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.

wasn't reaching out for a hug, can nobody tell that it was total

I needed was her trying to touch me

I shudder.

even see other than an easy way to keep

an oh shit

cell over

Perfect.

More certain death.

angry as you look right now, you still gotta keep it down so Mom and Dad don't come out here and lecture us again, mention the tree, or make it so I can't get

get low key stressed every time you get upset and, yes, that's

lets out 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, so she doesn't just start kicking

“Ryan,"

through

he is, starts to bolt from the room, then suddenly stops

your side, Harper, you're my

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

arent going to leave you guys

sighs and looks up while I lick my lips, waiting to defend

“Look..."

to her and pulls

the day some

and stares down

know what they'll

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

her to

the phone and

"So..."

He yawns.

say cupcakes, I mean I'm

"Not now,’ I interrupt.

grins and slowly makes his way toward Harper's bedroom, like

idiot even skips two of the creaky

to myself as I fall back

drops her phone onto the carpet, then crawls onto me,

“I'm sorry, I just...panicked.

going to talk

I interrupt

how you feel and what

lightly grip her

is

What do you believe?"

“You."

forward, our foreheads softly

“Il believe in you."