Page 226 of The Sinner: James

As soon as we walk around the corner, we stop so she can dig into the box.

She tries a couple, her eyes sparkling with delight.

A gust of wind blows the powdered sugar in her face, dusting her lips and cheeks. Her nose. She squints, the sugar clinging to her lashes.

Looking at me, she wrinkles her nose, and for a moment, I think she’s about to smile when she sneezes, blowing the rest of the sugar off the cookie.

I bite my lip, trying to push back a laugh.

“Eat it, for fuck’s sake,” I say.

“It’s not funny,” she says, her chin tipping up before she sneezes again.

The effort makes her lose her balance, and before I catch her, she lands on her butt, her cookie held up high in her hand.

“At least you’ve got your priorities straight,” I say, hooking my hands under her arms and pulling her up.

I brush the snow off her butt.

“We won’t move until you’re done eating,” I say, wrapping my arms around her.

She chews slowly, her red muffler sprinkled with sugar and cookie crumbs. I peel my glove off and run my fingers over her skin, brushing away the sugar from her cheeks and lashes.

Her eyes follow mine, spellbound.

“What is it?” I ask, tucking a strand of hair away from her face.

“You feel bad for me.”

I click my tongue.

“No… I feel bad for us,” I say, my smile fading.

“I want another one,” she says.

I flip the cover open, and she takes two.

“Are they that good?” I ask, grinning.

“They are. You should try one.”

I pick a chocolate cookie. It melts in my mouth.

“I also like to be held in your arms,” she adds before swallowing.

I had no doubt.

I tighten my arm around her, holding her.

Embraced, we stand in the middle of the empty street, a curtain of snow flowing around us along with unending silence.

She chews on her cookie, lost in thought, before she trains her eyes on me again.

“Why me, Rain?” I ask softly, looking deep into her eyes. “Why did you choose me? You could’ve had any of us.”

Snowflakes land on her hair while she studies me in silence.

Softly, she shakes her head.

---