found until this morning?”
“You know how your brother is, Marcia,” Dave
said gently. “Maybe he just needed some time alone.”
Anna flushed in embarrassment. Did they know
about her? Had Ben told them? She was thankful that she was hidden
in the corner and that no one could see her. She didn’t belong
here. She should leave. Leave his family to grieve without her
tainted presence.
She stood quickly, and the room spun. Wilhelm
grabbed her before she could fall. “Anna, are you all right? Have
you eaten today?”
Anna shook her head. She wasn’t interested in
food right now.
“I think I will take her back to her
apartment and have her rest,” Wilhelm said. “
Kommen Sie,
Liebling
.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “I will make
sure she is all right. Let me know if there is anything you
need.”
“Thank you, Wilhelm,” Dave said. “I
appreciate your concern.”
“Anna means a great deal to myself and my
family. Anything that concerns her concerns me.”
Anna glanced at Matt. “Matt, can I talk to
you for a minute?” she asked.
He nodded and followed her to the door.
“Here,” she said, handing him the ring box.
“I…I don’t know what to do with it.”
“Anna, you should keep it. He’d want you to
have it.”
Anna shook her head. “How would I explain why
I had it?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes again. “I’m not
supposed to have seen him.” Her voice squeaked as she spoke.
Matt nodded. “I’ll put it with his things.
I’m sure his mom will give it to you when she finds it.”
“I don’t deserve it.”
Matt put his hands on her shoulders. “Anna,
Ben didn’t care about what you’d been forced to do. He loved you
and wanted to marry you. He was gonna ask you at the party. That’s
why his family was down here already.”
Anna closed her eyes. Ben had said he loved
her before he died.
“I will take care of her, Matt,” Wilhelm
said. “I think she needs some sleep. She did not sleep well all
weekend.”
Matt looked at him strangely but didn’t say
anything and nodded. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“
Danke
.”
*****
Anna let Wilhelm help her back to her
apartment. Her legs shook as she walked. Wilhelm ordered her some
dinner and watched her carefully as she ate.
“Do you want to dance tomorrow, Anna?” he
asked, sitting next to her on the couch after she’d finished. “Or
shall I call Isaak and let him know that you need some time
off?”
“Dancing is the only time I’m free,” she said
quietly. “A few minutes of solace.”
Wilhelm touched her cheek as he looked at her
closely. Then he nodded. “I understand. Then you need to make sure
you sleep well tonight. You look exhausted.”
Anna leaned against Wilhelm. “I hit Devin,”
she said without emotion.
Wilhelm stiffened. “You what?”
“I told him that I hated him and I got a
couple of hits in before Ian pulled me off him.”
Wilhelm chuckled. “I bet he was
surprised.”
Anna shrugged. “He didn’t seem to care. I hit
Ian, too.”
Wilhelm petted her hair and kissed the top of
her head. “You are full of surprises,
Liebling
.” He
paused. “Anna, with all that has happened…I do not know if it is
wise for you to live by yourself.”
“Why?”
“Because if something were to happen…I worry
about you. Would you consider having Jenna stay with you? At least
until the end of the year?”
Anna thought about it. Jenna probably
wouldn’t mind. She’d be closer to Matt, even though she stayed with
him most nights anyways. It would be nice to have someone to come
home with. The apartment felt so big right now. Big and empty.
She nodded. “Yes. That would be okay.”
Wilhelm smiled and kissed her temple.
“
Gut
. Go get ready for bed and I will go talk to her.”
“Okay.” Wilhelm left and Anna went into her
bedroom. She heard a faint ringing and looked around until she
found her phone in the bottom of her bag.
She saw it was Aaron calling.
“Hello.”
“Hey,
“You know how your brother is, Marcia,” Dave
said gently. “Maybe he just needed some time alone.”
Anna flushed in embarrassment. Did they know
about her? Had Ben told them? She was thankful that she was hidden
in the corner and that no one could see her. She didn’t belong
here. She should leave. Leave his family to grieve without her
tainted presence.
She stood quickly, and the room spun. Wilhelm
grabbed her before she could fall. “Anna, are you all right? Have
you eaten today?”
Anna shook her head. She wasn’t interested in
food right now.
“I think I will take her back to her
apartment and have her rest,” Wilhelm said. “
Kommen Sie,
Liebling
.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “I will make
sure she is all right. Let me know if there is anything you
need.”
“Thank you, Wilhelm,” Dave said. “I
appreciate your concern.”
“Anna means a great deal to myself and my
family. Anything that concerns her concerns me.”
Anna glanced at Matt. “Matt, can I talk to
you for a minute?” she asked.
He nodded and followed her to the door.
“Here,” she said, handing him the ring box.
“I…I don’t know what to do with it.”
“Anna, you should keep it. He’d want you to
have it.”
Anna shook her head. “How would I explain why
I had it?” she asked, tears forming in her eyes again. “I’m not
supposed to have seen him.” Her voice squeaked as she spoke.
Matt nodded. “I’ll put it with his things.
I’m sure his mom will give it to you when she finds it.”
“I don’t deserve it.”
Matt put his hands on her shoulders. “Anna,
Ben didn’t care about what you’d been forced to do. He loved you
and wanted to marry you. He was gonna ask you at the party. That’s
why his family was down here already.”
Anna closed her eyes. Ben had said he loved
her before he died.
“I will take care of her, Matt,” Wilhelm
said. “I think she needs some sleep. She did not sleep well all
weekend.”
Matt looked at him strangely but didn’t say
anything and nodded. “I’ll keep you updated.”
“
Danke
.”
*****
Anna let Wilhelm help her back to her
apartment. Her legs shook as she walked. Wilhelm ordered her some
dinner and watched her carefully as she ate.
“Do you want to dance tomorrow, Anna?” he
asked, sitting next to her on the couch after she’d finished. “Or
shall I call Isaak and let him know that you need some time
off?”
“Dancing is the only time I’m free,” she said
quietly. “A few minutes of solace.”
Wilhelm touched her cheek as he looked at her
closely. Then he nodded. “I understand. Then you need to make sure
you sleep well tonight. You look exhausted.”
Anna leaned against Wilhelm. “I hit Devin,”
she said without emotion.
Wilhelm stiffened. “You what?”
“I told him that I hated him and I got a
couple of hits in before Ian pulled me off him.”
Wilhelm chuckled. “I bet he was
surprised.”
Anna shrugged. “He didn’t seem to care. I hit
Ian, too.”
Wilhelm petted her hair and kissed the top of
her head. “You are full of surprises,
Liebling
.” He
paused. “Anna, with all that has happened…I do not know if it is
wise for you to live by yourself.”
“Why?”
“Because if something were to happen…I worry
about you. Would you consider having Jenna stay with you? At least
until the end of the year?”
Anna thought about it. Jenna probably
wouldn’t mind. She’d be closer to Matt, even though she stayed with
him most nights anyways. It would be nice to have someone to come
home with. The apartment felt so big right now. Big and empty.
She nodded. “Yes. That would be okay.”
Wilhelm smiled and kissed her temple.
“
Gut
. Go get ready for bed and I will go talk to her.”
“Okay.” Wilhelm left and Anna went into her
bedroom. She heard a faint ringing and looked around until she
found her phone in the bottom of her bag.
She saw it was Aaron calling.
“Hello.”
“Hey,
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