Page 23 of Paradox
Back under.
“Why won’t you just fucking leave?”
Nothing.
“What the hell do you want from me?”
Nothing.
Back under.
His black hair is stuck to his face, his head is lolled to the side, and his body is limp.
Jin opens his eyes. “Just hurry up and get it over with.”
“You fucking freak!”
I fling him deeper into the lake and storm out.
“So help me, Jin, you make me madder than anyone I’ve ever met. I swear you take whatever is going to piss me off the most and throw it in my face. You’re just like Shawn. You’re evil and spiteful!”
Jintae is shivering so violently when he stands I expect him to fall straight back over.
Each of his steps looks labored as he wades out of the lake.
On the bank, he unzips Tek’s jacket and lets it fall to the grass.
Every one of his muscles tenses as the frigid air hits his pale skin.
His shoes are the next to come off.
There’s not an ounce of fat on him.
He moves closer to the fire.
With shaking hands he pushes down his sweatpants, and I spin around.
My pants are drenched too.
My boots will be destroyed.
I need to get back to the cabin.
There's still too much to do before this damn storm hits.
Fuck!
I speed down the track to the lake.
The truck screams, on the verge of giving up all together.
That makes two of us.
It’s one pm. I only just finished extending the lean-to, and the weather is turning. The sky is gray, the wind is howling, and Jeon Jintae is the last thing I want to be worrying about.
I pump the breaks, swerve around a stump, and straighten back out.
I don’t care if he’s gone and gotten himself sick. And if the little fuck is dying, an ambulance can come and pick his ass up because I won’t get stuck out. Come hell or high water, I will be disappearing this winter.
