Chapter 120


    Easton


    I''m not surprised to find Harper at my locker when I get to school the next morning. I expected her to be


    standing there, looking pouty, just like she is, especially after not emailing her backst night. Truth is, I


    was fucking pissed. And I still am. “I''m not in the mood, ''


    I tell her. I twist the padlock to enter thebination and pull the door to my locker open once it’s


    unlocked. “But why? What happened? What did I do? I can’t handle my parents being angry at me and


    you, too, Easton— ''


    “That’s the whole thing, Harper. I can’t fucking figure out why you wouldn''t tell your parents about us.


    Am I this disgusting little secret to you? ''


    She backs up, like I just spit in her face, “What? Is that really what you think? ''


    “Now I do. ''


    I grab two books, toss them into my backpack, and m the locker shut. “I had you over to my house


    for dinner, you sat with my parents, and it was clear to them—to everyone— that you’re my girlfriend.


    Yet, I’m this big fucking secret to your family. How do you think that makes me feel? ''


    “I... ''


    Her eyes are filling with tears. “I didn’t even think of it that way. ''


    “Because you didn’t think and that’s a fucking problem. ''


    “— ''


    “Do you know how much I''ve changed for you? I’ ve settled down, I''vemitted, I''ve basically ruined


    a friendship with ke all because of you. And what are you doing for me? Lying to your family about


    us being together? ''


    She shakes her head, the first drip falling from her eyes. “No. It’s not like that. You know it’s not like


    that. ''


    “I do? Tell me. ''


    “I love you, Easton. ''


    I sigh. It kills me that she’s crying. That her parents are upset with her, that I’m upset with her, that


    she’s feeling raw as hell. But, damn it, she’s wrong, and I don’t know how to make it any clearer to her.


    “What now? ''


    I ask her. “Your mother catches me eating your pussy and now I''m supposed to just go over to your


    house, like nothing happened? Like every time she looks at me, she’s not visualizing me on the floor,


    feasting on her daughter? ''


    “Oh God ... I don’t know, ''


    she says in almost a whisper. “They''re not talking to me, so I don’t know what''s going to happen. ''


    ‘You need to make this right. ''


    “I will. ''


    She reaches for me. “I promise. ''


    I say nothing as she grips my waist, trying to pull me closer to her. “Please love me right now. I had the


    worst night, I’m falling apart from all this fighting. Everyone is mad at me, and my heart can''t take it. ''


    “Because you fucked up. ''


    She wipes her eyes. “I know, Easton, and I’m going to fix it. They know now—about us, that we’ re


    having sex, that I’m on birth control so I won''t get pregnant, there are no secrets anymore. ''


    “And your mother wants me to fucking die, and your dad probably wants to slit my throat. Thank God


    he didn''t catch us. ''


    She winces at the description, and then shrugs. “Maybe? ''


    She puts up her hand the second I start to respond and says, “But they would anyway, think about it.


    I''m their little girl, every dad wants to kill the man their seventeen—year—old daughter is sleeping with.


    ''


    She has a point. That doesn’t make me any happier. “I''m still pissed. ''


    “I know. ''


    When she tries to pull me closer and I don''t budge, she wraps her arms around my back, burying her


    face against my chest. “AllI thought aboutst night was why you weren''t messaging me back. It broke


    me, Easton. ''


    I can feel her tears soak through my shirt. “I needed you. I was hurting so badly. ''


    Fuck me. I hold the back of her head, my fingers lost in her wet hair. “I didn’t want to abandon you, but


    fuck, Harper, that shit is wrong, and you know it. You ——hurt me. ''


    “I''m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. ''


    We stand there in silence, hugging each other, the anger just starting to simmer out of me. I don’t know


    how she’s going to make this better. I also don’t know how I''m going to face her parents again, which


    causes a real problem because of my friendship with Ryan. I can only imagine the next time I’m around


    them, I’m going to feel like the biggest piece of shit. I don’t want that. I''ve respected their daughter. I


    didn’t push her to fuck me. I made sure she was on the pill before I stopped using a condom. I''ve


    honored her—in ways I’ve never honored other women in the past. The drama,tely, never fucking


    ends. I kiss the top of her head, holding her tighter, when the bell rings. “We have to get to ss, ''


    I tell her. “You''re going to have to let go. ''


    She squeezes for a second longer, and then looks up at me. “Favor? ''


    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.


    “What? ''


    “Can I borrow your phone? ''


    I chuckle. “Why? ''


    “Seriously? ''


    She snorts. “I haven''t seen my phone in over twelve hours and my entire life is on it. I just need to log


    into some of the apps and see if there are messages waiting for me. ''


    I reach into my pocket and hand her mine. “We’ re not done talking about this. ''


    “I know. ''


    She leans up on her tiptoes and kisses me on the lips. “I''ll see you after ss. ''


    She then hurries down the hall. Since I’m headed in the opposite direction, I watch her ass for a few


    seconds longer, the way that perfect—shaped heart moves as she walks, and then I turn toward my


    ss. “Lovers spat? ''


    I hear. Of course ke''s here. Of. Fucking. Course. “Stop with the jealous remarks, ke. They make


    you sound pathetic. ''


    I don’t even bother to turn toward him, he doesn''t deserve my eye contact. “At least I would know how


    to keep her happy. ''


    All he saw was Harper''s tears and my anger. And he assumed. Well, he assumed fucking wrong. Now,


    I turn, my teeth grinding together when I say, “Why don’t you mind your own fucking business and stop


    chiming in when you don’t know what the fuck you''re talking about. ''


    He smiles, like the motherfucker is getting a blowjob. “Because I do know what the fuck I''m talking


    about. ''


    When will this dude ever stop? “Yeah? Then you''d know this one wasn''t on me. Now go hump the


    urinal, that’s about the only hole in this school that will put out for you. ''


    I walk into my ss and take a seat next to Ryan. I can feel his eyes on me, and it takes everything I


    have to look at him. “Listen— ''


    He puts his hand up. “I heard—my parents yelled all night about it. I don’t want to talk about it, Easton,


    my fucking ears are still bleeding. ''


    I nce straight ahead, my fingers winding together, my patience so thin, I want to flip this desk over


    and throw it toward the front of the ss. But there’s something I need to know. Something that will


    make this situation even worse. “We good? ''


    I ask him. He takes a few seconds to respond, and then he finally nods. At least one thing is going right


    today.