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?"

bowl

like that?* He

out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

want to kill my father,

can't come

Except ...

I really

be off to

I will be, too.

aren't anywhere near

is done, can you grab it from the

calls from

the clink of ice being put

already

"Be right back,"

the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before

is mysteriously gone, and Mom is cutting and plating the garlic

“Mom?"

glances up, the knife still in her

“Mmm—hmm?"

don't know how to say this, but

gotten the wrath

Can we...

I don't know ...

toward

the knife down, the noise

think you're

puts her hands

off

have your

breathing down your neck every time you

push it, you

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

answer, giving her a taste

Ryan shouts from the front door, in

suddenly floods through

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

“You're late,"

my brother in the arm as he joins us in the

Sadie, she was

“Ryan!"

her

"He's lying!"

Ryan hello, not an ounce

get upset by what

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't apply to

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as

about to raid your parents’

surprised he

"That good, huh?"

didn't show up soon, I was going to have to fake an illness or drop the

pulls out of our hug,

"I'm glad you didn't.

and

next time you'd see Easton, you'd

laughing at the

So does Sadie.

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

“What's so funny?"