Page 32 of Secrets on Ice

Sully: Oh wow, I haven’t heard you call yourself that in years.

Cassidy: I know. It’s weird, but I want a fresh start. I need a fresh start.

Sully: You don’t have to make any decisions yet, it’s still so fresh.

Cassidy: I know, but all my mind thinks about is what happened, and maybe I’m moving quickly, but what else can I do? The life I had before all this was a lie. My life will never be the same again, and I need to start accepting that.

She’s right.

Sully: You’re right. How’s Ember?

Cassidy: Doing okay. I’m so thankful, as sucky as it is, that we are going through this together. One day we are angry, the next we are thankful. It’s a rollercoaster ride that’s for sure.

Sully: Well, I am proud of you. You’re handling all this with grace, you could retaliate and cause a scene, but you haven’t. Do you think anyone knows their secret?

Cassidy: I don’t know. I want to hope no one knew. That would hurt if we were the last to know.

Sully: Guess it doesn’t change anything, they still did what they did.

Cassidy: Facts.

Sully: I’ve got to get back to the reception. Text me if you need anything.

Cassidy: Go have fun, I’m fine.

8

EMBER

The apartment feels alive again. Suitcases are scattered throughout the hallway, someone has already kicked off their shoes near the front door, and the smell of Chinese takeout fills every corner of the place. Surprisingly, I've missed the noise and I’ve missed them.

Cassidy and I sit curled up on opposite ends of the couch as Sully explains how Puck stole the show when he howled during the objections, and Emmett describes how cute Frankston was as Pierre’s best man, he even showed us pictures.

Jo passes around containers of Chinese takeout as she chats excitedly about the wedding and how happy she is that Issy is now her sister-in-law. She quickly explains how they were childhood sweethearts until her brother was an idiot and lost her for fifteen years, but they found each other again and now they are married.

"So ..." she says, beside Emmett. "You girls have to tell us what you have been up to."

“We had the best time. The first day we spent on the couch,” Cassidy explains.

“Then Cass got an epiphany.” I chuckle.

“I did. It probably was a reaction to the millions of romance movies we watched.”

“True,” I agree.

“I was sick of sitting here miserable because of those two fuckers back home, who were probably happy we walked out and left them there so they could keep cheating on us,” Cassidy says, riling herself up. “It wasn’t fair that they could continue on as if nothing happened while we bore the full brunt of the betrayal.”

“So, we decided to do something about our mental health and have a holiday. Honestly, it was the best thing we could have ever done. I feel like I can tackle the world now,” I tell them.

“We had the best time exploring the city. We had a spa day, visited museums and libraries, explored interior design shops, looked at architecture, and felt inspired again. We did a day trip to the Hamptons and ate lobster rolls on the beach, we also visited to the Hudson Valley and went on a hike.”

“Wow, you guys sound like you had fun,” my brother says.

“We did. It sort of calmed our minds, helped us shake off the shock and think about what happens next,” I tell him.

“What does happen next?” Sully asks.

“Well, for one, we are going back to our maiden names,” Cassidy explains.