Page 272 of The Sinner: James

“I don’t think your words can be worse than what just happened,” she says.

“I don’t want anyone to know.”

“No one will know. I’m not running my mouth. You know me.”

“No... no. It’s something you shouldn't know either.”

“You think it would change how I feel about you?”

“No... I mean, yes. You may feel sorry for me. Or you might think I’m stupid or worse...”

“What’s worse?”

“I brought it on myself...” I murmur, not answering her question.

“Okay...” she says, encouraging me to continue.

“He paid me.”

“He, um… what? Who paid you?”

I raise my eyes and look at her.

“James Sexton. He paid me. He was my client.”

Her eyebrows tilt up, her eyes widening in surprise.

“He paid me to spend a week with him… in New York. Last week.”

“By that, you mean...”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I mean.”

“And was that bad...?”

I slowly shake my head.

“It was the best time we ever had.”

“And?”

“And then he shared me with Lex and Ed.”

A gasp falls from her lips, and the blood drains from her face, and for a moment, I wonder if she’s still breathing.

Her eyes dart back and forth before a small smile timidly crawls across her lips.

“Was that thing bad...?” she asks in a lighter voice, an amused grin coloring her voice.

I shake my head again.

“No. They made love to me. All of them. And they made me feel like a fucking princess,” I say, letting out a sad chuckle, my tears still trickling down my face. “They showed me their emotions too and were tender with me.”

Her lips finally draw together before she speaks again.

“Okay... You lost me.”

“And then he abandoned me on his island...”

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