Nobody’s Child (New Life Tabernacle Series Book 1)

by LaShonda Bowman

  "Why do you ask?"

  “Uh…” Trey glanced at Robin, then back at Makayla. “Well, earlier you didn’t really say, so…”

  Makayla stared at him until he became uneasy and looked away. Then she said, “You ask a lot of questions.”

  Throughout it all, Robin sat between them, looking increasingly uncomfortable. Serves her right, thought Makayla. Why in the world did she think I'd want to spend the afternoon with some dude I've never met?

  A well-dressed couple exited the main dining room and walked past them to the door. At the last second, the woman stopped and spun around.

  "Robin? Robin Jones?"

  "Yes?"

  "Oh my God! It's me, April!"

  Obviously, the name didn't ring any bells for Robin, who just raised her eyebrows and offered a weak smile.

  “Delta Sigma Theta!” The woman shrieked. She made a triangle with her hands over her chest.

  Makayla’s eyes darted back and forth. Apparently she was the only one shocked to see a grown woman throwing what looked like gang signs in a public place.

  Robin's jaw dropped. "April Dunham?" She stood and hugged the woman. “My goodness! I can’t believe this! How long has it been?"

  April looked up at the ceiling and tapped her finger on her chin. "Well, I was twenty-one, so…what? Twenty years?"

  "That long?"

  "Yeah, girl! I even remember the month because we were all trying to figure out what happened to you. You just up and disappeared."

  Makayla sat up.

  "I didn't disappear…"

  April put her hand on her hip and gave Robin a no-nonsense look.

  "Oh, yes you did. One day we were the four hottest things on campus, the next day, you were gone. No explanation, no goodbyes, no nothing. Even when your dad came to clean out your room, he never said a word about what happened. Nobody did. Granted,” April said, lowering her voice, “there was a ton of gossip—not any that I participated in, of course. But you know…"

  When she said that, she looked at Makayla pointedly, eyeing her up and down.

  “Regardless, it all worked out for you, didn’t it? I couldn't believe it when I saw you on Oprah. I was calling everyone I knew, like, I know that girl! That’s my soror!” April laughed and the false note in it reminded Makayla of Suburb Shauna.

  “Oh, I’m doing all right."

  “All right? From what I understand, you're doing better than all right! I mean, it's not like I'm Googling you or anything, but I hear things. I didn't know you had kids though. Introduce me.” April pointed at Makayla. “This one looks just like you."

  Robin turned and looked at Makayla, as if seeing her for the first time.

  "Actually," Trey cut in, saving a speechless Robin. "We all just go to the same church."

  “Really?” April's face puckered like she’d tasted lemon. "Oh," she said, obviously disappointed. "Me and my big mouth…" She chuckled and turned to Robin. “Well, anyway, we should get together some—“

  The hostess interrupted. "Ms. Jones, your table is ready."

  April fished in her handbag for her phone. “Hold on. Lemme get your number and—“

  "It was nice seeing you,” Robin said, patting April on the shoulder as she passed her and followed the hostess. “Maybe we'll run into each other again sometime."

  Makayla didn’t even try to hide her smile.

  Even when she was shutting someone down, Robin Jones was spectacularly polite.

  Their waiter was with them minutes after they were seated. After some mulling over the menu, he took their orders and they were once again left in awkward silence.

  And, once again, Trey took it upon himself to break it.

  "So you went to school here for a while? I didn't know that."

  “Mmm hmm.” Robin responded, taking a sip of her water.

  "Why did you transfer out?"

  For the first time since she’d met him, Makayla thought maybe she'd been too quick to take a dislike to godson Trey. Perhaps he could get the answers she'd been wondering about all week.

  Both looked at Robin, waiting for her response. She stared down at her ice water, lips pressed together. She took the linen napkin off the table and wiped the condensation off her glass.

  "Plans change."

