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

that?*

out

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

want to kill my father, but I

can't come

Except ...

I really mean

be

I will be, too.

aren't anywhere

can you grab it from

calls from

of ice being put in the glasses and no

already getting

"Be right back,"

and I hurry into the kitchen,

is mysteriously gone, and Mom is cutting and plating the garlic

“Mom?"

up, the knife still in her

“Mmm—hmm?"

this, but I need to

the wrath from

Can we...

I don't know ...

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

knife down, the noise making a clank against the

really think you're in a

her hands on

just got off thin ice,

have your phone

neck every time you

push it,

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

giving her a

Ryan shouts from the

suddenly floods

the kitchen, where Easton is standing,

“You're late,"

the arm as he joins us

she

“Ryan!"

her face

"He's lying!"

smiling, hugging Ryan hello, not an ounce of

get upset by

He's a son.

don't

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as

he's about to raid your parents’

surprised he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

going to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna or set the kitchen sink on fire— something,

of our hug,

"I'm glad you didn't.

and not exactly a professional

up grounding you for life and the next time you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in some old— ass assisted

start laughing at the

So does Sadie.

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

“What's so funny?"