Page 117 of Paradox
“Can you just wear these?”
“Why should I when mine don’t fall off?”
“For fuck’s sake, Jin…” His voice fades to unintelligible babble when I see his cell phone light up. Once the screen fades to black, I look at him momentarily only for it to light up again.
With a roll of my eyes, I push his arm away, forcing him to take back his sweats as I walk around him.
'Merry Christmas. Did you like that, Baby?'The most recent message from Shawn flashes back onto the screen when I pick up the phone.
“Well, did you like it,baby?” I tease.
“It’s nothing—”
“I thought she'd stopped messaging you.”
“She had, for a while. But it doesn’t matter how many times I shut her down, she won’t leave me alone.”
I hold out Eden’s phone towards him. “Unlock it.”
“I’ve got nothing to hide from you,” he says, taking the phone and unlocking it. “Read back as far as you want, I don’t give a shit. But just remember, you asked for this.”
When I look at the screen my eyes gape before my face falls emotionless again. “Is this the kind of stuff she always sent you?” I ask, still staring at the picture like a car wreck I can't look away from.
“Yeah. When we were together. But if you look above it you’ll see that I deleted the last picture she sent me,andthat I told her not to send anymore.”
I hand his phone over and bite back a smile. “So, did you like her Christmas present?”
He tosses it onto the couch with his sweats. “I couldn’t give a damn about anything from her.” Eden runs his hand up the side of my neck to hold my head in place. “All I wanted was to spend the day with you. And what we just did… That blew everything she ever did for me out of the water. So if you'll let me, I’ll send her a picture of your pretty dick in my mouth in a heartbeat.”
“I’m not bisexual, Eden.”
His brow creases and he holds my face with both hands. “What are you… Ha?”
“Her picture, it did nothing for me. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at a naked picture of a woman and enjoyed it.”
“Okay, but, why are you telling me—”
“Because I’m gay. Like, all the way, gay.”
“So?”
“So I… Don’t worry about it.” I try to push him away but he holds strong.
“I am gonna worry about it.”
“Don’t.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I’m gay!” I shout up at him, all spite and inadequacy.
“And I don’t give a fuck!” he yells down at me even louder. “I’ll call Tek right now and tell him exactly where you are,andthat I’m not letting you leave, because…”
“Because what, Eden?”
“Because I’m fucking falling for you, Jintae. Jesus christ. Tek means the world to me, and the shop is everything. But right now…Shit…Right now, figuring out whatthisis, is way more important to me than a damn tattoo shop. I can work from anywhere…”
He lifts me up, and I take my place with my legs wrapped around his waist. “I can tell you wanna say something else.”
