled in the air, the red-haired girl looks into the distance and sighs quietly, locking her fingers tightly.       “I loved your brother…” Anna confesses quietly. “Very much… I was madly happy with him… Thanks to him, I felt a real freedom and lived as I wanted for the first time in my life.”       “Do you still love him?” Cassidy asks with sadness in her eyes. “Say honestly!”       “Yup… I keep loving him… Even after he cheated… And…” Anna swallows up nervously. “I feel bad… Bad without him… And I don’t know how to move on…”       “Maybe, you don’t rush to leave him? Try to forget about your offense!”       “Yeah, but how?” Anna throws her hands up. “It’s been so long, but I’m angry as if I saw him cheating yesterday! I’ve never been a too resentful person, but now something jammed. And I can do anything to me. I love him, but I hate him.”       “I think you need a little more time to get cool. And if you’re mad that he kissed that gal, it means you do care.”       “I am starting to get sick of lying… Saying that I don’t love him. Because that’s not the truth. I love him. I’ve never stopped loving him.”       “Just like he loves you.”       “Betrayers can’t be forgiven, Cassidy. If someone betrays you once, they keep doing this!”       “Yeah, but Raquelle forgave Terrence after he hung out with a girl right before her eyes.”       “Terrence just pretended to be in love with that girl. He wanted to use her father's contacts to take revenge on Raquelle for not giving him enough attention. He actually felt nothing for Rachel.”       “Well, the foreigner used Daniel’s amnesia and made him believe that they were enraged.”       “No guarantee that he didn’t hang out with her when he had the memory and dated me.”       “No, Anna, c’mon! My bro had nobody but you! And he didn’t know that bitch!”       “But how did she know about him and his amnesia? That bitch definitely knew she needed your brother!”       “Dan can’t say it, either. Anyway, that Spaniard has been kind of swallowed by the ground. He has known nothing about her for a long time. And I hope she’ll never show up!”       “I dunno…”       “Please, Anna, don’t reject him,” Cassidy begs with pity in her eyes. “Without you, my brother won’t be happy. I promise Danny won’t make you disappointed the second time. He’s always been loyal to only one girl like a doggy. While some of his gals had an affair with several men and kept my brother on a short leash because of money and good sex.”       “Honestly, I want to decide nothing now…” Anna sighs quietly.       “Nobody makes you do it. I just advise you not to rush and to think better.”       “We’ll see it, Cassidy…”       Cassidy says nothing and just shakes her head with sadness in her eyes, hoping that she has touched Anna’s heart a little. While the girl herself gets absolutely confused and does not know what to do. But after a short pause, they hear the door of their room open quietly, and tired and depressed Lillian and Maximilian show up.       “Oh, gosh, Anna!” Lillian closes her mouth with her hands, having tears in her eyes.       “Anna, my girl!” Maximilian exhales with relief.       “Daddy…” Anna pronounces with a shy smile. “Mommy…”