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?"

the bowl on the

like that?* He

out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

to kill my father, but I

can't come

Except ...

really mean

be off

I will be, too.

aren't anywhere

done, can you grab it

mother calls

stopped hearing the clink of ice being put in the glasses and

already

"Be right back,"

kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I reach into the

gone, and Mom is cutting and plating

“Mom?"

up, the knife still in her

“Mmm—hmm?"

know how to say this, but I

gotten the wrath from

Can we...

I don't know ...

promise to move on and never mention"—I nod toward the living room where the Christmas

down, the noise making a clank against the

really think you're in a

hands

got off thin ice,

your phone

your neck every

it, you hear

I don’t care where we end up, graduation needs to happen right

giving her a taste of her

shouts from the front door,

suddenly floods

where Easton is standing, he mouths, “Thank

“You're late,"

in the arm as he joins us in

Sadie, she

“Ryan!"

shouts, her face turning

"He's lying!"

she's smiling, hugging Ryan hello, not an ounce of anger on

course, she doesn't get upset by what

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't apply

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as she hugs

to raid your

he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

an illness

out of

"I'm glad you didn't.

and not exactly a

the next time you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor

start laughing

So does Sadie.

and all the

“What's so funny?"

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