Broken Hill Halo (Broken Hill High #2)

by Sheridan Anne

  His eyes search mine for a moment before I hold up the onion. “Nothing,” I laugh. “It’s these stupid onions.”

  “You’re ok?” he questions, just making sure.

  “Yeah,” I smile. “I’m fine.”

  He pulls me in quickly and presses a kiss to my forehead before pulling back and turning towards his mom. “What’s up?”

  Trish is quiet for a moment as she watches us, and it’s then that I realize we haven’t actually said anything about our relationship to his parents.

  Bomb dropped.

  Can of worms opened.

  Beans spilled all over the damn floor.

  Her eyes grow curious before a soft smile gently lifts the corners of her mouth. She thrusts the chicken towards Nate. “Here,” she says. “Grill this for me.”

  Nate takes the chicken from her as his eyes flick back to mine with an apology. Clearly, he’s just come to the same realization that I have and the bastard is going to waltz right on out of here, leaving me to deal with Mumma Bear.

  A grin brightens his devilishly handsome face before he disappears out the backdoor with Jesse following behind with an evil chuckle.

  I get back to my onions with flushed cheeks, ignoring Trish’s gaze which seems to pierce right into me. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” she questions softly.

  At that, I place the knife down on the chopping board and turn to face her. I bite my bottom lip, unsure of where this is going to go and slowly nod my head as I look up at her.

  “Oh, thank god,” she cheers as she throws her hands up and pulls me into a tight hug. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

  “Really?” I smile.

  She pulls me back by the shoulders and lets go. “Yes,” she says. “I’m not blind. I know my Nathaniel has a way with girls, and well, I guess so does Jesse now too. But Nate has been pining over for you for so long, Jesse used to tease him so bad about it. I’m glad it’s finally happened. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer girl to reel him in.”

  “Reel him in?” I question.

  “Oh, come on,” she chuckles. “I’m old, not stupid. I know my boys are assholes.”

  I can’t help but laugh with her. “They really are,” I agree. “But underneath the douchebaggery, they’re really good boys.”

  She puts one arm around me and pulls me into her side. “They’re amazing boys, and to be honest, I’m so happy I won’t be finding random girls walking around my house in the middle of the night.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I tell her.

  Trish lets me go and dives through the fridge before pulling out a whole lot of mushrooms. She hands them over to me and I push the chopped onions out of the way.

  I grab one and get started chopping while Trish collects the bowl of onions to take out to the boys. She looks back at me and smirks. “You’ve got to cut those mushies as small as possible. Jesse hates them and when they’re too small, he can’t pick them out.”

  “Alright,” I laugh before I start dicing the mushroom.

  I get distracted as I watch Trish out the window, making her way over to the boys. She places the bowl of onions down and gives Nate one of those proud Mumma smiles before pulling him into a big hug.

  A smile rips across my face as I watch them. Trish starts rocking him back and forth and I laugh as he tries to push her away. She pushes up on her tippy toes and says something in his ear that makes him look oddly embarrassed and uncomfortable before his dark eyes flash up to mine through the window.

  I don’t hear it but I can tell he’s groaning before he finally manages to get his mother off him. She laughs and turns on her heel before stalking back inside and joining me. Trish goes about the kitchen cleaning everything up while I finish off the mushrooms.

  I hand them off to her once I’m done and she gets busy tossing a salad. With nothing left for me to do, I head out the back with the boys. I sit up on the outdoor dining table and watch as Nate cooks the grill like a pro.

  With nothing better to do, Jesse comes and joins me on the table. “I heard you used to tease Nate about his little crush,” I grin.

  “Ha,” Nate barks out. “Tease is putting it mildly. I’ve given him hundreds of black eyes from the way he used to ‘tease’ me about you.”

  I look back at Jesse to find him shrugging with a massive grin on his face. “What can I say? I’m his little brother. It’s what we’re supposed to do,” he explains. “Besides, he was like a love sick puppy pining over you all the time. Someone had to call him on it.”

