The Good in Sin

Chapter One

Hey everybody!
Welcome to my new story!
I really have little else to say about this story, but I would like to thank newgirlmoon for making my book cover (she's amazing) and I hope you enjoy ❤
- cilla

Rushing water echoed throughout the small bathroom she was in, but lost in the motion of her sudsy hands moving in circles under the steaming water, Autumn's concentration centered on the violet bruises that resembled blossoming flowers on her wrists. One look, she allowed herself as the mirror lined with rust introduced her once more to her appearance. One look at the frizzy mess of hair tied away in a bun under those florescent lights, and not another as she wiped away her forehead of sweat with a stinging hand.

"Get back to work." Somewhere in her mind, Autumn knew those were her hands, and that was her voice, but standing there in the diner bathroom, she felt the eyes that looked into hers belonged to a stranger. This is how she lived her life.

Every day, pretending she was still the same girl as nine years ago, young and joyful. Surrounded by family and friends. Far, far away from where she stood at that moment.

The sound of the door dinging open brought her back to reality, and she quickly found her way back to behind the counter where the handsome platinum-haired boy sat, grinning at her the same way his father once did. Feeling lighter at the sight of her boy, Autumn leaned over and kissed his forehead as he sat up on his knees and spun in his bar chair.

"Sit, Nix," Autumn said, watching him swing his legs and allow them to dangle.

"Woof." Chin in hand, Phoenix spoke the word with boredom and Autumn laughed.

Seeing his pale face had some color in his cheeks, she squinted her eyes at him, "Where's your jacket?"

"In my backpack."

"Why? It's cold outside."

"We were running, I got hot." The boy answered distractedly, bringing up his backpack and pulling out his homework.

Unsure of whether it was the shape of his nose, or the soft complexion of his skin, Phoenix turned from her, and she saw the spitting image of his father. It was always a hassle getting people to understand she was his mother, for both Phoenix and Autumn lacked any kind of physical similarities. One of the few factors that assured Autumn he was her son was the memory of giving birth to him.

"I'll get you some water." Autumn said, going to fill up a cup.

The door dinged open, a heavy fall breeze shoving in a mass of leaves and a cafe-regular named Billye, looking flustered with her two brief cases in each hand and a binder under her arm. Her waddles became hurried as she reached the counter Autumn stood behind, the binder beneath Billye's arm slipping by the second.

Slamming a briefcase on the counter, the wide set woman huffed, reaching down to pick up her fallen binder and plopped onto a bar chair.

"Tough day in the office?" One worker, Jenna said plainly, as this was often the way Billye would enter the diner.

"Three doors," Billye panted, her frizzy blonde hair like straw, her forehead glistening from sweat. "And not one of them had a working Handicap button. Asshole students don't wanna get the door for me-"

"Here." Sensing the oncoming rant, Autumn slid a mug of black coffee across the table towards the mess of a woman.

Taking the mug quickly, Billye moved with exaggerated desperation, gulping it down and cursing when realizing it was scorching hot. Autumn leaned forward and watched the woman fall apart, as she always did this time of day, and released a breath portraying the stress she had by just watching the fright of a woman.