Right Now | Rafe Cameron

*12: be quiet, don't get caught.

TWELVE

be quiet, don't get caught.

Billie paced the shiny floor at JFK airport. She was nervous. It was her best friend, and her big brother. But an acidic feeling brushed her stomach lining, and her heart was beating faster, like her chest had crawled back in on itself and restricting the pace of the beat. She reminded herself to breathe. In and out.

They are family. Family. She'd been running away from it all for too long. 

She had forced herself to not think about yesterday. It had been like a weird dream. They had had a great time. It was surreal. New York really was another world.

"Billie!" Sarah shouted from the other side of the arrival hall. Oh god. People were turning around and everything. Billie laughed out loud.

"Sarah!" she shouted even louder as they ran towards each other and finally collided in an embrace. God, she even smelt of the sea. Of salt and sun.

"I've missed you so much," Sarah stated without letting go of Billie. "You have no idea."

"I've missed you too," Billie said and kissed her friend on the cheek and let her go. "What have you done with my brother?"

"Oh, I ditched him. He was getting on my nerves," Sarah said convincingly and Billie looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm kidding, he's getting the bags."

And sure enough, emerging from the doors were, well, a big cart of bags. But behind them, Billie's big brother. She started running again.

Without words, the two collapsed into a long hug. Billie could feel the tears burn in her eyes.

"Oh don't cry, bird," John B said and hugged her tighter. Billie cry-laughed at the nickname and then let her brother go.

"Why haven't you come to visit me sooner?" she hit him on the arm. He gasped.

"Maybe I bruise like a peach," John B furrowed his brows but then broke into a smile and pulled his sister back into his arms.

***

"Are you sure Uma's okay with us staying here for the weekend?" Sarah asked as she put her suitcase down on the kitchen floor and closed the door behind them.

"She was suspiciously happy with staying at her boyfriend's," Billie smiled but paused. She inhaled through her teeth. "I'll have to be careful or I might be without a roommate soon."

They had decided to have dinner in tonight since they were out for John B's birthday tomorrow. And soon, Billie stood in the kitchen making margaritas while her brother and Sarah sat talking to her from the sofa in the living room. That was the good thing about a small apartment, you could talk to each other across rooms without yelling.

They were telling her about back home, although Billie felt strange when they referred to the Outer Banks as such. She wasn't sure what that place was to her anymore. They told her about Kiara, who hadn't wasted any time or money in starting her environmental charity which was now getting really successful.

"She's basically single-handedly changed the whole attitude towards environmental politics in the Kildare council which is insane," Sarah laughed as she took the cocktail she was handed. Billie nodded, impressed. She wouldn't have expected any less from Kiara.

"And JJ?" Billie asked nonchalantly while walking back to the kitchen starting to peel some carrots, not looking up, but noticing the silence in the room as John B and Sarah exchanged glances. "Guys, honestly, what?"

"He's fine, nothing new to report," John B said shortly. Billie gave him an inquisitive stare.

"Does he have a job? What does he do?"