Original Sin

“Everything was great, Lianna,” Sin told the hostess after dinner. Everyone was now sitting around the living room of the apartment, relaxing and talking. In fact, everyone had been having such a good time hanging out, they had lost track of how late it had gotten. “But it’s almost midnight. I should get going.”

Eddie was a little disappointed to see Sin leaving. She had been a fun and easygoing companion throughout the evening, particularly when she made gagging noises anytime one of the two couples they were with kissed. “Just remember,” Tavian had teased her earlier. “I was the unlucky bastard whose bedroom was right next to yours when we lived together. If I can stand night-after-night of grunting and moaning from you and Zip coming through the wall, you can deal with me kissing my fiancé here and there.”

Before Eddie even got to say goodbye to Sin, though, she turned to him. “Listen, Bucko, you don’t live far from me. Want to split a cab?” There was a strange look in Sin’s eyes, though, that said there was more to the story than just sharing a taxi.

“Sounds good,” Eddie rose from the couch. “Well, thanks Lianna. Dinner was great. And it was good to see everyone.” As final good-byes were said, Sin and Eddie slipped on their coats. Exiting the apartment, Eddie waited until the elevator doors closed before questioning Sin.

“Not that hanging out with two couples wouldn’t be a little uncomfortable for me without someone else around,” Eddie began. “But I don’t think that’s why you asked me to split a cab. What’s up? You decide you had to have your way with me, right here and now?”

Smirking, Sin couldn’t help but be amused by Eddie. “You wish,” she told him. She had noticed that whenever Eddie was around most people, he was fairly quiet and kept to himself, but with her, he was sarcastic and easy-going. She liked that, for some reason. “No, actually, kiddo, I wanted to see if you’d do me a favor.”

“Will you stop calling me things like kiddo if I do?”

“Fuck no.”

“Okay, what’s the favor?” Eddie asked with a grin. Even though it was getting late, he felt full of energy. Maybe it was being around someone as vibrant and Sin.

“Come to a club with me?” Sin asked, widening her gray eyes innocently. “Just for an hour. I have no desire to go home right now, and my friend from Jersey is hanging out there tonight. I’d love to go see her, but… well, fucking Zip might be there, and I don’t want to go alone.”

“Ah, so I get to be the cock block,” Eddie laughed. “Makes a man proud. Where’s this club?”

Not looking at him, Sin turned her focus onto the elevator buttons. “Um… the East Village?”

Let out a laugh, Eddie shook his head. “I’ve known you less than a month,” he told Sin. “But I’m pretty sure you are going to be listed as my primary cause of death when I go.” Looking at her still-innocent expression, he shrugged. “But at least I’ll die having actually DONE something in my life, besides cow-tipping and being a pathetic loner.”

“That’s the spirit,” Sin beamed as the elevator door opened. “Wait, did you say cow-tipping? Shit!”

“I come from a very, VERY small town,” Eddie grinned and reached for the apartment building door, stepping aside to let Sin through first. “Anyway, if you can believe it, I’ve been in New York City for four years, and I’ve never been to an East Village club.”

“It’s because you’re a fucking dork,” Sin smiled warmly at him. Suddenly, though, she slid on an icy patch on the sidewalk. Feeling her feet go from beneath her, Sin was sure she was going to hit the concrete hard, but instead felt Eddie move – with surprising speed – to catch her before she could land on the cold, dirty, wet ground.

With his arm around her waist to steady her, Eddie looked toward Sin to make sure she was okay. To his surprise, their faces were much closer than he had realized, and he was immediately staring into her eyes. Neither person said anything for a moment, just looking at the other, until Eddie broke the silence. “You’re lucky I don’t get insulted easily,” he told her, releasing her gently. “Otherwise, I would have let you fall on your ass for calling me a dork.”

“Yeah, thanks,” was all Sin could think to say. She felt very strange at the moment. She had been sure she was going to fall a minute earlier, and had been relieved to feel Eddie’s strong arms grab hold of her. But looking into his eyes like that had been disconcerting, since – for just a moment – she had felt a spark of attraction, a connection between them. But that was impossible; Sin and Eddie had absolutely nothing in common. He probably thought she was a freak.

