Page 40 of Paradox
He’s holding them out in front of him by the time I’ve got the oil, eggs, and bread.
“You’ve got five seconds before I do make you walk around naked.”
“Quit trying to get me naked in front of you.”
“I’m not,” I snap back.
“When you burnt me. When you stripped me in the truck. And now, makes three.”
“And you’re at fault for all of them.”
“Hardly.Youwere showing off.Youleft me to freeze. Andyoumade me take a shower.”
“Youweren’t wearing a seatbelt.Youput wet clothes back on. Andyoufucking reeked.”
“I can keep going all day,” Jin says smugly as he tugs the pants up his legs with the towel still wrapped around him. “But as it stands, the wordsmake you walk around nakedcame out of your mouth and not mi—”
The television shakes on the wall when I slam Jin against it.
Just like the last time my hand was around his throat, his wretched fingers try with all their might to pry me away.
“Why the fuck would I want to see you naked?” I growl in his face, and like the spirit of someone else just entered his body, his arms go limp and his eyes stare straight through me.
“But you wantmeto seeyounaked. Isn’t that right?”
I squeeze tighter, but Jin’s eyes just roll back before refocusing.
“You want me to look at you.”
I press my palm harder against his windpipe, but he raises a leg and pushes his foot into my stomach. He doesn’t kick me, he just holds it there; his bare foot forcing the buttons of my flannel into my skin.
“You want me to because I’m the only option you have. You don’t care who looks at you, as long as it’s someone.”
His jaw digs into my hand as I take his entire weight, because now both of his feet are wedged against me.
“That’s why you get so mad when I ignore you.”
His voice strains, his toes curl, and my flannel rises.
“That's why you’re covered in tattoos… You’re so desperate for attention, you’ll do anything for it.”
“I knew there was a good reason I always hated you.”
“But not a good enough reason to choke me the whole way.” His hands rise again to wrap around my wrist. “Go on. I’ll even help you out.”
“I’ve never met a person as desperate to die as you.”
“And I…” Jin takes a breath in and I can feel it struggle down his throat. “Have never met someone as hell bent on prolonging someones torture for no reason.”
“Surely hatred is enough?”
“You sure that’s all it is?” Jin pulls back one of his feet from my chest and hooks his leg over my outstretched arm.
There’s nothing keeping me here—nothing logical anyway. I could easily pull him away with my free hand, but instead I use it to grab a clump of his hair which forces his eyes to open wider.
“You get off on it, don’t you? How much I’ve always wanted to impress you. But that’s not why you hate me is it?” His other leg hooks over the first from the other side so his entire body is hanging off my arm. “The cheerleaders wouldn’t touch you in high school, would they, Eden? You started hating me when you found out about my first girlfriend. Then Tek wouldn’t shut up about his pathetic little brother and how I went from girl, to girl, to girl, just like you before Shawn tied you down."
My fingers wrench around Jin’s neck as tightly as they should have done when I first pushed him against the wall.
