Contradiction by Easy Ash (beach books txt) 📕

At 3 in the morning, I visit...well break into Bill's office. Of course he had expensive paintings, a real wood desk and velvet sofas. I bet his employees hated him. I go through the desk draws, searching for employee records. Pale white folders are lined back to back. I flip through each, scanning for Amanda's name. Most of the female files had their bra and underwear sizes which was fucking disgusting, creep. A clock on the wall read: 3:30am. At the middle of my search I find what I'm looking for. Unlike the rest of the girls, he had a picture of her...I couldn't blame him her eyes were striking. My eyes read down to her phone number. Memorizing it.

At, 8am, I stop at McDonald's and order breakfast. Thinking of how to word my text: This is Mr. Pierce's son, you should remember me from the gym, I wasn't stalking you or out to get you on his behalf. Can we talk? That sounds okay to me. I reread it again. Yeah. I tap send. My orange juice is sat on a table by a guy with a purple mohawk. Sweet ass perfume emitted off of his body. "There you go, the rest will be done shortly." He informs me with a flamboyant tone.

"Thank you." I sense his stare lingering, before he struts off. I sip the drink.

Amanda: If you try anything you'll get hurt. It has to be somewhere public.

Me: McDonald's, WestLake Ave.

By the time she arrives, I am done with my meal. She spots me at the back and heads over. Slowly. Her hand in her purse, a gun most likely. "Relax." I say as she sits, taking in something new about her face, she had a beauty mark on her lip, on the left top corner, a patch that was lighter than the rest of her pink lips. Which contrasted well with her olive skin. 

She rolls her eyes and snap her fingers. "My eyes are up here. Why were you asking for me?"

"I heard about your claim against my father." Saying the word father boiled my blood, but I kept calm.

"How?"

I smile at her seriousness. "I swipe his phone from time to time." She gives me an inquisitive look. "I return it right after." I lie. I actually trash it right after so he has to buy a new one. 

"What do you want?"

I lean forward, taking in a berry scented perfume with a sly sniff. "He's a horrible father and a shitty man who needs karma to bite him in the ass. I tried taking him down but he has ways of coming out on top. Anyway, the main reason is my little sister, she deserves better." 

Amanda's eyes slit. "Did you try to help the other girls he fucked over?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I never bumped into them plus I knew they'll lose in court."

"Well I'm not."

"You will, but with my help we can take him down." I slide over a file I stole from his office, the rest were in my car. "All the female records have bra and underwear measurements but yours stands out with a picture. If we can get the girls who backed down to join us, we wouldn't have to go to court, we'll go public and he'll pay us hush money but we won't take it. My father has close to a billion dollars, no way we settle for change."

"So what would we do instead?"

"Blackmail. Threaten to exploit him, social media is a bitch."

 AMANDA P.O.V

I couldn't tell if Lex was being serious or not. I cross my arms and observe him. He was beautiful, it made perfect sense why Maya was all at him with his strong jaw and perfect hair and lips and honey eyes. His minty cologne gave him an even more appealing presence. "Are you hungry, I'll get you something."

"I can pay for myself." 

This makes Lex huff. "So you don't trust me?"

"No, not really, what kid wants to blackmail and exploit their father?" 

He says nothing, sitting back in his chair, Lex eyes the surroundings. "I'll find another way then."

"I can't tell if you're serious or if you're joking." 

"Right, let me take this smile off my face maybe that'll help you out." His sarcasm stings.

"You're gonna chicken out so I'm gonna keep doing it my way."

"Ha, bitch you don't know a damn thing about me." 

The waiter, definitely a gay pride advocate, mouth drops at Lex's words. "Don't be mean, girl don't let him talk to you like that." His eyes widen. "And what can I get you?" His name tag reads Garret. I smile at him. 

