Page 10 of Paradox
“Do it!” he yells.
I unfurl my fingers and backhand him harder than before. The shock and pain are clear in his expression, but I don’t feel a thing.
“Pussy!” he yells again.
“Do you want a broken face?”
“Do you really wanna beatmeup?”
“You’re the one here.”
“But I’m not the one who screwed your girlfriend.”
To hell with punching him, I’ll kill him right here. Bury him outside. Rip him limb from limb until his blood is all I can see instead of that bastard's dick in her mouth.
I can feel my chest thumping, except it's not my heart, it's Jintae's hands pounding and clawing at me as I grip his throat.
“Please…Stop…” he croaks, trying to pry my hands away. And even though I don’t remember grabbing him, I don’t let go. I can’t. I’m too angry—at him for coming here, and the whole damn world for fucking me over. But when he reaches up, putshis hand on my face, and tries to push me away with the last ounce of strength he has left, I finally let him go.
“You’re not… dead,” I tell him, as he glares at me. “You started it.”
“You're a psychopath.”
“You poked the bear.”
He rubs his neck. “Do you take accountability for anything?”
“Only when it’s my fault.”
Jintae’s mouth opens, but it quickly shuts again when his eyes flicker over my shoulder. And when I turn to see what it is, he tries to stand but loses his footing.
“Just stay where you belong.” I pull myself onto the sofa and pick up my phone. “Looks like I don’t need to call your brother after all,” I gloat, making a show of moving my finger slowly towards the screen.
“Please. I—”
But I’ve already answered the call.
“Eden. Eden, are you there?”
“Please,” Jintae mouths, raising to his knees.
“Eden?!”
I press the phone to my ear. “I thought I told you to leave me alone.”
“Have you seen my brother?”
“So you’ve already stopped giving a shit about me?”
“Goddamnit, Eden. Not everything is about you!”
“And don’t you love reminding me.”
“Have you seen Jin, or not?”
“Jin?” I ask, like I haven’t heard the name in years while staring down at his shadowed face.
“Yeah. He’s fucked up big time. I’ve even had my parents at my place.”
