Broken Hill Hurt (Broken Hill High 3)

I shake my head. “Nah, I can celebrate with them later, let’s go just you and me.”

Tears spring to her eyes as she pulls me in again. “Ok, sweetie. I love you.”

“Love you too,” I laugh as I squeeze out of her iron-clad grip. “I’ll be back in a little bit. Maybe we can get dressed up too.”

“Give me a little more credit than that,” she chuckles. “I’ve had my outfit picked out for years.”

I roll my eyes as I turn back down the hallway. I hurry towards the door as mom calls behind me. “Drive safely.”

“I will,” I yell back as I break out the front of the house. I hurry down the stairs and dive into my car. Within the space of seven minutes, I’m coming to a stop out the front of Nate’s house.

The Range Rover isn’t here and the garage is closed so I’m assuming he hasn’t made it home from school yet, though, I have absolutely no idea what he’d be doing. He practically lives in the garage working on his Mustang.

I shrug my shoulders and walk inside anyway. This place still feels like home to me even though I was only here for two months. They were the best two months of my life.

I walk inside and hear someone in the kitchen. I head that way to find Trish making a mess of a packet mix cake. “What are you doing?” I laugh as I take in the scene before me.

Her eyes snap up and widen with excitement before she hurries around the counter and throws her arms around me. “Congratulations,” she cheers.

“What?” I laugh. “I literally only just found out. How did my mom even have a second to call you already?”

“Oh, you know your mom,” she smiles. “We figured you were coming here.”

“Yeah, you haven’t told him, have you?”

“No, of course not,” she says. “That’s your news to tell.”

“Do you know when he’ll be back?”

Her lips pull into a tight line. “I’m not sure, honey. You know how it is with these boys. I would assume soon though, he can’t seem to stay away from his silly car for long.”

“Ok,” I smile. “Do you mind if I wait in his room?”

“Sure thing,” she smiles. “I’ll bring you up a piece of this cake if I can ever get the stupid thing cooked.”

“That sounds great,” I laugh.

She squeezes my shoulder and sends me on my way. I head up the stairs and a moment later, I’m pushing my way through his door. Memories hit me like a freight train. Nate and I have spent so many hours in this very room. Really, really, special hours. Hours upon hours of nothing but pure pleasure. What I would give to have that back again.

I crawl up into his unmade bed, loving how it smells just like him and sit cross-legged in the very middle. I read and reread my acceptance letter, memorizing every tiny detail of it. This must be the best letter I’ve ever received. I might frame it and hang it on my wall right next to the space I’ll save for my college degree and then, of course, my glowing diploma from Harvard Law.

Roughly fifteen minutes pass when I hear the front door open and close before his angelic voice calling out. “Is Tora here? Is she ok?”

“She’s in your room,” Trish replies.

A second later, I hear him on the stairs and my heart starts to race, the same way it always does when I know I’m about to see the man I love. The door flies open and just like that, he’s standing right before me. His eyes scan my body up and down, frantic that something is wrong. “What are you doing here? Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” I tell him.

I watch as the worry seeps out of his eyes and is replaced with relief. “Why are you here?”

He walks around his bed and sits on the edge just out of my reach as he spies the letter in my hands. “I got something today, and I know things are messed up between us at the moment and you’ve spent the last few weeks majorly pissed off with me, but you were the only person I wanted to tell.”

His eyes soften and I melt. He’s like a drug to me and I’m addicted in the worst possible way. “What is it?”

I hand him the paper and watch as he scans over the words. His eyes widen as a massive grin takes over his handsome face. “You got in?” he says, giving me a look of absolute pride.

I nod as I try to contain my massive smile. “Yeah.”

“Fuck, babe,” he cheers, putting the letter down and grabbing me. He pulls me into his lap and crushes his lips to mine, giving me the celebration that I was really after. “You’re so fucking incredible,” he tells me as he pulls back and looks into my eyes.