Beautiful Broken Girl
Broken Girl Series Book 1
Rachael Tonks
Copyright © 2016 Rachael Tonks
Published: Rachael Tonks February 2016
Cover Design: Simon Cooke @ SC Creative
Cover Image Copyright: Aleshyn_Andrei, shutterstock.com
Interior Images licensed through Dollarphotoclub.com
Edited by Aleesha Davis & Amy Callaghan, Nouvelle Author Services
Interior Formatting by Angela Shockley, That Formatting Lady
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Beautiful Broken Girl - Playlist
I wake to nothing but the sound of beeping.
Am I dead?
My head feels like it’s been slammed against the ground a thousand times. I can’t move my body. What the hell happened to me? Think Kennedy, what’s the last thing you can remember? I slowly open my eyes, wincing at the bright lights, carefully taking in my surroundings. I look to the right and realize the source of the beeping is a machine attached to my chest. I look around and see four white walls and all I can smell is disinfectant. That’s when it dawns on me; I am in a hospital. Everything comes crashing back and the memories flood my mind. How far did I get? Who was it that found me? Were they here to take me back?
I hear voices coming from outside the room and panic instantly grips me. Inside my head I’m screaming. I won’t go back; I can’t go back. I’m careful not to let anything slip from my mouth; I don’t want them to hear me. I can hear my heart beating; it feels like it’s coming out of my chest. The machine starts to beep faster which causes me to panic even more. Desperately clutching at the wires attached to my chest, I rip them off one by one; flinching at the burning sensation it leaves on my skin. I look down to see the one last obstacle attaching me to the bed. A needle in the vein of my arm connected to a drip. I hear knocking at the door. I stop dead in my tracks, stop breathing completely. This is it, it’s over.
I look over as it slowly opens. It’s a woman and she is smiling. She is dressed immaculately and has the most amazing fresh face and curly brown shoulder length hair.
Why is she here? Who is she?
“Hello Kennedy, how are you feeling?”
The panic inside me intensifies as this unfamiliar face walks towards me. I suddenly begin to cry and start shouting, “No! Please let me go, they will find me here, you have to let me go!”
The unknown woman walks closer to me, small steps at a time, reaching her hand towards me she sweetly whispers, “Kennedy you are safe now. My name is Jocelyn and I’m here to help you; please let me help you.”
There is a genuine sound of care and the smooth tone to her voice has a mild calming effect on me. A thousand thoughts run through my mind. How did I get here and where exactly am I? All I remember is running, escaping and the tremendous fear of trying to break free. The woman named Jocelyn points to the chair at the side of the hospital bed. “Do you mind if I sit?” she asks. “Maybe we could talk a while? I can see you’re upset and I really want to help; try to understand. Do you know where you are Kennedy?”
“Why would you want to help me? You don’t even know me! I don’t deserve your help! Just let me out of here,” I lash out.
My breaths are short and shallow and I feel like the walls are closing in on me. I look around searching for an escape route; maybe an open window.
“Nobody is keeping you here. You are at Hoag Hospital Newport Beach and we are trying to help you. You were in such a terrible state when I found you Kennedy; unconscious, covered in blood and near death.”
She found me. Did I get far enough? Did I actually succeed?
Kennedy
I have barely left the comfort of the Peterson’s enormous home.
Jocelyn offered me a place to stay and I guess you could say I wasn’t really in a position to turn the offer down. I am blown away by her generosity; she has been nothing short of amazing to me. I didn’t know this sort of kindness even existed.
Jocelyn’s home is so tastefully decorated; I have never seen anything quite like it. I have totally fallen in love with the grand open floor plan and the sweeping staircase.
Jocelyn has planned and covered practically everything for my stay here. I know it’s not permanent, just until I can find my feet, but for now it is home. A very nice home. It has just been me and Jocelyn for the last couple of weeks; she has been fantastic during my recovery, really taking care of me. I owe her more than I can possibly ever repay. Don’t get me wrong, I do my bit around the house while Jocelyn is out at work, but this will never be enough to repay her overwhelming generosity.
We’ve used the past two weeks to really get to know each other. I think it’s her way of trying to get me to open up. I found out all about Jocelyn’s job working in child protection services, which is of course how we initially met. Mr. Peterson is away with their son Cole looking at Colleges. Although I know at some point I have to meet them, I can’t say I’m looking forward to it; in fact, I’m scared to death. They will take one look at me and see me for what I really am. Nothing but broken and tattered and certainly not worth the kindness that has been shown to me. Jocelyn speaks so fondly about Cole and by the sounds of it; he’s everything I’m not. The ultimate jock, star quarterback, popular; the whole package. He’s going to hate me. I hate myself come to think of it. I mean, when I look in the mirror, all I see is a messed up girl from a shitty background; what’s there to like?