  Two words. That was it. And the way she said them invited no further inquiry. Even her body language seemed closed off. Trey's expression told Makayla it wasn’t a side of Robin he was familiar with.

  Makayla leaned back in her chair, disappointed. She didn't know what she’d expected. It's not like that simple question would've led to what she really wanted: a full-out confession explaining why she’d been abandoned. People didn't talk about their deep dark secrets in the middle of crowded restaurants. No matter how much you needed them to.

  But still, she'd hoped at least—

  "What made you come here for school, Makayla? Are you from another town here in Texas or out-of-state?"

  Robin looked up from her glass of water and her gaze was so intense, Makayla couldn’t help but fidget in her seat.

  No, she'd been right the first time. She didn't like godson Trey. At all.

  She knew she needed to think fast. To come up with some story that didn't mention where she was from or her grandmother's name or anything else that would cause Robin to put two and two together. Because if and when she did tell Robin, she didn't want it to be like this.

  Makayla opened her mouth, still not sure what lie to tell, when the waiter appeared beside her, his arm outstretched to put a basket of warm bread on the table.

  Trey didn't waste a second ripping a roll in half and smothering it with butter.

  “Finally! I’m starving!"

  Makayla was watching him destroy his bread and counting the ways in which she loathed him, when she realized Robin was watching her.

  But no sooner than she noticed, Robin looked away.

  Having not yet learned his lesson, Trey spent most of dinner trying to converse with Makayla. And she spent most of dinner making it hard.

  It got to the point she started having fun. Seeing how creatively she could stump him or answer his question without really answering his question, was far more enjoyable than she ever could’ve imagined.

  But even doing that, she noticed, more than once, Robin watching her. Whenever Makayla caught her staring, she’d quickly look away or act as if she were looking at something just behind Makayla.

  Was it because of what April said? Did they really look alike? It was the second time Makayla had heard it that day. She thought she’d noticed a resemblance when she first saw Robin, but she had no way of knowing if it were real or only wishful thinking.

  But that brought up another concern. If they did resemble one another and Robin recognized that, had she also figured out who Makayla was?

  She was certainly being quiet. Though, that wasn’t hard with as much as Trey talked. Maybe today wouldn’t be a complete loss. Maybe after they got rid of the godkid, Robin would be the one to initiate the conversation Makayla had been so anxiously waiting for.

  "Makayla?"

  "What?"

  Robin chuckled. "This boy has been talking to you nonstop for the past five minutes and he just now realized you weren't listening."

  Trey curled his upper lip. "Oh, I noticed. She's been sly way ignoring me since we met. But I think this is the first time she’s actually blocked me out."

  Makayla smiled, not caring how insincere it looked. "I didn't block you out. I was just lost in my thoughts."

  He nodded in Robin’s direction. "That makes two of you. You did the same thing to me just a few minutes ago."

  Robin frowned. "Oh, no. Did I? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

  “Awww, don't worry about it."

  He leaned over and kissed Robin on the cheek. Makayla knew she didn’t like him, but even she was surprised at the sudden urge she felt to throw her ice water in his face. He remained leaned in toward Robin, his hand on her arm.

&
nbsp; "Thank you for dinner and for introducing me to Makayla. Even if she doesn’t like me.” He glanced at Makayla, a playful glint in his eye. She sneered at him. “I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present."

  "You thought this was your birthday present?"

  "It's not?"

  Robin sat back and folded her arms. "Now, you ought to know me better than that. Your birthday present is at the house, waiting on you. The sooner you stop running your mouth and finish your dessert, the sooner I can take you to it."

  Makayla tossed her napkin on the table. So much for the conversation…

  Trey turned expectantly to Makayla. "Are you coming, too?"

  Makayla had had enough of the happy-go-lucky godson.

  "No. I should get home. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

  Makayla watched Robin for any reaction. With the way she’d been looking at her throughout dinner, she obviously had something on her mind. If she did have suspicions about who Makayla might be, she’d want her to come along too, right?

