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

by Sheridan Anne

  “So, I guess I should probably do the same for you, huh?”

  “Sure,” he says with a shrug, probably not giving a shit how I treat him.

  I chuckle to myself as I start searching for a shirt. “In that case, you should probably know that I’m sick and your face is currently squished into the pillow I’ve been breathing on all night.”

  “Ugh,” he says, throwing himself off the bed.

  I ignore his grunting and groaning as I finish getting myself dressed. “I’m assuming you cavemen aren’t going to let me leave?” I ask.

  “Nope.”

  I let out a sigh and start packing a bag. “Here,” I say, throwing a bag at him and pointing towards a whole lot of my school things. I mean, if I’m going to be held hostage at their place then I better have something to do when I’m busy ignoring them, and I refuse to get behind on my school work. Not if I plan on getting into college.

  Ten minutes later, we’re sitting in his Escalade and driving back to the Ryder home, the one place I really don’t want to be. “How come you get a car like this and Nate got a Camaro?” I question, looking around at all the differences.

  “Believe me, mom and dad would have preferred he got an Escalade too, but he wanted that. They offer to buy one for him nearly every week but he refuses. He loves that Camaro,” he explains. “He bought it about a year ago and spent every weekend working on it so he could race it.

  “Seriously?” I question as I try to wrap my head around his story. I mean, I did not take Nate as the kind of guy to spend his weekends like that. I expected wild partying and girls. Not working his ass off in the garage. “I always assumed his weekends were spent four inches deep.”

  “Four inches?” Jesse laugh. “Give the guy some credit. He didn’t get his reputation by only having four inches.”

  I roll my eyes and am pleased when my phone ringing draws the conversation away from Nate’s dick. I search through my bag until I find my phone and smile down at the screen when I see mom with an incoming video call.

  I hit accept as fast as I can and hold the phone up before me. “Hi, mom,” I smile as the realization of just how much I miss her hits me. “How are you?”

  “Good, sweetie. How are you?” she says through a bad connection as she sits in my Nanna’s living room beside my father. “I hope you’re behaving for Trish and Cade.”

  “I am,” I tell her, ignoring the scoff from Jesse beside me. “What are you guys doing?”

  “We’re just check-” she cuts herself off. “Are you in a car?”

  At that, my father’s face appears on the screen as he looks at my surroundings. “Yeah, I’m with Jesse,” I tell them before turning the phone towards Jesse then back to me.

  “Oh, that’s lovely. How is he? Is he doing well?” Mom asks.

  “Ask him yourself. He can hear you, you know?”

  Mom rolls her eyes as Jesse responds. “I’m doing fine Mrs. Roberts.”

  Mom gives an affectionate smile while placing her hand on her chest. Her whole face suddenly changes as the hand on her chest covers her mouth and a gasp comes sailing out. “Are you two on a date?”

  “What?” I shriek as Jesse starts laughing. “No, mom. Jesse doesn’t date women. He objectifies them.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she says with a shake of her head. “Though, from memory, it was always Nathaniel you had a crush on.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I say as Jesse laughs even harder. “Nate is more of a pig than Jesse is. I’d prefer to date a doormat.”

  “Oh, stop,” mom scolds. “Those boys are the sweetest boys I’ve ever met. You’d be lucky to have either one of them.”

  I let out a sigh. “I’m going to hang up now,” I tell her.

  “Oh, fine,” she groans. “I’ll check in with you later.”

  “Alright, mom. I love you guys.

  “Love you too, angel,” my father says as mom starts blowing kisses towards the screen. “Love you, sweetie. Be good,” she finally says before ending the call.

  I put my phone back in my lap and look over at Jesse who’s busy smirking at me. “What?” I grunt as I narrow my eyes on him.

  “You know Nate isn’t as bad as you think he is,” he tells me.

  “Are you delusional? I know he’s your big brother and all, but seriously? He’s done nothing but torture me for the past few years,” I remind him.

  “There’s a method to his madness,” he says. “He took you to the race last night so you wouldn’t go to the party.”

