Conceal (The Barker Triplets 3)

Shocked silence fell between them all.

Billie whimpered, horror in her eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Bobbi said hoarsely, tears in her eyes.

“Tell you what? That the most outrageous flirt in New Waterford,” her gaze swung back to Billie. “The biggest cock-tease in New Waterford, who apparently just fucked Logan Forest, drank a half bottle of vodka, and smoked some weed was raped? God, I couldn’t believe what I let happen. I let them…let them…”

The tears started to fall and Betty scrubbed at her face. “I was ashamed and so angry at myself. So fucking angry at you, Billie.” She shook her head. “I hated you. I hated you and I hated Logan, but most of all I hated myself. I hated that I had lost control. That I let those animals take me. I hated what I was and later, I hated what I became.”

A sob escaped. “When I see you and Logan together it makes me sick. Physically sick. So don’t expect me to stand up for you on your wedding day. Don’t expect me to be happy for you because you’re having his baby, or that you have this wonderful life…a life that I’ll never have. I can’t be happy for you. I just can’t.”

For a moment, there was nothing but the echo of voices from within the reception and three women staring at each other through new eyes.

Betty shivered and pushed the giant knot in her throat away. When she spoke her voice was low and quivering. “No one knows about this except Matt and I want to keep it that way. Don’t you dare tell anyone. That means Logan and Shane.”

“Betty,” Bobbi said gently, taking a step toward her. “You can’t keep this a secret.”

“I can and I will. This stays here or I’ll leave and I won’t come back. Ever. I’m good at it. I’ve done it before.”

Betty pushed past Billie and began to run.

She ran away from her sisters, and from a past that had finally caught up to her. She ran away from all the happy people at the reception, those who were whole and complete. She ran away from their laughter, the music, and good times.

She paused and yanked off her heels and then continued on until the cool breeze off the river found her and even then there was no relief from the hot rage coursing through her.

And there, beneath the shadows cast from the arena, stood Beau Simon, his heart heavy, his eyes on the spot of darkness that swallowed Betty until he couldn’t see her anymore.

He had wanted to know what made Betty tick. What made her the complicated, infuriating, hot and cold woman that she was. The ballbreaker who didn’t give a damn.

He’d just not expected it to be so heartbreaking.

Chapter Twenty

SUNDAY MORNING CAME slowly to the town of New Waterford and found a lot of the townsfolk—or at least those who’d partied a little too hard the night before—still in bed.

The ball tournament had been a resounding success, with nearly 43,000 dollars raised for little Hunter Adams. Those involved patted themselves on the backs for a job well done. They ‘ooed and awed’ over the highlights of the games, the celebrities who’d participated, and of course that scandalous kiss between Beau Simon and Betty Jo Barker.

Heck, it was even trending on twitter.

Everyone knew Betty was screwing around with the Hollywood hunk, and a good portion of the populace felt sorry for Lane Summers, even though she wasn’t exactly the type to bring on the warm and fuzzies. Still, she was a woman scorned and publicly so.

So it was, after church let out on this fine and sunny morning, only two names were on the tongues of nearly everyone in town.

Betty Jo Barker, the triplet who just couldn’t seem to stay out of trouble, and Beau Simon, Hollywood superstar who was apparently staying in town for a few more days.

Obviously.

Since Beau was carrying on a hot and steamy affair with the aforementioned Barker triplet.

Or at least that’s what the gossip was.

In the loft above the garage at Logan Forest’s place, Beau was staring out at the crowd gathered along the sidewalk beyond the driveway when his brother finally rolled off the sofa with a groan.

Paparazzi were out there in droves, which wasn’t surprising considering he’d been in town for days now. If anything, he was lucky that he’d had a few days of relative freedom. So far his security detail had kept them off Forest’s property but he knew his time was nearly up. He needed to talk to Betty and then he needed to get the hell out of this town before his celebrity ruined the pristine and simple beauty of New Waterford.

Most of the time the paps came, and then they went, but with the kiss he’d planted on Betty the day before and the fact that Lane Summers was in town—or had been—they were on to something.

Beau just didn’t know what that something was.