You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 192

Easton

Me: Just a few more hours and we're graduated, dude, that's fucking crazy.

Harper: Right? These last few weeks have flown by.

It's what I wished for and now it's here and gah! Me: That graduation practice was a total joke today, but are you comfortable with it all, do you know what you're doing? Harper: Wait, you're asking ME if I know what I'M doing? I'm the one who was paying attention to where we're supposed to line up and all that.

You're the one who was high as hell with my brother, laughing non-stop.

Me: lol truth ...

I'm just always worried about you, baby.

Harper: I love you for that, but I'm all good.

I'll see you there very soon.

I smile at her last message and put my phone down.

Then, I take my black tie out of my closet and wrap it around my neck.

Once the knot is where I want it, I carefully place the graduation gown over me and I put the cap on my head.

I take a final look at myself in the mirror, knowing the minute I get downstairs, my family is going to want pictures.

They're all here—my brothers and their girls, aunts and uncles, everyone coming to the auditorium to watch me walk across the stage.

Being the youngest, I know this is a big deal for my parents, so that's why I don't lose my patience when I join them downstairs and pose in every fucking direction while they snap a million pictures of me.

And since some of my family hasn't seen me since I decided to go to UCLA, I accept the small digs they shoot in my direction for being the rebel of the family and not going to Stanford like the others.

Whatever, I can handle it.

In fact, bring it on.

I don't want to be like my brothers.

I don't want to get into law.

I want to be my own person and go my own direction and kick ass ina way that isn't expected of me.

was most worried

Sure, they wanted Stanford.

a bit salty

me up with something huge for my first year there—something I haven't told Harper yet, but I'm

can't wait to see her face when I tell her the

smiling as I take some final pictures with my

photoshoot is over, my parents approach me just as I'm

honey,” my mother says, kissing

hard this year and your

I bring up Leigh and her help with

that secret is going to

together and I got the grades I needed to and

over UCLA’ She adjusts my tie as my father says, "Are

and

is all it'll take and I

I know this is the lawyer in

doesn't stop until

going to win this and his eyes tell me he's

happy with where I'm

“I understand, son.

time.” “I'll see you both at graduation,” I tell them, and I say good—bye to the rest of my family and hurry outside to my

before we

been thinking about when I want to give her this gift and knowing we're not anywhere near each other in line, this feels like the

and curled and her lips are glossy,

sure what she's wearing underneath, but

clasping her hands with

come find me before we walk across the stage.” She takes

nervous.”

She shrugs.

know, all the things.” I give her a kiss, holding our faces together before I reach into my

worry about it, it's

“I know ...

a wreck.” "Maybe this'll make you feel

as she looks at

a gift? But I didn't get you anything

“It's not like that.

it.” She lifts the flap of the hack wrapping job I'd done and pulls

her face as she takes out the key and holds it in her

parents rented me an apartment