"I'm afraid he has daddy issues so there isn't much I can do about his behavior. No thank you, Garrett, I was just leaving." I stand, taking a ten dollar bill from my wallet and handing it over. "Stay beautiful." I don't glance back at Lex, as I exit the restaurant. Okay, so...he wasn't in hitman mode, I was wrong, but something is really off. What kids wants their father in such a position? My mind repeated. He wouldnt go through with it, although his idea to rally up Mr. Pierce's past victims was intriguing. There was already the metoo movement all we would have to do is post.  I wait for a crossing light. How can I get the the names of the girls...fuck, I'm gonna need him. He has access to Mr. Pierce's office. The white walking symbol switches on from the traffic light. I flood onto a street with a sea of other people. Traffic runs heavy and the smell of gas and noise of horns and chatter distract my thoughts. 

Kristin was the first I saw when I entered our dorm. "Look it's a ghost!" 

"I've been calling you, why did you ditch school today?" Yasmine took on a motherly tone.

"Let me breathe." I groan, flopping onto my bed. Trying to organize my booming mind. Should I tell them? Should I keep it to myself? I hear them whispering. 

"She looks like she haven't slept.."

"Well ask her if she did or didn't, it's not rude." 

"Where's Maya?" I interrupt them.

Kristin bursts into laugher, I peer up from my bed. "She kinda hates you right now since her future hubby is more interested in you. If I told you how long she's been after him." 

"Hey, drop it, she really likes him." I sit up and look to Yasmine, agreeing with her sad tone. "Even after him rejecting her so much, she's hurt, don't make it into a joke."

Great, something else to deal with. "Where is she?" I look to where Maya used to sleep, I knew her sheet set wasn't wait, it was....yellow I think...honestly I didn't pay attention enough to recall it since I blocked out people for 3 months. Point being, she had moved out.

Saturday morning, I find myself driving to Maya's parents house. Even though Yasmine and Kristin reassured me that she'd had plenty of these temper tantrums and always came back, I still decided to confront her. She ignored my calls and texts. I really didn't want this stupid guy drama to fuck up an already rocky bond we kind of had. She was hurt and I'm not a bitch. A yellow brick house sat in the woods, medium sized, fresh, white,  shutters and windows, a steel white roof. Small but expensive. Landscapes like a magazine house from better homes. Of course she grew up pampered. 

Ringing the doorbell, I prepare myself for the cringe that followed. The door unlocked, an older man, about forty, stern and cold, Maya's dad I presumed. Huh, I expected something different, something more stable and inviting...maybe he is why she seek men so crazily. "Hello, I'm Amanda, Maya's roommate."

"One second." He shuts the door, I huff. Really?? What the fuck?! I hear an argument whispered beyond the door. Maya...she sounded as if she was protesting. Uh uh, I did not just uber $50 out here for her to not want to talk! I bang on the door. "Maya, I can hear you, come out and talk, okay?" The knob twists, then quickly goes stiff, as if it was being held from being moved. "I'm not leaving," I say, taking a seat on the steps, "so come on out." I watch the clouds cover the sun, closing my eyes, smelling rain. A wet concrete smell that I love. I think back to Lex, is his offer real? The door behind me opens. I turn and watch as Maya closes it and sits beside me. Yasmine was right, she did really like him. Her eyes were red, her complexion pale. 

"What do you want?" She says bitterly. 

"Maya, I'm not after Lex okay, I'm not into guys right now. If you answered my texts and calls I would have told you that."

Her eyes roll and then focus back on me. "You guys have chemistry I've been trying to achieve forever, instead I get a "payment" kind of response from guys. Like it's just business, which is just...." she looks off at the diming sky. "I'm not a prostitute, or a second choice type of girl, so why am I treated like one?" Tears fall from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks.

"Maya..." I wrap my arms around her, giving the tightest hug I could. "Like ninety percent of guys are shit, and honestly about the same percentage isn't even worth it, don't make it your fault. The guys you know treat you like that because they aren't men...their boys. So keep looking."

"You sound hella prejudice." She laughs wiping her eyes.

"I am, I'll tell you the reason some other time, but I meant what I said." I extend my pinky. 

Maya wraps her little finger around mine. "It's officially girl code now, don't break it."