  “What?” I grunt. “Why the hell not?”

  “Because your quarterback was bragging how he was going to get you drunk so he could fuck you.”

  My eyes widen in shock as I watch Jesse pull into the 24/7 diner. “What?” I screech. “He did not.”

  “I’m sorry to break it to you, Tora, but he did. The guy is a loser.”

  I let out a sigh. “Well, that would explain why he told everyone we’re dating.”

  “Wait. So, you guys aren’t actually dating?” Jesse asks.

  “No,” I scoff with distaste. “I mean, we made out at a few parties and he flirts a bit at school, but that’s about it.”

  “Hmm,” he says to himself before opening the door and sliding out.

  I hop out of the car and hurry around to Jesse’s side. “I don’t get it though. Why would it matter to Nate if I was going to go to that party or not? Aren’t you guys all for screwing random chicks at parties?”

  Jesse pauses at the door of the diner with his hand resting on the handle as he looks back at me. “Look, we’re assholes, but we’re not complete assholes,” he says. “We draw lines at screwing girls who have drunk more than they can handle. Josh was going to take advantage of you and that doesn’t sit well with us, especially not with Nate.”

  “Why especially not Nate?” I question as he pushes his way through the door.

  “He’s got a soft spot for you.”

  “Ok,” I laugh. “Now I know you’re lying.”

  “Trust me,” he says with a secret in his eyes. “Every single time he’s been a dick, there’s been a reason behind it.”

  I fall silent as millions of confusing and conflicting thoughts swarm my mind. I mean, what the hell is going on here? It’s not possible that Nate would have been doing something nice for me. It’s a thought I completely refuse to believe.

  Jesse walks over to a booth before indicating for me to follow. He shoves a menu in my hands before getting busy skimming over the pages of his own. “What are you having?” he questions a moment later.

  “I’m not hungry,” I tell him.

  Jesse pulls out his phone, presses a few buttons, and slides it across the table to me. “Too bad,” he tells me. I look down at the phone to see a chain of text messages between Nate and Jesse.

  Nate – Get Tora and give her breakfast. Make sure she eats every last bite.

  Jesse – Seriously? Forget about her. I’m still partying.

  Nate – Tough shit. Go now.

  Jesse – Fine. You fucking owe me.

  Nate – Code for the gate is 1005.

  Jesse – Dude! How the fuck do you know that?

  Nate – Get on with it.

  “Huh,” I grunt to myself before sliding the phone back over to him.

  I mean, does he like me?

  No. That couldn’t be. It has to be something else. Something is going on here that I just can’t work out as it doesn’t make sense for Nate to be looking out for me.

  I mean, yes, he saved me from Josh’s dirty plans by taking me to the race, but he didn’t have to be such an ass about it. He could have just said ‘Hey, Tora. I heard Josh saying this. Maybe it’s a good idea to stay away’ in which I would have said, ‘Oh, thanks. I was planning on skipping the party anyway.’

  He also forces me to eat as though he gives a shit.

  This makes no sense.

  “So, what’ll it be?” Jesse says, indicating to the menu with a nod of his head.
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  I let out a heavy sigh. “I’ll go with the pancakes.”

  “Good choice,” he grins.

  Forty minutes later, we walk out of the diner after having Jesse scoff down his breakfast and wait patiently until I finished my whole plate. Though, he did threaten that if I didn’t eat it he was going to jam it down my throat. Apparently, he’s worked out my little secret, otherwise, Nate has spilled the beans.

  We get back in his car and he drives us back to his place. Before we know it, we’re there and Jesse is walking my bag of things all the way up to my room, he even manages to place it down nicely on my bed. I thank him and he excuses himself to sleep the day away.

  Nate’s bedroom door is closed and I have absolutely no idea if he’s in there or not, and quite frankly, I don’t think I want to know.

  I’m way too confused by him right now.

  So, with Jesse out of the picture for the rest of the day and Nate hopefully, somewhere else, I grab my Kindle and my phone and head down into the den. I make myself comfortable on the couch, making sure to stay away from the one that Nate was entertaining on the other night, and I prop my feet up.

