Broken Hill Hurt: The Broken Hill High Series (Book 3)

by Sheridan Anne

  The second her words are out, I know I desperately want it. “Ok,” I say, pushing up from the table.

  I head up the stairs as mom gets busy in the kitchen making my tea. I walk into the bathroom and decide to go all out. I turn on the tap and search through the cupboard for mom’s oils before putting a few drops in. The heavenly smell of vanilla fills the bathroom and I add a few bubbles to the water before putting out a few candles and lighting them up.

  The thought of the candles falling and starting a fire in the bathroom soars through me but I shake it off. I can’t live in fear. I need to keep on going or I’ll never enjoy the little things in life.

  With the candles burning, I tie my hair up into a high bun and turn the light off before sliding into the bath with Nate’s phone on the ledge.

  I relax down into the water and I instantly feel like a million dollars. The hospital needs to invest in this kind of rehabilitation for its patients. I’m sure they’ll see a hell of a lot more happy people walking around.

  Mom comes in moments later and hands me my cup of tea before placing my Kindle down on the ledge beside Nate’s phone. “You know,” she says. “Just in case you need it.”

  “Thanks, mom,” I say with a smile. “Love you.”

  “Love you too, honey,” she says as she stops in the doorway and looks back at me. “I’ve never been so happy to see you home before,” she tells me. “You had me so damn scared.”

  “I bet,” I tell her. “I promise, I’ll never get myself caught in a fire again.”

  “That’d be great,” she says with a smile before walking out and closing the door.

  I finish off my tea and the second it’s down the hatch, I reach for the phone. I bring up Jesse’s number and hit call. Nate’s voice comes through the line a moment later and takes away the sting my father left behind. “Babe,” he says. “Is everything ok?”

  “It is now,” I tell him. “I’ve had better days.”

  “Was it that bad?”

  “He called me a disgrace and basically said I’ll never amount to anything, not unless I pull my shit together.”

  “I’ll kill him,” Nate promises

  “Don’t,” I say. “He’s right. My grades are slipping and I’m a complete fuck up at the moment. I’ve been partying way too much, I got a suspension, I bitch slapped Phoenix, I-”

  “Ok, ok, ok,” he cuts me off. “I get your point, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to amount to anything. You’re the most determined and motivated person I know. If you want to be a lawyer then I bet my balls that you’ll do everything in your power to make it happen.”

  “But my grades are slipping,” I remind him. “I won’t even get into a college like this.”

  “You’ll be fine. I’ll study with you.”

  “You mean, I’ll study while you work on the Mustang?” I laugh as I swirl the bubbles around with my finger.

  “Isn’t that what I said?”

  “You’re an idiot,” I tell him, before letting out a breath and debating whether I should tell him about dad’s not so subtle request when I realize that no matter what, Nate has my back. I shouldn’t need to hide it from him. “Dad thinks it’s because of you,” I say with a scoff. “He thinks I’m changing myself so you won’t get bored with the good girl. He wants us to break up.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” he spits. “Your dad is fucked up, babe. I hope you didn’t inherit those genes.”

  “I think I’m good,” I smile.

  “What are you doing?” he questions. “Mom’s signing my discharge. Do you need me to come around?”

  “As badly as I want you to, you should probably go home. I bet your mom is dying to tuck you in bed and fuss all over her special little guy.”

  “And yours didn’t?”

  “Yeah,” I laugh. “I’m in a bubble bath with fancy-ass oils sipping a chamomile tea. She even bought me my Kindle and I bet she’s probably mushing up my dinner so it doesn’t hurt.”

  “I’m sorry, what? All I got from that is you’re in the bath,” he teases.

  “Of course, you did,” I smile as I lean my head back against the edge of the bath and close my eyes while I listen to the soothing sound of his voice.

  “Call me back,” he says with a smile in his voice. “We’ll FaceTime instead.”

  I can’t help but laugh. I should have seen that coming. Of course, the goofball wants to get an eyeful of me butt naked. “In your dreams,” I tell him before changing the subject. “What does Puck like?”

