Chapter 42

Anna forced herself to act warmly to Aaron on stage, but as soon as she stepped off, she was as cold as ice to him. It was difficult, but she’d had plenty of practice at hiding her true feelings lately. And she refused to let herself feel the pain of his leaving. If she could hate him, it wouldn’t hurt so badly.

But it did hurt. Oh, how it hurt! By the time the final performance began, she knew she couldn’t let him leave thinking she hated him. She’d never forgive herself.

After the last performance, she knocked on Aaron’s dressing room door. Peter was busy, so she had a few minutes to say goodbye. Aaron was leaving in the morning.

Aaron’s muffled voice came from inside. “Come in.”

Anna walked in and closed the door behind her. Aaron looked surprised and a little wary to see her.

“Aaron...” Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. “Why?”

He looked away. “I told you why.”

“Please don’t. Don’t leave me.” Fat tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.

Aaron was on his feet and had her in his arms before the first tear hit her shirt. She leaned her head against his chest, closed her eyes, and breathed in his scent. She hadn’t been in his arms for so long.

When she looked up at him, his eyes were stormy with emotion. She opened her mouth to speak and he crushed his lips against hers. She moaned softly as his mouth took possession of hers, his arms holding her tightly against his body.

“Anna...” He groaned as she kissed his neck and chest.

“Love me. One last time.”

Aaron kissed Anna’s neck as he softened inside her. “I love you, Anna. I will always love you.”

“I love you t?—?”

The door opened and Peter walked inside. He spotted Aaron and Anna on the couch and inhaled sharply before closing the door quickly behind him and frowning.

Aaron pushed himself up. “Peter, I?—?”

Peter held his hand up and sighed. “Don’t.” He looked at Anna. “Get dressed.”

Anna rolled off the couch and gathered her clothes, dressing quickly. Aaron did the same. Peter’s jaw was clenched and he stared at the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. “Peter?—?”

He held up his hand. “Say goodbye. I’ll be in the hallway.” He opened the door and walked out of the room, but left the door open.

Aaron pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to miss you terribly.”

Anna closed her eyes and leaned her head on his chest. “Me too. I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”

He looked toward the doorway. “Peter’s here. He’ll take care of you.”

Anna nodded, knowing Aaron was right. But for how long?

“Goodbye, Anna.” He kissed her and then stepped away.

“Goodbye, Aaron.” She looked at him one last time and then turned and walked out the door. She glanced back to see him watching her, a pained expression on his face. He nodded and she gave a small smile and turned away, unwilling to draw out the pain of his leaving any longer.

The car was silent as Peter drove through the streets of the city to their apartment. He parked and they made their way to their apartment, all without speaking.

As she dropped her bag on the floor near the door, Anna finally gathered her courage to speak. “Are you angry?”

Peter stopped near the breakfast bar in the kitchen. He put his hands on the counter and hung his head. “I have to leave tomorrow, too, Anna.” He paused. “I didn’t really want sloppy seconds for my last night with you for a week.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She bit her lip. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Peter. She hadn’t forgotten he was leaving, she just... she had to make up with Aaron before he left forever. “I’ll go shower.”

“Don’t bother.” His voice was soft, but not angry.

Anna thought she’d rather he be angry at her than hurt.

He went to the fridge, pulled out a bottle of beer, opened it, and sat down on the couch. “I think you should go to bed.” He didn’t look at her.

Anna nodded and went into the bedroom. She showered and lay down in the dark, staring out the window out into the night. The living room was silent, save for the occasional sound of Peter shifting on the couch. He came to bed a while later and got into bed without touching her. After a while, he began snoring. Anna curled up around her pillow and closed her eyes, willing herself to go to sleep.

The room came slowly into view, but it was empty. She looked around the tiny room, willing for him to appear, but it remained stubbornly empty. The bed was made, the window was open, and morning light streamed through the opening. Dust danced in the sunlight.

She walked to the window and looked out onto a huge grassy yard with an ancient oak tree in the center. The window was very high from the ground, three stories maybe, and the wall of the tower beneath her was smooth stone. The tower lay at one end of a huge stone castle. A high stone wall stood out at a fair distance from where she stood and seemed to surround the enormous building. At least as far as she could see. In the far distance were high mountains, their peaks still covered in snow. The air was clean and crisp and she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and enjoying a moment of peace. His presence filled the room, even though he wasn’t there.

