If Only You Knew Read Free

sitting across from at the dinner table every night. Not to mention, on paper Altimus was the modern-day American dream. After hustling his way out of the West End, one of the roughest hoods in Atlanta, he’d continued on to own and operate the most successful chain of luxury car dealerships in the greater Atlanta area. Unfortunately, that was just the story on paper.
    Sydney stood quietly outside the kitchen door and listened. “Babe, how long have you been saying you were going to do this? I want you to get on it now or I’m calling a professional to handle it,” Keisha threatened in a low voice. A professional? Sydney couldn’t imagine what had her mother, who normally saved all her attitude for Sydney and Lauren, so worked up with Altimus. She leaned in closer to the door.
    â€œIs that so,” Altimus countered unwaveringly as the ice cubes clinked in what Sydney assumed to be his one-a-day glass of Glenlivet and Drambuie on the rocks.
    â€œYes, yes, it is. Mark my words, Altimus, you’ve got two weeks.”
    â€œI knew I should have cancelled that damn HGTV channel,” Altimus grumbled and pushed back his chair from the kitchen’s center island. “Got me living with the black Martha Stewart up in here…”
    â€œTrust, you’re going to thank me a month from now when you’re relaxing in our fully furnished basement,” Mrs. Duke replied confidently. “Now please pass me—”
    At the mention of the basement, Sydney broke out in a cold sweat. She immediately headed back to the foyer and grabbed all her shopping bags. Grateful for the plush wall-to-wall carpeting to muffle the sound of her footsteps, Sydney sprinted up the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her andher bags. Hanging a hard left at the top, she headed halfway down the hall and directly into her sister’s bedroom without a single breath.
    Startled, Lauren dropped the brush she was using to wrap and pin her long auburn/black-streaked weave. “Damn, Syd, do you not know how to knock?” she snapped.
    â€œYeah, yeah, yeah. I’m sorry,” she apologized nervously, dropping her bags and turning to close the door behind her. “Anyway, you are not going to believe this!”
    â€œWhat?” Lauren asked as she finished tying on her headscarf and turned to look at her sister suspiciously. “Okay, you’re scaring me with that face. What is going on? Why are you closing the door?”
    â€œMom is redoing the basement,” Sydney burst out.
    â€œOkay…she’s been saying that for years. So?” Lauren asked, clearly confused.
    â€œLauren, she’s really serious about it this time. And just think! The pictures of Altimus with Dad from back in the day, the boxes, everything is in the basement!”
    A look of confusion passed across Lauren’s face. “Wait, I thought you stashed the photo album in your bathroom under the sink,” she asked.
    â€œI did. But that’s only one album. Can you imagine how much more evidence is down there? How are we going to prove that Altimus had something to do with setting Dice up if…”
    Lauren’s face involuntarily twisted at the sound of her biological father’s name. For as long as both girls could remember, Keisha Duke had drilled into their heads that their biological father was worthless, had abandoned his family, and was not to be trusted. Always a daddy’s girl, Sydney refused to believe her mother and even sought out a clandestine relationship with Dice on her own. Lauren, on the other hand, bought into the propaganda hook, line, and sinker. Even when Sydney discovered old photos that showed Altimus and Dice used to be best friends (and probably business partners), she still had major trust issues.
    â€œOkay, okay, forget Dice,” Sydney implored, noticing her sister’s expression. “Think about Jermaine!” Sydney attempted to make the gravity of