Minutes later, they walked out of the bank. Hilary planned to stop by the bakery on their way out of town. She’d been craving a cinnamon roll since coming back from the conference, but now she wanted to head home, her head full of numbers, deadlines, and resentment.
“You’re awfully quiet,” Jorie said, hitching her bag onto her shoulder as they crossed the parking lot.
Hilary chewed on her lip. She caught her reflection in the car window before she opened the door and frowned. Her sour mood was written all over her face.
“I don’t talk for the sake of talking. There’s nothing to say.”
“You’re mad,” Jorie said.
Hilary buckled herself in, started the car, and then leaned her head against the seat. She waited for Jorie to stop fidgeting. Her head pounded and she was hungry. She’d skipped a full breakfast, opting for only a Greek yogurt since she’d written down the wrong time for the meeting. It wasn’t her fault though. She’d written it down correctly, but then Jorie rescheduled without telling her. But that wasn’t the real reason her mood tanked.
Jorie’s innocent expression told Hilary she was clueless as to what upset her.
Hilary nodded. “You could say I’m a little irritated.”
“I didn’t expect the meeting to last that long. And we can totally shorten the term of the loan by paying it off early.”
“That’s not it, Jorie.”
Jorie looked at her and blinked. “Well, what is it then?”
Hilary chewed the inside of her lip, stewing. Starting an argument was not her intention, but she was sick of it. All of it. The assumptions, the orders, the treatment like she was an inferior member in her own home, incapable of making the simplest decisions like who to text.
“I don’t like being told to put my phone away like I’m a teenager at the dinner table.”
“Oh that.”
“No. Notoh that. And you used a tone when you implied it was Dane I was talking to.”
“Weren’t you?”
“Yes. So what?”
“I didn’t think it was an appropriate time is all.”
Hilary gave a short bark of a laugh. “You never think it’s the right time to talk to Dane.”
“Hilary, you’ve known this guy for less than a month. Don’t you think you’re in this too deep too fast?”
“Who are you comparing us to?” Her voice rose sharply. “Honestly, I feel like you’re a little too vested in my relationships.”
“You haven’t had any relationships since…Will. This is the only one. I want you to be careful.”
“Why can’t you be happy for me?”
Jorie stared out the front window. “I don’t know. I can’t help but wonder where our plans fall into this. Don’t forget who this is for.”
“How can I forget when you remind me all the time?”
Jorie grimaced. “I’m sorry, but he was my brother.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
“And he was myhusband!” The words erupted from Hilary, ringing her ears. A red haze seeped into her vision. How dare Jorie use Will to guilt her again.
Jorie gasped. Her eyes grew blurry as she looked at Hilary, and then Jorie buried her face in the crook of her arm, the most awful sounds filling the car. Hilary wasn’t sure if they were sobs or if Jorie was hyperventilating.
“Jorie?”
The wailing didn’t let up. Hilary looked outside the car, positive that anyone nearby would hear the commotion even with the windows rolled up. She reached across the seat to tentatively rest her hand on Jorie’s shoulder, but Jorie twisted away. Unemotional, stoic Jorie was in the midst of a major meltdown, the first Hilary had ever seen.
