Five months later. Three months ago, the trial of Michael MacClife and his accomplices ended but left everybody exhausted. Edward and Natalia are talking about it while slowly walking on the coast of the beach and enjoying the sunny weather that is amazingly warm for springtime.
“I can’t believe it’s been so long,” Edward says in a quiet voice thoughtfully, not caring about the warm, strong wind slightly raising his simple white shirt with quarter sleeves, a couple of top buttons of which are open, and ruffling his rebel disheveled hair.
“I still remember everything well…” Natalia replies with sadness in her eyes, while the wind is blowing her long, wavy hair beautifully falling off her shoulders and the skirt of her white chiffon knee-length dress with an attractive V-neck décolleté, and a wide golden belt on the waist.
“Me too.”
“It seems like it happened yesterday.” Natalia touches her golden earrings in the form of butterflies and the gilded necklace gifted by Edward on her last birthday.
“We were so lucky to have such a wonderful lawyer. Gilbert let us know he was confident and was sure everything would be fine.”
“And his great confidence gave me hope for the best. I really felt much better because that man always supported us, knowing how hard we felt.”
“And it was kind of better ‘cause the lawyer spoke a lot when one of us wasn’t able to do it.”
“But it was very hard because Michael, his accomplices, and their lawyer showered us with mud every time someone spoke.”
“Yeah, they all got us nervous.”
“The first day was the hardest,” Natalia sighs with sadness in her eyes. “Many reporters, strong tension… A fear that something would go wrong…”
“I couldn’t fall asleep the night before the trial,” Edward admits. “I was too nervous because of realizing that I’d meet those stinkers. When I imagined it, I started to shake from horror.”
“Not just you, sweetie. I didn’t actually sleep all night. And Terrence and Raquelle and your parents looked like they didn’t sleep.”
“At least they said nothing.”
“And those reporters and journalists. We felt so bad, but they made our condition much worse.”
“Agree. They really annoyed us.”
“Yeah…” Natalia throws gloomily. “They do wanna know everything to make a sensation. Make money out of exclusive details.”
“Thank God, the hearing was closed. My eyes hurt because of those constant flashlights from the cameras. And I barely held down my wish to piss those journalists off.”
“Me too. But this behavior would've become a reason to write an article that would humiliate one of us.”
“So, that’s why we had to hold down.”
“We applied many efforts.”
“But the hell started after the judge announced the hearing was open.” Edward swallows up nervously. “I remember the policemen bringing Uncle Michael and his accomplices to the courtroom. They all looked at us with contempt and could’ve easily killed us or made a hole in our foreheads.”
“And I’ll never forget what kind of horror I got obsessed with when Wainwright was brought to the room,” Natalia confesses with rounded eyes. “I recalled everything he did to me. And when he looked at me like he was gonna do that again, I terribly wanted to run away from the room.”
“He didn’t only stare at you, sweetheart.” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on her temple. “I also got goosebumps on my back when he threw his burning look at me. And how fifthly that sick pervert looked at Raquelle! As if he planned to do the same to her. And he would’ve done that if nobody had been around. Especially, Terrence, who looked at him like he said Wainwright must’ve not run into him.”
“I remember.”
“They all looked at us with burning gazes. One gaze of Uncle at Father and Mother said too much! I don’t even know who he looked at with the strongest hate: Father, Brother, Mother, or me.”
“I thought that man would’ve killed your father right there when the judge told him to testify. While Mr. MacClife was speaking, Michael was literally getting green from anger and started to cry that his brother was lying, and we agreed against him.”
“Oh, there was such a verbal fight between them,” Edward says confidently. “They almost killed each other after starting a fight.”
“I remember. They were barely broken up. While you, Terrence, and Herbert calmed Mr. MacClife down, Michael was held down by the policeman and his lawyer.”
“Then, I finally realized that process would be super hard.”
“I also started to understand that the test would be real torture for all of us.”
“Uncle Michael dared to insult and humiliate Mother when she was testifying. He almost attacked her. That’s good Father and the policemen protected her from that sick freak.”
“It was almost the same in Raquelle’s case.”
“He didn’t let her speak and told her not to meddle in that case and to stop slandering him.”
“You remember how that man behaved when the judge called you to testify.”
“Yeah.” Edward shakes his head to move a strand of his hair off his eyes. “Endless insults, humiliations, and attempts to make all of you sure that you heard the lie. Uncle was literally ready to kill me right in the courtroom.”
“Michael was like crazy. I was really afraid and prayed that he didn’t steal a pistol from one of the policemen and shoot us down.”
“Uncle was silent only during the speeches of his accomplices or their lawyer. That young, stupid guy, who said such stupid things that he could easily make the people laugh. But when one of us or our lawyer spoke, he broke down.”
“The judge couldn’t stop making comments and threatened either to kick him out or give him a penalty.”
“It seems like Nelson forgot to say it to that gang.”
“Or he didn’t know it,” Natalia assumes. “The lawyer for your uncle was inexperienced and literally took on such a hard case for the first time. He just finished his studies and got the right to work as a lawyer.”
“Well, Uncle was the one to find such a worthless lawyer. I don’t know if he knew that the old sellout wouldn’t save him from prison, but the old man met a failure in this case.”
“It’s amazing that Nelson didn’t find anyone to testify for Michael. He could’ve easily paid a stinker and explained what they should’ve said.”
“Who knows. But it wouldn’t have helped him anyway.”
“Well, with such a wonderful lawyer, it would’ve been strange if we’d lost. He spoke so right, defended all of us, and claimed protests that the judge always accepted.”
“Yes, Mr. Johnson did great work. Father said his friend found such a wonderful lawyer for us and vouched for him.”
“Mr. Johnson also testified as a witness. Michael would’ve been happy to protest something, but he didn’t know how. There was nobody to deny our charge, and nobody heard his pathetic protests.”
“That’s good Uncle didn’t know Mr. Johnson personally,” Edward notices. “Otherwise, that man would’ve suffered because of that sick scum.”
“Agree, Michael would’ve had no mercy for him.”
“And remember how Uncle looked at Terrence with great hate when he was testifying.”
“You know that Michael hates everybody that looks similar to your father and is connected with him somehow,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “As if something stuck in his head, and he can’t quietly look at those people that are similar to his brother.”
“Yeah. He made himself think that Father and those, who surrounded him, were guilty that he had been a loser all his life. Though, he’s guilty that people treated him like this.”
“Alas, but it can’t be changed. Michael will die, hating all of us.”
“Oh, I recalled how he started a show once.” Edward cracks a smile. “When he was pretending that he allegedly had a heart attack. I don’t know what that pathetic actor wanted to get, but nobody believed that he really had a heart issue.”
“I remember.”
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Edward and Natalia see the wind bringing up and bringing away middle waves.
“However, everything got much worse when the judge started to hear those, who had to do with his tricks,” Edward says quietly with sadness in his eyes.
“Who denied everything, as well. And showered us with mud all together.” Natalia sighs too hard and glances aside. “I’m surprised that I didn’t die from the fear and excitement when the judge told me to tell them everything I knew, and what happened to me. I almost collapsed while telling all of that. At the hearing of Michael’s case. The case of Wainwright. Thinking of that horrible night and the day of the kidnapping, I couldn’t be quiet. But I knew I should’ve told them everything. Nobody would’ve done it instead of me.”
“It was madly hurtful for me to watch you suffer.” Edward runs a free hand tenderly over Natalia’s cheek, who glances down. “I swear, Natalia, if it had been possible, I would’ve come to the judge with you and just stood next to you. Or told them everything. It would’ve been hurtful and disgusting, but I would've done it for you.”
“That’s good the judge understood me and took a break. But it wasn’t enough to calm down. I understood it wasn’t the end, and I’d have to come to the hearing many times.”
“And I barely held myself down not to hit that sick bastard.” Edward clenches a free hand into a hard fist. “My hands itched to beat the face of that stinker when he looked at you like he was gonna try to do those horrible things to you again. That sick scumbag would’ve had bruises and been half beaten.”
“But it didn’t stop me a couple of times,” Natalia replies quietly.
“I’m sorry that they took me aside quickly. I would’ve cut his guts with pleasure. That hairy gorilla would’ve paid me for everything he did to you.”
“I know, my sweetheart,” Natalia cracks a smile. “It’s really nice to me that nobody let them hurt me. Without your help, protection, and support, I wouldn’t have survived that.”
“We promised not to let them hurt you and do our best to protect you from those stinkers,” Edward replies with a slight smile. “So, we were doing everything we could.”
“I really felt easier ‘cause I had such trustful protection. You all helped me feel like I was safe.”
“It couldn’t have been otherwise.”
“I know,” Natalia smiles slightly.
***
January 18th 2017.
It’s about four o'clock. It’s the day of the announcement of a sentence for Eugene Wainwright, who was charged with the rape attempt on Natalia Rochester. The girl, all her friends, relatives, and familiar people came to the courtroom, and they are impatiently waiting for the judge to announce the sentence. Everybody sees how Wainwright's victim is nervous and tries to calm her down with words and hugs. Because of the excitement, the blonde barely stands on her white shoes with heels and cannot stop nervously twisting the buttons on her white jacket with quarter sleeves or small silver earrings with a white stone and wrapping a strand of her wavy hair brushed into a puffy ponytail around her finger.
Members of the jury come to the room and sit in the places for them. Nelson Rodriguez, the lawyer, who is protecting Eugene, is sitting quietly in his place. He looks a little tense, does not even look at everybody, and is writing something on a piece of paper. And Herbert Torres, the lawyer on the other side, looks quiet and collected. He does not stop comforting the scared Natalia, who is sitting next to Edward. The young, excited guy does not leave his sweetheart alone and dreams of the worst sentence for her offender, whom he hates to death.
Then the bailiff, who comes to his place near the one where the judge is supposed to sit down and says loudly:
“Get up, everyone, the judge is coming!”
Everybody gets up, and the judge, who looks much more tired than he was during the announcement of the sentence for the case of Nicolas Carter, enters the room.
“The Honorable Desmond Forest is presiding,” the bailiff says.
“Sit down,” Desmond says quietly.
Everybody in the room sits down.
“Bring the defendant, Eugene Wainwright.”
Some time later, Eugene Wainwright shows up in the room, is brought to the right place by the policemen, who are holding him under his arms, and sits down. The defendant slightly fixes his prison robe, on which the tracks of sweat are seen under his arms when the man raises a hand slightly and greets Nelson, who does not definitely like the way his client smells, judging by the fact that he winces.
And then Wainwright looks at Natalia with his crazy eyes. While she gets sharply white and opens her eyes full of scare widely. He smiles slyly, noticing that she looks very sexy in her white suit, and imagining how he would undress this beauty and caress her naked body with pleasure. Edward kind of understands it, tightly embraces his girlfriend around the shoulders, and takes her hand, looking at the offender of the girl with a burning look and letting him know that he would be dead if he dared to look at her. It makes Wainwright laugh, shake his head, and clatter quietly, kind of mocking the young man, who, however, stays more than confident.
However, Eugene leaves Natalia alone and moves the same filthy look to Raquelle, noticing that she looks very sexy in her crème suit and white shirt with a couple of top buttons open and loose hair that beautifully falls down from her shoulders and is gathered with two thick strands on the sides. The resented Terrence also lets him know that he would show no mercy for the offender of his brother’s girlfriend, hugging his fiancée around the shoulders and slightly fixing the collar of his light beige suit jacket. Eugene smirks evilly, gives his filthy look to Anna and Helene, and nods with a sly smile on his face, imagining how he would take off a brown and a violet blouse off both of them. Then he notices a threat from Daniel and Peter, who are protecting their girls from the criminal with a scar on half of his face. The man simpers again and glances at Desmond, who takes a gavel and hits it on the special sound block.
“After examining all the materials and questioning all the witnesses, the court has made the decision that will choose the destiny of the defendant,” Desmond says. “Eugene Wainwright, I am asking you to stand up.”
Eugene slowly gets up with a barely seen smirk, his eyes are rolled, and he looks at everybody as if he hates everybody in this room and literally the whole world. Natalia is listening to the sentence with a shake in her body and half-wet eyes, but feels a little quieter next to Edward tightly embracing her and caressing her shoulder softly. At some moment, she swallows up nervously and exhales slowly with closed eyes, while Wainwright often throws questioning looks at her and literally undresses her with his eyes.
Her parents, Letitia and Anthony, sitting behind her are madly worried about their daughter and praying that her offender gets a harsh sentence, while Jamie and Rebecca MacClife are sitting next to them and comforting them somehow. Only the fact that Edward sends him an icy look makes him watch someone else. He pays special attention to Daniel, at whom he looks very closely, with a sly smile. However, the man does not get confused and keeps looking at him with hate.
“Based on the proof, the court and the members of the jury have unanimously made the decision to consider Eugene Wainwright guilty of the committed violence against Natalia Rochester,” Desmond announces loudly and confidently.
Natalia closes her mouth with both hands and shakes her head with tears coming to her eyes, not believing what she hears. While Edward smiles slightly, and Terrence and Raquelle share it quickly with those, who are sitting behind them and not hiding their happiness.
“The court has sentenced Eugene Wainwright to fifteen years of deprivation of liberty without bail. Based on the medical report of the doctors of a mental clinic, he goes to a prison hospital, where he will be getting compulsory treatment after being recognized as a mentally sick person.”
The resentful Eugene throws his hands and moves his gloomy look to Nelson sitting next to him, who just shrugs, getting much more nervous and sadder after the announcement of the sentence.
“Wait, dyed bitch, wait…” Eugene hisses through his teeth, setting his contemptuous look on Natalia and seeing a contemptuous smirk on the face of Edward, who does not hide his wish to gloat. “You will pay me for everything. As well as this little freak. Why are you laughing, scoundrel? I shall raze you to the ground!”
Letitia and Anthony look at Eugene with cold gazes and let him know that they hate him for what he dared to do to their only daughter. The man is actually ready to break the neck of Natalia’s offender, as well as Edward. There is nobody in the room to look at him with pity in their eyes. And many people are not shy about closing their noses and wincing because of the disgusting smell of sweat and non-brushed teeth that Wainwright spreads all over the whole room.
“The sentenced Eugene Wainwright, did you understand the sentence?” Desmond asks quietly.
“It could not be clearer…” Eugene hums with his eyes rolled.
“Sit down.”
Eugene sits in his place and throws a gloomier look at Nelson looking nervously at the fingers of his hands folded on the table.
“Everybody in the room, did you understand the sentence?” Desmond asks.
“Yes, Your Highness,” everybody pronounces.
“The court is thanking those, who participated in this processing. I am pronouncing this case closed.”
Desmond takes a gavel and hits it on the sound block. After this, everybody starts whooping happily and applauding, as if they say they approve of this sentence. Natalia gets up from her place with her mouth closed with both hands and wet eyes, looking into the distance. She barely understands how Edward takes her in his tight, touching hug that she accepts with great pleasure, putting her arms around his neck, in the curve of which the girl snuggles her face, and making a couple of songs. Seeing his sweetheart shaking from tension, the man caresses her head and back softly with the hope that it will help her relax. Meanwhile, Letitia and Anthony hug each other, answer the hugs of Rebecca and Jamie, and accept good words from those, who are near them. And when Natalia steps back from Edward, she accepts the hugs from Raquelle and Terrence and those, who come to her to calm her down and remind her it’s all over, and thanks Herbert, who completed his mission perfectly.
While everybody congratulates the girl and expresses their happiness, Eugene throws his wild, burning look at Nelson getting a little white, literally wishing to kill him, tightly squeezing his big hands into fits and tensing all the muscles of his body.
“You are an asshole, Rodriguez,” Eugene hisses through his teeth. “Do you not the fuck have brains? Could you not get me out of prison?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Wainwright, but there was proof of your fault,” Nelson throws his hands up. “The gal and the lawyer Torres got covered and proved that you tried to rape her.”
“SCUMBAG! YOU BUNGLED THE SECOND CASE! YOU SAID ERIC WAS PRONOUNCED GUILTY, AND THAT BASTARD EDWARD WAS FOUND NON-GUILTY!”
“Everything was clear in that case. The fingerprints and the result of the DNA.”
“YOU MUST HAVE DONE SOMETHING!” Eugene hits his fist sharply against the table. “IF YOU BUNGLE MICHAEL’S CASE, WHY DID YOU THE FUCK START WORKING AS A LAWYER? WHO DID HE FUCK FIND FOR US?”
“If we had had a chance, I would have gotten all of you out. But everything is against you. Mr. MacClife and the others have a small chance. He will be sentenced at ninety-nine percent. And you and Mr. Brown will get a few more years.”
“Brainless bastard!” Eugene hisses. “You can do nothing! If that little puppy MacClife was our lawyer, he would do MUCH more than you, idiot!”
The judge Desmond makes a gesture, so the policemen take Eugene away. They immediately come to the defendant and take him under the arms to take him away from the room, while he showers Nelson with mud, who is not happy to lose two cases. But when they barely get him up and take some distance with them, he gets out of the policemen’s grip with a quiet growl and steps aside, but quickly gets caught by them. Then Wainwright applies much more effort and, using the fact that nobody sees it, runs to Natalia and grabs her rudely by the hair.
“A-A-A-A!” Natalia screams at the top of her lungs. “STOP IT! IT HURTS!”
A loud scream gets the attention of her friends, close people, and familiar people, and the policemen react immediately, trying to get the furious criminal off the dumbfounded girl, who did not definitely think this could happen. Edward also rushes to help, while the girls and the women go at the safe distance and watch what’s happening with tears in their widely open eyes, and the men come in little companies: Peter and Daniel come to Terrence; Anthony, Jamie, and Frederick are standing together, and Christopher, Kevin, and Benjamin come together and stand near MacClife, Sr., and his friends.
“IDIOT!” Eugene roars at the top of his lungs, grabbing Natalia tightly by the hair, while she is screaming at the top of her lungs. “Stupid dyed chicken! I HATE YOU! HATE! I WILL KILL YOU, BITCH, KILL!”
“Let the girl go, sentenced!” one of the policemen demands, trying to break Eugene up from Natalia along with his colleagues. “Let her go! Otherwise, we will have to take measures.”
“GO TO THE FUCK!”
Eugene turns sharply and smashes a hit against the face of one of the policemen, then hits the foreheads of two more, and hits the fourth one right in his grouch. He would hit Edward, as well, but the guy reacts immediately after the criminal tightly clenches his hands into a fist and raises it when it’s a few centimeters away from his cheek, lowers it sharply, and smashes his hit strongly against his yawl, making him lose his balance and fall to the floor.
“Don’t touch her with a finger, bastard, otherwise, I will not be responsible for myself,” Edward says confidently in a low voice, threatening Eugene with a finger. “And I do give a fuck about what they would do to me for violating the order.”
“Get out of my way, deadbeat!” Eugene throws rudely, getting up sharply, and pushes Edward aside rudely. “I am not speaking to you!”
Nobody has time to understand how Eugene grabs Natalia by the hair again and gives her a strong slap in the face, after which she screams loudly from pain and horror.
“Fucking whore,” Eugene hisses through his teeth. “I should’ve killed you on that day. If I had known you had such a long tongue and dared to report me to the police, I would’ve killed you with pleasure and given your corpses to dogs. Do not hope I will regret it. NEVER, SLUT!”
“NO, PLEASE!” Natalia screams with despair.
“I am so sorry that I did not think of spreading the photos on the whole Internet and letting everybody know you were a nasty whore that nobody would take even for free.”
Edward tries to get Eugene’s hands off Natalia’s hair, while she is crying bitterly and shaking strongly. But since the grip is too tight, the man just hits his knee against Wainwright’s crotch and smashes his fist against his back when the criminal doubles over from pain in his abdomen. And when MacClife, Jr., rudely grabs the offender of his sweetheart by the collar, he looks at Terrence and kind of asks him to take the girl to a safe distance. His brother understands it immediately, hugs the crying girl, and takes her far from the dangerous man, who tries to get out of the younger MacClife brother with a growl.
“It’s okay, honey, it’s okay,” Terrence tries to calm down in a quiet, soft voice, caressing Natalia’s head tenderly and hugging her tightly.
“Don’t cry, daughter, don’t cry,” Anthony says softly, caressing Natalia making sobs on the head, and hugging her when Terrence steps back from her. “We won’t let anyone hurt you. It’s okay, my sweetheart, your dad is with you.”
“Don’t move, scumbag!” Edward hisses through his teeth, grabbing Eugene by the hair with a free hand. “If I could, I would cut all your guts! Prison is a too soft punishment for such a sick bastard like you!”
“Shut up, you, underdeveloped puppy!” Eugene smirks contemptuously. “Better go to hide behind your mommy’s skirt! Cry a little! You can only do this, kid.”
“Wrong, Wainwright.” Edward sets his contemptuous, arrogant gaze on Eugene. “Many things have changed over these few months. Including me. I have changed. And I will never be the Edward MacClife you knew. But fewer things never change. For example, my wish to protect those I love. And this time, I’m going to do this much crueler. Having no mercy for scumbags like you.”
“HA, HA, HOW FUNNY!” Eugene laughs hysterically. “Our little boy is still trying to pretend to be cool. Ah, yeah, sure… There are so many people here… How you can screw it up when so many people stare at you!”
“I would prove it to you, but I don’t want to dirty my hands because of such a dirty, smelly animal that made the air worse. If you haven’t noticed, half of the people were sitting here with closed noses because you smelled worse than any homeless guy. I hope your cellmates won't die after getting choked by these smells. We are close to this.”
“And I don’t want to hear the bullshit of the kid, who pretends to be a hero for this blonde whore.”
Edward reacts instantly, giving Eugene a very strong hit on the face, pushing him sharply, and hitting him right in the stomach with a leg. Not caring about the burning pain, the criminal gets up quickly and tries to hit the young guy in the yawl strongly, but the guy perfectly avoids it and fights with him hand in hand for two seconds before Terrence comes to help his brother out and pushes the criminal off rudely. While the policemen, come to Wainwright, twist his arms around the back and try to take him away from here by force.
“So, MacClife, are you showing off again and standing by your little brother, who is brave only with you and this blonde chicken?” Eugene smirks contemptuously.
“Come on, go, go to prison, sick bastard!” Terrence throws coldly. “I hope they will wash your brains. And you would learn good manners and good behavior with girls. Though, I really doubt that you could be taught something with a little brain in your head. It’s much easier to teach a monkey to speak than to make you think that feeling up and undressing a girl against her wish is unforgivable.”
“Come on, asshole! You should get therapy. Everybody knows that you’ve been mentally sick since childhood and can easily kill someone in anger.”
“Don’t dare to insult my brother!” Edward demands rudely. “And go to get therapy! As it turned out, you are really mentally sick. So, go to prison and get therapy. And in two days, Uncle Michael will get his sentence, and you will get a few more years for what you did. For kidnapping my girlfriend and trying to kill my father.”
“We will see it, little trash.”
Eugene smashes a hit against the face of every single policeman or hits them in the abdomen very strongly, making the men much more nervous and making the women get much whiter from horror and scarily watch the mentally sick man, whom fewer people cannot deal with. He easily deals with Edward and Terrence, pushing every one of them, so they fall to the floor, and runs to Natalia again. The criminal gives her another slap, drags her by the hair for two seconds, and tries to squeeze her throat. While the MacClife brothers get up quickly, the furious Anthony meddles in the case, smashes his fist against Wainwright’s yawl, gives him a strong slap in the face, grabs him by the collar with both hands, and sets his burning look on him.
“Do not dare to touch my daughter, bastard,” Anthony hisses through his teeth. “Otherwise, I swear, scumbag, I will castrate you alive. So you the fuck scream from pain and never wish to get closer to Natalia and any other girl.”
“Why should I feel sorry for some chickens that have had so many men and cannot remember who has been in their bed?” Eugene smirks evilly. “I don’t know what you and your wife, the same hysterical lady as her daughter, did, but here’s the gift. The girl, who was an innocent angel for you, became a whore that undressed for me without problems. But who has not sucked me off yet.”
“Close your dirty mouth, animal. AND DO NOT DARE TO INSULT MY DAUGHTER AND MY WIFE! YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT I CAN DO IF A BASTARD GETS ME ENRAGED. IF YOU ARE NOT AFRAID OF EDWARD, I SHALL MAKE YOU FEAR ME. I AM A FATHER OF NATALIA AND WILL BE PROTECTING HER FROM SUCH A SICK BASTARD LIKE YOU.”
“You’d be more interested in the photos that my friends took when that cutie and I made love,” Eugene provokes with a sly smile. “So, I would see who would defend this gal obsessed with men. If she was a good girl, she would meet a real man. But since she acted like a prostitute, she got this puppy that was the only one to agree to accept the fact that she had had hundreds of men in her bed.”
Anthony gives a couple of strong hits on Eugene’s yawl with evil in his eyes before he starts fighting with him hand in hand. And two seconds later, Edward comes to help him and hits him in the yawl with great pleasure. It happens for a few seconds before the policemen try to take Wainwright under the arms and take him away from the room. Natalia is shaking strongly from fear, crying quietly, and afraid of another attack from her offender and an attempt to beat her and rape her. And Letitia comforts her daughter the way she can do it, hugging her tightly, caressing her head and back, and saying something. Though, the woman is also deeply shocked by what is happening. As well as Raquelle, Anna, and Helene, who are watching what’s happening with wet eyes and trying to calm their friend down.
“Let me go, dogs!” Eugene roars hysterically, getting out of the policemen’s grip so hard. “LET ME GO, I SAID!”
“If you do not come with us, we will have to take measures,” the policeman threatens, trying to hold Eugene in a strong grip.
“I GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOUR FUCKING MEASURES! FIRST, I WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS BLONDE WHORE!”
The resentful Edward gives Eugene a strong hit on the stomach with a leg.
“STOP CALLING HER LIKE THIS!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs, starting to breathe heavily and clenching his hands tightly into fists. “IF I HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN, YOU WILL BE DEAD. I SWEAR! YOU WILL REGRET IT!”
“Calm down, MacClife, this idiot is going to be not the only one I will have fun with,” Eugene smiles slyly and glances at Raquelle, starting to examine her with the look of a long-time maniac. “For example, that sexy brunette, who has driven many men insane… Maybe, I would have fewer problems with her, and she would surprise me with her skills. Ar-r-r… I would take this suit off her and get my penis into her…”
Everybody resents because of these words. Especially Frederick and Alicia, who are here, too. The woman landed here from London to support her close people personally and speak to those she had not seen for ages. Raquelle herself opens her eyes widely, getting horrified by imagining herself instead of her friend and feeling that her heart starts beating faster. And Terrence getting enraged runs to Wainwright and smashes a hit against his face very strongly, setting his burning look on him.
“Do not dare to get close to her, dirty animal!” Terrence threatens with a finger. “OTHERWISE, I WILL PERSONALLY CASTRATE YOU AND GET ALL YOUR ORGANS OUT! I SHALL GET YOUR PENIS IN YOUR ASS!”
“Calm down, MacClife, calm down,” Eugene smiles evilly. “Don’t make yourself a psycho. Otherwise, your fiancée, bro, mommy, and daddy will have to watch you wearing a straitjacket, screaming and jumping in a white room like a monkey.”
“STOP LAUGHING, BASTARD! I AM NOT KIDDING NOW! IF I KNOW YOU GO AROUND MY FIANCÉE, YOU WILL HAVE TO REGRET IT. FOR THIS GIRL, I SHALL CUT YOUR THROAT!”
“I will also get your guts out if you do something to her,” Frederick says confidently. “I don’t care about my old age. For my granddaughter, I would tear anyone!”
“Jesus, what’s going on!” Alicia resents. “Why are there so many tough men in the room, who cannot deal with this mentally sick person?”
“Yeah, take this person away before he steals a gun from someone!”
“That’s good the law does not approve of this thing. Otherwise, every single one in this country would behave like this!”
“There is only one way, Mrs. Middleton, – calling doctors from a mental hospital and injecting a sedative into him,” Jamie says confidently. “Nothing else can calm this bastard down.”
“I swear I will go whatever I need for this stinker to go to prison for all his life if he touches at least one girl,” Herbert says. “This disgusting thing must not be approved! And it will not be! I will not let these scumbags walk free!”
“We are warning you for the last time, Mr. Wainwright: if you do not go with us now, we will have to call a doctor, so you get a sedative injected,” the policeman says confidently, trying to take Eugene to the exit by force.
“GO TO THE FUCK!” Eugene smiles slyly and looks at all the young girls in the room. “I have so much to do… There are so many sexy cuties that need the man’s attention… The attention of the real man, not some milksops like your beloved Eddy.”
“Are you really sick?” Daniel resents, knocking at his temple with a finger. “You are ready to rape any young girl that you meet! You don’t know where to put your dry pipe!”
“Oh, another freak from the herd of dogs speaks,” Eugene hums, looking at Daniel with contempt in his eyes.
“If the police can’t deal with you, we will help them do it with pleasure,” Peter says confidently. “You will have no strength to hit all of us with the hope to get the time and run to any girl.”
“Another crazy pal of the MacClife brothers…” Eugene smirks evilly and looks at Peter with contempt in his eyes. “Yeah… They can't choose friends…”
“Hey, no insults, please, honorable!” Benjamin meddles. “And accept the fact that you have been pronounced guilty and will get a few more years two days later.”
“Go to the fuck, freaks! I don’t want to deal with you!” Eugene looks at Anna and Helene with the look of a serial maniac and smiles much wider. “M-m-m… A red-haired baby is good… Too young… That’s what I love! This type has a super gorgeous body. Caressing them is such a pleasure… And the dark-haired one is a dolly… So short… Oh, what a choice! One is more attractive and sexier and another… I don't even know who I would have fun with first… Who would be the first one to taste my big penis…”
“DO NOT DARE, SCUMBAG!” Peter and Daniel scream at the top of their lungs, being furious after what they heard.
“Crazy!” Peter knocks at his temple with a finger. “Sick bastard! Your place is in a mental hospital!”
“I hope you will end up in a prison for dangerous criminals,” Daniel adds loudly.
“Oh, yeah, chickens started clucking!” Eugene exclaims loudly and clucks like a chicken. “A riot in a hen house started!”
“What the hell is this!” Victor resents. “Do something! Otherwise, this hell will not end until the evening!”
“Go to prison, bastard!” Edward screams. “It’s the place you belong!”
Everybody starts to resent loudly and knock at their temples with their fingers, getting so excited that something could hardly stop them. The atmosphere in the room is getting tenser and tenser. Nobody cares about getting punishment for violating the order. The policemen still try to take Eugene away, who is resisting so hard. And the men are ready to protect the women, who are standing on another side of the room and crying quietly, as they watch what’s happening with horror in their eyes.
“Take this sick man away before he rapes someone here,” Jamie demands confidently, waving a hand.
“Or better send him to a mental hospital,” Benjamin adds. “And keep him under lock and key!”
“Stinker, how do you dare to do it to girls?” Herbert wonders. “You must get therapy, scumbag! That’s not fine!”
“Go to prison, stinker!” Kevin says loudly. “To prison! They will wash your brains!”
“We will not be silent if someone treats a girl like this before our eyes,” Victor says confidently.
“I hope everybody will treat you as terribly as you treat girls,” Christopher expresses hope. “Good men do respect women, no matter what they are.”
However, Eugene, saying softly, does not care about it all and just simpers quietly, still fighting with a few policemen.
“Order!” Desmond demands loudly. “Order! Everybody, calm down! Keep the order! Otherwise, I will give all of you a penalty!”
“It cannot be happening anymore,” the bailiff says confidently. “I gave the order to bring doctors from a mental hospital here.”
“Oh, Jesus Christ…” Desmond tiredly. “The case of this family will drive me crazy… And I’m going to see them at the hearing of the case of Michael MacClife…”
Meanwhile, Eugene keeps resisting the policemen, who are trying to catch him, and screaming like crazy. Terrence, Edward, Daniel, Peter, Benjamin, Kevin, and Christopher are trying to help them because they understand that if they do not end this as soon as possible, it may last for a long time. But the criminal always runs away from them and lets nobody catch him, showering every single one with mud. During one of the runs, he shamelessly grabs Raquelle, Anna, and Helene by the buttocks or slaps them. While they open their mouths, the man attacks Natalia again, grabbing her with both arms from behind and running from one side to another, while she screams loudly and tries to break free. Then he strikes her down on the floor, raises himself above her, feels her breasts up rudely, and gives her a few strong slaps in the face.
