Broken Hill Havoc: The Broken Hill High Series (Book 5)

by Sheridan Anne

  “Nah, you’re good. He’ll take care of her. What are you doing now?” Jackson asks, stepping to the left to block the other guys’ view of me.

  “I guess I’m going home,” I tell him. “Brooke and I were supposed to spend the afternoon together, but clearly, those plans just went to shit.”

  “Alright. I’ll walk you to your car. I don’t want you walking around these douchebags by yourself,” he says, indicating with a nod of his head to the guy behind him. “Trust me, you don’t want to be left alone with that guy. I’ve seen him in action and it’s just one bad pick-up line after another. He’s relentless.”

  “It couldn’t be any worse than the shit I used to get from you.”

  “Come on,” he laughs making me realize just how far we’ve come over the past year. “You and I both know that was only to get under Nate’s skin.”

  “Yeah,” I scoff. “Until we broke up.” Jackson rolls his eyes and offers me his arm. “Ok,” I laugh gratefully before looking back over my shoulder and giving the guy an encouraging smile. “Chin up. Maybe next time.”

  And just like that, Jackson leads me away from the group of footballers all staring at my ass, making me realize that maybe Nate had a point to be concerned after all.

  Oh well. With the change of plans, that gives me so much more time for Nate to make up for our missed opportunity before. Imagine all the things we could get up to.

  Chapter 3

  I sit cross-legged on my bed with my face buried deep into yet another textbook while my hundredth yawn in ten minutes pulls from deep within my body. This is getting ridiculous. I promised myself that I’d take Sunday off, but when I thought about all the work that was starting to build up, I couldn’t stop myself. I had no choice but to get some of this shit out of the way otherwise the next seven days are going to kill me.

  I need to learn how to manage my time better. I don’t see other students with their heads constantly in textbooks like me. I mean, am I doing too much studying? I’m just trying to be perfectly prepared for each class. This is an opportunity I can’t afford to screw up.

  This isn’t some stupid high school class that I can sleep my way through. This is college. College. I can’t be stuffing this up. These classes are preparing me for my future and I’ll be damned if I didn’t give it my absolute all. I mean, I don’t plan on failing my way through college only to not get into Harvard Law School at the end. I plan on killing it and having my Harvard application accepted in the blink of an eye.

  “Tora, honey?” I hear mom calling out from the bottom of the stairs. “Can you come down here for a minute?”

  I groan and search my bed for my bookmark before slipping it in between the pages of my textbook. I scoot myself off the edge of my bed and plant my feet on the ground, hating how my head begins to spin when I stand up too fast. I’d like to blame it on the fact that I’ve been studying so much lately, but if I was honest with myself, it’s probably more of the fact that I haven’t been eating so great. I’ve been eating only when I remember and it’s probably not the best way to retain the information I’m trying to read through.

  I trudge down the stairs, wishing mom could leave this until later. I could really do with a nap and a painkiller before getting started on my English essay while not having a life. I mean, I kind of miss Nate. He only left a few hours ago but I’m not used to spending my Sundays without him. Usually, Sunday’s are dedicated to lounging around the house in each other’s arms and taking advantage of one another’s body, but not now. When I told Nate I needed to study this morning, hurt flashed behind his eyes before he said that he wanted to go into the shop because a new part came in yesterday.

  I know Jesse is feeling it too. He’s gone from having me and Nate constantly around to nothing, but Jesse is too filled with testosterone to admit it.

  I get down to the main floor of my home and start searching out mom. She’s usually in the kitchen but when I cut through there and don’t find her, my brows come down. I grab an apple as I pass and take a big bite out of it before checking the den. Maybe she’s going to force me to take a break.

  Nope. Den’s empty. No break for me.

  “Where are you?” I call out, hoping she can hear me from wherever she is in this big house.

  “Formal living room,” is called back.

  Formal living room? What the hell? The last time we were in there was when dad wanted to chat and believe me, that did not go well.

