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

verge

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

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

A fucking scrunchie?

him say, “You dropped

game, thanks for handing me

at me and smiles. "Maybe winning first isn't

as my nostrils flare. Ryan grabs me before I can run after Blake or just hop into my car,

"Look, maybe we should just head out

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

out. She hesitates putting

for 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 chased by

crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza place

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

stare at my empty plate. "Other than,

thing called

like that better

"Yes,"

of God, can we not talk about it

again,

your mom feels the

shudders. "I have constant second—hand embarrassment

of her face for

of my Coke and lean back in

tell their parents she had a fucking boyfriend who also happens to be

I 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 he's had five

sure he wishes each of the

me a damn bottle at this

why you kept it and I still support it, the picture that

He clears his throat.

she can't even communicate with you right now and seeing that

Sadie isn't being helpful either because girls have this need to stick together like they do when

to