A door opened behind her and she turned to see Alex’s frame filling the doorway. His hair was pulled back in the customary ponytail, but his beard was a little shaggier than she’d seen in a while.

“Anna...” He smiled and closed the door behind him. He walked across the room and sat down on the bed. “You haven’t visited in a long time.”

Anna nodded. “I don’t know why. I don’t even know why I keep dreaming of you.”

Alex smiled again, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Anna realized that if he were still alive, he would be thirty-two years old. “I like that you do. I look forward to seeing you. I’ve missed you.”

“I always miss you, Alex.” A smile tugged at her lips, though she couldn’t bring herself to fully engage the idea of smiling. “Devin gave me your ring back. I keep it on the nightstand next to my bed. My wedding rings, too.”

Alex nodded. “I’m glad.” He studied her. “You look sad.”

“Aaron’s moving to New York.”

His brows twitched. “Why?”

“He said that he couldn’t deal with being near me and not being able to be with me.”

Alex’s frown deepened, but he said nothing.

“I told him he was breaking his promise to you by leaving, but he said he had to go.”

“He wouldn’t go without a reason, Schatzi ,” he said softly, seeming to contemplate his own words. “Trust him.”

Anna winced at a sharp pain in her head and the room spun.

Alex stood and came to kneel next to her. “You need to go, Schatzi .”

“I don’t want to,” she whispered, holding her head and gasping at the pain. “I just got here.”

“Please, Anna. I don’t want you to hurt. You’ll come again.” He reached out to caress her face, and she felt the faintest touch before the room dissolved from her vision and she awoke.

Anna sat up in bed, panting. Her head ached and she rubbed her eyes. The room was still dark.

“Are you okay?” Peter sat up and put his hand on her back.

“I dreamed of Alex,” she whispered. She stared into the darkness. “I told him Aaron was leaving.”

“How did he respond?”

“He told me I should trust Aaron. That he wouldn’t leave without a good reason.” Anna shook her head, tears filling her eyes. She didn’t know which was worse: dreaming of Alex again or Aaron leaving.

Peter pulled Anna to him. He lay back down in bed and wrapped his arms around her. “Your dreams are wise, Anna,” he said softly. “I’m sorry I got angry. I shouldn’t have begrudged you saying goodbye to Aaron.”

Anna snuggled closer to Peter. “I should have asked. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for. I was jealous.” He kissed her forehead and she closed her eyes, back to sleep within minutes in his warm embrace.

Peter left the next morning to go to St. Petersburg. “I will see you Saturday,” he said, kissing her goodbye at the airport. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She waved as he walked into the airport, waited until he was out of sight, and then drove back into the city to Devin’s house, as he’d instructed her to do.

When she arrived, she parked Alex’s car out front and went to ring the doorbell. Devin wouldn’t be home until evening, but he’d told her he wanted her there as soon as she’d dropped Peter off.

Tyler opened the door and she gasped. He had a condo downtown where he and his wife lived. “What are you doing here?”

He grinned. “April’s job hunting today. Dad suggested I come over and make sure you settled in okay.” He stepped aside to let her in, then slid his hands around her waist, biting her neck. He pressed his hips against her ass. “God, I need a woman who knows what she’s doing.” He reached under her shirt and tweaked her nipples hard.

Anna yelped. It would be a long day.

By the time Devin arrived home, Anna could barely move. She was bruised from Tyler hitting her, and her ass was stretched to the limit from his fist. Before he left, he’d tied her to Devin’s bed. Devin wasn’t sympathetic. They ate dinner and then he used her until she passed out.

She slept the entire next day until Devin came home in the evening and did much the same as the day before. The entire week passed similarly. When Anna met Peter at the airport Saturday afternoon, after leaving the Manor, every movement made her groan or gasp in pain.

Peter held her for a long time when they got home. She wanted to stay awake and enjoy Peter’s return, but she fell asleep far too soon. She slept all day Sunday, too.