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

on the verge of

his embrace and already I

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

"Good game, thanks for handing me

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

body as my nostrils flare. Ryan grabs me before I can run after Blake or

says quickly. "Look, maybe we should

You could use it"

I could, but I want to talk to Harper. The minute my eyes search for her

She

Instead, she looks away and clicks herself in while Sadie gives me the finger and burns out of the parking lot,

curse 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

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

my teeth and stare at my empty plate. "Other

tree thing

like that better

"Yes,"

God, can

me, again, it's my sister. If I could bleach my

your mom feels the

embarrassment and horror, just

of her face for

my Coke and lean back

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

listens, though I can tell I'm stressing him

he wishes each of the Cokes

a damn bottle at

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

He clears his throat.

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

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

going to be