Anna’s face was hard to read, but her shock and dismay were obvious. She’d had no idea that Vronsky had had sex with Kimmie and overhearing her pain about it broke her heart and left her feeling sick in the pit of her stomach. Sitting in the closet listening, she wondered if perhaps Alexander was right, that she didn’t know Vronsky as well as she thought she did. How could he have treated a sweet girl like Kimmie so cavalierly? What kind of guy would take a girl’s virginity and not even contact her the next day? Sure, she realized she was in no position to judge after what she did to Alexander, but she knew she was in the wrong over her actions and was deeply remorseful. That didn’t seem to be the case with Vronsky when it came to Kimmie.

Anna told Vronsky she was going to do what Alexander had asked of her. She needed time to think things through and their intimacy was clouding what was left of her good judgment. Anna was particularly pained because prior to Kimmie’s intrusion, and despite the fact that she had told herself and Alexander she would refrain from having sex with Vronsky, she had been on the verge of sleeping with him again. “I told you I made a promise to Alexander and I want to keep it,” she said in a voice so quiet he had to lean forward to hear her. “It was only two weeks that we had to wait, but still you tried to have sex with me anyway. Am I not worth waiting for?”

Vronsky slid off his bed and got on his knees. He begged Anna not to leave him this way. He told her he was sorry, that she had to forgive him. He could hardly resist her the same way she could barely resist him. He loved her, would always love her, only her, forever. He admitted he’d treated every girl before her like dirt, and he now saw the error of his ways. She was the most precious thing to him in the world. He pleaded for a second chance.

“You know me, Anna,” he said, pitifully, not even bothering to wipe away the tears falling down his beautiful face. “You know you do. Just like I know you.”

“I don’t know anything anymore, Alexia,” Anna said, involuntarily reaching out to touch his face, but then stopping herself. “Actually that’s not true. I do know one thing, Kimmie’s got a right to be disappointed in you, and now I know exactly how she feels. I’m going to leave now, and please don’t contact me.”