Page 76 of The Life of Anna-Tenth Anniversary Edition: Act 2

“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?”

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