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?"

the bowl

like that?*

weren't out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

to kill my

come fast

Except ...

really mean

be off to

I will be, too.

places aren't anywhere

done, can

mother calls from the

being put in the glasses and no

is already

"Be right back,"

tell Easton and I hurry into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before

mysteriously gone, and Mom is cutting and

“Mom?"

glances up, the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

this, but

gotten the

Can we...

I don't know ...

mention"—I nod toward

the knife down, the noise making a clank

think you're in a

hands

just got off thin

have your

breathing down your neck every time you leave

it, you

care where we end up, graduation needs to

her a taste of her own verbal

the front door, in a sing—song

suddenly floods through

look toward the entryway of the kitchen, where Easton is standing, he mouths, “Thank fucking God,’ telling me he feels the same

“You're late,"

the arm as he joins us in the

she was being

“Ryan!"

her face

"He's lying!"

Mom and she's smiling, hugging Ryan hello, not

doesn't get upset by

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't apply

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as she

he's about to raid your

surprised he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

an illness or drop the lasagna or set the

of our

"I'm glad you didn't.

a horrible liar and not exactly a

for life and the next time you'd see Easton,

laughing at the

So does Sadie.

of tonight and all the anxiousness I've been feeling makes me laugh even

“What's so funny?"