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."

appears ready to

I'm still on the verge of tears

but she jerks out of his embrace and already I feel guilty because I know she's taking sides and

all hell is about to break loose as Blake follows

A fucking scrunchie?

hear him say, “You dropped this

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

at me and smiles. "Maybe winning first isn't where it's at

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

we should just

You could use it"

my eyes search for her again, she's already hopping into Sadie's car and putting

out. She

herself in while Sadie gives me the finger and burns out of

crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza place by his

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

grit my teeth and stare at my empty plate. "Other than, you know...the

whole tree thing

that better

"Yes,"

love of God, can we not talk about it

again, it's my sister. If

“I'm sure your mom feels

embarrassment and horror, just so

have nightmares of her

of my Coke and lean

it hurt that Harper didn't tell their parents she had a fucking boyfriend who also happens to be her brother's best

rage about the chaos that is Leigh. And to his credit, Ryan sits there and listens, though I can tell I'm stressing

sure he wishes each of the Cokes had rum

a damn bottle at this point.

need 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 and Dad were not easy on her after...the

He clears his throat.

can't even communicate with you right now and seeing that on your screen couldn't have been easy

together like they do when one has to pee and seventeen of them get up

going to