  "Oh, come on…” Trey nudged Robin. “I bet she’d come if you asked her.”

  There was no question he wanted her to join them, but it wasn't his invitation Makayla was interested in.

  “Trey, would you please stop pestering her? If the girl wants to go home, let her.” She grabbed his chin and shook it. “She probably can’t wait to get away from you!”

  Apparently, it was the one invitation Makayla wasn't going to get.

  Chapter 9

  Makayla adjusted the strap of her messenger bag as she plodded down the sidewalk. Between the cold nip in the air and the tight and tired muscles of her legs, the three blocks it took to walk from the gas station back to her building felt more like three miles.

  She’d just come off a double shift and all she wanted to do was plant her face in the middle of her air bed the second she got through the door. She was so exhausted, she could hardly think straight.

  And though she hated to admit it, it was entirely her fault.

  She’d agreed to cover any extra weekday hours Amir needed in exchange for guaranteed Sundays off. At the time, it seemed a worthwhile deal. But that was before she decided to hold off on her plans for Robin. Before she knew she'd be going to church every Sunday, and definitely before the disappointment of “Trey Day.”

  She’d spent the last few days replaying the miserable Sunday in her mind. From her spazzing out in the car, to Suburb Shauna in the bathroom, then her bag spilling for all to see—the day had been a total disaster.

  But despite cringing every time she thought about it, Makayla realized it was for the best that things didn't go as planned.

  How much did she really know about Robin anyway? All she'd seen was interviews and speeches. Things like that weren't enough to tell you about a person.

  Makayla needed to get to know her better before revealing her secret. She had to know for sure and without a doubt that it was the right thing to do. Even if Makayla never took revenge, it didn’t necessarily mean she and Robin would have a relationship. There were too many ways revealing herself could blow up in her face. She'd rather leave Texas without Robin ever knowing who she was, than tell her and regret she’d done so.

  Makayla inhaled the crisp, cool air. It was settled. She’d hold off on revenge and telling Robin the truth.

  Finally deciding would allow her to enjoy the rest of her Friday afternoon, stress-free. The only thing that stood between her and some much-needed sleep, was to hike the flight of stairs up to her apartment.

  She was gearing up to do just that, when she saw Trey.

  So much for a good Friday…

  "What are you doing here?" She didn’t ask, so much as demand.

  He grinned and stood up from the gleaming, champagne-colored vehicle he was leaning against. “Do you have any idea how often I’ve been by here? Every time I ask someone about you, they say you’re at work. When do you have time for classes?”

  He’d been asking about her? Perfect. That’s all she needed. A blazer wearing preppy telling everyone in the neighborhood he knew her.

  “Again, why are you here?”

  Motioning toward the Escalade next to him like he was one of the girls from The Price is Right, he said, “I wanted to show you my birthday present."

  He had to be kidding. A car? Robin bought him a car for his birthday?

  "What do you think?"

  Makayla came closer, staring in disbelief. It was gorgeous. She leaned in to the window and looked inside.

  Trey held up a remote and the car made a beeping sound as the doors unlocked. He opened the passenger side. “Go ahead. Get in.”

  The inside was even more impressive than the outside. Plush leather seats, 16-speaker surround sound, a custom-built, touchscreen-controlled entertainment system and a dashboard that looked like it belonged inside a spaceship. Makayla had never seen anything like it.

  "She must really love you."

  "She’s a generous person, that's for sure."

  I wouldn't know. She took off before I had a chance to find out.

  “Wait till you hear this.”

  He turned on the sound system, much louder than Robin ever would’ve. Makayla could feel the thump of the base in her legs and back. She grinned and bobbed her head to the beat.

  Even if the speakers hadn’t sounded as if they belonged in an upscale, downtown club, she still would've been impressed. She’d never considered herself a car person, but if anything could turn her, it’d be a vehicle like this.

  Trey must have seen the appreciation in her eyes because he held up the remote and wiggled it in front of her.

