around.
Anna hesitated. “Be careful.”
“Did he threaten me?”
Anna nodded.
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You too.”
He gave her a sad smile and then left.
Anna dressed in her street clothes and
impatiently waited for Jenna in the hallway. “C’mon,” Anna said
when she came around the corner. “Let’s go.”
They walked quickly to Anna’s car.
“Jenna…when you’re there…,” Anna began.
“I…maybe you should stay with Matt tonight.”
“Why?”
Anna gripped the steering wheel tightly as
she drove to their building. “Because Devin’s angry at me…and I
don’t want you to hear what he does to me.”
“Anna, I can handle it. I want to be there
for you when he leaves.”
“If he leaves. Sometimes he stays all night.”
Anna sighed. “He’s testing to see what you do if you…hear me
screaming. You have to stay away. You can’t interfere. And whatever
you do, do not tell Greg. I don’t want to have anything to do with
him.”
“Anna, he’s a nice guy.”
“He has something to do with Alex, and I
don’t want anything to do with Alex.”
Jenna gave her a strange look. “Why?”
“Because I hate him. And he hates me. I hope
he stays in Germany forever.” Anna was feeling it more now than
ever. Alex certainly didn’t care about her. He hadn’t even called
after Ben died.
“I highly doubt he hates you, Anna. He wants
you to go see him in Germany.”
Anna snorted. “He probably just wants to make
me miserable. Besides, I’m not going.”
“You’re not going? How are you going to
manage that?”
“He’s certainly not going to bother to come
out here and get me. I’ll just ‘accidentally’ miss the flight and
then I can stay here.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “He’s not an idiot,
Anna. He’ll make sure you get on that plane.”
“Fat chance,” Anna growled. “I won’t pack. I
won’t open the door.”
“I think you should go. It will be good for
you to get away.” Jenna smiled. “Don’t think of it as going to see
Alex. Think of it as…getting away from Devin for two weeks.”
Anna opened her mouth, but her smart remark
stuck in her throat. Getting away from Devin for two weeks? That
was appealing. “I suppose I could think of it that way,” she said
slowly. “But I’m not going to talk to Alex. I’ll sit in my room and
lock the door.” She snorted. “Or maybe he’ll just stick me in the
Manor and leave me there. He says his dad’s Manor is nicer than
Devin’s. That the girls are happy there and stuff.”
Anna pulled into her parking spot a few
minutes later. She was exhausted. This emotional roller coaster
she’d been on for the last week was taking its toll.
They walked up to their apartment in silence
and Anna unlocked the door. “Please, Jenna,” she pleaded as they
walked in. “Don’t stay. I don’t want you to hear me.”
Jenna frowned. “Then put your phone by your
bed and text me when he leaves so I can come check on you.”
“I can't guarantee you I’ll be
conscious.”
Jenna’s frown deepened. “Then I’m staying.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m here because you need
someone to be here with you, Anna. You need someone to watch over
you.”
“I’ll be fine. Devin won’t do anything to
permanently hurt me.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
Anna sighed. “I have to go shower. Do
whatever you want.” She turned and walked into her bedroom and
closed the door.
Chapter Eighteen
Once inside her room, Anna started trembling.
Devin was right. She had vulnerabilities now. Her friends were
targets. Any time she angered Devin, he might go after them instead
of her. It would be better if she stayed away from them. But
how?
She contemplated avoiding people as she sat
on her bed and waited for Devin to come. She didn’t know if Jenna
was still here and hoped she wasn’t.
The knock at the apartment door startled her
out of her thoughts. She jumped up and quickly walked to the door
to answer
Anna hesitated. “Be careful.”
“Did he threaten me?”
Anna nodded.
He looked thoughtful for a moment. “You too.”
He gave her a sad smile and then left.
Anna dressed in her street clothes and
impatiently waited for Jenna in the hallway. “C’mon,” Anna said
when she came around the corner. “Let’s go.”
They walked quickly to Anna’s car.
“Jenna…when you’re there…,” Anna began.
“I…maybe you should stay with Matt tonight.”
“Why?”
Anna gripped the steering wheel tightly as
she drove to their building. “Because Devin’s angry at me…and I
don’t want you to hear what he does to me.”
“Anna, I can handle it. I want to be there
for you when he leaves.”
“If he leaves. Sometimes he stays all night.”
Anna sighed. “He’s testing to see what you do if you…hear me
screaming. You have to stay away. You can’t interfere. And whatever
you do, do not tell Greg. I don’t want to have anything to do with
him.”
“Anna, he’s a nice guy.”
“He has something to do with Alex, and I
don’t want anything to do with Alex.”
Jenna gave her a strange look. “Why?”
“Because I hate him. And he hates me. I hope
he stays in Germany forever.” Anna was feeling it more now than
ever. Alex certainly didn’t care about her. He hadn’t even called
after Ben died.
“I highly doubt he hates you, Anna. He wants
you to go see him in Germany.”
Anna snorted. “He probably just wants to make
me miserable. Besides, I’m not going.”
“You’re not going? How are you going to
manage that?”
“He’s certainly not going to bother to come
out here and get me. I’ll just ‘accidentally’ miss the flight and
then I can stay here.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. “He’s not an idiot,
Anna. He’ll make sure you get on that plane.”
“Fat chance,” Anna growled. “I won’t pack. I
won’t open the door.”
“I think you should go. It will be good for
you to get away.” Jenna smiled. “Don’t think of it as going to see
Alex. Think of it as…getting away from Devin for two weeks.”
Anna opened her mouth, but her smart remark
stuck in her throat. Getting away from Devin for two weeks? That
was appealing. “I suppose I could think of it that way,” she said
slowly. “But I’m not going to talk to Alex. I’ll sit in my room and
lock the door.” She snorted. “Or maybe he’ll just stick me in the
Manor and leave me there. He says his dad’s Manor is nicer than
Devin’s. That the girls are happy there and stuff.”
Anna pulled into her parking spot a few
minutes later. She was exhausted. This emotional roller coaster
she’d been on for the last week was taking its toll.
They walked up to their apartment in silence
and Anna unlocked the door. “Please, Jenna,” she pleaded as they
walked in. “Don’t stay. I don’t want you to hear me.”
Jenna frowned. “Then put your phone by your
bed and text me when he leaves so I can come check on you.”
“I can't guarantee you I’ll be
conscious.”
Jenna’s frown deepened. “Then I’m staying.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m here because you need
someone to be here with you, Anna. You need someone to watch over
you.”
“I’ll be fine. Devin won’t do anything to
permanently hurt me.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
Anna sighed. “I have to go shower. Do
whatever you want.” She turned and walked into her bedroom and
closed the door.
Chapter Eighteen
Once inside her room, Anna started trembling.
Devin was right. She had vulnerabilities now. Her friends were
targets. Any time she angered Devin, he might go after them instead
of her. It would be better if she stayed away from them. But
how?
She contemplated avoiding people as she sat
on her bed and waited for Devin to come. She didn’t know if Jenna
was still here and hoped she wasn’t.
The knock at the apartment door startled her
out of her thoughts. She jumped up and quickly walked to the door
to answer
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