  I weave through the maze which is our home until I round the corner of the formal living room, only to find both mom and dad sitting side by side on the good couch, waiting expectantly for me, both sitting up straight with fake smiles across their faces.

  Definitely suspicious.

  I cautiously walk into the room, keeping my eyes on both of them as my mind takes me over every possible scenario, though I can’t for the life of me work out what the hell this is about. I’ve been the perfect daughter. Nate has been a good boy. I haven’t gotten in trouble and I’ve been studying every spare moment I’ve had. I’m literally the perfect child right now, so why the hell does it feel like I’m about to hear something I really don’t want to hear?

  “Why don’t you take a seat, sweetie?” mom suggests as dad leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and looking as though he’s deep in thought.

  “What’s this about?” I question, sliding around the front of the couch which sits directly in front of theirs. I slowly sit down, right at the very edge, making it easier if I need to make a quick escape.

  Dad clears his throat. “Calm down,” he says, though it comes out more like an order. “Your mother and I just have some news, is all.”

  My stomach drops as my heart begins to shatter. My whole body slumps down with devastation and I find I can’t even look at them. “You’re getting divorced, aren’t you?”

  “What?” mom shrieks, horrified by my assumption. “No, never.”

  My eyes snap up to hers before looking between the two. “Really?”

  “Of course,” dad laughs. “What would ever give you that impression? I know your mother drives me insane, but I could never divorce her. Could you imagine me trying to feed myself each night? It would never happen.”

  “Oh,” I laugh, trying to force my heart to squish itself back inside my chest. “I, um… It’s just… we’re in the formal living room. Nothing good ever happens in here.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” mom says, getting up and crossing to my couch to sit beside me. She takes my hand in her and places them down on her lap. “I wish we had good news for you, but we don’t.” She pauses for a beat. “Your father is being sent back to the London office.”

  My heart falls straight back out.

  I flick my eyes back up at dad. “You’re going away again?” I whisper into the room that seems way too quiet.

  “Yes, Tora,” he sighs, giving me an encouraging smile. “But that’s not all.”

  Mom squeezes my hand, drawing my attention back to her. “With you being so busy with college, I’ve decided to go with him.”

  “What?” I gasp. “You’re both leaving?”

  Mom’s eyes begin to water. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I can’t just sit here twiddling my thumbs, waiting for you to come home every day. I’d be bored out of my mind and I missed your daddy too much last time.”

  My eyes drop to my lap as millions of thoughts begin swirling through my mind. “But… what about me?” I question as dad gets up and crosses to us. He perches himself down on the armrest and places his hand down on my shoulder.

  “Honey,” dad says. “You have Nate and Brooke to keep you company, not to mention, so much school work, you wouldn’t even realize we were gone.”

  “And when I come home at the end of the day to an empty house?”

  “What if you didn’t come home to an empty house?” dad suggests.

  “What?” I grunt in confusion. “You’re sending me to live with the boys again?”

  “Hardly,” dad scoff
s. “How would you feel about having a house or maybe an apartment closer to campus? You mentioned to mom that Brooke isn’t liking living in the dorm rooms. She could move in with you.”

  I roll my eyes across to dad, trying my damn hardest not to get excited about the idea. “It sounds like you’re trying to butter me up.”

  “Is it working?” he questions as mom nods, trying to help me along with the decision.

  “You’re just going to buy me a house near campus?”

  “Why wouldn’t we?” mom questions. “You’re our only child and we want you to be happy.”

  “You’re serious, right now?”

  “Yes,” dad sighs, hating repeating himself. “Now, assuming that you’re on board with all of this. We’ve found a few properties we’d like you to take a look at.”

  “So, you ship me off to live somewhere else, but what happens after college? When I go to Harvard?”

  Dad smiles as though he has an answer for everything. “We either sell it at a profit or keep it as an investment. The place would get rented out in a heartbeat being so close to campus.”

