A/N: I'm back!!!! Did you miss me? LOL! OK my darlings, let's pick up where we left off shall we? Well. Kinda. :)
Fyi - I'm going to wrap a few things up early on in the story – because I gotta tell you – G&C are KILLING ME!! Now as for Kate and Colin and the baby – well sorry – but for that you're gonna have to wait.
Until – hmmm. 17 is it? Enjoy! xox-G
Chapter Sixteen
She didn't know quite what to do with herself. For the first time in what seemed like forever Billie had an evening free to do whatever she wanted. Ty had a sleepover with Aidan. She was wondering how to spend her first free evening in years when Lia called and invited her to a girl's night at Kate's house.
Billie gazed down at her clothes. She wondered if she was underdressed. She smoothed a wrinkle in her skirt and balanced a tray of crudite and dip precariously in her other hand. Taking a deep breath to steady the butterflies in her stomach she knocked softly on the door.
Billie was startled when a carbon copy of Lia greeted her. The only thing that gave her pause was that the woman in front of her wore a funky pair of eyeglasses. Lynnie flashed a huge smile as she cried, "You must be Billie! Welcome!!!"
Billie suddenly felt foolish, noting the way Lynnie was dressed – in a big comfy sweatshirt and drawstring yoga pants, with her hair thrown up in a knot.
Lynnie didn't even notice Billie's clothes. She moved into the living room and kept talking. "Here. Put that down." She plucked the tray out of Billie's hands and set in down on the coffee table. "I'm sorry. I know you've probably guessed – I'm Lynnie, Lia's sister." She stood in the center of the room and gestured towards a sullen looking girl settled on the couch, with a glass of wine clutched in her hands. "Billie, this is Chloe, one of our dearest friends."
"Nice to meet you Billie." Chloe said with a smile. Billie couldn't help but notice that she didn't look at all happy. As a matter of fact, she looked incredibly sad.
Lia came walking from the kitchen carrying a bowl of chips. She crunched on one noisily as she took a look at Billie and snorted loudly. "Geez. When did this turn into a PTA meeting??"
"Lia!" Lynnie scolded.
Lia shrugged her sister off. "Seriously, Larson. You look way too uncomfortable and – are you kidding me? You can totally tell you've been raising a kid all these years. When was the last time you did this? You brought us VEGETABLES???"
Billie looked down at her outfit and started to laugh. "It's been a long time. I'm sorry...I..."
Lia sank into the couch poking at the plastic wrap covering the tray. "Is that dip?"
Billie nodded.
"Ranch or onion?" Lia asked then.
"R-r-ranch." Billie stammered back.
"You're forgiven." Lia laughed as she whipped off the wrapping and grabbed the bowl plunging a chip and then popping it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and sighed, in complete ecstasy.
"Belinda." Kate said with a grin as she walked into the room.
"Katie." Billie sighed, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh Katie look at you."
"I'm fat." Kate laughed as she ran her hand over her stomach. It took a lot of doing but as she did, she willed her worries away for one night.
"You're gorgeous. Congratulations." Billie smiled as she gave her old friend a hug. "It's so good to see you."
Kate squeezed Billie tight. "Oh you too. When Lia told me she ran into you I was so happy! I'm so glad you're here."
Lia cleared her throat and dunked another chip. "I'm sorry to spoil the reunion but we'll have plenty of time for that later. Katie. Let's go. Get that man out of the house please so we can really start to chat."
"Calm yourself, Lia. I'm leaving." Colin walked into the room carrying his guitar case. He looked over and gave Billie a smile. "Hi. I'm Colin. You must be Belinda. Katrina's told me so much about you."
"I'd like to say the same." Billie replied, grinning back. From what she could see her friend's husband was quite a catch, dark and mysterious and dangerously handsome. As she gazed at them together she realized that they looked like complete opposites, but at the same time perfect together.
Oblivious to what Billie was thinking, Colin spoke softly, "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find out enough about me soon enough. Just don't believe a word out of Julia's mouth. She thinks her badge gives her permission to twist the truth."
"Hey!" Lia crunched down on another chip. "I resent that!"
"Tough." Colin laughed. He turned his attention to his wife, putting down his guitar taking her in his arms. He leaned close and whispered in her ear. "Listen to me, please. If you get tired, throw them out."
"I will." Kate promised as she hugged him tight. "Have fun."
"You too. Enjoy yourself." Colin said softly as he moved to kiss her. "I love you."
Billie's heart ached a bit as she watched them together. She wondered now if she'd ever have someone like that herself. There was a time where she thought she had. She couldn't have been more wrong.
