You’re Mine by Penny Brooks

Chapter 15

Harper

“I hate him! No, I loathe him. No, that’s not right either. I want to rip his spleen from his body and run it over with his precious car and then, then, I’m going to…” I scream into my pillow for the tenth time while a hungover Sadie pats me on the knee.

We’ve been sitting in my room on our phones, watching Netflix all day and I’m still pissed off.

I’m hurt.

I’m ready to start a war.

And I can’t even tell anyone why it bothers me so much. I mean, I could confide in Sadie but something about those stolen moments with Easton feel precious-like they’re mine-even though he’s so mean to me should get a medal for not killing him.

Why is he so horrible to me?

“I mean, what have I ever done to make him so angry?” I throw my hands up. “So what, I’m Ryan’s twin, is that a crime? I’m not at popular so that makes me not worthy of his attention? I don’t get it, Sadie. It’s one thing to ignore someone completely, but now it’s

like he’s going out of his way to be mean!”

“Huh?” Sadie jerks awake and I glare at her. “I’m so sorry. It’s just, you’ve been talking about this off and on for the last three hours and I got sleepy.”

“Help me fix this,” I say. “Please.”

“Well,” she yawns behind her hand, “you could try making him

jealous.”

“Oh yeah, great idea Sadie, let me just stroll up to school in my brand new car with my model boyfriend and perfect designer body and make the most popular boy in school jealous. Where do I sign

up?”

She falls back against my bed sighing

I join her and stare up at the ceiling. “It’s hopeless.”

“It’s never hopeless, let’s just think about this from his point of view.. he started being mean after the bikini issue, right?”

I should tell her.

But would it matter? And how would that conversation even go?

Guess what, he actually does want me, but only in the dark. Gee, maybe we can be secret boyfriend/girlfriend?

Great start, Harper. Perfect.

seemed to react when Ryan got mad-like he was mad too, but he was probably just

she’d fallen asleep again. We both turn at the same time, our cheeks pressed against the pillows. Her brown eyes are super blood shot, her face splotchy. “What harm would it do to, oh I don’t know, just attempt to put yourself

jeans or a skirt, add some makeup

locked in my room forever while Ryan tells my parents?” I finish for

grins. “You just leave that to me.” She stumbles out of bed and goes to the door. “Be right back, I’m going to beg your mom to let you stay at my house Sunday night. Things have been so hard.” She starts to fake tears. “After

complete falsehood! You don’t

was

have been in drama,”

her

right?”

it, but I’m shocked when she not only says yes, but asks if she can send flowers

should be proud of

lot of arguing on my end when Sadie shows me my

I see myself after she applies some light makeup, I’m

least that’s what

My only mission?

Gauge Easton’s reaction.

but every single time my brain comes up with about

at school and getting out of

for it, but Sadie has a death grip

going to leave a

clenches her teeth. “You’re doing

weak voice that lacks any sort of conviction

was easy in the

Aren’t most things?

easier when I was in a costume. I could be anyone ! wanted to be,

a new version of myself, a

murder once he

walk through

the weirdest thing

Literally nobody stares.

clap or people part and let you walk down the middle

it brought too much attention. I’m wearing

inch of skin showing and my glossy, brown hair is pulled into a high pony tail. Sadie went easy on the

I mean, sort of.

way

feel this need to grab the nearest freshman and pry the sweatshirt from their scrawny