Chapter 92


    Harper


    Easton is pale.


    Normally his skin is a healthy tan, his good looks are so ridiculously hot that I want to strangle him then


    kiss him right afterward.


    I''m next to my locker when he walks up, hands shoved into his jeans, posture stiff.


    "Sup?"


    I snort out augh.


    "Did you just bro talk me?"


    “Huh?"


    He scratches his head,pletely distracted.


    I mimic his movements, then give him a slight shove.


    "Yeah okay, bruh, what you wanna doter, dude, wanna hit the pavement, go for a smoke, shoot some


    hoops and—"


    "-Are you high?"


    He leans in, and the smell of his cologne has me dizzy with want.


    "And why wouldn''t you share?"


    Flirtatious Easton is back.


    The one I''m obsessed with.


    The one I need more than anything, despite how frustrated I get with him on a daily basis.


    He''s mine.


    All mine.


    I just wish all this bullshit would go away so we could have more time to figure out what we are, how we


    work, and what this means before graduation.


    Ugh.


    "Not high."


    I wrap my arms around his waist.


    "You just seem distant..."


    We have at least half the day left before we can go home-—before I can go home with him, even if that


    means I''m just going to be in the backseat of his super sexy Jeep.


    "Yeah okay boomer,"


    he jokes.


    "I''m fine, I promise."


    Our foreheads touch and I forget all about the worries I have as people whistle and pass us as they


    walk down the hallway.


    "I just had a moment.


    Plus all this shit is getting really ridiculous."


    He pulls away briefly and looks around like he’s paranoid about something when what looks like a


    police officer makes her way down the hall.


    She''s in ck pants, and a tightly tucked in blue shirt with a badge, okay so yeah totally a police officer


    —attached to her belt.


    She stops by us, her sneer so apparent I want to vomit.


    Does she know? Is that why he’s acting weird? He doesn''t so much as flinch as he wraps an arm


    around me and turns.


    "Have a great day."


    Her eyes narrow.


    "Girlfriend?"


    "Yes,"


    I answer for him and stick out my hand.


    "My name''s Harper."


    "How..."


    She throws on her ck aviators.


    "Lovely for you..."


    I flinch and drop my hand as mid-life crisis stomps past us like it''s the time of the month and the world


    ran out of Advil and tampons.


    "What the hell was that about?"


    I say out loud.


    Easton is tense but manages a shrug.


    “Who knows...she’s old? Botox isn''t working? Fillers don''t do shit? Hates her job? A woman in a man''s


    world? Take your pick, I mean really...fuck."


    He spins me toward him.


    "What if we skip?"


    "Skip what?"


    I frown.


    "Life?"


    He jokes.


    “Okay not life, but what if we skip the rest of school, run back to our houses, pack, and go to my


    parents’ cabin for the weekend?"


    I''d heard so many epic things about his cabin.


    ording to school gossip, his cabin was like this mansion right on theke and only the most popr


    kids had been invited over thest few years.


    I used to have serious envy when Ryan would go because duh, best friend.


    And now he wants me to go? “Just us?"


    I ask.


    “Over my dead body."


    Ryan suddenly appears, scaring the shit out of us.


    Sadie is leaning against his side, her headying on his shoulder.


    Damn they are moving weirdly fast if they''re showing that much PDA during school hours.


    Wow, I just sounded like my mom.


    I cringe and look toward Easton.


    “You know I''d never leave you out.” Easton bumps fists with my brother.


    "So you in? Should we just take off?"


    Ryan snorts.


    "Who the hell are you going to get to write you an excuse since Mrs.—"


    He stops talking and looks away.


    "I mean, it might be hard now that...fuck."


    Easton doesn''t stiffen, but I know the words bother him as much as they do me as he looks down the


    hall and frowns.


    "Fine, maybe we suffer for the next few hours, then leave? We can make it there by dark?"


    "Let''s do it.” Ryan grins.


    "I need some alone time anyway."


    He looks down at Sadie and winks.


    I make a face.


    "Not while I''m in front of you.” Ryan rolls his eyes.


    "You gave me earplugs, FUCKING EARPLUGS and I wink at her and suddenly she''s pregnant?”


    "Maybe,"


    Sadie jokes.


    “Nooooooocs.” Iugh.


    "Guys!"


    Everyoneughs as the bell rings and we all go our separate directions, me to English, h, and


    everyone else to their sses.


    It’s the one ss I don''t have with any friends, except ke, but I''m still confused on that


    whole...situation.


    I''m high key stressed as I walk into the room and notice a hush go over the crowd like they know my


    boyfriend was possibly fucking the school counselor.


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    Awesome.


    I clear my throat and sit at my desk only to have ke plop down next to me, his man bun perfectly


    coiffed on his head, his adorable smile easy and fun.


    See? This is why I don''t get it.


    He''s not some viin.


    He''s just ke.


    In another life I would have crushed on him.


    Easton is just jealous and Ryan, well, he’s just..Ryan.


    "You doing ok?"


    ke asks, getting his books out.


    "Course."


    I shrug.


    "You?"


    "I''m sitting next to you, of course I am."


    I blush.


    “Riiiight."


    “Hey, it''s true."


    He winks.


    "Really though, I''m here if you ever want to talk.


    I know you''re with Easton, but you still mean something to me.


    I would hate for anything to happen to you—it kills me to think about that smile leaving your face for


    even one second."


    I scoff.


    "My smile? Why?"


    He leans in until Ican smell his spicy cologne.


    “Well, because..."


    His thumb grazes my chin, then falls.


    “It’s so fucking sexy.


    Would be a shame if it no longer existed in this world."


    See? Completely harmless, my brain tells me.


    While my heart thuds against my chest.


    Danger.