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 on the

like that?* He

weren't out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

want to kill my

come

Except ...

I really

will be

I will be, too.

if those places aren't anywhere near each

done, can you grab it from the

mother calls from the

like she stopped hearing the clink of ice being put in the glasses and no longer wants us alone

is already

"Be right back,"

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

and Mom is cutting

“Mom?"

the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

to say this, but I need to

the wrath from

Can we...

I don't know ...

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

knife down, the noise

think you're

puts her hands on

off thin

have your phone

your neck

push it, you

we end up, graduation needs to happen

giving her a

armrrrived, Ryan shouts from the front door, in

floods

standing, he mouths, “Thank fucking God,’ telling me he

“You're late,"

my brother in the arm

Sadie, she

“Ryan!"

her face

"He's lying!"

Ryan hello, not an ounce of anger on

course, she doesn't get upset by

He's a son.

shenanigans don't apply

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as she

like he's about to raid your

he

"That good, huh?"

show up soon, I was going to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna or set the kitchen

pulls out of our hug,

"I'm glad you didn't.

a horrible liar and not exactly

life and the next time you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in some old— ass assisted living

laughing

So does Sadie.

tonight and all the anxiousness I've been feeling

“What's so funny?"