You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Easton

From my classroom, I can hear Aisha’s voice in the hallway, the rotten snarkiness in her tone, the evil words she’s spewing. My teacher isn’t going to do anything to stop Aisha, she just continues lecturing, but I can’t ignore what I’m hearing because I know there’s only one person who can be taking those verbal punches.

My fucking girl.

I tell my teacher I’m going to the bathroom and haul ass into the hallway. I make it just in time to see Aisha yanking on Harper’s hair.

That fucking bitch. She’s pushed every goddamn button of mine … and I have no patience left.

I’m seeing red by the time I growl my second warning at her, “Did you fucking hear me, Aisha? Let her go right now.” When she stops tugging on her hair but doesn’t let Harper go, I tear Aisha’s hand away, freeing Harper, and pull her into my arms. “Are you all right?” I ask her.

It takes her a second to respond, “Yes.”

The hatred pulsing through my body makes my jaws tighten. “Don’t ever touch my girl again.”

“Your .* girl?” Aisha stammers.

“Yes. My fucking girl.”

“That’s what she is to you now? But what was the other night? When you were in my room, between my,”

“Harper and I are together now.” While I hold Harper against my chest, I glare at Aisha, disgusted by the innocent look on her face. “You need to accept that and stop all this bullshit.” My arm lowers, wrapping around Harper’s curvy waist. “If you have a problem, you take it up with me, not Harper. Do you understand me?”

“But Easton-”

“The only thing I want to hear from you is yes.”

I don’t wait for her to say it, since I know she’s not going to, and I turn Harper around and lead us in the opposite direction, holding her tightly to my side. “Do you want to get out of here?” I ask when we’re halfway down the hall.

“Here?” There’s emotion in her voice. “You mean school? But we still have a few periods to go.”

“I’ll get us excused.”

“How?”

going to have to trust

She nods. “Okay.”

wall right outside the door. “I’ll be right back, don’t move.” I walk inside, stopping

heats up as she approaches. “What can I do for

pulling out a fifty that I slip under her fingers. “I need to

on a few seconds longer than she needs to, pulling away to put

“Yes.”

notebook that sits next to the phone. “Looks like your mom called a few

she felt guilty that I was a student and it

once had paid

ask.

phone call from her any

my arm finding its place around her shoulders. “Let’s go to your locker,

going to get in

is adorable. “No, not even a

her books

“Do what?”

heads through the doorway,

breeze of freedom flies over my face.

earning us a minute of detention, you

as I get a taste of her tongue. The grind of her hips against me is what finally makes me tear my lips away. “I’m

moans against

get to my

and opens the door, climbing inside, showing me how ready she is. I hurry to the other side and

to ask you

on her upper thigh, noticing the change in her