Broken Hill High: The Broken Hill High Series (Book 1)

by Sheridan Anne

  The door is pulled open and I suddenly have a very shirtless Nate standing right before me, and with the way he’s leaned in towards me, it’s almost as though his body is calling for me to reach out and touch it. My eyes can’t help but travel up and down his muscled body and I hate how alive I feel inside.

  “See something you like?” I hear from up the hallway. My eyes snap up towards Jesse to see him striding towards us with a smirk. He walks right up to me and throws his arm over my shoulder. “You know,” he says before indicating towards Nate. “This guy has a girl, but I’m more than willing to strip off if you need something to feast your eyes on.”

  “Seriously?” I grunt as I push his arm off my shoulder. “To me, you’re still a kid. And besides, if I was going to fall victim to one of the famous Ryder brothers, I’m going to go with the big shot, not the consolation prize.”

  Jesse’s mouth literally drops open as he gawks at me, looking completely dumbfounded. “Huh,” he breathes. I narrow my eyes on him and wait for whatever awful comment he’s going to come out with next, but what he does come out with, shocks me right to the core. “Fuck yeah,” he grins. “Besides Nate, nobody has the balls to put me in my place,” he says as a grin slowly spreads over his face. He holds his hand up for a high five before leaning in and whispering in my ear. “I liked it.”

  With that, he steps away and struts down the stairs like he couldn’t be happier. I’m reminded of why I’m standing here and turn my attention back to Nate to find him grinning down at me. “Big shot, huh?” he questions with a sparkle in his dark eyes.

  I let out a groan. “You’re kidding, right?”

  He steps forward into me and the move has me stepping back into the hallway. He takes another step and then another and I find myself pressed up against the wall. “Admit it,” he says as he pushes up into me and leans his head down to mine. “I saw the way you were watching me last night. You want to know what it’s like, don’t you? You’re intrigued.”

  I tilt my head up to him and bring my hand to rest against his bare chest. “Is that an offer?” I ask him, ignoring the way his skin burns under my fingers.

  I see the exact moment he thinks he’s got me. He leans in deeper, ready to take what he thinks is his. His hands find purchase on my waist. “Admit it and I’ll give you exactly what you want,” he murmurs.

  I smirk to myself before I run my nose up his neck and breathe him in. “When the day comes that I’m interested in getting an STD, I’ll be sure to let you know,” I whisper before pushing him off me. “Now get your ass dressed. I told you, I have a test.”

  His eyes narrow on mine, clearly not enjoying being played, but hey, what comes around goes around, right? I can’t imagine how many times he’s played a girl in that way. “Why should I give a shit about your stupid test?” he grunts as he looks down on me.

  “I’m not asking you to give a shit about my test. I’m asking you to get your ass downstairs and drive me to school,” I tell him. “This wouldn’t be your problem if you hadn’t been such a dick and brought me here.”

  He lets out a heavy breath before stalking back into his room and slamming the door. I hear him rustling around inside and I lean against the wall with a grin plastered on my face. I prop my foot up against the wall and cross my arms over my chest.

  Over the past few years, it’s always been Nate getting under my skin, except for now. Things are changing. I just put Jesse in his place and now I’ve done the same with Nate and it feels incredible. I mean, I’m victorious right now and the adrenaline pumping through my veins has me wanting to run up and down the hallway doing the chicken dance.

  I don’t know why I’m surprised by all this. I should have known that these guys don’t show up to school until the very last moment. Jokes on me. I should have sucked it up and learned how to drive my car.

  Nate’s door is ripped open and he takes one look at the smugness that completely overtakes me before turning and practically running down the stairs. Clearly, Nate Ryder is not someone who enjoys losing, but unfortunately for him, I’ve just got a taste for the good stuff and I’m not about to let that slip through my fingers.

  I have to hurry to keep up with Nate as he storms out the front door and jumps straight into his Camaro. The engine purrs to life and something tells me he’s not about to wait for me to take my time. I throw myself through the passenger door of his car just in time for him to take off like a bat out of hell. I’m not even sure if the door was closed before he hit the gas.

