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 on the

like that?* He

out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

my

come

Except ...

I really

will be off

I will be, too.

places aren't anywhere near

the lasagna is done, can you grab it

calls from

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

is already

"Be right back,"

into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I reach into

Mom is cutting

“Mom?"

up, the knife still in her

“Mmm—hmm?"

this, but I need to

gotten the wrath from

Can we...

I don't know ...

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

sets the knife down, the noise making a clank

think you're in a position to

hands

off thin ice,

have your phone

neck every time you leave

push it,

take that back, I don’t care where we end up,

a taste of her own verbal

Ryan shouts from the front door, in a sing—song

suddenly floods through

where Easton is standing, he mouths, “Thank fucking God,’ telling me he feels the same

“You're late,"

brother in the arm

Sadie, she was being

“Ryan!"

shouts, her face

"He's lying!"

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

course, she doesn't get

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't apply

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as she

about to

he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

show up soon, I was going to have to fake an

out of

"I'm glad you didn't.

and not exactly a professional

next time you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in

laughing at the

So does Sadie.

all the

“What's so funny?"