You’re Mine by Penny Brooks novel Chapter 124

 

Chapter 124

Easton

I'm a fucking mess through last period and can't even fucking text Harper to apologize or discuss the whole thing with her mom.

The sick feeling I get in my chest when I think about her not claiming me and of course on top of that the picture.

Fuckkkk, the damn picture. I see Sadie the minute I get out of class and think, oh good, someone I can convince to be on my side, when she smacks me on the ass with her backpack.

"The hell, Sadie!”

“How could you hurt her like that! I thought you trusted her! She was bawling."

Her own eyes tear up. "Really, Easton?

I mean, fucking, really?"

"Keep your voice down."

I grab her by the elbow and bring her toward my locker when Ryan walks up. "Is there a reason you're hitting him?"

"Yes,"

she seethes and looks around us. "He has a picture of Leigh on his phone with her tits just dangling out there and Harper saw it and it was the same day...it was..."

She shakes her head. "That same fucking day you guys decided to get serious, you lied, Easton. AGAIN!”

"Keep your voice down!"

Ryan repeats and shares a look with me. "Sadie, you don't know the whole story.”

Her eyes widen. "You knew?"

"Shit."

Ryan lowers his head. "Look, can we do this in the parking lot at least?

People are starting to stare."

Sadie appears ready to chop his dick off.

I'm so miserable, I'm still on the verge of tears as we leave the building.

Sadie and Ryan walk ahead of me, but she jerks out of his embrace and already I feel guilty because I know she's taking sides and is pissed off.

Harper soon appears in the parking lot, heading toward Sadie's car, and I know all hell is about to break loose as Blake follows behind her and hands her a scrunchie. Really?

A fucking scrunchie?

I hear him say, “You dropped this after gym."

He winks at her, tuffles her hair and says, "Good game, thanks for handing me my ass. It was actually more fun losing, I think.”

He looks over at me and smiles. "Maybe winning first isn't where it's at these days...”

I want to kill him. Blood pumps through my body as my nostrils flare. Ryan grabs me before I can run after Blake or just hop into my car, start the engine, and run him over. “Not worth it, man,”

Ryan says quickly. "Look, maybe we should just head out and talk or something?

You could use it"

Hell yeah I could, but I want to talk to Harper. The minute my eyes search for her again, she's already hopping into Sadie's car and putting on her seatbelt. “Wait!”

I call out. She hesitates putting it on.

I wait for her to get out. Instead, she looks away and clicks herself in while Sadie gives me the finger and burns out of the parking lot, like she's getting chased by the devil after stealing his horns.

I curse until Ryan again informs me that people are watching, then I blindly crawl into my Jeep and follow him to the pizza place by his house. I don't remember him ordering.

I don't even remember eating my first slice of pizza before he cracks his knuckles and says, "Tell me everything, like you're a girl on a super dramatic reality show. Then, tell me why you look so equally pissed and sad.”

I grit my teeth and stare at my empty plate. "Other than, you know...the incident."

"Is the whole tree thing called the incident now?

I like that better than—"

"Yes,"

l interrupt him. "For the love of God, can we not talk about it anymore?”

He lifts up his hands in surrender. "Fine by me, again, it's my sister. If I could bleach my brain I would."

I shrug. “I'm sure your mom feels the same way."

He shudders. "I have constant second—hand embarrassment and horror, just so you know."

“I'll have nightmares of her face for life."

I take a sip of my Coke and lean back in the chair, explaining how everything went down.

Pure anger flows through me as I explain how much it hurt that Harper didn't tell their parents she had a fucking boyfriend who also happens to be her brother's best friend.

And then I rage about the chaos that is Leigh. And to his credit, Ryan sits there and listens, though I can tell I'm stressing him out too because he's had five Cokes and he hates soda.

I'm sure he wishes each of the Cokes had rum in them.

Give me a damn bottle at this point. "So..."

Ryan winces. “I think you quys need to sit down and talk. I know why you kept it and I still support it, the picture that is, but she's so stressed out, man. Mom and Dad were not easy on her after...the tree."

He clears his throat.

“And, on top of that, she doesn't have her phone, she can't even communicate with you right now and seeing that on your screen couldn't have been easy after all the lies and drama.

I know Sadie isn't being helpful either because girls have this need to stick together like they do when one has to pee and seventeen of them get up and go. The point is, I know my sister.

It's going to be fine—eventually.

Just be patient.

She's stressed about finals too, after being so sick, and this is just as new to her as it is to you."

The man has a point.

I nod as the bell on the restaurant door goes off and Aisha walks in with Julia and maybe because I'm stressed and sad as fuck I lose my censor and end up barking out, "Why the fuck are you always finding us?"

Aisha rears back, her face a mask of innocence. "Can we not eat pizza?"

"You always said you hated this place because it was a greasy, toxic dump.”

Ryan sips more Coke. "So, no... and sorry they don't have any salad. Grab a fucking baked cookie or slice of greasy pepporoni and leave.”

Julia goes pale. Aisha juts her chin out. "We just came here to grab a quick soda."

lroll my eyes. "Whatever, dude.”

I slap some bills on the table. "We were just leaving anyway.”

Aisha has the audacity to pout. "Aw, we were going to join you, remember last time we were here and—"

“Gonna stop you right there.”

I hold out my hand.

“I've had a shit day and you're giving me actual stalker vibes. We're out, enjoy your diet soda and don't forget to puke up whatever food you eat after so you can stay a size two."

Julia's eyes widen. Aisha looks ready to cry. I honestly don't care anymore. I leave the restaurant with Ryan. “A bit harsh,"

he says under his breath. "Even though she's a bitch."

"It's not normal,”

I find myself saying as I unlock my Jeep. "How often she finds us.”

He frowns. "You're right.”

I shake my head. "Hey, I'll text you later.”

“Let me know how I can help.”

"Yup."

I feel like shit my entire drive home.