It becomes the last drop of patience for Edward. Losing control of himself, he strikes Eugene down and starts beating him shamelessly as strongly as possible. He does not care about his chuckles and his black shoes that he borrowed from Terrence three months ago, as well as the suit. Some people in the room get shocked by the fact that Edward, who is usually discreet, is beating Wainwright so strongly that the criminal gets a little flow of blood on the corners of his mouth.
“Oh, gosh, Edward lost control of himself,” Helene gets horrified, closing her mouth with a hand.
“He’s about to beat him to death!” Alicia opens her eyes widely.
“Listen, men, I’m afraid of that guy,” Benjamin confesses with anxiety. “Edward will kill that bastard and will be brought up on criminal charges.”
“I know,” Terrence says confidently. “Yes, that bastard must get kicked well. But nobody wants Edward to be under investigation again.”
Terrence runs to Edward first and tries to take him away from Eugene by force, while the criminal has been beaten strongly for a few seconds. And seeing that he cannot control his brother obsessed with anger, Daniel and Peter come to help him out.
“Stop, Edward, stop!” Daniel demands loudly. “You will kill him! Don’t look for trouble!”
“I give a fuck!” Edward throws rudely, breathing heavily and trying to get out of the grip of Daniel and Peter, who are tightly holding him by the arms. “Let me go! Lemme go, I said!”
“We know he deserves it,” Peter jabs. “But you may go to prison!”
“I said I gave a FUCK! NOBODY DARE TO TREAT MY GIRLFRIEND LIKE THIS!”
When Edward gets out of Peter and Daniel’s grip, Terrence pulls him away from Eugene, whom the policemen are trying to hold down.
“Let me go, Terrence!” Edward demands, trying to get out of Terrence’s grip. “I’m very furious now! You don’t better touch me!”
“Don’t do stupid things if you don’t wanna get problems!” Terrence replies confidently.
“If you don’t let me go, I shall hit you!”
“Stop acting like a psycho! Enough!”
“I haven’t dealt with that sick asshole! I SWEAR I SHALL DESTROY HIM! AND NOBODY WILL STOP ME!”
“Calm down, Edward, CALM DOWN!” Terrence starts shouting, taking Edward by the wrists tightly. “STOP! DON’T MAKE ME WAKE YOU UP WITH SLAPS!”
“Get off me!”
“Stop it now, Edward!” Jamie demands confidently, coming to Edward, sharply turning him on himself and taking him by the shoulders. “Stop, I said!”
“I SHALL STOP WHEN THIS BASTARD DIES!”
“Alright, stop! Stop! STOP, I SAID! WAKE UP!”
“Seriously, MacClife, don’t ask for trouble,” Kevin agrees, coming to Edward along with Benjamin and Christopher. “That bastard is gonna live a hard life in prison. And it will not last for one year.”
“He will be there as well as Brown, your uncle, and their pals,” Christopher adds confidently. “The hell is waiting for him.”
“Yeah, the policemen got him caught,” Anthony announces. “This hell must end now.”
The policemen really get Eugene caught and, twisting his arms around his back, place handcuffs on him. They get him up and want to take him away from the room. But when Wainwright is two meters away from him, Edward breathing heavily gives a start sharply and tries to attack him with fits again. However, Terrence takes his brother back immediately, twisting his arms around his back.
“YOU’RE DEAD, ASSHOLE!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs and growls irritably, while his brother and son do not let him go. “AR-R-R! I SHALL CRUSH YOU AGAINST THE FUCKING WALL!”
“Stop, stop, Edward, calm down!” Terrence exclaims. “Calm down, I said!”
“LET ME GO NOW!” Edward shakes his hands sharply. “LET ME THE FUCK GO! I WILL NOT LET THIS BASTARD LEAVE ALIVE!”
“Stop this fucking show right now!” Jamie exclaims loudly, grabbing Edward under the arm. “WAKE UP THE FUCK BEFORE YOU MAKE US CALM YOU DOWN WITH CLAPS AND COLD WATER!”
“So, baby, don’t they let you beat my face?” Eugene smirks loudly. “What a pity!”
“I SHALL KILL YOU, BASTARD!” Edward screams.
“And I squeezed the boobs of your blonde! They’re so big and tough! M-m-m… I almost got an orgasm… And if I caress the naked ones… Suck her tough nipples… Caress her soft belly with my hands… Get my fingers into her wet hole… And then get my big penis into it… So she screams like a female cat when having estrus!”
“I WISH YOUR PENIS GOT DRY! AS WELL AS YOUR DIRTY TONGUE!”
“Your tin whistle will do it sooner! And the blonde will suck me off when I reach for her. I shall the fuck undress this bitch and spread her legs. SHE WILL GIVE ME HER DEBT!”
Edward tries to attack Eugene with an irritated growl and bloodshot eyes, but Terrence is holding him tightly and determinedly.
“Ha, ha!” Eugene laughs evilly. “You will do nothing to me! As well as you will not do it when Rochester is doing a blowjob for me and lying nude with my penis in her ass!”
“I WISH YOU DIED, BASTARD!” Edward roars at the top of his lungs, breathing heavily and trying to get out of the grip of Terrence, whom Daniel, Peter, Benjamin, Christopher, and Kevin are helping, too. “CURSE YOU!”
“I give a fuck about your curses!”
“YOU BETTER KEEP YOURSELF FAR FROM ME! BECAUSE I SHALL KILL YOU WITH MY OWN HANDS, SCUMBAG! HEAR ME!”
“You’re getting more similar to your sick brother. Look, you may be not too far from your father. Some freaks were born in the MacClife family. The only exclusion is Michael MacClife.”
“I AM NOT KIDDING, YOU, FUCKING ASSHOLE! I DO REALLY NOT CARE ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME! I ONLY NEED TO KNOW THAT ONE SICK BASTARD IS BURNING IN FIRE! YOU, BASTARD, DO NOT KNOW WHAT I CAN DO WHEN I GET ANGRY!”
“Damn, someone, call an ambulance,” Eugene smirks contemptuously. “So, doctors inject something into this psycho and bring him to the hospital. Oh, no, may everybody from the MacClife family go there. SO THEY LIVE THEIR LAST DAYS THERE!”
“Get out of here, asshole!” Anthony demands loudly. “And for these words about my daughter, I will beat you strongly. Help Edward deal with you with pleasure if you keep saying it and dare to touch her at least with a finger.”
“Prison!” Kevin starts chanting. “Prison! Prison!”
The other men catch a wave and also start saying something like this very loudly, while Eugene just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. But at some moment, he looks around and stops his eyes on one of the members of the police staff, who are trying to take him away from here. To be clear, the pistol that is put on the belt. Using the moment, the criminal grabs the gun and gives him a strong hit against his chin with a fist. And he hits the face or the stomach of his colleagues when they try to take measures. While the policemen fall to the floor and double over from strong pain, Wainwright takes a shot three times at the ceiling along with the shouts of the girls and women, who get sharply white from horror and start to come together in small groups.
“You will not get away from me so easily, bastards!” Eugene smiles evilly, pointing the gun at everybody in the room. “I shall destroy all of you!”
“Take him out of here!” Victor orders. “Take the gun from him!”
“Oh, shit, it’s gonna be over in a bad way…” Benjamin assumes thoughtfully.
“Jesus Christ…” Desmond pronounces with horror in his eyes.
Eugene laughs loudly and hysterically when he starts to shoot at everybody he sees in front of himself, making them feel a fear that freezes their souls. They do their best to dodge the bullets that fly on different sides, and the policemen are trying to catch him unsuccessfully after they come to themselves a little.
“Fucking asshole!” Terrence resents, squatting down and hiding behind the chair. “He’s all beaten, but he’s still fucking alive.”
“That’s what we were afraid!” Daniel jabs, protecting himself with a chair, as he runs aside. “That someone would grab a gun and start to shoot everyone down.”
“Where are you going, idiot?” Peter gets horrified loudly when he sees Edward come to Eugene determinedly. “He’s gonna shoot at you! You won’t even realize it!”
“God, save us…” Rebecca begs with tears in her eyes as she is hugging tightly Alicia and standing with her aside as quietly as mice.
“That psycho is much more dangerous than Michael!” Letitia exclaims when Anthony and she barely manage to run aside.
“Edward didn’t beat his face enough,” Anthony throws gloomily. “He should’ve beaten him more.”
“Jesus, what’s that boy doing?” Alicia gets horrified with widely open eyes, watching Edward fighting with Eugene hand in hand cruelly to take the pistol from him.
“Edward, get off him!” Jamie orders.
“Oh, I feel trouble is coming…” Frederick expresses anxiety. “Trouble is coming…”
“He is trying to shoot at the women!” Christopher gets enraged, running from one side to another along with the others.
“Someone, stop that asshole!” Kevin exclaims. “Before someone suffers!”
“Convicted Wainwright, put the gun on the floor now!” one of the policemen orders, pointing the pistol at Eugene.
“Calm the convicted one down!” Desmond orders, while the bailiff grabs him under his arm and advises that they leave shortly.
“I will take revenge on all of you!” Eugene says at the top of his lungs, still shooting at everybody, on whom he stops his crazy eyes. “I will do what my dear Michael MacClife was dreaming about so badly.”
Eugene smiles slyly when he stops his eyes on the pale, terribly scared Anna, Helene, and Raquelle, who are pressing themselves tightly to each other. He almost shoots at them but gets into the ceiling because Edward raises his hand with the gun up sharply. The girls squat down with gasps, closing their heads with their hands instinctively, while Daniel, Peter, and Terrence shake slightly in horror.
“Bastard!” Peter shouts. “That bastard almost wounded them!”
“All of you are in the line, don’t worry,” Eugene says confidently. “All of you.”
Now Eugene starts shooting at Peter, Terrence, and Daniel, who jump aside shortly, reach for Helene, Raquelle, and Anna, who are breathing heavily, hug them tightly, and do their best to protect them from a gun wound during the shooting. But it does not last for too long because Edward gives him a strong hit with a foot against the small of his back at some moment. The criminal falls to the floor shortly, lets the gun go, and starts a hand-in-hand fight with his biggest enemy, who is obsessed with such strong anger that it’s very hard for him to fight off him.
“Aren’t you sick of waving your wings, baby?” Eugene scoffs courteously.
“While you dare to harm my close people, I will not calm down.” Edward says rudely and smashes his fist against Eugene’s jaw. “I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!”
“And I will not calm down until I KILL YOU!” Eugene, lying on the floor, pushes Edward raising himself above him off himself with a hit against his stomach. “UNTIL YOU START GETTING ROTTEN IN THE GROUND!”
Eugene gets up sharply, strikes down the policeman, who tries to catch him, with a powerful hit against the face, takes the pistol from him and points it sharply at Edward, who is breathing heavily and still lying on the floor.
“Nelson would be so happy to tell Michael about how I got rid of the pathetic, shabby kitten, the lives of which are finally gone. HE WOULD BE MADLY THRILLED! THRILLED THAT ONE BASTARD DIED!”
Edward barely manages to roll aside when Eugene takes a shot with an evil smile. And when he gets up, he has to squat down, roll on the floor, and hide behind the chairs because Wainwright starts shooting at him much more cruelly. While everybody is hiding aside and literally not breathing as they watch MacClife, Jr., being one step away from a gun wound again and again.
“No, stop!” Natalia shouts with tears in her eyes, while Benjamin is hugging her tightly, and Blair is calming her down. “Please…”
“Run, Edward, run!” Raquelle exclaims.
“Watch out!” Anna cries.
“Here, run here!” Helene makes a calling gesture.
Edward spends some time running away from Eugene getting literally pale before he stumbles on something and falls to the floor. At this moment, Terrence runs to him, grabs him under his arms, helps him get up, and takes him aside shortly.
“Are you okay, man?” Daniel asks.
“Fine,” Edward nods confidently as he is out of breath.
“Don’t relax, guys,” Peter warns. “I guess we’re stuck here for a long time.”
Eugene starts shooting at everybody, whom he sees, with no shame, making everybody run on different sides. The men hide the woman in all ways, while the ladies are crying bitterly, shaking, and shouting in horror that they feel now.
“It’s okay, sweetie, fear nothing,” Terrence calms down in a quiet, low voice, pressing Raquelle closely to himself and caressing her head, while she sniffs quietly and barely holds her tears down. “He will do nothing to you.”
“It’s okay, princess, I’m here,” Daniel says softly, running his fingertips over the skin on Anna’s head, and hugging her as tightly as possible, while she is crying quietly, clenching her hands into fists, and putting them on his chest. “I promise I will let anyone hurt you.”
“I’m here, my sugar,” Peter says in a quiet, calming voice, caressing Helene’s head and running his free hand over her back, while she is shaking strongly from a strong tension. “It’s okay…”
“Yea-a-a-ah, babe!” Eugene exclaims with enjoyment, shooting at Christopher, Benjamin, and Kevin, who are trying to run away. “That’s what I call pleasure! YEA-A-A-A-AH!”
“My God, do something to this psycho, after all!” Jamie demands loudly.
“It will be worse for him if he does not calm down,” Frederick says confidently.
“Such dangerous people must actually be kept far from people!” Alicia says determinedly. “And more than two policemen should watch him.”
All this time, the policemen are running after Eugene and unsuccessfully trying to shoot at him, but he magically dodges all the bullets. No words or orders impact the criminal, who gets too passionate for it and is determined to deal with everybody, or at least the men, who are protecting the young girls, who are shaking strongly from true horror, from the worst.
“First, I will deal with the youth,” Eugene smiles evilly and takes a shot at Daniel, whom Peter barely manages to take aside in time. “So, you don’t hurt my eyes and stand in my way.”
“You better give up and go to get therapy at the mental hospital!” Terrence roars.
“Maybe, after you, king penguin.” Eugene shoots at Terrence, who gets saved by Edward, who takes his hand and runs aside with him. “Fuck, why are you all so fucking alive? DIE NOW!”
“Convicted Wainwright, put the gun on the floor and raise your hands now,” one of the policemen orders, pointing the pistol at Eugene.
“Oh, no, I haven’t ended it. My fun is just getting started. Not only do I love fucking sexy, nude girls. I also love killing those, who are like a pain in my ass.”
Eugene looks at everybody, who came all together, trying to be as close to each other as possible and looking at him closely with widely open eyes as if they are his hostages. Then he pays attention to Natalia, who is crying quietly, putting her head on her shoulders, and embracing herself tightly with both arms, and smiles slyly.
“So what, blonde bitch…” Eugene pronounces in a low voice, coming confidently to Natalia breathing heavily. “I finally have a chance to take revenge on you for everything. For your long tongue and your refusal to suck me a lot.”
“No, please, don’t do this…” Natalia begs in a shaking voice, starting to get back slowly. “Don’t kill me…”
“Don’t dare to touch her, asshole…” Edward hisses through his teeth, clenching his hands tightly into fists. “DO NOT DARE!”
“Don’t worry, your death will be instant,” Eugene promises. “You will get a bullet in your heart or head and die immediately. You will not need an ambulance. Unless they should drive your gorgeous body to a morgue.”
“I SAID, GET OFF HER!”
When Edward gives a start with a wish to run to Natalia, Eugene points the pistol at him.
“DO NOT MOVE, JACKASS!” Eugene roars.
“I give a fuck about your threats!” Edward says rudely. “If something happens to her, I WILL TEAR YOU APART, BASTARD!”
Edward just gives a hit in Eugene’s jaw before Wainwright strikes him down rudely with a hit of a foot against his solar plexus, depriving the young guy of the ability to breathe. Using the moment, the criminal runs to Natalia and has to start chasing her because she is running away from him with defeating shouts. The girl hides everywhere she can, while her offender is shooting at her with a special pleasure. Standing aside, Anna, Raquelle, and Helene do not hold down the tears and are praying so hard that their friend is okay. While Jamie and Victor help Edward come to himself a little and get up on his feet, asking him about his condition at the same time.
The policemen do not give up on trying to catch the vicious criminal and do their best to protect everybody, who is standing in the same places and feeling how fast their hearts are beating and how strongly every single muscle is shaking. But they can do nothing against Eugene, who manages to catch Natalia at some moment. He grabs her rudely by the hair and gives her a strong slap in the face along with the defeating shout of the blonde. Then Wainwright pushes the girl off himself and, holding the pistol tightly with both hands, points it at her. While she looks at him with pity in her wet from tears eyes and is breathing heavily enough, being literally paralyzed by the fear that is squeezing her just like a super cold frost.
“Say goodbye to these people, bitch,” Eugene says in a low, rude voice. “You will die FIRST!”
“NO-O-O-O-O!” Edward screams at the top of his lungs, suddenly feeling a pain in his heart when he sees Eugene wishing to pull the trigger.
Edward needs less than a second to run to Natalia as fast as possible and hug her tightly, while she closes her face with both hands, so he can cover her from the dangerous criminal with his back. While the man takes a shot anyway. The bullet gets sharply out of the muzzle and gets right into the guy, who just manages to glance at Wainwright. Then it gets into his bicep and gets deeply into his skin, making him wince and grab it sharply.
“NO-O-O-O!” Natalia wrecks her lungs in a heartbreaking way with widely open eyes. “Edward!”
Wincing strongly from a burning pain that gets throughout his whole body at some moment, Edward doubles over with a feeling that he cannot feel his wounded arm, while all the women and girls shout loudly, and the men open their eyes widely and get literally frozen from horror.
“Edward!” Terrence screams at the top of his lungs, getting sharply white and understanding that he lacks air.
“Edward, sonny…” Rebecca starts crying as she feels an unpleasant pain in her heart.
“Sonny!” Jamie shakes, grabbing Rebecca under her arms when her legs get weak from weakness.
“Edward!” Daniel and Peter get horrified, closing their mouths with both hands, and then Anna, Raquelle, and Helene shout out the same thing.
“Jesus Christ…” Frederick opens his eyes widely. “Edward!”
At this moment, Edward gets down sharply to his knees with a feeling of strong weakness, holding tightly the wound that starts bleeding strongly, while Natalia choking from excitement holds him and gets down to the floor next to him.
“Edward!” Natalia jabs excitedly and starts hugging Edward around the shoulders when he lies down. “Edward, sweetheart…” Natalia presses Edward close to herself and caresses his cheek tenderly.
“My God, my God…” Natalia kisses Edward on the cheek. “My sweetie… My love…”
Edward says nothing and just winces much stronger from pain, breathing a little heavily, getting his hand dirtied with blood. And while Eugene laughs evilly with his head proudly raised, not caring about the policemen, who surround him with guns in their hands and tell him to raise his hands, everybody starts running up to the wounded guy.
“Edward, bro…” Terrence pronounces as he chokes after he runs up to Edward first, gets down on his knees, and puts a hand on his brother’s cheek for a second. “Move your hand off, I’ll look at the wound.”
“My gosh, Edward!” Raquelle exclaims excitedly, following Terrence and caressing Edward’s head.
“Edward!” Daniel and Peter cry at the same time as they get down next to their friends.
“Oh, fuck…” Daniel gets horrified.
“That asshole wounded his arm!” Peter announces and opens several buttons on Edward’s shirt to let him breathe freely.
“My God, Edward…” Letitia pronounces with a horror in her widely open eyes.
“Call an ambulance!” Terrence demands loudly, having his hands dirtied with blood. “He is wounded!”
“Quick, call a doctor!” Victor orders.
“Move, call 911!” Herbert addresses the bailiff and the members of the jury. “Or the guy will die!”
“Edward, my sonny…” Rebecca pronounces in a shaking voice, caressing Edward’s hand with tears in her eyes. “My sweetheart…”
“It’s okay…” Edward tries to calm everybody down with a heavy breath and tenses all his muscles when he barely moves his wounded arm. “It’s okay…”
“Hold on, sweetie, hold on, I’m begging you!” Natalia begs in despair putting her hand on Edward’s cheek. “Please, Edward, hold on!”
“It’s okay, Edward, the ambulance is on the way,” Anthony says softly. “Just hold on.”
“My God, son, how did it happen?” Jamie shakes his head, holding Edward’s shaking hand. “My God…”
“That psycho has wounded you…” Alicia gets horrified.
“It should’ve happened…” Edward replies quietly, a little faintly. “Otherwise, he would’ve killed Natalia…”
“It’s gonna be okay, Edward,” Anna says softly, putting her hand on Edward’s cheek.
“You’re strong, you can do this,” Helene adds, clapping Edward's hand.
“We’ve gotta stop the blood!” Christopher exclaims. “Or hold it down somehow! Before he loses much more and passes out.”
“Yeah, let’s make a tourniquet,” Kevin agrees. “It will help him hold on until the ambulance comes.”
“Use a belt or tie!” Blair advises. “And put something under his head!”
And while some people try to hold down the flow of blood that is getting out of Edward’s wound, and the others are begging him to hold on, Eugene’s laugh is getting much more hysterical. But he stops resisting the policemen, who take the gun from him, twist his arms around his back, and put on a handcuff.
“The puppy didn’t resist for a long time,” Eugene gloats. “He didn’t wave his wings for too long!”
“You will not get away from this, asshole!” Daniel throws gloomily. “You will pay for what you did to Edward!”
“You are much worse than that old bastard, Michael!” Benjamin exclaims.
“Oh, it’s so funny to watch everybody taking care of this underdeveloped one,” Eugene smirks contemptuously. “The underdeveloped, little boy, who should’ve been killed in the womb.”
“Hey, bastard, you better shut your dirty mouth down!” Peter roars in a low voice. “Before we shoot at your balls!”
“I hope MacClife will not hold on until the arrival of the ambulance and is about to die. He will die as a hero, who sacrificed himself for the sexy blonde. Who will be standing naked in front of me soon and sucking me for a long time.”
Feeling like every single muscle tenses from anger and starting to breathe heavily, the enraged Terrence wants to get up sharply and attack Eugene with fists. But Raquelle stops him immediately, taking him tightly by the shoulders and pulling him down.
“Don’t do this, Terrence, don’t touch him!” Raquelle jabs. “If he wounded you or made you disabled, it would be too much!”
“IF MY BROTHER DIES, I WILL SKIN YOU ALIVE, BASTARD!” Terrence explodes while his nostrils inflate, and his face gets red from anger.
“I will be praying that this rag is not so alive,” Eugene laughs evilly, while the policemen take him by force further and further.
“Get out of here before I beat your face!” Jamie roars. “Don’t wait for mercy from me if something happens to my son. YOU SHOULD NOT MAKE ME MAD!”
“This is not the last meeting of ours, folks. Even if it happens in twenty years, I will find you anyway. Even get you out of the ground! And bury you back when I deal with you! Do not think that you have gotten rid of me.”
“I wish you died in a prison cell…” Edward mumbles with a heavy breath, looking terribly pale and feeling strong weakness. “Scumbag… I curse you…”
“Quiet, quiet, don’t talk,” Natalia whispers, caressing Edward’s head that is lying on her laps. “Don’t spend your strength.”
“Don’t relax, beauties,” Eugene warns and looks at the crying and shaking Raquelle, Anna, and Helene, who are holding Edward by the hand or shoulder, with a filthy smile. “I will find you someday. Early or late. You will all suck me! I will get my dick into every one of you!”
“Get out of here while you are alive, pathetic animal!” Daniel explodes.
“Or you will be carried away from here with your legs first!” Peter threatens.
“And you don’t relax, blonde!” Eugene adds and licks his lips with a quiet moan as he looks at Natalia crying bitterly and pressing Edward’s head to her chest, while Letitia and Anthony are hugging her tightly. “When the puppy dies, nothing will stop me from fucking you hard. You will not get off me so easily, bitch.”
“GET OUT OF HERE, BASTARD!” Anthony gets enraged. “DON’T EVEN DARE TO LOOK AT MY DAUGHTER! OTHERWISE, YOU ARE DEAD!”
“Save your money for funerals, parents,” Eugene laughs evilly, looking at Rebecca and Jamie hugging each other tightly and Letitia and Anthony. “Your children will be the first ones to take their reserved places at the cemetery. I will not calm down until they both die.”
Terrence gets up on his feet shortly, runs to Eugene, and hits him in the jaw with his fist as strongly as possible. And because it’s not enough for him to give him one hit, he gives him much more in anger before Peter and Daniel end up near him and pull their excited friend away from the criminal, who cannot do anything because of the handcuff on his hands.
“Calm down, Terrence, calm down!” Daniel demands determinedly. “Calm down, I said!”
“Don’t make it worse, Terrence!” Peter exclaims.
“It will be worse for this bastard, whom I want to beat so badly,” Terrence throws in a low, rude voice with bloodshot eyes. “Much stronger than Edward.”
“It’s okay, you will have a chance to deal with me next time,” Eugene says confidently. “When I show up in your life to take revenge. To bury your pathetic brother and his whore in the ground.”
“GET OUT OF HERE!” Terrence screams at the top of his lungs, unsuccessfully trying to get out of Daniel and Peter’s grip. “AND DON’T DARE TO STAND IN THE WAY OF MY BROTHER, HIS GIRLFRIEND, MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS, AND ME!”
“Die, puppy, die!” Eugene spits at Edward, who is literally lying on the floor powerlessly, being surrounded by his friends and relatives with a feeling of the noise in his ears and a veil before his eyes, and looking sickly white, while blood is getting out of the wound on his arm. “Do just something good in your life. Make your uncle happy and fix the greatest mistake of your mommy and daddy.”
A few seconds later, the policemen take Eugene laughing hysterically out of the courtroom, while Terrence is still willing to beat him strongly.
“Hey, hey, bro, calm down,” Peter says quietly, clapping Terrence on the shoulder. “He’s gone.”
“Asshole…” Terrence throws gloomily, breathing heavily. “Much worse than Uncle… He’s a bastard, but this one is much worse.”
“Don’t worry, the policemen will deal with him,” Daniel replies. “You should only think about Edward. About him to survive.”
“Don’t worry, men, the ambulance is on the way,” Herbert announces, coming to Terrence and putting his hand on his shoulder. “And your friends made a tourniquet to stop the blood. It will help him hold on.”
“Go, Terrence,” Victor says softly. “Your brother and parents need you now.”
Hugging Terrence around the shoulders, Victor brings him to Edward, who is doing his best to pretend that he does not feel too bad and even smiles at his parents and girlfriend when they say something to him or caress his hand or cheek.
“Hold on, Edward, I’m begging you…” Terrence begs with pity in his eyes, getting down on his knees beside Edward. “We need you. Don’t listen to those bastards, who say different things.”
“It’s okay, I’ll handle it,” Edward assures quietly and winces strongly from pain in his whole body when he barely moves. “It could’ve been worse… I felt stronger pain when I was wounded with a knife…”
“God, why did it happen to me?” Natalia wonders and starts crying much more bitterly, while Raquelle, Anna, and Helene creep to her to hug her tightly. “Why?”
“Quiet, quiet, friend, it’s gonna be okay,” Anna calms down, caressing Natalia’s shoulder. “The ambulance will come soon.”
“Edward will handle it for sure,” Helene says confidently and fixes Natalia’s hair slightly. “He sacrificed himself for you.”
“Natalia…” Raquelle pronounces softly, hugs Natalia much tighter, and caresses her head. “Don’t cry, sweetie, don’t cry… We’re here…”
Natalia says nothing and stays in the hugs of her friends for two more seconds before she moves her wet eyes to Edward, whose shaking hand Terrence is holding tightly as he watches his brother suffering from pain with horror in his widely open eyes.
“Edward, my sweetie, please, don’t leave me,” Natalia begs in despair, caressing Edward’s cheek. “I will not be able to live without you. I need you.”
“I know, sweetheart,” Edward smiles forcefully. “And I did it for you. To save you.”
“Please, sonny, hold on,” Rebecca makes a heartbreaking sob. “The ambulance will come soon.”
“Don’t cry, Mom…” Edward sniffs quietly, looking at Rebecca with half-wet eyes. “Please… You’re hurting me… You, too, Natalia… And you, girls…”
“You’re a strong guy of your mother and me,” Jamie says in a shaking voice, caressing Edward’s head. “You can handle everything.”
“Is it too hurtful, honey?” Letitia asks.
“Nope…” Edward lies and winces strongly again. “I don’t feel pain… It’s okay.”
“Don’t play a brave guy, Edward,” Terrence says. “You’re lying green from pain.”
“As if you were rolling on the floor and moaning, ‘I’m dying!’”
“Okay, buddy, stop talking,” Daniel says confidently. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“I already feel dizzy… I have the noise in my ears… And I see all of you badly… And I can barely feel my arm…”
“It’s gonna be okay, friend,” Peter smiles to encourage and claps Edward on the shoulder. “You’re our tough guy.”
“Yeah, dude, you’re a fine fellow!” Christopher exclaims. “Whatever people say, you’re really brave and determined.”
“Aha, you covered Natalia with yourself so easily to save her,” Kevin adds.
“Yeah…” Edward pronounces and smiles forcefully. “I guess this is the first case when I… When I was really a hero… Not pretending to be the one.”
“You were awesome!” Terrence exclaims and claps Edward on the cheek. “Of course, you scared everybody, but we’re proud of you anyway.”
“And we’ve made sure again that our Natalia will be in trustworthy hands,” Anthony adds.
“Yeah, man, although you didn’t always behave worthily, we saw a truly brave and determined hero today,” Frederick says confidently.
“Thanks…” Edward thanks quietly. “I’m glad that… My efforts were worth it…”
“Oh, gosh, sweetie, you’re so pale and cold!” Rebecca gets horrified, fixing Edward’s hair slightly. “And shaking…”
“My God, when will the ambulance come?” Natalia wonders loudly. “Edward is dying!”
“Don’t worry, Natalia, the doctors are very close,” Herbert calms down softly, bending to Natalia and caressing her shoulder.
“Take my hand…” Edward says in a whisper, raising his fingers slightly, while his little blurred eyes are set on Natalia. “P-please…”
Natalia takes Edward’s hand tightly and kisses it tenderly with tears in her eyes. Meanwhile, Raquelle creeps to Terrence barely holding his tears down and presses him closer to herself, caressing his head and closing her eyes tightly because she feels that she is about to cry. The excited Jamie and Rebecca comfort each other by hugging each other or their older son. Letitia and Anthony stay together, and Frederick and Alicia take each other’s hands and pray to God that Edward is okay together. Anna and Helene are crying quietly and pressing themselves to Daniel and Peter, who do not leave the MacClife brothers with the thought that both of them need them. Victor, Herbert, Christopher, Benjamin, Blair, and Kevin watch everybody with sympathy, truly hoping that the wound is not so serious.
And Edward himself moans quietly and winces from the burning pain in his whole body, lying powerlessly in the pool of bright red blood that had gotten out of his wound before his friends made a tourniquet from what they found. He does not complain about his terrible condition and just stares silently at the white ceiling, being able to see worse and worse every second, feeling a stronger feeling of dizziness and numbness in his limbs, and barely understanding where he is and what is going on. The man struggles with his condition for a long enough time before he closes his eyes slowly, along with the shouts of those, who are surrounding him, and falls into the endless darkness where he cannot see anything or hear anyone.
***
“The announcement of the sentence to Wainwright was the hardest for me,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “I’ll never forget the hell that happened there…”
“Not only you…” Edward replies softly.
“Thank God, the bullet didn’t get deeply into you, didn’t hurt some important organs, and didn’t break your bones. I can say that he barely wounded you when you were trying to protect me.”
“Yeah, I was lucky… And the scar is going away slowly. Nothing will be left of him soon.”
“I know…” Natalia caresses tenderly Edward’s bicep, in which the bullet got, and kisses his shoulder tenderly. “My brave and determined hero.”
“At that moment, I didn’t even think about whether it was right. I knew I would do the right thing.”
“I was so worried about you… I couldn’t calm down during your surgery. Everybody was worried. Especially your family. Your father and brother didn’t hold the tears down. They were crying along with the girls.”
“I said everything would be okay. That bastard has been sentenced, and my wound turned out to be light.”
“The most important thing is that you’re safe and sound.”
“The most important thing is that you’re safe and sound.” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the temple. “That you weren’t wounded by that bastard.”
“You know, Edward…” Natalia glances at Edward. “When I told the court what that man did to me, I got kind of better. I got some hope that Eugene would get his sentence. And when the court gave him fifteen years of deprivation of liberty, I was literally ready to jump from happiness.”
“I get it, sweetie,” Edward says softly. “I also got better when I testified in all the cases. Telling the truth seemed an easy thing, but it was actually very hard. Because of the memories that got obsessed with me.”
“And that’s good the witness of the attempt on your father recognized Wainwright and said he helped Michael.”
“And this time, that bastard recognized his fault. He made Uncle get enraged ‘cause he framed him, and Father literally attacked him.”