“Well, should we grab a cab?” Eddie could feel his cheeks heating, and hoped the night was dark enough to hide his blush. Of course, he had noticed before that Sin was a beautiful girl, but he hadn’t thought much of it. Just now, though, he’d seen her a little differently; he had seen her close up and intimately, the way you see someone just before you kiss them. This was stupid to think, though; Eddie and Sin were nothing alike. She probably thought he was a loser.

“Here’s one,” Sin said, happy to be able to turn her attention away from Eddie as she put her hand in the air to wave down the yellow taxi. Reaching for the handle, she felt Eddie push her aside a little and grab the door, opening it. “Damn, you really are from the Midwest, aren’t you?” she laughed as she hopped into the backseat.

“Yes, ma’am,” Eddie grinned, sliding in beside her. This was better. This was what was supposed to be happening between him and Sin – comfortable banter, friendly teasing, innocent ribbing. And that’s all.

-----

By the time they arrived outside the club, things were back to being normal between Sin and Eddie. “Don’t lose me, Tiger,” Sin suggested as she and Eddie entered the loud, crowded venue. “Typically, I’m the weird fucking one, but here, you’re the one that stands out – for looking so normal.”

Following Sin, Eddie was surprised by what she had just said. Generally, she seemed more self-confident and assured than anyone else he had ever met. But, if he took what she had just said right, Sin also worried what other people thought of her. It was actually an endearing quality, coming from such a tough persona.

“SIN!” Eddie heard a female voice call out, and turned in the direction of the sound. “Sin, you made it! I wasn’t sure if you would be able to, with that dinner you said you had,” a petite woman with short dark hair and black-framed glasses came running up.

“Allie!” Sin threw her arms around the woman. “Shit, I’m so glad you’re still here. Allie, this is… Eddie. My friend, Eddie.” Sin had looked a little confused for a moment, as if she wasn’t quite sure how to introduce Eddie. He didn’t blame her, either. While they had hung out in a group several times, and spent time alone talking about personal issues twice, this was the first time either of them had openly admitted they had a friendship, separate from any of their other friends.

“Hi Eddie,” Allie had a friendly smile. Turning around, she reached out for another girl who seemed to be hanging back a bit. “Dina,” Allie grumbled with a smile. “Come here! I want you to meet my friend.”

“Hi,” Dina looked down at the floor, either shyly or with a little annoyance. Eddie and Sin couldn’t tell just yet.

“Sin, Eddie, this is my girlfriend, Dina,” Allie introduced them. “Sin’s the one I told you about, Dina, remember? The one I got arrested with?”

“You got arrested?” Eddie’s eyes grew wide as he turned to Sin. “Please tell me it was a protest or something…”

“I could tell you that,” Sin grinned and shrugged. “But I’d be lying through my fucking teeth. Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly… an upstanding citizen when I was younger. Unlike today,” she joked, tossing her long lilac hair over her shoulder theatrically.

“I don’t even want to know,” Eddie shook his head. “Hi Dina. Hi Allie. It’s nice to meet you both.”

“So how long have you two been dating,” Allie asked with a grin. “If you don’t even know about her sordid past yet?”

“We’re not dating,” Sin and Eddie said in unison, and then both chuckled uncomfortably. “Actually,” Sin continued. “We only recently became friends, which is why this evening’s comparison of cow-tipping versus being arrested hasn’t come up before.”

“Cow-tipping?” Dina asked incredulously, breaking her silent streak.

“I’ll explain later,” Eddie gave a joking glare at Sin for her comment. “Once I learn a little more about the ex-con I’ve somehow started spending time with recently, by some unlucky chance. Ow! You hit hard.”

“Yes,” Sin said. “I damn well do. Just remember that.”

