Wicked Little Sins

Everly

Vinnie watched Everly and Ethan hurry up the steps leaving him with the luggage. He slammed the trunk down in a huff, pulling a cigar from his shirt pocket. He was in no hurry to go inside that old house.

Everly nervously fussed with her hair and clothes as she stood at the door. It was obvious to Vinnie that she was concerned with the impression she made. He lit his cigar and puffed away, a troubled look on his face.

The door opened to shrieks and screams of laughter from the two sisters. He watched closely, impressed at Everly's good mood and the way she bounced up and down with Charley, appearing glad to see her.

They broke apart and headed inside, leaving him to deal with the luggage. He surveyed the neighborhood. It was all shabby and basic to him. He could never see himself being happy with such a simple way of life. His values were much higher than that.

"Didn't anyone tell you cigars are bad for you?" Ned asked, coming down the steps to welcome him. Vinnie gave a dry chuckle, handing it over to his soon to be father-in-law. Ned took a puff, leaning against the car with Vinnie.

"Your daughter tells me that all the time, but I don't listen," he shot back. Everly had once told him how sexy it made him look, that she loved the smell. Now she snubbed him each time he lit up. He couldn't figure her out.

"Well, let's get inside. It's rather chilly out here," Ned said, waiting for Vinnie to follow. Vinnie didn't budge, he really had a lot on his mind. And the one person who could give him answers was Everly's Dad.

"Lately, I feel like she almost detests me," he blurted out. He watched the house for Everly or anyone who might want to listen in. He didn't want to appear pathetic or less of a man in front of anyone.

Ned took his words in, shaking his head. He was trying his best to come up with something that made this man feel good. He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Everly had been with Vinnie for four years, and the first couple years she seemed to be head over heels for him. A couple years back, though, things started changing. Everly didn't talk about Vinnie as much, and she had spent many nights crying on the phone to her mother. In one of those conversations, he was sure things might have turned violent on her part. He didn't close his eyes to violence, but he knew Everly wasn't the type to lash out without good reason.

"She's just lost her mother, that's hard for anyone. And she and Sandy were close. Give her some time and she will come back around Vin," Ned said, yet again waiting for him to head up the stairs.

"We were going to get married, and now I feel like she is stuck in grief." He instantly regretted spitting that out, but he had no one to talk to about Everly. His friends were all single, they were dance instructors like him and they were too busy sleeping with everything that batted an eyelash at them to understand what Vinnie wanted. Vinnie had enough of that lifestyle. He was ready to have a real girl to come home to every night. He knew he could have anyone he wanted, but he wanted Everly. She had grace and an incredible presence. She tolerated so much and she was truly a genuine person, and he loved everything about her.

"Everly will come around; you'll see," Ned said, patting him on the back. This time he pushed him lightly forward.

"I'll be in, just give me a couple minutes," he said. He wasn't ready to enter that home. With Sandy dead, having to see all her stuff kind of creeped him out.

Ned headed in, wondering if he'd said the right things to Vinnie. He was still a young man, but older than his daughter by six years. Ned knew how he was at that age. And he'd been nowhere near as good looking as this Russian man. Even with the best of intentions, he didn't feel anyone was right for Everly. When Everly was in college, she had dated her longtime classmate, Ryan. Ned had never seen Everly happier. When Ryan ended things with Everly, he moved out of state for a job, taking an old girlfriend with him. He didn't think his daughter ever truly healed from being burned by that young man.