Page 40 of A Sin So Pure

“Define okay,” I chuckle.

That pulls a sleepy snort from her. “Adjective. Satisfactory but not exceptionally good.”

I huff a laugh, leaning back against the counter, and pull my silk robe tighter around me.

“I’ll be fine. Today was just… a lot.”

“Are you going to tell me what happened with Imogen?”

I turn with a sigh, worrying my lip as I pour us each a portion of tea. I drop a cube of sugar into both mugs and add a splash of cream to mine before bringing them to the kitchen table.

Josie blows on her tea as she waits for me to answer, steam dancing off her cup in little twirls.

“We were arguing.”

She quirks a brow over her cup as if to sayYes, I know that already. Please continue.

“She told Silas about the tonic.”

“Ah.” Understanding fills her warm brown eyes.

“Yeah.”

“I take it Silas wasn’t too happy with you during the meeting today? Though it couldn’t have been that bad considering you walked out alive.”

“You could say that.” I take a sip, letting the scalding tea burn my tongue. “Actually, I need to make a few calls. We need to take him with us to see Jamison.”

“What?”

I wave my hand. “I’ll fill you in with Hattie and Claude tomorrow.”

“Okay.” She hugs her mug with both hands on the table. “Back to Imogen, then.”

I groan, head hanging back.

“She snuck behind our backs and nearly cost us this deal. And, apparently, this wasn’t the first time. Silas has been using her for information on us since I took over.” I lick my tea-stained lips. “Not like we have much to hide when it comes to business bu?—”

“But this was the one thing thatcouldhave ruined us,” Josie finishes. “Bad timing.”

“Terrible timing.” I sniffle, the steam wafting up from my mug making my nose runny. “I shouldn’t feel like my stomach is going to fall out of my ass, but the look in her eye when I yelled at her… it’s bothering me.”

An elongated sigh slips from Josie’s lips. She weighs her words before she speaks.

“Hearing she did that, I’m definitely hurt. But I don’t think Imogen would betray our trust for nothing. There’s gotta be a good reason.” Josie stares into her tea. “Did she say why?”

“We didn’t get that far before you pulled me away.” I circle the rim of my mug; the ceramic burns my fingertip, but I let it. “Does the why even matter?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“The right why could ease your guilt.”

“I don’t feel guilty.Shebetrayedme. I’m angry.”

“No. I think youwantto be angry. But instead, you feel remorse ‘cause you’re stuck on her,” Josie says, expertly uncoiling my unsaid thoughts. “And that complicates things. Especially if she has a good reason to back up her actions.”

Stuck on Imogen…I scoff internally. That’s a terrible understatement. Ever since she walked into my class ten years ago, I‘ve wanted her.

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