  I pull my phone out and check the time to see that the first warning bell would be ringing right about now, but if he keeps up with this ridiculous speed, I’ll make it to my class just in time, assuming I don’t stop by my locker first.

  A minute later, Nate pulls into the parking lot of Broken Hill High and as the bell has already rung, the lot is absolutely packed, but naturally, Nate drives straight through all the cars and finds a spot right at the front. It takes me a minute to realize this must be his spot. Not that we have designated spots here, but I’m sure people are just terrified that he’ll beat the shit out of them if they were to park in a space that’s declared as his.

  The second his car comes to a stop, I scram. I hurry up to the school and run towards my class just in time to watch the teacher placing the test on my empty desk.

  I fly through the door and fall into my desk before rummaging through my bag for a pen. The teacher tells the class that we have exactly forty minutes to complete the test, he then hits a timer and leans back with the morning paper.

  I let out a breath and try to calm my racing heart as I write my name at the top of the sheet.

  That was way too close for my liking. Next time, I’ll be more prepared.

  By lunchtime, I collapse down into the chair beside Brooke. “I’m exhausted,” I tell her. “Today has literally been non-stop.” She silently turns her head my way and narrows her eyes on me. “What’s that look for?” I grunt.

  “There’s a rumor going ‘round ‘bout you,” she says.

  “Oh great,” I say with a groan as a million possibilities come to mind. I mean, has Jesse said something to get payback for this morning, or maybe it’s Nate who’s come up with something after I shut him down. “What is it this time?”

  “That you were seen getting out of Nate’s car this morning,” she says with a roll of her eyes as though the possibility of me doing that is slim to none.

  I press my lips together and look away.

  “What?” she shrieks. “What the hell, Tora? Please tell me I’m imagining this. I mean, how? There’s no way my best friend voluntarily got in Nate Ryder’s car this morning, as the best friend I know would have rather walked,” she tells me before an annoyed crease appears between her eyebrows. “And for another matter,” she adds. “It’s lunch. Why am I only just finding out about this now?”

  I let out a heavy sigh. “Believe me,” I tell her. “Me riding to school with that sewer rat is only just scratching the surface.”

  “Huh?” she grunts. “What could possibly be worse?”

  “Try living with him,” I say.

  Her mouth pops open before it slowly closes again. “Umm… I don’t even know what to say to that. You’re joking, right?”

  “I wish,” I grunt. “His mom sent him to check on me after you left last night and he deemed I was incapable of looking after myself. He practically kidnapped me and took me back to his place. I’ve had to deal with his glares and Jesse’s comments all night.”

  She throws her arms around me. “Shit, Torz,” she says with a pout. “That would have been horrible.”

  “Believe me, it was,” I say. “That’s why I’m going to need you to give me a ride back to my place after school. There’s no way in hell I’m staying there all weekend.”

  “No problem,” she says before a wicked grin crosses her lips. “Now, tell me you’ve got dirt on them? There’s got to be dirt.”

  With that, I launch into my rundown of how my
night went, but I find myself skipping over major parts of the story, say like, when I threw up my dinner and how I’d caught him with another girl. I also skip right over the part about what happened up against the wall this morning.

  As we talk in the cafeteria, I can’t help but notice stares digging into me from three separate tables. My first instinct is to look across to Nate’s table, only for the first time in years, it’s not his stare that’s coming my way.

  It’s his girlfriend, Ashley.

  She must have heard about the whole car ride thing unless Nate has told her the whole story, which I very much doubt. I mean, I wonder what her perspective would be on Nate dirtying the sheets with that random girl last night?

  I look across to the next stare to find Elle and roll my eyes. It’s been a week since she confronted me in this very room about Josh, and so far, her bark has been a lot worse than her bite. She hasn’t had the balls to do anything about it which could either be a good thing or a bad thing. I mean, she could be too busy with cheer practice to make any moves, or she’s planning something big.

