Sin and Sinner

6

~Atlas' POV~

My back ached like hell when I woke up the next morning, though not nearly as much as my head did. I groaned and shifted, not realizing where I was until I threw an arm to the side and my hand hit the floor, causing my eyes to crack open.

It was dark, but I quickly realized that I was on the couch, covered by a flimsy little blanket that didn't even cover me to my shins. I rubbed my face and leaned up onto my elbow, my hair falling into my face a little. A sigh left me and I stood from the couch, swaying a bit as I heard the popping sound of my back. I picked up the blanket off the floor and set it back on the couch, wondering if Darlina had been the one to put it on me. It sure as hell couldn't have been Emmett, not with how drunk he was last night.

I shrugged off the thought and headed to my room to take a shower, glancing at the time on my phone while the shower heated up. It was a little after eight AM, surprisingly, which was only about an hour after the time I usually woke up at.

Once I finished taking a quick shower, I pulled on a pair of basketball shorts and a white tank top, leaving my hair in its natural state. I left my room and walked down the hallway, hearing the sound of soft humming when I entered the living room. It was faint, and coming from the direction of the kitchen. For a moment I considered heading back to my room until whenever Em would be awake, but the scent of food drew me in and made me curiously step into the kitchen.

Darlina was bustling about in the kitchen with her headphones in, not yet noticing me. Her blonde hair fell down her back in long, loose waves and she absentmindedly seemed to pout her full lips in concentration, perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed all the while. Admittedly, she was a very pretty girl, with those big brown eyes and the sharp line of her jaw. However, she was utterly fucking tiny, and that was the first thing I had noticed about her when I saw her, too. Really, she must've been barely five foot two, and she was built with a petite frame.

I stepped forward more and the movement must've caught her attention because she immediately looked up, her gaze landing on me.

We just stared at each other for a moment, her with a slight flush to her cheeks, and I wondered if I actually should've returned to my room earlier like I'd thought. "Hi." She greeted after a few seconds, eyeing me with hesitancy in her gaze. I gave her a curt nod and lingered near the wall. "Hey." I muttered in response.

She shifted on her feet and pulled an earphone out as she studied me, her gaze making me a little bit uncomfortable. I didn't know this girl, or what she thought of me. Sure, she was Emmett's roommate, but that didn't mean she viewed me with the lack of judgment that he did. My lips pursed as she continued to look at me, eyeing all my tattoos.

The soft clearing of her throat had my eyes focusing on her again. "Um," She rounded the counter and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you have any allergies?" She asked suddenly, catching me off guard.

It wasn't what I was expecting her to ask, so I just looked at her for a second. Her cheeks turned a darker shade of pink with each second that ticked by in silence. "No." I finally said. Relief flickered through her eyes. "Oh, good." She smiled at me and nodded, as if pleased by the news. "Do you like eggs? I made a couple egg sandwiches for breakfast." She told me, gesturing for me to come closer to see.

Both curious and hungry, I stepped closer to her and saw that she had made five egg sandwiches with melted cheese, slices of tomato, shredded chicken, and a bit of lettuce on toasted bread. "It looks good." I complimented her earnestly, almost positive that I was on the verge of drooling. God, I'd missed having food like this when I was in prison. The food hadn't been utterly terrible but it certainly wasn't this. It almost felt a little unreal to me still, being out of there after almost four years.

Darlina's cheeks turned a light shade of pink and she smiled, seemingly flattered by the compliment. "I made two for you and two for Em, but if you end up wanting more, I can always make another one for you." She told me, turning around to reach up to the cabinets. I watched her push way up on her toes as she grabbed two plates, knocking the cabinet door shut gently with her elbow. "No, you don't need to do that. This is plenty." I muttered, casting my gaze away from her when she turned around to face me again. She held out a plate to me and I took it, peering down at her when she smiled. I just stared at her, unable to muster a smile in response.

She didn't seem put off by it, thankfully, and turned to grab her own sandwich instead. I waited until she began to leave before I grabbed the two sandwiches that she had made for me, setting them on my plate as I spared a glance at her retreating figure.

It was more than clear to me then that she and I were wildly different, in many ways, it seemed. I pursed my lips and shook my head, taking a bite of the sandwich as I lingered in the kitchen. I didn't want to join her in the living room if it meant that I had to attempt to make conversation with her at some point. What the hell would I even talk about with a girl like her, anyways?

Sure, she was plenty kind, but I wasn't much of a people person even before I'd gone to prison. Now, I disliked them even less and I had certainly no intention of getting to really know Darlina. We'd just stick to being roommates, and distant ones at that. It was easier to not have to attempt to befriend someone I didn't even know where to begin with.

Honestly, the fact that she and Emmett seemed to be such good friends even threw me a little off guard at first. Then again, Emmett had always been very good with making friends and talking to people. Everyone loved him because he was so easy going, so it probably shouldn't have surprised me that they got along.

I continued to eat, humming in content when I finished off the first sandwich, and then the second one just a few minutes later. My eyes flicked to the two remaining sandwiches that she had made for Emmett, and I pursed my lips. Placing my plate into the sink, I exited the kitchen with a stretch of my arms over my head as I groaned.

Though I didn't say anything to her as I headed back to my room, I admittedly hoped she'd make those sandwiches again.