When Will told me Maya hadn't lost her baby, I breathed a sigh of relief so huge it almost hurt.

Quite a few sad things had happened in my life, but this one would be such a new kind of unpleasantness that I really didn't want to experience. I was very happy about this baby. I have never had the opportunity to observe a pregnant woman in my own environment and await a charming baby with her. If Maya had a miscarriage, my heart would break.

I didn't want to talk about it or even listen to it, but the fact is that although Maya and her baby are in a stable condition, her pregnancy is at such high risk that her child's life may be in danger for the entire eight months. As a result, Maya will be forced to stay in bed most likely until the labor day.

It was known the very next day, so in the afternoon Uncle Monty and Will agreed on a plan of action and, due to Maya's poor state (she still had to stay in the hospital for observation) and a categorical ban on air travel that the woman received from her doctor, my uncle and brother decided to separate. In the beginning, I had a long discussion with Will, because I wasn't exactly happy to leave Maya and go home. I wanted to accompany her, help, and everything else, but my brother was adamant. We had to go back. I had school, he had duties, and Maya had her fiancé to be assisted by.

But I talked to her on the phone quite often. I listened patiently to her complaints, whining, but also jokes and curiosities from her life. Maya, even tied to a bed, had lots of stories to tell.

It wasn't until the next day after our return from Vegas that I had a chance to catch Sonny alone. I was just shuffling towards my bedroom after dinner, and he was standing nearby. When I saw him, I remembered how shamefully I had yelled at him in the hotel when I didn't know what was happening to Maya. Immediately, I wanted to peel the skin off my own face just so I could feel less embarrassment. God, I was so dumb!

"Sonny?" I asked, stopping in front of the door to my bedroom. He was dressed in black clothes, fitting perfectly into the darkness of the hall. Only his blonde hair stood out.

"Yes, miss Monet?"

I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Can't you call me by my name?"

"I don't think so, miss Monet."

Okay, whatever, I thought.

"I wanted to..." I began and bit my lip. What exactly should I tell him? I took a tiny, microscopic step towards him, but at the same time grabbed the handle of my door, which must have looked quite silly. "I'm sorry I cursed at you... I panicked, that's why. Usually, I'm not that rude, really."

I let go of the handle and tucked my hair behind my ears. Apologizing to Sonny, I looked a little at his feet and tried a bit to make eye contact with him, but it wasn't easy. I didn't know him very well, and yet his face was showing here and there every day, which made me feel a strange attachment to him. Nothing big or strong, but it was just kind of a simple habit to have him on my side.

"It's okay, you don't have to apologize to me. And I know that you are not normally like that, after all, I follow you all the time. I got to know you a bit," Sonny said with a slightly amused smile which was a little mocking, similar to Dylan's, only not as malicious.

"Ah, well... yeah..." I muttered. "Yeah. So I just wanted to explain myself. I panicked and it kind of slipped out."

"Don't worry, I won't tell your brothers."

My eyes widened and I looked around to see if neither of my siblings heard it. Jesus, Sonny, that's not what I meant!

"That's not what I meant!" I repeated my thought aloud.

"Sure," Sonny laughed shortly and softly, then added. "But seriously, I appreciate the apology, Miss Monet. Especially since, to be honest, I'd swear all the time if I were you."

"Why?"

"For example, due to the limited privacy and the constant presence of a security guard," he shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm screwed," I sighed, nodding my head.

"You are," Sonny agreed.

He looked at me with amusement as I sighed once more over my fate, then I waved at him weirdly, mumbling "Good night" to which he immediately kindly replied.