  “Ok,” I say.

  “Ok?” mom repeats, making sure she’s understanding correctly.

  “Yeah. Ok. I just have one question.” Dad’s lips pull into a tight line as he listens. “Can Nate move in with me?”

  “Absolutely not,” he snaps.

  “Oh, come on, Tobias,” Mom laughs. “You know they’re going to do it the second we step on that plane. At least she had the decency to ask first.”

  I grin proudly at my mother before turning on my dad. “I know,” he sighs. “But I want my position stated for the record that I do not approve of it. Not for another few years at least. I don’t want any unplanned pregnancies until after law school.”

  I shoot to my feet and slam my body into my father’s, rocking him back into the couch. “Hell to the mother effing yes,” I laugh, reaching across to pull mom into the mix. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won’t regret this.”

  Dad scoffs, trying to pull himself free. “I already am.”

  I ignore his comment and allow him to pull free. “Come on, you may as well look over these properties so I can contact the realtor first thing in the morning.” Dad grabs my hand and hauls me out of mom’s arms, and before I know it, we’re all crowded around dad’s computer screen going over the few options they deemed acceptable.

  We cross out all the apartments off the list, coming to the realization that it’s probably not the best option for two eighteen year old girls to be living in an apartment complex, not knowing who could be living so close, learning our routines.

  We’re left with three houses. All three beautiful in their own right. Certainly not the size of the home I have here, but appropriate for a home that a college student could afford to rent if need be.

  Two are perfect brick homes, very cute with a double garage, four bedrooms, and little gardens out the front. The third is a three bedroom, cottage style house. It’s super cozy with a modern interior, but the exciting thing is the large backyards that all three possess; perfect if Brooke and I ever needed to have the spontaneous house party. Not to mention, they’re all a few minutes drive from campus.

  “Can I let you know?” I grin as my mind starts to go over all the things I’m going to have to buy, not to mention all the new responsibilities I’ll have.

  “Of course,” mom says. “Why don’t you go talk to Brooke about it and see if it’s even something she’d consider.”

  “K,” I grumble, walking out of dad’s study. I stop in the doorway and look back at dad. “Can you email me the links?”

  “Of course. I’ll do it now.”

  “Thanks, daddy,” I smile as I make my way back upstairs.

  By the time I’m pushing through my bedroom door and ignoring all the textbooks on my bed, my phone is beeping with the incoming email from dad. I open it up and look over the pictures again. I know which one I’m leaning towards, but if Brooke is going to be living with me then she should get an opinion.

  I attach the links for the three homes in a new text to Brooke and get busy typing.

  Tora – If you had to live in one, which would you pick?

  My phone lights up with an incoming call not a moment later and I grin as I answer the call, knowing exactly how she’s going to respond. “What the hell are you going on about?” she questions, not bothering to wait for a ‘hello’.

  “Answer the question. Which one would you pick?”

  “Hold on,” she groans. I hear background noise, telling me she’s put me on speaker and is probably looking at the pictures again. “Ummmmm,” she says, drawing it out. “I’d go with the cottage one. It has personality.”

  “That’s what I thought,” I say as my grin widens. “How would you like to live with me there?”

  “What?” she grunts with a deep confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Well,” I say slowly, making sure she hears every single word. “Mom and dad are both going to London and they didn’t want me to be alone in such a big house. So… they asked if I wanted to move into a home closer to campus with you.”

  She gasps. “With me specifically?”

  “Yes, you,” I laugh. “Who else? I told mom last week about your bitch roommate and how you’re hating it. You know, she thought two birds, one stone.”

  “Holy shit,” she laughs. “Are you for real? We’re moving in together?”

  “As long as you say ‘yes’ then we are.”

  “Holy shit,” she repeats with a squeal as uncontrollable laughter takes over. “YES! Of course. Oh, my god. This is so awesome. We’re going to live together!”

