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

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

kill my father, but I

come

Except ...

really

be off

I will be, too.

if those places aren't

lasagna is done, can

mother calls

clink of ice being put in the glasses and no longer wants us

already getting

"Be right back,"

hurry into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before

is mysteriously gone, and Mom is cutting and plating

“Mom?"

glances up, the knife still

“Mmm—hmm?"

know how to say this, but I need to

gotten the

Can we...

I don't know ...

a promise to move on and never mention"—I nod toward the living

the knife down, the noise making

really think you're

hands on

just got off thin ice, young

have your

down your neck every time you leave

it, you

back, I don’t care where we

her a taste of her own

shouts from the front

suddenly floods

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

“You're late,"

my brother in the arm as he

Sadie, she was

“Ryan!"

shouts, her face

"He's lying!"

toward Mom and she's smiling, hugging Ryan

course, she doesn't get upset

He's a son.

shenanigans don't

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as she hugs

like he's about to raid

surprised he

"That good, huh?"

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

pulls out of our

"I'm glad you didn't.

and not

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

start laughing

So does Sadie.

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

“What's so funny?"