  “Tell me you don’t mean sexually?” he grunts.

  “No,” I laugh. “I mean, what’s he like to do? What’s he into? He saved my life and I want to do something nice for him.”

  “Shit. Are you saying I should probably do something nice for Jess?”

  “Well, yeah. He made it possible for me to rock your world again. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  “Damn,” he grunts. “I do have to do something nice. But not too nice, the dick broke my rib and it fucking hurts.”

  “Shut up about your rib. I would have broken every single one of them if it meant saving your life.”

  “I know,” he says. “I’m just joking. I’d prefer a broken rib over my heart not beating.”

  “You and me both,” I tell him. “Now, answer the question. What can I do for Puck?”

  “Honestly, you probably don’t need to do anything,” he says. “He’d be happy just seeing you walking around making the most of life.”

  “Lame. I want to give him something good.”

  “Alright, fine. Let me think about it,” he says before groaning. “Mom’s back. I better go.”

  “K.”

  “Leave your window open,” he tells me “I’ll slip in tonight.”

  “No,” I rush out before he ends the call. “You can’t, not with a broken rib.”

  “See you tonight,” he says, ignoring my objections. The line quickly goes dead before I have a chance to fight him on it.

  I put the phone down and enjoy the rest of my bath. When the water starts to run cold, I get myself out and pull the plug. I take my Kindle back to my room, unlock my door, and curl up in my bed like I’ve been dying to do for the past few days.

  I get lost in a book before my tired eyes grow heavy and I fall into a well needed sleep.

  An hour later, two strong arms curl around me and pull me in hard. “I love you,” Nate whispers before pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

  A dreamy smile crosses my lips as everything finally feels perfectly right in the world. With a sigh, I nuzzle my face into his chest, being careful not to hurt him and tell him my absolute truth. “I love you too,” I say before instantly falling straight back to sleep.

  Chapter 12

  From the second I pull up at school on Tuesday morning, I have people I’ve never spoken to in my life hurrying up to me. “Tora,” some girl I’ve never met cries as she stops me in the parking lot. The strange girl with tears in her eyes throws her arms around. “Oh, my god. I’m so happy you’re ok. I thought that maybe… you know.”

  “Well, I’m not,” I tell her, grabbing her by the shoulders and pushing her back off me. I don’t want to be dealing with this stuff all day, especially after I woke up to find Nate already gone this morning. I mean, that’s only ever happened once. I didn’t like it then, and I sure as hell didn’t like it now. But with my dad back… I guess things will be changing. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but, maybe it’s better if he goes back to London.

  I step around the girl and dodge another before making my way up to the school. I get looks from every single person in the school. I mean, does everyone know about the fire? I guess most of the seniors and juniors were there and probably saw it, but all the younger kids?

  This sucks.

  I push my way through the door and walk down to my locker to find a candlelight massacre before it. There’s spray paint across it saying ‘R.I.P’, flowers taped to
the metal, teddy bears on the ground with scented candles which only serves to give me a headache. “Oh, man,” I groan as I start grabbing candles and blowing them out. This is so damn embarrassing.

  “Oh, Tora,” I hear cried over the sound of everything else happening in this hallway. I look up to find Mrs. Kingsley hurrying down the hall with a large trash bag. “I’m so sorry you had to see all this,” she says when she finally reaches me. “I thought I’d be able to get it cleaned up before you arrived.”

  Clearly, you didn’t.

  “It’s ok,” I tell her with a heavy sigh as I grab a teddy bear off the ground and dump it into the trash bag.

  “How are you recovering?” she asks. “Your mom phoned the school to say you were doing ok, but I wanted to check in with you anyway. It must have been scary.”

  “Scary doesn’t even begin to cover it,” I grunt as she tears flowers from the locker and throws them in. “Terrifying is more like it. I thought I was done for.”

  “I can only imagine,” she tells me, giving me a look filled with sympathy. “I know it’s probably not your thing, but remember that we have a school counselor that you can talk to. I know she’s been very busy lately with students believing the worst.”

