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 on the

like that?*

out there

you have no idea."

"Ugh."

want to kill my father, but I

come

Except ...

I really

will be

I will be, too.

aren't anywhere

lasagna is done, can

mother calls

ice being put in

is already

"Be right back,"

kitchen, grabbing the mitts before I

Mom is cutting and plating the

“Mom?"

up, the knife still in her

“Mmm—hmm?"

to say this, but

the

Can we...

I don't know ...

never mention"—I nod toward the living room where the Christmas tree

knife down, the noise making

really think you're in a

her hands on her

got off thin ice,

your phone

breathing down your neck every

it, you hear

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

her a

armrrrived, Ryan shouts from the front door, in

floods

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

“You're late,"

punching my brother in the arm as he joins

she was

“Ryan!"

shouts, her face

"He's lying!"

look toward 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.

don't apply

Ugh.

Again.

“How's it going?"

whispers as

to raid your parents’

he

"That good, huh?"

to have to fake an illness or drop the lasagna

of our

"I'm glad you didn't.

liar and

end up grounding you for life and the next time you'd see Easton, you'd be his neighbor in

laughing at the

So does Sadie.

the anxiousness I've

“What's so funny?"