“That’s why that scumbag gave up!”
“And how long the man, who killed the friend of my father, denied his fault. How long he called me a liar and tried to make everybody sure that I was a killer…”
“Yeah, even when you and your witness said what you saw, that man kept denying his fault.” Natalia sighs and moves some strands of hair behind her ear. “And Michael was happy with it, ‘cause he wanted to make you bad for us and know you’d go to prison.”
“Though, it was confirmed that Uncle Michael didn’t really have to do with the murder and didn’t give an order to kill Father’s friend.”
“But how hard he supported the version that you killed Nicolas.” Natalia thinks for two seconds. “He was literally choking when screaming that you must’ve been put in prison, and Eric was allegedly slandered.”
“But later, Brown admitted that he killed Nicolas at his wish. Personal reasons, as he said. Although he didn’t explain the motives, I’m sure that was something serious. Of course, Eric is a freaking asshole, but I don’t think he will kill someone for nothing. Either by himself, or by the command of his lord Michael.”
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. The most important thing is that that man confessed his fault, and the charges were dropped off you.”
***
January 16th 2017.
It’s about two o'clock. Today, the sentence for the case of the murder of Nicolas Carter, with which Edward MacClife and Eric Brown are charged, is going to be announced. All the friends, relatives, close people, and just familiars come together to support the younger brother of Terrence MacClife, praying that he is not sentenced. Because the judge is supposed to come soon, everybody comes together in the courtroom and welcomes each other. The friends and relatives support the terribly excited Edward, who is nervously pulling the sleeves of his suit champagne suit jacket or the collar of his white shirt, being terribly afraid to go to prison because he will not survive there.
Sometimes he glances at Nelson, Eric’s lawyer, who is wearing a black suit and examining the documents that he takes from his case with a smart look. He is about twenty-five. He has short, brown hair, with frustration and contempt on his face. And Herbert Torres, the middle-height lawyer at the age of fifty years, who is wearing a black suit jacket, pants, and a shirt and has a bald patch and short hair, which is black and white on the sides, tries to calm his client down and stays very confident.
Trying to calm down the too excited Edward, who is not hiding his feelings and looks terribly white and tense, nobody notices how the bailiff enters the room.
“Everybody, stand up!” the bailiff says loudly. “The judge is coming!”
Everybody gets up, and a gray-haired man of old age with glasses in black frames and a bald patch on the top of his head, looking exhausted and a little thick because of the judge’s robe that he is wearing, enters the room.
“His Highness, the judge Desmond Forest is presiding,” the bailiff says.
Desmond slightly waves a hand, so everybody sits down. Then the judge glances at the policeman standing aside with a very severe look.
“Bring the second defendant here,” Desmond says.
A few seconds later, Eric Brown shows up in the room along with the policemen, wearing a prison robe, and sits next to the lawyer Nelson in front of the judge Desmond. The defendant starts looking at Edward with contempt in his eyes, while the guy is sitting next to Herbert, with his hands folded on the table. MacClife, Jr., throws a contemptuous look at him, slightly raising his head, while Natalia sitting behind him watches him with half-wet eyes, and Raquelle and Terrence sitting next to her caress her hand or shoulder. After clearing his throat quickly, Desmond takes a gavel and hits the sound block sharply.
“The court and the members have returned a verdict for the case of the murder of Nicolas Carter,” Desmond says confidently. “I will announce it now.”
Desmond takes the paper, while everybody gets ready to listen to it, taking a breath away, and Rebecca and Jamie sitting together take each other’s hand tightly.
“Edward MacClife and Eric Brown, please, stand up,” Desmond says.
Edward and Eric do what the judge says at the same time. Brown’s eyes start running from one side to another, and he looks around nervously, feeling the contemptuous looks of the people in the room on him. And MacClife, Jr., folds his hands in front of himself and glances at everybody, seeing that his friends and close people smile at him shyly, as if they let him know that everything is going to be fine. But Herbert pulls him down and makes him turn on Desmond again.
“The court has listened to both of the defendants and the witnesses to this case and closely examined the report of the criminal laboratory about the pieces of hair found on the body of the killed Nicolas Carter fit the biological samples of Eric Brown,” Desmond says. “And we examined the documents that proved that his fingerprints fully fit the ones that were found on the gun for the murder.”
Edward throws a one-second look at his friends and relatives, feeling how his heart is beating like crazy, and his weak legs can barely hold him. Eric watches them with great contempt for two seconds and whispers about something with his lawyer Nelson sitting next to him proudly and being – or pretending to be – confident about the good ending for him and his client.
“Based on the material, the court has made the decision to pronounce Edward MacClife… Non-guilty for the murder of Nicolas Carter.”
Edward rounds his eyes and sets his questioning look at Desmond, feeling how his heart misses a beat.
“The court and the members of the jury have decided to drop the charges off Edward MacClife for the murder and cancel the declaration that he would not leave the country. “Thus, he is getting the right to travel the country and leave it freely.”
After hearing these words, Edward takes a breath away, everything gets black in his eyes for a moment, and his hands get so weak that he almost falls down. The man getting sharply white closes his mouth with a hand and shakes his head, trying to understand if it’s a dream or reality. While all his friends and close people welcome this decision, but do not show it too loudly and just smile shyly. And Eric gets enraged and tightly clenches his hands into fists, getting sharply white from horror and looking at MacClife, Jr., with bloodshot eyes.
“Fuck, asshole!” Eric resents quietly. “Fucking puppy! He got off it! Fucking yobbo… But it’s okay, I will reach you, your brother, and your parents later!”
“Keep your emotions inside,” Nelson says quietly, pulling Eric down by the hand.
“I wish you died, bastard!” Eric sets his contemptuous look on Edward, who starts shaking slightly. “I want you to get the fuck hit by a car or crushed by a train! I hate you, asshole, hate!”
“Edward MacClife, did you understand the decision of the court?” Desmond asks.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Edward barely moves his shaking lips.
“Sit down.”
Edward sits in his place, exhales slowly with closed eyes, and runs his hands through his hair, pulling it slightly and hiding his head in his arms folded on the table. Herbert comforts him with a slight smile, clapping on the shoulder and hugging him amicably when the guy gets straight. All his friends and relatives look at each other and say something to someone, and the girls and the women cry quietly from happiness.
“As for you, Eric Brown,” Desmond addresses Eric being literally green from anger. “The court and the members of the jury have made the decision to pronounce you guilty of the planned murder of Nicolas Carter. You are sentenced to twenty years of deprivation of liberty without the right to be released under bail and apparel.”
Eric exhales slowly with his eyes rolled, barely holding himself down not to start hysteria and kill Edward, who starts shaking much stronger.
“Eric Brown, did you understand the sentence?”
“I did,” Eric throws in a low, rude voice.
Desmond gloomily looks at Eric, lets him know that he may sit down with a gesture, and glances at the people in the room.
“Everybody in the room, did you understand the verdict?” Desmond asks.
“Yes, Your Highness,” everybody in the room says.
“The judge is thanking all the members of this process and pronouncing this case cased.”
Desmond takes a gavel and hits it on the sound block, letting the people know that nothing can change this decision.
“Everybody, stand up!” the bailiff exclaims.
While Desmond slowly leaves the room, everybody gets up. Then they all start whooping happily, while Eric throws his gloomy look at Nelson, who is no longer so confident.
“Asshole!” Eric hisses through his teeth. “You failed this case to the fuck!”
“What did you want?” Nelson throws his hands up. “All the clues were against you! I could do nothing!”
“YOU COULD, THE FUCK, COULD! BECAUSE OF YOU, I WILL GO TO PRISON FOR TWENTY YEARS! AND NOBODY KNOWS HOW MANY I WILL GET FOR HELPING MICHAEL!”
“Excuse me, Mr. Brown…”
“I will find you, scumbag, hear me. Find. You will pay me a high cost for making me go to prison and letting them drop the charges off that little bastard. He should have been dying there! Not me! Hear me!”
“Mr. Brown…”
While Eric tells Nelson his claims, the others start to congratulate Edward. The shocked man does not realize what’s happening and looks at his friends, familiars, and relatives with a confused look, closing his mouth with both hands or pulling his hair out strongly. He shakes slightly in surprise when Natalia runs to him with tears in her eyes at some moment and takes him in a tight hug.
“Sweetheart!” Natalia exclaims happily and kisses Edward cutely on the cheek. “You’ve been found non-guilty! Prison no longer threatens you!”
“I can’t believe it…” Edward pronounces in a quiet, shaking voice. “Won’t I really have to go to prison? Did they drop all the charges off me?”
“They did, Edward, they did! And you can now go anywhere – the ban on leaving the country has been canceled!”
“It’s a dream… It must be a dream… It’s all unreal…”
Natalia says nothing and just hugs Edward breathing heavily and being tense enough with quiet sobs and tears in her eyes a little tighter, caressing the man’s head with a much wider smile. While he answers her with a kiss on the temple and runs his shaking hands over her back. But they do not have to have a long hug because Terrence and Raquelle come to the man, not hiding their wide smiles.
“Edward, bro!” Terrence whoops happily and hugs Edward tightly, clapping him on the back and the head. “It’s all over!”
“It’s hard to believe it,” Edward smiles slightly.
“Thank God, Edward,” Raquelle says softly when she hugs Edward tightly and kisses him on the cheek amicably after he steps back from Terrence. “We’re so happy for you.”
By this moment, Jamie and Rebecca, Letitia and Anthony, Alicia and Frederick, Helene and Peter, Anna and Daniel, Benjamin and Blair, and Christopher and Kevin come to Edward with a wish to congratulate him. While someone shows thanks to Herbert, the others congratulate the guy by one.
“Edward, sonny!” Jamie exclaims happily, hugging Edward tightly and clapping him on the back and head. “I’m so happy you’re free!”
“My sweetheart,” Rebecca says in a shaking voice, kissing Edward on the cheek, hugging him touchingly, and caressing her son’s face after they step away. “You did it! You proved your innocence!”
“We’re really happy for you,” Anthony says amicably, shaking Edward by the hand and clapping him on the shoulder.
“Fine, Edward, you held on worthily,” Letitia says softly, caressing Edward’s shoulder and holding his hands for two seconds.
“I was sure you’d be found non-guilty,” Alicia confesses amicably.
“We were all by your side,” Frederick says confidently.
“Congrats, buddy!” Benjamin says cheerfully and ruffles Edward’s hair slightly.
“I’m so glad you avoided a punishment,” Blair says amicably with a slight smile.
“Finally, it’s been solved!” Kevin exclaims happily, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “They found the one to put in freaking prison!”
“Now Brown will pay for what he did,” Christopher says confidently.
“The first case has been successfully completed,” Anna notices happily.
“There is justice in the world,” Helene says with a slight smile.
“Yeah, dude, but you were afraid that you’d go to prison,” Peter recalls cheerfully. “You won’t! The real criminal will pay for that!”
“We hope you’ll no longer withdraw into yourself and will get at least a little happier,” Daniel expresses hope.
“Thank you so much, lawyer Torres,” Natalia thanks with a slight smile and makes a quiet sob. “Thank you so much for saving Edward from prison.”
“The case was not so hard,” Herbert shrugs. “There was the proof of the fault, Kevin Spencer confirmed that my client wasn’t guilty, the close of the former defendant said their word and let them know that he was a wonderful man, and Edward MacClife told the judge all the truth and never lied. Moreover, we won the case because everything was against Mr. Brown. He had no chance to avoid punishment.”
“Anyway, thank you so much, Mr. Torres,” Victor thanks amicably. “I knew you wouldn’t betray us. One case of Michael MacClife and his pals has been closed, and luck is by our side. I mean Edward’s side.”
“I did everything I could, Mr. Johnson.”
“Thank you,” Edward thanks with a slight smile and looks at the people that surround him. “Thank you all so much. For believing in my innocence and supporting me all this time. I would’ve hardly survived it all without you.”
“Now we can leave it in the past,” Benjamin says with a slight smile, clapping Edward on the shoulder. “That stinker will go where he belongs.”
“I’m sorry that the police didn’t catch his pals, who were with him on that day,” Kevin notices. “Brown didn’t wanna betray them, and the police found nobody.”
“The important thing is that the real killer went to prison, and the innocent person stayed free,” Natalia replies confidently. “And if the judge finds Eric guilty of servicing Michael, he’ll get two or three more years.”
“May that cad stay in prison for the murder of my best friend,” Jamie says a little coldly. “For what he and that scumbag Michael tried to charge my son for.”
While everybody keeps saying something, the policemen come to Eric and want to take him away from the room under his arms. The sentenced man sets his burning look at Edward smiling shyly and folding his hands in front of him and tries to run to him by force to hit strongly. But a few policemen hold him down, and his shouts make everybody move their eyes to him.
“BASTARD!” Eric screams at the top of his lungs. “FUCKING PUPPY! YOU WILL PAY ME! FOR BETRAYING ME TO THE POLICE! YOU, ASSHOLE, MUST BE IN PRISON, NOT ME! YOU SHOULD’VE BEEN GIVEN TO THOSE, WHO WERE IN A CELL, TO BE TORN! I WISH THEY KILLED YOU THEN, SEVEN YEARS AGO! THERE WOULD’VE BEEN MINUS ONE WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!”
“Do not dare to insult my son, asshole!” Jamie gets enraged, hugging Edward around the shoulders. “Killer! I wish you to burn in hell for killing Nicolas! I am so happy that the real killer will go to prison! Thanks to all Gods!”
“I hate you, MacClife, you hear me!” Eric tries to get out of the policemen’s grip furiously. “Because of you, I will have to spend a part of my life in prison! I will never forgive you for it! NEVER! HEAR ME! CURSE YOU, BASTARD! MAY YOU DIE! DIE SLOWLY, WITH TORTURES! AND IF YOU DO NOT DIE IN FIFTEEN YEARS, I WILL FIND YOU. I SWEAR, FLEABAG RAT, YOU WILL DIE AS WELL AS NICOLAS. WHO ANNOYED ME MUCH MORE THAN YOUR FUCKING FATHER! IT’S NOT THE END, MACCLIFE! I WILL DESTROY YOU!”
“The justice has been restored, Brown,” Edward says confidently, raising his head proudly, while Natalia presses herself to him and puts her hand on his chest. “You can’t imagine how happy I am that I’m now able to sleep well and not to remember that I might go to prison at any time.”
“I WISH YOUR HAPPINESS WAS NOT LONG, LITTLE FREAK! MAY EUGENE KILL THIS BLONDE, STUPID GAL RIGHT IN THE COURTROOM! MAY YOU WITHDRAW INTO YOURSELF BECAUSE OF HER DEATH AND KILL YOURSELF BECAUSE OF DEPRESSION! MAY YOU DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR IDIOT FAMILY AND STUPID PALS TURN THEIR BACKS ON YOU ONCE AND FOREVER!”
“I don’t care about what you say!” Edward throws rudely. “Everything I can do is wish you a nice time in prison. I really hope you would enjoy being in a cell! There are many crazy people like you. Don’t worry, buddy, you will get used to that. Shit quickly gets used to shit! Maybe, you’d find a couple of friends and do the dirty trick on everybody with their help. I mean, I’m sure it would happen.”
“DIE, BASTARD, DIE! I WISH A CAR HIT YOU TO DEATH! YOU WOULD DO JUST SOMETHING GOOD IN YOUR FUCKING LIFE! IF YOUR FATHER DID NOT TELL YOUR MOTHER TO GET AN ABORTION, YOU’LL DO A GOOD THING FOR EVERYONE IF YOU DIE. CURSE YOU, MACCLIFE! YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!”
Terrence sharply gives a start to do something to Eric, but Edward stops him, taking him tightly by the wrist and pulling him down, while his cold, burning eyes are set on the sentenced one. The policemen barely take Brown out of the courtroom, letting everybody relax a little and making MacClife, Jr., exhale with great relief and make much more sure that he is no longer under a threat of going to prison.
***
“I know, but damn, how nervous I was during the hearing of this case,” Edward claps himself on the forehead. “How ashamed I was to show up for all of you as a defendant alongside that stinker. At heart, I protested and screamed that it was all unfair. That I shouldn’t have been one of the accused ones. But I understood I’d make it worse if I did it openly. And you know how much I didn’t wanna go back there.”
“I get it, sweetheart,” Natalia says softly and kisses Edward tenderly on the cheek. “But luckily, everything ended well.”
“By the day of the announcement of the sentence for Uncle, we were all terribly exhausted.”
“I was crying a lot in my room while nobody saw,” Natalia confesses hesitantly. “Not because of the hearing of Wainwright’s case. I felt so bad that I couldn’t hold my emotions down and was crying bitterly. Of course, I didn’t get better, but it kind of helped me find the strength to hold on somehow.”
Edward throws a short, sad look at Natalia, lets her hand go, and puts his arm around her neck, pressing his sweetheart closely to himself and still walking on the coast with bare feet on the powdered sand.
“It’s hurtful to hear it, but I understand you,” Edward says softly. “Sometimes I also wanted to shed a tear when nobody saw. I was like a squeezed lemon when going home after every single hearing. It all got me morally exhausted. I only wanted to lie and stare at the ceiling. Or sleep for hours.”
“Not amazing,” Natalia pronounces quietly. “We didn’t almost have time to recover our strength. Today we should testify for the case of Michael, tomorrow is the hearing of Wainwright’s case, and after tomorrow, we have to watch you suffer because of having to be an accused one.”
“Hard to deny it.”
“And we should’ve also fought back with those, who went against us. Try not to pay attention to them. I did even feel sorry for the judge, who definitely got sick of our fights. He probably moaned quietly when he had to go on the hearing again.”
“Yeah, by the end of the trial, he was so exhausted,” Edward agrees thoughtfully. “However, I could understand it ‘cause every single hearing was a hell. We were always in tension, protested against injustice, and defended each other.”
“Together, we felt much better.” Natalia cracks a smile. “And that’s great we had such good support. All our friends, relatives, and good familiars came all together when the judge announced the sentence for every single case.”
“They all gave us a great help,” Edward replies with a slight smile. “Even Alicia left everything and came here from London, staying here ‘till the end of the case of the MacClife family.”
“All our close people left their business for us. Though, they could’ve stayed home.”
“And I’m madly glad nobody left us.”
“And that’s great we met some people that we didn't know.”
“Only Christopher and Kevin and the witnesses of some tricks of Michael.”
“You have good friends,” Natalia smiles slightly. “I liked those guys. We got on well with them quickly and became friends for three months.”
“I’m really glad. And I’m madly grateful to Kevin for protecting me at the hearing and not refusing to tell all the truth, and to Christopher for helping me relax at such a hard time.”
“And I’m madly grateful to my parents, who were at the hearing of Wainwright’s case and protected me somehow. They easily left their businesses and came to the court to support me. And Father actually wanted to beat that man. He wouldn’t have pulled you aside and would’ve helped you if you’d attacked Wainwright with fists.”
“He was just protecting his daughter as well as I was protecting my girlfriend. My father also stood up for me when Uncle Michael said bad things about me. And when he almost attacked me with fists, Father didn’t stand aside and was ready to attack him.”
“Mr. MacClife stood for Terrence when Michael was showering him with mud. Not just you two. All of us. If not for the policemen, the lawyers, and the jury, your father would’ve killed his brother right there. Or Michael would’ve found a way to kill all of us.”
“I don’t doubt it would happen if there hadn’t been policemen, who were watching the situation,” Edward replies confidently. “All of us were so enraged that policemen would’ve hardly stopped us. We didn’t care about what could happen in case we violated the order.”
“And not only because of the behavior of those men, but also because of our terrible condition.”
“Oh, yeah. Father also barely survived the hearing and was always terribly exhausted. Mother and I tried not to bother him after the end of the hearing because we knew he should’ve stayed alone. We waited for him to show a wish to talk to us. And he says he’s madly grateful to us for that.”
“I can imagine how hard it was for Mrs. MacClife.”
“Oh, Mother was too worried and didn’t literally sleep at nights. I always had to comfort her, ‘cause she took what was happening too seriously.”
“I get it,” Natalia sighs with sadness in her eyes. “It’s hard to try not to go insane and to help someone stay collected.”
“That’s right.”
“Somehow, Raquelle said Terrence was also absolutely broken when going home after every single hearing. She tried to bother him less, but was always by his side when he asked her about it.”
“Although nobody complained openly, it was clear how every one of us felt at that time.”
“Oh, my gosh…” Natalia sighs tiredly. “Two years ago, I wouldn’t have thought I’d have to run into these things someday. I thought I’d never survive anything like that. That those things would happen in a movie. But as it turned out, this type of war sometimes happens in real life.”
“And two years ago, I wouldn't have thought I’d solve my problems, get calm back, and discover the sides that I never knew about.”
“You know, honey, I wouldn’t have also thought I could do such risky things for my close people. I thought I’d just blink my eyes from fear and get horrified while watching someone suffer.”
“You’ve just got a great power of will. You proved that you could bear and sacrifice anything if you needed it.”
“Nevertheless, I do need the support of my beloved people. Without them, I can’t solve problems. Now I completely understand it and will always remember the lesson that I got after the case of Wainwright.”
“You’ll never be alone, Natalia,” Edward replies confidently with a slight smile and kisses Natalia cutely on the cheek. “You’ll always have people that you love. Maybe, not so many, but you can trust them ‘cause they’d do their best to help you.”
“I don’t need more,” Natalia smiles shyly. “As they say, only quality counts. I have some close people, and I’m madly happy.”
“Absolutely agree. I don’t wanna be surrounded by lots of fake friends that would show up only when they needed something and disappeared when I got problems.”
“Think we’re very lucky to have such cool friends and loving relatives. Without their support, we wouldn’t have lived 'till the end of the trial.”
“Oh, that day will probably be one of the best days in my life. When the judge announced the sentence for Uncle Michael, we exhaled with relief.”
Edward and Natalia fall into silence for some time and get sadness in their eyes when they recall the day when the judge finally announced the sentence for Michael and punished those, who had to do with his tricks.
***
February 8th 2017.
It’s about two o'clock. This is the last day of the hearing in the case of Michael MacClife. The judge is about to announce the sentence for him. The three months have been very tense and have made all the members spend many nerves during the process. Although there is good proof against the defendants, nobody is sure about the end of this case, which has caused great interest of people.
In the familiar room, all the members of the conflict and those, who came to support them, came together. The lawyers, Herbert Torres and Nelson Rodriquez, are also here and getting ready for the judge’s appearance. The first one stays very quiet and confident and knows that he can win this case. And the second one is terribly nervous after the two losses and afraid that he will be dead after the third failure. Herbert supports the members of the MacClife family and says something to them. And Nelson sets his gaze on the screen of his mobile phone, texting messages to someone non-stop.
And while they are trying to calm themselves and each other down with words and hugs and starting to take free places, the members of the jury show up in the courtroom, and then the bailiff does it, holding a folder in his hands.
“Everybody, stand up, the judge is coming!” the bailiff says loudly and clearly.
Everybody gets up instantly, and someone has not sat down yet because they remember that they would have to stand up before the start of the hearing. Two seconds later, the familiar judge Desmond comes to the room with a black folder in his hands, looking much more exhausted and being definitely sick of the case of the MacClife family.
“His Highness, the judge, Desmond Forest, is presiding,” the bailiff says.
Desmond slightly waves a hand, letting everybody sit down, sits in his place comfortably, puts on glasses in a black frame, clears his throat, and glances at the policemen.
“Bring all the defendants here,” Desmond gives the order.
A few moments later, Michael MacClife shows up in the room along with the policemen, wearing an orange prison robe and contemptuously looking at everybody, as if he might easily kill anyone. Not taking off the handcuffs, they seat him in the place in front of the judge and with his back turned to the members of the MacClife family sitting in the front places. While all of his accomplices come to the room, he sends a cool look to Jamie, Rebecca, Terrence, and Edward, the people, who he hates probably more than anyone else. They also send him a contemptuous look and let him know that today is the day of the retaliation. And completely understanding that he would not be able to hit his younger brother, he just hums, rolls his eyes, and looks at everybody with dead eyes.
Next, the sentenced Eric Brown and Eugene Wainwright come to the room, making Natalia shake and recall everything about her offender, who wounded her boyfriend, who still feels a little weak after what happened. But Anthony and Letitia sitting next to her comfort her as well as Raquelle, Alicia, and Frederick. Wainwright, who is recognized by a man named Thomas Harrison, the witness of the attempt to kill Jamie MacClife, does not miss a chance to throw his filthy look at the white, scared girl but quickly notices the threatening look of her father and boyfriend, who let him know that he would be dead if he touched her at least with a finger.
And Brown looks at Edward with all his hate and even splits at his face on the way because he goes by closely enough. While the policemen seat them down, not taking off handcuffs, and they look at Michael, who looks thinner and angry, more people are brought here. Raquelle and Terrence recognize Trenton Tobias, Lambert Bolton, Cloud Knight, Riley Holland, and Sylvester Westbrook. They were chasing them in the car, and Trenton attempted the man. Edward sees Rupert Clark, who wounded him with a knife and was recognized by the witness Arthur Carrow, who is also in the room, and a few more familiar fellows, who served Michael somehow.
After sitting on the chairs that everybody in the room did not take, the defendants throw their gloomy looks at those, who are watching them with contempt in their eyes, and disappointedly look at Nelson, who, in their opinion, would fail this case. And Desmond takes the gavel and sharply hits it on the sound block, so everybody pays attention to him.
“After examining all the materials and listening to all the members and witnesses of this case, the judge and the members of the jury have made the decision for all the cases, in which the names of all the defendants are featured. Right now, I will announce the sentences for all of them. Trenton Tobias, Sylvester Westbrook, Riley Holland, Lambert Bolton, and Cloud Knight, please, stand up.”
All the called people get up with reluctance, looking at each other and moving a gloomy look to Desmond, who starts reading the sentence on the paper he is holding:
“The members of the jury have made the decision to pronounce you guilty of the committed attempt on Terrence MacClife and Raquelle Cameron. Every one of you is sentenced to five years of deprivation of liberty without the right to appeal the sentence and be released on bail.”
The five criminals roll their eyes and throw a bad look at Nelson, who gets a little white and gets much more nervous. Desmond asks if they understood the sentence, allows them to sit down when they say they did, and asks Rupert Clark to stand up.
“Based on the testimony of the victim and the witness of that event, Artur Carrow, and the medical report that the judge got, you are pronounced guilty of the attempt to kill Edward MacClife,” Desmond says. “You are sentenced to ten years of deprivation of liberty without the right to appeal.”
Rupert reacts in the same way as his friends, who are sentenced for the attempt on Terrence and Raquelle. And then Eugene Wainwright gets up by Desmond’s order.
“After listening to the witness, Thomas Harrison, and accepting the testimony of the victim, the judge has pronounced you guilty of participating in the attempt to kill Jamie MacClife. You are sentenced to three years of deprivation of liberty. Also, the members of the jury have pronounced you guilty of participating in the kidnapping of Natalia Rochester. You are sentenced to twelve years of deprivation of liberty without the right to be released on bail.”
Eugene clenches his hands tightly into fists and barely holds down his anger, with which he is obsessed, and throws a wild look at Nelson. Natalia shows a slight smile and shares it with Edward, who half turns on her and answers her back, while Desmond asks Eric Brown to get up.
“The members of the jury have pronounced you guilty of participating in the kidnapping of Natalia Rochester, the attempt to kill Jamie MacClife, and being an accomplice of the accused Michael MacClife. You are eventually sentenced to twenty-five years of deprivation of liberty.”
Eric sharply rounds his eyes and amazingly stares at Desmond, being shocked that he will have to spend a bigger part of his life in prison. But he understands that he can do nothing and just throws an evil look at everybody, paying special attention to Edward and Natalia, whose appearance makes everything burn inside him. The other accomplices get from five to seven years of deprivation of liberty and feel resentful that they have been put to prison. However, the MacClife family does not care about the sentence for those people and is impatiently waiting for the judge to announce the decision about their biggest enemy – Michael MacClife, who looks tense enough after the announcement of the sentence for his friends.
And after announcing all the sentences, everybody falls into silence and starts listening to Desmond with a stopped heart, looking at the MacClife family with true sadness. And those, who came here with their sweethearts, take their hands tightly. Herbert sitting next to Rebecca, Jamie, Terrence, and Edward looks very confident, whispers something courageous to them rarely, or just smiles slightly, not doubting that the judge would be by their side again. While the others are worried about the accusers and pray that justice is finally restored.
“So…” Desmond pronounces quietly, clears his throat, fixes his glasses, and glances at Michael. “Michael MacClife, please, stand up.”
With a look full of pride and hate, Michael gets up slowly and contemptuously looks at Rebecca and Jamie, who are tightly holding each other’s hand and answering him back, and then Edward and Terrence, who set their burning looks on him with their heads proudly up and share a slight clap on the shoulder. Raquelle and Natalia also get an icy look, but they do not get confused and confidently look at the one, who dared to hurt their beloved men.
“The judge and the members of the jury have analyzed all the testimony given by you and the witnesses and closely examined the proof of your fault for many crimes. All the charges given by the accusers and their lawyers have been confirmed. You did not try to deny at least one of them with real proof or the testimony of witnesses.”
Michael exhales slowly with an unsatisfied mimic on his face, tightly clenching his hands into fists and saying something under his nose, while Jamie chuckles smugly.
“Thus, the judge and the members have unanimously made the decision,” Desmond says confidently and clearly. “Michael MacClife, you have been pronounced guilty of a few articles: planning the murder of a group of a few people and misappropriation of someone’s property. The shipbuilding company ‘The MacClife Shipping,’ a country house worth ten and a half million dollars, and the personal property that belongs to Jamie MacClife. The judge has pronounced you guilty of threatening the lives of the people multiple times, faking the documents, attempts to kill Jamie and Edward MacClife, attacks on Terrence MacClife, Raquelle Cameron, Natalia Rochester, and Rebecca MacClife, and the kidnapping of Natalia Rochester.”
Rebecca, Jamie, Edward, and Terrence look at each other and move their eyes to Desmond, looking forward to hearing how many years Michael will be sentenced for all his crimes.
“Also, the judge has decided that the property stolen by Michael MacClife must be brought back to Jamie MacClife. The defendant must give Mr. MacClife all the bank accounts, his cash, the house worth ten and a half million dollars, and the documents for owning the shipbuilding firm ‘The MacClife Shipping’. The judge deprives the defendant of all the rights for ruling the firm and gives him six months to give all the stolen property off.”
Terrence claps Jamie sitting next to him on the shoulder with a slight smile on his face, Rebecca caresses another shoulder of his, and Edward sitting next to his brother reaches for the hand of his father while the man smiles shyly and shakes his head with his mouth closed with a hand.
“For all these crimes, the judge has sentenced Michael MacClife to a life sentence,” Desmond announces. “Without the right to be released on bail and appeal the sentence.”
The phrase “life sentence” gets everybody in the room excited and makes them ooh quietly. And all the members of the MacClife family open their mouths and open their eyes widely.
“What?” Michael rounds his eyes. “What kind of life sentence? You have no right!”
“Michael MacClife, did you understand the sentence?” Desmond stays indifferent, folding his hands on the table and moving his eyes to Michael getting literally green.
“That’s unfair! You cannot put me in prison for life!”
“I am asking you again, did you understand the sentence? Answer the question when you are asked!”
“More than well,” Michael throws rudely with his eyes rolled. “But I will not leave it so! I shall appeal this unfair sentence!”
“You just said you understood the sentence. And I clearly said you had no right to be released on bail or fill for an appeal. The members of the jury have sentenced you to a life sentence.”
“NO! NOT A LIFE SENTENCE!”
“The witnesses, the lawyers, and everybody in the room, did you understand the sentence?” Desmond ignores the shouts.
“Yes, Your Highness!” everybody in the room pronounces.
“In this case, the judge is thanking all the members of this hearing and announcing this case closed.”
Desmond takes a gavel and hits on the sound block, letting the people know his decision is final and irreversible and cannot be appealed. Everybody starts applauding and whooping happily after they get up from their places, while the judge and the bailiff get up and leave the room with some folders in their hands. While Jamie and Rebecca, who is crying quietly from happiness, take each other in a touching hug with a wide smile, Terrence and Edward tightly hug each other, and then both of their parents.
“It’s amazing!” Edward smiles widely. “Uncle Michael has been put in prison!”
“For life!” Terrence notices excitedly.
“Gosh, how long I was waiting for this day!” Jamie exclaims happily, raising his hands. “Finally, the retribution happened!”
