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 chop

so miserable, I'm still on the verge of tears

his embrace and already I feel guilty

appears in the parking lot, heading toward Sadie's car, and I know all hell is about

A fucking scrunchie?

hear him say, “You

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

me and smiles. "Maybe

can run after Blake or just hop into my car, start the engine, and run him

says quickly. "Look, maybe we should just head out and

You could use it"

could, but I want to talk to Harper. The minute my eyes search for her again, she's already hopping into

She hesitates putting it

her to 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

people are watching, then I blindly crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza place by his house. I

of pizza before he cracks his knuckles and says, "Tell me everything, like you're a

at my empty plate. "Other

tree thing

that

"Yes,"

interrupt him. "For the love of God,

lifts up his hands in surrender. "Fine by me, again, it's

“I'm sure your mom feels the same

"I have constant second—hand embarrassment and horror, just so you

nightmares of her

of my Coke and lean

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

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

each of the Cokes had rum

a damn bottle at this

I still support it, the picture that is, but she's so stressed out, man. Mom and Dad were

He clears his throat.

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

because girls have this need to stick together like they do when one has

to