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?"

bowl

that?*

weren't out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

to kill my father,

can't come fast

Except ...

I really

will be off to

I will be, too.

those places aren't

lasagna is done, can you

calls from

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

already

"Be right back,"

into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I

gone, and Mom is

“Mom?"

up, the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

say this, but I need

has gotten the wrath

Can we...

I don't know ...

toward the living room where the Christmas tree sits

the knife down, the noise

think you're in a position to

her hands on

got off thin ice, young

your

neck every

it, you

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

answer, giving her a taste of her own verbal

armrrrived, Ryan shouts from the

floods

kitchen, where Easton is standing, he

“You're late,"

the arm

Sadie, she

“Ryan!"

her face

"He's lying!"

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

course, she doesn't get upset by

He's a son.

shenanigans don't

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as

looks like he's about to raid your parents’

he

"That good, huh?"

to fake an illness or drop the

out of

"I'm glad you didn't.

liar and not exactly a

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

laughing

So does Sadie.

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

“What's so funny?"

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