The rest of October flew by very quickly and a rainy November started soon. If it weren't for my birthday, I would have hated this month because it was really nasty. It was cold, short days passed one by one, effectively limiting my productivity, though I tried to get as much out of them as I could. I studied a lot because we were slowly entering the exam period at school, and I continued training with my brothers. I had a hard time with Dylan every time. He, too, was stressed out by his studies and during the cold, unhappy evenings he used less of the opportunity to go wild at parties, which made him terribly unbearable. More than usual. Training with Will was completely different, but he, unfortunately, didn't have much time for it. But I saw that he always tries to devote a little bit of it to me, and I appreciated it very much. I also continued shooting lessons with Tony, although, as Vincent had announced, less attention was paid to them, so they were held sporadically. Nevertheless, I managed to develop my skills in this field and I had to proudly admit to myself that I was not as hopeless as it might be expected. Even Tony praised me twice, which equaled a miracle.

I also started to slowly get into work for the Monet Foundation. I visited its headquarters more often, though not as often as I would like. About this time, a shy idea began to sprout in my head. It would be awesome to learn a new skill, which is driving. And then one day Mona boasted that she got her driver's license and is well on her way to get a car as a Christmas gift from her parents. Then Marshall said that right after his birthday in December, he would also enroll in the course because his parents insisted that they would let him start learning to drive only after his sixteenth birthday.

I didn't want to stand out from the other kids in my year, first of all. Second, I really wanted to learn to drive, and I spent several evenings looking for factual arguments with which I could go to Vincent and be taken seriously by him.

I was going to see him on Thursday, so right after my class, I went to the forbidden corridor, which was no longer as unattainable for me as it was at the beginning. Sure, I'd still probably get it if I just went there with no reason, but lately, I've been going there quite a lot when Vincent wanted something from me, or when I wanted something from him, like some stupid signature for school, and also I was going there sometimes with Tony to the shooting range. It was still shrouded in mystery and certain inaccessibility, but now I didn't feel it so much.

Sonny was traditionally following me as I made my way down this long corridor. Then I was stopped for a second by Vincent's bodyguard who quickly allowed me to enter my brother's office.

One of the visible changes that have taken place in Vincent is how he welcomes me. Now it was much less formal than before. I still sat in those chairs in front of his desk from time to time, especially when I was popping in for a moment for something specific, but today I sat on the couch, and Vince, seeing that, stood up and took a seat next to me.

After exchanging the usual pleasantries and questions like "How's work" and "How's the school" I cut to the chase.

"I'd like to learn to drive," I started cautiously. My brothers' reactions are usually fairly logically predictable. For example, I know Dylan almost always prefers to defy me. Though it might not be entirely the same with Vince. With him, I never know what to expect.

This time he nodded, not at all surprised by my request. So he must have guessed that I would eventually ask about it. This means that he has the topic already thought out and either he will agree and everything will be great, or he will not agree and none of my prepared arguments will change his opinion.

"I'd like to have a driving license because, apart from the fact that it'll be useful to me in the future, I could use it even now. I could go to the foundation and to the school when Shane and Tony have other plans, I could, you know..." I said, presenting the learned lines to properly justify my speech, finally pausing. Vince was listening politely to me, but in his eyes, I could see that he already knew exactly what to say to me. He waited not to interrupt me, and when he was sure I had been silent for a longer time, he began to speak himself.

"I don't mind if you learn to drive or even get your driving license. However, don't expect to be more mobile as a result. I won't let you go anywhere alone, no matter how good a driver you turn out to be."

You could see my disappointment with the naked eye. My shoulders dropped and the gleam in my eyes instantly faded. I looked like a wilted flower. I hung up for a moment, staring at Vincent without saying a word.

"Don't look at me like this," he said with a light, almost invisible smile that was wandering on his lips. "It's dangerous, Hailie."

"But come on, I won't put myself in any more danger than riding with Tony or Shane. They drive like crazy!" I groaned irritably.

"I'm not talking only about possible accidents, but about bad people who can take advantage of the fact that the alone Hailie Monet drives a car with no experience. You might as well walk into the woods with meat on and just wait for something to eat you."

"This is so stupid!" I complained, feeling both angry and resentment at the same time.

"Having your name comes with many privileges but also limitations, dear Hailie."

