You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 113

Harper

Easton: Good morning, beautiful. I smile as I read the text from my boyfriend, hating how sore my throat is. Swallowing hard, I close my eyes, my head spinning. Oh no. I think I might be sick. My phone buzzes again. Easton: Miss you. Easton: Can't wait to see you at school. Me: I don’t know if I'm coming. Easton: What do you mean? Me: I don't feel so good. My phone rings in my hand and I immediately answer it. “What's wrong? '

he asks, sounding concerned. “My throat. '

I swallow again, and it hurts so bad I never want to swallow again. “It’s killing me. I think I'm coming down with something. '

“Maybe you should stay home. '

“We missed school yesterday. I can’t stay home. '

“Listen Brainiac, you'll be fine if you miss another day. It’s not like you're going to fail all your classes. '

He’s teasing me and I know he’s probably right but... I hate missing school. And now I have an extra reason to worry about not being there. Aisha trailing after my boyfriend everywhere he goes. If she knows I’m not at school, she'll be all over him. “I'm going, '

I say firmly as I sit up in bed. Only to immediately lay back down, my head swimming. “Or maybe not, '

I say weakly. “What happened? '

“('m kind of dizzy. '

I close my eyes and exhale loudly. “My body aches. '

“You're sick. Stay home, baby. You need rest. '

His voice is soft and soothing and I know he’s right. There’s a knock on my door and then it opens, my mother peeking her head around it. “You should be up already, Harper. It’s late. '

“I need to go, '

tell Easton. “Talk

babe.

out if she heard me say that. She doesn’t even know Easton and I are a thing. “I'm not feeling well. I have a

room, her hands going to her hips.

under my chin. “My whole body

of her hand going to my forehead. “You

I have

Harper, I really think you're doing too much lately. Always running around with your friends, and you're never home,

probably shouldn't have gone to the

she lumps Easton with Ryan, as if he's not involved in my life that much. And in her eyes, that’s the case.

rest and doing

make a doctor’s appointment for this afternoon and we'll see what he

“Okay. '

heavy my lids feel all of a sudden. “You're going to take it easy

“Fine. '

and close my eyes. “And you're staying home

Mom continues. “Whatever, '

trying to tell me what to do. Not that I want to go anywhere right now. I feel terrible. It’s like my throat is full of razor blades and it’s absolute torture to swallow.

in my bedroom. “He seems fine. Didn’t complain about feeling bad,

him

want him to

“Of course. '

him know. And I’ m going to call your doctor's office and see if we can

“Thanks Mom. '

off to sleep when I hear my brother stomp into my room.

find him watching me, concern filling his

takes a couple of steps back. “Don’t want it.