"I love you too." Kate smiled as Colin ran his hand across her stomach. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her belly before picking up his guitar and easing away.
"Goodnight ladies. Oh...and you too Lia." Colin laughed as he made his way out the door.
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Billie didn't know how it had happened. She was now dressed in Kate's clothes, an oversized sweatshirt, well worn jeans and a slouchy pair of socks. She was on her third glass of wine and her second slice of pizza. She felt decadent, she felt reckless, she felt...relaxed. For the first time in over a year she'd been able to let go a little bit and it felt wonderful.
"OK. So, let me be the first to apologize for my jackass of a brother." Lia sighed as she snuggled into the couch. "He's been hiding from me - the coward - but trust me when I see him he and I are going to have it out."
"It's OK." Billie said softly, not wanting to cause any trouble. "You don't have to. I told him off already. It's over."
"It's not OK." Lynnie replied, concerned about Billie's feelings. "Billie, he can be a jerk on occasion but honestly, deep down? Quinn's really a great guy." She glared at Lia and added. "I bet he's tried to make it up to you already."
Billie nodded and fought to keep hold of her anger. For the past two days she'd been inundated with flowers. Her apartment was filled with dozens of them in many variations, small bundles and huge assortments. He'd even sent one arrangement made entirely of cookies and another dozen long stemmed chocolate roses. Ty thought they were the coolest things he'd ever seen. Money seemed to be no object to Quinn and that infuriated her. The amount of money he'd spent on trying to sway her must be astronomical. What she could give Ty with just a fraction of that. He'd been staring in the window of the sporting goods store at an insanely expensive baseball mitt. Billie knew as soon as she could save enough she'd be buying it for him.
As Lia and Lynnie argued over just how idiotic their brother was, Billie glanced to the other side of the room, noticing how sad Chloe looked. Chloe had barely spoken a word all night and Billie realized that there must be something bothering her.
Kate couldn't help but notice it too and she knew exactly the reason why. Seems Quinn wasn't the only man who was making one of her friends unhappy. "Clo?" She called out, her voice gentle.
"Hmm?" Chloe replied as she took another sip of her wine. It was the same glass that she had poured two hours before.
"What's going on with you? Mom tells me you're working at the gym. How'd that happen?" She asked.
Chloe's voice sounded far away. "I ambushed him. I just sort of barged in. But it was a bad idea. I shouldn't have done it."
She put down her glass and decided that her heart wasn't at all into this. Men bashing, though deserved on most occasions was not something she wanted to participate in tonight. And anyway, she couldn't say a bad word about Grant – he never treated her badly a day in her life. It wasn't fair to even pretend - not when she knew it was her fault. She stood and looked at Kate. "Katie, I'm sorry but I just can't do this tonight. I'm going to head home. I'll see you at Becky's party on Saturday."
"Clo?" Lynnie called out as she watched her friend pick up her purse.
"Goodnight, Lynn. Say hi to Ethan for me." Chloe took a deep breath and turned to face Billie. "I'm sorry we didn't get more of a chance to talk. It was very nice to meet you."
"You too. Goodnight." Billie smiled at her.
Chloe moved towards the door. "Bye Lia. See you later. Make sure Danny takes a break once and a while."
Even Lia knew when to stop joking around. She waved as Chloe made her way outside. "G'night Clo. Drive safe."
As the door clicked closed Kate turned to her cousins and sighed. "I don't know what to do for either of them."
Billie looked on with interest. She was about to learn another story. She'd already found out that Lynnie had an angel for a fiancé. From the way they talked about him you'd think he'd actually had a halo once. And Lia was engaged to Danny who Billie remembered from years before. She could see that not only did they look alike, but both Lynnie and Lia had the glow of a woman deeply in love. It seemed their biggest problem at the moment was when the actual wedding would take place.
Billie was relieved. If they were talking about Chloe maybe she'd get away without sharing her own sad story.
"I thought things were looking up. But it's not. It's worse." Kate blinked back tears. "Belinda – it's just so sad. Chloe and my brother, Grant. You'll see when you come to the party on Saturday. They belong together. They're so much in love. They have been forever - since they were little kids."
Lia chimed in. "Her mom passed away a little more than a year ago and since then she's been so confused and unhappy. She pushed him away and Grant – he's tried everything – but he couldn't get through to her."
Lynnie moved to sit closer to the rest of them as she finished, "They're working together now. Kate's dad owns a gym and her brother runs it but instead of bringing them closer – it seems worse than before."
"That's so sad. I don't know what it's like to be so much in love but..." Billie replied. The wine and the atmosphere had loosened her up to the point that she didn't realize what she was saying. "I know what it's like to be hurting though. That I'm an expert in."
