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?"

place the bowl

like that?* He

out

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

to kill my father, but

can't come fast

Except ...

really mean

be off to

I will be, too.

places aren't

done, can

calls from

being put in the glasses and no longer wants us alone

already getting

"Be right back,"

into the kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I reach

mysteriously gone, and Mom is cutting and plating the

“Mom?"

up, the knife

“Mmm—hmm?"

this, but I need to say

the

Can we...

I don't know ...

nod toward the

sets the knife down, the noise making a clank against the

you're in a position to

her hands on her

just got off thin ice, young

have your

down your neck every time you leave

it,

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

her a taste of her

the front door,

floods through

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

“You're late,"

in the arm as he joins us in

she was

“Ryan!"

her face

"He's lying!"

she's smiling, hugging Ryan

doesn't get upset by what Ryan

He's a son.

tree shenanigans don't apply to

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

as she hugs

he's about to

surprised he hasn't

"That good, huh?"

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

of our hug,

"I'm glad you didn't.

liar and

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

start laughing at the

So does Sadie.

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

“What's so funny?"