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 on

that?*

weren't out

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

want to kill my father, but I

can't come fast

Except ...

really mean

will be off

I will be, too.

if those places aren't

can you grab

calls

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

is already

"Be right back,"

kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I

and Mom is cutting and plating the

“Mom?"

the knife still

“Mmm—hmm?"

don't know how to say this, but I

the wrath

Can we...

I don't know ...

nod toward the living room

the knife down, the noise making a clank against the

think you're

puts her hands on

just got off thin ice,

have your phone

your neck

it, you

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

I answer, giving her a taste of her

Ryan shouts from the front door, in

floods

kitchen, where Easton is standing, he

“You're late,"

say, punching my brother in the arm as he joins us in the

Sadie, she was being

“Ryan!"

her face turning

"He's lying!"

Ryan hello, not an ounce of anger on her

doesn't get

He's a son.

shenanigans don't apply to

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as she

he's about to raid your

surprised he

"That good, huh?"

didn't show up soon, I was going to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna or set the kitchen sink on

out of our

"I'm glad you didn't.

liar and

you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in some

laughing

So does Sadie.

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

“What's so funny?"