The Truth She Knew Read Free Page A

before, you would never find it. That’s why I picked it.
    I kicked through the pile of dirty clothes on my floor, placed my purse and books on my dresser, and flopped onto my bed. I was exhausted from classes, work, and Mama not having a good night. A hot knife ripped through me every time she was upset with us. Part of me wanted to run, but even the thought of not having Mama in my life immediately brought tears to my eyes. She knew me so well; she knew what I could do and what I couldn’t.
    The realization of how many times she was right when she heard from God terrified me. I stared at my buttercream-colored bedroom walls and remembered the times I’d been caught toilet papering someone’s house, lying about where I stayed the night, and committing a multitude of other sins. There was no way she could have known about those incidents, so God must really tell her stuff. And the last thing I wanted was to burn in hell.
    Mama’s voice startled me from my mental descent to fiery darkness. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but she sounded unhappy. I heard the phone clatter and her footsteps across the living room floor above me. The tone and volume of her voice were enough for me to stay downstairs and out of her way.
    Her chair creaked and I let out a slow sigh. I listened for a few more minutes, but I didn’t hear any arguing or loud voices. I glanced at the clock and groaned. How could I be so tired at 9:45 p.m. ? If I were still at the party, I wouldn’t even consider crashing out this early.
    The party brought my thoughts back to Walker and a small smile passed my lips. I’d never seen eyes so blue, and his dark hair made them even more prominent. He had grabbed my attention when the group arrived at the party. They were all hot, but he was by far the best in the group.
    I grabbed my purse off the floor and rummaged for the small piece of paper with his phone number on it. Maybe I would call him tomorrow . . . or not. I wasn’t comfortable picking up the phone and calling a stranger, but he’d asked. I wondered if the phone number was really his.
    I folded the paper and put it back into my purse. I would call him tomorrow.

Chapter 4
    I rubbed my eyes and glanced at my alarm clock. It was 9 a.m. I sat up on the edge of my bed and slid into my fuzzy slippers. I paused for a moment to listen, but only silence responded. Hope flickered through me.
    As much as I loved Fridays, I hated Saturdays. I made sure I was scheduled to work every weekend. If I wasn’t, I volunteered to take someone’s shift. My coworkers thought I was a great team player who needed the money, which was true, but I also needed a legitimate excuse not to stay at home.
    As I made it halfway up the stairs to the living room, my skin began to itch with the tension in the air. I hesitated and considered going back downstairs, but my stomach growled and propelled me forward.
    Mama sat in her favorite chair, and Patsy was on the couch.
    “ Morning, Lacey.”
    “ Hi, Mama,” I said. I walked over and placed a kiss on her cheek.
    “ Does anyone want breakfast?” I asked as I approached the kitchen.
    “ No, but get yourself something to eat and then I want to talk to you,” she said.
    Patsy stared at her feet. I couldn’t read her face, and that put me at a disadvantage. I tingled with the all-too-familiar feeling that something was up, but I couldn’t tell which one of us was in trouble.
    “ What’s your schedule today?” Mama asked.
    “ I leave in a few hours and work from noon until six . ”
    “ Well, this won’t take long. You received a phone call last night after nine o’clock and you’re aware of the rules.”
    “ Who was it?” I asked between spoonfuls of Grape Nuts.
    “ Some boy named Walker.”
    My spoon stopped midway to my mouth.
    “ Walker?” I squeezed my eyes shut as I realized which one of us was in trouble.
    “ Do you know a Walker? Don’t you lie to me either. Who’s Walker?”
    “ I met him last