Contradiction by Easy Ash (beach books txt) 📕

The blood must have drained from my cheeks, splinters of iciness stabbed my cheeks. "Maya...I need you to do something for me."

"You look sick...if you throw up I swear..."

"MAYA! Just listen to me, okay. I need you to go distract Lex, I'll explain later."

She glosses her lips. "My pleasure, I don't care what it's about you don't gotta tell me." Maya tighten he bra strap and pull her v neck down. Her fingers go to her white blonde hair, shaking it out. 

"Thanks." I saw awkwardly as she struts off. A few seconds later I hit the hall, my backpack and phone handy. I double check for my pepper spray. I thought of having a gun but school and a gun doesn't mix. No telling what this fucker was gonna do. I need to leave in case he has a gun. Incase he uses it on students. I'm not having that on my conscious. Who do I call to confirm that he's after me??? Oh...oh of course. I know who. Jim! Even though I treated him like shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll call him. Catching an uber, I call his cell. To my surprise he picks up fast. Before the second ring. 

"Amanda, where have you been?!" 

"I got fired...it's a long story I'll tell you later. Sorry, I've been distracted and handling some shit. We can meet up in the parking garage. I need to ask you something." 

"Okay." 

"Later." I hang up, my mind racing to wild accusations, Mr. Pierce sent his son to silence me? He had to. Fuck. 

At the parking garage of Strive Treat, I locate Jim. His hands in his pockets and his eyes locked on mine. It was awkward...like fighting badly with a friends then seeing them afterwards. I did like him...not romantically like he liked me, but as a friend. We shared uber rides from work for the past year. Gossiping about our boss of course. "Hey."

"Hey, I'm sorry about before."

"It's okay, you look anxious...what's wrong?"

"Has Mr. Pierce's son been back up at the office? Has he said something about me?"

"Nooooo..." His voice trails. "Can you explain why you are asking me these questions?" I rub my shoulders for warmth even though it was eighty degrees outside. Jim takes off his jacket and drapes it over me. "You're acting weird."

"Mr. Pierce is another candidate for the metoo movement, he came onto me and it's been sound recorded. I called corporate but he's protected...and now I think his son is out to get me." I take a deep breath. 

"Ummm...wow...okay, really??" Jim gives a crooked smile...thinking I'm fooling around. 

"Yeah, dude, that's why I treated you like that before I was fired...it was  just before everyone arrived to work." My cracking voice brings realization to him. Like a hound, Jim charges towards the door leading back inside, his fists balled...his eyes looking coal black." No, no stop." I block the door and grab at his hands which grip the knob. "Stop." I demand as if he's s dog. 

"Get out of the way!" 

"What the fuck is violence gonna solve? Huh? Nothing, it's gonna make it worse." He jerks at the knob, the door opens, I slam my body, a sum of 110 pounds, slamming it shut. "You'll end up in jail because he's protected, stop!!" I scream at him. "We're going...okay, come on." I give him a hard look, managing strong eye contact, squinting. "Let's go to your place."

 Jim's condo was small but modern, all black and white. The kitchen was bulky and plain, much like you'd expect a guy'sto be. His living room only had a one leather couch and the smallest coffee table I ever seen. No dining room. God he needed a woman to redecorate. "It's nice." I lie.

"Does it smell?" 

I take a small sniff of the air, if it smelt I didn't want a load of it. To my surprise my nose noticed fabrez fresh linen. "It's fresh." I explore the rest of the condo, to the bathroom, junky, clothes on the floor, toothpaste on the sink and a bunch of water too. "God, your mom must have hated you as a teen." 

"Yeah, she just gave up after a while. You hungry?" 

"Let me guess, pizza."

"How'd you know?"

I roll my eyes. "You used to come to work with pizza scented shirts, I doubt it was cologne. You stunk."

"And you're attentive towards me, hmm, I wonder why."

"Shut up and get the pizza." He chuckles and dials a number on his phone, walking off. I peek into his bedroom, King sized bed all black sheets, no headboard, no night stands, no lamps. Not even a rug. A flatscreen was mounted above a black dresser. At least he has a plug in in the wall. I pounce onto the couch and cross my legs. 

"Pepperoni and sausage, yes, thank you."

"You remembered."

"Yeah." He takes a seat beside me. "It was your first day at work, also no one stood a chance, you kept packing your plate. I remember wondering where you put it all, being so skinny. How much do you weigh, 100 pounds?"

