Broken Hill Hearts (Broken Hill High 4)

Along with the ambulance, comes all the teachers and Principal Watkins.

Calls are made, detentions are given, teachers are arguing, but all I can focus on is the pain relief the paramedic is pulling out of the back of his ambulance in the form of a green whistle looking thing that I’m supposed to suck on.

They pile me into the back of the ambulance with Nate right by my side. Jesse tries to climb in and instantly has a tantrum when he’s told to step back. Though I don’t doubt he’ll be driving so close behind the ambulance that he’ll be violating a few traffic laws.

The second the back doors of the ambulance close, something changes in Nate. His cool, calm, and collected demeanour instantly vanishes and is replaced by pure panic and fear. He looks to me with terror in his eyes as he reaches out and takes my good hand in his. “Please tell me you’re ok,” he begs, bringing my hand to his lips.

“I’m fine,” I tell him, loving how the little green whistle dangling from my lips is making every little ounce of pain disappear, and well, it’s kind of making me feel a bit high too. “I feel good.”

“I swear, babe,” he says. “I’ll go back there and kill him for doing this to you.”

“Don’t,” I tell him, desperately needing to close my eyes. “I’m fine. It was an accident. It’s just a broken arm.”

“But it’s your arm.”

“It’s still attached to the rest of my body,” I grunt. “It’s not like I’ve lost it forever. It’s just a little broken. It will be completely fine in a few weeks.”

“More like a few months,” he grunts, clearly not pleased with how blasé I’m being right now.

“Chill out,” I tell him before looking up at the paramedic. “Do you have another one of these green things?” I ask. “Nate could really use one. He’s a bit uptight.”

The paramedic rolls his eyes and gets back to doing whatever the hell it is he’s doing.

“Fuck, Tora,” Nate snaps. “Would you be serious?”

“I am being serious. I’m fine.”

Nate lets out a long breath and quietly watches me. “Ok, I can’t do this anymore. You and me not being together. It’s fucking ridiculous. I tried staying away from you but it doesn’t work. I need you so fucking bad.” My heart rate starts to pick up as I watch him with hopeful eyes. “I know your plan is to make me sweat, but I can’t. I can’t wait any longer. Seeing you like this… I just… I feel so fucking helpless.”

“What are you saying, Nate?” I murmur as he continues holding my hand in both of his huge ones.

“I had this big plan to sweep you off your feet like those pussies do in those stupid movies you watch.”

“Really?” I smile.

“Yeah, I was going to remake that scene from ‘Ten Things I Hate About You.’ You know, the one with that song.”

“Can’t take my eyes off of you?”

“Yeah. That’s the one,” he laughs, moving closer. “I just, I can’t go on not knowing that you’re mine. Fuck all this fighting to impress you bullshit, I need you back now.”

I look up at the paramedic again. “I think this thing is making me have hallucinations.”

“Tora,” Nate groans. “I’m trying to spill my fucking guts out here. Would you be serious?”

“Fine,” I say, bringing my eyes back to him. “I’m just… I’m not sure? What about all that ‘doing it for my future’ crap? What happens when something goes down and I get in trouble? Are you just going to leave me? What about when dad comes up with his next line to keep us apart? It’s not easy, you know. You tore me to shreds.”

“Believe me, I still want what’s best for your future and I stand by the fact that I’m no good for you, but I’m too fucking selfish. I was such a dick. I never should have broken up with you in the first place. We’ve always been better together,” he lets out a breath as his eyes bore into mine. “I hurt you, Tora, and that’s something I’ll never be able to forgive myself for, but I swear to you, no matter what happens, I’ll never make that mistake again. Do you have any idea how much I fucking love you?”

I can’t help the smile that graces my lips. “I have an inkling,” I tease.

“What do you say?” he murmurs. “Are you going to let me make things right?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” I say, fighting so hard to keep a straight face. “Are you still going to serenade me with that song?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he says.

“I want the marching band and everything.”

“Anything you want, babe.”

My eyes light up and I take in just how serious he is. Nate Ryder, king of the badasses is willing to run around the school serenading me in front of everyone he knows just to get me back. “All I want is you, Nate,” I whisper.