  Actually, come to think of it; there could be all sorts of DNA covering this couch. A shudder rushes through me and I run back up to my room, grab the blanket off my bed, and lay it down on the couch before climbing in for the afternoon.

  I grab my Kindle and finally give myself a chance to finish my book.

  Chapter 9

  It’s well past three in the afternoon and I have had at least a hundred text message from the people at school, each and every one of them asking if the rumors are true.

  One. Am I living with the famous Ryder brothers?

  Two. Was I the girl who was at Nate’s race?

  Three. Was I or was I not on a date with Jesse this morning?

  Four. Did I actually sleep with Josh at Maxen’s party?

  Five. Did I declare war against Ashley because I’m trying to steal her boyfriend?

  I address them all and set the story straight. Yes, I’m staying with Nate and Jesse against my will. No, I’m not dating either of them. Yes, I was at Nate’s race. No, I’m not dating or sleeping with Josh. And hell no, I’m not trying to steal Ashley’s boyfriend.

  I’ve been lucky that I still haven’t laid eyes on him since the race… or maybe he’s the lucky one as I have a few choice words to say to him regarding that whole situation.

  I’ve hardly seen Jesse either, except for when he barged into the den with a plate of lunch and sat there until it was completely gone. The second it was, he picked up the plate and disappeared.

  It’s been just me since then, and to be honest, I kind of like it that way.

  A text message draws my attention away from my shopping cart on my laptop and down to my phone where I find a text from Brooke.

  Brooke – Hey skank. I just heard you slept with Josh, Nate, and Jesse all in the same night. How the hell did you get so lucky?

  My blood boils.

  Tora – Are you serious?

  Brooke – Yep. What are you doing? Can I come over?

  I go to hash out a reply when I remember that this is not my home. I bring up Trish’s number that she demanded I store in my phone for just in case and hit call.

  I bring the phone to my ear and wait patiently for her to answer. “Tora, honey. Is everything ok?”

  “Yeah, hi,” I say. “I just wanted to quickly ask if it was ok for me to have a friend over?”

  “Oh, of course, sweetheart,” she says with a proud smile in her voice. “Do you have any idea how nice it is to have somebody ask me that? My boys haven’t asked me permission to do anything in the last ten years.”

  “I can imagine,” I laugh.

  “Now, listen, Tori. Did the boys tell you that Cade and I are out for the night?”

  “Um, no,” I say slowly.

  “We have a benefit dinner out of town for Cade’s work so we won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon, but I’ve left money on the counter so you guys can order a pizza.”

  “Ok,” I smile.

  “I have to run, but make sure those boys get to bed at a decent hour, alright.”

  “Alright,” I laugh. “I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”

  “Ok, sweetie,” she says. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  With that, she hangs up the phone and I get straight back to messaging Brooke

  Tora – Sure. I’ve been kidnapped again though, so unless you’re brave enough to walk through these doors, then I’ll see you in a bit.

  Naturally, Brooke’s curiosity is far too great and has her buzzing at the gate within the space of five minutes. I run around the house, trying to figure out how the hell to open the stupid thing. It takes me a few minutes and I giggle to myself as I watch Brooke through the monitor looking ever so impatient.

  Once I work it out, I meet her at the door and she barges her way in. I mean, Nate and Jesse have had plenty of parties here before, but this is different. When no one is here, it’s private. This isn’t the open home of a party, this is the privacy of the Ryder household. The one which holds all their secrets, not that I’ve really discovered any yet, only that Jesse isn’t as much of an ass as I thought. The jury is still out on Nate.

  This is the place girls all over Broken Hill are dying to get a look at. They all want to be a part of these boys’ lives and if just getting a little look inside is all their going to get, then you better believe they’ll take the opportunity with both hands and hold on tight.

  “This place is huge,” Brooke says from the front entrance.

  “What are you talking about?” I grunt. “You’ve been here before.”

