I let out a sigh. Kaylah will never actually admit it, but I see the look on her face and the longing for friendship every time she looks at Tora, yet she’s always holding back. “I know you like her and I told her as much, but she’s not buying it,” I explain, recalling when I mentioned that they’d make great friends. I still stand by that claim, it’s just a matter of making it happen. “She comes from a world where she was surrounded by girly girls who all fawn over each other, and here, you hardly talk to her.”
Tora cringes. “You realize I’m not one of those girly girls who like to compliment other girls on their new hairdos?”
“I know,” I tell her with a grin, imagining it and realizing what a joke that would be. “I’m not asking you to. It’s just…it’s serious with her.”
“It’s okay,” Tora murmurs, pulling me into a tight hug. “It wasn’t my intention not to include her. I didn’t even realize it was happening, but I promise, I’ll stick to her like glue and make more of an effort. I mean, if she’s good enough for you to fall in love with, then there must be something special about her that I haven’t worked out yet.”
I beam down at this girl who has become so much more than a sister to me. “Thanks.”
“Who knows?” she teases. “Maybe I’ll fall in love with her too and steal her away.”
I narrow my eyes. “You wouldn’t?”
We grab the filled glasses off the table and start making our way out back. “Want to find out?” Tora chuckles, looking back at me over her shoulder.
Nate steals the drinks off Tora while he shoves his phone between his ear and shoulder, knowing she’s bound to trip and fall with so many glasses in her hands. We hand out the glasses and as I go to take my place beside Kaylah, Tora jumps in and steals my spot.
“Thanks for this,” Kaylah tells her, motioning to her drink as Nate’s eyes meet mine, pleased to see our girls making an effort with each other. After all, I hope they’re going to be in each other’s lives for a long time to come. “I would have died before the boys thought of getting up and getting drinks.”
“No problem,” Tora smiles as I find it impossible to tear my eyes off the girls. “How’s the baby been all afternoon?"
“Oh, my God,” Kaylah groans and I just know that she’s moments away from launching into her rundown of Jackson and I fighting over how to change a diaper.
Nate finishes his call and leans back against the couch, pulling Tora into his side. “I invited the boys over.”
I nod as Tora looks up at Nate. “Can I invite the girls?”
“Sure, but Maxen will be here,” Nate explains, making me raise a brow as I watch Tora’s reaction to the idea of Brooke and Maxen being in the same vicinity of each other after he cheated on her a few months ago.
“That’s fine,” Tora says. “Brooke can handle it. I think the whole Holly thing kind of sealed it for them. She literally couldn’t give two shits about what he does now.”
I scoff to myself. Brooke might say that she’s over it, but we all know that’s the furthest from the truth. That girl is never going to be completely over what Maxen did to her.
“Finally,” Nate groans, though I know he’s thinking the same thing.
Seeing as though there’s going to be people coming from everywhere, I glance across at Kaylah. “Did you want to invite anyone over? Looks like it’s going to be a bit of a party.”
Kaylah’s eyes light with excitement and she sits up a little straighter before her walls come slamming down. She gently shakes her head as she slouches back into the couch. “Nah, I’m good.”
I let out a sigh as I realize that she was thinking about Henley. She’s still hurting and I don’t know how to make it go away, but the thought has me glancing across at Jackson with a heavy scowl, knowing he was the one who fucked this up. Maybe he needs to be the one to fix it.
I go to reach for Kaylah and give her a bit of support but Tora jumps in first. “All my girls will come. I’ll introduce you properly. You and Elle would get along so well.”
Kaylah’s eyes brighten with excitement and a strange feeling of adoration flutters through me. I’ve been waiting for this moment. The chicks in my grade are alright, but they’re not Tora, Brooke, Elle, Courtney, and Bry. Kaylah has told me that she’s met Elle a handful of times through Jackson, but they haven’t really had a chance to hit it off. Who knows? Maybe Jackson has been holding Elle back so Kaylah doesn’t let her know why she’s so angry with her brother.
