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

that?* He

weren't out

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

my father, but

come

Except ...

I really

be off

I will be, too.

if those places aren't

can

mother calls from the

the clink of ice being put

already getting

"Be right back,"

I hurry into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts

gone, and Mom is cutting

“Mom?"

glances up, the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

to say this, but I need to

the

Can we...

I don't know ...

nod toward

the noise making

think you're

hands

got off

your phone

not breathing down your neck

push it,

back, I don’t care where we end up, graduation

I answer, giving her a taste of her own verbal

Ryan shouts from the front door, in a

floods through

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

“You're late,"

the arm as he joins us

Sadie, she was

“Ryan!"

her

"He's lying!"

Ryan hello,

doesn't get upset

He's a son.

shenanigans don't

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as she

he's about to raid

he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

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

pulls out of our

"I'm glad you didn't.

a horrible liar and not exactly a

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

start laughing at

So does Sadie.

build—up of tonight and all the anxiousness I've been

“What's so funny?"

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