Page 230 of The Sinner: James

His lips curl into a soft smile.

“I think I’ve told you that already,” he murmurs.

We share a few moments of silence, my mind drifting away.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks.

“Nothing.”

Our eyes connect in the mirror.

“What’s the plan for the weekend?” I ask.

“Tomorrow, we go to the beach,” he says, no emotion in his voice.

* * *

RAIN

The next day.

“On an island?”I ask as we finish eating breakfast in our suite.

“Yes, a fucking island,” he says, bringing his coffee to his lips, smiling mysteriously.

“We’re flying over there?”

“We sure are.”

He pulls out his phone and glances at the screen.

“They’re ready, so we can pick them up.”

“Are we coming back?”

“No. I don’t think so. Your things will be taken to your place,” he says as staff members enter the apartment.

He rises to his feet.

I follow his example, wrestling with mixed feelings.

A strange restlessness grows in me, mainly because his new plan is unexpected–– most things coming from him are.

My chest feels heavy as I walk out of his place.

It’s not as if I’ve grown attached to the space itself, but spending the entire week with him has created many memories.

That thought puts cracks in my heart.

“Is everything okay?” he asks, studying me.

“Yes,” I murmur.

We saunter down the hallway before he knocks on Lex’s door.

Ed slides the door open, his eyes brimming with a smile.

He slants his gaze at me briefly before shifting his focus to James, who’s busy with his phone.

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