Page 218 of The Sinner: James

I rise too.

He locks my hand and leads me to a less crowded spot, away from our table.

His arm snakes around my waist as he pulls me into his chest. He rests one hand on the small of my back and the other on my neck.

He splays his fingers over my skin and softly strokes me.

“I wish I’d met you first,” he murmurs in my hair. “Maybe, none of this would’ve happened.”

I glance up.

“What do you mean?”

He tips his gaze at me.

“We didn’t know back then... None of us did.”

“Know what?” I ask quietly.

“That you weren’t just another girl. Perhaps James knew it, but it took him by surprise, and he hesitated. By the time he figured things out, you were gone. The one time he needed to be decisive, he chose poorly and let you go. I would’ve never done that.”

“It had nothing to do with him. Besides, he didn’t know I was planning to leave.”

“Maybe. Or perhaps he made you leave. Had he behaved differently, you would’ve stayed.”

“It wasn’t that simple. And it wasn’t only bad timing or a misunderstanding. It was more than that… You know him. He always does whatever he pleases.”

He chuckles.

“Yeah... That’s true. But if there was one woman who could’ve taken him down, it was you. You had that power. I don’t think any other women could’ve done it,” he says.

A few moments of silence pass.

“How come none of you have already found the right woman to settle down with?”

The corners of his mouth lift into a faint grin.

“I can’t imagine women are not interested,” I say, smiling.

“They are interested. But never the right woman. Besides our money and, um, looks,” he says humorously, “we’re not exactly marriage material.”

The tune ends before I glance around, looking for the restroom.

“I’ll be back in a moment,” I say and tear away from him, heading across the room while he saunters back to the table.

Minutes later, I exit the restroom and walk across the ballroom when the festive Christmas tree grabs my attention.

My eyes linger on the throbbing lights when a familiar voice rings behind me.

“Rain?”

I freeze before I turn, a foreboding sensation barreling through me. My smile dies out as I take in the man in front of me.

“David??”

13

JAMES

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