  “Wanna take it for a spin?"

  "Oh, I couldn't. I mean, it's brand-new and everything. I wouldn't wanna wreck it or something like that."

  “Wreck it?” Trey laughed. “Do you got a speed-demon reputation I don’t know about? Just take it around the block. You gotta feel this thing on the road. It's crazy."

  "That's okay."

  Trey reached across her and pulled on the door handle. "Get out and get over here."

  He opened his own door and started to get out when she said, "I don't know how to drive, okay? I never learned."

  Makayla waited for him to crack a joke.

  She knew there were places, like New York City, where being almost twenty and not knowing how to drive was no big deal, but she was pretty sure Texas wasn't one of them.

  But instead of laughing, Trey pulled his door closed. "Really? Why not?"

  Makayla exhaled. "Who cares? You could fill a book with the things I can't do. Drive, swim, roller skate. The list goes on. Look, I just got off work and—“

  "I could teach you. If you want. All of it. The driving, swimming, skating—“

  "Yeah, that's okay. But thanks."

  Makayla pushed her door open and slid off the seat. No sooner than her feet hit the concrete, Trey had rounded the front of the vehicle.

  "Come on. I'm a great teacher. Amazing."

  She rolled her eyes, but smiled. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind if I ever need one."

  "I'm serious. I learned from the best."

  It took a moment before it hit her. "Don't tell me… Robin?"

  "Yep."

  Makayla shook her head and stepped around him and toward her apartment building. "Don't you have any parents of your own?"

  He laughed and grabbed her wrist to stop her.

  "Why do I make you so angry?"

  Makayla opened her mouth, but didn't have an answer. Why did she dislike him so much? He hadn’t done anything to her. And other than his addiction to asking questions, she didn't know anything about him aside from him being Robin's godson—

  Was that it? Was she really hating on this dude just because she was jealous?

  "How long have you known Robin? Since you were a baby?"

  If he was thrown off by the sudden change of topic, he didn't show it.

  “Nah. I was…” He looked up, eyes narrowed. "Nine or ten, maybe
. Single mother. Robin helped us out."

  Maybe Makayla had come at this all wrong. She wanted to know more about Robin. Personal, real life stuff, not what she saw in interviews or magazine articles. Who better to tell her what she needed to know than Trey?

  "You don't make me angry. I'm just tired."

  Trey cocked his head to the side and studied her. "So you won't try to cut me if I walk you to your door?"

  "I left my switchblade upstairs, so you’re cool."

  His grin widened. "Excellent."

  They walked the few steps to the lobby door and as he opened it, he nodded in the direction off to the side of the apartment building.

  "Who's that? He's been eyeing us ever since you got here."

  Makayla looked over her shoulder. It was Antoine. He leaned against the wall of the building next to another guy, watching them and working the blunt in his mouth. Even as he exchanged a folded brown paper bag for a wad of cash, he never took his eyes off them.

  "He's nobody.” She stepped inside and tugged on his blazer so he’d follow. She took out her keys and went to the wall of mailboxes. “So you really came all the way here just to show me your car?”

  Trey leaned against the wall. “Actually, I'm here to do what I was trying to work up to Sunday, which is invite you to a mixer at my boy’s dorm."

  Makayla had never met anyone like Trey. Why in the world would somebody drive across town and wait outside for a girl who had spent an entire afternoon ignoring him?

  Maybe he could be useful. After all, if he and Robin were close enough that she would buy him a car, he probably knew things a lot of other people didn’t. Things he could tell Makayla, if she played her cards right.

  "Sure."

  Trey straightened up. “You'll come?"

  "Yeah. Why not? When is it?"

  “Tomorrow night. I'll pick you up around eight?"

  "I'll see you then."

  Trey backed away to the door, a grin on his face. “Yeah, I’ll see you then.” He felt for the door to push it open, but Antoine opened it from the outside before he could.