You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 135

Easton

"This is delicious,' I say to Harper's mom after I take my first bite of her lasagna.

"Thank you again for having me over."

Harper had told me her mom was a good cook.

She wasn't kidding.

At least that's one positive thing that will come out of this experience.

I certainly won't go to bed hungry.

"Thank you, Easton.

I'm happy you like it,"

her mom replies.

"Yup, he's right,' Sadie says, her mouth full.

"This is some seriously good grub.

The last time my mom made lasagna, she used cottage cheese instead of ricotta-I guess she ran out."

She takes a bite of garlic bread, the crunch loud enough to wake the dead.

"I wish I could say it was good, but it had chunks of pineapple in it."

She makes a face like she's about to hurl.

"Pineapple with meat sauce, that's a hard no."

"I'm happy to share my recipe with her,"

her mom says.

"Just remind me in the morning and I'll text you a picture of it."

"Easton, her dad says, wiping his mouth with a napkin, giving me a second to chew and swallow, preparing for more battle.

"How are your grades this year?"

"My grades are good, sir."

"Easton always makes honor roll,"

Sadie chimes in.

"He's one of the smart ones.

You know, like Ryan here."

She bats her eyes at him, and he kisses her.

Man, that kid has balls.

I'm sitting beside Harper, but I've barely looked at her.

I don't fucking dare.

With her dad sitting across from me, I can feel him stare at me while he chews.

While he takes a drink.

While he moves his salad around the plate.

Will this ever fucking end?

"So, is Sadie right, you make honor roll?"

he asks me.

"Yep."

I hold my piece of garlic bread, but I dont take a bite.

It reminds me of a bun-and just, no.

"My parents have always pushed for good grades."

And that's why I pushed Leigh to make sure I was always receiving them.

Damn, wouldn't that conversation go over well at this dinner table.

One mention of it and he'd probably bury me next to Fido in the backyard.

"Your dad, his law firm is the one down on Main Street, next to the bank?"

"That's the one,"

I tell him.

"Thought so.

I pass it every time I go to the bank.

I didn't realize your brothers work there as well until you mentioned it.

What an accomplished family you have there, young man."

Did I mention that part?

Or did he Google my family when he disappeared upstairs before dinner?

The thought has me even more uneasy.

On paper, we look like the dream.

But if you start digging- and maybe he knows how we're a hybrid of American Gangster and The Wolf of Wall Street. "Easton's going into pre-law,' Harper says, looking at me.

At least I can feel her looking at me.

I don't glance at her.

"My parents would like me to, I admit.

"But I haven't decided on a major yet.

I want to keep my options open.

Seems a little early to declare something I could end up changing." "Changing to what?"

he asks.

"Law would certainly provide well for your future family."

"Dad, the wife is allowed to provide too, you know.

It's not like I plan to sit home and watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills all day."

He lifts his wine into his hand.

I've lost count how many glasses he's had tonight.

But this time, when he sips, he swallows half the glass.

"Harper, my dear, let's not have the marriage conversation.

You still live at home, you don't even own a car.

Hell, you don't even own the clothes you're wearing.

Marriage is getting ahead of ourselves, dont you think?"

Now the marriage image is in his head.

Wonderful.

"Let her dream, honey,' her mom says.

"We had dreams when we were her age, didn't we?"

He eyes his wife.

"Sure did.

And now, we're here, at this wonderful stage of our lives, where you walk into our house and see our daughter doing the unmentionable under the Christmas tree."

This conversation went from bad to worse.

Fuck me.

I want this table to just swallow me whole.

"Dad..."

Ryan starts.

"Trust me, it's better that it happened to Harper.

Had it been Sadie under there, there wouldn't be an ornament left and every light would be shattered all over the rug.

My girl gets w-i-l-d.* "Ryan!"

Sadie gasps.

Ryan looks at Sadie and says, "What?

It's not like I'm lying."

"L can't believe what I'm hearing right now,' Harper groans.

I don't know what the fuck to think.

I'm just happy the conversation has shifted to someone else.

"Did Ryan behave this way with every girl he's brought home for dinner?"

Sadie asks Harper's parents.

Her mom sets down her fork.

"Honey, you're the first girl Ryan has ever brought to dinner."

"What?"

Sadie says, smiling at Ryan.

"Is that true?"

He shrugs.

"You're special and loud-two things I like."

She slaps him.

"OMG, shut up!"

"And that's what you love about me."

I finally look at Harper while Ryan and Sadie are having their back and forth and she's shaking her head.

She's as fucking horrified as me.

"I don't know who I want to kill more,"

she whispers to me.

"But this dinner can't be over soon enough."

"What's that?"

Ryan says from across the table.

"Nothing,"

Harper replies.

"Keep talking about your sex life, or whatever it was you were sharing with us."

"I wasn't, but if you really want me to go there—"

"No!"

Harper says, nodding toward Sadie.

"You're my brother, she's my best friend.

I'm good.

Really.

If I need to filter myself, the same rules apply to you."

"Actually,"

her dad says, "the same rules don't apply because Ryan hasn't been walked in on, so the image isn't burned into our minds."

"I thought we were moving on from this,"

Harper pleads.

"Moving on?"

Her dad mocks.

"I'm afraid we're just getting started."

There really won't ever be an end to this.

Every time I come to this house, I'm going to have to prepare myself for these relentless digs.

Fuck.

Harper looks at Sadie, and Sadie immediately says to their parents, "Did Ryan tell you guys what we brought for dessert?"

"You really didn't have to bring anything,"

her mom says.

"I picked up some ice cream, it's more than enough for everyone."

"No, no, I insist,' Sadie says.

"We stopped by this super cute bakery downtown, right by your dad's law firm"-she smiles at me "and they had the prettiest cupcakes I've ever seen.

We got a dozen."

"A dozen?"

Harper says.

"Who's going to eat all those?"

"We'll work up an appetite and finish those off in no time, don't you worry, Ryan answers.

"I know how you boys work up those appetites nowadays, so let's keep Easton out of the living room,' her dad says.

"Dad, enough!"

Harper barks.

"Honey, you're too much,"

her mom laughs.

Ryan points at me and smiles.

He thinks this is a fucking riot.

When I glance at Harper, she's setting her fork down on her plate.

The same place mine is resting.

Our appetites completely gone.