You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 15

Harper

“I hate him! No, I loathe him. No, that’s not right either. I want to rip his spleen from his body and run it over with his precious car and then, then, I’m going to…” I scream into my pillow for the tenth time while a hungover Sadie pats me on the knee.

We’ve been sitting in my room on our phones, watching Netflix all day and I’m still pissed off.

I’m hurt.

I’m ready to start a war.

And I can’t even tell anyone why it bothers me so much. I mean, I could confide in Sadie but something about those stolen moments with Easton feel precious-like they’re mine-even though he’s so mean to me should get a medal for not killing him.

Why is he so horrible to me?

“I mean, what have I ever done to make him so angry?” I throw my hands up. “So what, I’m Ryan’s twin, is that a crime? I’m not at popular so that makes me not worthy of his attention? I don’t get it, Sadie. It’s one thing to ignore someone completely, but now it’s

like he’s going out of his way to be mean!”

“Huh?” Sadie jerks awake and I glare at her. “I’m so sorry. It’s just, you’ve been talking about this off and on for the last three hours and I got sleepy.”

“Help me fix this,” I say. “Please.”

“Well,” she yawns behind her hand, “you could try making him

jealous.”

“Oh yeah, great idea Sadie, let me just stroll up to school in my brand new car with my model boyfriend and perfect designer body and make the most popular boy in school jealous. Where do I sign

up?”

She falls back against my bed sighing

I join her and stare up at the ceiling. “It’s hopeless.”

“It’s never hopeless, let’s just think about this from his point of view.. he started being mean after the bikini issue, right?”

I should tell her.

But would it matter? And how would that conversation even go?

Guess what, he actually does want me, but only in the dark. Gee, maybe we can be secret boyfriend/girlfriend?

Great start, Harper. Perfect.

dead ends. “He seemed to react when Ryan got mad-like he was mad too, but he was probably

time, our cheeks pressed against the pillows. Her brown eyes are super blood shot, her face splotchy. “What harm would it do to,

or a skirt, add some

locked in my room forever while Ryan tells my parents?” I

you stay at my house Sunday night.

a complete falsehood! You don’t even have a

was Frank.” She

should have been

tosses her

right?”

to see right through it, but I’m shocked when she not only says yes, but asks

if I should be proud of Sadie

a lot of arguing on my end when Sadie shows me

after she applies some

least that’s what it feels

My only mission?

Gauge Easton’s reaction.

every single time my brain comes up with about a dozen scenarios, all

we’re at school and getting

but Sadie has

to leave

teeth.

doing this,” I repeat in a weak voice that lacks any sort

was easy in the

Aren’t most things?

I could be anyone ! wanted to be, anyone but boring, smart,

new version of myself, a self

once he saw

walk through

the weirdest

Literally nobody stares.

like the movies where the makeover happens and everyone starts to clap or people part and let you walk down the middle of the hall as they silently appreciate your efforts. Nope, everything is exactly the same, which in my opinion is kind of

it brought too much attention.

Sadie went easy on the makeup, only adding a bit of powder, gloss, mascara, and eye liner,

I mean, sort of.

way

to grab the nearest freshman and pry the sweatshirt from their scrawny

so good.” Sadie winks as we make our