Nobody’s Child (New Life Tabernacle Series Book 1) (14 page)

R
obin was wrong
.

Makayla only became more anxious with every hour that brought her closer to Monday morning. It got so bad around three o’clock, she thought she was having a heart attack. Her chest felt like an elephant had sat on it and her heart was beating so hard, she feared it would burst. At one point, she hoped it
was
a heart attack. That would have been preferable to what was coming.

Unable to be still, she got out of bed and spent the next hour pacing the room, trying to think of something—anything—she could do to keep Robin from the radio station.

She considered faking serious illness, but that would only put them in the emergency room without a real emergency. Fooling Robin was one thing, a room full of experienced nurses and doctors was another.

She thought maybe she could do something to Robin's car, but Makayla knew less than nothing about cars and Robin would probably just call a car service anyway.

Her ideas went from the ridiculous to the completely implausible and she kept coming back to one simple fact—there were only two choices.

One: She could say nothing, go to the interview, watch Robin get sandbagged and pray to God it never came out she was the confidential source. While Robin would never know she was the one at fault, she’d discover who Makayla was and, no doubt, want nothing more to do with her.

Two: She could tell Robin everything. Makayla would have to own up to the part she’d played in it, but it would keep Robin from going to the radio station. But even that wasn’t guaranteed to solve anything.

Even if she could get Robin to cancel the interview, who's to say Wallace wouldn't spill everything on-air anyway? He liked to catch people off-guard, yes, but even without Robin in-studio, it was a juicy story. Perhaps too juicy to pass up.

Makayla could picture it already. The story would be all over the internet, maybe even the news shows on TV. Rape. Abortion. Abandonment. How would Robin face all that? How would
she
face Robin?

Makayla buried her face in her hands. She would have given anything to just disappear.

That’s when a thought dawned on her. And the more she considered it, the more she realized there was a third choice.

She
could
just disappear.

It was cowardly. She knew that. But really, with all the mess she'd already done, what was one more offense?

Makayla took out her phone, did a quick Google search and called a number. Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, she got dressed and stuffed what little she brought with her back into her messenger bag.

She scribbled a note for Robin.

Then she left the house and met the cab she had waiting for her down the street.

A
fter a quick stop
at her apartment to grab her duffel bag, Makayla finally made it to the Dallas Greyhound Station and for the first time in days, felt she could breathe.

After purchasing her ticket, she located an empty bench in an area with few people. After settling in, she reached in her duffel bag and took out the balled up piece of paper she’d retrieved from the trash and stuffed inside before leaving her apartment. Careful not to cause any rips or tears, she opened the paper, then smoothed it out over her knee.

She let herself look at the Jones family only until the familiar sting of tears pricked at her eyes. She reopened her duffel bag, took out her manila envelope and added the picture to the other treasures it held. Then she unzipped the side pocket and took out the bracelet she’d put inside.

She kept her hand around it, making sure no one in the bus station saw the platinum or diamonds sparkle. If she hadn’t been in such a hurry, she would’ve thought to leave it with the note. Once she was settled and had the money, she’d send it back to Robin. Until then, she’d keep it safe in the manila envelope, as well.

Maybe it was hardly sleeping for the past few nights. Maybe it was the relief of finally escaping the pressure, but Makayla suddenly felt exhausted. Exhausted and hungry. She took out her wallet and looked inside. That's when she remembered why spur-of-the-moment decisions were such a bad idea. She didn't get paid until Friday and most of her money had just went to rent. Add to that the ridiculous amount she’d just spent on cab fare, not to mention her brand spanking new, nonrefundable bus ticket…

Makayla leaned her head back on the bench. "Stupid…”

Then she remembered the tuna and water she always carried with her. In a matter of minutes, she devoured all three packets. It wasn't much, but it took the edge off. But with the hunger no longer gnawing at her, the exhaustion became irresistible.

She checked the clock on her phone. With plenty of time before her bus left, she decided to take a nap. Using her duffel bag as a pillow, she stretched out on the hard, blue bench and set the alarm on her phone.

For a little while, she could sink into the blissful darkness of unconsciousness. For a little while, she could forget.

W
hen Makayla woke up
, it was due to an announcement about a three bus delay and not her alarm. The area around her had become crowded with travelers and their possessions. She sat up and stretched, then she picked up her phone to cancel the alarm.

When she turned on her screen, she found several texts awaited her.

Even after reading every text, the phone’s notification light continued to flash. There were voice mails.

Makayla stretched out her leg to stuff the phone in to her jeans pocket. She didn't want to listen to the voice messages. They would only weaken her resolve. She kept her eyes fixed on the big clock on the wall.

One hour.

Sixty minutes.

All she had to do was sit tight for another hour and she’d be free. Free to be anyone she wanted to be. Anyone else other than who she was.

One hour.

One hour.

One hour…

She inwardly chanted the words like a prayer but, try as she might, other thoughts crept in.