I catch Tora’s eyes and give her a grateful smile before winking. ‘Thank you’ I mouth.
Tora rolls her eyes and I see a ‘fuck you’ on the end of her tongue when a baby’s screeching comes from inside. I drop my head in frustration. “For fuck's sake,” I groan, getting up from the couch before looking down at Kaylah. “Don’t ever get pregnant.”
“Finally,” Jackson grunts as I walk away. “Something we can agree on.”
I make my way inside and grab the screaming baby. “What the hell do you want?” I groan, holding it to my chest and patting it’s back. I don’t know how I’m going to make it through the next two weeks with this thing. Maybe Jackson will take it home with him and I can be one of those part-time parents who only see their kid on Christmas and Birthdays.
I bounce the baby in my arms, willing it to calm. “I, uhh…I think she’s hungry. She might need her bottle.”
I turn around to find Jackson awkwardly standing in the opening of the den and I nod. That’s not such a bad idea. I grab the bag of supplies off the ground and make my way into the kitchen with Jackson trailing behind me.
I go to pass the baby to him but he shakes his head in distaste and grabs the bag from my fingers instead. He starts rifling through the bag for the bottle before glancing up and furrowing his brows. “Support her head,” he tells me.
“Her head is supported,” I snap back. “Where’s that bottle?”
Jackson huffs and I adjust the baby in my arms as he finally finds it. I get comfortable on the kitchen stool and he passes me the bottle before pulling out a diaper. “I think we should change her afterward. She hasn’t had a change in a while.”
“Yeah, we can’t forget to burp her this time. She gets angry when she has a sore tummy.”
“Shit, yeah. I forgot about that. Maybe she’ll like to play out in the sun once we’re done. We can set her up with a play mat or that rocker thing.”
“Holy shit,” Nate says from the backdoor, looking horrified at the sight before him while also extremely amused. “What the fuck did I just walk in on? It’s the Real Housewives of Broken Hill or something? Should I leave you three alone to be a family?”
“Shut up, man,” I scowl at him, grabbing a water bottle off the counter and launching it at him. “This shit ain’t easy.”
Nate narrowly avoids being hit in the head and catches the bottle before launching it straight back. Jackson steps in front of the bottle, letting it crash into his chest, protecting me and the baby from being hit while glaring at my brother. “Hey,” he demands. “That’s my kid. Be careful.”
Holy shit. Why does that make my heart feel so fucking warm? Anyone who protects my baby like that surely couldn’t be so bad. Have I had this wrong this whole time? Is everything everyone has been saying true? Is Jackson really a cool dude?
Nate raises a brow and watches in astonishment as I’m filled with a strange camaraderie towards this guy. I place a hand on Jackson’s shoulder and he turns around to look down at me. “Thank you,” I tell him from the deepest, darkest depths of my heart. “No one has ever looked out for my baby like that before.”
Jackson nods. “My pleasure,” he says, curling his hand around the back of the feeding baby’s head before bringing his eyes to mine. “Becoming a father has really opened my eyes to what’s important in life.”
“That’s so deep, man,” I tell him, getting caught in our moment, still with my hand on his shoulder. I glance down at our daughter, “But I couldn’t agree more.”
> “Fuck, no,” Nate says with a groan, interrupting our magical moment and realizing exactly what’s happening before his very eyes. “This can’t be happening. Don’t do it, Jess. Don’t go to the dark side.”
“I think I’m already there,” I tell him with a growing grin. “Believe it or not, but I think I’ve just fallen in love with the father of my baby.”
“Don’t be scared, Jesse. Call it what it is,” Jackson says. “We’re life partners. From here on out, I’m your guy.”
I nod, grinning up at Jackson as Nate groans and turns to head right back out the door. “Kaylah,” he yells. “You need to fix this. You broke them.”
