You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 137
Easton
There are moments in a guy's life where he questions if he’s seen it all.

I had about a million of those moments tonight.

Never thought I'd be the sort of guy to stare longingly at the knives just a little bit too hard and wonder how the hell I could get just injured enough that I'd have to go to the ER by way of an ambulance.

I mean, I clearly couldn't escape in my own car, why not use the health insurance my dad so generously provides?

People slip all the time, right?

It's the holidays! Turkeys explode.

Houses burn down.

Tree's get desecrated.

It could have worked.

So could making a run for it into oncoming traffic, but I couldn't do that to Harper, I doubt she'd want my death on her hands by way of her dad scaring me shitless and mentioning trigger words like pregnancy, buns, and tree.

I shudder and find myself laying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling, high as fuck, missing my girl and sleeping like shit.

My eyes get heavy as I turn on my side and throw my arm over my eyes since I'm in direct sight of the Christmas tree.

Motherfucker, was that on purpose?

I groan and flip to my other side toward the couch and finally settle in with visions of sugarplums and Harper's dad dancing on my grave in my head.

Nice.

“Get up!"

Harper's voice hisses from behind me.

I nearly fall off the couch in an attempt to turn around and stare up at my girlfriend.

Ryan's sleepy gaze goes from high to completely sober as he stares at her holding up her phone at me.

This can't be good.

I literally can't see at first, despite how bright her screen is and have to rub my eyes a few times before things get more clear.

“Are you kidding me?"

I grab her phone, fully aware my girl has tears of anger in her eyes and that this could potentially be really bad for me—again.

Should I just start expecting this on the daily?

I momentarily wonder if I need to have a therapist on speed dial, then I think of Leigh, and see the picture of us talking, along with a video that seems to have just posted, showing me reaching for her.

I want to snort.

can nobody tell that

I needed was her trying

I shudder.

even see other than an easy way to keep

me an oh shit

her cell over my head until either my skull cracks

Perfect.

More certain death.

Mom and Dad don't come out here and lecture us again, mention the

low key stressed every time you get upset

a sigh and stares down her brother in a way that sends alerts all over my brain and toward my body, like I might need to actually cover my dick,

“Ryan,"

through clenched

is, starts to bolt from the room, then suddenly stops and looks over

always on your side, Harper,

just jealous whores and at some point you have to know that shit's gonna

you guys alone, at least not anytime

I lick my

“Look..."

over to her and pulls out

the texts from Easton the day some idiot took that video

his phone and stares down

what

myself, not because I need to hide shit, but because she wasn't feeling well and she's

her

phone and hands it

"So..."

He yawns.

say

"Not now,’ I interrupt.

makes his way toward Harper's bedroom, like

idiot even skips two of the creaky

say to myself as I fall back against the couch and stare up

slumps her shoulders and drops her phone onto the carpet, then crawls onto

“I'm sorry, I just...panicked.

are going to talk

always talk,’ I interrupt with a

is how you feel and

grip her chin between my

is it,

What do you believe?"

“You."

leans forward, our foreheads

“Il believe in you."