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 chop

miserable, I'm still on the verge of tears as we

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

lot, heading toward Sadie's car, and I know all hell is about to break loose as Blake follows behind her and

A fucking scrunchie?

hear him say, “You

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

at me and smiles. "Maybe winning first

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

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

You could use it"

Harper. The minute my eyes search for her again, she's already hopping into Sadie's

out. She hesitates putting

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

that people are watching, then I blindly crawl into my

don't even remember eating 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.

stare at my empty plate. "Other

thing called

that

"Yes,"

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

up his hands in surrender. "Fine by me, again, it's my sister. If I could bleach my brain

“I'm sure your mom feels the same

shudders. "I have constant second—hand embarrassment and horror, just

nightmares of

Coke and lean back in the

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 because he's had five Cokes

of the

bottle at this

“I think you quys 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

He clears his throat.

right now and seeing that on

this need to stick together like they do when one has to pee and seventeen of them get

going to be