Collide (The Barker Triplets 2)

Billie’s head shot up, her flushed cheeks deepening as she stared at her sister. “Why? Do I look like something’s wrong with me?”

Something was definitely up, but Bobbi knew Billie well enough to know that her sister wasn’t going to spill until she wanted to. She was so different from Betty who had no problem at all saying exactly what was on her mind.

The best way to play this was to say nothing at all. The silence would drive her bonkers.

Bobbi slid from the sofa. “Do you want a glass of wine? Or a beer or something?”

“No,” Billie said quickly. “I mean, I’ll have…no, I’m good.”

Bobbi gave her sister a long look before crossing back to the kitchen and pouring herself a glass of red wine. After tossing the now empty bottle she and Shane had opened the night before into the recycling bin under the sink, she leaned against the countertop.

“What?” Billie said eventually, after several minutes of nothing slid by them.

Bobbi shrugged and took another sip. “You tell me.”

Billie looked away, her long hair covering her face and for once second, fear grabbed Bobbi hard.

“Billie, what the hell is going on? Is everything okay with, Dad?”

Her sister nodded but didn’t raise her head and because Bobbi couldn’t see her face or her expression, her concern doubled. Something was really wrong. Were Billie’s shoulders shaking?

“Billie, you’re scaring me.”

“I’m sorry,” Billie replied softly, her face still averted.

Fed up, and more than a little concerned, Bobbi pushed off from the counter. “Don’t apologize just tell me what’s wrong.”

“Oh, Bobbi.”

Okay, now she was scared.

Bobbi shoved her wine glass onto the counter and ran over to her sister, who was definitely crying. Had she and Logan had a fight?

“Hey,” she murmured, kneeling beside Billie and reaching for her. As soon as her fingers touched Billie’s shoulders, her sister turned and folded into her embrace. She cried into Bobbi’s chest, her body heaving wit

h effort as she tried to stifle her tears, but Bobbi stroked her hair and told her it was alright.

She told Billie to cry as long and as hard as she wanted to.

And Billie did. She cried off and on for nearly thirty minutes, clutching Bobbi like a child. Bobbi stared down at her sister and with her own emotions all over the place it was pretty damn hard to keep it together.

Eventually the tears dried up leaving behind the shudders and the sniffles and after a good long while those went away as well. Nearly an hour passed and Bobbi let Billie go, watching her sister closely as she sat back on the carpet and hugged her knees against her chest.

Billie’s eyes were puffy and red and the little hiccups that fell from her lips broke Bobbi’s heart.

Shit, she thought, it must have been a doozy of a fight.

“Are you sure you don’t want a glass of wine now?” she asked carefully, trying to gage her sister’s state of mind.

Billie shook her head and exhaled before she looked up and met Bobbi’s eyes.

“Trust me,” she said hoarsely as a fresh batch of tears slipped out of her eyes. “I’d love nothing more than to drink an entire bottle but…”

“But what?”

Billie exhaled again, paused and then spoke. “I’m late.”

The words were so low that at first she wasn’t sure she heard correctly.