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 chop

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

Ryan walk ahead of me, but she jerks out of his embrace and already I feel guilty because I know

I know all hell

A fucking scrunchie?

hear him say, “You dropped

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

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

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

quickly. "Look, maybe we should just head

You could use it"

search

out. She hesitates putting

Instead, she looks away and clicks herself in while Sadie gives me the finger

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

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. Then, tell me

grit my teeth and stare at my empty plate. "Other than, you

tree thing called

like that

"Yes,"

the love of God, can we not talk

in surrender. "Fine by me, again,

“I'm sure your mom feels the

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

have nightmares of her face

my Coke and lean back in the

that Harper didn't tell their parents she had a fucking boyfriend who also happens to be her brother's

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

of the Cokes had rum in

a damn bottle

quys need to sit down and talk. I know 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

girls have this need to stick together like they do when

going to be