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?*

out

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

my father,

can't come

Except ...

really mean

be

I will be, too.

aren't anywhere

lasagna is done, can you grab it from

calls

clink of ice being put in the glasses

is already getting

"Be right back,"

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

mysteriously gone, and Mom is cutting and

“Mom?"

up, the knife still in her

“Mmm—hmm?"

don't know how to say this, but I need to

gotten the wrath

Can we...

I don't know ...

never mention"—I nod toward the living room where the Christmas tree sits

noise making a clank against

you're in a position to

hands

got off thin ice,

have your

not breathing down your neck every time you leave this

it,

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

answer, giving her a

the front door, in a sing—song

suddenly floods through

toward the entryway of the kitchen, where Easton is standing, he

“You're late,"

arm as he

Sadie, she

“Ryan!"

shouts, her

"He's lying!"

and she's smiling, hugging Ryan hello, not an ounce

get upset by what Ryan

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as she hugs

about to

he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna or set the kitchen sink on

pulls out of our hug,

"I'm glad you didn't.

and

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

laughing at

So does Sadie.

the anxiousness I've

“What's so funny?"