Nobody’s Child (New Life Tabernacle Series Book 1) by LaShonda Bowman Page A

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…

    " W hat 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