Page 11 of Secrets on Ice

“We left Wisconsin.”

“I know that. Emmett told me you were in New York. I mean, why did you leave them?”

My throat closes. “Mom …” I try to hold back my tears.

Her voice instantly softens. “Oh, sweetheart. What did he do?”

The tears I’ve been holding back start falling again.

“Cassidy found Trevor’s phone at home this morning. We were going to the gym, so we thought we’d drop it off at the Maple Street flip.”

“Okay.”

“He wasn’t there.” I grip the phone tighter as I explain. “We checked his location. He was at Magnolia Avenue.”

“With Kevin?” she adds.

“Yes.”

Another pause.

“We went there.” I can hear her breathing on the other end. “And we found them together.”

“What do you mean together?” I wipe my cheek with the heel of my hand. “Together, Mom. They were naked on the floor on a blanket.”

The line goes silent. I don’t have to explain it further.

“Oh, my god.”

“Yeah.”

“You saw them?” she asks.

“Yes.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Her voice breaks, which makes me cry harder. “I’m so sorry.”

“I didn’t know what to do. I think we were in shock, and we ended up at the airport on our way to New York.”

“I’m getting on the next plane and coming to New York,” she tells me.

“No, Mom. I’m fine. Cassidy and I are fine …”

“I’m not leaving you there by yourself after something like this,” she says, and I know in this moment she wants to solve the problem that is my marriage, but I think I need to work it out myself first.

“I’m with Emmett.”

“But you’re my daughter, and I just want to hug you.” I can hear her crying.

“I know, Mom, but …”

“You’re overwhelmed …?”

I nod. “Yeah, we both are. We … um … this is a lot to navigate, so I think Cass and I just want to … I don’t know … work it out ourselves first.”

“I understand,” she says quietly. “Well, I’m here for you day or night whenever you need to talk,” she assures me. “And I need you to know you did nothing wrong.”

“I know.” But a tiny part of me doesn’t believe that yet. Because how did I not know? How could I have been married to someone for that long and not see it?