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"

he's not there and I've come to rely on him the way you rely on air

slightly, enough to press his mouth against mine and make

"This is epic"

"I know"

Tears fill my eyes.

worried.” “I wasn't," he says

eyes and start to move away, but he grabs my

"I wasnt," he repeats.

and smartest girl I've ever known, of course, any college would want you? Hell, they

cant help my smile as I answer

that mean you'd be willing to get on your hands and knees?" He immediately moves away and drops to

"NO!" I laugh.

up!" He shrugs and

Oh God.

are starting

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

name again as phones come out

to snicker but in a funny way like they're catching the hottest

I dig it.

I really do.

then very slowly rises, his

alone from our clothes could send us to Hell

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

of liked acting

I don't want

head back and

out

Stanford"

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

be Stanford students,

the

as he looks between us, then forces a smile

notes that just prove again why he got

while Easton

then I wonder, are these the last moments we're going to have? With us flirting in the parking lot, him running

we have left, because what if this really

me in the back

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

of the way

that look, fuck I've had to live with that look and the fact that my sisters getting banged by my

stop overthinking this;

yeah, okay.” I roll