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.

miracle, the people I was most worried about— Mom

Sure, they wanted Stanford.

bit salty

me up with something huge for my first

see her face

as I take some

the photoshoot is over, my parents approach me

you, honey,” my mother says, kissing

incredibly hard this year and your

bring up Leigh and her help

that secret is going

the grades I needed to and that's all that

being cool with my decision over UCLA’ She adjusts my tie as my father says, "Are you sure I

his phone and shakes it in his

is all it'll take and I can tell them you've changed

know this is

doesn't stop

to win this and his eyes tell me

with where I'm going.”

“I understand, son.

at graduation,” I tell them, and I say good—bye to the rest of my family

before we line

knowing we're not anywhere near each other in line, this

and curled and her lips are

she's wearing underneath, but she looks

she whispers, clasping her hands with

we walk across the stage.” She

so nervous.” “Nervous? Why,

She shrugs.

just a huge deal and my family is here and it feels like the whole world is watching and—you know, all the things.” I give her a kiss, holding our

about it,

“I know ...

wreck.” "Maybe this'll make you feel better.” I place the small

as she looks at

a gift? But I didn't get you

“It's not like that.

job I'd done and pulls the rest of the paper off, slowly opening

confusion on her face as she takes out the key

parents rented me