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“I’m here. It’s okay, just tell me what happened.”

“I think Caleb was cheating on me.”

I freeze, my body tensing, and my brain rolls over what she said. I grip her gently by the upper arms and set her back from me to look into her eyes.

“Caleb would never do that.” What would make her think that?

She studies my face for a beat, then her body sinks, her shoulders slumping, and a breath rushes out of her mouth. “Thank God. I was hoping you didn’t know.”

“Collins, what are you talking about?” I hate the note of frustration in my tone, but I can’t believe she’d ever question Caleb’s commitment to her.

“After I texted you, I was afraid that when you came here and I told you, I’d realize that you already knew this whole time. I think that would have broken me.”

I shake my head. “Why would you ever think Caleb would cheat on you?”

She wraps her arms around her stomach. “I found some things. At first, I convinced myself I was paranoid, but then when I found the phone under the nightstand, I knew. I couldn’t keep lying to myself.”

She’s talking a mile a minute. I hold her upper arms, dipping my head to meet her gaze. “Slow down, start from the beginning.”

Collins draws in a deep breath and nods. Then she goes on to tell me about the receipt she found for a diner in Temple, the hotel receipt for Galveston, and finally, the cell phone under the nightstand.

My stomach sours the more I listen to why she believes this. It doesn’t look good. But I can’t see Caleb stepping out on his marriage. I never saw anything that would make me think he was having an affair. He always seemed happy and in love with Collins. Never flirted with other women when he was out with Fowler and me. Even when we went to Vegas for a guys’ trip.

It doesn’t make any sense.

“Why haven’t you said anything about this until now?” I can’t believe she’s been carrying this alone this long.

She shakes her head. “I don’t know… lots of reasons, I guess. I didn’t want to believe it. I debated whether I even really wanted to confirm it. I was afraid maybe you did know and were keeping it from me, even though the relationship between us had shifted. And a part of me knows how much you loved him, and I didn’t want to taint your image of him. Whenever I thought about it, I just pushed it out.”

I nod. It makes sense. She’s been through a lot. I can understand the impulse to just keep moving forward and not examine the past too hard. It’s pretty much how I’ve lived my life since I was a child.

“What do you want to do now?”

She bites her lip. “I want to turn the phone on and see what’s on there.”

“Are you sure? Once you see it, you can’t unsee whatever’s on there.”

Collins nods slowly. “I’m sure. I need to know, Ansel. Either way.”

“Okay. Where’s the phone?”

She points toward the bed where an iPhone rests on the mattress. I take her hand and guide her over to the bed. We sit by the edge, side by side, and I pick up the phone and hold it out to her.

Collins looks between the phone and me for a beat, then takes it. “I’m afraid, but I can’t keep lying to myself. I need to know the truth.”

“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it—together.”

“Together.” Her voice raises as though it’s a question.

I squeeze her knee. “I’m here for you.”

“Okay.” She looks at the phone, draws in a deep breath, and holds the button on the side with a shaky finger.

I hold my breath, waiting for the screen to light up.

Nothing happens.

Her shoulders slump. “It’s dead.”