You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 126

Easton

Her tears are killing me.

I can't reach through the screen and love her.

I can't hold her hand. It feels like I'm suffocating, falling deeper and deeper with each tear that streams down her cheek.

My hands shake. I hate it.

Because I know that I'm part of the problem and that I'm still pissed over not being claimed and I know it goes back to my own parents being kind of absent.

Harper has made me feel like I'm everything.

She doesn't realize the jealousy I had over how much her parents treated Ryan like an adult, how many times I had to come to their shitty suburbia house and watch them laugh with them both and do movie nights when mine were too busy making all the money to even contemplate doing a Netflix night with pizza and it's super super fucking shitty when you feel that way, but know if you express it the damn’s going to fucking shit all over the place.

All things considering I was rich, what did I have to worry about, right?

Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, and I know they love me, but we're rich and sometimes when you're rich, you tend to take a backseat to stock options and making more money that you can't take with you when you die.

I stop being a pussy just watching my girlfriend cry and wait for her to finally draw in a few deep breaths as she takes a swig from her water bottle. "Easton, She hiccups.

My hands shake with the need to touch the screen as if I can feel her warmth and dry her tears.

“That was...a lot. I don't even know what to say because things feel so messed up lately, you know?

It's like were fine, better than fine and then crazy things happen."

I wipe my hands down my face. "You mean Aisha?

Blake?

Spraypaint?

College pressure?"

She sniffles and smiles. “Yeah to name just a few."

"L wish I could take it all away, take all the bad back, you know I do."

Fuck it, I touch the screen with my fingertips like a total simp and nearly shout with joy when her fingertips meet mine pressing against her own screen. “Well,”

She drops her hand. I drop mine. "At least I beat Blake's ass at badminton today. Don't be jealous that you werent there.

up

choke out a laugh.

“Shuttlecocksucker.”

dry now. "Do you think

shop next to the

over to her house and facing the wrath of her parents but I simply

whispered. "Would love it. I

“lL need you too.”

"Harper!"

mom's voice filters through the room.

“That's my cue.”

by her mom. "I love

still sad but

Then the video disappears.

I can't sleep worth shit thinking about meeting her, holding her, talking to her, and making her

doing push ups in my bedroom to calm my anxiety. I get ready so fast, I think I scare my mom when I run downstairs and out the door, if the spilled coffee on the counter is any

minute my Jeep pulls up. She looks fucking gorgeous in her jeans

the Christmas tree,

I fucking scream that in

and then approach. Tears fill her

can't help it, I pull her into my arms and squeeze her tight, relishing the smell of her against me. Today, she smells

“Sorry,”

I whisper. "Me too.”

sniffles. "Now, before I force you to buy me coffee"—I smile, she smiles back—“tell me

is it going

it iced but with extra cream so it gets in that perfect hair of yours and looks like you jerked off and missed

“Violent.”

and probably another visual that will never leave my headspace or at least take a lot of time

face. "When you put it that

you just ruined your

shrugs. "I'd

“Fuck.”

head. “Please do not make me go into that coffee shop with a boner. I'll

sudden fantasy of throwing her across one

my throat. She looks

"Sorry..."

“Your fault.”

her hand. "Time for the

in there, the whole reason behind the picture, why I took it, why it was necessary, and

tell your

She squeezes my hand.