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

verge of tears as we

and already I feel guilty because I know she's taking

and I know all hell is about to break loose as Blake

A fucking scrunchie?

say, “You dropped this

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

looks over at me and smiles. "Maybe

flare. Ryan grabs me before I can run after Blake or just hop into

"Look, maybe we should just

You could use it"

my eyes search

out. She

away and clicks herself in while Sadie gives me the finger and burns out of the parking lot, like she's getting chased

again informs me that people are watching, then I blindly crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza place

my first slice of pizza before he cracks 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

at my empty plate. "Other than, you know...the

the whole tree thing called the

like that

"Yes,"

love of God, can

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

“I'm sure your mom feels the

second—hand embarrassment and horror, just

have nightmares of

of my Coke and lean back in

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

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

he wishes each of the

damn bottle

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.

right

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

to be