Chapter 13
Kaylah
It’s finally summer break and the last few weeks have been incredible. Jesse and my brother are getting along so freaking well that it’s kind of beginning to freak me out. They formed some sort of ultimate bromance during the last two weeks of school with that baby and I don’t know whether to thank Principal Watkins for making my life so much easier or hate on him for forcing them together to the point that I hardly get to see either of them anymore. They’re always together and don’t get me wrong, I love seeing them being such great friends, but it’s weird. Maybe it’s just one of those things that I’ll have to get used to.
Jesse drags me out of bed first thing in the morning and I groan but his excitement is coming off him in waves and I find it impossible to be mad with him. “What’s got you in such a great mood?” I ask, rubbing a hand over my face as I take in his grey sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips while his washboard abs and wide chest are on full display, making my mouth water with desire.
He starts rushing around his room, finding shit to wear then stops to look back at me with a contagious grin. “I want to take my boat out.”
“Yeah?” I ask as the excitement begins to bubble deep within me.
“Yep. I just need to convince Nate and Tora and then we’re good.”
“Why do we need them?”
Jesse gets back to grabbing his things and finds my bikini that’s been living in his drawer for when I come over. He grabs it and tosses it at me. “Because I need him to sink the boat trailer so I can drive it off.”
I shake my head, staring at him in confusion. “Yeah, I don’t know what you just said.” His brows furrow and I continue. “I’ve never been on a boat so I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m excited.”
“Seriously?” he questions, bounding toward me. “I get to take you on your first boat ride? Fuck, babe. You’re going to love it. It’s so fucking good.”
“Yeah?”
“Hell, yeah. Now, hurry up and get dressed so we can go. I’m going to wake Nate and Tora.” He runs out his door while calling over his shoulder. “Don’t forget your sunblock.”
I laugh to myself as Jesse rushes down the hallway. I hear him barge into Nate’s bedroom quickly followed by Tora’s loud squeals. “Wake up, fuckers. We’re taking the boat out.”
They groan and grunt and I’m pretty sure I hear something crash into the wall before Jesse laughs and whoops with excitement. Tora screams again just moments before I hear a loud thud against the floor and I wonder if Jesse literally just dragged her out of bed.
“KAYLAH,” Nate’s voice rings out. “Come and get your boyfriend.”
“No way,” I chuckle, getting dressed. “Your brother. Your problem.”
There’s another loud noise before Jesse howls out with a booming laugh. The bedroom door is slammed and then Jesse is barging into his room with wide eyes. “Shit, babe. We got to go before that fucker comes for us.”
“For us? Don’t you mean you?”
“We’re a package deal, Tiger. If I go down, then you’re coming right along with me.”
“You and Jackson are the new package deal so you can forget about dragging me down.”
Jesse grabs me around the waist before throwing me over his shoulder and spanking my ass. He grabs both of our phones, his keys, and wallet from his bedside table and before I know it, he’s racing out of his room and down the stairs. I hold onto him tight, terrified of Jesse skipping a step and falling to the bottom. It’s not a long stretch, seeing as though I watched him do that very thing only last week, though he managed to do it without spilling a drop of beer.
He pulls me along into the Ryder’s massive garage and I look around in awe. His place is incredible. The kind of shit the boys have in here is amazing. Actually, thinking about it, it’s sickening to know how much money is in this room alone, but I guess that’s just what’s normal for people in Broken Hill.
Jesse walks up to his boat and grins proudly. “Look at her,” he beams, “isn’t she beautiful?”
I look up at the boat and back at him. “Ummm…yes?”
“Damn straight,” he says. Jesse walks forward and starts looking over his boat and throwing in all his skis, wakeboards, life vests, and tubes.
Nate and Tora soon come down, dressed and ready with Tora’s arms filled to the brim with beach towels. Nate slips his phone into his pocket. “Everyone’s coming,” he says toward the boat.
Jesse’s head flies up on the other side. “Even Jackson?” he asks, making me roll my eyes with his newly found obsession with my brother. It’s ridiculous really.
“Yes,” Nate groans. “Even Jackson.”
“Fuck, yeah.”
