Wicked Little Sins

Charley

Charley checked her email from her phone. She and her family had gathered at their favorite restaurant—the same little Italian place they'd eaten in just about every month as she was growing up. Her dad wanted to celebrate their mom's life by having a nice meal together as a family. Charley was looking forward to heading home to New York, but she wasn't looking forward to the loneliness returning home would bring.

She nodded to the waiter as he poured her one more glass of red wine.

"So what are everyone's plans?" Ned asked.

Charley cleared her throat, resting her phone in her lap.

"I have an important project coming up for a new book. It will probably keep me busy until close to summer," she said with a sigh.

Vinnie twirled his pasta on his fork, bored with the quiet dinner. Resting his elbow on the tabletop, he poked his breadstick into his spaghetti.

"I've got finals and then possibly a hiking trip with a couple of the guys at school," Ethan said. He was looking forward to spending some time in the wilderness. Now that his mom had been laid to rest, they could all get back to their normal lives.

"When are you going back to school, Ethan?" Charley asked him.

"Two days," he replied. He was going to use the last of his time home to try and get more information about his mother's death.

"I have shows to do for a week, and then some recording to finish up for the album," Everly said with a smile. The thought of getting back to the recording studio was enough to brighten her mood. She knew she'd never fully recover from losing her mom, but she felt recovery was possible now, knowing that she'd been laid to rest. She would always miss her, but she had her memories to cling to.

Quinn sighed, knowing anything she was about to say wasn't as great as her sisters or her brother. She felt so pathetic compared to her siblings and she cringed as everyone waited for her to speak next. Jordan rubbed her on the leg, just letting her know he was there for her.

"Oh, well, back to work. Maybe some casting calls," she said, tossing her napkin on her plate, looking away from them all.

"I really believe we are going to see her in something big soon," Jordan tossed out.

Quinn gave him the eye, wondering where he'd gotten that garbage.

"Well, good for you," Everly said, courteously nodding her head.

She felt like a charity case and was silently trying to kill Jordan with her thoughts. He smiled and put his arm around her, totally oblivious to her thoughts.

"It's going to happen, and if not, remember I told you about Andrew there in LA?" Ned asked his scowling daughter. He knew his second youngest child was close to throwing a fit. He sometimes blamed himself for her selfishness and childish outbursts, but he had learned to deal with it over the years.

Quinn laughed to herself. A job as the secretary of a law firm was not going to make her happy. Most of the time, they hired young girls like her to sleep with them. And she wouldn't be willing to sleep her way to the top for a little bit of cash. Working for a balding uptight man wouldn't be her cup of tea either.

"Why don't you ask if he will hire you, seeing as you haven't worked in years?" she asked her dad.

"That was uncalled for, Quinn," Everly scolded.

"I don't need a reminder that I am failing in my career choice," Quinn snapped back.

Everly dropped her napkin and studied her little sister. She could be so hateful sometimes. Her dad had worked on the railroad for many years to provide for his family. The only reason he had stopped working was because he'd been injured on the job. Quinn seemed to forget that every time she got angry with him. After all, he was only trying to give her some guidance.