I Know I've Been Changed by Reshonda Tate Billingsley Read Free Book Online Page B

been back home, so I was just wondering how everyone was doing.” She lowered her head and her voice got soft. “I don’t want to go back till I’m completely cleaned up.”
    I felt a twinge of sympathy for her, but I still knew I had to wrap up our conversation. “I don’t know how anyone is doing. I don’t talk to them anymore.” I looked around nervously and noticed Myles heading to the car. “Oh, well, see you around.” I reached for the door to try to hurry and ease into the car.
    “Maybe we can get together some—”
    I slammed the car door before she could finish her sentence.
    Myles joined me in the car. “Man, I’m tired. I can’t wait to get home. Who was that homeless person you were talking to?”
    “Nobody. Just someone begging for money.”
    Myles leaned back in his seat and loosened his tie. “I can’t for the life of me understand why those people don’t just get a job.”
    I nodded my head in agreement.

Chapter 7
    T here had to be something major going on. Everyone in the newsroom was gathered around the big monitor that hung at the front of the room. I had just gotten in, late as usual. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get to work on time. Usually, I didn’t care what anyone thought, but today, I was thankful for the diversion. I know people have been whispering about my hours and I just wasn’t in the mood to add fuel to their fire. I glanced at Richard’s office. The light was off and the door was locked, which meant he wasn’t even in today. I relaxed a little.
    “Oh, no! He’s gonna crash,” one of my colleagues shouted.
    “He’s going down the freeway the wrong way!” another one screamed.
    It sounded like they were watching another high-speed chase. I glanced up and saw the chopper camera aimed at the U-Haul flying down Interstate 610. Why do we insist on carrying those things live? I wondered as I made my way into my office.
    “Don’t you want to watch this?” one of the photographers asked as he passed by my office.
    “No. Unlike you people, I don’t get off by watching high-speed chases,” I snapped.
    The photographer, Todd, laughed. “This is good. This dude just escaped from prison, held up the Bank of America downtown, shot a security guard and a six-year-old kid. Now, he’s about to kill somebody else flying down the freeway like that.”
    I ignored Todd and grabbed my coffee cup before heading to the break room to fill up on my daily dose of java. I passed by the studio set where Keith, my male coanchor, was giving a play-by-play of what was going on.
    After filling up my cup, I took a slow sip and savored the hot liquid as it slid down my throat. Myles was pleased with the ribbon-cutting ceremony so he’d wanted to go out to a jazz club. We were up late celebrating. I was absolutely worn out.
    I glanced up at the TV in the break room and shook my head again at the way our helicopter camera followed every move of the U-Haul.
    I was making my way back out to the newsroom when one of the reporters stopped me. “Rae, that guy has the same last name as you.” He laughed, pointing to the mug shot that was flashing on the screen. “You sure that isn’t your brother?”
    I prepared to roll my eyes when I glanced up at the TV set. The next thing I knew, my cup of coffee had slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor. The noise made everyone jump and turn toward me, but the panicky voice of the helicopter pilot quickly diverted their attention.
    I couldn’t take my eyes off the TV. Kevin. Oh, my God. That was my cousin’s mug shot plastered across that set. What the hell was going on? How could I be dealing with two of my relatives within the same week? I hadn’t seen him in years, but there was no denying it. Those were his features, the narrow, cleft chin and eerie-looking eyes. Then they flashed his name on the screen—Kevin Rollins—and I swear, I thought I would pass out right there.
    I managed to compose myself and ask Keria, one of