"Billie..." Lia began tentatively. "Not that we aren't thrilled to see you – because we are. We really are – but I'm going to go ahead and say it. We're dying to find out. You have to fill us in. What happened? How'd you get here?"
"It's not all that exciting." Billie replied as she looked down at her lap. Her demeanor made her friends sure that the opposite was true. She took a deep breath and began – knowing that the truth would have to come out sometime. Now was a good a time as any.
"When I last saw you guys – you remember - it was right before Christmas – when I got the call about Carrie." She blinked back tears as she continued. "I took Ty because I knew that even though I was young I would love him more than anyone else possibly could." Billie's eyes lit up and she beamed with pride. "He's an amazing kid. I'm so proud of him."
"You should be proud of you, Belinda. You've done such a fabulous job with him." Lia said with a smile.
"Thanks." Billie laughed as she took another sip of wine. She would need it to get through this next. Her voice became soft and sounded far away. "Mark was there from the beginning. He worked with Carrie's husband Jim at his law firm. He was so sweet to me at first, so helpful and patient. I was a mess. I just lost my sister and I was only eighteen. Suddenly I had a one year old to take care of. At first, he was great. Mark paid attention to me when there was no one else around. He was there for me to lean on. He was helpful and charming. I clung to him because it really seemed like he cared. Before I knew it – we were in love."
Lia, Kate and Lynnie sat by quietly, hanging on her every word.
Billie shook back her hair and blinked away the tears forming in her eyes. She was determined to never shed another tear over him again. "At least that's what I thought it was. He blinded me with compliments but he knew exactly what he was doing all along. I never saw it coming. I trusted him and believed in him and he took total advantage of that. Even so, he took his time setting me up. He showered me in attention and gifts and was sweet to Ty. He was almost seven when Mark finally proposed and I said yes – mostly because I knew Ty adored him. I thought we could become a family. Everything was perfect." Her voice began to shake with anger.
"It certainly was perfect for him. He had been planning it for years. Mark really did a number on me. I didn't put the pieces together until it was much too late." Billie shook her head, her voice full of guilt. "It was my fault. I didn't pay enough attention. Over the years he had me sign my life away. I trusted him, he was my lawyer, and he was the man I thought loved me so I barely glanced at what he put in front of me. I just followed orders and signed on the dotted line, time after time. He kept me hanging on until he stole every last cent. On our wedding day – which he insisted be something very small and quiet – I stood there waiting with Ty. We waited for hours and he never came. When I finally composed myself enough to make our way home everything was gone."
She kept talking, now that she'd started she didn't seem able to stop herself. "I shouldn't have been so careless. Tyler is my responsibility and I love him more than anything else in the world. He's had to go without so much because I was a fool. I'll forgive Mark for hurting me – even for stealing from me - but I'll never forgive him for what he did to Tyler. I'll never forgive myself either." She looked around and spoke softly, answering their questions before they had time to ask. "I know you're wondering why I didn't try to get it back – but I never even told anyone what happened. I had no money – I couldn't hire a lawyer and quite frankly couldn't trust anyone but myself."
Billie took a deep breath and looked over at her friends. Her voice was empty as she said, "The thing is - he could have had all I owned just by marrying me. But he didn't want me – he didn't want us." Billie put down her glass and pulled her arms around herself. "He didn't want us at all."
Kate reached out and grabbed Billie's hand, thankful to focus on someone else's problems for a change. Lynnie blinked back tears of her own, just imagining how difficult it must have been for her.
Lia's eyes glittered with contempt. "Give me his full name." She said quietly, her voice deadly.
"What?" Billie replied, trying to compose herself.
Lia stared at her and spoke again. "That bastard's name. Tell me so I can hunt him down and shoot him."
"Lia." Lynnie warned.
Her sister wouldn't be swayed. "Tell me Billie. If you don't tell me I'll find out anyway," Lia vowed.
Billie took a deep breath as she gazed at her friends. It shocked her to realize she actually had some now. Her head screamed to not let anyone else in, but her heart knew these were people who would never hurt her, or more importantly Ty. Coming to Port Charles seemed to have been the right decision after all. She hadn't realized how much she had needed this. Maybe her luck was changing – finally. Maybe she'd made the right decision for once.
Billie knew it was pointless to try and hide the truth anymore. "Mark Stanhope." She whispered. "But it's no use, Lia. I'm sure he's changed his name. You won't find him. He's fallen off the face of the earth."
Kate and Lynnie shared a look and smiled. "You might think that, Belinda, but I'll tell you something." Kate said to Billie with a laugh. "When Lia's finished with him he's going to wish he had."
