Page 413 of The Sinner: James

She crosses her arms over her chest, scalding me with her eyes.

“No?”

I set the cup down.

“No. I’m not here ‘to rub it in your face' as you might think. I haven’t heard from you in a long time, and Mom was worried too.”

“She has her own life,” she says, venting her frustration.

“Yes, she does. Why are you so pissed and holding it against her anyway? She’s had a difficult time, too,” I say, irritated.

I expect her to kick me out of her home.

She gestures in my direction, but it’s akin to ‘Never mind.’

“I’m sorry,” she says to my surprise. “I didn’t want to come across that way,” she adds in a softer voice.

My mouth falls open.

That’s news to me.

Her eyes peel away from me as she pushes off the couch and walks to the kitchen.

She leaves me alone for a few moments before returning with a plate of sliced apples.

She sets it on the table, picks up a slice, and invites me to take one.

“That’s pretty much the only fruit I can eat,” she comments.

I scoop up a piece of apple and chew on it.

“How are things with you?” she asks quietly, not looking at me as she takes another slice from the plate.

“I’m okay. I’m on my way to New York. I’m visiting Eve this weekend.”

Her gaze swings up.

“How is she?”

“She’s good. She has a new job and is happy with her new life in the city.”

“Married?”

“No. Are you married?” I ask, slipping out one of the questions that I consider delicate.

“I’m engaged. We’re getting married next year.”

“What does he do for a living?”

“He’s an engineer. Computer engineer,” she adds.

“That’s good,” I say, perfectly aware I’m on shaky ground with her.

Her gaze flicks up again.

“Not as good as being a billionaire in your early thirties,” she retorts, and I don’t know how to respond to that, nor do I know if I should.

I freeze in my seat, empty of ideas, while she studies my face.

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