-----

“You are going to turn me into a raging alcoholic,” Eddie told Sin later that night as they waited for a cab. It was a couple hours and several drinks past when they had arrived. “Not to mention that it turned out you didn’t even need me around. Zip never showed.”

“Nope,” Sin replied, wondering whether that feeling in the pit of her stomach was relief or disappointment that her never-really-official-but-still-kind-of ex-boyfriend hadn’t shown up. “But I’m still glad you came,” she gave Eddie a drunken but honest smile. “I had fun with you.”

“Thanks,” Eddie was a little taken aback by her candid, plainspoken compliment. “I had fun with you, too. Not to mention that I got to dance to music I’ve never heard of with three women at once. Granted, two of them had absolutely no interest in men at all and the third was you – ick,” he grinned as she stuck her tongue out at him. “But all in all, I had a really good time. Thanks.”

“No problem,” Sin said. “Oh, and I’m sorry I didn’t mention that Allie was gay. I guess I never thought that your first love might be a lesbian.”

“Very few people could actually guess that one right off the bat,” Eddie joked. “And it’s no problem. I just thought it was funny that Allie’s girlfriend assumed I’d be homophobic because of where I’m originally from.”

“Yeah,” Sin laughed at the memory. “When she asked you if there were very many gays in your hometown, and you said ‘only my ex-girlfriend, but maybe I did that to her’, her eyes nearly popped out of her fucking head.”

“Yeah, well, she was a little odd,” Eddie admitted. “But Allie was great. You said you knew each other back in high school?”

“Yep,” Sin nodded as she hailed a cab. “Listen, would you want to… Shit, never mind.”

“No, what?” Eddie asked with interest.

“I don’t know,” Sin shrugged. “I thought maybe you’d like to hang out some more before we call it a night. We could hang out at my place, or yours if you’d prefer…”

Eddie was shocked to see Sin look shy. It was clear she had a lot going on in her mind, and didn’t want to be alone just yet. Lucky for her, Eddie thought wryly, I have no life. “Well, since my place is about the size of your darkroom,” he told her. “I say let’s hit your place.”

Nodding, Sin bit her lip while Eddie once again opened the cab door for her. “Thanks, Eddie. You’re a really good guy,” she said softly before climbing into the car.

Smiling to himself, Eddie didn’t respond. But he had to admit, Sin’s words had made him feel good.

-----

“So what can I get you?” Sin asked as they entered her apartment. “I’ve got beer, vodka, rum, tequila. What’s your poison?”

Eddie joined Sin in the kitchen, and they laughed as they tried to create a couple new cocktails from the liquor and mixers they could find. “Oh, this is disgusting,” Eddie made a face at the yellowish-brown mixture he had just taken a sip of. “How’s yours?”

“It tastes like shit,” Sin smiled. “But it’ll do.” Leading him into the living room, they both took seats on the couch. “Thanks again for coming over. I don’t know what it is, but it’s really easy to talk to you. And I NEVER feel that way around people.”

“Yes, I’m very non-threatening,” Eddie rolled his eyes. “I’ve gotten that a million times. Unfortunately, non-threatening and fuckable don’t seem to be interchangeable.”

“Look at you with the cursing,” Sin raised her eyebrows in amusement.

“I guess you’re rubbing off on me,” Eddie grinned, taking another sip of his drink and making a face at the awful taste. “See, even your tattoos are growing on me. Like that one. That’s really pretty,” he said as he motioned at the iris and ivy tattoo that wrapped around Sin’s arm. He didn’t realize that he briefly reached out and ran his finger over it. Sin noticed, though, as she felt a chill run up her spine.

Wanting to take her mind off of the way Eddie’s brief contact with her skin made her feel, Sin turned the conversation around. “So, was it hard to find out that your ex was gay?” she asked.

Letting out a laugh, Eddie was amused with how forthright Sin could be. “It was a surprise,” he said. “But I wasn’t mad or anything. I mean, it wasn’t like she had been hiding it from me; she just didn’t realize until we had been together a while. After all, we were really just kids when we were dating.”

