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"

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 you love it so

pulls away only slightly, enough to press his mouth against

"This is epic"

"I know"

Tears fill my eyes.

“I wasn't,"

to move away, but he

"I wasnt," he repeats.

want you? Hell, they should be crawling

smile

your hands and knees?" He immediately moves

"NO!" I laugh.

up!" He shrugs and

Oh God.

are starting

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

hiss his name again as phones come

like they're catching the hottest guy on school legit crawling

I dig it.

I really do.

very slowly rises, his

alone from our clothes could send us to

did I get so lucky? "About the crawling...” he says while people

of liked acting like your

I don't want to

throw my head

out of control,

Stanford"

her?" Ryan

Stanford students, do not

dies the minute Ryan mentions

us, then forces a smile and grabs Easton

me, right?” Easton sighs and reaches into his bag, handing over notes that just prove again why he got

my throat and start walking while Easton jogs ahead, swearing that he forgot one of his

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

what if this really is

in the

me over the head with Easton's notebook, you

moves out of the way and

with that look and the fact that my sisters getting banged by

overthinking this;

I