“The nightmare in our lives ended forever!” Rebecca smiles widely. “Michael went to prison, and the company is yours again!”
“It’s the happiest day of my life!”
The MacClife family starts a group hug, in which they stay for a few seconds before they step away from each other. Raquelle and Natalia hang on the necks of Terrence and Edward with tears of happiness and wide smiles on their faces, while the men answer them back with pleasure and lift them up for two seconds. Rebecca and Jamie accept the congratulations from Frederick and Alicia, Anthony and Letitia, and Victor, who hug them tightly and say nice words. It’s possible to see the tears of happiness on the faces of the girls and the women. And the men do not hide their wide smiles and let themselves be less severe in honor of the end of this terrible story. The lawyer Herbert also congratulates the happy family and accepts thankfulness from them and their close people. Later, those, who have supported them during the whole exhausting process, come to the tired enough Edward, Rebecca, Terrence, and Jamie to congratulate them with all their hearts.
Meanwhile, Michael, Eugene, Eric, Rupert, Trenton, Lambert, Cloud, Riley, Sylvester, and the other sentenced ones are looking at everybody as if they are ready to kill someone. First of all, they are terribly mad at their lawyer, Nelson, who looks very tense and upset, squeezing the bridge of his nose and looking at those, who look at him like a betrayal.
“You are a bastard, Rodriquez,” Michael hisses through his teeth. “Why did I hire you? For you to get me and all of us the fuck out! Why did you the fuck have not enough brains to do it? You got a lot of money! What did you need, you, sellout?”
“Everything was against you, Mr. MacClife,” Nelson throws his hands up with scared, widely open eyes. “I could do nothing.”
“You, moron, said it when Wainwright and Brown got sentenced!” Cloud throws rudely.
“Was it hard to pay an idiot that would say something, so their charges were stupid bullshit?” Lambert wonders.
“Yeah, you must have made the judge consider those bastards liars in any way,” Riley adds rudely.
“Exactly!” Rupert throws coldly. “Fucking lawyer! That old man Torres is a thousand times more experienced than you are! Wainwright was right when he said that baby Edward would have much more brains than you!”
“Because of you, we will have to go to prison!” Sylvester resents. “Three years, twenty years, and Mr. MacClife actually got a life sentence!”
“Listen, men…” Nelson tries to explain.
“Go to the fuck, bastard!” almost all the sentenced men throw almost at once.
Nelson falls into silence and throws a look aside with his hands folded on the table, seeing that everybody is happy with the triumph. And a few policemen come to the sentenced men and want to take them away. Some of them leave quickly, without problems, but Trenton says something bad to Terrence, who is watching the criminals leaving with his arms crossed over his chest:
“See you soon, Terrence James MacClife! I hope you will learn to fight well when I am released, not wave hands like a sick, hysterical girl. Well, you may not do it because I shall kill you anyway! Wait for my release, bastard! I shall beat your face and bury you in the ground!”
“Have a nice time in prison, buddy,” Terrence snaps with a sly smile, waving a hand. “Spend your time well! Maybe, you’ll get smarter when you’re free. Though, I’m sure I’ll forget who you are when you’re released.”
When Trenton is taken away from the room, Michael sharply gets up from his place and gets everybody’s attention with a loud, hysterical shout, setting his burning look on the people:
“BASTARDS! ASSHOLES! YOU ARE THE FUCK HAPPY! YOU ALL AGREED AGAINST ME! FUCKING HERD OF SHEEP THAT I JUST HATE AND WILL HATE UNTIL THE END OF MY LIFE! YOU ARE SO HAPPY WITH MY FATE THAT I’M SICK OF WATCHING YOU!”
“Oh, yeah, Uncle Mickey went insane…” Edward smirks contemptuously. “Dear policemen, call an ambulance before he kicks all of you.”
“I HATE YOU, RATS!” Michael points at everybody with a finger. “ALL OF YOU! BECAUSE OF YOU, MY LIFE WAS RUINED! AND NOW I HAVE TO SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE IN PRISON! THANK YOU, THE FUCK! CURSE YOU ALL! DIE, ASSHOLES! DIE!”
“Take this man away immediately!” Jamie demands loudly, making a gesture to the policemen. “Before he kills someone!”
The policemen come to Michael, take him under the arms, and bring him to the exit by force, but the man resists so hard, even if he cannot fight with a young, tough man due to his age and his health, which has lately gotten weak.
“JAMIE, I HATE YOU, SCUMBAG!” Michael screams at the top of his lungs. “YOU RUINED MY WHOLE LIFE! I WISH YOU THE FUCK DIED! DIED ALONE! DIED AND ROTTEN IN THE GROUND! ALRIGHT, TAKE YOUR FUCKING COMPANY! BUT I HOPE YOU WILL LOSE IT SOMEDAY, AND IT WILL BE BANKRUPTED TO THE FUCK!”
“Go to prison, fucking rat!” Jamie shouts, gesticulating actively. “Such assholes like you must be there! This is the retribution for all those years when my family and I suffered because of you!”
“You will lose it soon! I wish your wifey really divorced from you, and your children refused to speak to you.”
“Don’t hope, bastard!” Edward says loudly and confidently. “You will no longer separate and get us to fight. I hope you, Uncle, will be put in the darkest, dampest, and most terrible cell and deprived of the luxury that you are used to. I am madly happy to scream at the top of my lungs that the story of Michael MacClife has finally ended! More than twenty years later, we have put an end to it!”
“Close your dirty mouth, puppy!” Michael throws rudely. “No matter how hard you show off, it will never make you a real man. You will always be a weak, cowardly, and worthless piece of shit that came to this world by mistake and adores crying for the reason and without. MAY EVERYBODY HEAR IT AND KNOW WHAT THIS KID IS! WHOM EUGENE SHOULD HAVE SHOT DOWN TO DEATH!”
“Nobody is going to listen to your opinion about anyone of us,” Terrence says confidently. “You can go to prison, Uncle Mickey, you are wanted there! And I am madly happy that there are fair judges in our country, who make the right decisions and do what the law says. We are all literally to bow to the judge Forrest for ending this story and letting my family live a quiet life.”
“Come on, speak, pathetic image of your sick daddy. Everybody is aware of your mental issues and the fact that you must be put in a mental hospital. Just like your brother, who is not far from you. If the rumors don’t lie about him being non-adequately after the announcement of the sentence for Eugene, our baby is getting more dangerous.”
“Gosh, Michael, when will your tongue get shorter?” Rebecca sighs tiredly. “You speak and speak, but it doesn’t make sense. You can only insult and humiliate my children and my husband, and thank the idiots that praise you for nothing.”
“I’m not the one to blame that you chose this one as your hubby, from whom you gave birth to these two with mental issues. So, you suffer! But I really hope that your happiness will not last long, and your sonnies will disappoint you so much that you will love to reject them.”
“Alright, get out of here!” Jamie winces strongly. “I’ve had a headache since the morning, and you make me nervous.”
“I WISH YOUR HEAD EXPLODED TO THE FUCK!” Michael screams at the top of his lungs, still resisting the policemen as hard as possible. “I WISH YOU ALL DIED! YOU, RAQUELLE, AND YOUR STUPID FRIEND, NATALIA! MAY THESE MORONS LEAVE YOU AND MAKE YOU DIE FROM A GRIEF ALL ALONE! I WISH YOU TO SUFFER ALL YOUR LIFE SO THAT NOBODY CAN HELP YOU!”
“Your dreams will not come true, honorable,” Raquelle says coldly, confidently.
“Only in your dreams,” Natalia adds.
“THERE ARE ONLY SCUMBAGS HERE!” Michael screams and glances at Catherine standing in the crowd and looking at him confidently. “ESPECIALLY YOU, CATHERINE! FUCKING BETRAYAL! I CURSE YOU FOR DARING TO HAVE ME WRAPPED AROUND YOUR FINGER AND PLAYING A LOYALTY BY THE ORDER OF THE POLICE. BY THE PLEA OF JAMIE’S PAL! I HATE YOU, HADLEY! I HATE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART! H-A-T-E!”
Michael glances at the middle-aged blond-haired man in a brown suit standing not far from Jamie and looking at him with contempt in his eyes.
“AARON DONALDS, ANOTHER BETRAYAL!” Michael screams at the top of his lungs. “YOU PRETENDED TO BE LOYAL! YOU KNEW THIS BASTARD, JAMIE, AND TOLD HIM EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED THERE! SCUMBAG! ANOTHER ASSHOLE LIED TO ME!”
Michael tries to get out of the policemen’s grip two times, but they do not let him run away and do bring him to the exit by force.
“BASTARDS!” Michael screams at the top of his lungs. “BURN IN HELL, YOU ALL! REMEMBER, WE WILL MEET AGAIN, AND I WILL SURELY KILL YOU! IF THESE IDIOTS DID NOT DO SUCH AN EASY THING, I WILL KILL OF YOU!”
While the policemen barely take him away from the room, Michael keeps cursing everybody, who can hear all these words when they step far away. Almost all the girls and the women are scared by such loud shouts, shaking slightly, and barely holding down the tears. And many of them press themselves to their sweethearts, while those calm them down with words and hugs. They all quietly watch the criminals leave the courtroom and throw a gloomy look at them. Eric splits at Edward’s face, which the guy, however, turns upon with his eyes rolled, when going by him. And Eugene throws a filthy look at Natalia, Raquelle, Anna, and Helene, as if he says he will surely deal with them, and laughs quietly when seeing the MacClife brothers and Daniel and Peter get furious because of just one hint at his wish to hurt their girls, who get slightly white from horror and pressing themselves closer to their sweethearts.
But fortunately, a few seconds later, all the criminals leave the room, and everybody exhales with relief, not believing that they will not have to go to the hearings. They stay here for a few seconds and take a breath away, but then also leave this room by one or in little companies and go to the wide hall where some people walk at times.
“Oh, damn, I can’t believe it…” Terrence exhales tiredly, slowly walking down the hall along with Jamie, Edward, Anthony, Peter, and Daniel. “Is everything over?”
“I’m shocked, too,” Jamie replies thoughtfully, crossing his arms over his chest. “So many years later, this story has finally ended.”
“But how many nerves it took,” Edward says quietly. “We’re gonna spend a lot of time coming to ourselves.”
“Agree. How many arguments and fights happened…”
“But the hardest one happened between Edward and Wainwright,” Daniel notices, putting his hands in the pockets of his open dark blue suit jacket that perfectly fits his dark blue jeans and his white t-shirt. “And when that bastard wounded him.”
“Forgetting that is impossible,” Terrence says confidently. “Thank God, the bullet didn’t hurt any important organs.”
“If everything had happened differently, Edward would’ve broken his neck easily,” Peter says confidently.
“You know, Peter, I’d do this with pleasure now,” Edward replies coldly. “That stinker stared at the girls again as if he wanted to rape them right there.”
“I’d definitely help you, Edward,” Anthony confesses confidently after he checks something in the pocket of his crème jacket. “I would kill him for what he dared to say about my daughter.”
“We understand your feelings, Mr. Rochester,” Terrence says.
At this time, the company stops and stands near the window, and Christopher, Benjamin, Kevin, Herbert, Frederick, Victor, Arthur, Aaron, and Thomas join them later.
“We all could do a lot to that stinker,” Christopher replies confidently. “But nobody wants to have problems.”
“For protecting a beloved woman that a sick bastard wanna feel up and lick, anyone could do a lot,” Terrence replies confidently. “I’d better be prosecuted with the full force of the law than let someone mock my girl.”
“That’s right!” Benjamin agrees, twirling a button on his light beige jacket. “For our women, we could easily cut any psycho’s throat.”
“If I killed Wainwright, I’d feel no shame,” Edward says with his arms crossed over his chest. “And I hope I'll no longer see that sick scumbag next to Natalia.”
“Oh, trust me, gentlemen, Wainwright is going to stay in prison for a very long time,” Anthony says confidently. “I’m quiet in this case.”
“With such an amazing protector, she can fear nothing,” Jamie smiles slightly.
“Oh, gentlemen, let's not talk about it,” Herbert suggests. “Alright, a dot has been put in this story. We got all these tasks, and we completed them.”
“Yes, yes, I agree with you, Mr. Torres,” Victor replies confidently, wiping his glasses with a little rag that he takes from the pocket of his dark blue jacket. “We got what we were fighting for a very long time.”
“And knowing that all the sentenced people behaved terribly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they got many more years of deprivation of liberty,” Frederick says confidently.
“Yes, Mr. Cameron, you are right,” Herbert nods. “It’s quite possible.”
“They behaved terribly in prison,” Victor replies confidently. “I heard that Wainwright and Brown fought with other prisoners on the first day of their time in prison. But that’s good we did our business, and I’m very glad everything ended well.”
“Not without your help, lawyer,” Terrence says amicably. “You saved Edward from prison and made the judge sure to put Uncle and all of his pals in prison and give the property to Father.”
“I absolutely agree with Terrence,” Jamie agrees. “Thank you so much, Mr. Torres. Without you, we would not have won this case.”
“Thanks, Mr. MacClife,” Herbert thanks. “I’m so happy we have won this case.”
“And thank you, Victor, for finding such a wonderful lawyer.”
“I was happy to help you and your family, Mr. MacClife,” Victor replies amicably. “Mr. Torres is a very experienced lawyer, who has won very many hard cases over the years of his career.”
“I dare to confirm it,” Herbert says shyly.
“I’m really glad everything ended well,” Aaron says amicably.
“Many thanks, Aaron,” Jamie thanks truly. “You helped me so much all this time, keeping me aware of what was happening in the company and telling the judge which dirty tricks Michael did.”
“I did everything I could, Jamie.”
“And I was happy to help you and tell them everything I saw,” Thomas confesses politely.
“Me too,” Arthur pronounces amicably. “And I truly congratulate you on the successful end of this processing.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Carrow, Mr. Harrison,” Anthony thanks. “You really helped the MacClifes.”
“I doubt it would have been possible if the MacClife had had a non-experienced and worthless lawyer,” Aaron replies confidently.
“Someone like Nelson Rodriquez,” Edward chuckles quietly. “I don’t understand why he actually started to work as a lawyer if he has such a wonderful talent for making people laugh. He could’ve become a very successful comic!”
“Oh, yeah, that lawyer made everybody laugh so hard,” Benjamin laughs shyly. “He said such hilarious things that everybody literally cried from laughter. Even the judge stared at him amazingly when he was saying what he didn’t also understand.”
“Yeah, where did Michael find that dude?” Daniel asks. “That was definitely the first case in his career! The lawyer Torres is an experienced professional, but Rodriquez…”
“Nelson Rodriquez is really a newbie in his career,” Victor replies confidently. “The police gave Michael a chance to have a lawyer, but he refused and asked them to contact Nelson. And for interest, I made inquiries for him and found out what he was made of.”
“So, I wasn’t afraid of him and didn’t find a serious opponent,” Herbert confesses. “I know a little about Nelson. They say he is a very slippery man. A sellout. He loves money so much. But he’s absolutely non-experienced and just finished his studies for his profession.”
“So, didn’t he try so hard because Michael paid him a little?” Jamie chuckles.
“Maybe. And in this case, there is no experience and great money. What’s the point in doing his best to protect a client?”
“I’m not surprised,” Terrence replies quietly. “At first look, Nelson is young enough. And if he just finished his studies, it’s easy to guess that he doesn’t have any experience.”
“That’s right. He failed his first case ever.”
“By the way, did you see how enraged Michael and his pals were when the judge announced the sentence?” Arthur asks.
“Yes, and how they stared at Nelson!” Thomas exclaims. “The poor guy got white from horror and almost peed his pants.”
“At least, he knew who he got in touch with,” Kevin says confidently. “If it’s so, why do we care?”
“Oh, come on, gentlemen!” Anthony waves a hand. “He will get an experience! Get kicks, as they say!”
“Who knows, Mr. Rochester, who knows…” Jamie says thoughtfully.
All the men continue to talk and thank Herbert for his brilliant work. Meanwhile, the girls and the women, who left the courtroom last, came together in a big crowd to share their impressions.
“I can’t believe everything is finally over,” Raquelle says quietly, pressing herself close to Alicia, who is hugging her tightly. “Will we no longer have to go to the hearings and see those stinkers?”
“I personally think I’m still sleeping,” Natalia sighs heavily, while Letitia hugs her and caresses her head. “It seems that you’d have to go to the court and hear these things again.”
“Oh, my sweet girls, I’m in the same condition, as well,” Rebecca confesses tiredly, nervously twirling the belt of her purse, the color of which perfectly fits her black jacket, knee-length skirt, and shoes with heels. “For these three months, I’m used to getting ready to go on the hearing, honestly.”
“It’s gonna be hard to forget it,” Letitia notices with sadness in her eyes. “I understand that it’s very hard, and we’re all shocked after what we had to see. But now we can relax.”
“Yeah, we had to see and hear much… Those stinkers showered us with mud, cursed us, and wanted to attack us. Remember all the fights between Michael and Jamie. Or the way Edward attacked Wainwright. The way he sacrificed himself to save Natalia.”
“Your husband tolerated too much from that stinker and couldn’t stay indifferent,” Alicia says confidently. “His life was ruined because of his own brother.”
“Mrs. Middleton is right,” Letitia agrees. “Michael shouldn't have expected that Mr. MacClife would've caressed his head and thanked him for depriving him of everything.”
“I can’t imagine what would've happened here if nobody had broken them up,” Raquelle says thoughtfully.
“Yeah, thank God, the police broke them up, and the guys helped them sometimes,” Natalia nods. “If nobody had stopped the fight between Edward and Wainwright, they would’ve killed each other.”
“That’s good the policemen twisted the arms of that sick man around, and Terrence, Daniel, and Peter took Edward away from him,” Rebecca replies.
“Gosh, stop talking about it all!” Alicia sighs tiredly, fixing the collar of her white shirt that perfectly fits her gray suit. “You’ve got no reason to worry. Michael and his gang have been arrested and put in prison for a long time! We’ve reached our goal!”
“You’re right, Alicia, but it’s very hard for me personally,” Natalia says quietly.
“I get it all, Natalia.” Alicia caresses Natalia’s shoulder softly. “But it’s all over now. All those people will stay in prison as long as they have to.”
“We’re lucky we were together all this time,” Raquelle notices thoughtfully. “And so many people came to support us.”
“It couldn’t have been otherwise,” Anna says with a slight smile. “We would’ve supported you anyway.”
“We promised you, Terrence, Edward, Natalia, Mr. and Mrs. MacClife to support you on the announcement of every single sentence,” Helene recalls amicably. “So, we listened to the sentence that everybody is happy with.”
“We know, girls,” Natalia smiles shyly. “Thank you so much.”
“You know, as for the sentence for Michael’s accomplice, I’m not surprised because everybody got what they deserved,” Catherine confesses, pulling down her black blouse and fixing the shoulders of her dark blue suit jacket. “But I was surprised by the sentence for Michael. I didn’t expect he would get a life one. I thought he would get thirty or forty years…”
“I think he did too much to get a life sentence,” Blair assumes, twirling a button on the sleeve of her dark blue blouse, a couple of top buttons are open.
“Anyway, Michael would hardly stay in prison for a long time,” Helene says confidently. “He looked very bad all this time.”
“You’re right,” Raquelle nods. “Mr. Johnson said a doctor had been called to prison several times. I don’t know if that was a heart issue or something like that…”
“But someone hardly believed him when he played a whole show with a heart attack,” Rebecca replies confidently. “Michael didn’t look like he felt bad.”
“He didn’t just want to believe he lost everything he had used for a few years so insolently,” Natalia says. “What actually belonged to Mr. MacClife.”
“He will have to,” Catherine replies confidently. “Unlike the others, he will spend the rest of his life in prison. But I think Michael will really die at the nearest time.”
“But his accomplices will be released early or late,” Raquelle notices with sadness in her eyes.
“I hope they will not remember that they harmed us by Michael’s order,” Letitia replies with sadness in her eyes.
“Alright, women, let’s not think of bad things,” Alicia suggests with a slight smile. “Those stinkers will stay in prison for a very long time. But if they behave terribly, they may easily get a longer deprivation of liberty.”
“Yes, I agree with you, Mrs. Middleton,” Rebecca agrees confidently. “Talking about it doesn’t make sense! After this story finally ended, we can all go home and have a rest. Later, we could come all together for a cup of tea with cookies or a piece of cake.”
“Oh, I’d go home with pleasure, but I can’t,” Letitia says thoughtfully, fixing the lapel of her dark red jacket and the collar of her white shirt. “Anthony and I have to work.”
“Gosh, Mrs. Rochester, have some rest,” Anna smiles shyly. “You can forget about your work, at least for one day.”
“Alas, my dear Anna, we can’t. We can’t delay our business. My husband and I gave a bigger part of the work to other people and have to control them, so they don’t mess up nothing.”
“Oh, Mr. Rochester, you and Mr. Rochester don’t take care of yourself,” Alicia shakes her head. “You work so hard and always went somewhere after every single hearing.”
“It’s life, my darling,” Letitia shrugs. “We can do nothing.”
The girls and the women share a slight smile and say nothing for two seconds.
“Hey, does nobody see our gentlemen?” Rebecca asks thoughtfully. “Where did they disappear?”
“Indeed, why aren’t they around?” Helene wonders, looking around.
“I’m sure we can find them somewhere near food,” Alicia laughs shyly. “I guess they went to the cafeteria to eat and drink something.”
“Oh, right, why we didn’t guess it!” Blair smiles slightly.
“I will check it out,” Letitia says confidently. “I want to drink a cup of coffee. Does someone want to make me a company?”
“I’d also like to go to the cafeteria and then go to the police station,” Catherine replies tiredly. “I have some things to do. I’ll probably go with Mr. Johnson if he doesn’t leave earlier.”
“By the way, Catherine, you haven’t told us how you worked at the police and at the house of Michael at the same time,” Raquelle says amicably, twirling a lacquered button on her tender blue jacket, the color of which fits her dark straight hair falling off her shoulders. “It’s just impossible to do two things at the same time!”
“Everything is possible, Raquelle, if you want it.”
“I must confess that you played the role of Michael’s favorite girl very well,” Natalia confesses. “You played so true that nobody noticed anything.”
“But that was very hard. Michael was a very hard, egoistic man. I had to put in some effort not to say, ‘no’ to him. It was hard to speak with him and his henchmen. Many of them are totally brainless. For example, Otto and Andrew, the guards of the house. Very stupid guys! Their brains work only for little things.”
“I get it. I had to bite the bullet when I was at that house.”
“And it was madly hurtful for me to be rude to Edward. He’s actually a very good guy. Sweet, kind, and soft. But Michael couldn’t take him and never missed a chance to insult and humiliate him. And to be his favorite person, I had to shower him with mud, as well. I don’t know if Edward had bitten me through before, but he was always surprised that I was working for his uncle and suggested I leave and find another job many times.”
“I’m sure he understands it all and isn’t mad at you.”
“And as for the work at the police, I didn’t have to tear myself apart because I was temporarily freed from my responsibility after we found a way to get closer to Michael. I had to do a lot for such a special mission as telling Victor information about what was happening at Michael’s house, and what he planned against his family. But that’s good everything ended well. And I’m much luckier because that man sometimes allowed me to meet my boyfriend and even bring him to his house.”
“Was he aware of your mission?” Blair wonders.
“Sure. At first, he minded my work at Michael’s house, but later he started to take it with understanding and even played along with me when going to the home of that man.”
“And weren’t you afraid that Michael could do something to you if he had revealed the truth about your real job?”
“Of course, I was. But I tried to be very careful and never make Eric suspicious. He was a real snitch, who said everything to his beloved Michael. But it was very hard to find time to contact Mr. Johnson secretly and tell him what I knew.”
“We all admire by your courage and determination,” Letitia says with a slight smile. “You are a fine fellow, Catherine.”
“And thank you for testifying against Michael,” Raquelle thanks.
“Thank you, women,” Catherine thanks amicably and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Alright, if we meet someday again, I will tell you everything. And now excuse me, I have to go, someone is waiting for me at work. Goodbye and good luck to you all.”
Catherine turns around and, knocking on the heels of her black lacquered shoes, leaves to do her business quietly, while the others watch her with slight smiles on their faces.
“In this case, I will go, as well,” Letitia says thoughtfully. “It was nice for me to talk to you and meet those I didn't know.”
“Want me to join you for a cup of tea or coffee?” Alicia suggests and takes a wallet from the pocket of her gray suit jacket and opens it. “I’ve got some money for coffee and some sweet food.”
“I can do it, as well,” Rebecca says. “Let’s leave the girls alone and talk about something.”
“Maybe, we would find our men and join their sweet talk,” Letitia replies thoughtfully.
“Great!” Alicia exclaims. “I’m for!”
Alicia, Rebecca, and Letitia laugh shyly, say goodbye to everybody and start to go straightly, quietly knocking on the light laminate with their heels and starting to talk about something with a slight smile. And Natalia glances aside and notices a few men of different ages, whom she recognizes quickly.
“Oh, the men are doing it again,” Natalia notices thoughtfully with a slight smile. “Laughing, joking…”
“The men?” Helene frowns.
“Yup. All together.”
All the girls move their eyes to the company of the men and see that Jamie, Frederick, and Anthony speak to each other well and joke and laugh very much, and Terrence, Edward, Peter, and Daniel have pleasure talking to them, each other, Benjamin, Christopher, Kevin, Thomas, Arthur, Victor, Herbert, and Aaron.
“My gosh…” Anna shakes her head.
“I’ve always been surprised by how easily men get on well,” Blair says thoughtfully. “They become best friends literally two minutes later.”
“Maybe, the men’s company is gonna get new members,” Natalia assumes. “And when the single men meet girls, they can introduce them to us.”
“I think Thomas and Arthur will not speak to us, but Christopher and Kevin are determined to do it,” Raquelle says thoughtfully. “Edward’s friends got on well with everybody, and they will meet them again and again.”
“I’ll be happy to have new people in our company,” Anna replies with a slight smile. “We’d have much more fun.”
“Listen, Helene, maybe, you introduce one of the single guys to your friend? The one to be a friend of Peter! Jessica, or what’s her name… What if that meeting becomes fateful for someone?”
“I can’t be sure that Kevin and Christopher won’t run away from Jessica five minutes later, ‘cause she’s always been a little rude,” Helene laughs shyly. “Our boys do prefer tender and feminine girls. Jessica isn’t lucky in this case, ‘cause she doesn’t wanna be softer.”
“She’s rude?” Blair asks.
“Peter has tried to say it to her many times as a man, but my friend refuses to hear him and says someone should love her for what she is.”
While the girls keep talking about it, the men do not miss and have the pleasure of talking about something interesting and funny.
“Listen, gentlemen, look, some women left,” Jamie says thoughtfully, glancing at the girls. “I don’t see Rebecca, Catherine, Mrs. Middleton, and Mrs. Rochester.”
“They probably went to the cafeteria,” Benjamin shrugs. “Or they’re looking for us, thinking we’re somewhere far.”
“Listen, maybe, it is time to go home and have some rest? I slept very badly the last night and have a little headache.”
“I’d like to lie on a bed and watch an old movie, but I have a job,” Anthony shrugs. “I just got a message from one person, who wants to talk to me. So, sorry, no movies.”
“Oh, Mr. Rochester, don’t work so much,” Fredrick says tiredly. “I have a feeling that you and Mrs. Rochester don’t actually have a rest. Natalia often says that you barely find time for yourself and are always busy with a job.”
“Yes, Mr. Cameron, I don’t deny that we sometimes get very exhausted and barely reach our bed. But agree that we must work hard to provide for our family. And my wife and I are used to this life. So many years of hard work can’t be wasted.”
“Nothing will happen if you miss one day. I advise you to go on vacation and buy a ticket to a resort.”
“We will think about it. But a little later.”
“Oh, I’m gonna start to work soon,” Jamie says thoughtfully, twirling a sleeve of his black suit jacket and fixing the tie of the same color. “I should check the business of the company. Although I knew what Michael did, what if there was something I wasn’t ready for. So, I should examine everything and start to work for my family.”
“I hid nothing and told you the truth,” Aaron replies confidently.
“By the way, if you want, you can keep working at the firm. If you want, you can work in the same place, but if you want, I will find another job for you.”
“Thanks a lot, Jamie, I’ll be back to the company with pleasure. I have no job now and really need money. I recently asked someone to lend me some money because I have nothing to eat.”
“Return then. I promise you’ll have a good salary as a high-class specialist with great experience.”
“I will owe you all my life if you give me a job.”
“Just give me some time to solve the business and get documents for the company.”
“We believe in you, Father!” Terrence says confidently. “You can do it! With such an amazing manager, the company is gonna bring great income and won’t be bankrupted.”
“And if you hire wonderful people, you can be quiet,” Edward adds with enthusiasm. “Now nobody will dare to deprive you of your own job.”
“Thanks, my children,” Jamie thanks with a slight smile. “I will surely make the company’s business better and continue the business of your grandfather. I will have a rest for a few days, get all the documents that would confirm my rights, and start to work.”
Edward and Terrence smile at Jamie shyly, and Anthony clears his throat and glances at his expensive watch, while Aaron takes a phone from the pocket of his suit jacket, apologizes, and goes aside to answer the call.
“Alright, gentlemen, I will go to the cafeteria and drink a cup of strong tea,” Anthony says thoughtfully. “Does someone want to join me? Mr. MacClife? Mr. Cameron?”
“With pleasure!” Jamie exclaims. “Let’s leave the guys alone and go to talk. Maybe, we can find the women and join their talk.”
“We might find Mr. Torres and Mr. Johnson there,” Frederick assumes, fixing his tie. “They left so that I noticed nothing.”
“They are probably there,” Anthony says.
“Let’s go then!” Frederick claps Anthony and Jamie on the shoulder and takes them away. “Let’s talk as close people. As a potential family.”
“Actually, you and I are almost relatives,” Jamie notices. “My eldest son is engaged to your granddaughter and the niece of Mrs. Middleton.”
“And your younger son might become a potential son-in-law of Letitia and me,” Anthony smiles mysteriously, stepping at some distance. “So, I could consider you both my relatives.”
“Oh, yeah, you are almost my matchmaker!”
“Be sure, we are all going to be a family soon,” Frederick says confidently, taking the wallet from the pocket of his gray suit jacket. “The Camerons, the Rochesters, and the MacClifes will surely become a family because there is a high chance that Natalia and Edward get married someday.”
“Agree!” Anthony agrees. “Natalia adores Edward and does everything for him to be happy. My girl wasn’t as happy with any other man as she is with that guy. And thanks to her, he’s changed so much in the past few months.”
“My son is also totally in love with her and ready to do anything for her,” Jamie replies with a slight smile. “Though, Rebecca and I also adore this sweet girl. She’s so good and nice. And what a beauty! Not dying for her would be a sin!”
“Natalia has always been a beauty,” Frederick says confidently. “I’ve known her since she was a kid. Many boys went around her all the time.”
“And we saw well how Edward took care of her all this time. The fact that he almost killed Wainwright shows how he treats her. The way he closed her with himself and let him wound him.”
“Just a man that my daughter has always dreamed about,” Anthony smiles widely. “I don’t doubt Edward’s decency, and I know that Natalia is in trustful hands with him.”
“She definitely impacts him well because the boy has changed before our eyes.”
Anthony, Frederick, and Jamie keep talking about it on the way to the cafeteria and start laughing shyly later. And Edward, Terrence, Daniel, Peter, Christopher, Benjamin, Kevin, Arthur, and Thomas watch them until they hide somewhere.
“So, men, I think we can really go back home,” Terrence looks at all the men. “The court trial is over, and all the deadbeats got what they deserved.”
“It got all of us nervous, but we met good people thanks to that,” Edward notices with a slight smile.
“I’m really very happy you’ve won this case, guys,” Arthur says amicably, fixing the shoulder of his black suit jacket and the collar of his black shirt. “And I’m glad I helped you.”
“Thank you, Arthur, for not letting Edward die when those deadbeats wounded him,” Daniel thanks with a slight smile.
“Yeah, thanks, buddy,” Peter thanks with a slight smile, putting his hands in the pockets of his open black suit jacket that literally merges with the shirt of the same color, a couple of the top buttons of which are open. “If not for you, we could’ve lost the lead guitarist and vocalist of our band.”
“I would’ve kicked those bastards out earlier, but I decided not to deal with a crowd,” Arthur replies. “I was all alone and wouldn’t have dealt with them.”
“It doesn’t matter!” Terrence exclaims. “The important thing is that my brother stayed alive. And we wouldn't like to lose him.”