  Just great.

  Next up, it’s the eyes of Josh, only this isn’t quite so much as a stare, it’s more of a leer. You know, the ‘I’m going to get you naked’ leer which is honestly not the best look for him. I mean, the more and more I spend time with him, I realize he isn’t all that great. He has the looks and the title of being the quarterback, but he also has the personality of a brick wall. I’d rather watch paint dry than spend any more time with him.

  I’ll have to drop this thing. Sure, it was fun to start with, but it’s getting boring quickly.

  The bell for the end of lunch rings and before I know it, it’s the end of the day and I’m dashing down to Brooke’s car in hopes of not being seen by Nate. I find it only three cars down from his and duck down beside it until Brooke comes strolling out without a care in the world. “What the hell are you doing?” she grunts as she takes me in.

  “Shut up and unlock your damn car,” I tell her.

  She grins and hits the button before I peel the door open and slide myself in. Once I’m in the safety of her car, I finally give myself a chance to look around. I see Josh walking down to his Jeep with some random cheerleader under his arm. There’s Jesse and his best friend Tyson, who are probably figuring out where they are partying tonight as, after all, it’s Friday night. Then last, there’s Nate, walking down to the parking lot with Ashley under his arm. I follow his movements as he gets to his car and she slips in the passenger side. I let out a breath. It doesn’t look as though he had any plans on driving me home from school after all. Maybe I’ve gotten away with it for tonight.

  Chapter 7

  I lay back on my couch as the music sails right through my home. It’s so good to be here.

  I know I was only away from my place for a night, but since last night, I’ve realized I’ve been taking advantage of my home. I should be taking pride in the time I get to spend here as I never know when it will be ripped out from under me by brooding teenage boys.

  Courtney struts around my kitchen, making herself a sandwich while Brooke lays on the opposite couch, flicking through the channels on the TV.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” I hear Bec’s voice call from the front door.

  “We’re in the den,” I yell back.

  Not a moment later, she waltzes in and drops her things on the hallway table before falling into the seat beside me. “I heard a rumor about you today,” she tells me.

  “I know,” I groan. I mean, how many times am I going to be asked about this? “And yes, it’s true.”

  “Really?” she shrieks with wide eyes. “You’re actually dating Josh now? It’s official?”

  “Huh?” I grunt as I sit up straighter. “What the hell are you talking about? I’m not dating Josh.”

  Brooke bursts into laughter at my misfortune while Bec gets a look of complete disappointment over her face. “Oh,” she says. “He’s apparently telling everyone that you guys are official now.”

  “You’ve got to be shitting me,” I groan as I pull my phone out from my jeans pocket. “I’ve hardly spoken to the guy since school went back.”

  I start typing out a text.

  Tora – WTF?!!!!! We’re dating now?

  He responds almost instantly and has my blood boiling.

  Josh – You’re welcome.

  Tora – Did it occur to you that maybe I don’t want to date you? You’re going to have to try a little harder than that.

  Josh – Challenge accepted, baby!

  Josh – Bush party tonight at Maxen’s. Come with me.

  I roll my eyes at his last text. I mean, that’s more of a demand rather than a question. I turn my phone around and show the girls. “Apparently, there’s a party on Maxen’s property tonight,” I explain. “And we just got our invitation.”

  “Hell yeah,” Brooke says, jumping to her feet as Courtney walks in with her sandwich, completely lost as to what’s going on.

  Their excitement is contagious, but I don’t know if I’m going. I mean, it’s at Maxen’s place and being Nate’s cousin, I’m sure both the Ryder boys will be there. No thanks. That’s a hard pass. I’ve had enough of those boys to last me a lifetime. The last thing I need is to be partying with them.

  Though, with the boys out for the night, that would give me a chance to go over there and get all my crap back without being interrupted.

