Wicked Little Sins

by Holly Hood

  Ethan

  Coming in the door Ethan searched for anyone he could talk to. He needed to get it off his chest, to tell someone…something. Making his way through the downstairs, he found no one at home.

  “Dad? Charley? Anyone?” he called out. He knew Everly and Vinnie left already. He’d told Everly, he couldn’t stand another ride with Vinnie, and Dad would drive him back to school.

  He hurried up the stairs taking them two at a time. He wasn’t going to be the only one freaking out about his mom’s death and what he’d found in the box from her office. He needed someone else to help him figure it out--anyone--it didn’t matter who it was. But everyone appeared to be gone. Where the hell did they all go? In the hallway, the lights flickered overhead, and the floor creaked as it settled under his feet. He was already getting spooked enough, then the doorbell chimed over his head and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

  “God!” he yelled, running his hand through his hair, his heart pounding like crazy in his chest.

  Ethan stared at the door, confused. There was no one there. Was he going mad? He saw a black car pass by at a snail’s pace and wondered if someone in the car could have been who rang the doorbell.

  “That’s not even possible, I came right down,” he said to himself, turning around, then jumped yet again.

  Ned stared at his son’s pale face. He must have caught him off guard for he looked like he’d seen a ghost. Ethan wasn’t easily spooked; he was usually the one watching the slasher movies or pulling pranks on his sisters.

  “Are you all right?” Ned asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Dad, we need to talk,” Ethan pushed out, still shaken. He couldn’t believe how jumpy he was.

  Quinn

  Quinn was uncomfortable. The man sitting in 4A was giving her the creeps. He wouldn’t let up in his stare down. She rested her head on Jordan’s shoulder. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to shake the awful fright that was coursing through her body. People didn’t just stay fixated on a person for that long a time. She wished Jordan had opted out of flying first-class. She imagined the people in coach weren’t so weird.

  “You all right?” Jordan asked, whispering in her ear.

  “Yeah, fine…it’s going to be a long flight,” she said, feeling his lips meet the side of her face.

  “For sure, get some rest,” he said. She was acting weird, she usually wasn’t so clingy. He turned on his TV, snagging the headphones. Movies would be a great time filler on the long flight home. He took a second glance at the man in a suit, who quickly looked away. Jordan shrugged it off, hoping the flight hurried along, he had a lot going on when he got back home. Even though a part of him regretted coming, the trip had been worth it for the most part. He was happy he’d been there for Quinn. Once they were home, he hoped things would get back to normal.

  Vinnie and Everly

  Vinnie turned the radio off. She’d been blasting the same cd for three hours. His head was pounding and he wanted to just open up the door and shove her out.

  Vinnie hit the eject button to remove the cd. “Hey! I was listening to that,” Everly shouted. He viciously jabbed the buttons on his door until the window opened, and he let the cd sail out the window and into the breeze.

  “You’re an asshole!” she hissed.

  “Well, you know what, so are you,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

  “I can’t believe you would throw my cd out the window,” she said, shaking her head in exaggerated aggravation.

  “When you get home, listen to whatever you want—all day long for all I care,” he said, gripping the steering wheel so hard his knuckles had turned white.

  “What does that even mean, Vinnie?” Everly asked, confused. He was making no sense to her.

  “I’m going back to my condo, I need my space,” he said, briefly glancing her way. He had decided this an hour ago when the same song played again for the third time. Everly had no respect for him and more than likely never would.

  “What about the wedding?” she asked, stunned that he’d even consider canceling it.

  “Honey, don’t lie to yourself. You don’t want to marry me. You’re not even happy being in the same room as me,” Vinnie said, thankful he’d finally said it. .

  “I said that I would marry you,” she insisted.

  Vinnie shook his head, disagreeing. Everly was off in her own world. When he met her, she had a spirit that made him weak in the knees. She was the most interesting woman he’d ever met--her voice, her life, everything was full of optimism, amusement, and significance. She was stubborn and scorned and she wanted him, every part of her had craved Vinnie. There was a time when he couldn’t keep her off of him, and then it vanished. She became a wretched version of who she once was.

  He knew it wasn’t anything that he’d done. He never slept with anyone but her. The thought of cheating made him want to throw up. But as she grew colder, the thought was less sickening and more pleasing. He could honestly say it was Everly who’d grown cold—not him. He’d always been a bit full of himself, always praised and doted on. He’d never received much criticism, so he felt he was a cut above everyone else. And he’d felt the same about Everly. He’d viewed her as faultless and felt they’d come from the same mold. The biggest difference in them was that Everly felt she had to bust her ass to obtain perfection.

  “I’m tired of this, Everly. I don’t need to force someone to want to be a part of my life. If you don’t want to, just say so, it’s that easy,” he insisted.

  “Stop talking like that!” she yelled. She smacked Vinnie in the arm. The thought of him detaching himself from their situation made her ill.

  “No, I should have said this a long time ago. I’ll be at my condo!” he yelled back. Her tone had upset him, but he had to break away.

  Everly wiped at her tears, keeping her head turned away from him so he didn’t see her crying.