“I get it. I’m also attracted to my younger brother.”
“Listen, guys, you have a cool band,” Thomas confesses. “I watched some videos of yours, in which you sang as a trio, and I really liked them. Actually, I don’t understand music, but I really love listening to something good. I prefer something old, but try to follow the trends and listen to what’s popular now.”
“I’ve gotta agree,” Arthur says confidently. “We’ll be waiting for your music with impatience. If you have cool songs, I’ll obviously buy your album.”
“Well, as the trial is over, we can come back to the studio and focus on the album,” Terrence replies with a slight smile.
“Hey, have a rest first!” Peter exclaims, clapping Terrence on the shoulder. “The trial is just over, but you wanna run to the studio immediately!”
“Of course, I won’t go there at the nearest time, ‘cause I’d write and sing nothing. We’ll have a rest for a few weeks, and then finally go to work.”
“Sounds better,” Edward chuckles quietly. “My brains require recharging, ‘cause I’m dumbfounded after all these trials and scandals. And I still feel weak after the wound.”
“Anyway, you have a great future,” Thomas says confidently. “If you can use your talent well and show your potential, you’ll get much more girls praising you.”
“Nice way to encourage,” Peter laughs shyly. “But thank you anyway. It’s nice to hear it.”
Silence settles in the air for two seconds, after which Arthur looks at his watch and opens his mouth.
“Oh, men, excuse me, but I’ve gotta go,” Arthur says thoughtfully. “It was a pleasure to meet all of you. I can promise nothing, but maybe, we will meet someday again.”
“Yeah, I’ve gotta leave, too,” Thomas says with regret, taking the mobile phone from the pocket of his dark green suit jacket. “I should go to the bank and solve something. But maybe, we’ll really meet someday.”
“Sure,” Edward smiles slightly. “Good luck to you, Arthur. And you, Thomas.”
“Thanks, Edward,” Arthur thanks. “Take care of yourself. Don’t meddle in such dangerous games. You might not be lucky and die.”
“Oh, don’t even hope, Arthur, he won’t listen to you,” Terrence replies confidently. “Edward is a rebel guy and lover of adventures that can be stopped by nothing.”
“I see… Anyway, I’ve gotta go. Bye, everybody, see you later.”
Arthur and Thomas shake all the men by the hand, say goodbye, and go somewhere together, talking about something on the way.
“Good men,” Terrence notices. “Really, good.”
“Yeah, but something tells me we’d hardly meet them again,” Edward replies thoughtfully.
“Maybe,” Daniel agrees, crossing his arms over his chest. “But their words impacted the judge’s decision.”
“And I briefly thought I’d literally be made a defendant in the case of the murder of Nicolas Carter,” Kevin confesses.
“Why?” Edward wonders. “Your word was very important. I let them know I didn’t really lie.”
“Yeah, but I think the DNA test and the check of the fingerprints on the pistol and the fingerprints of Brown played a major role. That’s what saved you from prison.”
“No, Kevin, your word impacted much, as well,” Christopher replies confidently, putting his hands in the pockets of his beige suit jacket. “You quietly and clearly answered all the questions of the judge, the lawyers, and the jury.”
“You all said many things,” Benjamin notices confidently. “Moreover, nobody from Michael’s band found someone to deny your words or prove that they were innocent and fluffy.”
“Aha, the only idiot that was unsuccessfully trying to do something was their brainless lawyer,” Peter chuckles quietly.
“C’mon, he didn’t project them, but just pretended!” Kevin exclaims, holding the edges of his brown suit jacket. “As the lawyer Torres said, Michael just gave him a little money. But that deadbeat definitely loves it and works only for big amounts.”
“But the lawyer Rodriquez is too arrogant,” Daniel says confidently. “His walk and the way he speaks prove it. I believe Nelson is a much more confident and arrogant peacock than our Terrence.”
“Okay, we laughed a little!” Benjamin notices funnily. “Sometimes he said such stupid things that we were about to have hysteria.”
“That’s right!” Christopher exclaims. “I think Rodriquez would win a case of theft, riot, or fraud. But he is too inexperienced to work on such hard cases as the case of the MacClife family. Or… With such pearls that he told, I kind of doubt it.”
“I don’t doubt that he often missed lessons and didn’t study hard,” Peter replies confidently. “Rodriquez doesn’t know the easiest things that everyone knows. He has to examine all of our laws from start to end.”
“That’s right!” Terrence agrees.
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, which Kevin breaks, glancing aside and seeing the girls talking about something and laughing shyly at someone or something.
“Oh, it was nice to speak to you, guys, but I’ve gotta go,” Kevin says with sadness in his eyes. “And you should come to yourself.”
“Thanks a lot for your help, dude,” Terrence thanks with a slight smile.
“I was happy to help. And I’m glad Edward introduced me to all of you. You’re all cool, guys! I’d be happy to keep speaking to you.”
“We’re always happy to meet new people,” Peter replies amicably.
“That’s great I started to speak to Edward again. We got on well seven years ago when we worked together. But because of the case of Nicolas, we lost our contact.”
“It’s gonna be what will always connect us,” Edward smiles slightly. “Then, I helped you and made you run away, and now you saved me and did your best to make the judge sure to be by my side.”
“No problem, Ed, I’m glad I helped you. And I’m madly glad they’ve dropped the charges off you.”
“It’s a great relief. Thank you so much, Kev, I owe you!”
“If you wanna meet, drink beer, and talk, you know where to find me.”
“You know where I live, as well. So, come to me at any time. And call me. You have my number.”
“Okay, MacClife, deal! I’m gonna call you later, so we go somewhere.”
Edward shakes Kevin by the hand with a slight smile and hugs him amicably.
“So, guys, bye!” Kevin says goodbye and shakes the others by the hand. “I was happy to meet you!”
“Yes, Spencer, good luck to you!” Terrence replies amicably.
Kevin turns around and goes somewhere, taking his mobile phone and starting to check something on it. Meanwhile, Blair is also going to leave after warmly saying goodbye to all the girls with hugs, but Benjamin notices it, apologizes to the men, and comes to her.
“Hey, Blair, are you going to the cafeteria?” Benjamin asks.
“Yes, I’ll go to drink something and then go home,” Blair replies with a slight smile, squeezing the handle of her little purse that she is wearing on her shoulder. “Violetta, Christiana, and I got a free day. They’re with their children and couldn’t come. So, I’m gonna spend time with my family, too.”
“Wait for me, please. I’ll say goodbye to the men and drive you home.”
“You can visit us. Mother would be happy to talk to you, and Harry annoyed me with questions about you.”
“Well, as I’m invited, I can’t refuse,” Benjamin smiles slightly. “I have two days off from my work. I’d go on a date with you and spend time with your family.”
“Okay, Ben. Go to say goodbye to the men, and I’ll wait.”
“I’ll be back now, my sweetheart.”
Benjamin kisses Blair cutely on the cheek and comes to the men, who are laughing shyly and watching him with interest.
“M-m-m…” Terrence smiles mysteriously. “How serious everything is… Such hanky-panky…”
“Every day, I’m making much more sure that Blair is a wonderful girl,” Benjamin replies confidently with a wide smile. “I haven’t regretted starting to date her.”
“Oh, yeah, it’s been two and a half months!” Edward notices cheerfully, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Parker broke his previous record for affairs with girls,” Terrence chuckles quietly. “The longest affair that he had lasted for two weeks. But now the guy has been holding on for two and a half months.”
“And these two months have been the best in my life,” Benjamin replies confidently. “I never felt as good as I do now. As it turned out, you can get pleasure from communicating with a girl not only in bed, but also with open talks and walks.”
“Oh, yeah!” Terrence chuckles, crossing his arms over his chest. “You were literally gonna kill me! I will kill you! I will kill you! Don’t dare! No, no, I’d better hang myself than confess my love for her! And more blah-blah-blah!”
“Oh, Terrence…” Benjamin moans tiredly. “I’ve apologized to you and said that I wasn’t right hundreds of times.”
“Aha, but what did you say before? That I couldn’t do that! Ha!” Terrence raises his head. “So, Benjamin, did you understand that Terrence MacClife would always get what he wants?”
“Ar-r-r, here you go again! Edward, bite! Deal with your brother. He started to be arrogant again.”
“Sorry, dude, not this time!” Edward raises his hands. “I’m exhausted and emptied after this trial. But when I have some rest, I’ll be happy to kick the ass of my bro and anyone to annoy me.”
“I don’t also have the mood and strength to think up a dirty trick for you,” Terrence adds. “So, live, Parker! You’re very lucky this time!”
“Not only Parker!” Daniel meddles. “I’ve gotten enough kicks from you! I can calm down at least for a while.”
“Aha, if MacClife, Jr., has a good mood, he may annoy me to the fuck,” Christopher replies confidently. “And if he opens his mouth, then hold on!”
“Yeah, guys, think we’re all very lucky that Edward and Terrence have no strength to joke at us,” Benjamin adds. “Trust me, Terrence is a pain in your ass! If he annoys you, he won’t get off you until he gets what he wants or what he’s more or less happy with.”
“Hooray! We can relax!”
“For a while, Chris, for a while,” Edward shakes his head, looking at Christopher with a sly smile.
“Yay, guys, you have a few days,” Terrence agrees. “And then we’re gonna have much fun. Yes, kid?”
“Aha…”
Smiling slyly, Terrence and Edward look at each other with their arms crossed over their chests as if they are planning something.
“No, no, men, shut up!” Peter jabs. “When these two look at each other like this, it’s a bad thing!”
“Guys, guys, don’t ask for trouble!” Daniel adds. “If these two agree, you can expect anything.”
Daniel and Peter get a clap on the head from Edward and Terrence and chuckle quietly as they stroke their hair down.
“Hey, okay, okay, guys, quiet!” Daniel laughs.
“Calm down, bandits, I joked!” Peter chuckles.
“Yay, guys, you’re on the hook of the MacClife bros,” Christopher laughs shyly, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Okay, guys, I’ll better go before these two agree against me,” Benjamin raises his hands. “I have many interesting things to do.”
“Okay, okay, get out,” Terrence replies. “Don’t make your girlfriend wait.”
“Just for you, my imitable friend.”
Benjamin shakes Terrence, Edward, Daniel, Peter, and Christopher by the hand with a slight smile and steps back from them, waving a hand and saying:
“Bye, guys! See you soon!”
Two seconds later, Benjamin leaves somewhere along with Blair, who was patiently waiting for him, and starts to talk to her about something.
“Okay, as everybody leaves, I’ll go, as well,” Christopher says thoughtfully. “Go to a shop and buy something to eat. And go somewhere to have fun tonight. Maybe, I’d hook up with a cutie.”
“Okay, okay, Chris, good luck,” Edward replies with a slight smile. “Look for another girlfriend and tell me more about her.”
“You know, Ed, I’ll think hundreds of times before telling you these things.”
“Huh, you’d have no choice! You’d tell me everything.”
“You would’ve better told everything on the day when we met. I'm just starting to get used to the fact that your name is Edward MacClife.”
“Sorry, Morgan, it happened,” Edward throws his hands up. “But if you accidentally call me Justin, I’ll react.”
“I won’t, don’t worry.”
“Oh, okay! Go to have fun with girls. I don’t dare to hold you.”
“Huh, I wouldn’t stay with you!” Christopher chuckles quietly. “I’m giving you to your gorgeous girlfriend with the hope that she’d take care of you well.”
“Don’t worry, Chris, she will.”
“Hey, Edward, that girl is really as cool as you said. I really liked Natalia. She’s a girl with her special features that make her extraordinary and eternally beautiful.”
“Hard to deny it,” Edward smiles slightly.
“Oh, c’mon, Chris, stop!” Terrence waves a hand with a sly smile. “If you start talking about Natalia, my brother may be talking about her for hours ‘till you close his mouth with a hand or tape it.”
“So, Terrence, did ya experience it?” Christopher chuckles.
“Sort of.”
“We all did,” Peter specifies.
“It’s all clear about you,” Christopher smiles shyly. “Okay, men, I’ll go. It was nice to meet you all. You’re all cool people!”
“Same, Chris,” Daniel replies amicably.
“Hey, if you want, we can agree on the meeting somehow. You could go to my home. My apartment is small, but I always have a lot of food.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Terrence smiles mysteriously.
“Okay, Chris, stop talking about food,” Edward meddles. “If you start talking about food with these three, especially my brother, it’s gonna be a catastrophe.”
“Okay, I got it!” Christopher exclaims. “Anyway, remember that we could have a hangout at my home.”
“We’ll think about it after coming to ourselves.”
“Okay, bye, everybody!” Christopher shakes Terrence, Peter, and Daniel by the hand and claps them on the back. “Good luck to you! I can’t wait to hear the news about your new album.”
Christopher turns around and leaves somewhere, taking his mobile phone from the pocket of his suit jacket and starting to check something.
“Hey, did everybody get out?” Peter wonders. “There were so many people, and now we stayed alone!”
“And the much more amazing thing is that we’re still here and haven’t left the court building,” Edward replies thoughtfully.
“Not only us,” Terrence says, glancing to the side where Raquelle, Natalia, Anna, and Helene are standing and talking about something with slight smiles on their faces.
“It seems like the girls came to themselves a little,” Daniel assumes.
“Why would they think of bad things?” Peter wonders. “This trial is wanted to be forgotten as soon as possible.”
“You’re right,” Edward agrees quietly.
The four watch the girls for two seconds, look at each other, decide to come to them, and hug every single one.
“What’s your discussion about, beauties?” Daniel asks, putting an arm around Anna’s neck.
“Why are you standing aside shyly?” Edward wonders, hugging Natalia by the waist.
“Yeah, you could come to us, so we talk all together,” Peter says with a slight smile, hugging Helene by the waist from behind.
“But our girls are standing aside and laughing,” Terrence says with a mysterious smile, hugging Raquelle around the shoulders from behind with one arm and then putting another arm around her waist.
“My gosh!” Raquelle exclaims. “Our men showed up!”
“We wanted to save you from Christopher, Benjamin, and Kevin,” Natalia replies with a chuckle. “One gang of idiots connected with another gang of idiots.”
“And it’s not good,” Anna says thoughtfully. “You don’t impact each other well, but if those guys join you, I’m afraid to imagine what we could expect.”
“Don’t say it about them, sweet girls,” Edward replies amicably. “Ben, Chris, and Kev are cool guys! And they don’t impact us badly! Just like I don’t do it. These idiots do. And I don’t. I’m a good boy.”
“Oh, yeah, good!” Terrence laughs. “Though, you look so good when you’re a quiet, shy boy, who obediently does whatever he’s told.”
“If I weren’t exhausted, you’d get a kick on your ass.”
“You two would always find the strength to mock each other,” Peter laughs shyly.
“And if it doesn’t happen, I’ll start to think they got seriously sick,” Daniel adds.
“Oh, c’mon, stop,” Helene laughs shyly.
“Be happy that we can relax and have a good rest now,” Raquelle smiles slightly.
“Hey, yeah!” Edward exclaims. “I still can't believe the trial has ended. It seems that we’ll have to come here tomorrow or after tomorrow again.”
“Yeah, it’s hard to believe we’ll no longer have to see Michael and his accomplices,” Natalia replies thoughtfully. “Especially, Wainwright.”
“Thank God, he didn’t do what he did after the announcement of the sentence for the case of violence,” Anna says quietly.
“Agree, but I advise you to forget those deadbeats,” Terrence says confidently. “They’re like snakes that spread their poison over us. I don’t personally care about what they’d say. I don’t care about their cures and mud, with which they showered us.”
“But there is an unpleasant feeling anyway, agree,” Raquelle replies quietly.
“Oh, Raquelle, who cares now,” Edward moans tiredly. “Terrence is right – may they choke with poison and evil. We shouldn’t care about it.”
“But it’s unpleasant when someone tries to shower you with mud for nothing,” Natalia replies hesitantly.
“It hurts, but don’t pay attention,” Helene says confidently. “Why should you make your mood worse because of those snakes? That’s wrong!”
“Listen, guys, I think you all better go home and have a good rest,” Daniel suggests with sadness in his eyes and looks at Edward, Natalia, Terrence, and Raquelle. “You look terribly exhausted.”
“You’re right, Daniel,” Edward replies tiredly. “I have no strength to be happy. I’d do it with pleasure, but I’m so exhausted morally that I only feel emptiness.”
“Agree,” Terrence agrees. “And those journalists annoyed us! Those insolent people that don’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘personal space’ make me enraged! And those people kind of went insane after Edward’s wound!”
“If they’re still standing near the court building, it’s gonna be another test for us,” Raquelle replies thoughtfully.
“I hope those, who left, will go by them quietly,” Anna expresses hope.
“Don’t worry, guys,” Peter says quietly. “If those journalists and reporters are still there, Perkins and I will care about it. Say something to them, while you quietly go to your cars and leave.”
“Yes, yes, right!” Daniel exclaims. “We’ll talk to them and let them know you refused to talk with the media.”
“Thanks, guys,” Natalia smiles slightly. “I think you’ll find what to say, so they’re pleased.”
“It’s gonna be okay,” Helene assures. “Anna and I will also try to talk to them.”
“Tell them all the truth,” Terrence advises. “Tell them about the sentence for Uncle Michael and his accomplices, and say that nothing serious happened in the room.”
“We’ll do it,” Anna promises.
Silence settles in the air for two seconds, during which some women and men in suits with folders in their hands go by them.
“Hey, guys, thank you for coming out to support us,” Natalia says tiredly. “Even if you had the right not to do it.”
“We’re friends to support each other in hard situations,” Anna replies with a slight smile.
“Anyway, thank you so much,” Terrence says amicably.
“Yeah, thank you,” Edward thanks. “That’s awesome we had such wonderful support. It was much easier for us to overcome the stress and experience this test that lasted for almost three months.”
“We owe you,” Raquelle says amicably.
“We did it for the friendship,” Peter replies with a slight smile.
“We could wake up very early for such cool friends,” Daniel laughs shyly. “Though, you know that I hate waking up early.”
“Think it’s another step to friendship,” Helene smiles slightly. “I don’t know how close I’ve gotten to you or whether you got used to me, but I wanna believe it happened.”
“Of course, it did,” Raquelle replies softly and confidently. “Everybody loves you so much.”
“Glad to hear it. I’m grateful to you, girls, for giving me a chance to get on well with you, and you, men, for understanding that you can expect nothing bad from me.”
“Wonderful then!” Peter exclaims, tightly hugging Helene with both arms. “That’s great you got on well.”
“We’d do anything for our beloved men,” Anna says with a slight smile, putting her head on Daniel’s shoulder for a second. “Though, we did it not only for you, but also for the wish to start everything again.”
“Do you think we can make a happy whoop with a cry, ‘Best friends forever?’” Edward asks shyly.
“Let’s check it out,” Terrence smiles mysteriously and puts his hand forward.
Raquelle puts her hand on Terrence’s hand, and then the others do the same, looking at each other with slight smiles on their faces.
“Best friends forever!” Terrence, Raquelle, Edward, Natalia, Daniel, Anna, Peter, and Helene pronounce confidently.
Everybody raises their hands, lets them go, and starts a group hug that makes everybody smile much wider. But a few seconds later, they step away and just look at each other silently until Edward breaks the pause, exhaling tiredly:
“Okay, let’s leave this place. I’m sick of it, to be honest…”
“Yeah, we have nothing to do here,” Raquelle replies quietly. “Or we can go to the cafeteria and drink coffee.”
“I’d drink, but I don’t have money with me,” Peter confesses hesitantly. “Neither cash nor a card. But if someone wants, they can feed me up on their account. And I could give everything back later.”
“No, no, let’s better leave,” Terrence shakes his head. “These walls are really starting to make me mad.”
“You’ll get mad because of the journalists and reporters that are gonna point microphones and cameras right in your face,” Raquelle replies confidently.
At this moment, Raquelle, Anna, Helene, and Natalia go a little forward and start to go down the hall quietly, while Terrence, Daniel, Peter, and Daniel follow them.
“We’ll go by them somehow,” Edward expresses hope. “The important thing is to reach our cars.”
“And when we get out and leave this place, you’ll go home, wash and iron my suit well, and give it back to me in perfect condition tomorrow,” Terrence replies confidently.
“What?”
“You heard it. I let you wear it only for the trial, and after it’s over, be pleased to give me my suit jacket, pants, and shirt. And my shoes. Okay, I will close my eyes to the fact that I had to throw off the previous shirt and jacket after your wound, but this suit must come back to me safe and sound.”
“Although I’ve disliked suits since school times when everybody was made to wear a special uniform, I must confess that I liked my reflection in the mirror. Suit jackets definitely fit me. I don’t mind wearing it if I ain’t made to put on a tie that I hate much more.”
“I know nothing! You’ll give my suit to me tomorrow!”
“Listen, Terrence, maybe, you gift it to me?”
“Yeah? Shouldn’t I make you the owner of my house?”
“You said you hadn’t worn it for ages! And I’d keep the tradition of making younger children wear the clothes of older siblings.”
“Trust me, Edward, you will not need it anymore. I could find a reason to put on a suit, but you don’t need it.”
“Huh, you’ve got tons of suits! When you opened your dressing room, I got overwhelmed by the number of suits of different colors.”
“Get off, rat, I ain’t gonna give you my clothes. Just because I let you wear something from my clothes doesn’t mean you have the right to take it forever.”
“C’mon, MacClife, don’t ya see your little bro liked this suit?” Peter smiles slightly.
“The suit is really cool,” Edward smiles slyly. “It fits me so well. My size, one hundred percent.”
“Don’t make me take this suit off you right here and make you reach for your car naked,” Terrence threatens. “The reporters are gonna be so happy when seeing you like this. They’ll immediately forget about Michael and his pals.”
“Only with you.” Edward glances sharply at Daniel and Peter chuckling. “And you, too, idiots. I ain’t gonna get ashamed alone.”
“Gosh, stop it,” Natalia laughs shyly.
“Aha, you complained that you got sick, but here you go again,” Raquelle adds. “Edward always complains that he’s still weak after the wound, but he’s jumping like a goat.”
“Oh, leave them, girls, may they do what they want,” Anna waves a hand. “Let’s think it’s the protective reaction to negative emotions.”
“But if you really run naked to the reporters, we’ll pretend that we don’t know you,” Helene addresses the men. “Because I won’t bear this shame.”
The men say nothing, and they just shyly smile. The girls shake their heads and keep walking down the hall along with them, going downstairs to the first floor and getting ready to try to go by the journalists and reporters somehow.
***
Walking on the coast, Edward and Natalia fall into the memories of that day and forget they are with each other. Though, they keep walking and hugging each other with bare feet on the white sand. The man tightly presses his sweetheart to himself, putting an arm around her neck, while she puts her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around his waist, and her hand on the tough masculine chest, through which she can clearly feel a strong heartbeat. At some moment, Edward comes back to reality and moves his eyes to Natalia, seeing that her eyes are closed, and there is a blissful smile on her face. The girl quickly feels that someone is looking at her, glances at the man, and smiles wider.
“Thought?” Edward asks.
“Yeah, I thought of the day when we heard the sentence for Michael,” Natalia replies quietly.
“I thought about it, too.”
“Thank God, those crazy people didn’t run into the room and were only screaming. And they were wearing handcuffs… Otherwise, a real nightmare would’ve started…”
“Anyway, everybody was by our side. There was nobody but the lawyer of that gang, who wanted to be by their side.”
“And it’s great,” Natalia smiles slightly. “I’m so glad we’ve got such amazing friends and a wonderful family. Almost all our relatives, friends, and familiar people promised to come for the announcement of the sentence and did it.”
“But I’m sorry that Mrs. Richardson couldn’t come to the court due to health issues.”
“Maybe, it was good? She would’ve hardly taken the horror that happened there easily!”
“I think you’re right. But that woman heard about the results of the process immediately.”
“And when did you tell her about the sentence? On the day of the end of the trial, or later?”
“Closer to the evening on the day when the judge sentenced Uncle Michael. I had no strength to go to her home, but I should’ve called her. Because she was truly worried about all of us.”
“I can imagine how happy that woman was after hearing that everything ended well.”
“She was madly happy for me and all of us.”
“We’re very happy, too.”
“That woman is an amazing person that I’ll never forget. Mrs. Richardson has done so much for me and taught me much. And I’m used to remembering those, who do something good to me.”
“I get it, sweetheart,” Natalia smiles shyly.
“I’m now trying to visit her at times. But sadly, I have so many things that I should do in time.”
“Work on songs for other bands and artists?”
“Yup. My time is not unlimited. There are some limits.”
“I’m glad you liked this business and have pleasure collaborating with other artists and helping them write songs.”
“I definitely get it!” Edward replies with a wide smile. “But I had to start working during the hearing. And it was hard enough. I had to turn off my brain for a while.”
“But it was an outlet. A way to relax.”
“Yeah, I don’t deny it. But I got completely free only after the end of the trial. Only then it, as they say, moved off the dead point.”
“And the guys turned out to be good.”
“Yes, Derek and Gordon are very good, I quickly got along with them and understood what they liked. I still remember the first day when we started to work together. At first, I was terribly excited and afraid to disappoint everybody, but I calmed down later and just did what I should’ve done.”
“And you wrote a wonderful song together.”
“Not one song, Natalia, but three! Don’t forget! The guys and I wrote two of them together quickly enough, and I wrote a third one.”
“Inspiration hit you?”
“Yup. Somehow, I was home and started to write something on a piece of paper. And later, I started to get ideas and worked on the song for the whole evening. And I continued to do it at the studio when I was alone. The guys came a half hour later, and I decided to do something. So, I wrote more than half of the song. When Gordon and Derek read the lyrics, they were delighted. They confidently said, ‘Dude, this song is gonna be a single from our album!’ When I finished it, these two immediately started to work on music and vocals.”
“What does George think of this son?”
“He madly liked it, too! He read it when the guys were late and got overwhelmed. But he originally wanted to give it to my band.”
“Really?”
“Yes. But later, we came together, talked, and decided that the song fit the style of ‘Lost In Time’ much more. And I became the writer of the song that they are gonna release as a single soon.”
“And what about the other songs?”
“The guys love them. They assured me that they all would be included in their new album.”
“Great, I’m so happy for you,” Natalia expresses happiness with a slight smile.
“You’re gonna love these songs.”
“I can’t wait to hear them.”
“I think they’ll release the single and an album a little earlier than Terrence, Daniel, Peter, and me.”
“Not very soon.”
“But it’s worth it.”
Natalia says nothing and just smiles shyly.
“By the way, Derek and Gordon said they’d go on the worldwide tour after releasing the album,” Edward says.
“In this case, we could come to their show,” Natalia replies confidently. “They’re supposed to have a show in New York.”
“As far as I know, two or three shows of them are scheduled in New York. And the guys invited me alone or with someone else. Even said they’d pay for a ticket for me and those I would take with me.”
“Oh, yeah! The author of their songs must be in the VIP zone at the show and enjoy it!”
“They promised to get the best places closer to the stage.”
“That’s cool!” Natalia exclaims happily. “It would be great if you listened to your songs performed by that band.”
“I’ve heard them. I managed to watch the recording of songs and even gave them some suggestions.”
“And what are their voices? Could they compete with you and your band?”
“They’re very talented and could go far. But the guys aren’t so famous yet. Not as famous as ‘The Loser Syndrome.’”
“It’s okay, with such an amazing songwriter, they’ll become real stars,” Natalia replies confidently with her head proudly raised.
“Aw, Natalia, stop making me blush…” Edward gets blushed with a slight smile and softly caresses Natalia’s shoulder. “I’m just doing what I like and what I get enough money for. It’s my favorite thing, thanks to which I’ve earned as much as never before.”
“Yeah, it really got better. George found a few more artists, for whom you wrote some incredible songs.”
“Right! And I just couldn’t refuse, and I don’t regret any collaboration.”
“And later, many people started to offer the collaboration to you for a lot of money.”
“If two years ago, someone had told me I’d be writing songs for other artists, I would’ve definitely laughed at that person’s face. I couldn’t believe it was true for a long time. I thought it was a joke. But when I started to get checks for large amounts and the balance of my card got bigger, I realized it was the truth. Moreover, many songs have already been released, and I’m getting some amounts from the sales.”
“And people love them so much. Fans are delighted, and critics highly rated the meaning of these songs and are sure that they would be real hits. And there are a few more to be released. I don’t doubt that real success is also waiting for them.”
“It’s hard to believe that my financial situation got much better, and I’m now able to stop calling myself a homeless beggar,” Edward smiles shyly and shakes his head to move a couple of strands of hair off his eyes. “Look! I managed to buy an incredible car, finally bought new clothes, and stopped wearing what I was wearing in my teenage age… I even got enough money to buy a small house in the country.”
“That’s good!” Natalia exclaims happily. “That’s what you always dreamed about! You can now live in your own house and be independent of others.”
“I’m really madly happy it all happened,” Edward replies with a slight smile. “I finally started to get lucky. Probably, for the first time in my life. It… It must be my beautiful dream.”
“You deserve it, Edward. You’ve reached such perfect results thanks to your hard work and love for your business.”
“Soon, the debut album of Terrence, Daniel, Peter, and mine and the tour will also let us earn a lot. And I don’t doubt the success of the album because he is perfect.”
“Can’t wait for you to release the album,” Natalia says with enthusiasm. “I do wanna know what you did.”
“You’ll surely know it, my beauty.” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on her temple. “I promise.”
“After the end of the trial, you started to work on it much harder. You were at the studio all day long and talked about your ideas even on free days.”
“But it didn’t make us exhausted. The work was wonderful: we were writing songs, creating music, and giving something of ours… And the guys from the studio helped us enough.”
“Great.”
“We wrote alone, in pairs, or all together. And I can say the album will have the songs written by every one of us, three more written by us, one song was written by Terrence and me, another written by Daniel and Peter… And one song from Terrence and Daniel, Peter and me, Daniel and me, and Terrence and Peter.”
“Wow!” Natalia exclaims with a slight smile. “What a variety!”
“We’re different but fit each other well. A little bit of romantic from me, a little bit of boldness from Daniel, a little bit of wisdom from Terrence, and a little bit of Peter’s skill to describe something very beautiful. It all brings to the magnificent result.”
“Maybe, you’re different, but you’re similar. Your tastes are kinda the same, and you know what you wanna get.”
“Maybe. Anyway, we have a wonderful quartet.”
“And when are you gonna release your album?”
“Honestly, we don’t know the specific date ‘cause our songs are getting mixed now. Everything is recorded. They should only be edited to get some effects. The conception is discussed, and the work is all on the team from the studio.”
“Come on, release it soon!” Natalia hurries happily. “Or the girls and I will die from curiosity!”
“Soon, soon,” Edward laughs shyly. “But before it, we’ll release one or two singles. The lads and I don’t doubt that you’d like the album. We worked on it with a special love and gave everything to it.”
“I already love it,” Natalia replies confidently. “Because there are songs written and performed by you. The one, who shook those three flies up and showed us how to rock.”
Edward just smiles shyly and hugs Natalia around the shoulders with two arms on the way, and stays in this position for a few seconds, during which he kisses the girl on the forehead.
“My eternal happiness,” Edward purrs with a wide and smug smile, caressing one cheek of Natalia and rubbing his nose against another.
“Hey, sweetie, as I understand, are you able to leave your parents’ home?” Natalia asks, while her arms are wrapped around the small of Edward’s back.
“No, I’ll live with them for a while because the house hasn’t been furnished yet. And I wanna make a little repair. I’ll be doing something slowly. When I have some free money.”
“Hire a team?”
“No, I will be doing all of that. I have a little experience with it because I repaired something at Mrs. Richardson’s home. So, I’ll be coming there in my free time. Dying the walls, re-papering the wallpapers, changing the tiles or parquet, and something like that.”
“You say is there some furniture at the house?”
“Everything for life: kitchen sets, a small sofa, a bathroom, a toilet, a sink, a bed in the room where I’m gonna live. There is also electricity, gas, and water. As well as a wired phone.”
“Did you give a little money for that?”
“The former owner set up such a low cost. I didn’t even haggle and paid as much as he wanted. But before, I had asked if there was something strange, and he said no. He just bought a good apartment and decided to sell the house. Nothing special.”
“Look, handsome, what if a ghost wakes up in the night,” Natalia replies funnily. “And it’s gonna be chasing you in the whole house.”
“Don’t worry, my love, there are no ghosts and something supernatural. At that house, there is very good energy. When I entered, I felt like I was home. I didn’t doubt that should’ve bought it.”