She imagined Robin waking up to find her gone. She remembered the one night when Robin was out of town and called thirty minutes later than usual. It was the longest thirty minutes of Makayla’s life. All she could think about were the dozens of bad things that could’ve happened.

She took her phone out of her pocket.

Maybe one text.

Just to let Robin know she was okay.

Makayla looked at the phone in her hand, but remained still.

It shouldn't matter that Robin was worried. The best thing she could do for her was disappear from her life forever. Robin didn't understand that yet, but in about an hour and a half, it would be crystal-clear.

Makayla looked back at the clock, tapping her foot anxiously.

You're doing the lady of favor. Put it behind you. In the long run, it's what's best. For everyone.

Makayla let out a breath she wasn't even aware she’d been holding and nodded. It was for the best.

She long pressed the button to power off her phone and just as she did, her text notification sounded. It showed the sender as Robin. But instead of a regular text message, it was a photo. Makayla tapped the notification several times, but it was too late. The phone was already shutting down.

After what seemed like an eternity for it to power back on, Makayla anxiously opened her messages to get a look at the picture.

It was one she’d never seen. One of the dozens taken of her and Robin at the christening. In it, Makayla looked into the camera, obviously unhappy about the whole thing. But Robin looked at her. And the joy on her face made it luminous.

It was the kind of picture Makayla used to daydream about.

When she was a kid, she cut a picture out of a mother-daughter article in an old Ebony magazine. She carried it around with her wherever she went. Each night, she looked at it and tried to imagine her face and the face of the woman she’d come from.

She didn't have to imagine anymore. She was looking at it. She was looking at her childhood dream come true, and it was nothing short of beautiful.

Short-lived.

Impossible.

But beautiful.

Makayla knew there was no way Robin would want anything to do with her once she learned the truth. And who could blame her?

Rape.

The word made her skin crawl. But there it was. And there
she
was, as a result.

Robin could've chosen not to have her. The Planned Parenthood pamphlet was evidence the thought had crossed her mind. But she
did
have her. And if not for anything other than that difficult choice, Makayla owed her.

She looked at the clock.

Yes, in just a little while, she could get on a bus and put the dunghill that was the truth of her beginnings, behind her. But something had happened. Something she’d never expected.

For the first time in a long time, Makayla realized she loved her mother.

W
hen Makayla busted
into the lobby of the radio station, she didn't wait for the flabbergasted receptionist to ask her what she needed. She ran right past the brunette and down the first of two corridors.

She kept running even when she heard the woman request assistance from security.

Past a break room, open office doors and confused workers, she ran.

When a security guard called out to her to stop where she was, she ran faster.

When she got to the end of the hall and it split in two directions, she asked the God that Robin believed in to help her choose and immediately veered left.

She looked over her shoulder to see the security guard gaining on her, now joined by two other station employees. And just when she thought they might catch up to her, she saw a placard that read
The Wallace Davis Show
and above it, a bright-red, digital display with the words, On-Air.

Dropping her duffel and messenger bags to gain speed, she shot for the door, busting in on Bree and a guy at the board. Seconds later, her abrupt entry into the studio also had the attention of the people in the booth—Wallace Davis, his sidekick cohost, and Robin.

Everyone was so shocked by her sudden entry, no one tried to stop her as she raised the engraved heart pendant she'd been holding in her hand and held it to the glass.

Her heart in her throat, she watched a wide-eyed Robin as understanding and, then, recognition, swept over her. Slowly, Robin stood and came to the glass between them. She stared at the pendant, then Makayla.

Tears streaming down her cheeks, she put the palm of her hand on the glass. Makayla couldn't actually hear her words, but she didn't need to. It was clear to everyone what Robin was saying.

It's you…

C
haos erupted all around
.

Security descended upon Makayla and people shouted in all directions. The security guard wanted to know what was in the bags she'd dropped in the hall and one of the office workers warned her the authorities were on their way.

The other coworker asked over and over whether they should evacuate the building and since no one paid attention to him, he became increasingly agitated each time.

Wallace demanded to know who Makayla was and Bree and the young guy scrambled to find something appropriate to put on-air until the whole mess was straightened out.

But amid all the yanking and yelling and shoving and shouting, Makayla saw only one thing: Robin, as she pushed past them all to get to where Makayla was.

Once she did, she took Makayla's hand in hers and lifted it so she could see the pendant. She traced her fingers over the inscription. Then put her arms around Makayla and openly wept.

Her reaction silenced the room.

Makayla was only vaguely aware of Bree’s voice explaining to the others there was no danger. That it was all a misunderstanding. That everything was okay.

Makayla didn't care what happened next. Wallace could have her arrested and thrown in jail and it wouldn't make a difference because for the moment, she was in her mother's arms. And she realized it was the only place she'd ever wanted to be, even for the past five anger-filled years.

No imaginary encounter or fantasy scenario could've prepared her for the reality of the moment. In a matter of seconds, every hollow place in her heart was filled to overflowing. Everything that had been lacking, was made whole. For the first time in her remembered history, she belonged somewhere.