  ***

  Vinnie finished packing his clothes. It was time for him to leave. He hadn’t seen Everly since they’d gotten home. She went directly to the spare bedroom, slamming the door behind her with all her might. He looked around the condo. He’d helped her purchase this place. He had one of his own, but when they were getting along he opted for one closer to where she worked. They’d eventually moved in together and that was probably a mistake—too much too soon.

  Everything in the condo reminded him of her, the sleek leather sofa, the glass coffee table, and the bearskin rug. What looked cheesy to him was luxury to her. He’d gotten it for her because it made her happy. Everywhere he looked, he saw her—even in the vertical blinds she opened every morning at the kitchen table. They’d enjoyed meals with friends at this table as well as some crazy and intimate times when they were alone.

  He ran his hand over the dark wood, staring at their dining room table—the one her mother had sent them when they’d first moved in together. Everly loved it, but never wanted to eat on it. There were mornings in his recent memory where he’d caught her wearing one of his t-shirts and sipping a cup of coffee while she would be staring at the table, lost in thought.

  He sighed, ignoring the collage of pictures of them on the dining room wall. They had to have meant something to Everly for her to frame and hang pictures of special moments between them. She just wasn’t the same anymore. It became even more evident after her mom had died.

  Everly buried her face in her overstuffed pillow. She didn’t want him to know he’d hurt her, so she sobbed quietly into her pillow so he couldn’t hear her. She and Vinnie had made a lot of memories together and it would be hard to get over not having him around.

  She recalled a favorite time with Vinnie when he’d taken her to Russia to meet his family. He’d made her feel so wanted and needed and seemed so proud to share her with his family. It was there that he’d gotten down on one knee in front of her family and proposed to her. Yes, it was a special memory to her.

  She wiped at her tears and sat up, trying to get herself u
nder control. Was she a fool to let him just pack up his things and leave? Could she do better? If she could, what the hell did she want?

  Quinn

  Quinn made her way through the small diner, a tray in hand. She loathed her job more than just about anything.

  “Hey Quinn,” Gia the other waitress on her shift said, passing by her. Gia and Quinn were about the same age. She wasn’t overly fond of Gia, but they would occasionally hang out together sometimes after work. Gia wasn’t very sure of herself, apparently suffering from low self-esteem.

  “Hey Gia,” Quinn said, making her way to the table of one more awaiting customer.

  “Are you ready to order?” she politely asked. The man looked to be in his late thirties, hair slicked back on his head, wearing a dark suit and dark sunglasses.

  “What would you recommend?” he asked in a hoarse voice, possibly the result of too much smoking.

  “I’d recommend nothing, but they tell me to say the potpie,” she said, smirking. He didn’t appear to be amused. When he closed the menu, she noticed a large ring bearing a black stone on his finger. He rapped his fingers on the table, a steady beat, as he looked at her with his piercing eyes. She wondered what the holdup was.

  “Do you…uh…need a minute?” she asked, hoping he would stop.

  “Well, I suppose I will have the potpie,” he finally said, handing back the menu. Quinn gave a nod, turned, and swiftly walked away. She’d forgotten to ask for his drink order, but she didn’t care. She rushed to the kitchen and dropped her order ticket on the counter, then headed to the bathroom.

  Charley

  Charley pored over the paperwork. She’d been at it since six in the morning and it was nearly twelve hours later. She was trying to keep herself busy. Thinking about Adrian had slowed her productivity, and she had a lot of work to get done. She tapped the pen on her desk and let out a sigh.

  “Excuse me, Charley,” her assistant, Reeves, said, as he peeked in her office. He was the dream assistant willing to tackle whatever chore you put before him. He was a trendy kid who always wore suspenders under his vintage jackets and loved his shiny dress shoes. He was twenty-two and acted like a forty-year-old seasoned professional. Charley enjoyed Reeves very much; he was like another sibling to her.

  “What’s up?” she asked, pushing the stack of paper across her desk, pleased to have an interruption. Reeves pushed the office door open wide to reveal a massive bouquet of flowers. Charley gasped at the stunning arrangement of crisp whites and pale creams mixed with greenery. The bouquet was visually stunning with oriental lilies, white roses, chrysanthemums, viburnum, tree ferns, and Berzelius. Her mother would have been incredibly impressed.

  “Someone is trying hard to impress you, and they’re doing a good job at it. This had to cost a fortune,” Reeves said, admiring the arrangement. Charley smiled, her hand to her chest as she marveled at the amazing gift.

  “Who are they from? You didn’t tell me about any guys,” Reeves pushed. Charley and Reeves talked about nearly everything since they’d grown close. There were no romantic feelings between the two, but they had a mutual respect for the other. She was one of the most caring and sweet girls he’d ever met in New York. She had been there for him a lot and had given him a great job. Reeves found most girls to be difficult—he was more of a loner and a definite workaholic.

  Opening up the card, she lit up. Reeves waited for her to speak, finally grabbing the card from her.

  “I hope these made you smile. I will see you in two days. Adrian. He’d read out loud, looking at his gooey-eyed friend and boss.

