You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

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?"

place the bowl

like that?*

weren't out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

kill my

can't come

Except ...

I really

will be

I will be, too.

if those places aren't anywhere

can you grab it from

mother calls from the

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

already

"Be right back,"

I hurry into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I

Mom is cutting and plating the garlic

“Mom?"

up, the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

know how to say this, but I need to say

the wrath from

Can we...

I don't know ...

promise to move on and never mention"—I nod toward

knife down, the noise making a clank against

you're

hands

off thin ice, young

have your

your neck every

it, you

that back, I don’t care where we end up, graduation

a taste of

the front door,

floods through

where Easton is standing, he mouths, “Thank fucking God,’ telling me he feels

“You're late,"

arm as he

she was

“Ryan!"

her face turning

"He's lying!"

look toward Mom and she's smiling, hugging Ryan hello, not an ounce of anger

she doesn't get

He's a son.

shenanigans don't apply

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as she

like he's about to

surprised he

"That good, huh?"

you didn't show up soon, I was going to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna or set the kitchen sink on fire— something,

pulls out of our

"I'm glad you didn't.

liar and not exactly a

you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in

start laughing

So does Sadie.

whole build—up of tonight and all the anxiousness I've been feeling makes me

“What's so funny?"