"But I have Sonny," I objected, turning to glance at my bodyguard, whose there was no trace of in Vincent's office. Apparently, he didn't follow me in here, and I didn't even notice. Well, maybe I was slowly getting used to ignoring him.

"Sonny has to always follow you. He's your bodyguard who has to stay focused on your safety at all times. He can't be distracted as a driving teacher. He has to stay in its own vehicle, always ready to step into action if necessary. Do you understand what I'm talking about?"

"It's so stupid..." I repeated, defeated. So much for my plans. I leaned back onto the couch.

"I'm sorry," Vince said in a tone that did not confirm the meaning of his words at all. He was watching me impassively, and when I didn't speak, because I had lost the will to any further discussion, he approached me again. "So what, do you still want driving lessons?"

I scowled at him.

"For what?" I grunted a bit rudely, but I was really angry.

Vince stood up slowly as if on cue.

"If not, then I have nothing to add," he announced and went to his desk. I wanted to strangle him for a moment, and then I thought that it'd be best to just leave being offended, but luckily I controlled over those impulses and took a deep breath, silently. If I finish this topic like this now, it will be ages before I dare to return to it again. And driving was worth learning, even if it was supposed to be on Vincent's moronic principles.

"Yes, I still want driving lessons," I said aloud, trying to sound a little more humble.

Vince nodded.

"Well then. I'll think about it and let you know how we arrange it," he announced, and that ended this conversation.

I was really disappointed because at one point I really believed that I would be able to finally free myself from the twins and drive my own car to school, not at their mercy. Once again, however, the reality called Vince stood in the way of my dreams.

After all, he actually planned for me driving lessons, but I felt a little overwhelmed when I was about to take my first one and it turned out it'll be with my eldest brother himself. I imagined Vince was the type of demanding teacher, the kind for whom even giving your best is still not enough and who sets goals that are impossible to achieve.

That's why I was so stressed out when he, wearing a black T-shirt and pants, but still, elegant watch on his wrist and a huge ring on his finger grabbed the keys of the least extravagant car in our garage and waved me into it. Vince had generously driven out of the garage, not wanting to expose my brothers' collection of disgustingly expensive cars to my lame attempts to find myself behind the wheel. From the beginning, he announced that today I wouldn't go crazy, but he wanted to at least see how quickly I get the basics of driving. He stopped on a large piece of lawn near our house, which was devoid of any trees or bushes. This is where the guys sometimes made a field for playing some sports because there was a lot of free space.

A few smooth maneuvers later, Vince had already moved into my seat. I got behind the wheel uneasily. It was a strange feeling that I was finally going to be the person in control of the vehicle. Before, I'd only sat in the driver's seat a few times, always as a little girl, waiting for my mom to come back from the store and pretending to be in some crazy life-and-death races.

Vince helped me to set the seat in the right position for me, he also lowered the steering wheel and asked about the basic concepts of driving a car to make sure that I knew, for example, where the brake or gas pedal was.

I was learning delicacy and intuition. The car that I used for my lessons was quite responsive, but of course not as sensitive as some of my brothers' sports cars. More than a few times, I had braked far too abruptly, but Vincent only closed his eyelids for a second to open them and patiently admonish or direct me. Driving the car, especially in an empty field, where it was impossible to hit anything, turned out to be quite easy and after a while even fun. Vince was telling me when to turn and which way, and I did it, struggling to synchronize the steering wheel movements with the turn signal, which I did a bit haphazardly. Back then, I was nervous that I was doing badly and I was even more stressed. What scared me most was when out of nowhere Dylan wearing a loose black sweatshirt jumped out in front of the car's hood.

"Go away!" I shouted at him, which I knew he heard perfectly, even though the car windows weren't down. Vince waved at him dismissively as well to make him leave. But Dylan was having too much fun.

"Is little Hailie learning to drive?" He tilted his head, straightening up, and I saw from the corner of my eye that Tony was standing in front of the house, leaning against one of the pillars, smoking a cigarette, watching us. "But you know this isn't a battery car for babies, but a real one?"

