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.

I wasn't reaching out for a hug, can nobody

last thing I needed was

I shudder.

the hell did I ever even see other than an easy way to keep

me an

over my head until either my skull cracks or her

Perfect.

More certain death.

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

key stressed every time you get upset

my brain and toward my body, like I

“Ryan,"

says through

from the room, then suddenly stops and looks over

on your side,

those bitches are just jealous whores and at some point you have to know

going to leave you guys

up while I lick my

“Look..."

to her and

day some idiot took that

grabs his phone and

what they'll

Ryan said not to stress Harper out and to keep it to myself, not because I need to hide shit, but because she wasn't feeling

for her to

lowers the phone and hands it back

"So..."

He yawns.

I say

"Not now,’ I interrupt.

grins and slowly makes his way toward Harper's bedroom, like he's Tom Cruise in Mission

two of the creaky stairs and crawls

still high, I say to myself as I fall back against the couch

and drops her phone onto the carpet, then crawls

“I'm sorry, I just...panicked.

are going

I interrupt

what's most important is how you feel and what

lightly grip her

what is it,

What do you believe?"

“You."

our

“Il believe in you."