I know the Peterson men are due home tomorrow, so for now I’m going to try and relax,
enjoy the freedom which I’m not sure will last when they return. Jocelyn has popped out, having work she needs to catch up on. I know she doesn’t like to leave me here alone, but I spend most of my time locked in my room anyway. I haven’t had much chance to take in the area and haven’t ventured far, other than the odd grocery store with Jocelyn. I really must try and find out more about the place that I currently call home.
I’ve been given one of Cole’s old iPod’s which has music on it I’ve never heard of before. The lyrics from a band play, the name of which is new to me and it really strikes a chord with me.
The singer’s voice calls to me, singing about being a broken girl, wondering where in life she went wrong. How she survives without being a legitimate person.
I listen to more, scanning through the vast choice of music on the iPod. The more I listen, the more I find I like Cole’s taste in music. I listen for a while longer, humming along the best I can to the songs I’ve never heard before, all the time trying to distract myself from the memories; pushing them to the back of my mind. Sometimes I get flashbacks from my time in the hospital and I try and grasp onto them but I never seem to be able to lock it down. Snippets of conversations with Jocelyn, with doctors, but nothing concrete. They always slip away.
The worst memories though, the ones that I could never forget, are of my past and where I came from. Those memories tumble over and over in my mind, never leaving me.
I pull out the earphones, glancing over to the clock on the wall in my room. Now is probably a good time to grab a shower before Jocelyn gets home. I really want to scrub down and get changed for when she gets back. Tonight we are going to get ready for my first day ever at school. After years of home schooling, I know Jocelyn understands this is a big deal for me. From what she has told me about the local high school, although totally daunting, it sounds like it could be fun. If this is to be my new life, I need to make some roots. I cannot let the past dictate my future any longer.
My mind occupied with thoughts of school, I strip off and wrap a towel around my now naked body. I head out of my room and across the hall, padding through the lush carpet and straight into the bathroom, gently closing the door behind me. I lift my head and freeze in shock. A God-like Adonis, water glistening over his defined muscles, stands in front of me. I can’t seem to rip my eyes away from his naked body until I catch a glimpse of his semi erect cock. I snap out of my trance and scream in shock, scrambling towards the door. In my haste, I drop the towel that was loosely wrapped around my torso.
“Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my bathroom?” he bites out. His piercing emerald green eyes glaring at me. He doesn’t even try to cover himself; he just stands there with a lip curling smirk, arms now folded across his well-defined chest.
I panic and drop to my knees, trying to conceal every inch of my flesh. I grasp desperately at the towel, throwing it around me as quickly as my hands will allow. I try to steady my nerves and summon the courage to say something. Anything. Instead I sit there and stare, stunned silent at the amazing looking man in front of me. I can’t help it.
“Say something god dammit! Why are you just standing there?” He shoots me a quizzical look while reaching past me to grab a towel. Shit. Now I understand why he’s been standing there naked. I shuffle sideways, still crouching, to allow him to get his towel. As he turns his back to me, I see his tight pert ass and blow out a huff as I try to steady my sudden rapid breathing. I grab the door handle and rush to open it. “Nice to meet you” I throw over my shoulder as I look back one last time before dashing out. I run to my room as quickly as my jelly legs will take me. Is that Cole? What the hell, is he back early? Shit, he must think I’m such a loser. My heart is beating through my chest so hard I’m pretty sure I can hear it. That boy is phenomenal with his dark brown, messy hair, piercing green eyes and the body of a Greek God. “Kennedy, get your head together girl, we cannot be thinking about the boy you live with like this. No, this is not appropriate,” I mutter to myself under my breath.
I rush to get dressed as soon as I can. Cole has no idea who I am and an introduction, with clothes, may be the best way out of this awkward situation. Jocelyn provided me with some things and I rifle through the closet to find something clean to wear. I slip on a navy polka dot summer dress, not too short but it accentuates my curves. I’m not the slimmest girl, but looking at myself in the mirror, in these clothes I didn’t look too bad.
I walk over to the door and open it slightly, trying to peek through the gap. I can hear footsteps approaching the room and panic. I hastily close the door and lean against it.
“Hello? Fuck, where did she go?” I hear him say as he walks down the hall. I can hear the thud of him banging on doors. Now I’m scared, he sounds really angry.
