Sinners ── B. Watts

I guess we're both sinners then

CHAPTER 6
Las Vegas, 1950

     Violet grabbed her heels and pushed herself out of Benny's room as fast as she could. Her hair and makeup were a mess, her feet hurt like hell, her dress was covered in dust, and had coffee stains, but none of them mattered as much as the urge to get back to her room. The only sound that could be heard was her footsteps on the rough carpet, which worried her that someone else could see her looking like that. Her brown eyes glanced around the hallway for the elevator's doors, and when she finally reached it, she just ran in and waited for it to get to the 3rd floor.

          "Shit," she inwardly cursed while searching for the keys in her purse. She stifled a groan and found them in one of the tiny pockets inside, plugged them in the keyhole, twisted them around, and opened the door in a rush.

     Once she got in and locked herself inside, Violet slammed her body against the wall and let herself fall down slowly to the ground. Her warm soft skin met the sandstone, and she whimpered at the cold touch, but she got used to the feeling after a few seconds. Her eyes glanced around her dark hotel room, that feeling of loneliness taking over her again.

     She didn't want to believe that Benny didn't actually say those things — even though it would've been nice. But on the other hand, Violet hated to let the thought of Beth lying about the interview cross her mind, which gave her no other option but to watch it all. Her soft lips escaped a heavy loud sigh, concern clear across her features as she started to think about it. Both she and the redhead knew almost nothing about each other, and Violet was aware that it was forbidden for her to trust anybody else but herself. However, she did feel honest and truthful energy from Beth, and she wasn't just going to ignore it.

     Violet's whole life used to be drawn and focused on her mother and father's interests. And now that they were out of her life, she was supposed to be free to decide for herself. But even with that, she still felt like a puppet sometimes, like every part of her brain and body was being controlled, making her choose the same answers and do the same things as when she was a helpless kid, causing the inner conflict inside Violet to grow, torn between trusting her instincts and past experiences of being controlled, and the new hope that maybe she could find someone she could rely on. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but the doubts persisted, gnawing at her like a persistent ache. 

     Was she letting herself be vulnerable again? 

     Was she naive to believe that someone like Benny could be genuine and honest?

     Pushing herself up from the floor, Violet decided to face her feelings head-on. She needed to watch that interview, analyze every word, and every expression, and make her own judgment. It was time to break free from the chains of her past and take control of her own life. If there was even a glimmer of truth in Beth's words, she owed it to herself to explore it, even if it meant confronting her own fears.

     With newfound determination, Violet turned on the TV and found the interview, casting a dim light across the room. She sat on the edge of the bed, her heart pounding in her chest, as she watched and listened carefully to every word spoken. 

          "Principles, Violet. No matter how old, famous, or beautiful you are, you never let go of these and you never make new ones. Your answer can always be yes or no and never maybe or not sure. You're always going to be sure. Got it?"

          "Yes, ma'am."

         "Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions, Mr. Watts," a young male with a high-pitched tone said to Benny. His hands were shaky, and he kept fixing his glasses every few seconds. "H-how are you feeling today?"