Contradiction, Easy Ash [year 2 reading books TXT] 📗

mansion. I watch her jet off to the swings, with energy brighter than the sun. Amanda and I stood side by side, watching the surroundings closely. It seemed legit, parents and kids, no suspicious looking cars. "So are you gonna explain why your living like that?"

 

I knew this was coming. "I'll tell you after this is done. So our family has a safe house out by Alki Beach, we'll go there and make the call to Bill."

 

She shook her head. "We need more than four girls, we shouldn't blackmail unless we have more."

 

"Look, we should take what we can get. I can bluff and say all twenty two victims are behind us." 

 

"Alright, you can call." She said as if I needed her permission, but I control myself from an outburst, Amanda was off, something was wrong. I know I didn't know her well, but she wasn't as quick tongued and hard. I watch her, her arms crossed and red hair flowing in the wind. 

 

"That's was too easy, is something wrong?" 

 

 

"No." She says stubbornly. "So why do your dad treat you like this?" 

 

I huff. "Trade for a trade?"

 

Amanda thinks on it, her lip puckering a bit. She looks to me, her eyes unreadable unlike before. "Deal."

 

In the distance, Lizzie waves at us, before sliding down a blue slide. "My father is distant and cruel, I guess he never wanted a family he left on business trips and broke his vows to my mother which lead her to drinking and drugs, then..." I feel tears filling up my sight, I fight them from trembling my voice . "Then to her killing herself." Amanda's eye widen. "It's like like he liked be before any of that, I challenged him too much and said things to him that my mom yelled while she was drunk. He doesn't even care about much about Lizzie. He leaves alcohol, pills and even left a gun within her reach. Almost like it's on purpose. That's why I'm taking her with us." My chest tightens. Well, I'm it the only one that knows now. It does bother me, however, how easily I was able to tell her.

 

She grabs my hand and squeezes it, coming closer and laying her head on my shoulder. Surprising the fuck out of me. "I know how it feels to lose a parents, I lost both of mine in a boating accident. I'm sorry."

 

"I'm sorry too," my voice wavers a bit with pity and glum. "Thank you for telling me th..."

 

"But that's now fully the reason why I'm...sad today." She cuts me off. "See...um, my friend Jim is mad at me for not filling him in on what I'm doing about Bill. I've been keeping him out of the loop mostly because, I guess because I don't want him involved if it doesn't work out...he'll do something violent. Like you...ugh, all guys are the same."

 

"What makes you say that...?"

 

"Past experiences."

 

Lizzie runs over to us, Amanda pulls away from me suddenly. Why, no come back.  I liked how she felt, her soft palm, her cushion cheek in my shoulder, radiating heat onto my shirt, along with a few tears. She wipes her eyes. "I want ice cream now.!" A chipmunk voice demands,while pointing at an ice cream truck blaring bubbly chimes. Lizzie takes both our hands, and walk us down towards the colorful vehicle. I see Amanda's eye glitter as they look down at my sister, some warmth and excitement coming back to her. She likes kids.

 

"My favorite was always the sponge-bob one, what about you?"

 

"Strawberry shortcake." She beams up at her, swinging Amanda's hand high and fast. 

 

"Same." I agree with Lizzie.

TWENTY FIVE: Yellow Sunshine

 AMANDA P.O.V

 

Heading back to Lex's car, I realize that there was some familiar about today. You know that deja vu feeling but you one hundred percent sure it never happened? I'd had this feeling since I saw her open the door. Or maybe I'm making myself have the feeling since I recently thought back to my abortion. Yeah, that's the reason...nothing else. In the car ride down towards Alki Beach, I search the clouds while Lizzie sings along with You're Welcome from Moana. I let the window down and close my eyes. Pondering over why I felt so mad at myself all of a sudden. Why did I tell him about my parents and about Jim? Why was I that stupid? 

 

Because girls like to comfort, to nurture...my mind answers. 

 

I lost track of the time I had my eyes closed, the minuets slipped away as if I went to sleep. I'm guessing I blocked out the music as well. "We're here." I hear Lex say, his window let's down, then I hear a beep. he uses the passcode card.

 

When my eyes open, my mouth drops at huge, cabin like beach house up ahead. Decorated with many windows, tall and reflecting the sun. Trees lined behind it, logs and pebbles before it. Oh my god. Inside, I gawk at walls of oak white paneling and dark wood floors. Spacious, jumbo rooms and furniture. Lizzie takes my hand in hers. Again, familiarity. 

 

"I'll throw in a pizza." Lex locks the door.