“Well, if it’s so…”
“Yeah, but at first, I’d like to furnish the house. Though, I won’t be able to work at the house every day ‘cause I have so much to do: working with some artists on songs and doing the band’s business.”
“And do you know what your house is gonna be like?”
“Sure. I want everything to be modest and with a taste. I don’t need a big residence like Terrence’s or Mother’s, despite their beauty. I’m happy with a small two-level house with all the necessary things.”
“Is it gonna be your permanent house? Or a temporary one?”
“Let it be so, but when I have a good financial situation, I’ll think of modernization or buying something better. The most important thing is that I have a place to live and money to feed myself and buy everything I need.”
“Agree,” Natalia smiles shyly. “I’m sure you’ll make it the house of your dream. You don’t rent it and don’t use someone’s stuff. It’s your own house bought with your money.”
“Absolutely right, my beauty,” Edward replies softly and caresses Natalia’s shoulder, still keeping his arm around her neck. “And I’ll definitely make my little nest what I wanna see it. So, anyone wants to come back there again and again.”
Silence settles in the air for a few seconds, during which Natalia thinks about something, putting her head on Edward’s shoulder. He also thinks of something and then, frowning slightly, glances at the girl, whose face looks a little sad but incredibly beautiful.
“Are you thinking of the same thing as I am doing?” Edward asks.
“If you thought of Mr. and Mrs. MacClife, I am,” Natalia replies quietly.
“Yeah, I thought of Father and Mother and their life. About how hard they had to live when Uncle deprived Father of everything.”
“Because of that man, we got so many problems. Just because of Michael’s hate for your father.”
“Luckily, he got what he deserved and would stay in prison ‘till the end of his life,” Edward notices quietly. “Uncle Michael can do nothing for us anymore. And if he dies, it will happen in prison.”
“But how many problems he had given us before he got arrested. We almost became his victims, and you almost went to prison.”
“It’s hard to believe it. I was afraid of being put in prison for so many years, and now I can be calm and exhale with relief.”
“It would've been unfair if you’d been put in prison when having the proof of your innocence.”
“Yeah, but luckily, everything ended well. And now I have no reason to be ashamed and afraid. I feel as happy and relaxed as I was never before.”
“I don’t know what I would’ve done if you’d been put in prison. I would’ve died from grief.”
“And I got my real name back. And to be honest, I feel much better than with the name Edward Lockhart. That was my dark side. But now I’m standing on the light one, and I don’t regret it.”
“Edward Lockhart has made too many terrible mistakes and shown the worst side of him. But everyone loves Edward MacClife so much, and he is very responsible for his duties, which he recently got.”
“Yeah… You’re right. Lockhart was an asshole. A brainless idiot. But I will do my best for MacClife not to be the one. For everyone to treat him different.”
“Everyone already treats you well. Better than you think.”
Edward hugs Natalia with both arms with a quiet sigh, while she keeps her arms around his waist and puts her head on his shoulder again.
“Oh, my gosh…” Natalia sighs heavily with sadness in her eyes. “It’s been three months since the trial ended, but I still can’t forget what happened. No, I definitely got much better. But… Sometimes the thoughts come into my mind. Even a little thing can make me think of what has to do with that terrible story.”
“Ah, sweetheart, I also think about that,” Edward replies quietly. “You know how nervous I was during the whole process. I thought I’d go crazy. I was about to have hysteria. From the thought that Uncle and those deadbeats would be found non-guilty, and I’d be put in prison. Seriously… It was such a strong tension. Ugh… I can’t…”
“I wished death to nobody, and just dreamed of justice for Michael and Wainwright. I wanted to run away from the room where that man with crazy eyes was. I was so terrified, despite having everybody by my side and knowing they’d tear him apart at any time. I’ll never forget what he was doing after announcing the sentence for my charges. How he was trying to feel me up and accosting the girls. How he shoot you…”
“You know, Natalia…” Edward says thoughtfully. “I think we should forget it once and forever, as if it’s never happened. Yes, I understand it’s gonna be unbelievably hard for you. As well as it is for me. But since everybody got their sentence, there’s no meaning to worry. Those people will no longer harm us.”
“Even if we don’t talk about it with each other or someone else, it doesn’t mean we wouldn’t think of those days when we were alone,” Natalia notices with sadness in her eyes. “Remember Terrence and Raquelle: although they tried not to talk about what almost ruined their relationship, these two were worried and sometimes thought of what your brother did to my friend.”
“Yeah, but notice that they haven’t lately talked about it. I don’t know what impacted them, but I can’t remember one of them starting a talk about that case. Though, one of them could mention Simon Ringer, the slap of Terrence, or his canceled breakup with Raquelle.”
“You think they forgot it?”
“Likely. It’s been much enough time.”
“You wanna say we could also forget what happened between us and the case of Michael?”
“We can. Under some conditions. If we spend time with friends, who would distract us. If we apply effort not to think about what happened because of that old stinker, who went insane.”
“I don’t know, Edward, I don’t…” Natalia sighs heavily, moving her eyes down. “For me, it’s gonna be very hard…”
Edward stops sharply, turns on Natalia, and grabs her face softly, raising it by the chin and making the blonde move her sad, blue-sky eyes, the beauty of which is expressed thanks to the gorgeous makeup in brown shades.
“Listen, Natalia…” Edward says confidently. “Let’s agree that this is the last time we talk about the trial, Wainwright, and everything about it. The less we talk about it, the sooner we’ll forget what happened. Life continues. We should enjoy it, not waste it thinking of the worst things.”
“Would you forget what happened to you?” Natalia wonders. “You haven’t forgotten the tortures that you endured in prison for seven years, but you wanna immediately forget the story of Michael.”
“If nothing and nobody reminds me of that, I won’t think about it,” Edward replies confidently with a slight smile. “Terrence and Raquelle don’t almost talk about it with my pretense. I think they don’t also wanna talk about it with each other. And our friends completely get it and are silent, as well.”
“I’d really like to forget it as soon as possible,” Natalia says quietly. “But you know me. I may remember bad things and be worried for a very long time, taking everything too seriously. Because I’m too vulnerable and… I ain’t used to the hard hits of life.”
“No, sweetie, don’t say it,” Edward tenderly caresses Natalia’s cheeks with his soft, warm hands. “You’re my strong girl. A strong girl with a great power of will.”
“Father was probably right when saying Mother and he saved me from bad things too hard. Maybe, I would be crueler and able to forget bad things quickly if I had, so to say, tough skin and lots of kicks on my head.”
“Not a fact, I’ve experienced very much and gotten many kicks, but I still can’t quietly take something. But I’m trying to fix it and learn not to get stuck on it.”
“You can do it because you’re really super strong morally,” Natalia glances down and nervously swallows up. “And I… I can forget it under the very strong hypnotic. Sedative… Or something like that…”
“I think I have something better and stronger than any hypnosis,” Edward replies confidently with a slight smile, caressing the curves of Natalia’s neck with his fingertips. “I am sure I can make you forget what happened once and forever.”
“And how are you gonna do this?”
“Love. I’m gonna give you all my love and bright emotions, thanks to which you’d have no time to think about bad things.”
“Really?”
“I want such a beautiful girl to smile and be happy.” Edward takes Natalia’s hanging earrings in the form of butterflies in his hands for two seconds and wipes off the tears under her eyes carefully not to destroy her makeup. “And I don’t especially wanna see your tears.”
“So… In this case…” Natalia puts her arms around Edward’s waist with a slight smile and presses him closely to herself. “I will do everything to help you forget the bad things. If you wanna do this, I won’t have to find someone to encode me.”
“You won’t have to, I promise. With me, you’ll be smiling and thinking only of good things.”
“Okay. I’m giving you a chance with pleasure.”
“So, did we agree then? This is the last time when you and I talked about this story. You got it?”
“Yes, Mr. MacClife!” Natalia nods with a wide smile. “I got you!”
Edward does not realize how Natalia kisses him softly on the cheek, but he smiles unconsciously when feeling her soft, tender lips barely touch his skin. Then the girl puts her hands on the man’s back and hides her face in the curve of his neck. The man tightly hugs his beloved blonde around the shoulders with one arm and later runs his hand over Natalia’s hair, as he puts another hand on the small of her back and caresses it. The lovers do not care about the strong wind that is blowing their hair and clothes and do completely enjoy the madly nice warmth that they give each other. And two or three seconds later, they step away and keep walking the coast. Edward hugs Natalia by the waist, and she holds the man by the back with one hand and puts another on his chest, pressing herself to him with a shy smile and feeling much quieter while her beloved man is near her.
They silently walk on the coast for a few seconds and listen to the nice sounds of tidal waves. And then Natalia breaks the pause shyly, moving her eyes to Edward:
“Hey, what about the company of your father?”
“It’s great,” Edward smiles slightly. “Father became the full owner of the company. According to the judge’s decision, he got everything he lost because of Uncle.”
“Even Michael’s house?”
“Yeah, but he put it on the market shortly after he got the rights. A buyer was found quickly and bought the house for a lot of money that Father invested in the development of the shipbuilding business.”
“He sold it out because of bad memories?”
“Yup, Father said if he got the house back, he would sell it. But he couldn’t give off the company and is now spending hours there.”
“I wonder how big it is.”
“The company is big and amazing. I’ve been there several times, and Father organized a little tour for Terrence and me when we came there together. He showed us everything and introduced us to everybody…”
“Really?”
“I’ll drive you there somehow and show you everything. Don’t worry, we’ll have no problems entering. The security knows me, and Father told the staff members to let all the members of his family in and be nice to us.”
“I hope good people are working for him.”
“Very good. They all adore Father and do everything he says. Sometimes some guys come there to work as interns. But only some people get a chance to work there, ‘cause the competition is cruel.”
“So, the workers are experienced.”
“Yes, when Father came there, he fired those, who worked with Uncle Michael, so nothing reminded him of that man, and he hired new people.”
“There is a reason to adore. Mr. MacClife is an amazing man. I’m so glad his life finally got better, and he got his job as the manager back.”
“Not just an amazing man, but also a wonderful manager,” Edward replies proudly with a slight smile. “Thanks to him, the company started to make much more money and got very important clients. The company’s business didn’t get worse or better for a few years, ‘cause Uncle and the former workers did nothing special. But when Father started to rule it, everything changed. Even despite paying a lot of money for expenses and taxes, he earns enough.”
“So, is he providing for his family now?”
“Yes, Father is no longer ashamed of living in Mother’s house. And to save his motivation, Mother, Terrence and I don’t stop complimenting this man and often say he can do everything. And it literally gives him the wings.”
“Glad to hear it,” Natalia smiles slightly.
“I must confess that Father has lately changed. He got much quieter and started to show more tenderness and love for Mother, Terrence, and me. That man always seemed very greedy for emotions to me. But now Father learned to show his feelings more openly.”
“The MacClifes are reunited and have started to live like they should’ve done it twenty years ago.”
“Better later than never,” Edward notices confidently.
“Don’t you two probably have time because of the work in the band? And you should also write songs for artists.”
“Right, we don’t almost have free time. But we never work ‘till exhaustion or when we have a bad mood and don’t have energy. Work for pleasure and try to focus on what we do. If someday the lads and I can’t do something, we tell ourselves to try to come back to it tomorrow. And we’re right, ‘cause we do incredible things the next day. I don’t deny that I sometimes have crises and can write nothing. But I don’t get upset and just let myself have some rest.”
“Creativity is the thing that requires a little break, so you eventually get something truly incredible.”
“Of course, there are moments when I wanna leave it all to the heck. But when I come to myself, I start to understand that I must not give up and leave something when half of the way is taken. And when everybody encourages me, it gives me strong motivation.”
“I get it. Any work is worth it, ‘cause you can eventually get amazing results.”
“And I actually love this process. Discussing the concept, writing songs, creating music, recording a vocal, mixing recorded material, adding some effects, listening to the finished work… That’s awesome!”
“But the best thing is performing the finished song.”
“Definitely, yes. When we played our first recorded song for the first time, I didn’t wanna believe it was ours. It all seemed so unreal. It all was kind of blurry…”
“Oh, wait, honey, you won’t believe your happiness when you’re holding your own album,” Natalia replies confidently with a slight smile.
“I’d probably wake up and realize that it wasn’t the truth.”
“No, Edward, it’s all true. You’ve become a successful songwriter and are playing in the band that’s gonna release their debut album very soon.”
“Yeah, I know… And I’m madly grateful to the guys for such a wonderful chance. I don’t know what I would do without that crazy gang… Those bandits don’t let me feel bored and do make me laugh. If wanna withdraw into me, they won’t let me do it!”
“Would it be better to lie on a bed, set your eyes on the ceiling, and think of all the worst things in your life?”
“No! I’ll die from boredom! I think everybody is right when they say I can’t stay in the same place. It’s kind of true. I always need to do something and keep moving on. I can’t stay without a business. Somehow, I had this situation for a very long time and don't wanna do it anymore.”
“As it turned out, I need it, as well,” Natalia notices thoughtfully.
“Raquelle, Anna, and Helene won’t let you feel bored. If they have a goal to distract you, the girls will reach it in any way.”
“I know, and I’m madly grateful to them for that,” Natalia says with a slight smile. “The girls make me laugh, even at stupid things.”
“Ah, my sweetheart, we’re so lucky to have our friends.” Edward presses Natalia closely to himself. “We could trust these people with anything, being absolutely sure they won’t betray you and will always help you with something.”
“Somehow, you said it was strange for you to think you got so many friends. Honestly, I have the same feelings. Despite always being quite a talkative prison, I only had two friends – Raquelle and Anna. Two real friends. And then I got Terrence, Benjamin, Daniel, Peter… And Helene became a part of our company…”
“I just spoke to a couple of trustworthy people and kept myself distanced from the others. So, that’s why I had fewer friends.”
“You can trust all of them. The girls are good, and the men are wonderful. I also liked Christopher and Kevin very much. Nice guys.”
“Terrence, Daniel, Peter, and I sometimes spend time with them and Benjamin. And they got on well with each other and meet at times.”
“If Parker wasn’t taken, they’d go to clubs and hook up with girls.”
“But Kev and Chris enjoy being single and pick up any girl that puts an eye on them. That’s why these guys got on well.”
“It’s okay, maybe, they’ll find someone to turn them from womanizers to family men someday,” Natalia laughs shyly.
“Aha, and Benjamin is now trying to get the love of Blair’s mother and bribes her brother in all ways,” Edward chuckles kindly.
“I think those people treat him well. Blair’s mother doesn’t care that Ben was a womanizer.”
“Oh, yeah, my brother definitely gave him a couple of lessons about getting the love of the mother of his sweetheart.”
“C’mon, Parker would do it without MacClife’s advice!”
“Oh, why do we talk about it?” Edward waves a hand. “If everything’s cool, I’m glad for him and wish him luck.”
“Yeah, we should prove that we’re good friends that can share all happy and sad moments with them.”
“And be happy to be surrounded by such wonderful people.”
“I am happy. And have a mood when I wanna smile.”
“Smile often. I like your smile very much and always say I wanna see it as frequently as possible. Such a beautiful girl must not be sad or especially cry. She must spread the happiness and light and share it with her close people.”
“Oh, Edward…” Natalia laughs shyly, glances down for a moment, and slightly hits Edward on his forearm with a fist. “Stop making me the hell blushed!”
“What’s wrong, Natalia?” Edward smiles innocently. “Saying compliments to your beloved person and letting them know they’re special is not a crime!”
“Oh, if it was a crime, you’d be a repeat violator of this law.”
“Yeah? And what kind of punishment would you suggest for such a ‘hard’ crime?”
“Well…” Natalia rolls her eyes with a sly smile. “I don’t even know… I can’t say it immediately… But I’d definitely let myself a little bit of cruelty.”
“Oh, no, don’t be cruel. It’s not about my tender beauty.”
“Don’t judge a candy by the wrapper, my sunshine.” Natalia sticks her chest up. “You must taste it.”
“And it’s pretty delicious to taste.” Edward stops, presses Natalia to himself by the waist with a mysterious smile with both arms, and brings his face so closely that the tips of their noses slightly rub one another. “I would eat it fully.”
“M-m-m, you just gave an idea for a punishment.” Natalia puts an arm around Edward’s neck and starts to draw something on his chest with the fingers of her free hand, looking into the man's eyes confidently. “For someone like you, not being able to touch and kiss your beloved girl would be real torture. While she’d do anything she wants.”
“Would you find the courage to do it?”
“I would, honey,” Natalia says confidently, playing with a button on Edward’s shirt a little and caressing his soft cheek tenderly. “Yes, I’m very bad.”
“You know…” Edward rolls his eyes for two seconds and caresses the open part of Natalia’s back with his fingertips with a sly smile. “I wouldn’t mind experiencing something like this. And giving my body to such an attractive dolly.”
“Are you sure you’ll take it? Only the bravest and toughest people could do it.”
“If the incredible reward is waiting for me at the end, I’m ready to take anything. Even to hold me down from any caresses for five minutes.”
“What? Five? Ha! Don’t you want twenty-five? Or forty-five?”
“Hey, you are crazy!” Edward chuckles. “What kind of forty-five minutes?”
“Sorry, MacClife, it would be your punishment,” Natalia smiles innocently and claps Edward playfully on his nose.”
“This is how you’re asking for trouble?”
“Me? Trouble?” Natalia laughs nervously. “I have nothing to do! I’m done with them!”
“Natalia!”
“What did I say?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “And actually, let’s keep walking at this place. I’m so in love with this place!”
Natalia steps back from Edward, takes his hands, and wants to pull him on herself, but he presses her sharply to himself with a sly smile.
“Hey, where did you go?” Edward asks. “I haven’t done with you! And I haven’t even started it!”
“Damn, couldn’t you pick up a different perfume?” Natalia smiles widely, feeling the smell of the perfume, which contains musk, patchouli, and sandalwood. “I lose my mind from it…”
“Like… My girl does like…” Edward, holding Natalia’s face in his hands, leaves a short kiss on every single part of it, seeing how heavily she is breathing. “My beauty…”
“MacClife, don’t get excited, please,” Natalia says in a little hoarse, quiet voice.
“Why not? Moreover, I want to kiss you so badly.”
Edward gives Natalia a tender, continuous kiss on the lips, to which she answers, not being able to resist the strong charms of the man and putting her hands on his hips. The smell of his perfume drives the girl crazier, and every single touch of his warm hands makes her shake slightly. However, their kiss does not last for a long time. At some moment, he breaks it slowly and caresses her tender pink, soft lips with his open mouth.
“By the way, you also smell incredible,” Edward notices in a low voice, barely touching Natalia’s nose with the tip of his nose and breathing in the smell of vanilla, peony, jasmine, and blackcurrants on the curve of her neck. “Oh, damn… You’re already driving me crazy…”
“You leave me no choice,” Natalia smiles shyly. “I can’t resist the spells you’re putting me under.”
“Why would you need a choice if I know what you’d choose?” Edward wonders and, holding Natalia by the forearms and caressing them, tenderly kisses both of her shoulders.
“Okay, pretty boy, what can you offer?”
“Anything you want, my love.” Edward takes Natalia’s hand softly, kisses it tenderly, and leaves a few kisses on her arm, making the girl feel that she gets goosebumps on her body. “My blue-eyed beauty… The light of my life…”
“Gosh, Edward…” Natalia pronounces with a wide and blissful smile.
“You’re so gorgeous…” Edward whispers in Natalia’s ear in a soft, quiet voice, touches it slightly with his lips, and kisses her earlobe tenderly, while she closes her eyes with the feeling that her heart misses a beat. “I’m madly lucky to have such a stunning girl.”
“And I’m lucky to have such a wonderful man, who knows how to drive me crazy,” Natalia shakes slightly when Edward breathes on the skin of the curve of her neck with a hot breath. “Oh, my gosh…”
“Just making my wishes that you’re waking up inside me.”
Edward leaves short, tender kisses on every single part of Natalia’s face and gives her a longer one on her lips, holding her by the nape of her neck with one hand and putting another on her cheek, while her hands are placed on his shoulders or stroking his hair. After breaking it, the lovers just caress each other’s lips with their open mouths and leave a couple of pecks on them, not hiding his wide, true smile. Their faces are at a very short distance, the tips of their noses contact slightly, and they are confidently looking into each other's eyes. They do it for a few seconds before the girl kisses the man cutely on the cheek and rubs her nose tenderly against it, running her fingers through his soft, rebellious hair, while he smiles shyly with closed eyes and caresses her head.
Later, Natalia gives Edward a short kiss on the lips and breathes in the smell of literally every single part of his face, as if she is examining her beloved man. Who smiles but looks kind of thoughtful and tense… At some moment, he thinks about something not very nice and gets a little nervous. His hands shake and get a little sweaty, his breath gets heavy, and his heart starts beating much faster. Natalia quickly notices something strange and, frowning slightly, listens to her feelings that let her know Edward is definitely excited about something and not getting pleasure from what she is doing. The girl steps back slowly and looks at the man with a little scare in her eyes, while he purses his lips a little.
“What’s wrong, Edward?” Natalia asks hesitantly. “You’re very tense! Did I do something wrong?”
“No, no, sweetie, don’t worry,” Edward smiles slightly, caressing Natalia’s shoulders. “You’re doing everything right.”
“But why are you so nervous and even shaking?” Natalia caresses Edward’s cheeks with both hands that she puts on his chest later. “And your heart… It’s beating so fast…”
“It’s okay… I just…”
“Are you afraid to touch me again and think I'll reject you?”
“Oh, no! No…”
“C’mon, relax.” Natalia tenderly kisses Edward on the corners of his mouth and looks at him with a slight smile. “You got so scared as if I said I wanted to break up.”
“I need to tell you something…” Edward confesses in a little shaking voice, looking at Natalia with scared eyes. “It’s very important to me…”
“Erm… What?” Natalia rounds her eyes full of scare, starting to breathe heavily. “Say?”
“Please, Natalia, I really want you to listen to me. I… I didn’t know how or when to say it, but now… I think it’s a good moment.”
“And…” Natalia bites her lip slightly. “What do you wanna say? Is there something that might get me shocked?”
“Natalia…” Edward takes Natalia’s hands hesitantly and squeezes them tightly, shifting his weight from one foot to another nervously. “You’re my special person, who has changed my life for the best. At first, I didn’t think we could have something more, even if I liked you at first sight. But at some moment, I started to understand that you were not just a friend of mine, but someone much closer. Every day, this feeling was getting stronger, and now I don’t doubt you’re very important to me.”
“I know, sweetie,” Natalia smiles slightly.
“Yes, we had to overcome many things.” Edward swallows up nervously and softly caresses the inside of Natalia’s wrists, getting underneath the golden and pink bracelets on her hands. “Many mistakes were made. But if not for them, I wouldn’t have understood that I found the girl, who would make me happy, strong, and brave. You do motivate me to do some things. Thanks to you, I decided to do what I wouldn’t have done at my wish. I was doing it for you and have never regretted it. Now you see what a timid, insecure boy Ed has become. You see Edward MacClife, who has finally become a real man, who would do anything for his close people.”
“First of all, it’s your merit. You wanted to do it and did it. Even if the way was hard, and evil people tried to strike you down with their insults and humiliations.”
“I know. But you had a strong influence on me. And my feelings for you played their role. My love for you. My wish to be with you, to love you, to take care of you, and to do my best for you to feel good. Because you’ve always wanted to have a brave and caring man that would tear anyone for you, I realized I should’ve become the same.”
“You’ve become the one. I don’t doubt that I’m behind the brick wall with you. I know I’d always be protected and calmed down.”
“It was made for love. I madly love you and ain’t shy about confessing it. I want to say it forever. And I can talk about my feelings openly.”
“Edward… I also love you with all my heart. You’re the love of my life that I was waiting for so long.”
“Somehow, I wouldn’t have thought I’d love a girl so much that I’d love to change myself for her. I really wanted to become more confident and determined, but I had no motivation. I had no reason to stop being a barking puppy and turn into an adult dog that would tear a bad person apart and be loyal to a good one.”
“My man is the one,” Natalia says confidently with pride. “He’s strong, brave, and confident. He has proved that he’d do anything for his close people. Being with such an amazing man is a blessing.”
“But there is a thing I’ll always fear.”
“What?”
“I’m terribly afraid that I might lose you someday.”
“You will not lose me, Edward,” Natalia smiles slightly. “I’ll lose the meaning of my life if you aren’t with me. I swear, I’ll never leave you. Whatever people say.”
“Yes, I know… I just…” Edward swallows up nervously and raises his head slightly. “I just have no doubt about it. After getting over all the barriers that we had in our way, I realized I found the girl that I loved with all my heart. And I exactly know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her, for better or worse.”
“Sweetheart…” Natalia smiles slightly, feeling how her eyes get wet from tears.
“Erm…” Edward bends Natalia’s arms at her elbows and glances at her hands, saying nothing for two seconds, and then looks at her a little scarily. “Say… Can I ask you one question, the answer to which is very important to me? It would let me know how happy I’d be.”
“Yes, sure,” Natalia says with a slight smile. “What do you wanna ask?”
Edward exhales slowly with closed eyes, looks into Natalia’s eyes determinedly, and asks in a little shaking, quiet voice:
“Natalia Emily Rochester… Will you marry me?”
Natalia opens her mouth in surprise, setting her dumbfounded, widely open eyes on Edward and understanding that it’s getting harder for her to breathe. Two seconds later, the girl getting white from the excitement closes her open mouth with a hand, trying to hold the tears down and understanding how she starts shaking slightly, and her heart is beating faster.
“G-gosh…” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice. “Edward… You… Aren’t you k-kidding?”
“Not at all,” Edward smiles slightly. “I’m proposing to you to become my wife and live your whole life with me.”
“Oh, God…” Natalia closes her mouth with both hands, sniffing quietly and feeling how her throat gets dry. “It’s… I…”
“I had started to think about it a long time ago. Before we fought. But since we didn’t date for a long time, I thought asking you about it would be a hasty decision.”
“Please, Edward, don’t joke on me like this!” Natalia makes a quiet sob. “It’s not funny!”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Edward caresses Natalia’s cheeks with both hands. “No, Natalia, it’s not true! I had been thinking much before I proposed to you. And now I’m absolutely sure about my wish. It’s my time to marry and create a family. Moreover, now, I have a chance to provide for you and have a house to bring you to… I’m no longer a beggar living on someone’s account. So, I could think about the one to agree to move into my rest.”
“Erm…”
Natalia would be happy to say something, but she gets so nervous that she can't say a word. Tears are getting out of the girl’s widely open eyes, her body is tense and shaking, her heart is beating like crazy, her throat got very dry, her breath is getting much harder, and everything gets a little blurry because of the slight dizziness.
“But…” Edward pronounces hesitantly. “If… You aren’t ready to accept my proposal or want to think a little, tell me, don’t be afraid. I won’t press on you…”
Although Edward tries to speak as quietly as possible, he is terribly nervous from the fear of getting rejected by the girl, whom he is ready to marry. The man getting much tenser looks at his sweetheart with widely open, scared eyes, while she looks terribly white and can barely stand on her feet because of her strong weakness. And after a few seconds of awkward silence, he moves his sad eyes aside.
“Okay, I got it…” Edward says hesitantly in a low voice and swallows up nervously. “Let’s leave it all the same… At least, I tried…”
Edward lets Natalia’s hands go and steps back from her in slow steps, looking into her eyes but moving his sad eyes down later. But the girl sniffs quietly and comes to him with a slight smile on her face, grabs his face softly, and looks into his eyes.
“Gosh, I can’t believe…” Natalia says in a strongly shaking voice. “I can’t believe what I heard…”
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Edward smiles slightly, caressing Natalia’s head. “If you don’t want it, it’s…”
“Don’t want?” Natalia smiles much wider. “I thought you’d never ask me about it!”
“Really?”
“You can’t imagine how I dreamed about it! How I wanted to hear these words from you!”
“Wait…” Edward pronounces hesitantly. “You…”
“I’m accepting your proposal,” Natalia announces happily. “With great pleasure!”
“My gosh…” Edward smiles wider and wider every second, feeling how fast his heart starts beating. “Are you accepting my proposal? Natalia, do you agree to become my wife?”
“Yes, yes, yes, and thousands of yeses!” Natalia exclaims loudly, with enthusiasm.
Nothing is left of the sadness in Edward’s eyes. Being obsessed with emotions, the man exhales sharply with a wide smile, grabs Natalia’s face softly with shaking hands, and looks into her eyes for two seconds.
“Natalia, my gorgeous angel…” Edward pronounces in a shaking voice, literally getting choked from a lack of air. “You made me so happy! You can’t imagine how much it means to me!”
“And I can’t believe you asked me about it,” Natalia confesses shyly.
“Damn, I… I thought you’d refuse. I thought you didn’t wanna marry me.”
“I’m really sorry, my sunshine.” Natalia glances down for a second and caresses Edward’s cheek tenderly, looking into his eyes guiltily. “I just couldn’t believe what I heard and got so nervous that I could say nothing.”
“Sweetheart…” Edward caresses the skin of Natalia’s head with his fingertips with a slight, tender smile and runs his fingers through her gorgeous golden hair. “My shoot of the sun…”
“Hey, silly, could you really think I’d say, ‘no’ to the one, who I adored? You’ve heard so much about my dream of getting married, but you the hell thought I’d dare to reject you!”
“Now, I don’t think,” Edward replies shyly. “And I don’t believe I’m gonna marry the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“Aw, Edward…”
Natalia puts her arms around Edward’s neck with a wide smile through the tears and hugs him tightly. Although the man answers her back, putting his hands on the girl’s back, he steps back three or four seconds later and looks at her with a mysterious smile.
“Oh, I’m an idiot, I almost forgot it!” Edward claps himself on the forehead. “I should propose to you officially and confirm my wish as well as all normal people do.”
While Natalia frowns slightly and watches him with a slight smile on her face, Edward puts his hand in one of the pockets of his jeans and takes a small red velvet box. The man glances at his sweetheart, smiles shyly, gets down on his knee slowly, and opens the box, showing the incredibly beautiful braided ring covered with small brilliants with a stone in the form of a rose. The ring is made of clean white gold and shines very beautifully in the sun. When seeing it, Natalia makes a much louder sob and brings her hands to her mouth with a wide smile, looking at the magnificently beautiful jewelry, the gloss of which already clouds her mind.
“Oh, gosh!” Natalia pronounces through tears with a wide smile. “What a beauty! It’s so magnificent!”
Edward takes the ring with a wide smile and puts the box in his pocket. He takes Natalia’s left hand and puts the ring on the girl’s ring finger with his shaking fingers.
“Oh, it fits,” Edward says quietly and shyly, looking at Natalia’s hand with admiration and seeing not only the careful manicure made in white colors but also the ring with little brilliants. “On your hand, it looks much more beautiful than in the box.”
Edward kisses Natalia’s hand softly, while she, closing her mouth with a free hand, shakes strongly from the tension and wipes off tears under her eyes. He looks at his sweetheart for two seconds, not hiding his wide smile. But then the man gets up and comes closer to her. At first, she just moves her eyes to him slowly, feeling how fast her heart is beating. But a second later, the blonde takes her beloved man in a tight hug with happy whoops, putting her arms around his neck and hiding her face in the curve of it. Edward lifts Natalia up in happiness and spins her around several times. But then he places her on her feet and just hugs her tightly, putting his hands on her back and running his hand over her long, blonde hair and hiding his face in the curve of her neck with a sigh of relief. While she is crying quietly from happiness and squeezing his white shirt with her fingers.
A few seconds later, Natalia grabs Edward’s face and gets him involved in a continuous, tender kiss. The man does not get confused and answers the girl hotly, putting his arms around her waist and his hands on the back of his fiancée from now on. The man slowly moves them to her forearms and shoulders, but in the end, he grabs her face or caresses the curves of her neck with his fingertips. While the girl slightly pulls and squeezes the hair of her fiancé, and runs her fingers through his soft strands. A little later, she moves her hands to MacClife, Jr.’s shoulders and forearms, grabs his wrists, and puts her palms on his chest, clearly feeling the fast heartbeat of her beloved man. They do not pay attention to the strong wind that blows their hair and raises the skirt of the girl’s dress and the edges of the man’s shirt. But they enjoy the way the sounds of the exciting sea tenderly caress their ears and give them a feeling of bliss.
A few seconds later, Edward and Natalia break the kiss slowly and look into each other’s eyes. Then they take each other’s hands and let their foreheads contact, breathing heavily enough and feeling how fast their hearts are beating. While the man calms down more or less quickly, the girl is still shaking from the excitement, barely standing on her weak legs because of the little dizziness, and crying quietly from happiness. Even the fantastic ring on her hand cannot make her realize that what is happening is not her imagination.
