“He’s in Malaysia shooting a movie. And he took his new fiancé with him. We’re getting divorced.”
“Sorry?” I say, unsure whether that’s a good or bad thing. With Hillary, it’s hard to tell sometimes.
“He cheated, not that anyone’s surprised. It was kind of his thing.” She plates a small stack of pancakes and carries it to my dinky kitchen table built for two. “I came here because I have nowhere else to go. He kicked me out of the house, and well, that prenup was iron clad. I have some money so I can start over, but that’s about it. But don’t worry. I’ll be out of your hair this afternoon.”
Dammit I donotwant to feel an ounce of sympathy for the sister who has made it her life’s mission to put me down. But on top of her confession about her life imploding, her pancakes are really damn good. “You can stay longer. If you want.”
“Just a day or two more,” she says, offering me a genuine smile I haven’t seen in years. Not since our mom passed. “But no longer than that. I know I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”
If she’s expecting me to argue, I’m not going to. “So where will you go?”
“I was thinking Alaska.”
“Alaska? In January?”
“It is January, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Happy fucking New Year.”
“Marshall loves you, Hope.”
“Really? Because it sounds like he just wanted to add another notch to his bedpost.”
“He wasn’t the one who said that, if you recall.”
True as that may be, where is he? Why hasn’t he called or showed up? “He’d be here if he loved me. We both know that.”
“Doesn’t he own a gym? It’s January first. It’s basically the Super Bowl for gym owners, isn’t it?”
“True,” I say, sighing. It’s possible he thinks I blew him off last night. But it still bugs me that he didn’t try to call or text. What if something had happened to me?
“Maybe just this once, you could give him the benefit of the doubt?” she suggests.
“Why are you standing up for him? I thought you couldn’t see the two of us together.”
“Only because I was jealous.”
“You? Jealous? What do you have to be jealous of?”
“You have your life together, for one. And a man who’s so in love with you that he faked a relationship with you just to get close to you. I bet he even had some romantic gesture planned for midnight.”
“I donothave my life together,” I say shaking my head. “I wasn’t even the real event coordinator for last night. My friends let me have the title to protect me from you.”
“Ouch.”
“And why did you let me leave if you thought Marshall was planning something special?”
“Because I’m an asshole. I thought we established this?”
“Why the sudden change of heart?” I ask, nodding at the pancakes.
“Would you believe me if I said New Year new me?”
“No.”
We lock eyes for several beats before we both burst out in laughter.
“Being an asshole is exhausting,” Hillary finally admits. “And I don’t want to be that person anymore. I’m so sorry for all theshitty things I’ve said to you. I know this lame apology doesn’t make up for the way I’ve treated you over the years since Mom died. But I’ll keep working on it, okay? I’ll work on being a better, supportive sister.”
