First Sin (Sin Series Book 1) *First Draft* Editing

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My eyes fling open wide to the blaring, incessant beeping. My mind finally catches up and I turn over to shut my alarm off.

I look around my room and dread the day before me. It will be the same as it is every day. I take a deep breath and imagine how things might have gone differently. I sigh and fall out of bed and crawl to the shower, really jut wanting to stay in bed.

I get myself ready for work and head downstairs. I start breakfast for Harvey, my father. Once it is done I go ad wake him and sit with him until he finishes every bite. I pick up his plate and leave. He will go back to sleep and he will not be up again until I come back for lunch and if I am unable to make my way back here for lunch then he will sleep until I get back after closing the store. My life is taking care of him and his life is sleeping and being forced to eat. What a sad pair we are.

I grab my purse and head out the door locking it behind me. A shiver races through my body and I pull my jacket tighter around me and make my way back up the street.

I hear my heels happily clipping, at least they seem to be happy on such a dreary day. I look up and glare at the shining sun, but feel no warmth.

"That is supposed to be part of your job you know."

Another shiver takes me, but this time not from cold. I glance around and keep walking, slightly faster this time, willing myself to outrun this feeling.

I stop and take a look around then look behind me. No one and nothing out of the ordinary. I continue on my way.

I reach the store and feel the heat of the sun. I smile, "this is what I am talking about." I fiddle with the sticky lock then jiggles it free.

I look over my shoulder then to the cafés on either side. No one seems to be paying me any particular attention. Why can I not shake off this feeling? I shake my head, trying and failing to clear it of this superstitious and absurd thought that seems to have stuck itself inside my head.

I go around the counter, drop my purse next to the chair and my jacket on it. I boot up the system and check that everything is in order.

I go and turn the open sign on and welcome one of our, regulars, it what I call her. She comes in nearly every day and always at opening. If she comes, she is never late.

She smiles as always then picks a big table in the middle and gets to work. I close the door and start away but turn back when a chill runs down my spine, setting goosebumps up and down my arms. I turn back and open the door. I look up and down the semi-crowded street.

I back up into the store and let the door close in front of me. I rub my arms willing the pesky bumps to leave me. This is odd that all of a sudden, I regularly get the feeling of being watched.

I continue to stare out the shop window, willing something or someone to appear in front of me just to take the unending mystery out of this whole ordeal. I shake my head, "this is ridiculous." I turn away and go back behind the desk to check what needs to be done today.

We got a new shipment of books that need to be organized then categorized, stickered, and put onto shelves. I begin and am excited when I find that they received a few new books that I have been wanting to buy myself.

My phone starts buzzing in my pocket. It is Brooke. I knew that me pissing her off last night would not last long.

"Hey."

"Hey, my girl. How is work?"

"It is fine, and I am still working."

"Is this not when you normally take your lunch break?"

I check the time, 12:30. My eyes go wide, she is right. I hate it when she is right. I do normally take my break at twelve. I almost worked through my break. I suppose that I was just happy to have something to occupy my time that does not overwhelm me.

"Yes, sorry, I got preoccupied and nearly worked through my break. Do you want to drop by? Maybe bring some takeout with you. I will start my break at one today."

"Of course! See you in ten, babe!"

I hang up and continue labelling the books and stickering. I just begin shelving them before Brooke arrives.

The door jingles as she enters, and I cannot help the grin that spreads over my face. She has the take out.

"Hey girl. I got us some of everything good on the menu at our favourite diner. They made it special just for us, so dig in and hold nothing back.

She follows me to the back room that we use as a staffroom, after I put the "be back soon" sign on the front desk.

She drops the food and proceeds to opens every container as I get plates. We load them up and start chomping, literally, almost worse than pigs. We can be really disgusting turn-offs when we want to be and this is proof.

"So, what's so great about books that kept you so busy you nearly skipped lunch?"

I quickly swallow and wipe my mouth, "We got a new order in today. There are many books that I was wanting to buy for myself. I got caught up in setting them up and shelving them. Sorry, I did not know that you were planning on coming to see me. I figured you would not want to see me after last night."

"Well of course I want to see you. Last night was only water under the bridge, but I am worried about you. You are doing too much, trying to prevent the inevitable and it's changing you, and not in a good way. I just wish you would get your own place already. This isn't healthy."

My eyes fly open as wide as they can go. I feel numb as I hear my hands slam down on the table and my chair flings and smacks into the wall behind me.

The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them, "fuck you. He has been through a lot. My mom left him, or do you not remember because you were too busy whoring around the block, dropping your panties for any guy who would even glance your way!"

Her jaw hits the floor then she stands, "first of all, fuck you too, I am just trying to help you. Secondly, you've been through a lot too and your mother also left you."

"Yes well, he was in love with her and she broke his heart. That is different!"

"Fuck, well okay. I guess you've lost someone else now, only this time you can know that it was entirely your fault. This is all on you. I was just trying to be a good friend. See ya, and have fun wiping your dad's ass for the rest of your life." She storms away fuming almost worse than me.

"Brooke!" I scream, but she is already gone. I am too late. She was right about one thing for sure, this whole fight was my fault. I have no one to blame but myself.

I sit here crying and being numb on and off until my break is finally over and I can get some well-earned work, or stress-reliever as I like to call it. I find myself gratefully sinking into the pile of work left to do before the end of my shift. Feeling that I earned a break form my life. The life that is slowly, but surely getting worse and worse. Perhaps it will do this until it wastes away and there is nothing left.