  “Please tell me where this one came from,” Reeves inquired.

  “When I went home, we ran into each other at the airport. We ran into each other again at the flower shop. And before I left we went out on a date,” she said, briefly thinking back to their short time together.

  “Is he a good guy? What am I saying--the look on your face says it all,” he chuckled.

  “He’s pretty amazing,” Charley admitted. Reeves nodded, letting her ramble on about Adrian. She’d always felt sorry for herself and Reeves, both of them single and work obsessed. At least she went on a date occasionally. Reeves, on the other hand, stayed to himself. She thought Reeves didn’t like girls at all—at least he’d never talked about any. He was the only man in her life, besides those in her family that didn’t hit on her.

  “Well, I wish you a lot of luck then,” he said, setting the flowers on the table in the center of her office. He couldn’t imagine a better pick. This man was pulling out all the stops, he thought.

  “Thanks, Reeves. I’ll see you tomorrow night for drinks?” she asked him. They had their routine night at the bar next to work. They’d sip on martinis and vent about life, mostly about work.

  “I think I need a rain check,” he said. “By the way, your little brother called for you a couple times. I knew you were busy so I told him you’d call back.”

  Charley nodded, shooting an evil glare at the pile of papers on her desk. Busy didn’t even cover what she’d be to get caught up with all this paperwork. She stared at her calendar, trying to figure out how she could manage to take a couple days off. She wanted to spend all the time she could with Adrian when he was in town.

  Adrian

  Adrian waited patiently at the prison, sitting in the cheap plastic chair. His father, Sam, dressed in a bright orange prison garb, legs in shackles, walked slowly toward him. Sam was mid-forties, a man of great wealth and power, and was of Irish and Spanish descent. Prison was the last place he would have ever imagined himself to be.

  “Glad you could make it,” he said in his thick brogue. He was proud of his heritage but not so much of his accent. His wife had always compared his accent to that of Ricky Ricardo.

  “Of course, I figured I’d come once more before I went out of town again,” Adrian said, staring at his dad on the other side of the glass. He held the phone tightly in his grip. His father looked a lot calmer than he had on other visits.

  “Where are you heading?” Sam asked, concerned he wasn’t keeping up on the family business.

  “Oh, just to see a friend,” he said. He hoped he wouldn’t offer to put in his two cents worth like he usually did.

  “And is this a female?” Sam asked. He knew his son. He had a way of letting the wrong things get in the way of work.

  “Yeah, it is. So I talked to the lawyers. They are going to try their best to push up your hearing. They’ve got something up their sleeves, but, of course, they never let us know,” Adrian explained. His family had used the same defense team all his life—two Jewish lawyers who could make the vilest man look innocent

  “Yeah, nothing you need to worry about. I just want you to keep up your end of the deal. Make sure you do what I asked of you. And keep an eye on your mother,” Sam ordered.

  Adrian nodded his head, knowing what that meant.

  “I’m serious, Adrian. This is not the time to go falling in love. You see where that got me.” He was growing angrier by the second. His son was free to pursue what he wanted while he sat behind bars.

  “You’re innocent, Dad. They can’t put a man like you behind bars for something you didn’t do,” he insisted.

  Sam leaned back in his chair, the phone cord barely stretching so far and slowly nodded his head. He knew there were a lot of dirty people out there who wanted to take what he had worked so hard to build. He wasn’t the monster they were making him out to be.

  “You just be careful and keep me updated,” he told his son, hanging the phone up. He gave him one more glance before he was escorted away.

  Dad

  Ned stared at his son, at a loss for words.

  “Dad,” Ethan said, trying for the millionth time to get him to understand. He’d been explaining his theory to his dad for an hour now, and Ned was like a brick wall. He didn’t want to discuss it—none of it.

  “Ethan, you must stop this gibberish. They know what they’re doing. Leave it to the poli
ce,” he said once more.

  “The man in prison, if he’s innocent, why can’t we say anything?” Ethan asked.

  “That’s the man. They know what they’re doing,” he insisted. He wasn’t about to confess to his son that he knew the wrong guy was in prison. He just hoped the trial would be enough to keep him in there, and then this whole nightmare would be over.

  “Dad...” Ethan tried again, only to be shushed by his father.

  “Let’s get you back to school. You still going on that hike?” he asked his son, nearly pushing him out the door.

  “Yeah,” was all Ethan could say.

  Ned knew there’d been something awful going on. He was certain someone had been making his wife’s life a living hell for quite some time before her death. He feared his wife had been killed for knowing too much, and he wanted to stay as far away from it as he could. That’s where he wanted his kid as well.

  Charley and Adrian

  Charley slipped into her SUV to go pick Adrian up at the airport. She didn’t have time to change into something more stunning. She stared down at her blue jeans, tight black shirt, and brown suede boots. She also wore her big gray sweater that was so comfortable. She looked nothing like she had on her first date with Adrian, but when she’d gotten dressed this morning, comfort was first and foremost in her mind. She pulled down her sunglasses and studied her necklace in the rear-view mirror.