Page 279 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 1

He frowned. “I have never thought of you that way,” he said in a firm voice. “None of us have.”

Anna pressed her lips together. She was pretty sure Alex thought of her that way. She gave him a small smile. “I have Jenna and Matt and Aaron. I’ll be okay. Kurt needs you, and if you stay here, you’re too far away if something bad happens.” She squeezed his hand. “You need to go home.”

“I do not want you to feel that I have abandoned you.”

She looked at him for a long moment. “You’d never abandon me.”

“Then why do you think that of Alex?” he asked softly.

Her heart twinged at the sound of Alex’s name and struggled to come up with a good answer. She didn’t exactly know why she felt the way she did. She just... did. “Because he acted like he loved me,” she whispered after several long moments of silence.

“He loves you, Anna. I know this to be a fact.”

Anna shook her head. “He hardly talked to me the last time he was in town. He’s barely called at all. And he supported Devin’s decision about me not going to New York. He?—‍”

“Being in New York without Alex or Devin would have been dangerous. Alex was right.”

“Being here with Devin isn’t safe either.”

Wilhelm sighed. “I know.”

They were quiet for a few minutes.

“You should get dressed. I’m sure Kurt wants to be going soon.” She forced a smile. “I’ll be okay. Really.”

Wilhelm stood and began dressing. When he finished, he sat back down next to Anna. “Call me. Anytime, if you need me, alright? And I will see you in a few weeks.”

Anna frowned as her heart twinged again. “I don’t want to go to Germany.”

“Not even to see myself and Kurt?” he smiled at her, eyes twinkling.

“You’ll be with your wives. I like it better when you visit me here.”

“Alex wants you to come, Anna. You need to obey him.”

Anna felt the chastisement and hung her head. “Yes, Wilhelm.”

“Anna, I didn’t mean—‍” Wilhelm saw at her changed posture and realized his mistake. He had just treated her as a slave when he’d just promised her he didn’t think of her like that. And he didn’t think of her like that... did he? He silently cursed himself. “I am sorry.” He pulled her into his lap and hugged her close. “I should not have said that.”

She sat stiffly in his arms. “It’s fine.”

Wilhelm sighed. “Anna, I—‍” The phone interrupted him. Kurt’s picture flashed on the screen. “Hello, Kurt,” he answered in German.

“Are you at the hotel yet? I called and spoke to the pilot. They’ll be ready by the time we get there.”

Wilhelm could hear the anxiety in son’s voice. “I’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”

“Is Anna alright?”

“Not really.”

“Gretchen always has terrible timing.”

“She does, but you need to be there for her. For the sake of your son. I’ll be there soon.” Wilhelm put his phone back in his pocket and hugged Anna to himself.

Anna held herself still in Wilhelm’s arms, listening to him speak in his native language.

He hugged her to him after he put his phone away. “Anna, are you sure you do not want me to stay?”

---