39
E mily left the hospital feeling as though a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Despite the uncertainties and the many issues still to be resolved, her criminal charges had been dropped, and she and her loved ones were safe. In the end, that was all that mattered.
However, her happiness dissipated the closer she got to the high school to pick up the boys. A growing nervousness churned in her stomach as she braced herself for the inevitable questions that awaited her and Gabriel. She parked the car in front of the school and called Gabriel while waiting for the boys. The call went straight to voicemail, so she left a message.
“Hi, I’m at the school picking up the boys. We’ll be home in a little while. I just wanted to make sure you’re there, as you promised to talk to the boys after school. Okay, see you soon. Bye.”
The boys climbed into the car just as Emily ended the call, their sour expressions portraying their foul moods. Hunter slammed the door and glared at Emily. “Is it true?” he demanded.
All the color drained from her face as her mind raced, trying to fathom how they could have found out. “Is what true?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“That Dad had an affair, and two women are dead because of it?”
Emily’s stomach turned. “Where did you hear that?” she asked, fighting the urge to be sick.
Hunter tapped his phone’s screen a few times before holding it up to her. “It’s all over the internet,” he said grimly.
Taking the phone from him, Emily scanned the article, searching for the source: Maggie’s brother, Michael.
Seeing the look on Emily’s face, Hunter’s eyes widened as he placed both hands on his head. “Oh my God, it’s true,” he exclaimed.
Emily handed Hunter his phone and started the car. “Let’s go home to talk about this,” she said gently.
“I can’t believe you kept this from us,” Hayden said from the back seat.
Emily glanced into the rearview mirror, noticing for the first time that Hayden had a black eye. “What happened? Did you get into a fight?”
“What do you think happened?” Hayden spat angrily. “How could you send us to school knowing what Dad did?”
“I’m sorry, we didn’t know about the article.”
Hayden turned away from her and looked out the window, “You should have told us.”
“I know.” Here you go again, blaming yourself for something Gabriel should take responsibility for , she sadly reminded herself.
They rode the rest of the way in tense silence. As Emily turned onto their street, her heart sank at the sight of numerous news vans parked outside their house. The magnitude of the situation hit her hard. “Great,” she mumbled, carefully maneuvering the car through the maze of vehicles, reporters, and cameramen. “Don’t speak to anyone. Go straight into the house,” she instructed firmly.
She parked the car in the driveway and immediately noticed Gabriel’s car was missing.
“Where’s Dad?” Hunter asked.
“I don’t know,” Emily replied. “Let’s go.”
The three exited the car and hurried towards the house, ignoring the barrage of questions and the microphones thrust at them. Once inside, Emily slammed the door shut and leaned against it, struggling to catch her breath. The boys stormed up the stairs to their rooms, leaving her alone in the foyer. Desperately, Emily called Gabriel again and left a frantic message.
“Gabe, where are you? The boys know. It’s all over the internet. Reporters are parked outside our house. I don’t know what to do. Please come home. We need you.”
She went into the kitchen and put the kettle on, hoping a cup of tea would calm her nerves. Just then, her phone rang. She quickly answered it, expecting Gabriel.
“Gabe?”
“No, it’s me,” Roman said. “What’s wrong?”
“Everything, Maggie’s brother talked to reporters. The story is all over the internet. The boys know everything. There are reporters camped outside our house, and I can’t find Gabriel. I don’t know what to do.”
“He’s not coming home,” Roman said matter-of-factly.
“What do you mean? Where is he? You need to tell me,” Emily demanded.
“Gabriel came to see me. He said he was going away. He asked me to take care of you and Ava.” He sighed, “I’m sorry, Em. I don’t know where he’s going. He didn’t tell me.”
“I’ve got to go,” Emily said, quickly disconnecting the call.
Without hesitation, she opened the Find Your Location app to track Gabriel’s whereabouts and rushed up the stairs. Why would he be staying at a local hotel? she wondered, with only one reason coming to mind.
She knocked on Hunter’s door and, without waiting for a response, poked her head inside.
“I’m going to find your father.”
Hunter started getting up from the bed and said, “I’ll come with you.”
Holding a hand up, Emily said, “No, you stay here in case he comes home. Don’t open the door for anyone. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”