Revelations Coming (The Dark Truth Novel Series) Read Online Free

she had quite the extensive background on painful childhoods to know the signs...eyes cast down, shoulders slightly hunched, hands clenched in fists so tight that she would have the crescent imprints of her fingernails in the palm of her hands. Sheila knew because she had been there before. She had gone through those same types of memories until one day she met Reggie, and didn’t have to be afraid anymore. When Venus looked into her eyes, Sheila saw a faint spark of hope. Whatever Venus had gone through, it had not destroyed her. There was still life in her, a strong will to live. A sudden foreboding swamped Sheila as she sensed that there was still more misery to come before Venus could find happiness. Sheila buried that piece of knowledge within herself and ushered Venus inside.
    They sat down at the kitchen table and Sheila bustled around the kitchen pouring already made coffee in generous mugs.
    “So Venus,” Sheila started as she said down at the table, her hands warmed around the heated ceramic mug. “Where ya from?”
    “Montana...nowhere specific really.”
    Sheila noted how Venus' hands tightened around the coffee mug and how she tried to feign indifference when she looked up, smiled and shrugged.
    “We've been up to Glacier National Park a few times, haven't we babe? It's just plain gorgeous.”
    Venus smiled at the honest and simple conversation and the way Sheila fought an internal struggle to remain the same with Venus.
    “The kids should be home from school soon. We have a daughter who looks to be about your age. Christa is 17 and Toby is 15.”
“Yep, I'm 18. I graduated a year early though.”
    Reggie chuckled. “Maybe we can enlist Venus as a tutor then!”
    Venus smiled at the thought and felt her insides grow warm at the thought of being part of their family.
     
    The “kids” showed up not too much later. The girl, Christa, burst through the door first with dark curly hair like her father and a bronzed tan from the desert sun. She was pretty.
    “Toby you better get that trash out of my car!” she screamed towards the door. When she entered the kitchen Christa's mouth dropped open and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the outburst.
    “Hey Dad!” she squealed jumping into his arms, forgetting her moment of unease. Venus watched them hungrily, feeling the tugging at her heart of how this was how it should be. Reggie planted a kiss on her forehead and turned her so she was facing Venus.
    “Christa, this is Venus. She's going to be staying here a while and helping your mother out.”
    Christa smiled timidly and extended a hand out in greeting. Venus' face relaxed into a smile and took the girl's hand in her own. “Nice to meet you Christa,” she said softly.
    “How old are you?” Christa asked.
    “Eighteen.”
    With that fact out of the way, Christa grabbed Venus by the arm and dragged Venus to her room. Reggie and Sheila burst out laughing. A boy walked into the house and Venus stole a glance at him before Christa dragged her down the hallway. He too, took his father's coloring and indeed had a lot of potential. His eyes met hers and his mouth formed a little O and he dropped whatever trash was in his hands on the floor. Venus couldn't stop herself from snickering.
    It felt so right, Venus thought after hours of gossiping with Christa. The girl was sweet and pretty. She had a boyfriend though her parents had yet to realize it. Venus almost wished she hadn't graduated early and she could go off to school with Christa and be a normal teen. But, she was no normal teen. Venus was sure of that and she was determined to accept this little blessing of Reggie and his family and not take any of the experiences for granted. It turned out that Sheila did need Venus and Venus didn't mind at all doing the chores around the house. She did end up helping tutor Toby and Christa, though it was starting to be too difficult to make Toby pay any attention to anything besides herself. Weeks went by in