Collide (The Barker Triplets 2)

“Did you get Dad to Doctor Newley?” Bobbi asked. Travis Barker’s appointment was for noon and though Gramps always took him when Bobbi couldn’t, his knee was so bad from arthritis that it was hard for him to drive. Betty had volunteered to take them.

She nodded. “Yep. I was told to come back in an hour so I thought I’d…” she shrugged. “I don’t know what I thought. I just stopped by is all, for a visit.”

“We could do lunch? Billie is almost done with her training session.”

Her sister’s face hardened and this time it was easy for Bobbi to read her loud and clear. “What is it with you and Billie?” Bobbi asked abruptly, pushing her chair back as she settled on the edge and gazed across the room at her sister.

Betty shoved off from the door and flopped onto the ratty sofa next to it. Her expression was hard. As hard as her attitude.

Bobbi ran her hands through her hair and took a moment, her head hurting from all the stuff crammed inside it. Shane stuff. New job stuff. Money stuff. Dinner with Shane and his family stuff.

The usual, and the not so usual.

Did she really want to open up this can of worms with her sister?

Betty sighed. A dramatic sort of thing that did nothing but make Bobbi raise her eyebrows and shake her head.

“What?” Betty said belligerently.

Bobbi got up out of her chair, walked around the desk and leaned against it, dangling one foot as she watched her sister. “Your bitchiness increases five hundred percent whenever Billie’s around. You’re mean and nasty and though I’m pretty sure Billie thinks you’re awful because you’re either on drugs or trying to get off drugs, she’s wrong.”

“Is she?”

‘Damn right she is. You’ve become quite the little actress.” Bobbi nodded. “Sure you drink too much, but as far as I can tell you haven’t done anything stronger than a bottle of Jack.” She paused, noting the color that pinched Betty’s pale cheeks.

“What the hell do you know?” Betty asked, slipping further into the sofa.

Bobbi snorted. “Seriously? I’ve been there, remember? Besides, you can’t afford drugs or booze or any other of those vices you used to enjoy so much. So are you going to tell me what this Billie thing is?”

Betty made a face. “Why the hell are you so concerned about Billie anyway? It’s not like she ever gave two shits about us. Even though we’re triplets, it was always you and me. Bobbi and Betty. Billie was off doing her own thing. She’s always done her own thing.” Betty’s face hardened. “And don’t give me some bullshit answer about the power of time and healing and blah, blah, blah, either. Back in October, the two of you weren’t exactly besties, so what the hell changed?”

Damn, the can of worms was spilling all over the place.

Bobbi glanced out the window once more and caught sight of her sister flying by, on the heels of several hockey players as she put them through their paces.

“Look, I’ll be the first one to admit that I wasn’t exactly Billie’s biggest fan. If anything, I was more of a bitch to her when she came home than you’re being right now. I resented the hell out of her career and the fact that she made it out of this town.” She ran fingers across her forehead and sighed. “Both of you did and for the longest time I felt like the screw up. The Barker with no dreams or ambition. The Barker who was left behind. The Barker who had to stay behind because there was no one else to look after Dad. But you know what?”

At Betty’s insolent shrug, Bobbi leaned forward. She thought of Shane’s confession Sunday night. His acceptance of his mistakes. The pain of his past and what it meant to finally face it.

“All of those reasons are nothing more than excuses I used to cover up the fact that I wasn’t strong enough to go after what I wanted. It wasn’t because I didn’t have a chance to leave this town that I stayed. It wasn’t because of Dad or Gramps or even Shane. It was because I wasn’t strong enough to leave.”

“God, you could give Pastor Richards a run for his money,” Betty said dryly. “Seriously, you could replace him at sermon and no one would know.” But her eyes were bright and her lips were pinched. She was listening.

“Look, we both ended up where we ended up because of the choices we made. And until we learn to own our past and deal with the consequences of those choices, neither one of us will ever be happy.” Bobbi’s eyes bored into Betty. “You will never be happy.”

“Wow, Bobbi, you’re just full of tidings and good joy, aren’t you?”

“I’m just keeping it real.”

“Sing it sister.” Betty smiled and thrust her chin out, but there was no warmth or joy in her eyes, and sarcasm dripped from her words.

“Betty, I’m just telling you the truth. Figure out what the hell is wrong with you now, before it’s too late. Before you’re too broken. Billie did. She might not be playing professional hockey anymore but she sure as hell adapted and she’s in a good place.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not Billie.”

“No, you’re not and neither am I. It took me a long time to get over my jealousy.” At Betty’s frown, Bobbi nodded. “Jealousy is exactly what I felt. Jealousy and resentment. It fueled everything in my life and I didn’t realize how much that negativity was affecting me until I snapped.”

“So the wedding-that-didn’t-happen was your snap?” Betty was being sarcastic and Bobbi ignored her.