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."

ready to

the verge of tears as we leave the

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

know all hell is about to break loose as Blake

A fucking scrunchie?

hear him say, “You dropped this after

hair and says, "Good game, thanks for

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

nostrils flare. Ryan grabs me before I can

should just head out

You could use it"

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

call out. She hesitates putting

gives me the finger

until Ryan again informs me that people are watching, then I blindly crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza place by his house. I don't remember him

everything, like you're a girl on a super dramatic reality show. Then, tell me why you look

and stare at my empty plate. "Other than,

whole tree thing called the

like that better

"Yes,"

him. "For the love of God,

me, again, it's

“I'm sure your mom feels the

constant second—hand embarrassment and horror, just so

nightmares of her face for

a sip 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

his credit, Ryan sits there and listens, though I can tell I'm stressing him out too

wishes each of

me a damn bottle at

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

He clears his throat.

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

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. The point is, I know my

going to be