Makayla had never known true love. She'd seen representations of it on TV. Heard about the joy it brought in songs. But in her experience, it was a fleeting thing that easily slipped through your fingers the very moment you tried to grasp at it.

Not anymore. Now it held her in its arms and rocked her like a baby.

As she nestled her face in the curve of Robin's neck, she understood the feeling so many others had tried to describe before—she knew what it felt like to be home.

The security guard, along with the others, filed out and Wallace went with them to explain the situation to the officers that had just arrived.

Her hands on either side of Makayla's face, Robin didn't seem capable of doing much more than staring. She ran her fingers over Makayla's cheekbones and mouth, shaking her head and whispering, “How did I not know?"

Makayla hated to hear the sorrow and regret in Robin's voice, but it was so much better than the cold indifference she had expected. Why had she waited so long to tell the truth?

Robin took in a quick and sharp breath. "Oh! Marcus!" She twirled around, looking in every direction. "I have to tell Marcus! My bag. Where is it? I need my phone!"

Bree, the only person still left in the room, quickly came forward with Robin's purse.

Robin dug around until she found her phone. She touched Makayla's face one last time and kissed her cheek before stepping away and dialing.

Marcus?

Makayla hadn't heard the name before. Not from Robin, Mr. Jones or anyone at the church. She looked down at the pendant in her hand.

She’d always majored so heavily on Carrie, she’d never given much thought to Junior.

Was Marcus the
Junior
from the inscription? Was Marcus her father?

Why else would he be the first person Robin called? Even before Mr. Jones? If Marcus
was
Junior, and the engravings in the heart pendant meant that Junior and Carrie loved each other…

Makayla felt her knees weaken and she stumbled back, overcome with relief.

Was it possible Makayla was conceived out of love, and not force?

She took a step toward Robin. She had to hear what she was saying. She had to know—

"What are you trying to pull?"

Makayla look down at the white-knuckled grip Bree had on her forearm.

The woman’s voice was low, but seething with fury. “You deliver the goods. I do the dirty work. Wallace gets his ratings. That was the deal."

Makayla pulled her arm away, still trying to make out what Robin was saying. "I changed my mind."

Bree folded her arms and laughed. "Oh! You changed your mind? Well, then, okay. That clears that up. I guess we can all go home now!"

"I'm sorry."

Bree came in closer and Makayla saw it wasn't just fury in her eyes, but also frantic desperation.

"
You're
sorry? Do you have any idea the kind of crap storm Wallace is going to rain down on
me
because of this? We've been teasing this interview for weeks. It was going to be his biggest exposé in the last two years!"

Bree shut her eyes and bit down on her lip so hard, Makayla expected it to bleed.

"You better hope to God we can still salvage this." Bree rubbed the palm of one hand against the back of the other. “Maybe this could work… Maybe we can still spin it. Maybe we can—“

"No!" Makayla looked over her shoulder to be sure Robin was still occupied with her phone call. "I said it’s over. This was all a mistake. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got you mixed up in this and I'm sorry Wallace will be mad at you, but you guys can't use the stuff I gave you."

"You think Wallace is going to be mad at me?" Bree cackled and covered her eyes in exasperated disbelief. "I won't even have a job by the time he's done. I'll be lucky if he doesn't burn me entirely! Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get here?"

Sarah's eyes glistened with tears and Makayla realized preventing Wallace from ruining Robin's life only meant sacrificing Bree instead. She felt horrible for what she'd done, but what choice did she have? She couldn't let them do the interview.

"Let me talk to him. I can explain everything. Show him it was all my fault—“

The door opened and Wallace came in. The moment he saw Robin, he plastered on a bright smile. But not before Makayla saw the split-second flash of anger that crossed his face when he glanced in Bree and Makayla's direction.

"Okay," Robin said into the phone. "We're leaving now."

Robin turned to Wallace. "I'm so sorry about all of this." She took her coat from the stand in the corner.

"No, don't be." He glanced at Makayla again. "Looks like we landed smack in the middle of a family reunion, huh? Too bad we couldn't have done it on-air!"

He laughed, clearly not amused, but Robin was too distracted to notice the dichotomy.

"Come on, baby." She put her arm out, taking Makayla's hand in hers and opened the door. Then to Wallace, she said, "I'll make this up to you. Reschedule me for whenever you have a slot and I'll be here."

At the word ‘reschedule,’ Makayla felt her heart seize. She had to make sure that didn't happen. She tugged at Robin's hand to free herself from it.

"Is there a bathroom around here?" Makayla directed her question at Bree. She just needed a few minutes. A few minutes away from Robin, so she could explain everything to Wallace.

But before Bree could speak, Robin said, "Oh baby, can you wait? We’re not that far from the church. Marcus said he'd be there soon."

Makayla looked at Bree but the woman turned away, refusing to meet her gaze. As Makayla followed Robin out of the room, Wallace shut the door behind them. They weren't three feet down the hall before Makayla heard him yelling.