You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 134

Chapter 134
Harper
Easton and Dad return from the patio and Easton looks like he's seen a ghost.

Or an entire colony or paranormal creatures.

He's pale and sweaty and I feel terrible for him.

I can't believe Dad hauled him outside.

Well, I can, but I can't imagine what he said to him.

Part of me wants to ask Easton when we get a minute alone, and part of me would rather never know to save myself the embarrassment.

“Are you all right?"

I whisper the moment he's at my side.

"No."

He wipes his forehead.

"I'll never recover from that conversation.

Ever."

I glance at my dad who's now standing next to my mom as she adds dressing to the salad.

The two of them smiling at each other, like they just checked the final item off their list.

"Was it that bad?"

“Let's put it this way ..."

He glances toward the oven.

“If there are buns in there, baking, don't serve me one."

He adjusts his shirt and I see the sweat marks under his arms.

"In fact, I don't know if I'll ever eat another bun again."

Oh God.

It was THAT bad.

"I'm going to go add ice to the water glasses,"

I declare, and quickly fill a large bowl with cubes and carry it into the dining room, Easton on my heels.

When I get us out of ear range, I say softly, "What did he say to you?"

He holds onto the back of a chair.

"Oh, he covered it all—birth control, pregnancy, not being allowed in your room or touching you under his roof, you going to college, dropping out of college because of me."

He pauses.

"I think I've covered most of it."

"I think I'm going to be sick."

He shakes his head.

"That makes two of us."

I drop the ice into the glasses and move over to him.

He immediately takes a step back.

And then another.

“Easton?"

"I don't want him to think anything is happening in here."

"Seriously?"

bowl on

that?* He

weren't out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

my

come

Except ...

I really

be

I will be, too.

aren't anywhere near

can you grab it from the

calls

she stopped hearing the clink of ice being put in the glasses and no longer

is already getting

"Be right back,"

hurry into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I reach into

is cutting and plating the

“Mom?"

knife still in

“Mmm—hmm?"

to say this, but I need

the

Can we...

I don't know ...

move on and never mention"—I nod toward the living room

noise making a clank against the

think you're in a position

hands on her

off thin

your phone

not breathing down your neck every time you leave this

push it,

don’t care where we end up, graduation

a

armrrrived, Ryan shouts from the front door, in a

floods through

the kitchen, where Easton is standing, he mouths, “Thank fucking

“You're late,"

brother in the arm as he joins us in

she was being

“Ryan!"

her face turning

"He's lying!"

toward Mom and she's smiling, hugging Ryan

get upset

He's a son.

shenanigans don't apply to

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as

he's about to raid your parents’

surprised he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

going to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna

of

"I'm glad you didn't.

and not exactly a professional

time you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in some old— ass assisted

start laughing

So does Sadie.

the anxiousness

“What's so funny?"

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