  Brooke practically bounds out of my house with a promise to meet me tonight so she can get home and decide on what she wants to wear. I shake my head at her excitement. Brooke is the wild one and she’s had a thing for Maxen since we started going to school together.

  I get it, he’s devilishly cute and has the same dark eyes as Nate and Jesse. He’s a bad boy through and through and I don’t doubt that given the chance, he would take Brooke for the ride of her life, only it’s her heart I’m worried about. Don’t get me wrong, Brooke has had plenty of one night stands and random hook-ups, but she’s never once had feelings for the guy. It was always just fun.

  But Maxen… I don’t know. He has the power to hurt her and I don’t like it one bit.

  Courtney and Bec eventually disappear to get themselves ready as well and I find myself sitting here alone. I consider myself a bit of an introvert. I love being alone, especially as it gives me uninterrupted hours of reading time, though, right now, I’m not feeling it.

  Maybe it’s empty nest syndrome. Mom and dad are gone and over the past week, there’s been a lot of me time. Maybe too much me time.

  The rest of the afternoon drags by and I even manage to force myself to eat a bread roll.

  It’s well past nine at night when I find myself sitting in the driver’s seat of my Audi, looking over all the gadgets while I google how to drive this thing. I read step by step and slowly take myself up and down the driveway. I mean, I’m going to have to learn how to drive it at some point, and besides, I want my clothes back.

  I consider myself a good driver… usually, but right now, I feel completely out of my depth, but practice makes perfect and what better time than the present. It’s late and most of the traffic has already cleared off the roads anyway.

  There are two separate ways I can get to Nate’s place and one includes the main road which will be busy, otherwise, I can add a few extra minutes to my drive and take the back streets. So, with my plan in place, I slowly bring the car to a stop at the top gate.

  I lean over and enter the code, and before I know it, I’m swallowing back my fear and pulling my baby out onto the road.

  The car practically jumps when I shift which has me constantly hovering over the brake while trying not to take my eyes off the road to focus on the gear stick. I feel like a complete fraud driving this thing. I mean, it’s my first time in my car and I’m not even enjoying it.

  I get a few beeps from annoyed drivers who eventually go around me, but after an agonizingly long twenty minutes, I pull into Nate’s driveway, pleased his gat
e is already wide open.

  As I get further down the driveway, I cringe to myself. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Nate isn’t out. He’s standing right in the middle of his open garage, leaning over the hood of his car and fiddling around with the engine.

  As I get closer, he straightens himself out and I realize that, once again, the guy has lost his shirt. I mean, what is this? Do the Ryder brothers not own any clothes? Nate stands tall to watch the show and I find myself cringing again. This is going to be embarrassing.

  I try to downshift and slow down but only manage to make the car jolt forward again. I see the laughter in his eyes yet he stands like a statue, acting as though nothing gets to him.

  I bring the car to a stop and leave the keys in it with the engine running. Though, I can’t quite remember if I’m supposed to leave the car in neutral or in first. Not wanting to pull up google and embarrass myself further, I think it over and come to the conclusion that first gear is for moving slowly, so I push down the clutch and pop the car in neutral before putting on the hand brake and getting out.

  I walk down to the garage, mostly proud of myself for getting here without scratching my car. I studiously ignore Nate as I aim for the internal door of the garage and have to stop when he sidesteps and places himself right before me. “What do you think you’re doing?” he questions as his stare seems to look right through me.

  “I’m getting my stuff,” I tell him as I cross my arms over my chest and look up at him as though I don’t have a spare second to waste, especially not on him.

  “What do you need it for?” he asks as he looks down at me with a knowing grin. “Getting ready for a date with Henderson?”

  I quirk an eyebrow as I watch him. “What’s it to you?” I question as I raise up on my tippy toes and put myself impossibly closer. “Jealous?”

  He scoffs as his eyes become hard. “Get in the car.”

  “Excuse me?” I laugh.

  “You heard me, Tori,” he says, grating on my nerves for using that nickname. “Get your ass in my car.”