As the banging gets closer, a million fears run through my head. My breathing becomes rapid. Finally, he’s at my door and I just stand there, cowering. I’m glad I had the sense to lock it.
Bang, bang, bang.
“I know you’re in there,” he shouts.
“The fact that the door is locked is a dead giveaway, you know! And I can see your feet at the bottom!”
I cover my mouth because I think it will help, but I’m being stupid because he can see my feet.
Think Kennedy!
I slowly remove my hand. “What do you want?” I ask breathlessly.
“What do I want? Please tell me you’re not being serious. You’re in my house, I have no idea who you are and I just saw you naked. Surely I shouldn’t be the one that’s explaining themselves?”
“I saw you naked too you know!”
“Well, have you ever heard of knocking?” he spits back.
“You have to be kidding! As far as I am concerned, I didn’t need to freaking knock, you weren’t supposed to be back until tomorrow!”
“This is unbelievable; I can’t believe I’m having a conversation with a door. Just come out and tell me who you are.”
“I’m not coming out while you’re throwing a hissy fit. If you want to know who I am, maybe you should speak to Jocelyn. Your mother.”
“I know my mother’s name thank you very much. This is completely ridiculous. Are you always this stubborn?”
I don’t get a chance to say anything more as he stomps off like an overgrown man child muttering to himself.
I let out a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding and slide down to the floor.
Cole
“Cole,” my mother answers after the first ring. “How are you, son?”
“How am I? Is that supposed to be a joke? How do you think I am when a blonde bombshell with an ass to die for walks in on me in the bathroom?” Shit, did I really just say that to my mother? Although every word was true. This girl, whoever she is, has the most amazing body I’ve ever seen. Just the quick sight of her caused my dick to stir; she really is something else. Naturally blonde hair; not dyed like most of the chicks at school. No, a bone fide true blonde. Her hair flows in waves to adorn her glowing porcelain skin, complimented by her straight nose and full lips…. yeah not forgetting those lips. And of course it was hard not to notice those curves; those damn things are most definitely in all of the right places
“Cole, please watch your mouth,” my mother exclaims. “The young lady staying with us is Kennedy. Come to think of it, why are you at home? I thought you were back tomorrow; I was expecting you tomorrow.”
I could hear the panic in her voice.
“How is Kennedy? Listen Cole, we need to tread really careful with her, she has ummm…. how do I say this? A bad past? Issues? Just promise me, please don’t do anything to scare the poor girl, she is vulnerable right now,” I could hear the sincerity in my mother’s voice.
“What do you mean a bad past? Oh god Mom, please tell me she isn’t some nut job you’ve picked up through your job.”
The last thing I need is some bat shit crazy girl living in my house, invading my personal space.
“Cole! I can�
�t believe you just said that to me. I found this girl collapsed and close to death and the only thing I could get from her was her name. She has managed to open up to me Cole, and I feel like I am making progress with her. She needs me Cole. I didn’t feel like I could just turn my back on the girl; she has no one!”
“Okay, mom, okay. I get it, tread carefully.”
“Yes, and please make her feel welcome,” mom sighs through the phone. “I will be home soon Cole so please just be nice until I get there. Oh and where is your father? He’s going to flip out if he sees Kennedy before I have a chance to speak to him.”
“He had to sort out some things at the office Mom, don’t worry, he’s not home yet.”
“Oh good! I will be quick then, bye Cole.”
“Yeah bye Mom, see ya!” I hang up the phone and let out an almighty sigh.
Jesus! Shit just got real. What the fuck has happened to this girl? I start to head back upstairs; I haven’t got a clue what to say to her, especially after my mom told me to tread carefully.
I tap on the door lightly. I’d be surprised if she can hear. Hell, I don’t think I want her to hear me. I mean, I am literally stumped for words. What the fuck am I going to say to her? Shit, I’m not good at this sort of thing.
How can a girl so incredibly beautiful, so mesmerizing, have no one? Everyone has someone right? Friends’ or relatives…. and what the fuck happened to her before mom found her? God, my mind’s racing with a thousand thoughts and questions right now.
“Kennedy,” I begin, “It’s just me, Cole. I am so sorry if I scared you.” I pause, racking my brain, searching for the right thing to say.
“I’ve just spoken to mom and she kind of explained who you are, although I have to say, she didn’t give me much to go on…. But, err…..Why don’t you come out so we can meet properly? With clothes on this time,” I spout, a little teasingly.
Beautiful Broken Girl (Broken Girl series Book 1) Page 1