 

LEX P.O.V 

 

 To the kitchen I go, sliding a pizza into a squeaky clean oven and setting it at 450 degrees. Then I step outside. The last time I was here was with my mom before she....did what she did. I didn't wan5 to come back, but then I couldn't have my little princess in a crummy one room for rent. She need a better environment than that. In the back ground, trees line in a row, and a huge lake sits in the center of grass as green as ever. I take out my phone and dail a number, the number to Struve Treat.

 

"Strive Treat, how can I help you today?"A guy answered. Ha...it's took late to change to make receptionists.

 

"I'd like to speak with Mr. Pierce."

 

"And who is calling?"

 

I think fast. "His lawyer, Mr. Robertson." This was his actual lawyer, the guy that stripped me of having any rights to money or to the company."

 

"One moment." 

 

Fast jazz music plays, for a bit before the link taps. "Hello, Robert, how are ya?"

 

"I have Lizzie, if you try to come for her I'll leak the documents of the twenty two girls you sexual harassed, if you try to scare any of them, just think about how guilty that'll make you look in court."

 

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER, YOU FUCKING DISGRACE. I HAVE THE BEST LAWYERS AND MEN WHO WILL END YOU FOR GOOD, TRY DOING ANYTHING AND I WILL SEND OUT THAT HIT I PROMISED YOU. DON'T FUCKING THREATEN ME, BOY!!!!"

 

I hang up, inhaling long and deep. 

 

AMANDA P.O.V

 

Like a kid on Christmas, I explore rooms with Lizzie. "And that the rock climbing room, but I can't go there Lexie says no."

 

"He's right."

 

"Oh, and this a fancy bathroom." 

 

I peak into a spa, white and pink patchy walls, a jacuzzi tub, two saunas on separate sides, back messengers, glass cabinets stacked with hygienic items. Pink robes and tiles. "Wow." 

 

"And this is the movie theater!" 

 

We weren't even through one percent of the house yet, how many rooms are here?? "What Movie should we look at?" I give her a funny, devious grin. "Something scary?" 

 

"Monster House! She jumps up and down. 

 

Inside the red and black theater, I take a seat and watch as Lizzie selected a movie from a playlist and hops beside me, lifting up the arm rest to cuddle me. She's so sweet and cute and so drawn to me. The smell of her skin is sweet, strawberry from the ice cream she had. As the movie plays, I wonder where Lex is. Where did he go? I'm half tempted to go see but then I like the position I'm in right now. About thirty minutes into a movie that was my childhood, every Halloween I watched it, I noticed Lizzie fell asleep. Aww, that's from all the fun she had. 

 

Footsteps from behind me, makes me turn my head. Lex with two plates and pizza and chips. "Only two plates."

 

"I knew she'd drop like a fly." He handed me a plate and sat two seats away from me. Odd...with how intimate we were before. Maybe he thought it was stupid too. Maybe he regretted it too. I snack on the pizza, eating a lot more lady like n front of him. He wasn't Jim, I could eat like a pig in front of Jim. Just then, my phone vibrated. I could sense urgency in the energy of Lex's body from the corner of my eye, alertness, his shoulders tensing. What the? I wiggled my phone from my pocket. Jim.

TWENTY SIX: Zaffre

 Lex sat his plate down and grabbed Lizzie, crossing her little body over his arms, while clicking a button to power off the movie projector. "I'll give you some privacy."

 

"Thanks."

 

I count the seconds until he leave, playing it cool as if I wasn't eager. "Jim."

 

"I got your voicemail, explain what's happening?" I tell him about the confusion with Lex being after me, about him helping out by taking files from his father's office, about exposing Mr. Pierce. I leave out Lizzie and that I'm with both of them. He'd get mad a that. 

 

"Oh." 

 

"I wanted to involve you but your temper would have got in the way. Like in the parking lot."

 

"I can control myself." 

 

"Says the guy who stormed off like a bitch." I joke. 

 

"That was about you spending time with him, I don't like that." I felt an argument fueling his voice.

 

"Well you need to drop that feeling, talking to him is helping the situation more than the police are." I say defensively.

 

"I could have done the same thing I have access to Mr. Pierce's office as well."

 

"Please stop comparing dicks right now, Alright, I didn't want you involved!"

 

He chuckles harshly. "Well sorry."

 

"Can we just drop this and move on?"

 

"Right, just move on...cus it's that simple...Amanda I want to support you and look after you more than anything, but you won't let me. Why? But you'll him help you cus he has money, and all girl care about is getting a guy with money!" He growls.

 

"It's not like that, you know I'm not a gold digger, you've know me long enough to pick that up."

 

"I can say the same to you...you known me long enough to realize that I love you."

 

I freeze, my cheeks flushing, my body shaking. "I know you do and I've have hell of hints that I don't want that with you. Haven't I.??"

 

"Oh but you want him, a guy