You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 124

Easton

I'm a fucking mess through last period and can't even fucking text Harper to apologize or discuss the whole thing with her mom.

The sick feeling I get in my chest when I think about her not claiming me and of course on top of that the picture.

Fuckkkk, the damn picture. I see Sadie the minute I get out of class and think, oh good, someone I can convince to be on my side, when she smacks me on the ass with her backpack.

"The hell, Sadie!”

“How could you hurt her like that! I thought you trusted her! She was bawling."

Her own eyes tear up. "Really, Easton?

I mean, fucking, really?"

"Keep your voice down."

I grab her by the elbow and bring her toward my locker when Ryan walks up. "Is there a reason you're hitting him?"

"Yes,"

she seethes and looks around us. "He has a picture of Leigh on his phone with her tits just dangling out there and Harper saw it and it was the same day...it was..."

She shakes her head. "That same fucking day you guys decided to get serious, you lied, Easton. AGAIN!”

"Keep your voice down!"

Ryan repeats and shares a look with me. "Sadie, you don't know the whole story.”

Her eyes widen. "You knew?"

"Shit."

Ryan lowers his head. "Look, can we do this in the parking lot at least?

People are starting to stare."

to

still on the verge of tears as we leave

embrace and

all hell is about to break loose as Blake follows behind her

A fucking scrunchie?

“You

at her, tuffles her hair and says, "Good game, thanks for handing me my ass. It was actually more fun

and smiles. "Maybe winning first

nostrils flare. Ryan grabs me before I can run after Blake or just hop into my car, start the engine,

should just head

You could use it"

want to talk to Harper. The minute my eyes search for

She hesitates putting it

get out. Instead, she looks away and clicks herself in while Sadie gives me the finger and burns out of the parking lot, like she's getting chased by the devil after stealing his

then I blindly crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza

his knuckles and says, "Tell me everything, like you're a girl on a super dramatic reality show. Then, tell me why you look so equally pissed and

at my empty plate. "Other than,

thing called the incident

that

"Yes,"

"For the love of God, can we not talk about it

hands in surrender. "Fine by me, again, it's my sister. If

“I'm sure your mom feels

constant second—hand embarrassment

of her face

take a sip of my Coke and lean back in the chair, explaining how

as I explain how much it hurt that Harper didn't tell their parents she had a fucking boyfriend

chaos that is Leigh. And to his credit, Ryan sits there and listens,

he wishes each of the

a damn bottle

to sit down and talk. I know why you kept it and I still support it, the picture that is, but she's so stressed out, man. Mom

He clears his throat.

that, she doesn't have her phone, she can't even communicate with you right now and seeing that on your screen couldn't

Sadie isn't being helpful either because girls have this need to stick together like they do when one has to pee and seventeen of them get up and go.

to