Page 153 of When a Soul Cries

I sucked my teeth. “Because I know how Soleia is.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, the fuck I do! I took that girl in when nobody else would. I didn't even like her damn mama. Never did. Only reason I took Soleia in was because her mama and daddy died and she ain't have nowhere else to go. She was only supposed to be there temporarily until she got herself together and went back to college.”

“I remember.”

“I fed her. Put a roof over her head. Made sure she had somewhere to sleep. Then she turn around and bring that bullshit into my house.”

“What bullshit?”

My lips pressed together.

“Don't start.”

“That Mack raped her?”

My hand tightened around the steering wheel.

“She went around telling everybody that shit!”

“No, she didn't.”

My head jerked toward the phone.

“What?”

“That girl ain't tell nobody Mack raped her, Trice.”

“Yes, the fuck she did.”

“Who?”

I blinked.

“What?”

“Who did Soleia tell?”

My mouth opened.

Nothing came out.

Denise waited.

That silence pissed me off worse than anything she could've said.

“Girl, I don't have to name shit to you.”

“Because you can't. Ain't nobody around Pinehaven ever said Soleia came to them saying Mack raped her. The only reason people knew she accused him was because *you* kept telling everybody she lied on him.”

My face grew hot.

“That little bitch was trying to ruin his life.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I knew Mack.”