You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 167

Harper

Ever since my breakdown with Easton the other night, I feel like a complete idiot.

It's not like he can help where he gets accepted.

He's brilliant and rich on top of that.

I just had this oh shit moment of what happens to us along with the panic of how far we've come and what happens if everything gets stripped away? I'm not in the best mood when I get to school the next day, despite Easton's encouraging texts all night long and me apologizing, it just feels off.

I still haven't heard from any school, and no matter how many times you refresh your email on your phone, it's not like the colleges go, oh cool, she's finally ready for us to email her.

Despite all that, I still refresh my email once I'm in the parking lot of the school.

My hands shake as I stare down at the screen.

I have new emails.

And one is from a college, I panic, then get excited, then panic again.

I probably wouldnt even notice if Aisha was breathing down my neck like a dirty little dragon whore.

I click open.

And nearly drop my phone.

I got into San Jose State.

Granted, it wasn't my first choice, but I'm at least going to be going to a college and not having to explain to people that I wanted a year off or that I wanted to go to a community school.

God, that would have been horrible.

I smile down at my phone again.

"Looking at porn?" a deep voice asks.

“Hilarious.” I turn and throw my arms around Easton.

"Whoa!" He hugs me back.

“What's this for? The naked dudes you were just looking at or—" "—Shut it!" I squeeze him tighter then whisper into his ear, "I got into San Jose State"

His body tenses, then relaxes as he squeezes my body and rocks me back and forth.

“I'm so fucking proud of you"

for the fact that he's not there and I've come to rely on him the way you rely on air so you can breathe— and not in a needy way—but a way that's necessary because

enough to press his mouth against mine and make

"This is epic"

"I know"

Tears fill my eyes.

“I wasn't," he says

and start to move away, but he grabs my arm and pins me against his

"I wasnt," he repeats.

I've ever known, of course, any college would want you? Hell,

smile

your hands and knees?" He immediately moves away and drops

"NO!" I laugh.

get up!" He shrugs

Oh God.

are starting to

Dirty Dancing moment but the opposite where Jonny's on the

hiss his name again as phones come out around

way like they're catching the

I dig it.

I really do.

then very slowly rises, his body sliding against mine until he’s

alone from our clothes could send us to Hell because damn this

so lucky? "About the crawling...”

kind of liked acting like

that's wrong, I don't want to

head

out of

Stanford"

why were you just crawling toward her?" Ryan comes up

to be Stanford students, do

fun mood dies the minute Ryan mentions

as he looks between us, then forces a smile and grabs Easton by

notes for me, right?” Easton sighs and reaches into his bag, handing over notes that just prove again why he got into Stanford and why even if I had

start walking while Easton jogs ahead, swearing that he

watch, and then I wonder, are these the last moments we're going to have? With us flirting in the parking lot, him running to class, and me watching everything pass us by in a blur?

if this really is the end of

hits me in the back of

hell did you bang me over the head with Easton's notebook, you freak?" I shove

of

I know that look, fuck I've had to live with that look and the fact that

overthinking this;

I