You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Easton

I swear, every fucking time I turn my back, Blake is there.

He's like Aisha.

The two of them can sniff out a moment when one of us is alone and vulnerable and they make their move.

But this one I especially didn't like.

I didn't like the way he was looking at her.

I didn't like the way she was gazing back at him.

And I didn't like the way they were standing so close.

There's over twenty people in the game room, why oh fucking why, is he talking one-on-one with my girl? "Easton," Blake starts, "I know Harper is yours and I just want you guys to be happy. You belong together.

Creeping up on her is not my intention at all.

I told you when you came over tonight that I want to start fresh.

I wasn't kidding.

You think I'd jeopardize that by hitting on her?" He smiles, taking a step back.

"She was just standing there, alone, and I went over to keep her company.

Ask her ..." I look at Harper for confirmation and she's agreeing with him. "He wasn't hitting on me, Easton.

I promise." I hold her tighter, trying to push every Blake thought out of her head.

Even if he wasn't putting a move on her, she was gazing at him in a way that didn't sit right with me.

"If you're telling the truth," I say to him, "Then, it looks like you're going to live to see another day." He raises his glass.

"You cats have fun, I'm off to see the bikinis in the hot tub." He leaves us alone and Sadie comes over.

"Bowling and me—we've broken up.

Dunzo.

I never want to see an alley or a bowling ball ever again." "That bad?" I ask her.

"I broke three nails and have a score of zero." I glance up at the monitor that shows their score.

"You're on your eighth frame and you haven't hit a single pin?" I laugh.

"You weren't kidding, maybe you should break up." She slaps my arm.

"Asshole." "What did he say this time?" Ryan asks as he joins us.

"The truth," Sadie replies.

"I just didn't want to hear it." "We've conquered beer pong," Ryan says to me.

"What are we going to kill now?" "Not bowling," I joke.

Sadie rolls her eyes.

"How about we just get drunk.

I think we're all really good at that." Harper clinks her glass against Sadie's.

"I'm in." She hiccups, her hand going over her mouth.

"But I might already be halfway there." "Hell yes," I growl, hauling her body against mine.

"Does that mean I can do whatever I want to you tonight?" Her parents think she's staying the night at Sadie's.

Which is true.

But given that Sadie's parents are much more lenient than Harper's and Sadie doesn't have a curfew, who knows what time they'll actually end up going home.

"You mean...

hook up...

here?" She giggles.

"All right, this is where I leave the conversation because I've most definitely heard enough." "No," Harper says, grabbing Ryan's arm.

"It's almost midnight.

We all need to be together for the countdown.

Easton isn't dragging me anywhere until that happens." I growl again, squeezing her ass.

But, the truth is, I know she'll want to be close to Sadie when the clock strikes midnight, that's just how those two girls roll.

"We have fifteen minutes," Sadie says, looking at her phone.

"What do you say we grab some drinks and go outside? I think I heard someone say there's going to be fireworks." "Sounds good to me," Harper responds and leaves me to loop an arm through Sadie's. We follow behind the girls as they make their way to the stairwell, hurrying up to the first floor.

We go through the living room, which is packed with people, and into the kitchen.

I'm pouring myself more vodka and Harper is grabbing some punch when I hear, "Hello, boys." Fucking Aisha.

She's a whitehead that never wants to pop.

We've been lucky as hell to have avoided her so far tonight.

Of course, my luck has run out, and now she's moving in next to me, a smile on her face that makes me fucking itch.

"You had to bring her?" Aisha says, nodding toward Harper.

"Funny," I utter back, "I was thinking the same thing about Blake inviting you." "Aisha," Sadie seethes, "I have zero patience and a lot of alcohol inside me.

I strongly suggest you play nice or you're going to find yourself floating face first in the pool after I drown you." Aisha rolls her eyes.

"Whatever.

I'm just coming over to see if everyone's having a good time tonight." "No, you're coming over here to start shit," Sadie says.

"I'm not going to tolerate it, so turn yourself around and march back to wherever you came from.

Hopefully, it's a cell that comes with a lock." "You're going to let your girlfriend talk to me that way?" Aisha says to Ryan. Ryan eyes Sadie, like he's about to devour her.

"Hell yes, it turns me the fuck on." "You're all fucking sick and twisted-you deserve each other." She stomps away. We all laugh.

"That's all it takes to get her to leave us alone?" Harper asks.

"Sadie, you really need to mouth off to her more often." I hand the vodka to Ryan, and he refills his glass.

"Right? That was far too easy," Sadie says, looking at each of our glasses and adds, "We've all got something to drink, good, now let's go outside." When we reach the pool area, Blake has his arm around Aisha, which makes me nauseous, but she's his problem.

As long as she's not bothering us, I don't care what she's doing or who she's snuggling up to.

The four of us move to the other side of the pool where I sit on one of the empty loungers, Harper fitting in between my legs.

Ryan and Sadie sit the same way on the one beside us.

We're just getting settled as the first firework shoots into the air, an explosion of pinks and purples, greens and yellows. "Wow," Harper sighs, leaning into my chest.

"This is incredible." A second round lights up the sky, this one in different shades of blue and red.

"Our own private fireworks show." I shake my head.

"Damn, Blake's the only motherfucker who can throw a better party than me." "Not true." Harper nuzzles into my neck.

"Your Halloween party was perfect." "It didn't have fireworks." "But it had you," she admits.

"And that's all it needed, in my opinion." I turn her chin to face me, gently kissing her lips.

"I fucking love you." "Ten!" someone yells in the background.

"Nine!" I smile, breathing her in, a rainbow of colors igniting above us.

She replies, "I love you more." "Five! Four! Three!" Sadie reaches across the small space and links fingers with Harper.

I give Ryan a nod.

"Two!" "Happy New Year, Easton-" Before she even finishes speaking, my hand moves to her cheek, and I smash my lips against hers, kissing her in a way that should settle every question she has about our future.

Because, no matter what, Harper is going to be mine forever ...