  “I bet,” I grunt, dropping a candle in the bag with maybe a little too much force.

  “What about Nate?” she questions. “I heard he suffered a broken rib.”

  “Yeah,” I say. “He can handle it. It’s certainly not his first broken rib and I’m sure as hell it won’t be the last.”

  “Oh, yes,” she chuckles as the designated goth student walks past. The girl gasps at me with wide, horrified eyes, before clutching a cross at her neck and holding it out towards me as though she’s going to fend me off with her beliefs.

  Mrs. Kingsley and I follow her movements as she glues herself as close to the opposite side of the hallway while passing. “Is she for real?” I scoff. “Now, not only have I died, I’ve been resurrected.”

  “Careful,” she warms me with an amused grin. “There will be a witch hunt now. They’ll come after you with pitchforks and torches.”

  “I can only imagine,” I groan.

  She finishes helping me clear away my locker and promises she’ll arrange for someone to come and remove the spray paint today. She walks away, hauling the filled trash bag over her shoulder when yet another person I’ve never met before in my life comes running up to me, an absolute sobbing mess.

  “Just great,” I groan to myself. I mean, where the hell is Brooke and the girls? I need a group of people to hide in and right when I need them, they’re not here. Damn them. I’m removing them from best friend status for today. They can go on my shit list for a few hours. I’m sure that will teach them a lesson or two.

  I shoo the girl away and only end up groaning again when Jackson falls against the side of my locker. “Well, you don’t look dead,” he says with his signature smirk.

  “What do you want, Jackson?” I say, refusing to look at him as I make myself busy in my locker.

  “I’m just checking you’re ok,” he says. “I saw the fire from the party.”

  I let out a huff and turn to look at him. “Really?” I say, narrowing my eyes on him. “Lose any jackets lately?”

  His face scrunches up in confusion. “What?” he grunts.

  I watch him for a moment later before deciding he actually has no idea what I’m talking about. “Nothing,” I say, letting it go. “I’m fine.”

  “Good,” he says moving in a little closer. “I was worried about you.”

  “Are you kidding me, right now?” I snap. “Do you have bipolar or something? One minute you’re using me in your twisted games to get at Nate, and now you suddenly care if I got hurt or not?”

  He looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind. “I’ve told you this a million times; I’m not the asshole you keep assuming me to be, and yes, I have a problem with your boyfriend and it’s not going to change me wanting to kick his ass, but doesn’t mean I have a problem with you too. I think you’re a cool chick, Tora. I didn’t like hearing that you got hurt. You didn’t deserve that.”

  I try to work out his game plan but nothing is coming to mind, you know, apart from the obvious trying to butter me up for something. The question is what. “Um… thanks,” I say.

  He nods his head as his eyes quickly travel up and down my body. “Yeah,” he says, shoving his hands in his pockets and stalking away.

  What on earth was that?

  I watch after him as he disappears up the hallway but someone bragging about her new daddy steals my attention. I fall back against my locker and turn my whole body her way, making it clear as day that I’m listening in on her conversation.

  “It’s so great,” Phoenix boasts. “He came in late last night and brought ice cream and chocolate for me and mom and we watched a movie together. I’ve been waiting so long for this and I’ve finally got it.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” one of her bimbo friends says. “This has been yours all along. Screw Nate and Jesse. Oh, wait… you already did.”

  “I never screwed Nate,” she defends. “But I would have.”

  “Ugh,” her friend laughs. “You’re so wrong.”

  “I know, but it’s so good.”

  I roll my eyes at how pathetic she is. I mean, why the hell is it so important to her to have taken the boys’ father away? It’s not like she’s gaining anything good out of it, just a douchebag father.

  Phoenix turns and starts going through her locker as Brooke falls in beside me. “What’s going on?” Brooke asks, noticing that my attention is somewhere else.

  “Shhhhhh,” I say. “Phoenix is bragging about daddy dearest.”

