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“Look, I’m glad we got a chance to reconnect these last few months. But I’ve been upfront since the beginning. I’m not looking for a relationship. Not with you or anyone.”
He’s silent again, and I begin to wonder if he might’ve hung up. I take the phone from my ear and look down at it. No, we are still connected.
When he speaks, his voice is calm and quiet. “You’re not taking that job. I’m coming over right now. We’re going to talk about this.”
“No! You can’t come over. Ethan is here,” I lie. “He won’t like it if you show up here.”
“Then meet me somewhere,” he demands.
“I can’t. But I’ll call you later in the week or next week, and we can talk.”
“That’s not going to work, Liz.”
I shouldn’t have called him. I should’ve continued to avoid him, but my sense of responsibility made me feel I owed it to him to tell him I was moving away. He’s been a friend to me when I had very few people I could count on.
I also had another reason for calling. I have something I need to ask, something that’s been bothering me ever since I found out.
“Trent, are you still married?”
There’s a long silence, and I think he won’t answer. Finally, “Why are you asking me that?”
I sigh into the phone. “You know why I’m asking. Why did you lie to me?”
“You had me investigated?” he asks, menace in his voice.
I feel a flash of anger at his tone. “Ethan had everyone investigated! Imagine my surprise when I found out you were still married after you told me your divorce was finalized. You purposely lied to me.”
“I shouldn’t have lied to you.” Trent’s voice is softer this time. “I told you the truth about us getting divorced. Everything was all set, and we were on track for the divorce, but then something happened. My wife began having some health issues, and I couldn’t leave her to deal with it on her own. We’re still getting the divorce, I swear. It’s happening very soon. But what kind of man would I be if I left her when she was at her worst? I still care about her, but not in a way that will keep us married.”
“I thought we were done with lies, Trent. How could you lie to me like that? I would’ve understood if you told me.”
“We are. I was afraid of losing our friendship if you knew the truth. I always planned to tell you, but the timing was never right. You have no idea how sorry I am. I was caught between two hard places. I couldn’t leave her sick like that, but I also didn’t want to lose you. I thought you would refuse to see me if you knew I was still married. I didn’t think you’d believe me if I told you the truth.”
Even now, he’s not telling the complete truth. He hasn’t mentioned anything about her sickness being a mental health disorder. He isn’t telling me about the hospitalizations. I can’t say anything because Ethan was very clear when he warned me against telling Trent too much of what we discovered.
Besides, I can understand why he’d want to keep his wife’s secret. I can almost admire him for not telling me about her personal struggles. He probably doesn’t want to embarrass her. Still, it hurts to be lied to.
“I understand why you hid the truth, but honestly, it still bothers me that you didn’t trust me.”
“I know. I made a mistake, and I’d like to make it up to you. If we could meet up one last time, I can explain everything,” he says. I hear the urgency in his voice.
“I’m sorry, but I just don’t think I’ll have time before I move. I hear Ethan coming,” I lie. “I don’t want him to hear us talking as it will make him upset. I’ll call you next week, and we can talk more.” I hang up quickly before Trent can respond.
For a moment, I stare at the phone in my hand. This kind of entanglement is exactly the type of thing I need to avoid. I don’t need to waste any more time on unavailable men, married or otherwise.
At least the phone call is done, and I no longer have to worry about it. Even though I promised to call Trent later, I know I won’t. That part of my life is done forever.
Chapter 19
Ethan
Did I really think she would jump into my arms and forgive me for smelling like I’d just come straight from another woman’s bed? Well, no, not exactly. But did I expect her to tell me she was leaving town and moving hundreds of miles away? No, and that is not going to happen. I never would have thought Liz would do something like that. Not in a million years. Now, I’m left to figure out what to do.
Do I try to convince her to stay? Help her get a new job? Pay for her school?
She won’t go for any of that. She’s far too stubborn.
Do I threaten to take custody of Matthew?
