Page 36 of The Sinner: James

It looks so romantic and mysterious.

“This is beautiful,” I murmur, watching the soft flowing drapes moving in the breeze and listening to the crackling fire.

Silence swirls around us for a few more moments before an odd sound travels through the air.

“Fuck. What was that?” she says.

“What?”

“That rumbling noise.”

She holds her finger up, and we both listen, our hearts beating in our mouths.

“The bikes,” I murmur.

“They’re back,” she says as we both dash to the door.

I grab her by the arm and stop her.

We freeze up, listening to the sounds outside.

“Let’s hope they go to the other house first,” she says quietly.

“I’m not so sure they’ll do that. Shit… We can’t even get out right now. We need another exit,” I murmur.

And that’s when they slam the car doors, and heavy footsteps trail up the stairs.

“Shit, shit...” I sputter. “Let’s go back. Move back, Eve…”

We sprint back into the living room, skidding across the tiles and veering past the fireplace.

I grab Eve's elbow and pull her with me as I turn left and enter a hallway.

“Here...” I whisper, beckoning her to me.

I push the first door on the right open.

We slip into a large bedroom just as their voices resonate outside.

“Oh, my God. They’re in the living room. How do we get out of here?”

“We need to wait,” I say.

I look around.

The room comes into focus quickly as my eyes adjust to the dimness.

A soft, thick rug stretches from side to side, and a king bed and a massive fireplace come into view near us.

“There… The curtains,” I say, pointing to the windows.

We slide behind the draperies right before hearing noises at the door.

My heart pulses in my mouth.

It doesn’t take long, and the door slides open.

Holding our breaths, we look at each other with eyes wide with panic.

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