  “Leave him alone,” I say, elbowing Jesse in the ribs. “He can’t help it that he’s wildly attracted to me. Any red blooded man would be.”

  “What does that make me then?” Jesse questions.

  “Broken,” I laugh.

  He rolls his eyes as Nate looks back at him over his shoulder. “I can’t wait until you find some poor innocent girl that you can’t possibly live without. Payback is going to be a fucking nasty bitch.”

  Jesse scoffs. “Who has time for that relationship bullshit?”

  “You’re missing out, bro,” Nate says as he looks back at the grill with a cheeky grin. “Nothing beats a nice warm pussy to sink in-”

  “Nate,” I yell, cutting him off as my cheeks flame.

  Both the boys chuckle at my embarrassment, but luckily, Jesse gives me an out. “So, did mother dearest give you the ‘what are your intentions with my son’ speech?”

  “No,” I smile. “It was more of a ‘thank god, you’re going to save his soul’ sort of speech,” I tell him as Nate looks back over his shoulder. “She’s happy she won’t find any of your conquests walking around the house in the middle of the night anymore.”

  His eyes widen for a fraction of a second before he cringes. “Shit, I didn’t know she knew about that.”

  “How could she have not known? My first night here you were practically screwing that girl on the couch.”

  “There was no practically about it,” he informs me with a proud sparkle in his eyes. “I did screw her on the couch.”

  “What? Which one?” Jesse demands as his comments start to sting. I mean, I know he’s screwed nearly all the girls in school, but I could really do without the mental picture, so I put it to the back of my head and try my hardest not to be jealous about something I already knew about.

  Nate grins at his brother. “Which one do you think?” he teases, knowing Jesse has one particular couch that’s his favorite, though Nate’s just messing with him. He wasn’t on Jesse’s couch, he was on the one that I consider my favorite.

  Jesse’s eyes widen in horror. “Fuck man,” he groans. “I sleep on that couch.”

  “I know,” he laughs as he looks back at me. “What else did mom let spill?”

  “Not much,” I shrug. “She called you both assholes, though.” Jesse gasps before sucking in a breath and cursing under his break. A second later, he jumps down from the table and storms off inside. “Where’s he going?” I ask Nate who’s been watching his brother’s performance.

  “He’s about to suck up to mom in a big way,” he says, indicating with a nod of his head towards the kitchen window. I look up and watch Jesse walking up to his mom and putting an arm around her as Nate explains what the hell is going on. “When she calls us assholes, it’s time to pull out the big guns. It usually means she’s caught us doing something or she’s run into one of her bitchy country club friends whose son or daughter heard something and graciously passed it along while twisting the story in the process.”

  “Shit,” I cringe. “Maybe you should be in there too.”

  “Nah,” he says. “Mom knows I’m no angel. If she heard something and had a problem with it, she’d come and curse me out. Usually, she’s just pissed with her friends for sticking their noses where they don’t belong. Jesse though, he likes mom thinking that he’s still her sweet little baby. He gets away with so much shit because of it.”

  “I can only image,” I laugh as I hop down
off the table and walk towards him. “Speaking of your mom,” I say as my earlier curiosity slams back into me. “What was she saying to you when she came out here earlier?”

  Nate puts his arm over my shoulder and pulls me in beside him as he works on the grill. “She was reminding me to use protection,” he smirks as my phone starts to ring in my pocket.

  “Oh, geez,” I groan as embarrassment floods me once again. I reach into my pocket and grin at the caller ID. “Oh, it’s mom,” I announce before hitting the answer button. I bring the phone up to my ear with a smile. I haven’t talked to mom in days and haven’t seen her for over two months, though, FaceTime doesn’t count. She insists on doing that shit all the time, even though she generally struggles with basic technology. “Hey, Mom. What’s going on? How’s Nanna?”

  “Oh, Sweetie,” she says as a violent sob comes tearing down the phone.

  My eyebrows pull down as I look up at Nate. “Mom?” I question.

