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

that?*

out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

want to kill my father, but I

can't come

Except ...

I really mean

be off to

I will be, too.

if those places aren't anywhere near each

is done, can you grab

calls

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

already getting

"Be right back,"

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

and Mom is cutting and plating the garlic

“Mom?"

glances up, the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

don't know how to say this, but

has gotten the

Can we...

I don't know ...

never mention"—I nod toward

the knife down, the noise making a clank

you really think you're in a

her hands on

got off thin ice,

your phone

not breathing down your neck every time you leave

it, you hear

back, I don’t care where we

her a taste of her own

armrrrived, Ryan shouts from the front door, in a

floods through

standing,

“You're late,"

arm

she was

“Ryan!"

her

"He's lying!"

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

course, she doesn't get upset by

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as

about to raid your

he

"That good, huh?"

going to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna or set the kitchen sink on fire— something,

pulls out of

"I'm glad you didn't.

horrible liar and

and the next time you'd see

laughing

So does Sadie.

of tonight and all the

“What's so funny?"

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