Wicked Little Sins

Quinn

Quinn tugged at the young man's arm draped across her waist. She carefully grabbed her clothes one piece at a time, moving very carefully to not make a sound. Crawling on all fours, she made her way off the large bed. It was time to leave, and she hated goodbyes.

Just as her feet touched the floor, he arose from what seemed a slumber, giving a quick smack to her rear. He let out a pleased chuckle, pulling her back down.

"Jordan, I thought you were asleep," she said.

Jordan studied Quinn carefully. Turning on his side to face her, he caressed her hair as he gazed into her dark eyes.

"You were going to leave again without a goodbye," he pointed out.

Quinn denied that he was right, sitting up in the bed. She was uninhibited and the idea of being nude in front of Jordan didn't faze her in the least.

She knew she needed to leave and the longer she lingered, the harder it would be to go. Her sister, Charley, was nearing their hometown and was bound to be calling again to check in. Charley was the perfect sister with the perfect career and she never screwed up. For as long as Quinn remembered, all she had ever wanted to do was become an actress. No one believed in her dream, but she knew she was destined for Hollywood. In the meantime, however, her waitressing gig supported her.

"I would have said goodbye," she assured Jordan. She slipped on her fancy underwear and pulled her t-shirt over her head. She knew Jordan saw right through her, but she didn't care. She had other more important things on her mind, like getting back home for her mother's funeral. The thought ate at her. She had considered shutting off her phone to try and avoid further anxiety.

"Quinn, you're a great girl. But damn it, you're twenty-one years old. It's time to grow up. Can we just admit we have something together?" Jordan asked.

He was annoyed with this stubborn girl. He wanted commitment from Quinn, but she hadn't been willing to commit. It's not like she was interested in seeing other men—she didn't want to see anyone. Funny thing was, Jordan wasn't the type to see a girl exclusively. But there was an underlying something that had drawn him in. She had a killer smile and was fun to be with, but other times she seemed so lost. He wanted to be a part of her everything.

Quinn ignored him and grabbed her purse as she headed out of Jordan's apartment. She didn't want to tell him her mother was dead and that her life was falling apart around her. She didn't want him seeing past her façade of having it all together, leaving herself vulnerable and wide open to his judgment.

She ran as fast as she could down the staircase, avoiding the elevators altogether. After she had hit the main floor, she was out the door and once again on the streets of Los Angeles. She remembered when she'd first arrived in LA—she'd been nervous and scared. But, now she was in her glory. This is where you came to follow your dreams, and she was no different than any other dream seeker.

Finding her little red sports car in the apartment's parking garage, she unlocked the doors, as her cell phone rang in her pocket. She knew it was Charley calling to make sure she was heading home.

"I'm on my way to the airport right now," she said right away.

Quinn played with her hair while she looked in the visor mirror, listening to Charley freak out about her procrastination and how slow she was to get going on anything. Quinn was sure if Charley put the amount of effort into dating as she did into nagging her like she always did, she'd surely be married with no less than five kids by now. Older sister or not, Charley was a royal pain in the rear.

"I'll see you tomorrow...love you," Quinn said as she disconnected the call and tossed the phone on the seat. She sped out of the parking garage, barely avoiding the oncoming traffic.

Their mother, Sandy, was a great woman and she and Quinn had been extremely close. She was always the life of the party and the best at everything she did, and she'd raised her children to be the same. And even if they didn't always live up to her expectations, she loved them anyway. Quinn would miss calling her every night, telling her about the day she'd had and sharing her hopes and dreams, no matter how ridiculous.

Now, she was going home to say goodbye, and she was afraid she wasn't going to know how. No matter what, though, she'd sworn to keep herself composed.

They might have to let their mother go, but her beauty, that each of her children held a piece of, would remain.

Quinn had her big goofy smile and her nearly-red lips. They all had her dark brown eyes. Quinn had her dark auburn hair and the same pale skin tone. When she smiled in a certain way, she even had her mother's dimples.