Giving him an incredulous look, Sin shook her head. “You’re full of shit.”

“What?” Eddie asked with surprise.

“This was the first girl that you ever loved,” Sin repeated what Eddie had said earlier that night. “The first girl you ever slept with. You spent two years of your life with her, and then you found out that she was gay. You had to have some sort of negative feelings – anger, hurt, something?”

Chewing on his bottom lip, Eddie studied Sin’s face. She was watching him with interest, looking like she was trying to figure out a puzzle. “Fine,” Eddie finally sighed, taking another sip of the disgusting drink. “I guess, when she told me, I felt a little hurt, kind of betrayed. It was like, I gave this girl my everything, and she never felt the same way. I know it’s not right, but I guess it just felt unfair.”

“Of course that’s right,” Sin gave Eddie an encouraging nod. “You don’t have to be mad at your ex to be mad at the situation. That sucked. You have a RIGHT to be pissed.”

Shrugging, Eddie still wasn’t sure. “Okay,” feeling uncomfortable, he wanted to change the situation. “From what you’ve told me, you have a pretty crappy track record with men. What’s that about?”

Taking a deep breath, Sin looked at Eddie. “Bad fucking luck?” When he shook his head, she took a big gulp of her own disgusting drink. “I don’t know,” Sin finally admitted. “I guess I always end up with guys that are broken… guys that can’t give me what I need. And, it’s like in the case of your ex. It’s not their fault; this is who they are. It isn’t like I date big liars. They all tell me what assholes they are from the start. I just never believe them.”

“So Zip told you he was an asshole when you first met him?” Eddie asked.

“Basically,” Sin pulled her feet under her for warmth. “He was this twenty-one year old rock ‘n’ roller, girls everywhere, a record contract just signed. He told me he wasn’t looking for anything serious. I thought I was fine with that, but it turned out I wasn’t.”

“So has there been anyone since then?” Eddie asked gently.

Rolling her eyes, Sin shrugged again. “There have been a lot,” she told Eddie matter-of-factly. “Only one that I was serious about. His name was Brian. We dated for a year when I was in Australia.”

“And what happened with that?” Eddie hoped he wasn’t pushing too hard.

“Well, I have dealt with a lot of shit in my time,” Sin told Eddie. “Lazy guys, fighters, cheaters. But Brian turned out to be the one thing I can’t handle - a drug addict. After all the shit I put up when I was younger dealing with my mom’s fucking habit, I’m not about to deal with some dip-shit asshole who can’t help snorting anything that comes his way.”

Unsure what to say next, Eddie just sat silent for a moment. “Is your mom… do you still see her?”

Shaking her head, Sin stared at her drink intently for a moment. Finally, she looked up at Eddie. The vulnerability he saw in her eyes almost broke his heart. “Can I tell you something, Eddie?” she asked softly. “Something I’ve never told anyone – not even Joseph or Tavian?”

It took a moment for the words to make it out of Eddie’s mouth; he knew that a question like that from Sin wasn’t like the same question from anyone else. She closed herself off from people, rarely letting anyone close. Eddie just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t the alcohol that was lowering her defenses just now, because he didn’t want her to regret anything she told him. “Are you sure you want to tell me?” Eddie asked. The gentleness of Eddie’s voice made Sin nod immediately. In response, Eddie gave her a small smile, encouraging her to tell her story.

“My mom was a junkie,” Sin had said in a very small voice. “Heroin, all through my junior high and high school years. When I was sixteen, I came home from school one day, and she was high on the couch. This skuzzy guy she was dating at the time – another junkie – was also there.” Sin had stopped there, her eyes glassing over.

“You don’t have to go on, if you don’t want to,” Eddie told Sin kindly. “If it’s too hard…”

Shaking her head, Sin wanted to get this out. “I’ve never told anyone this,” she said to Eddie. “I think I need to.”

“Then go ahead,” Eddie reached over and took Sin’s hand.