  “Ahhhhhhhh,” she grins in understanding before dropping into my locker beside me. “Anything good?”

  “Not really,” I tell her. “She thinks the sun shines out of his ass though.”

  “Ha,” she scoffs. “Well, hopefully, she’ll learn the hard way.”

  “Fingers crossed.”

  I nudge Brooke when Phoenix turns back to her friends and we listen in a little closer as the hallway has grown busy with bodies. “Daddy said we can buy me a new car this weekend,” she gushes. “I was thinking a Jeep Wrangler.”

  “Are you serious?” her friend shrieks as a few other cheerleaders join them and start shrieking as well.

  “I don’t get it,” Brooke grunts. “She already has a car.”

  I start shaking my head. I’m not about to pretend I understand the inner workings of a cheerleader. I mean, Brooke’s right. Phoenix’s mom bought her a shiny red BMW for her birthday last year. She couldn’t possibly need another one.

  Eyes all through the hallway start looking in the same direction, letting me know the school bad boy has just walked in and I can’t help but look too. Nate walks through the doors, looking like the girl equivalent of a wet dream.

  He walks down the hallway and winks as he passes me, making me wonder if I’m overthinking the whole ‘not waking up in my bed’ thing this morning. He stops by his locker to throw everything in when Phoenix steps closer to me. “Watch yourself, Tora. You wouldn’t want to start a fight and have your boyfriend try to kill you…. Oh, wait. That already happened.”

  I narrow my eyes on her as the mental image of my leg kicking out and smacking her right in the vag flies through my mind. I mean, that would be so damn satisfying, but apparently, I have a problem with violence.

  I’m just about to give her a piece of my mind when I decide to be the bigger person. I don’t need to sink to her level and besides, that fire was the worst moment of my life. It was terrifying and I’m not about to let her turn it into something she can use against me. So, instead, I stand tall and let her know she’s got nothing. She pulls a smug smile as if she’s won something and walks away.

  “What was that about?” Nate says, coming over and pulling me into his arms.

  “You sister subtly suggested that you were behind the fire.�
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  His face scrunches up in disgust. “Don’t call her that. She’s not my sister.” He looks over my shoulder and his face scrunches again. “Shit,” he cringes. “I didn’t see all that.”

  I turn my head over my shoulder and realize he’s talking about the paint on my locker that I’d already forgotten about. I shrug my shoulders. “It was a lot worse,” I explain. “Mrs. Kingsley just carted off a full trash bag of flowers, candles, and teddy bears.”

  “Shit, really?” he grins. “I should have beat you here and stolen them. I would have had gifts sorted for you for the rest of our lives.”

  I shake my head. “That’d be right,” I tell him before pursing my lips. “Is, um… Is everything ok? You were gone.”

  “Yeah,” he says, giving me a smile that doesn’t reach my eyes, only serving to worry me more.

  I look up the hallway and see a familiar body walking down it. “Ahh, just the guy I’ve been waiting for.”

  “Huh?” Nate grunts as he follows my gaze to his best friend.

  I ignore him as I push my way out of his arms and grab the massive candy bar leaning up against my locker. I can deal with the Nate thing later, for now, I owe somebody my life. I walk up the hallway, and when I say walk, I half run to get to Puck and throw my arms around him.

  He catches me and wraps his arms around me. “Thank you,” I tell him. “I owe you the freaking world.”

  He pulls back. “You don’t owe me anything,” he tells me.

  “You saved my life, Puck,” I remind him.

  “No, the paramedics did that. I just kept you going until they got there. I got a good feel of your tits too.”

  I shake my head and ignore his ‘tits’ comment. He knows what he did was a massive deal but I’m not going to push, not here in front of the whole school. “Here,” I tell him, handing him the massive candy bar which is about the size of his long legs.

  “What the hell is this?” he grunts with a smile the size of Texas as he looks at the candy bar in disbelief. “I didn’t even know this shit came this big.”

  “Either did I,” I tell him. “But Google did and I convinced the company to make a rush delivery last night.”