“I still can’t believe it,” Natalia says in a shaking voice and sniffs quietly. “No, no, I must be dreaming… It’s not the truth. It must be my beautiful dream.”
“No, beauty, it’s not a dream,” Edward replies in a soft, low voice, tucking a strand of Natalia’s hair behind her ear. “You’re my fiancée. And you’re gonna be my wife soon.”
“Oh, damn, I don’t feel good…” Natalia inclines her head slightly and tries to breathe well with closed eyes, putting her hands on Edward’s chest. “I feel dizzy… And I’m shaking strongly…”
“It’s okay, my sweetheart, it’s okay,” Edward grabs Natalia by the waist, seeing that she's pale and can barely stand on her feet. “It’s okay…”
“My heart is gonna jump outta my chest.”
“I’m here, it’s okay.” Edward grabs Natalia’s face softly and caresses her cheeks. “Breathe deeper… Breathe deeper… Okay, okay…”
“Sorry… Sorry, I… Got terribly excited…” Natalia puts her hand on her forehead and exhales sharply. “That… Was very sudden…”
“The important thing is not to forget to breathe.” Edward kisses Natalia tenderly on the lips, hearing her very quiet moan. “Or I can give you CPR. I can do this.”
“Yeah, do it… Mouth-to-mouth…”
“Stay with me, beautiful,” Edward purrs tenderly and gives Natalia a more continuous kiss on the lips. “I know you’re my sensitive girl, but try not to faint. The car is as far as my first aid kit.”
“I can promise nothing,” Natalia sniffs with a slight smile.
“I don’t need any excitement.” Edward caresses Natalia’s lips tenderly with his thumb. “I was madly afraid to propose to you. But if you lose consciousness, I won’t bear it.”
“I’m close to it.”
“Don’t do it, please,” Edward says and caresses Natalia’s cheek tenderly.
Natalia says nothing and just presses herself closely to Edward, putting her hands on his back and enjoying the warmth that his body is spreading with closed eyes.
“I’m so happy,” Edward says with a wide smile. “Happy that I can finally call you my fiancée.”
“And I’m madly happy to call you my fiancé.” Natalia steps back from Edward and takes his hands. “The most wonderful and beloved fiancé in the world.”
“I gifted you the most beautiful ring that I found.” Edward takes Natalia’s hand, on which the engagement ring is put, kisses it tenderly, and caresses her wrist. “All the best for my shoot of the sun.”
“Gosh, Edward, you’re amazing,” Natalia smiles widely with a blush on her face. “If I lost such an amazing man, I’d be a stupid idiot.”
“And I’d be an idiot if I lost you.” Edward tucks a rebel strand of Natalia’s hair behind her ear. “But I will not make this mistake.”
“I’m making more sure how lucky I am to meet you.”
“Fate made me an incredible gift by bringing me to you,” Edward replies with a wide smile. “I know that we’ll never break.”
“And are gonna be together ‘till death do us apart?”
“No, honey. Forever! Infinite that doesn’t have limits.”
“Wouldn’t you change your mind?”
“Even under a gun.”
“Aw, Edward…”
Natalia smiles widely and puts her hands folded together to her mouth, feeling that she still has little drops of tears in her eyes. Edward hugs the girl tightly, smuggling his face in the curve of her neck and caressing her head tenderly. She puts his nose on his shoulder and puts her hands on his tough chest, enjoying the pretense and the smell of her beloved man. His strong but incredibly tender arms are pressing her to his warm body. His hands are softly caressing her back and head. And his fingers stroke the soft golden hair that smells something citrus. The man breathes in the incredible smell of the perfume that her amazingly smooth skin spreads and gets him a little drunk, feeling much happier while hugging this frigid girl, who feels safe next to him.
“My beloved angel…” Edward pronounces quietly and softly, tenderly squeezing Natalia’s hair with his fingers or caressing her head or cheek, while she puts her head on his shoulder with closed eyes. “Beautiful…”
When Natalia steps back from Edward, she sees his incredibly gray eyes, into which she cannot stop looking. He also looks into her sky-blue eyes, caressing the top and back of her head and showing his white smile, which captures the lady’s mind immediately. Then the man succumbs to the temptation to give the girl a short and tender kiss on the lips. And another. And the third, more continuous one, to which she answers with pleasure, starting to hold him by the nape of his neck with one hand. Both of them feel that they are getting a little hot and understand that it’s getting harder to breathe, their hearts are about to jump out of their chests, and their weak legs could make them fall. The lovers keep ignoring the fact that the strong wind strongly blows the chiffon skirt of the girl so that it’s possible to see her thin legs and raises the edges of the man’s shirt, underneath which the tough muscles of the stomach are hidden.
At some moment, Edward moves to the curve of Natalia’s neck and gets pleasure from covering it with tender kisses. While she rolls her eyes with a heavier breath, understanding that her heart stops for a moment after every single slight touch of his lips. Especially, if they kiss too sensitive areas close to her ear and collarbones. Sometimes quiet and sensual moans get out of her mouth, and the girl falling into the abyss of bliss, giving herself meekly to the man, whose hands slide over her back, move to her things and buttocks, and get underneath her skirt confidently.
“You’re so gorgeous, honey…” Edward pronounces in a quiet, little hoarse voice and leaves a few short kisses on the front of Natalia’s neck and in the hole in it, smiling smugly when hearing her deaf moan. “Gorgeous…”
“Oh, MacClife, what you’re doing…” Natalia moans quietly with closed eyes, while Edward runs his open lips over the skin on her neck. “Do you wanna drive me crazy?”
“You’re doing this to me. Why can’t I do it?” Edward gives some attention to Natalia’s collarbones, which he generously covers with tender kisses. “It’s impossible to resist such an attractive girl…”
Edward stops his eyes on Natalia’s big breasts that look out of her attractive décolleté. At first, he leaves a couple of kisses on them and then caresses them tenderly with both hands. It gives the girl eternal pleasure. She makes quiet, sensual moans and proudly sticks this gorgeous part of her body up, while her hands are placed on his wide shoulders or his tough biceps.
“My girl…” Edward pronounces tenderly, while his hands are caressing the attractive curves of Natalia’s slim waist, and his fingers confidently squeeze her buttocks, as if he says this golden-haired hair only belongs to him. “Mine…”
Edward leaves a short kiss on Natalia’s lips and caresses them with his lips tenderly, being very determined and not doubting that he is doing everything right.
“Beauty…” Edward pronounces with a wide smile, gets up to Natalia’s neck, over which he runs his lips, puts his hand on her cheek, and leaves a tender kiss on the area behind her ear, which he caresses with his mouth. “My golden-haired angel…”
“A couple of kisses, but I already lost my mind…” Natalia pronounces with a smug smile, rolling her eyes and closing them, as she feels Edward’s hot breath on the curve of her neck.
“I’ve done nothing yet. I’m just warming up.” Edward kisses Natalia on the chin and runs his lips slowly over the front of her neck and her collarbones when she leans her head back slightly.
“Maybe, won’t you do?”
“I will, baby. I will.”
Looking into her eyes with a wide smile and holding her by the small of her back, Edward runs the back of his hand over Natalia’s cheek. He caresses her neck with his lips for some time. Then the girl, grabbing his face, gives him a tender, continuous kiss on the lips with a quiet moan and gets control easily. Her hands are sliding over his torso up and down slowly but confidently, but later they get underneath his shirt and start caressing his stomach, which he gets tense and sucks in. A blissful smile shows up on his face, and a deaf moan full of enjoyment gets out of his mouth.
“Oh, Rochester, you definitely wanna kill me…” Edward pronounces in a low, hoarse voice.
“Don’t get tense, handsome,” Natalia smiles innocently. “Relax. I’m just getting ready for the dessert.”
“I’d eat it right now.”
“Sorry, MacClife, you’ve gotta wait.”
Natalia gives Edward another continuous kiss on the lips, still caressing his naked torso, which immediately reacts to any slight touches of his sweetheart’s tender fingers. The body gets covered with goosebumps, the heartbeat becomes faster, and the breath gets heavier. However, the man does not stand like a column and gets pleasure from caressing his blue-eyed blonde beauty’s back, arms, shoulders, curves of her waist, and buttocks. He tenderly squeezes her buttocks, runs his fingers through her blonde hair, and runs his lips slowly or the tip of his nose from her forehead to her neck.
“Oh, damn, you drive me crazy,” Natalia says in a very quiet, low voice and, holding Edward by the back of his head and cheek, tenderly touches his lips with her lips. “I take my breath away after just looking at you.”
“But how your handsome man smells,” Edward rolls his eyes with a wide smile and softly brings Natalia’s face to the curve of his neck. “The best and sexiest smell that I found.”
“My gosh, I can’t…” Natalia sighs sensually, breathing in the smell of Edward’s perfume, which sharply gets into her nose with a heavy breath. “You smell like a man…”
“I knew you’d love it.”
“Shit, did you splash half of the bottle of it on purpose?”
“Not a half!”
“I should've thought better before agreeing to marry you.”
“Too late, my girl.” Edward presses Natalia closely to himself and, holding her by the back with both hands, gives the girl a tender but harsh kiss on the lips that makes her moan quietly. “You’ve already agreed to be mine.”
“Hey, when will we tell our families and friends about it?” Natalia asks with a little heavy breath, playing with a button on Edward’s shirt. “I can’t be silent about it for too long!”
“We won't do it,” Edward says softly, rubbing his nose against Natalia’s cheek and moving his tender look into her eyes, while his fingertips tenderly caress the curves of her neck. “I’m gonna tell my parents about it tonight.”
“Me too. I can’t wait to make them happy and say that I’m gonna marry you.”
“Undoubtedly. But now we have very much time ‘till tonight, and I wanna spend it with one gorgeous girl.”
When Edward wants to kiss Natalia on the neck and leave a couple of kisses, she comes up with the idea of playing with the man a little. The girl steps back from him softly and smiles mysteriously, not hiding her kind chuckle. The man tries to get closer to her several times, but his sweetheart runs away somewhere at some moment with a shy, playful laugh. He chuckles quietly and starts running after his fiancée, whose hair and the skirt of the dress are blown beautifully by the wind. But the race does not last for too long. MacClife, Jr., quickly catches the beauty in a white dress, sharply presses her to himself by the waist, and kisses the lady’s tender lips. But the next second, Natalia slightly tickles Edward’s abdomen. That’s why he, thrilling with a laugh and tensing his stomach muscles, steps back sharply and doubles over. And she shouts loudly when her fiancé tickles her hips. However, she quickly finds the solution, giving him a couple of hits and splashing the water over him, and running at some distance.
Edward has to do nothing but run after Natalia, who throws the sand at him and tries to splash the water over him with a cheerful laugh. He successfully avoids almost all of her attacks, catches the girl easily from behind some time later, and hugs her so that her arms are tightly pressed to her body.
“Hey, lemme go,” Natalia laughs playfully.
“Decided to play with me?” Edward smiles slyly and kisses Natalia tenderly on the nape of her neck, using the fact that it’s slightly open, and almost all the hair falls on one side.
“Let me go, I said. Hear me?”
“Okay, baby, play.” Edward leaves a tender kiss on Natalia’s lips and slightly pulls every one of them, hearing her quiet sigh and feeling her heavy breath. “I love playing. Playing with some rebel beauties that pretend to be hard to reach.”
“Calm down, tiger, I ain’t gonna make you run on the whole coast.” Natalia closes her eyes and leans her head back when Edward touches the curve of her neck with his lips. “I ain’t also gonna drown you in the ocean. I have different plans for you.”
“Really? Which plans?” Edward tenderly caresses Natalia’s belly, slowly slides to her thigh, slightly raises her skirt, and confidently caresses the naked part of her abdomen, a little later, feeling nice to touch underwear.
“You’ll know it later,” Natalia exhales with a shake, rolling her eyes. “Now move your hands off my knickers and stop feeling that up.”
“Okay.” Edward caresses Natalia’s cheek, squeezes her breasts tenderly, and stimulates her tough nipples with both thumbs. “I’m gonna save the desert for later.”
“Ar-r-r, you’re a scumbag…” Natalia growls with closed eyes, feeling something warm between her legs that echoes throughout her whole body.
“Oh, babe, it’s just the beginning,” Edward replies softly, kisses Natalia on the neck tenderly, and runs his lips over the curve of it. “If I keep doing it, you’re gonna be delighted.”
“Wanna bring me to a heart attack?”
“I wanna give you pleasure.” Edward grabs Natalia by the throat, caresses her ear with his lips tenderly, and breathes on the area behind it with a burning breath. “I wanna get such a delicious candy and eat it.”
“You can’t.”
“Why not?” Edward smiles slyly and touches the curve of Natalia’s neck with his lips, slightly biting the thin skin on it and squeezing her breasts with a free hand. “I know what to do to non-obedient girls. And I can tame you super easily.”
“Oh, come on?”
When Natalia gives a start, Edward catches her quickly and presses her to himself. But the girl slightly bites the skin on the neck of the man, who makes a quiet squeak, and runs away with a shy laugh again. He runs after her immediately and cannot contain himself when she turns on him and shows a couple of funny faces. The girl wants to run longer, but at some moment, she steps on something and falls on the sand with a loud shout not far from the water. And when she wants to get up and shake the sand off her dress, MacClife, Jr., strikes her down, raises her hands above her head, and squeezes them tightly, raising himself above the girl with a heavy breath.
“So what, runaway girl, you’ve been caught!” Edward says with a smug smile.
“Hey, I actually wanted to get up!” Natalia exclaims.
“Now you won’t run away from me.”
“I wanna walk on the beach a little longer.”
“And I want you.” Edward leaves a short kiss on Natalia’s lips and runs the tip of his hand over her cheek. “Right here and now.”
“I can’t help you.”
“What if you think?” Edward smiles slyly, caresses Natalia’s ear with his lips, and touches the area behind it with the tip of his tongue.
“As if it’s gonna help you…” Natalia closes her eyes, feeling a sweet and tender shake in her whole body.
“Your smell drives me crazy.” Edward breathes in the smell of the skin on Natalia’s neck and caresses tenderly her collarbones and breasts with his lips. “I want you…”
“It’s okay, you’ll wait.”
“You’re almost my wife. So, you must do what I tell you.”
“Can you go to hell?”
“Don’t be sassy, Rochester.”
“Okay, get off me now! Get off, I said!”
“No, I don’t want to,” Edward shakes his head with a sly smile.
“MacClife! Who I said!”
“Quiet, baby, relax.” Edward tenderly pulls Natalia’s lips and sucks them, hearing her sensual moan. “And I can’t just stand when such a sexy girl is next to me.”
“You’re gonna get the sand off my hair by yourself.”
“Okay, sweetie, as you wish.”
Edward gives Natalia an assertive and deep kiss on the lips. At first, she gets tense, but she relaxes slowly later and stops resisting, enjoying the madly nice warmth that is spreading all over her body. And using the fact that her mouth is open slightly, the man gets his tongue in it determinedly, slides it over her palate, and caresses the most sensitive areas. That’s why the girl moans into his mouth sensually and loudly, feeling that her heartbeat gets faster, and does not refuse to show her skills of a passionate kiss with a tongue.
A little later, Edward covers Natalia’s neck with different kisses, sucks and bites the skin of it tenderly, and caresses some areas with his tongue. His hands are confidently sliding over the curves of her thin waist, belly, and other things. He does not also forget about the lady’s breasts, which he massages with his fingers and her collarbones, which he covers with kisses. While the girl pleases his ear with her moans and bends backward like a cat with closed eyes, feeling a little dizzy from a lack of air and giving himself an eternal pleasure.
“Oh, MacClife, you’re so wild,” Natalia sighs sensually, as her fingers squeeze Edward’s hair tightly or pull it slightly. “I can’t…”
“Everything to give pleasure to my beloved girl,” Edward replies in a low, soft voice and kisses Natalia’s top and bottom lips, caressing her head. “My stunning beauty…”
“I think we could spend a much more amazing time if we did something.”
“Something?”
“Yup… I got one idea…”
Edward kisses Natalia on the lips tenderly and steps back from her, noticing that she smiles kind of slyly.
“So, my darling, what did you plan?” Edward asks, putting his hand on Natalia’s belly. “If you’re looking at me like this, you want something.”
“Try to guess,” Natalia suggests confidently. “Maybe, you’ll try to understand what would make our time more unforgettable.”
“Is it hard to say it openly?”
“No, it’s not.”
“But why don’t you say?”
“I just want it.” Natalia sits up slowly and looks into Edward’s eyes, running her hand through her hair covered with sand. “Don’t worry, sweetie, I want nothing special. Just one little wish that you’re able to make come true.”
Edward frowns slightly and starts watching Natalia, her look and gestures, while she bites her lip, smiles shyly, looks into his eyes closely, draws some patterns on his chest, and presses herself to him cutely. Although the man does not understand what the girl could come up with, he answers her tender kiss with pleasure when she connects her lips with his lips.
“No, Natalia…” Edward laughs shyly. “I ain’t gonna leave you so far.”
“Wrong answer,” Natalia pronounces in a soft, low voice and leaves a few kisses on Edward’s neck. “Second try.”
“You know I’m ready to give you all my love.” Edward puts his hand on Natalia’s naked lap and caresses it tenderly. “Moreover, you are driving me especially crazy today.”
“M-m-m, something closer…”
“Sweetie, let’s do it without hints. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do it for you.”
“Okay. I’d just like to look at your house at least briefly.” Natalia runs her hands over Edward’s chest and caresses the nape of his neck with her fingertips. “I haven't seen it yet. You’ve never invited me to your little housing.”
“Ah!” Edward smiles mysteriously. “That’s what you want!”
“Please, sweetheart, show me your house,” Natalia says with pity in her eyes. “As I’m gonna be your wife soon, I’d like to see where you’ll bring me after our wedding.”
“Are you sure you wanna go there? The house is half-empty, and I’m just starting the repair! Sadly, there is nothing to look at.”
“But you don’t have to build it. I’d just look at what that is. How it looks outside and inside, how many rooms, how good that is… Just a curiosity, nothing more.”
“Aw, Natalia…” Edward shakes his head with a slight smile.
“But if you don’t want, don’t do.” Natalia blinks her eyelashes playfully with an innocent smile. “I don’t make you go right now. You’ll show the house when you’re ready.”
“Erm…” Edward thinks for two seconds, bites his lip slightly, and smiles shyly. “Okay, my angel, if you want it, I will drive you there. For me, your wish is the law that I must follow.”
“How far is that?”
“No, from here. Fifteen or twenty minutes.”
“Great.” Natalia tenderly caresses Edward’s cheek. “And if you agreed, we could play a little at that house.”
“M-m-m…” Edward smiles slyly, caresses Natalia’s lap, and runs his hand over her thin, naked leg. “So, sly fox, am I right that you wanna look at my house for us to be together?”
“You said there was a sofa and a big bed,” Natalia shrugs and runs her open mouth over Edward’s cheek. “So, we’re gonna have a place to play a little. I mean, I could play.”
“We’ll see it, baby.” Edward slaps Natalia on the nose playfully, keeping his second hand on the inside of her thighs. “I haven’t dealt with you. And will surely bring the started case to an end.”
“Yes, MacClife! Finally, you’ve got it!”
“I can’t read minds. You could say it, not play time.”
“Yes, I’m bad and capricious. And you know it well. And you decided to marry the one. So, pretty boy, love what you’ve got.”
“I love.” Edward runs his hand through Natalia’s blonde hair at the roots of her temple and lets his fingers through the strands. “And I will not refuse to spend a wonderful time with my beloved beauty in my modest place.”
“I’d go to the end of the world with you.”
“Aw, sweetheart…” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the forehead and caresses her cheek tenderly. “Okay, let’s go to my house. So, I can show you what I bought. And drive you in my gorgeous car. My new baby. Recently taken away from a salon.”
“A reason to mock Terrence?” Natalia laughs shyly. “His car is old, and you have a new one!”
“Maybe. He doesn’t wanna say goodbye to his sweet old thing.”
With these words, Edward gets up and gives Natalia a hand to help her do the same. They help each other shake the sand off their clothes and some parts of their bodies, and the girl also gets rid of the grains of sand from her hair and puts it to order with the man’s help. After this, MacClife, Jr., takes his sweetheart’s hand and comes to the black metallic sedan some time later. But before getting into the car, the two shake the sand off their feet and put on shoes that they left on the backseat in a little packet.
***
Twenty minutes later, Edward and Natalia arrive at the beautiful and quiet neighborhood where there are a few good two-levels and three-level houses, which are surrounded by high fences. Every single lot has some amenities and something that differs from the others: green plantings, tables, swings, small pools, and other things. And not far from the houses, there is a little parking lot, in which there are already a few average-costed automobiles.
“We’ve come, my sunshine,” Edward says with a slight smile, putting the car in park. “There is my house here.”
“Already?” Natalia rounds her eyes. “So fast?”
“Yes, my girl literally flies.” Edward gets the key out of the switcher. “So, you can leave.”
Natalia smiles shyly and leaves the car that Edward locks with a key with one press after he gets out of it, as well. After looking around, the girl likes the place and notices how quiet, calm, and comfortable it is. There is nobody around, and the nearest neighbors are sitting at home, working, or studying.
“What a beautiful place,” Natalia notices with a slight smile. “So quiet and comfortable…”
“A quiet neighborhood was one of my criteria when picking up a house,” Edward confesses, comes to Natalia, and hugs her around the shoulders from behind. “I always knew that if I had my own house, it would be a small house in the country in a very quiet place.”
“Very cute place. I’m gonna come here often.”
“Living here is a pleasure. And if I make the repair at my house, there will be no wish to leave.”
“I wouldn’t like to leave this place now.”
With these words, Natalia leans on Edward’s shoulder with the back of her head, while he hugs her tightly from behind and kisses her cutely on her temple. And then the man glances to the right and points at it with a slight smile, turning the girl on it and saying:
“Hey, my house is there! That one! A gray, two-level one. See?”
A few meters away from her, Natalia sees a small, two-level gray house, the edges of which have white frames. It seems very simple and modest at first sight, but something tells the girls that just because it’s so modest outside does not mean it’s the same inside.
“That’s so cute,” Natalia says with a slight smile. “Modest but tasteful.”
“I like what’s outside and will change nothing,” Edward replies. “But I’d like to change something inside.”
“I’m sure it’s gonna be much better inside than outside.”
“I know you aren’t used to living in such a modest place, but I’ll be doing my best for you to feel good here.”
“As they say, a cottage is a castle for those in love. With you, I’d live anywhere.”
“I don’t doubt that it’s gonna be much nicer to be in this house after you and I marry.”
“Marry?”
“Sure! Did you forget that you and I are engaged? You’re my fiancée, and I’m your fiancé!”
“Oh, gosh, I can’t believe it! I can’t believe we’re engaged! I’m still sure I’m sleeping.”
“If it’s the truth, I’m not ready to wake up.” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the cheek and rubs his cheek against hers. “Still, I’ll never forget that moment.”
“Me too, sweetheart,” Natalia smiles slightly and puts her nose in the curve of Edward’s neck, breathing in the dizzying smell of his perfume. “Always remember that moment.”
“I hope, didn’t I look stupid because of being terribly excited?”
“Not at all! You looked very cute! But I looked stupid. Because I cried again and was barely able to speak.”
“I’ve gotta admit that you got me a little scared. I got horrified at the thought that you’d refuse and say you weren’t ready to marry me. But when you said, ‘Yes’ to me, I was literally choking from emotions.”
“You know, Edward…” Natalia steps back from Edward and turns on him. “It’s a little hurtful for me that you could think so! Think that I would refuse to marry you!”
“What should I have thought?” Edward throws his hands up. “You were silent, crying and looking at me surprisingly!”
“Gosh, how could you actually think so, knowing that I madly loved you? Moreover, you knew that I always wanted to marry and lost any hope before meeting you! And even if some people said it like I was obsessed with a wish to marry, it’s not true. I wanted it, but I wasn’t gonna marry anyone to call me with a finger.”
“I could expect anything at that moment.”
“But now, did you make sure that I’m ready to get married?”
“I did!” Edward hugs Natalia by the waist and presses her closer to himself, looking into her eyes with a tender smile. “My beauty agreed to marry me, and I’m gonna be working much harder to be able to give her anything she wants.”
“No wealth in the world will replace my wonderful man,” Natalia replies confidently, putting her arms around Edward’s neck. “Don’t think I have unreal claims just because I'm from a provided family. I want a little. What you’re able to give me.”
“I know, my beauty.”
Edward caresses Natalia’s head tenderly, presses her much closer to himself, kisses her on the back of her head, and steps back from her a little, still holding her by the curves of her slim waist.
“Okay, but now let’s change our current location and go where nobody will bother us,” Edward suggests confidently, running his thumb over Natalia’s cheek.
“I hope we won’t find out that you left the keys at your car or home?” Natalia laughs shyly. “What if our plans of staying together get ruined?”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, I have all the keys on the same ring.” Edward steps back from Natalia, puts his hand in the pocket of his jeans, and takes a key ring that he shows the girl with a slight smile. “It’s here! The keys from Mother and Father’s house and the keys from my own house.”
“Okay, you calmed me down.”
“Come with me. I’ll show you my place.”
Natalia smiles slightly and follows Edward as he goes to the house. A few seconds later, the lovers end up in front of the house, get up four stairs, and get closer to the hall door. While the girl leans on the cold wall made of siding with her side, the man takes a key and opens the hall door. After unlocking it, he opens the door and glances at his sweetheart with a slight smile, as if he invites her to enter first. While Natalia takes a hesitant step, Edward puts the key ring in the pocket of his jeans and looks at the girl for two seconds. Then he stops her, putting his hand on her shoulder. The girl looks at him questioningly, and the man takes her in his arms and carries her into the house, noticing that she gets a blush with her arm wrapped around his neck.
The young people end up in an almost empty, but spacious living room with simple ceilings made of white shades. There is only a dark blue sofa with two light blue pillows on it and a small coffee wood table. And the stairs are made of light wood and do not take up much space. Thanks to a few big windows closed with transparent white curtains, a lot of daylight gets into this place. Which is going to be lighted up with a big black chandelier and some little ones in the dark corners. Light brown parquet is placed on the floor, and pictures of unknown authors are hanging on some walls painted in white and blue shades. The kitchen is not hidden by walls. There are white lockers and furniture, a turned off silver cooker, and a refrigerator. There is nothing in lockers with transparent doors, but there are some things for cooking on the kitchen set: wood and plastic boards and little holders with a few plates, mugs, spoons, forks, and knives. And a little further, it’s possible to see a couple of closed doors, behind which there might be a bathroom or something else.
When Edward comes to the living room, he carefully places Natalia on the floor and keeps holding her for two seconds to make sure that she stands on her feet. And when he lets her go, the girl starts to walk into the living room and look around, getting delighted by how comfortable it is.
“It’s amazing, Edward!” Natalia exclaims with a wide smile, quietly knocking with the thin heels of her golden sandals at the light parquet. “It’s much more beautiful than I imagined.”
“Wait, sweetie, you haven’t seen the bedroom,” Edward smiles mysteriously after closing the hall door. “It’s much more beautiful!”
“Really?”
“It’s my favorite place here.”
“Hey, why do you change something? I think this place is wonderful! I see no meaning in making the repair!”
“As for the living room, yes. But, for example, I wanna make the bedroom light. It’s all dark now, but I wanna paint the walls white. And I actually want the rooms in the house to be light. I like it more.”
“Okay… But I like this place anyway. Even if there’s nothing here.”
“I have some ideas about furnishing the house,” Edward smiles shyly, comes to Natalia from behind, and hugs her softly, locking his fingers on her breasts. “I’ve wanted something for ages and got inspired by the images on the Internet.”
“I don’t doubt your incredible taste,” Natalia replies confidently. “This place is gonna be more wonderful thanks to the ideas of my man.”
“But it’s gonna be much more comfortable when my precious treasure finally moves into here as my wife.” Edward kisses Natalia cutely on the cheek and the curve of her neck, making her smile much wider.
“What if your treasure just comes here and visits you when you move here?”
“Then the light in this house would be coming-leaving,” Edward replies thoughtfully. “But that’s not good for me.”
“Even if you pin my photos in all the corners?”
“No, photos are a different thing.” Edward tenderly kisses Natalia’s naked shoulders, caresses them, and runs his hands over her thin arms. “It’s much better to press your beloved person to yourself, hugging them and kissing them as much as you want.”
“I’ve gotta agree. Smelling their perfume and feeling the man fully and completely is way better.”
With these words, Natalia kisses Edward cutely on the cheek, which she tickles slightly by blinking her long eyelashes, while he smiles shyly and caresses tenderly the front of her neck with his fingertips.
“Hey, have you shown this house to someone?” Natalia asks.
“Nope, I’ve shown it to nobody,” Edward shakes his head. “You became the first one to see my modest but comfortable place.”
“It’s a great honor for me.”
“If you asked, I couldn’t refuse.”
“And I’m not disappointed.” Natalia steps back from Edward softly and starts walking into the living room with a slight smile, looking around. “Seriously, Edward, I’m starting to love this place more and more! Besides, there aren’t so many people, as it seemed to me.”
“As far as I know, there are ten or twenty houses in this neighborhood.” Edward puts his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “But the former owner of this house said mainly young people lived here.”
“Haven’t you met your neighbors?”
“Nope, I’ve met nobody yet. Maybe, I’d go to all the houses and introduce myself. Or maybe, they’d love to come to meet when I finally carry my stuff here.”
“I hope your neighbors will be good people and won't start a scandal for any reason.”
“We’ll see. But I think I can get on well with them.”
After walking in the living room for a long time, Natalia sits on the sofa, which is very comfortable and soft, and leans back with closed eyes, putting one leg on another.
“Ah, it’s so good…” Natalia pronounces quietly. “Such a soft sofa…”
Two seconds later, Edward sits down next to Natalia and says nothing for two seconds. And then he tenderly touches the girl’s hair and runs his fingers through them, looking at every single golden strand like charmed, while she examines his face.
“Hey, did I tell you that you look stunning today?” Edward asks with a slight smile in a low, nice voice.
“Yup, but I’d hear it with pleasure again,” Natalia replies quietly with a shy smile. “Again and again.”
“I’m ready to say compliments to such a magnificent beauty every day.”
“By the way, you look freaking attractive today, as well.” Natalia starts playing with a button on Edward’s shirt. “Even if I want not to look at you, I can’t do it.”
“I ain’t gonna ban myself from hugging and kissing you. If I really want to do it, I’ll come and do this.”
“M-m-m, you’re acting like a determined man.”
“Next to you, I feel like this one.”
“And rejecting him would be a sin.” Natalia runs her hand through Edward’s hair with a shy smile and starts playing with the strands of his soft, silky hair. “Who makes me feel protected, quiet, relaxed… And madly happy. You’re the only one to give me the happiness that I dreamed about.”
“I can say the same about you.” Edward brings his hand to Natalia’s face slowly but confidently and caresses her cheek with the back of his hand and the palm of it, while she closes her eyes from pleasure with a feeling of the nice warmth. “And I feel much quieter when you’re with me, and I know you’re fine.”
“I’ll always be with you, Edward,” Natalia promises confidently. “Whatever happens, I will not leave you and will do my best for you to feel good.”
“Since you agreed to marry me, I made much more sure about it,” Edward replies shyly and softly puts his hand on Natalia’s naked lap that he caresses tenderly. “You’re mine. But after the wedding, you’ll be only mine. By law.”
“Only the engagement ring on my hand makes me believe that we’ll become a family soon. That my beloved man will be only mine.”
Edward takes Natalia’s hand with the ring given to her by him for their engagement and caresses the front and back of it tenderly, running his hand over the sensitive inside of the thin wrist and looking at the jewelry and her elongated nails covered with white nail polish.
“It’s amazing how fast our fears change…” Edward says thoughtfully. “At first, people fall in love and are afraid to be rejected… Then it’s time to ask them to date you. And it also causes fear in people. Then it’s time to propose to marry. Many people are afraid to do it… And then…”
Edward says nothing for two seconds, biting his lip slightly and holding Natalia’s hand with both hands.
“Then it’s time to think of a child. But not everybody wants it… For different reasons… Fear has been chasing us all our lives. We often may be insecure when it’s time to do something. Sometimes we have to apply many efforts to get what we want.”
“But it happens so that we struggle with all of our fears and eventually find our happiness. At first, we meet failures, then get what we want and understand that our efforts are worth it.”