"I'm not talking about my weight....okay?"

"Amanda, I'm trying to distract you." He pokes at my nose.

"We need a plan...also you can't go back to work...maybe you should call off for the week, say you have the flu."

"Hell yeah! What about you?" I think back to Maya. I whip out my phone and text her: R u okay? She replies back quick: yeah I'm good, he left where R u? "Hey...what's on your mind?"

"I can't miss school but then I don't feel safe going back to my dorm."

"Stay with me then." He wasn't asking as a friend. 

"Jim...you know I'm not interested in you right? Like, I'm not trying to be mean but I see you as a friend."

He scoots up, his leg touching mine, his body leaning in. "But how do you know that?" His voice goes low and soft. "You haven't kissed me yet." He goes in for it. I hop up before our lips meet.

"What the fuck, you didn't even ask me really, really you're just gonna go for it?! You do know I was sexual harassed two days ago, I told you that, remember??! Fuck."

"I'm sorry..."

"I don't want to be touched like that, okay."

Jim nods, his brows wavering. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I thought it would help you relax." 

"Just...ask a girl before you do anything, don't dominate the move. Ugh, I need something sweet, that's the only thing that'll make me not slap you right now!" I storm to the refrigerator and search for chocolate or juice...something. Like an addict I open a jar of jam, grab a spoon, and eat a glob full of it.

 I took a nap in his room. The smell of pizza woke me up, I got up and went out to the kitchen. "Oh, I was gonna bring it to you."

"Pizza in bed...really?"

"What's wrong with that?"

"I forgive you, okay, relax. I cooled off..."

"Like she hulk." Jim jokes, rising his eyebrow. 

"I take that as a compliment." He clears his throat and stops my hand from grabbing a slice. "Come on stop food blocking."

"After this we're going to the cops, deal?"

I tilt my head to the side. "Nice job, Sherlock."

"I see you are snappy when you're hungry." 

I take five slices and a can Sprite, fries too. Chewing off huge chunks to the point that my jaws are poking out. I mumbled something but it's in inaudible. My phone rings. I swallow hard then answer it. "Yeah?"

. "Okay, Maya said you fled the dorm, what's up?!" Yasmine exclaims

"I'll tell you later."

"Amanda-" 

I hang up. "Well." I say to Jim who stands there watching me instead of eating. "Are you gonna eat?" 

"I'm enjoying the show...god you eat like a slob."

"Haha." I wipe my chin that drips with sauce and slurp up a string of hanging cheese.

After devouring junk, we go outside where green grass of sweet June greets us. A blue sky and hotness...the scent of hot concrete. Cars zip by on a one way street a few blocks from the city. Jim stops me from booking an uber. "We can walk, it's not far."

"So you want to do it the old fashioned way...?" I complain. 

"We're walking."

My flats flop hard on the sidewalk, purposely of course. "Come on, I haven't walked to my destination since grammar school. This sucks."

"Damn your spoiled." 

"I am, so carry me." I see his eyes spark, a mischievous grin spreads his face. He stares down at me before swooping me up like a baby into his arms. He was tone, not insanely, Jim was nicely built and he felt nice against me. "I'm not flirting with you by asking this I just don't want to walk."

"Uh huh sure." Traffic halts at the end of the block, which was a few feet away. "Hold on tight..."

"Don't say spider money."

Jim runs forward, fast, the wind whips my hair and face, I feel as if I'm flying. I stare down at his feet that are steady and quick. careful. We make it to the crossing, to the other side of the street. I smile, giggling, unwrapping my arms from around his neck, which prompts him to grip me closer, firmer. I raise my hands above my head, leaning back. Yelling. This goes on for the next two blocks, me letting loose. Me clearing my mind and having fun like a kid again. "Okay, okay, I'm dizzy stop." 

He reverts to walking. Huffing. "Now I feel forgiven." Aww. I fight from saying out loud. He climbs up the police station stairs, me still in his arms. 

Inside, officers sit at desks, working on phones, a few chat around a desk. One looks up with a dull expression from the desk, a woman. "This isn't the hospital, that's across the street." 

"Oh, no I'm cool..." I wiggle so Jim can put me down, and stumble to the desk. "Anyway," I eye the officer. "I'm here with evidence of sexual harassment and will like to file a report."