You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 178

Easton

"Is she all right?" I ask Harper as she walks downstairs from my room, where I know she just took Sadie.

"I think so"

She stops at the bottom step and rests her arms over my shoulders.

"She feels like hell and she can't stop crying about Ryan and how much he's going to hate her, but she'll sleep it off and be good to go in the morning" She pulls me closer, giving me a quick kiss.

"Don't worry, I put your trash can next to the bed in case she needs to puke again"

I pull her in the rest of the way, breathing in her tropical scent.

"Harper, what the fuck was happening in that garage .."

"I don't know,' she whispers.

"I really don't.

I was ...

shocked"

"Did she know what she was doing?" "No"

She leans back, giving me her eyes.

"Sadie would never jeopardize her relationship with Ryan.

She's obsessed with him"

She sucks her lip into her mouth, biting it.

"But what about Blake? Did he know? Was this all on purpose?" I take a minute to really think about her question.

"Can we trust that motherfucker? I don't know." "Where is he?" "On the couch, drinking water,' I tell her.

"And where's Ryan?" "I sent him outside to the patio.

He needs to cool off and get some air." She links her fingers behind my neck.

"I'll go get Ryan, you go sit with Blake, and I'll bring Ryan to you guys.

Let's get this worked out before something or someone-explodes." "You mean you want to hash this out now? While they're both drunk?" She nods.

"If we wait until morning or even at school, it's going to brew, and that's a storm none of us need right now"

She has a point.

I give her a quick kiss.

"All right, I'm down.

See you in two minutes." While Harper heads outside in search of her brother, I go into the family room, finding Blake where I'd dumped him on the couch. He's lying down, a huge bottle of water propped up on his chest.

"You good, man?" I ask as I take a seat next to him.

He sits up a little.

"You know you have twelve pieces of art from here to the kitchen.

Twelve, Easton.

And two of them have red in them.

Is red angry? I think red is angry"

Fuck, he's drunk.

I don't know if that's a good thing.

"Harper is getting Ryan and we're going to talk this shit out." He looks in both direction, like we're crossing the street.

"Talk? What are we talking about?" "We're talking about Sadie and why you kissed her." He starts to laugh, his face even turning red.

"I kissed Sadie? Nah.

Not even possible"

"You don't remember?" He sits up even higher, putting his feet on the ground, which causes him to almost fall over.

"I remember some juicy ass lips.

Man, those were good lips.

I fucking love lips." "You better not be talking about my fucking girlfriend," Ryan says as he joins us.

Talk about the worst timing.

Fuck me.

"He's hammered, Ryan.

I don't think he remembers a thing." Ryan looks at me, and then at Blake.

"You don't remember kissing my girl?" "Kissing your girllll?" Blake slurs.

He laughs, his head falling back and for a second I think he might fall asleep.

"I don't evennn know what you're talking aboutttt"

Sadie takes a seat next to me and Ryan stands in front of the couch, too mad to plant his ass down.

I wait to see if Blake's answer satisfies him.

It seems to for a second, no one is saying a word, so I add, "Ryan, he doesn't even know where he is—and you know I never stick up for the motherfucker, so if I'm saying this, I really mean it." Ryan looks at me, and then at Blake.

"I need to hear you say it.

I need to know you didn't intentionally try to get with Sadie, and then I can squash this"

"Sadie?" Blake laughs.

"Why the helllll would I want Sadie?" He takes a drink of his water and misses his lips, most of it spilling on his shirt.

"We all know it's Harper I'm in looooove with"

Ryan shakes his head, laughing.

Harper puts her hand in mine.

And me? I take a deep fucking breath, trying not to punch the dickhead in the face.

Blake stands.

He's not at all steady on his feet and wobbles back and forth before he finds his footing.

"Bathroom," he announces.

He takes a few steps and almost stumbles and that's when he turns around to face our group.

His mouth opens and it looks like he's pondering something.

"You know..." He shakes his head, looking down at the floor.

"I'm sorry"

I laugh at the fool.

"What the fuck are you sorry for?" He keeps his head pointed down, but looks up at me, like a puppy who's just had an accident.

"It's cool..

you know.' He pauses.

"No, never mind"

He takes a breath, rocking on his heels.

"I'm just fucking sorry." He keeps walking toward the closest bathroom.

I turn to Ryan.

"When was the last time you saw him this drunk?" "My house, maybe?" he answers.

"You know, the night of the Halloween party." Harper squeezes my hand.

"One of my favorite nights ever.' I wink at her.

"Mine, too, baby.' My attention turns back to Ryan.

"Do you believe him? Or am I going to have to Uber Blake home, so you don't dissemble his face on my living room floor?" Ryan finally takes a seat next to Harper.

"I think we're good.

I want to talk to Sadie in the morning and make sure she's all right, that there isn't anything she's not saying.

But Blake seems so fucked up, I don't think that motherfucker had any idea what he was doing"

"I agree,' Harper says.

She looks at her brother.

"And you know Sadie would never intentionally kiss him.

She's so in love with you"

"Easton!" Blake shouts from behind me.

"Your toilet dances.

Has it always done that?" "What?" I ask, laughing, watching him trip his way toward the couch.

"It's dancing?" "Yeah, man." When he takes a seat, he collapses.

"It kept moving from side to side." "I think you were moving from side to side," Harper says.

"Haaaarper,' Blake slurs.

"What are you saying? I pissed all over the bathroom on purpose?" The three of them laugh while I think of the text I'm going to send our housekeeper in the morning, begging her to come over and clean before my parents get back.

"Hey, at least the photo of you pissing everywhere won't be posted by WHGOSSIP in the morning," Ryan says.

"I don't miss that account one fucking bit"

"And I sure as hell don't miss her,' Harper says.

"I especially love how quiet she's been since all that shit hit the fan." "Mmm, Blake groans.

"Aisha .."

I can't tell if he's agreeing with Harper or not.

But I don't get the chance to ask him because a few seconds later, he's sound asleep, snoring.