Page 377 of The Sinner: James

He continues.

“A few things have happened, and they will affect all of us,” he says, raising his eyes. “I’m only mentioning this now because I wanted to process everything on my own before making everybody else aware of the news. I also wanted to talk to you privately because it will affect you the most.”

“All right. Spill it out. I’m not a kid.”

He chuckles, my words jerking him out of whatever memory has put so much nostalgia on his face.

“It’s not about that,” he says. “As I said before, a few things have happened. Some good, and some bad.”

“Go with whichever you want to go first.”

He leans back in his seat, his elbows resting on the armchair, his fingers laced together.

“Two weeks ago, I almost lost Thea.”

His words hit me in my chest.

It’s certainly not what I expected to hear. Not two weeks after it happened.

“What are you talking about, man?”

The ghost of a smile flutters across his lips.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I didn’t want to.”

He pauses for a second.

“In a way, I didn’t want to acknowledge that story for what it was, and I needed time to come to terms with the fact that I could’ve lost her just like that,” he says, snapping his fingers. “It was one of those stupid accidents you never think could happen to you or someone you love.”

He takes a long breath before he continues.

“She fell asleep, and the house caught on fire.”

His eyes stay linked with mine as I stare at him, speechless.

“Is she okay?” I ask, trying not to assume the worst.

“She’s fine,” he says mellowly. “The strange thing is––and that’s what scared me the most––I found her and pulled her out.”

I sag in my seat, my arms uncrossing.

His soft nod comes in response to my perplexed expression.

“And it was one of those strange coincidences, or maybe fate played a role in our lives. I couldn’t quite explain it. But I wasn’t supposed to be there that day,” he says, the tension in his voice suggesting he is still affected by what happened.

“I flew in a day earlier because I wanted to propose to her, and I wanted it to be a surprise. She didn’t know I was coming and fell asleep earlier than usual. She didn’t feel well that day––Samira, her roommate, told me––and she confirmed that with me later. Before I arrived, the neighbors had called an ambulance and the firefighters, but nobody had entered the house. They were waiting for help. Thick smoke was coming from an open window, and I knew it was her room. I don’t know what made me go inside before anyone else did. I had a hunch, a gut feeling. I don’t know what it was, and I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.”

He goes silent as he looks at his glass.

“I flew up those stairs aware that most parts of the house that were built out of wood––the doors, the stairs, and the floors––were already engulfed in fire, threatening to collapse.”

He sucks in more air.

“I found her on the bed. She was deep asleep, and I thought she’d passed out, so I snatched her off the bed and carried her outside. Amazingly, we both got out alive without a scratch, but she wasn’t strong enough, and eventually, she lost consciousness.”

My eyebrows move up as I shoot him a questioning look.

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