Broken Hill Halo (Broken Hill High 2)

We practically spent all of Saturday in bed while Jesse was the only one to get up, and that was to let the cleaning ladies in. When we ventured downstairs after dinner time, Trish and Caden were home and the place looked immaculate.

My body is still struggling to keep up with me and I have to concentrate extra hard on what I’m doing, otherwise I’m sure I’ll be cutting more than just the onions, and a trip to the emergency room isn’t exactly how I was planning on spending my night.

I finish dicing the onion and use the knife to push it all off the chopping board into a bowl before grabbing another one with a cringe. My eye sting from the stupid onions but I’m determined not to let the little bastards get the best of me.

I chop the ends off the onion and my eyes well with unshed tears. I hate chopping onions. “Try breathing through your mouth,” Trish chuckles with an amused grin as she cuts up the chicken. “It makes it easier.”

“I’ll try anything at this point,” I tell her as I awkwardly wipe my eyes on the back of my arm.

Trish finishes off the chicken and calls out with a voice that sounds right through the house. “Boys. Get your buts down here and make yourselves useful.”

I chuckle to myself as I hear noises all over the house as the boys fall in line. Nate appears in the kitchen first, looking as though he’s been working on his car again, while Jesse comes in behind him looking like he was fast asleep.

Jesse yawns. “What do you wa-”

“What’s wrong?” Nate demands, cutting off Jesse’s whining as he storms forward towards me, grabs me by the shoulders and checks me over as he takes in my tear filled eyes.

His eyes search mine for a moment before I hold up the onion. “Nothing,” I laugh. “It’s these stupid onions.”

“You’re ok?” he questions, just making sure.

“Yeah,” I smile. “I’m fine.”

He pulls me in quickly and presses a kiss to my forehead before pulling back and turning towards his mom. “What’s up?”

Trish is quiet for a moment as she watches us, and it’s then that I realize we haven’t actually said anything about our relationship to his parents.

Bomb dropped.

Can of worms opened.

Beans spilled all over the damn floor.

Her eyes grow curious before a soft smile gently lifts the corners of her mouth. She thrusts the chicken towards Nate. “Here,” she says. “Grill this for me.”

Nate takes the chicken from her as his eyes flick back to mine with an apology. Clearly, he’s just come to the same realization that I have and the bastard is going to waltz right on out of here, leaving me to deal with Mumma Bear.

A grin brightens his devilishly handsome face before he disappears out the backdoor with Jesse following behind with an evil chuckle.

I get back to my onions with flushed cheeks, ignoring Trish’s gaze which seems to pierce right into me. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” she questions softly.

At that, I place the knife down on the chopping board and turn to face her. I bite my bottom lip, unsure of where this is going to go and slowly nod my head as I look up at her.

“Oh, thank god,” she cheers as she throws her hands up and pulls me into a tight hug. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”

“Really?” I smile.

She pulls me back by the shoulders and lets go. “Yes,” she says. “I’m not blind. I know my Nathaniel has a way with girls, and well, I guess so does Jesse now too. But Nate has been pining over for you for so long, Jesse used to tease him so bad about it. I’m glad it’s finally happened. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer girl to reel him in.”

“Reel him in?” I question.

“Oh, come on,” she chuckles. “I’m old, not stupid. I know my boys are assholes.”

I can’t help but laugh with her. “They really are,” I agree. “But underneath the douchebaggery, they’re really good boys.”

She puts one arm around me and pulls me into her side. “They’re amazing boys, and to be honest, I’m so happy I won’t be finding random girls walking around my house in the middle of the night.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” I tell her.

Trish lets me go and dives through the fridge before pulling out a whole lot of mushrooms. She hands them over to me and I push the chopped onions out of the way.

I grab one and get started chopping while Trish collects the bowl of onions to take out to the boys. She looks back at me and smirks. “You’ve got to cut those mushies as small as possible. Jesse hates them and when they’re too small, he can’t pick them out.”