You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Harper

 I'm exhausted.

Mom and Dad have finally gone to bed, but I wouldn't put it past them to do room checks like they used to at summer camp.

I'm still downstairs with Easton bingeing some murderous documentary about a crime of passion, and some creepy stalker who always pretended to be her work friend but secretly cut pieces of her hair and slept with them in his pillow.

Ryan and Sadie are upstairs doing who knows what in the kitchen.

The creepy man on the screen continues his stalking.

Gross.

I shudder.

"Are you cold?"

Easton asks, pulling me close.

I frown.

"Is it just me or are you way too into the part where he almost gets away with it.” He shakes his head like he's disappointed in the mass murderer.

"I mean, he's an idiot, he could have made it, but noooo, he has to go back for one of those creepy pieces of hair like he didn't just kill her for rejecting him."

I scrunch up my nose.

"Weird that the husband ended up living."

"Poor guy probably wishes he were dead, imagine someone standing over you while you sleep with a butcher knife."

"Yay, what a great Christmas, so merry and bright,"

I tease and give him a hard shove.

“I'm going to have nightmares tonight about knives.” He laughs.

I turn to him and grip him by the shirt.

"I will end you if you sneak into my room, hover over me with a knife and scare the shit out of me.

I'll take that same knife and chop off both balls.” "Wouldn't that make me a eunuch?"

"Yes,"

I seethe.

"With the giant dick but a severe lack of testosterone and desire to have sex."

"Should I be scared that you just gave me an exact definition?"

He smiles.

"Chill, I won't scare you, I actually like my testicles and um..."

crooks his finger and whispers in my

"Do not."

sniff and

them so hard the other day I was afraid you were going to

His smile is devastating.

a wild animal

holds up

"In fact..."

so hard it almost makes my chest

in a hungry

did I ever survive without this man? These kisses? He's the addiction

of us, of this, that one day we really will

that question as our legs tangle with

and I want

he says between kisses.

with the butcher knife, I can't stop thinking about your dad coming down the stairs

groans and

messing with

messing with your erection, that's new,’

my sides and tugs down my shorts quickly unbuttoning his jeans and pressing me back against my

this in my future, I was too afraid to hope for it as he guides himself

now my body instantly relaxes, basically sucking him in and saying

control my own body as

my hips and looks up at the stairway like he's afraid

going to go but fuck, it's even worse than

have

there

and it makes the pressure shift just enough for his angle

know

It's

that the couch has joined the soon

as

made a mess, like a way bigger mess than we've ever

"I got it."

again and returns from the downstairs wet bar with an array of paper

as he

reason I have self

scenario,’ I say as he tugs my shorts back up and wipes down

you with one of his old shotguns that he probably doesn't even

"Perfect."

eyes and gathers the used paper towels, tossing them in the trash in the

making your prophetic story actually come true.” I

towel and walks

is that funny?” “Hilarious.” I laugh again as he pulls me into his

feel your

body is hot against mine, muscular, firm,

we sit with the reflection of the documentary on the

to know that I'm here, by your side,