“I know… After getting over all the fears and finding the courage to struggle with insecurity, I made my life better. That was madly hard. I had so many barriers in my way… Many terrible people, who tried to strike me down and made me doubt myself much more. For the time being, I didn’t have a strong motivation that would help me reach for something.”
“But it’s all over now, my sunshine,” Natalia notices softly, caressing Edward’s cheek and putting her hand on his lap. “You reached for your goals and became a different man. The better version of yourself.”
“I’ve finally felt quiet and relaxed for the first time in my whole life. I still can’t believe I don’t have to live in tension and fear. You can’t imagine how amazing this feeling is! How it’s great to know that nothing and nobody threatens you and your close people! That we got happy and are living in peace.”
“You’re a truly strong man. You’re strong morally and physically. Very purposeful and hard-working. If you keep doing the same, you’re gonna have much more. What you’ve never dared to dream about.”
“Now I don’t doubt it. Because I have an amazing girl that gives me hope and the motivation that I’ve always lacked.”
“The important thing is your wish,” Natalia replies confidently, playing with the strands of Edward’s hair. “Without a true wish, you can’t get wonderful results. If you wanna see a good result, you should give your everything to what you do.”
“I know, my angel.”
The lovers share a tender smile, holding each other’s hands. At some moment, Edward softly runs the back of his hand over Natalia’s cheek, while she closes her eyes, presses herself to him, and smiles much wider when he caresses her head softly. They look into each other’s eyes for a few seconds, feeling how something warm is spreading all over their bodies. And then the man confidently grabs her face and gets closer to it. When the man’s soft lips touch her lips, she closes her eyes and understands that her heart misses a beat. Edward does not rush, as if he wants to enjoy this moment and memorize their sweet taste. And Natalia answers this kiss with pleasure, not holding her quiet moans down, holding the nape of the man’s neck with one hand, and putting another on his shoulder and his cheek that she caresses softly later.
Little by little, the lovers get much freer, and their kiss gets much deeper and more assertive. Edward’s hands slide over Natalia’s head, shoulders, and the curves of her waist and reach for her thighs and knees, which he caresses confidently. And she strokes his hair, tenderly rubs his wide chest with both hands, or slightly squeezes his tough-to-touch biceps. During one of the breaks between passionate kisses, the man breathing heavily smiles widely and looks into the eyes of the girl, seeing that her pupils are widely dilated.
“Damn, Natalia…” Edward pronounces in a low, hoarse voice. “You drive me crazy…”
“You too…” Natalia moans quietly, caressing Edward’s face with both hands. “I’m losing my mind…”
“You’re gonna be mine… Only mine…”
“If you don’t stop now, I won’t be responsible for myself.”
“That’s what I need.”
Edward presses Natalia sharply to himself by the back of her head and kisses her on the lips greedily, running his fingers through her golden hair at the roots. The girl does not realize how his tongue ends up in her mouth and caresses especially sensitive areas so skillfully that she cannot hold down her quiet moans. Her heart is beating fast, her body becomes kind of hot, the dizziness gets stronger, and every single muscle gets tense after every touch of the man’s palms.
While Natalia’s hands slide over the top of his body, Edward hides his face in a curve of her neck and covers it with tender kisses with special pleasure, massaging her breasts like a boss. The girl rolls or closes her eyes, bends her back backward, and presses herself much closer to the man, whom she is not able to resist. She does not feel pain when he leaves a few slight bits on her neck, controlling the strength not to leave bright hickeys.
“Oh, gosh, Edward…” Natalia pronounces in a quiet, hoarse voice, squeezing Edward’s hair tightly in passion.
“You’re so stunning,” Edward purrs with enjoyment, leaning Natalia’s head back, running his lips over the front of her neck and leaving a few exciting kisses on it, while his hand is put on her cheek. “This is my girl…”
Edward caresses Natalia’s collarbones with his lips, kisses her gracious naked shoulders tenderly, and runs his palms over her arms covered with goosebumps. Later, the lady’s breasts catch the man’s attention because she sticks them up proudly, and he succumbs to the temptation to leave a few short kisses on them. That’s why she melts in her wide, blissful smile and gives the man a passionate kiss, holding his face with both hands and confidently working her tongue in his mouth with quiet moans.
“If you keep doing this, I shall take this gorgeous dress off you,” Edward smiles playfully.
“And I shall take this white shirt off you,” Natalia threatens, runs her lips over Edward’s lips, and sucks his earlobe tenderly, running her hands underneath his shirt and rubbing the man’s chest confidently. “Your jeans. And even your underwear.”
“Ar-r-r-r, you’re getting me excited, babe.” Edward runs his open mouth over the curve of Natalia’s neck, breathing in the smell of her skin.
“Hold your horse, coachman. I don’t wanna rush. I mean, I want, but I’ll better play time.”
Natalia gets Edward involved in another continuous kiss, pulling his hair slightly, while the man’s hands slide over the curves of her waist and her thin legs, the skin of which is so smooth that they are wanted to be touched again and again.
“What about going to the bedroom?” Edward suggests with a sly, wide smile in a hoarse, low voice.
“Bedroom?” Natalia specifies.
“I could show you everything I can and give you much more pleasure.” Edward caresses Natalia’s thighs and then moves his hand to the inside of them and caresses them tenderly, making the girl shake strongly and sigh loudly. “Could you refuse this?”
“Yeah…” Natalia exhales quietly. “I agree…”
“So, won’t you resist?”
“You did your best for me not to think about it.”
“So… Follow me then, my gorgeous lady.”
Edward gets up, gives a hand to Natalia looking at him closely, and easily raises her from the sofa. Then he grabs her face softly and gives her a tender kiss that makes her relax much more. Two seconds later, the man breaks the kiss and takes her in a short, tight hug, putting an arm around her waist, caressing her back with a free hand, and squeezing her tough buttocks tenderly. While the girl breathing heavily presses herself against her fiancé as closely as possible with a blushed face, putting her hand on his chest. Edward caresses the skin of Natalia’s head for a few seconds. Then he kisses her cutely on her temple, takes her in his arms, and goes to the stairs, while she tightly puts her hands around his neck and puts her head on his shoulder, looking at the man, who goes upstairs to the second floor. Then he goes somewhere down the well-lighted, not too wide, not too narrow hall made of white colors, where there is nothing but a few wooden doors and two or three pictures on the walls.
Later, Edward comes to one of the rooms, the door of which is open, and carries Natalia to a small room that is made of dark shades. There is nothing but a two-sized bed placed on a big beige rug, a white closet built into the wall, a couple of tables with small torches, and a mirror framed with dark wood. The walls are covered with simple brown paint and have no pictures on them. It’s possible to see a black chandelier with four lamp holders on the white ceiling. And two white windows are slightly closed with light brown curtains.
Edward places Natalia carefully on the bed so that her head lies on a dark pillow. While she keeps watching him with a tender smile on her face, holding her body on her elbows, the man quickly empties the pockets of his jeans and puts everything on one of the small tables. Then he sits on the bed next to the girl, caresses her cheek tenderly, runs his finger through her hair, and gets them through the golden strands. The man leaves a couple of kisses on the girl’s shoulder that is closer to him, caresses it as well as her forearms, and runs his lips over the nape of her neck when he slowly turns her back on him. Next, his fingertips tenderly slide over the spine of his sweetheart and other open parts of her gracious, perfectly straight back. It makes her feel a strong shake in her whole body and a slight dizziness. However, MacClife, Jr., himself feels all the same, breathing in the smell of the hair and the body of the blonde-haired beauty, who drives him crazy and makes him feel madly proud.
“Natalia, my love…” Edward pronounces with a special tenderness in a quiet, low voice and leaves kisses on another shoulder of Natalia. “Sweetheart…”
Natalia says nothing and just makes very quiet, sensual sighs with closed eyes. Edward runs his lips slowly over the curve of her neck and reaches for the sensitive area behind her ear that he tenderly caresses as well. And then the man softly pushes her as if he asks her to lie on her stomach, and she obeys him silently, lying comfortably on the big, soft bed, in which she literally drowns.
At first, Edward just runs his fingertips over the naked parts of Natalia’s back, being truly admired by his beloved blonde, whose hair is placed on different sides, and caressing tenderly and squeezing her tough buttocks. But then he moves the head of the blonde hair aside, glances at small clasps on the dress, and opens every single one, smiling much wider when he sees the absolutely naked back, over which the man runs his warm hand tenderly. After two seconds of looking at it, Edward covers this gorgeous part of the feminine body with tender kisses.
“Beauty…” Edward pronounces in a quiet, hoarse voice. “Angel on the earth…”
Edward brings his face to Natalia’s ear.
“Me vuelves loca, mi hermosa diosa…[1]”
Edward’s tender whisper echoes in Natalia’s head, causes a nice tremble in her chest, and makes her heart stop for a moment and beat much faster. She puts on a blissful smile on her face, and her eyes are closed from pleasure, while the man treats her with such incredible love, with which any other man that she had before never treated her. The man truly admires every single centimeter of her gorgeous body with exciting curves and attractive parts. He confidently caresses the blonde’s back and generously covers it with tender kisses. At some moment, he gets his hand underneath the lady’s tough buttocks and squeezes them like a boss, making his sweetheart feel a slight shake in her whole body.
Edward covers Natalia’s back with kisses and gives her a short, relaxing massage. But then he notices that his fiancée has become silent and does not move, does not make a sound, and does not literally breathe, kind of not reacting to all these actions that are the reason why she literally loses the ground. The man is not happy with it and lets her know it, bringing his face closer to the blonde beauty’s ear, moving her hair aside, caressing her cheek tenderly, and saying:
“Hey, Natalia… Natalia, are you alive?”
“Nope…” Natalia pronounces in a quiet, hoarse voice. “I died a few minutes ago… You killed me…”
“So, beauty, you got pleasure?” Edward smiles slyly, running his fingertips across Natalia’s spine and leaving a couple of kisses between her shoulder blades. “I get it, I get it…”
“If you keep doing this, you’ll really kill me.”
“Of course, I shall keep.” Edward runs his hands over the curves of Natalia’s waist. “Because I can’t resist such an attractive girl.”
“Please, Edward, stop…” Natalia moans quietly when Edward leaves a couple of kisses on the small of her back. “I won’t take it…”
“It’s just the beginning, baby. And how much I can do… M-m-m… I’m using my skills at fifty percent so far. But someday, I shall show you everything.”
Edward runs his lips slowly over Natalia’s spine, her shoulder blades, and the small of her back, smiling smugly when the girl moans sensually and squeezes her thighs tightly. And some time later, the man leaves her back alone and even closes all the clasps of her dress. Then he caresses her head tenderly and runs his hand over her back and buttocks. Then Edward easily turns Natalia onto her back and sees her blushed face and eyes that are half-closed from pleasure and set on her fiancé breathing heavily and smiling widely.
“You really wanna drive me crazy,” Natalia says in a quiet, low, hoarse voice. “Or kill me…”
“Not at all, sweetheart,” Edward smiles innocently, running his hand slowly over Natalia’s belly and stopping his eyes on her attractive décolleté and well-tightened, big breasts that do ask for mastered kisses and caresses. “I just wanna kiss and hug you… And caress your gorgeous body…”
“Maybe, we just sit or lie and talk?”
“Only after I caress you enough.”
Edward gets Natalia involved in a little greedy, assertive kiss, raising himself above her. The girl is not able to resist him and answers it obediently, slightly bending her legs at her knees, putting her arms around his neck, and running her fingers through his black, soft hair. She makes the man happy with sensual moans when his tongue ends up in her mouth, slides over her palate slowly, and plays with her tongue confidently. Edward can feel Natalia’s fast heartbeat, caressing her neck with his fingertips, massaging her big breasts without shyness, and stimulating the lady’s tough nipples.
A little later, MacClife, Jr., starts to cover the neck and collarbones of his fiancée with different kisses and alternate them with slight bites and pinches, running his hand over her belly and thighs. Just one touch of his soft lips makes the girl bend backward like a cat and lean her head back with much louder and more sensual moans. At some moment, Natalia gets her hands underneath Edward’s white shirt and slightly scratches his back with her nails or tenderly caresses it, feeling hot flashes and slight dizziness.
“Hey, stop!” Natalia laughs shyly after another slight bite from Edward on her neck. “Gosh, Edward, what are you doing?”
“It’s not my fault, honey,” Edward replies in a low, quiet voice, getting closer to Natalia’s ear, which he grabs tenderly with his mouth. “You make me do it.”
“Do you know I feel strong dizziness? And my heart is beating like crazy!”
“Me too…” Edward leaves a short kiss on Natalia’s lips. “Me too…”
“I am serious.”
“I’m not kidding.”
“MacClife…”
“Not now, baby.” Edward leaves a couple of more kisses on the curves of Natalia’s neck, while she rolls her eyes from pleasure. “Now I want you. I want you here and now.”
“You’re crazy,” Natalia laughs shyly.
“Maybe. But with such a stunning cutie, it’s impossible to remain a shy guy.”
Edward gives Natalia another continuous kiss on the lips, caressing her cheek, running his fingers through her hair at the roots, and hearing her sensual moan. While she runs her hands over his naked back, the man leaves a few kisses on the front of her neck and slides to the lady’s breasts, which he starts tenderly squeezing in his hands and kissing with special pleasure. That’s why the girl’s moans get louder and more frequent, and she closes her eyes and pulls his hair in passion. A madly nice warmth gets over her body when the man’s tender hands slowly run from her thin legs to her ankles. Edward leaves a few kisses on them and caresses them tenderly, showing how much he is admired by every single part of the body of Natalia, who is not able even to think about resisting this strong and confident man.
A little later, Edward sits up, puts his hand under Natalia’s back, and raises her so that she does the same. Because her body became soft, he has to hold the girl tightly, as he gives her an exciting kiss on the lips and runs his free hand over her neck and shoulders, and massages her breasts confidently. She caresses his biceps and shoulders, runs her hands underneath his shirt, and starts to run them over his naked torso, feeling his tough six-pack, touching which makes her shake. Then Edward breathing heavily covers the front of Natalia’s neck, her collarbones, and breasts with tender kisses. The girl does not mind it and leans her head back, showing such sensitive parts of her body to her fiancée, who is holding her by the neck.
And understanding that he needs to take a breath away, Edward steps back from Natalia and moves his bedroom gaze into her half-closed eyes. The girl breathing heavily caresses the man’s cheeks tenderly with both hands and smiles much wider, while he puts his hands on her laps and caresses them, and then he moves them to the inside of the lady’s thighs.
“You’re crazy…” Natalia pronounces with a loud breath. “I can’t believe such a shy guy could be like this…”
“I’m crazy?” Edward wonders truly.
“Not me!”
“I don’t have to do with it, babe.” Edward caresses Natalia’s lips with two fingers. “You make me the one! And you know you’re my weakness that I can’t resist.”
“Nobody made my heart beat so fast before. No smell of another man drove me as crazy as yours.”
“And I was never as attracted to any other girl as I am to you…” Edward leaves a couple of tender kisses on the curve of Natalia’s neck and sucks the skin of it tenderly.
“Oh, Edward…” Natalia exhales with a wide smile. “You’re really crazy…”
“Not crazy, but the happiest man in love in the world.”
Edward kisses the area behind Natalia’s ear, which he caresses tenderly. And after breathing in the smell of the skin of her neck, he runs his fingertips over it and puts them on both of the curves, immediately feeling her fast heartbeat.
“Such a strong pulse…” Edward pronounces in a quiet, low voice. “I feel it so well…”
“Your fault…” Natalia replies with a slight smile.
“But you like it.”
“Well…”
“Say nothing. I know you like it.”
“M-m-m…” Natalia smiles slyly. “Maybe.”
“Hey, listen to my heart beating…”
Edward takes Natalia’s hand and puts it on his chest. After hearing his fast heartbeat and feeling slight pushes on her palm, she smiles shyly.
“Much stronger than mine,” Natalia says thoughtfully.
“It happens every time you’re near me,” Edward replies with a slight smile.
“I wonder what would happen to it if I seriously took control of you?” Natalia starts slowly walking her fingers over Edward’s chest, looking into his eyes with a mysterious smile. “If I did what you were doing to me…”
“Wanna give me an unforgettable night of love?” Edward purrs with a wide smile, looking quite relaxed and enjoying the way Natalia strokes his hair. “Well, or the evening of love… Or the day of love… I dunno what time it is…”
“While you’re with me, it doesn’t matter,” Natalia replies in a quiet, low voice, bringing her face very close to Edward’s and touching his lips with her lips tenderly. “Doesn’t matter…”
“Asking for trouble?”
“I’ve done nothing yet.”
“I only need your look to get excited. To feel it’s getting tight in my pants.”
Edward gives Natalia an assertive kiss on the lips, holding her by the back of her head with one hand and putting another on her lap. At some moment, they break the kiss and look into each other’s eyes. The man caresses the inside of her thighs, and the girl caresses his face with both hands. He leaves a short peck on her lips and covers one of the curves of the lady’s neck with kisses, smiling smugly after every single sensual moan of his fiancée. Her hands slowly slide over the man’s torso, and her fingers shyly open the male shirt somewhere to the middle at some moment so that his wide chest gets naked. It makes Edward smile widely, raise his head proudly, and spread his shoulders, looking into Natalia’s eyes confidently. And while he leaves kisses on the areas behind her ear and breathes on them with hot and cold air, his hands tenderly caress her shoulders, elbows, and forearms.
“Natalia, sweetheart…” Edward pronounces in a quiet, low voice and leaves a kiss on the curve of Natalia’s neck, collarbones, and shoulder. “I want you…”
“Me too…” Natalia pronounces at the same breath, raises her head with rolled eyes, and makes a sensual moan with a feeling of something warm between her legs. “I want you, too… Right now…”
Natalia grabs Edward’s face with a loud breath and gives him a greedy, assertive kiss on the lips while one hand of the man runs over the top naked part of her back, and another slides over her leg: from her thigh to her knee. The girl caresses the man’s neck with her fingertips, covers it with short kisses, and sucks his skin tenderly. It makes him smile shyly, close his eyes from pleasure, and feel how a madly nice warmth spreads all over his body. Because of the slight touches of the lady’s lips, his heart stops for a moment, he takes a breath away, and his muscles get tense. While the girl herself moans quietly, breathing in the smell of the man’s perfume on his neck and rubbing his chest tenderly.
“You say I wanna kill you?” Edward asks in a hoarse voice and chuckles kindly. “Huh! I’d bet who wanna kill who.”
“Quiet, sweetie, just relax and think of nothing,” Natalia says in a low, velvety voice, putting her finger on Edward’s lips. “Trust me.”
Natalia caresses tenderly Edward’s top and bottom lips with her lips, putting her hand on his cheek. And a little later, she softly pushes him so that he lies and raises herself above him slowly, letting her tongue get into his mouth and making him moan quietly, while the man’s hands move to her buttocks, raise her dress strongly, and start to slide over her naked back slowly. Then the girl moves her head of the wavy hair on one side, runs her lips over all the parts of his face, moves to his neck again, opens all the buttons on his shirt, and generously covers his entire naked torso with kisses.
“Oh, damn…” Edward pronounces in a hoarse voice with a heavy breath and shakes strongly when Natalia’s lips caress his nipples. “Natalia…”
Edward’s hands tightly squeeze Natalia’s buttocks and thighs, and he starts breathing heavily with a feeling of hot flash and dizziness, while she caresses his naked torso with her soft lips and warm hands, pleasing the man’s ear with sensual moans.
“Gosh, your body is so gorgeous…” Natalia says in a quiet, hoarse voice with a wide smile. “How sexy you are, handsome… Freaking sexy…”
“I've never doubted it,” Edward purrs with a smug smile when Natalia starts caressing his neck and collarbones again. “And I’d be proud to show you what’s gonna be only yours soon.”
“It’s all already mine, my lion. No matter if we’re married or not.”
Natalia gives Edward a passionate kiss with a loud breath, caressing his face with both hands or running her fingers through his hair, while his hands slide over her back, thigh, and buttocks confidently. At some moment, the man places the girl on the bed and raises himself above her, massaging her breasts with one hand tenderly and stimulating her tough nipples, which he feels well through the thin, smooth material of her dress. Next, he tenderly kisses the area behind her ear with a heavy breath and reaches for her neck and collarbones, running his hand underneath her skirt and caressing her thighs confidently. The blonde’s moans get more sensual and louder, and she squeezes her thighs strongly and tenses her muscles , hugging her fiancée tightly, caressing or scratching his back and letting her hand off his shoulder. At some moment, Natalia takes the open shirt off Edward and understands how her heart misses a beat at the sight of this half-naked man.
And while she sinks her nails into the skin of his naked back and pulls his hair, he leaves a few more kisses on her big breasts. Then he sits up, makes the girl do the same, and runs his lips slowly over the curve of her neck, hugging his fiancée tightly, caressing her back with one hand and running another through her long, disheveled hair.
“I love you…” Natalia confesses in one breath.
“I love you too,” Edward purrs with a wide smile, runs his hand over Natalia’s collarbones, and massages her breasts tightly but tenderly, hearing her make a sensual sigh.
Two seconds later, Edward’s hands reach for the clasps on Natalia’s back, and want to open them, so she is half-naked in front of him. But when he starts to do it with a wish to take this gorgeous dress off her immediately, his plans get ruined by the sudden call on the phone lying on the small table near the bed. It immediately makes both of them sober and makes them look at each other questioningly.
“Damn, who has nothing to do there…” Edward moans quietly. “Ar-r-r…”
Edward has to do nothing but reach the table and takes Natalia’s phone, on which someone is calling.
“It seems like yours is calling,” Edward says thoughtfully, giving the golden smartphone to Natalia.
Frowning slightly, Natalia takes the phone from Edward and runs a finger over the screen.
“Hello,” Natalia says in a quiet, hoarse voice.
“Hey, Natalia, it’s Terrence,” Terrence replies politely.
“Terrence?”
“Oh, yeah!” Edward claps his hands with a chuckle. “Who else! That donkey does feel when I have a fucking important business.”
“Yes, yes, hi, buddy,” Natalia says amicably and clears her throat. “Glad to hear you.”
“Don’t I bother you?” Terrence asks.
At this moment, Edward sits closer to Natalia and starts leaving a kiss on the area behind her ear and the curve of her neck with a sly smile, putting his hand on her lap.
“No, no, it’s okay,” Natalia barely understands something, trying to hold on not to moan while Edward’s hand slides to the inside of her things and starts to caress them confidently. “What did you want?”
“I just wanna know if Edward is with you. I need to talk to this rutrag.”
“Yes, yes, he’s with me,” Natalia exhales quietly and tenses strongly when Edward’s hand ends up in her knickers and caressing her clitoris slowly as if he wants to tease her. “With me…”
“I thought so. He is where you are.”
“But what’s wrong? Why do you need Edward?”
“He just turned off his phone and doesn’t answer my calls. I tried to call him several times and then decided to call you.”
“Yeah… He’s around… Near me…” Natalia barely holds down her wish to moan loudly when Edward covers her neck with kisses and squeezes her breasts. “Here…”
“Erm…” Terrence gets suspicious. “Friend, are you okay there?”
“Yes, yes, I’m okay,” Natalia pronounces in a shaking voice, tensing her thighs and moving them slowly. “It’s okay…”
“But why are you breathing so heavily?”
“It’s okay, buddy, your little brother is just accosting me,” Natalia rolls her eyes with a wide smile, while Edward moves her hair aside and leaves a few kisses on the nape of her neck. “He can’t get off me….”
“Okay then,” Terrence laughs shyly.
“Oh, damn, he’s driving me crazy…”
“Okay, Rochester, I can help you wake him up. Remind Edward that the guys and I wanted to come together at the home of Raquelle and me and spend time together tonight.”
“Erm… What? Come together at your home?”
Edward sharply steps back from Natalia as if he gets struck by lightning and moves his widely open eyes to her.
“Yeah, we got some free time and decided to come together,” Terrence recalls.
“Erm, really?” Natalia bites her lip.
“Damn!” Terrence exclaims loudly. “Are you serious? Did you two forget that? What are you the fuck doing there?”
“Sorry, Terrence, it got outta our heads,” Natalia excuses with pity in her eyes. “We didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Damn, I forgot about it!” Edward whispers, putting his hand on his forehead.
“Me too,” Natalia replies in a whisper, closing the microphone on her phone.
“Wouldn’t you have recalled it if I hadn’t called you?” Terrence wonders.
“We were a little busy…” Natalia excuses herself. “It got outta the mind…”
“Oh, okay, damn you!” Terrence exhales sharply. “Could you call Edward on the phone? I wanna talk to him.”
“No problem.”
Natalia gives her phone to Edward, saying very quietly:
“Terrence wants to talk to you. But he’s kind of nervous. Unhappy that we forgot about the meeting.”
“Don’t worry, sweetie, I’ll fix it,” Edward replies confidently.
Edward takes the phone and puts it to his ear, while Natalia runs her hands through her hair and pulls the skirt of her dress down.
“Hey, bro,” Edward greets amicably. “Someone said you wanted to talk to me.”
“Hey, Edward,” Terrence replies quietly. “Can you say where you’re the fuck going? Are you looking for fucking trouble again?”
“Quiet, Terrence. Breathe deeper and don’t get mad. If you worry about me so much, I’m gonna make you happy: I’m fine and spending a wonderful time with one amazing person.”
“Well, I understood it, judging the way Natalia wanted to moan, while you were doing something to her.”
Meanwhile, Natalia starts kissing the area behind Edward’s ear and on the neck, caressing his laps and the inside of his thighs, and running his hand over his naked chest.
“It’s none of your business…” Edward pronounces in a little hoarse voice and smiles shyly, glancing at Natalia tenderly.
“Oh, it is! As your older brother, I must know where you are, who you are with, and what you are doing.”
“Turn the daddy off, dude. I can do it well without you.”
“Well, while you’re with your gorgeous blonde now, I am quiet.”
“By the way, you, asshole, disrupted all my plans!” Edward resents, breathing a little heavily, while Natalia caresses his neck with her lips. “They were grandiose! But your fucking call disrupted absolutely everything.”
“Oh, I did choose such a good time!” Terrence smiles slyly. “I didn’t let you take Rochester to your bed.”
“Ar-r-r, I’ll kill you, idiot! Just kill!”
“But it would be much better if I called you in the middle of sex between you and Natalia.”
“Don’t dare. Otherwise, I will cut your gorgeous head.”
“Okay, kid, stop pretending to be cool.”
“You don’t irritate me.”
“Yeah, if you spend time somewhere, be nice to turn on your phone.”
“I’m so sorry I didn’t turn it off,” Edward shakes strongly after Natalia runs her lips slowly over the curve of his neck. “You do love calling at a bad time.”
“As if you choose good moments to annoy me with your talks.”
“Oh, stop, Terrence, shut up,” Edward throws gloomily and bites his bottom lip strongly, while Natalia caresses tenderly his abdomen and his penis. “You’ve got nothing important. So, you could wait for me to finish my business.”
“Either you forgot to turn your phone on. Or you’re pretending to be an idiot. Or you are really an idiot.”
“Ar-r-r, you’re starting to make me irritated…” Edward takes his phone from the table and tries to turn it on. “Damn… It doesn’t really turn on… I forgot to charge it this morning.”
“Sounds something like a truth.”
“I’m not lying. The phone is really discharged! And that’s why you couldn’t call!”
“You’re getting older, bro,” Terrence laughs shyly. “You started to forget the simplest things. You forget to charge your phone now. Tomorrow, you’ll lose your keys. And then everything will get much worse.”
“I’m gonna disappoint you, my dear brother, I don’t have memory issues,” Edward replies confidently and barely holds down his wish to moan after Natalia caresses the inside of his thighs confidently, covering his shoulder with kisses. “And forgetting something is fine.”
“If only you didn’t forget you have a band.”
“Oh, we’re even gonna release the album. We’ve already recorded it and are gonna have a photoshoot for the cover and the promotion.”
“Okay, the case isn’t hopeless…”
“You’re so lucky you aren’t with me now.” Edward lies down and puts his hand under his head with a wide smile, while Natalia rubs his chest with both hands and leaves a few kisses on the man’s neck. “Otherwise, I would kick your ass.”
“No, I will kick your ass. For wandering around somewhere with your imitable beauty.”
Edward says nothing and enjoys the way Natalia’s lips kiss his torso tenderly and suck his tough nipples.
“Edward, can you hear me?” Terrence resents. “I am talking to you!”
“Relax, Terrence, we remember everything,” Edward replies in a low voice with a blissful smile and puts a free hand on the back of Natalia’s head. “But between the opportunity to spend time with my beloved girl and the need to see your gorgeous face, I’d prefer the first variant.”
“You’ll get the orgasm later. Now you two must save your foreplay and plans for incredible sex for later and go to my home shortly.”
“But I was dreaming about the unforgettable blowjob…”
“In short, Edward, I warned you. If you and your girlfriend don’t sit on my sofa, you will regret it. I do promise. I will call you when you have sex and come to you and your beauty.”
“Check the locks of your room, ‘cause I might show up at the doorstep during your wild games with Raquelle.”
“I said everything, rug rat. You better listen to me.”
“Oh, calm down, tough guy,” Edward rolls his eyes with a slight smile, while Natalia bites the skin on his neck and caresses his ear and the area behind it with her lips tenderly. “We’ll come to you.”
“Waiting for you by six hours. Now it’s quarter past five.”
“I got it, I did! Natalia and I are coming.”
“Hurry up. Perkins and Rose called me and said they were going on the way along with Anna and Helene.”
“Don’t worry, Terrence, it’s gonna be okay,” Edward replies confidently and smiles slyly when glancing at Natalia, who walks her fingers over his chest. “Yeah… I have something to tell you and the guys. A very good piece of news that you would be happy about.”
“Really?” Terrence wonders. “What’s that? Don’t you wanna share it with your bro?”
“Patience, buddy, patience. I’ll tell you everything when I come. I mean, you’ll see something.”
“You’re a fucking intriguer! Bring your ass here now. I can’t wait to know what happened to you.”
“We’re on the way. My brand-new swallow is gonna drive my golden-haired beauty and me for a few minutes. It’s not your rotten thing that gives in to my girl.”
“I’m sorry that I can’t joke that you bought this piece of metal at a salon for used cars or from an old man's advertisement.”
“Keep your opinion with you,” Edward smiles slyly. “I don’t care about it.”
“Alright, shut up! Put your beautiful ass in your new car and bring it to my home.”
“As you wish, Your Highness!”
Edward turns off the call with a quiet chuckle and gives the phone to Natalia.
“I must confess that MacClife is really an asshole,” Natalia says thoughtfully. “That idiot messed up everything! He didn’t let me deal with you!”
“It’s okay, he’ll pay me for it,” Edward replies confidently, as he sits up. “When we go to his home, I’ll tell him everything I think of this insolence.”
“How much time do we have?”
“Terrence said it’s a quarter past five now, and we’re supposed to be at his home by six hours.”
“Yeah, not very much…”
“Don’t worry, my love, I’ll drive us faster than any rocket,” Edward says confidently, caressing Natalia’s cheek. “The way from here to Terrence’s home won’t take much time. We’ll come there earlier than Daniel will show up with Anna and Peter and Helene.”
“Still, let’s go now.”
“We just need to put ourselves in order.” Edward takes his shirt lying on the bed, puts it on, and closes all the buttons except the two top ones. “Otherwise, we’ll have to hear the jokes of Terrence, Peter, and Daniel.”
“And the girls won’t miss a chance to laugh,” Natalia replies, putting her hair in order and fixing her dress.
“But they’re gonna be very happy when we tell them about our engagement,” Edward notices, stroking his hair down.
Edward and Natalia get up from the bed and understand that their legs are still a little weak after the unforgettable foreplay.
“Oh, I think it’s a good reason to come together with close people,” Natalia says with a slight smile, holding her mobile phone tightly.
“That’s great!” Edward exclaims, fixing the bedclothes, so they're smooth, and fluffing the pillows. “We’ll tell our friends everything now, but when we go home, our mothers and fathers will know it.”
“And they’re gonna be jumping from happiness.”
“Especially our moms. My mom has been dreaming of you and me marrying for a long time.”
“And I will show my gorgeous ring that I’m gonna wear with great pride.”
“Aw, sweetie…” Edward takes his mobile phone and the keys from his car and house from the table. “Come on…”115Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iZSyyIaM4
Edward lets Natalia go forward, so she leaves the room first and closes the door. Then he goes downstairs along with her, leaves the house, and locks the hall door with a key.
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