You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Harper

Easton is pale.

Normally his skin is a healthy tan, his good looks are so ridiculously hot that I want to strangle him then kiss him right afterward.

I'm next to my locker when he walks up, hands shoved into his jeans, posture stiff.

"Sup?"

I snort out a laugh.

"Did you just bro talk me?"

“Huh?"

He scratches his head, completely distracted.

I mimic his movements, then give him a slight shove.

"Yeah okay, bruh, what you wanna do later, dude, wanna hit the pavement, go for a smoke, shoot some hoops and—"

"-Are you high?"

He leans in, and the smell of his cologne has me dizzy with want.

"And why wouldn't you share?"

Flirtatious Easton is back.

The one I'm obsessed with.

The one I need more than anything, despite how frustrated I get with him on a daily basis.

He's mine.

All mine.

I just wish all this bullshit would go away so we could have more time to figure out what we are, how we work, and what this means before graduation.

Ugh.

"Not high."

I wrap my arms around his waist.

"You just seem distant..."

We have at least half the day left before we can go home-—before I can go home with him, even if that means I'm just going to be in the backseat of his super sexy Jeep.

"Yeah okay boomer,"

he jokes.

"I'm fine, I promise."

Our foreheads touch and I forget all about the worries I have as people whistle and pass us as they walk down the hallway.

"I just had a moment.

shit is getting really

around like he’s paranoid about something when what looks like a police officer

in black pants, and a tightly tucked in blue shirt with a badge, okay so yeah totally a police officer—attached

us, her sneer so

doesn't so much as flinch as he

"Have a great day."

Her eyes narrow.

"Girlfriend?"

"Yes,"

and

"My name's Harper."

"How..."

on

"Lovely for you..."

crisis stomps past us like it's the time of the month and the

the hell

I say out loud.

tense but manages a

Botox isn't working? Fillers don't do shit? Hates her job? A

spins me toward

"What if we skip?"

"Skip what?"

I frown.

"Life?"

He jokes.

life, but what if we skip the rest of school, run back to our houses, pack, and go to my parents’ cabin

so many epic things

on the lake and only the most

when Ryan would go because duh,

wants me to go? “Just

I ask.

“Over my dead body."

appears, scaring the shit out

his side, her

weirdly fast if they're showing that much

sounded like

cringe and look

you out.” Easton bumps fists

in? Should

Ryan snorts.

are you going to get to write you

stops talking and

it might be hard

bother him as much as they do me as he looks down the hall and

for the next few hours, then leave? We can make

do it.”

some

at Sadie

I make a face.

of you.” Ryan rolls

EARPLUGS and I wink at her and suddenly she's

Sadie jokes.