  “You sure?” I question. “Dad’s going to call the realtor tomorrow and put a deposit on it. we’ll have to go and check it out first, but yeah? You’re in?”

  “Hell yes, I’m in,” she cheers. “I can’t believe this. We’ve talked about living together for years and now it’s actually happening.”

  “I thought you’d be excited about this.”

  “Oh, my god,” she chants. “I have to look at the pictures again.” I listen as she flicks through the pictures of our future home, daydreaming about all the things we could do with it. “When are your parents leaving?” she questions.

  My eyes widen. “Shit,” I gasp. “Am I a bad daughter if I didn’t ask?”

  “Uh, yeah,” she scoffs before bursting out in laughter. “But if I got offered my own place, I’d probably forget to be a decent human being as well.”

  “Hey,” I defend as I remember her day yesterday. “How’d your date with Lukas go? Is he the one? Did he sweep you off your feet and give you butterflies while making you stutter over your words and blush like a school girl?”

  “What?” she laughs. “First off. I’m not like you. I don’t have those issues when talking to guys. I’m confident and sexy and I know it. And secondly, yes. I think I’m in love. He’s taking me out again during the week.”

  I roll my eyes at her comments as I know I get all those girly things every damn time I see Nate. In fact, I’m pretty sure the blushing is starting to become an issue. I don’t even realize I’m doing it, but Nate sees it every time he says something even remotely dirty, giving away my thoughts. The butterflies though, I wouldn’t trade those for the world. They remind me that no matter what, I’m human and the man I’m in love with can make me feel things that no other man ever has.

  “Where did he take you?” I ask, excited for her.

  “Well,” she gushes, “Because it was so spontaneous, he took me to one of those café’s on campus and bought me lunch, and then we made out beside his car for the rest of the afternoon.”

  “What?” I gasp. “You didn’t screw him?”

  “No, but don’t get me wrong, I felt his hard-on grinding up against me the whole time and let me tell you, it’s big. He’s hiding a beast between those legs,” she says. “But I told you, I want to date, for real. Like you
and Nate. I’m not going to ruin it by jumping straight into bed with the guy. He’ll think I’m some kind of whore and run for the hills.”

  “But you are a whore.”

  “Shut up,” she laughs. “I really like this one. He was texting me all night and telling me all about his life. He’s taking me on a real date,” she continues to gush. “Like, Maxen never did that shit.”

  “Maxen was a high school student when you guys dated. What did you expect?”

  “I don’t know,” she grunts. “More than screwing on his parent’s couch.”

  “You don’t think Lukas wants to screw you on his parent’s couch?” I ask, trying to remain serious, but let’s be real, we’re discussing doing the horizontal mumbo jumbo on his parent’s couch.

  “Of course, he does,” she admits. “What guy wouldn’t? I was putting off some pretty sexy vibes last night. If he doesn’t want to screw me on his parent’s couch, then he’s not a red blooded man.”

  “Ok,” I laugh. “We have to stop talking about parent’s couches.”

  “Agreed,” she says. “Oh, mom’s calling. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “K,” I grunt, hanging up the call, knowing that within the next fifteen minutes, I’ll probably start getting multimedia texts from her filled with pictures of all the furniture and decorative pieces she wants to put throughout our new home. That is, if nobody steals it out from under us by tomorrow morning.

  I let out a sigh and look down at the textbooks on my bed and realize there’s no way in hell I’ll be opening them again this afternoon, so with that in mind, I grab my keys and phone and hurry down the stairs.

  I poke my head into dad’s home office and give him a beaming smile. “I think I’d like to go with the cottage style house.”

  “Good choice,” he says. “I can see you in that one. I’ll call the realtor in the morning and organize an inspection for you girls. How’d Brooke take the news?”

  “What?” I gasp in surprise. “You didn’t hear her squealing from here?”

  “I take that as she liked the idea?”

  “She sure did,” I tell him. “Um… when are you guys actually leaving? I realized I forgot to ask in all the excitement.”