  Nate looks down at me as he catches onto the tone in my voice, though his gaze is too intense and I tear my eyes away. I step out from under his arm and walk out into the yard. “Mom? Are you still there?”

  A sinking feeling settles into my stomach and I feel as though I’m about to hurl. “Tora,” mom whispers. Though, I know that whisper. It’s the one you use when you’re terrified your voice will break if you speak any louder. It’s the one she uses when she’s trying to protect me from something.

  “Mom,” I say again as my eyes flick up to find Nate’s heavy gaze on me. “What’s going on?”

  I listen as she lets out a shaky breath and takes a minute to try to gain control of her emotions. “Honey, I’m so sorry,” she tells me with a sniffle. “Nanna’s gone. She didn’t make it.”

  “What?” I breathe.

  “Honey.”

  “No,” I cry. “No. Are you sure? What did the doctor say? Maybe she’s sleeping,” I panic. “Mom, check that she’s sleeping.”

  My heart sinks as my world is ripped out from under me.

  Nanna. My Nanna.

  Mom lets out a heartbroken sigh and I want nothing more than to feel her arms around me. “Tora, honey. She’s gone. It’s time for us to say goodbye.”

  “No,” I whisper as I crumple to the ground and watch as Nate flicks off the grill and races towards me. My phone falls from my fingers as the tears begin to pool in my eyes. Nate catches me a moment later and wraps his warm arms around me, holding me to his chest as the grief completely overwhelms me.

  “Tell me,” he begs, searching for a way to take away my pain.,

  I look up into those eyes that I love and for the first time, I feel absolutely nothing. “She’s gone. Nanna’s gone.”

  He closes his eyes as his head falls to mine, stricken that this time, he can’t take away my aching heart. “I’m so sorry,” he murmurs as his arms tighten around me.

  With that, a sob rips out of my body and I crumble. Inside and out.

  Chapter 8

  I sit at the dinner table, staring at the glass of water before me as the thought that I’ll never see my Nanna again circles my head. How could this be? How could someone as pure as her be taken from this world? Doesn’t she know that I need her?

  I feel empty. The last two months, I knew she wasn’t well. Hell, mom and dad even went to Australia to be with her so she wasn’t alone, but not once did it occur to me that this would be it. She’s had cancer before and she beat it. Mom even warned me a few weeks ago to prepare myself, but I didn’t believe it. Not one bit.

  Nanna has always been so strong in my eyes. She’s a warrior. Larger than life. A survivor. I never thought I’d have to say goodbye. Yet here I am, struggling to wrap my head around the fact that she’s gone.

  She’s always been there. I’ve always been able to pick up the phone and call her no matter what. No matter the time difference between here and Australia. She always made time for me.

  She was the one person I’d talk to besides Brooke about Nate. She knew everything he ever did. She knew every wild emotion he’d make me feel. She used to tell me it was that stupid thing boys would do to get a girl’s attention and I never got a chance to tell her that she was right.

  I’ll never get a chance to tell her how happy he makes me. I’ll never be able to tell her that her little girl has fallen in love for the first time. I’ll never tell her how all the bullying and horrible things he did were anything but. She’ll never know and it’s all because I’ve spent that last two months been being a self-centered bitch.

  Everything over the past two months has been about me. It’s been about struggling to live with Nate. It’s been about mending and rebuilding my friendship with Jesse. It’s been about partying with the girls and getting drunk. I’ve learned how to drive a stick. I’ve indulged in book upon book. I’ve picked fights with cheerleaders and punched boys with bad intentions. Only a handful of times did I spare a thought for my dying Nanna.

  I should have gone with mom and dad to Australia. I should have fought harder. I should have been there.

  I’m nothing but a disgrace.

  What would she think of me? Spending her last two months living a great life while she was suffering on the other side of the world. Mom had told me time and time again that Nanna was missing me.

  She loved seeing photos of me and I had been taking as many as I could to put into a video for her, only every time I thought about putting it together, there was always something else that I wanted to do instead.