  “I know,” she says as she walks deeper into the house. “But that was when there were people everywhere. It looks so much bigger now.”

  I roll my eyes at her logic and lead her up the stairs to my room. “Oh my god,” she whisper yells beside me. “Is this where they sleep?”

  “Yes,” I laugh pointing out the doors. “That’s Jesse’s room up the hallway and Nate’s right here.”

  She jumps away from the door right beside her as if she’s about to get herpes from being too close, though, I wouldn’t be surprised. That room is probably crawling with diseases. “Are they here?” she questions.

  I shrug my shoulders as I push into my room. “I don’t know,” I tell her. “Jesse was earlier but I haven’t seen him since lunchtime, and I haven’t seen Nate since the race.”

  “Oh,” she says with a grin. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go snooping.”

  “No way,” I laugh. “Can you imagine the things he’d do to me if he found out I was in his room?”

  “Come on,” she says. “Stop being a chicken shit. Live a little.”

  I shake my head. “By all means,” I tell her, indicating towards his door. “Have at it, but I’m staying here.”

  She’s gone within the blink of an eye.

  I get myself dressed into a tank and shorts as I listen to Brooke roaming around his room. I hear the noises of doors opening and closing before the sounds of drawers sliding forward and back. A few minutes later, Brooke comes storming back in. “Holy shit,” she laughs. “I went into the bad boy’s dungeon and came out unscathed.”

  “Congratulations,” I laugh. “You should get that printed on a shirt.”

  She rolls her eyes as she notices my dress change. “Why are you getting all dressed up?” she questions.

  “I’m not,” I tell her. “It’s a nice day so I thought we could sit out by the pool and get a little sun.”

  “Sounds good to me,” she says before peeking through my clothes. “Did you pack your bikini? I wouldn’t mind swimming.”

  “Oh yeah,” I say, as I dig it out and then a second for me. I hand it over and a few minutes later, we’re out the door with our bikini’s on underneath.

  “So?” I say as we get to the stairs and start making our way down. “Were you going to tell me abou
t your visit to the evil spawn’s sex closet?”

  “I thought you didn’t want to know anything about it,” she tells me.

  “Nu-uh,” I say, shaking my head. “Just because I didn’t want to go snooping through it, doesn’t mean I don’t want to know all about it.”

  “Ok,” she laughs as I lead her to the back door. “Well, for starters, it’s a lot cleaner than I thought it would be. Aren’t teenage guy’s rooms usually really messy?” she asks.

  “Um, I don’t know. Maybe?”

  She shrugs her shoulders and continues with her recap. “Well, I was expecting used condoms and food to be scattered everywhere, but it’s actually really clean. Don’t get me wrong, there were three boxes of condoms in his side table.” I roll my eyes as she continues. “His closet is super tidy, his bed was made, even his bathroom was clean.”

  “Don’t tell me you were snooping through his bathroom,” I groan.

  “Hell yeah,” she laughs. “There wasn’t even a single hair that I could steal so I could clone him and make a bad boy of my own.”

  I scrunch up my face. “Where the hell do you come up with this shit?” I laugh. She shrugs her shoulders again, but I find myself wanting to know more. “You’re telling me there wasn’t anything interesting in there?”

  “Well,” she says. “He had a scrapbook of drawings.”

  “Drawings?” I grunt. “What the hell is he drawing?”

  “Cars,” she says.

  “Cars?” I grunt.

  “Will you stop copying me?” she snaps. “But yes, they were drawings of cars.”

  My eyebrows pull down in curiosity. “What kind of cars?” I ask.

  “I don’t know, like old cars that he made look new. They all had different designs and stuff,” she says as she tries to figure out how to explain it.

  We get out by the pool and start peeling off our clothes. “Maybe he wants to get into restoring old cars,” I say as I fall down into the poolside chair and think about how Jesse had told me that he had practically built his car so he could race it.

  “Makes sense,” she grunts before launching into her rundown of Maxen’s party. “You know, Josh must have found me at least ten different times looking for you.”