Page 257 of The Sinner: James

I ponder for a second.

“Nah… It’s fine. I don’t want to impose on them. I’ll book a hotel room.”

Her face lights up.

“Are you, um... maybe, just maybe, considering it?”

Hope shines through her eyes.

“I don’t know.”

“Please...”

I study her.

“I might...”

“Really?”

“Yeah... Why not?” I say before drinking tea, trying to conceal my nervousness.

“Oh, my God.”

She claps her hands. Like she used to do back home when the slightest thing made her happy.

I watch her amused when a thought pops up in my head, erasing my smile from my lips.

I look at her in silence.

“What?” she asks, her glee vanishing.

“I’m not so sure it’s such a good idea, though,” I murmur as James comes to mind.

“Why not? You haven’t been home in a while. On top of that, the big New Year’s Eve party is coming up.”

She glances at me, smiling again before her expression shifts, and concern beams on her face.

“Oh... Wait a minute. You need to stay here because of your clients?”

I shake my head.

“No. It’s not that.”

“What is it then?”

She studies me for a few seconds, the corners of her eyes moving down as more worry grows across her face.

“Is it because of James?”

“Maybe,” I say softly.

She thinks about it for a moment.

“I don’t understand… Why would you change your plans because of him?”

“I’m not changing my plans because of him,” I say tensely, quickly reconsidering my options. “What time is your flight?”

“Eleven thirty.”

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