Page 291 of The Sinner: James

“Nice to meet you, Eve,” I say, burying her small hand in my palm.

A shudder goes through her.

She tears away from me and takes a seat at the table while I walk to the window, turn around to face her, and lean against the windowsill.

Suddenly, she pushes out of her chair.

“I’m sorry. I completely forgot my manners. Is there anything I can get for you? Something to drink, perhaps?”

“I’m good. Thank you,” I say.

She grabs a bottle of water from the fridge for herself and slides back into her chair.

“I imagine you are here because of Rain.”

“Yes. How is she?”

She gazes into my eyes, studying me for a moment.

“She’s good.”

“Doing...?” I start, unsure whether she knows what Rain does for a living.

She flashes a knowing smile.

“Doing the same thing... She’s also started an online business on the side,” she says after a brief pause.

“What kind of business?”

She shrugs.

“She didn’t tell me. A friend of hers is helping her,” she says.

“Friend?” I ask, a pang of tension spilling into my voice.

“Yes,” she says hesitantly, taken aback by my reaction.

She leans back in her chair and crosses her arms over her chest, suddenly in a defensive mood.

I jerk my hand up.

“Listen... I didn’t come here to create any problems. Not for you and not for her. Given the history between her and me, I understand your reservations.”

“So why are you here?” she asks, guarded this time.

“I need your help.”

Her eyebrows tilt up, a questioning look sliding over her face.

“I want to plead my case with her one more time, and for that to happen, I need to have access to her again.”

She observes me for another moment.

“You had plenty of chances,” she says in a softer voice. “Why would I do that?”

Our eyes stay locked for a few more seconds.

“There’s not one good reason I can think of,” I finally say. “Other than perhaps, I’ve never fully opened up to her. And I’ve never been completely truthful with her either. There’s no guarantee it would make a difference, but I want to exhaust every possibility before I move on.”

---