Page 197 of The Sinner: James

“You’ve probably had enough alcohol,” I say, inching closer to him with a glass of wine.

He wears the same tuxedo, no bowtie, his white shirt open at the neckline.

I stop next to him.

He glances at me, a few stray bangs sliding over his eyes. Fire, ice, and ash swirl in his gaze.

Dark passion, sadness, and torment.

His eyes dip briefly to my drink before moving to the window.

Standing next to him, I stare into the darkness through the misted glass, sipping wine from time to time.

“Why did you leave?” I ask after a few moments.

He cuts his eyes at me.

I hold his gaze, silently studying him from above the rim of my glass.

He’s pushing back words, dark emotions spinning in his eyes.

“Why did you leave me with Lex?”

He glances away, his gaze getting lost in the winter night outside.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“That’s not what you paid me for,” I murmur, aware I’m walking a very thin line with him.

A muscle pulses in his jaw.

“I was looking for someone to fuck,” he says. “Someone other than you.”

“Did you find her?”

“Yes and no. By the time I found her, I was no longer in the mood.”

He shifts his gaze to me again, and sadness lines his smile.

“How was Lex?” he asks.

My face is warm with a blush, and that’s my answer.

“He never disappoints, does he?” he says, his gaze dipping briefly to my lips.

“Is that why you left?” I ask.

“Maybe.”

He slowly drags his eyes back to the view and stays quiet for a moment.

“So... You pulled out of the gutter,” he says without looking at me.

“Yeah. You can say that…” I murmur, focused on the slow motion of my finger over the rim of my glass. “But you were right,” I say, setting my drink on the table.

His eyes come to me as I lean back against the table and cross my arms over my chest.

“There is no life in the gutter...” I say, holding his gaze. “There is no life in general if you don’t have any money.”

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