Molly smiles passively, her mind elsewhere. “Of course. Well, it was great to see you, Whit. You look great. And the girls are precious.”
“So great to see you, Moll. Let’s get a walk on the books soon, have a real catch-up. Or you and Hunter come over for a drink. I’ll text you.”
“I would love that. Say hi to George.”
Molly waves goodbye to her friend and puts the car in drive. An eerie feeling wobbles through her as she turns onto Woodson Road and into the Danners’ driveway. She could turn around, but she doesn’t. Despite what Whitney has told her, Molly still feels an unshakable urge to see Sabrina.
Thankfully, there’s no sign of Jake’s Jeep, as she hoped would be the case on a weekday morning. She parks her car and strides up the slate walk, past the immaculately trimmed hedges and garden beds toward the front of the house before she can change her mind. She rings the bell, and Sabrina opens the door moments later. When she sees Molly, her face falls.
“Molly.” She wears jean shorts and a sleeveless embroidered blouse, her dark hair pulled back into a low pony. “I was just heading out.”
“Can I come in? Just for a sec?” Molly brushes past her and into the foyer. She feels brazen and—even though she’s technically the guilty one—annoyed. “Sabrina.” Molly folds her arms. “Did I do something to piss you off?”
Sabrina stares at the floor. Her toes are perfectly pedicured, the color of rubies. “No,” she says eventually, lifting her head.
“You haven’t replied to any of my texts.”
“I’ve just been busy. Sorry.”
“With what?” Molly studies Sabrina’s face. Her eyes are naked, free of the heavy mascara and liquid liner she usually wears. Without makeup, she looks tired and much younger.
“Life. House projects. Fertility stuff, mostly.” Sabrina latches her gaze to Molly’s—a shock of green that betrays nothing. “Summers are always crazy. I’m sorry we haven’t gotten together. We’re overdue.”
Molly feels unsettled in Sabrina’s presence, almost sick to her stomach. The woman standing in front of her isn’t the same person she knew two weeks earlier, the fast friend she bonded with like they’d known each other forever.
Whitney’s words play in her mind. If Sabrina’s grandparents had belonged to the club, trust me, I would know.
“We’re heading to Martha’s Vineyard tomorrow,” Sabrina says. “We aren’t back until the following Friday. Maybe dinner the weekend of the twentieth?”
“You’re gone two whole weeks?” Molly fails to mask her surprise, but she’s caught off guard. It seems strange that Jake never mentioned they were going out of town for a while. But maybe it isn’t strange at all. God, why does she even care?
“Ten days.” Sabrina eyes her curiously. Her voice is thin, clipped. “Jake and I have rented a house on the Vineyard every summer for the past few years.”
“Oh. Fun. Well, the twentieth is actually Stella’s birthday. She’ll be six.”
“How exciting.”
“We’re having a party at Hunter’s mom’s house. I told—” Molly swallows. “I was going to invite you guys. Stella, specifically, asked if you’d come.”
“Great.” One edge of Sabrina’s mouth curls into a mysterious grin. Molly can’t figure out what’s going on. “Count us in.”
“Are you … are you sure everything is okay, Sabrina?” Molly chews her bottom lip, anxiety gathering behind her rib cage.
“Of course.” Sabrina reaches for her bag—a black Celine—which sits on a cream upholstered bench. “I am running out to do errands, though.” She roots through her purse. “Crap, my wallet is in the other bag. Hang on a sec. Then I’ll walk you out.”
Sabrina turns and trots up the staircase. Molly takes a slow, deep breath. Maybe she’s overreacting. She tends to get too in her head about this kind of stuff, especially lately. If Sabrina says everything is fine, it probably is. She probably has been busy. There probably is some misunderstanding about her grandparents belonging to the club. Molly will just be normal and ask her about it up front. Give her the benefit of the doubt. Besides, Molly is the one who’s been a shitty friend, a disgraceful wife. She’s the one who isn’t to be trusted.
While she waits for Sabrina, Molly looks around the foyer and admires the lavish details: intricate crown moldings, sleek oak floors, the thick glass pendant overhanging the round lacquered table, centered on a zebra hide. It looks like something out of Architectural Digest. Sabrina really does have beautiful taste.