"Get out, Dylan!" I called out again. He is so tiring...

"You have a child seat there, right?" he continued his teasing, craning his neck and pretending to try to see what I was sitting on.

Then I stepped on the gas pedal and drove into him without thinking. I nudged him with the car, but with his admirable reflexes, he quickly jumped aside. Immediately after the maneuver, I braked sharply and first glanced in the mirror, where I could see Dylan turning away to look at the back of the car. He looked amused but was also shaking his head in disbelief. I didn't have to glance at Tony to know he was probably laughing. Then I looked at Vincent, who raised his eyes up to the sky and ran a hand through his back-slicked hair.

"Mhm, great, Hailie, I think that's enough for now," he decided and unfastened his seat belt.

"But are we still going to have the lessons?" I asked, scared that in his eyes I turned out to be such a fatal and irresponsible driver that he changed his mind about my driving adventure. Fortunately, he nodded.

"Just not with bored Dylan in sight," he reserved.

Well, that's even more convenient for me.

So every time Vince had a moment, the rest of my brothers were busy and the weather was tolerable, I was getting used to the car. I never rode for long because Vince never had a lot of time, but such short lessons from time to time also gave me a lot. The more confident I felt as a driver, the more I regretted the fact that I wouldn't be allowed to drive too often.

Besides that, my acquaintance with Leo was also sprouting. I was attracted to him all the time, something I couldn't explain. If I believed in witchcraft, I'd be sure someone had cast a spell on me. Out of caution, I still preferred to text with him on the phone, which, unexpectedly, we did endlessly. I was really hoping Vince didn't actually look at my messages like Will said. I was careful not to sit too much on my phone in front of my brothers to avoid uncomfortable questions, like in Vegas. Fortunately, Will seemed to drop the Leo topic, or at least suspend it, but sometimes when I grabbed the phone he would peer at me suspiciously. That's why I mostly texted Leo when locked safely in the oasis of peace that was my bedroom.

However, with time I started missing face-to-face contact, especially since Leo was so reachable because we went to school together! If it weren't for the twins, it would be so beautiful. We could see each other almost every break and even sit together in the cafeteria. I liked Mona and Marshall, but Leo certainly knew more about my feelings and opinions at this point. It was with him that I never ran out of conversation topics. At one point, I felt a bit like Shakespearean Julia, although there was no talk about love in our relationship. We didn't even kiss anymore, though I'd be a liar if I said I didn't want to remember what it was like to feel his lips on mine.

And it was in November that the opportunity for a reminder appeared.

Sometimes I managed to meet with Leo somewhere for a moment, literally a moment, and it was also that day because it happened that I was sitting on the windowsill, which became my new habit while waiting for classes, and Leo was passing by. When he noticed me, he came over to me and smiled sweetly. I swear my sugar rose. He stood right in front of me, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Believe it or not, but it was as a natural welcome as I'd normally spend my whole days in his embrace. I felt his slightly muscled shoulders and arms wrapped around my waist. Amazingly, it was a very friendly hug. As I said, natural. Like saying "Good morning" to a teacher or shaking hands with a businessman in a meeting.

We exchanged a few words, a few smiles and somehow I accidentally dropped my bag to the ground, and as Leo was already standing, he quickly bent down to pick it up, putting his hand just above my knee. It was a simple, automatic gesture to inform me that he'd pick up the bag for me so that I'd just sit and not worry. That he'd take care of it.

BUT, I felt something more, something indescribable, and just stared at this hand, completely losing interest in what would eventually happen to my bag, whether books had spilled out of it, or a bottle of water had fallen out... That hand and that closeness were something that in the middle of my heart I dreamed of in a secret even to myself.

The hand twitched, and I immediately covered it with my own, scared that it was about to disappear and I'd lose that amazing bond that had so suddenly formed between me and my friend. It was then that I realized what I had done and immediately looked up at Leo, who was already standing over me again, his expression unreadable. He felt it too. For sure. For sure.