“Well, my mom had called this guy needing a fix, but she didn’t have any money,” Sin’s voice was so soft, Eddie had to strain to hear it. “It turns out she told him… she…” Breaking off, Eddie couldn’t tell if Sin’s eyes were full of pain or fury. Probably both, he decided. “My own mother traded me for a fix.”

“Oh my God,” Eddie’s eyes were wide.

Taking a deep breath, Sin tried to control her pain. “I tried to leave,” she said in a whisper. “But he… he raped me. It was my, um, my first time.” Actually having said the words, Sin sat in silent shock for a moment. Then, for the first time she could ever remember, she dissolved into tears – not just a few, but a thunderstorm of pain being released. Eddie held her, saying nothing, just rocking her gently. When she finally pulled herself together, she looked at Eddie with red-rimmed eyes. “Fuck, I’m sorry,” she said weakly. “We barely know each other, and I’m laying all this shit on you.”

Wiping away some of the tears from Sin’s cheek, Eddie gave her a small smile. “We know each other now,” he said, pulling her to his chest again. For once, Sin – who usually hated to be held or coddled in any way – melted into the safety of Eddie’s embrace. “You have got to be the strongest person I’ve ever met,” he whispered softly into her hair.

“I’m so weak,” Sin said in response, her voice slightly muffled by Eddie’s chest. “I close myself off, I hold back, I insult people just to keep them away from me…”

“You haven’t done that to me,” Eddie told her.

Pulling back, Sin pushed her hair out of her face. “I have,” she gave Eddie a small grin. “You’re just too dumb to stay away.”

“Liar,” Eddie helped Sin slide her hair back from her blotchy face to behind her ears. “Maybe you’re just starting to finally be able to deal with all the really hard shit you’ve been through. And I, in all my non-threatening-ness,” he grinned at this. “I’m your first test, your guinea pig, so to say.”

“Maybe,” Sin told Eddie. She looked at him for a moment, suddenly overwhelmed with appreciation. “I’m so glad I met you, Eddie.”

“I’m glad I met you, too,” Eddie told Sin honestly. “So, now that we’ve both bared our souls… are you ready to get some sleep? I can get out of your hair.”

“Will you sleep with me?” Sin asked, and immediately turned pink. “Shit, that came out all wrong. I mean, we can watch a movie in my room. I have a big bed. After getting all that shit out, I don’t really feel like being alone tonight. That’s stuff I haven’t even let myself think about in years.”

“Like most straight men,” Eddie smiled at Sin, trying to make her feel better. “I would love to sleep with you tonight.”

Laughing, Sin rose from the couch. “See, you’re a good guy,” she told Eddie. “But you’re still a guy – a pervert somewhere deep down.”

Eddie stood up and was about to say something snippy in return when Sin reached over and enveloped him in a hug. Without another word, she pulled back and started walking towards her bedroom. Swallowing hard, Eddie wondered how it was possible that he had built such a close friendship with Sin so quickly, particularly considering just how very different they were.

“Nah, I won’t bother wondering how it happened,” Eddie told himself. “I’ll just be thankful that this awesome girl is in my life now.”

-----

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THAT REVIEWED. I KNOW THIS WAS A DARKER CHAPTER, BUT I WANTED READERS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT SIN THAN AN ATTITUDE AND A SMART MOUTH. A FEW ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

WOLF – I UPDATE WHEN I CAN. PLEASE DON’T HIT ME!

ADAEE – GLAD YOU’RE FEELING BETTER, AND GLAD YOU’RE GETTING MORE INTO THE STORY.

MINA – THERE’S STILL A LOT OF ZIP TO BE SEEN IN THIS STORY. WHETHER HE GETS THE GIRL, GETS A SPIN-OFF, OR GETS RUN OVER BY A SEMI IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED. WELL, MAYBE NOT THE LAST ONE.

LADY RAIN – DAMN REAL LIFE! ALWAYS GETS IN THE WAY.

AS ALWAYS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK – GOOD OR BAD. I TAKE ALL REVIEWS SERIOUSLY – WELL, MOSTLY.