Offside (The Barker Triplets 1)

Betty’s face tightened and she glanced up at her sister, an eyebrow arched imperiously. “If?” She snorted. “This is my home as much as it is yours and the last time I looked the locks haven’t been changed.”

Bobbi leaned over. “You might want to check back in a few days then.”

“Whatever,” Betty murmured, obviously happy to have gotten under her sisters skin so quickly. “Take a pill.”

“I would,” Bobbi said harshly, “but they all seem to disappear when you’re around. Even the non-prescription ones.”

Billie pressed two fingers to her brow, upset, scared, and humiliated that Logan was here to witness the Barker triplets at their finest.

She turned to Logan, unable to meet his eyes, still bruised from before. “Maybe you should go.”

“Go?” Betty shoved her chair back and walked around the table, her long legs eating up the distance in a few seconds. She winked at Billie as she moved past her and stood in front of Logan. “Don’t go. We can catch up. It’s been what?” She leaned back and glanced at Billie.

Billie wanted to yank on her head, grab a huge chunk of hair and twist for maximum pain. She wanted to throw her sister to the ground, to punch and scratch and—

“Seven years?” Betty continued silkily.

Logan glanced from Betty to Billie and she knew he was thinking about that night. His expression was unreadable and he looked like he’d just about reached his limit.

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” he answered in a clipped tone. His eyes met Billie’s. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

Betty whirled around, her eyes feverish and that sick feeling in the bottom of her gut hit Billie hard. Something was coming her way—something bad—and she couldn’t stop it.

“Oh, I get it.” Betty-Jo grinned as she looked around the room. “This makes sense now. Bobbi and’—she made a face—‘Gerald. You and Logan.”

She smiled at Billie. A cold, self-centered smile that left Billie sick to her stomach. She knew that smile and what it meant. The shit was going to hit.

“Wow. You finally snagged him. Congrats.”

Silence followed her words and Billie glanced at Bobbi, but her sister looked too shocked to say anything.

Herschel stood in the doorway, unsure whether he should proceed or retreat and Gerald just stood like an ass, an empty plate in his hand while he waited for the dessert to be served.

“What do you mean by that?” Logan asked, his voice low, his eyes narrowed.

Betty shook her head. “Holy cow, you men are dumb.”

“Betty,” Bobbi warned, but as usual the third and most reckless Barker triplet didn’t heed anyone’s warning unless she wanted to. And right now? She sure as hell wasn’t listening to anyone’s advice save whatever demons crawled inside her.

“Billie-Jo has been in love with you ever since she was a teenager.”

Billie’s eyes stung. She gazed at her sister and breathed, “Don’t.”

But the sister that she used to admire, the one who had balls bigger than any guy she knew…bigger than Bobbi even, smiled cruelly and shook her head. She didn’t care. At all.

“Oh, yes,” Betty took a step back. “She used to go on and on about you. Logan

this, and Logan that, like you were some sort of God or something. But you weren’t, were you Logan.” She moved back a few inches and leaned her hip against the table. “You were no different than any of the other guys who sniffed around my boots. You didn’t care about Billie,” she laughed. “Hell, I bet you didn’t even know she existed. She wasn’t the Barker who was easy and loose. I was.”

Logan stared at her, his face dark, his expression pissed off. “I’m assuming there’s a point to all this? Because I sure as hell don’t want to re-hash our past.”

Oh, God. Billie needed to sit. She needed to sit before her legs gave out. Every hard and crappy scenario she’d envisioned could not come close to where this train wreck was heading. She had no idea how Betty knew what she’d done. But she did.

Billie glanced at Logan but he was focused on her sister.

[i]I should have been strong enough. I should have told him[i].

“Why not?” Betty said harshly, ignoring Bobbi’s curse and sidestepping as Bobbi lunged toward her. “The only past we have is you wanting me and, well, me rejecting you.”