We pile into Jesse’s Range Rover and as usual, Nate kicks Jesse out of the driver’s seat. I don’t know what that’s about. Maybe it’s a big brother thing where he always needs to feel in control. As he turns on the car and I glance into the front, I finally see the time. 7:10 am.
“What the fuck, Jess?” I screech. “It’s only seven in the morning. Why the hell are we doing this now? Couldn’t we have slept for another few hours and then left?”
Nate and Tora grunt while Jesse looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind. “Are you kidding? I want to make the most of the day. Besides, it’s the middle of summer and Broken Hill Lake is going to be packed. Do you have any idea how good it is to wakeboard when the water is like glass? Trust me, it’s best to be the first ones on the water.”
I roll my eyes and take his word for it. After all, I really have no idea what I’m talking about. We get about halfway there when Nate looks back into the backseat. ‘In three, two, one,’ he mouths.
“Shit. I gotta take a piss,” Jesse says. “Pull over.”
Nate follows instructions and as Jesse jumps out and pulls his dick out of his pants, I look up at Nate. “How’d you know he was going to do that?”
“Because it’s Jess. He’s like a big kid. He gets too excited and forgets to act like a human being. If you don’t remind him to pee before you leave, then you’ll be stopping on the way.”
I laugh and shake my head as I realize that he’s right. I never really noticed it before but since summer came and Jesse’s been out every day, living life to the fullest, there have certainly been more than a handful of times where we’ve had to stop on the side of the road for Jesse to pee.
The idiot in question gets back in the car with a relieved smile and orders Nate to step on it. We get to Broken Hill Lake in no time and just as Jesse had wanted, we’re the first ones here. I watch in amazement as Nate backs the trailer into the water with practiced ease while Jesse sits in the driver’s seat of the boat.
The engine is turned on and in the blink of an eye, the boat is floating out on the water and Jesse is taking off like a fucking pro. It’s honestly the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. The wind blows through his hair and a massive smile is spread wide over his face. The boat whips and turns and as he drives past me and Tora on the shore, we watch as water is sprayed up in a perfect arc.
As Jesse fucks around and Nate parks the car, I notice Jackson’s Charger pulling in with Puck’s Escalade following behind. Soon enough, everyone is here and Jesse is bringing the boat in toward the shore and attaching it to a buoy to get our day started.
I can’t tear my eyes off him, especially as the early morning sun beams down on his tanned skin. He presses a hand to the side of the boat and launches himself over the side until he’s dropping down into the water.
The water comes up to his waist and he starts walking toward me when the idiot trips over his feet and drops right down into the water until his whole body is submerged. Jackson howls with laughter up in the parking lot while I hear Nate chuckling as he makes his way back down here.
Jesse gets back to his feet, grinning with embarrassment as he flicks his hair, making water droplets glisten in the sun as waters rushes off his body, leaving him looking like my next meal. I’m completely mesmerized. How is it possible for someone to look this good? It’s like a scene out of ‘Aquaman.’
“Something funny?” Jesse says, curling his arms around my waist and slowly drawing me back towards the water.
“No, no, no, no, no,” I say, pressing my hands against his warm chest. “Don’t you dare.”
Too fucking late.
Jesse laughs and not a second later, we both go crashing down into the water with all the boys rushing in to join us and making the situation so much worse.
I stand in the water absolutely drenched and while I feel utterly miserable as I drip with water, I can’t help but laugh, knowing that without a doubt, I’m having the best summer of my life with new friends that I love and a boyfriend who makes every single day worth living.
Chapter 14
Kaylah
Why, oh why did summer have to end? It was the best summer I’ve ever had. Though I can’t deny that being a senior is also pretty damn thrilling, especially having the new king of Broken Hill High as your boyfriend.
It’s absolutely ridiculous. The kind of love Jesse got during our junior year was insane, but this is just off the charts. He’s the guy that has the final say, he’s the one who they all look to, he’s the shining star, and I couldn’t be happier to be his girl.
Jesse: Broken Hill Boys (Novella 5) Page 8