Page 15 of Bend Him, Break Him
Those two had the most ridiculously obvious chemistry, with drive-you-crazy passion written all over their faces and palpable flirtatious zingers every time they hung out. Which, to be clear, was almost a daily occurrence. It seemed the only people who didn’t know Mina liked Jazz or Jazz liked Mina were Mina and Jazz.
Isaac didn’t have the energy to watch the two of them bicker and beat around the quite literal bush instead of for once being direct about their feelings. He didn’t have the energy because all of it went to the quandary on his mind.
“If someone wronged you and you had the opportunity for revenge, would you take it?”
“Hmmm.” Jazz took a contemplative pose, strumming her shortly manicured nails against her chin. “That’s a random question.”
“Well?”
“Hell yeah,” Mina said. “Fuck ‘em up, I say.”
“No, there’s a lot to consider,” Jazz interjected. “What did this person do to wrong me? What would my revenge be? What relationship did I have with the individual?”
“Oh, I like this game.” Mina snatched a handful of fries. “Bitch stole my parking spot. My revenge would be slashing their tires. My relationship is it’s that loud asshole on the third floor.”
Her eyes locked onto Isaac, revealing how truly exacerbated she was by the noisy neighbors in her apartment complex. Isaac offered his sympathies in the form of sugary chocolate as he pushed his milkshake toward her.
“What if you could do the same thing to someone that they did to you?” Isaac asked, still seeking some type of guidance. No, he wanted validation. Acceptance, a green flag stating he wasn’t a sadist and that his sadistic desires were okay.
“Hmmm,” Jazz considered.
“What if the person in question suggested it?”
That made everyone at the table look a bit skeptical.
“If they suggested it, is it even revenge?” Mina smacked her lips as she sipped Isaac’s abandoned milkshake.
“Depends on what they suggested,” Jazz clarified. “Is it revenge or atonement?”
Oh, that made Isaac’s mind spin in a thousand different directions on what could possibly be going through Colton’s head at the moment.
“It’s a lesser of two evils,” he answered. “Maybe.”
“Nope, you wanna go with the more evil option,” Mina said. “Otherwise, it’s not revenge. It’s a compromise. Don’t ever compromise with a bitch that crossed you. That’s what I always say.”
“You are so full of it,” Jazz mocked. “I have literally watched you apologize to inanimate objects after bumping into them.”
“Girl, my dresser hasn’t done anything but support me.” Mina sipped her drink. “Mind your business.”
“So, hypothetically, revenge is the wrong choice?” Isaac asked.
“Yes,” Jazz said. “Even if they suggested it.”
“Yeah, never go with something someone suggested,” Mina added. “Make it worse.”
“Noooo.” Jazz shook her head.
Isaac’s eyes perked up at Mina’s suggestion, awaiting clarification.
“If they recommended it, it’s not revenge,” Mina continued. “So, like, say someone stole from me, and they were all like, ‘oh,you caught me, here’s my hand for you to cut off.’ Do you think I’m gonna play into that nonsense?”
“Why in the hell would anyone let you cut off their hand?”
“It’s hypothetical, Jazz.” Mina put her hand in her friend’s face, then slapped her hand on the table, playing the role of the would-be thief. “So, they’re like take my hand. It’s yours. Revenge has been had.”
Isaac watched as Mina switched roles, now playing herself holding an imaginary axe or what he assumed was an axe since she wielded it with two hands.
“Now, am I gonna play into theirhandand take just their hand?” Mina waved her imaginary weapon back and forth as if to say ‘no’ and then chopped at the table, dramatically screaming as she pretended to lose her entire arm. “I’m gonna make it worse. Get my real revenge.”