  I’ve let her down and I’ll never forgive myself for that. How could I have been so selfish?

  “How are you feeling?” someone asks at the table as I watch a drop of condensation slide down the side of the glass before pooling in the little puddle at the bottom.

  I raise my sore eyes from the glass and realize the whole table is watching me, though, it must have been Trish talking. I try to think back to what she’s just said, but my mind is too cloudy and foggy to make sense of her words.

  Not having the energy to give a shit, I give Trish a tight smile and get back to watching the condensation on the glass.

  Nate moves beside me and I glance up to find him pushing my untouched plate of food closer to me. “Would you eat? At least a little?” he questions with concern in his deep eyes. He’s always hated when I don’t eat. I’ve had issues in the past and I don’t doubt that watching me struggle with my dinner tonight is just a reminder of that.

  I look down at the plate before flicking my eyes back up at him, but seeing the way he cares for me has another round of tears spilling from my eyes. I reach for my fork, not wanting to let him down as well.

  I push a piece of chicken around my plate for a moment but the tears in my eyes are making it nearly impossible to see. Nate reaches across and takes my hand in his before lacing our fingers and giving my hand a supportive squeeze. “It’s alright,” he murmurs into the quiet room.

  The tears spill over and I turn to look up at him. “I was going to make her another video,” I cry. “But I was too busy. I kept putting it off.”

  Nate pushes back out of his chair and reaches for me as both Cade and Jesse curse under their breaths.

  I fall into Nate’s arms and he pulls me up out of the dining chair. He carries me out of the room and stops by the kitchen where he grabs a bottle of water from the fridge and the box of tissues off the counter.

  He walks us up to my room and gently places me down on my bed before he pulls my shirt up over my head. He replaces it a minute later with a tank top and then slides my jeans down my legs as I wipe my tears on the back of my arms.

  He pulls up the corner of the blanket and helps me to slide in under the covers before he slides in behind me. I lay my head down on the pillow and allow the sorrow to overwhelm me as Nate holds me. “She knew you love her,” he whispers into the silence of the night.

  He holds me until the tears finish running their course and right up until I slip into a restless, disturbed sleep, never once leaving my s
ide.

  ----------

  I wake in the morning and slip out from under Nate’s arm before trudging into the bathroom. The second I see my raggedy reflection in the mirror, I’m instantly reminded of the fact that my Nanna is no longer here.

  My eyes are red raw and puffy from a night of crying into Nate’s chest and I feel like I’ve been run over a billion times by a steam roller.

  When I come out of my bathroom, I find Nate sitting up in my bed and Jesse on the couch with his feet up as he plays a game on his phone. I walk back over to bed and climb in next to Nate before grabbing my phone and checking the time. “You two should probably go get ready for school,” I tell them. “You’re going to be late.”

  “Right,” Jesse scoffs, not once taking his eyes off his phone.

  “You’re nuts if you think we’re going anywhere today,” Nate murmurs beside me. “How’re you feeling this morning?”

  I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know,” I sigh into him. “I don’t really want to think about it anymore.”

  “Alright,” he says. “What’ll make you feel better?”

  “Ben & Jerry’s,” I grunt as I slouch back against the headboard.

  “Heads up,” Jesse says from the couch as he leans down beside him and grabs something off the floor. A second later, one of those mini tubs of Ben & Jerry’s is launched through the sky. Nate reaches out and plucks the ice cream out of the sky before handing it to me and catching the spoon that Jesse launches next. “Had a feeling,” Jesse says a moment later.

  “Thanks,” I say with a small smile as I look down at the chocolate fudge brownie ice cream and pull the lid off, not caring that it’s eight in the morning and ice cream is generally not a breakfast food. “I’m not sure this is going to be enough,” I murmur, pointing out the small size of the little tub.

  “I know,” Jesse says. “I got back-up downstairs.

  “Thank fuck for that,” I grunt as I dig the spoon into the creamy goodness. “You guys don’t have to stay,” I tell them. “I’ll be fine on my own.”