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 ear, "So

"Do not."

and look

hard the other day

His smile is devastating.

been like a wild animal in bed,

holds up his

"In fact..."

in, my heart pounds so hard

in

without this man? These kisses? He's

get tired of us, of this, that one day we really will make it through

with

and I want

he says between kisses.

the whole man with the butcher knife, I can't stop thinking about your dad coming down the stairs with one of the steak

and

messing with my

dad's messing with your erection,

shorts quickly unbuttoning his jeans and

this in my future, I was too afraid to

now my body

even control my own body as I get dangerously close

looks up at the stairway like he's

was going to warn you about how fast I was going to go but fuck, it's even worse than I

baby, you have a

all there is

the pressure shift just enough for his angle to hit the perfect

don't know what I

if It's just

is Mom can never find out that the couch has joined the soon to

embarrassed as Easton pulls

mess, like a way bigger mess than

"I got it."

the downstairs wet bar with an array of paper towels and a

as he rubs

reason I have self

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

you with one of his old shotguns

"Perfect."

the used paper towels, tossing them in the trash in the corner, taking one look at the wash-—rag and looking

and hit my dick, making your prophetic story actually come

drops the towel and walks

as he pulls me into his

can feel

against mine, muscular,

with the reflection of the documentary on

just want you to know that I'm here, by your side, no