Broken Hill Hurt (Broken Hill High 3)

We walk the rest of the way, hand in hand until we get to our favorite spot which just happens to have the best view of the track.

We watch a few races and by the end of the third, Nate can hardly keep still. “What’s the matter with you?” I question with a smirk. “Would you quit fidgeting?”

He pursues his lips and tears his eyes off the track to look down at me. “Puck said I could race his car,” he tells me.

Ahhhh, and it suddenly makes sense. He’s itching to get out on the track. “So, why don’t you?”

“Nope,” he says, shaking his head. “It sucks seeing your car as a mangled heap of metal. I’m not going to risk racing and doing that to someone else’s pride and joy. Especially not Puck. He’d kill me if I destroyed his car.”

“But you wouldn’t destroy it,” I argue. “You’re one of the best racers around here and what happened to your Camaro wasn’t your fault.”

“Nope. I’m not risking it,” he says as the scrawny guy who runs these races walks by and gives Nate a nod. Though, I can’t think of his name. It might have been Aiden or Adrian. No, it’s Aaron.

Aaron stops and walks towards Nate, holding his hand out. “No hard feelings?” he says.

“Nah, man. We’re good,” Nate tells him. “I’ll be back in a few months with a new car.”

“A few months?” he scoffs in surprise.

“Yeah,” Nate grunts. “I’m rebuilding a Mustang. It’s going to take a while.”

“Alright, sure,” he says. “Give me a call when you’re good and I’ll get you back on the track.”

Nate nods and Aaron walks away.

We watch a few more races with the guys and eventually, Puck and Ty show up. Though, luckily for Brooke, Max isn’t here. I doubt she’ll be that lucky at the party tonight. When the races come to an end and all the guys from Haven Falls Private are starting to get a bit rowdy and stoned, Nate calls it. “Let’s get out of here.”

“You read my mind,” Puck says. “I want to get to the lake already.”

“You just want to go skinny dipping with Courtney,” Jesse laughs, making a wicked grin spread across Puck’s face.

“Are you serious?” I shriek. “It’s way too cold to go skinny dipping. Your balls will shrivel up and fall off.”

“Hey, never you mind about my balls,” he says. “They can handle it and if not, I’m sure Courtney will help me warm them up.”

“Ugh,” I groan. “I don’t want to know.”

“Come on,” Nate laughs, taking my hand and pulling me away. “Let’s go. I want to get you drunk and take advantage of that sexy body of yours.”

I shake my head and try to hold in my laughter but it’s too damn hard. “I’m down for that.”

We get back to Jesse’s Range Rover and pile in before Nate takes off down the dirt road to get out of here. He pulls up at Broken Hill lake twenty minutes later to find the place already packed with dancing bodies, grinding against one another as others loiter by the water.

“Now, this is what I’m talking about,” Jesse grins from the backseat.

“For once, I think I agree with you,” Brooke laughs as she grabs her heels and slips them back on her feet. “Now, get me drunk.”

“My pleasure,” he says before they both hop out of the backseat and hurry towards the party.

“Shit,” I groan. “I’m going to have to keep an eye on her tonight.”

“Nah, she’s fine. Jesse will make sure she’s safe,” he says. “She just needs to let her hair down and forgot about this week.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

I climb out of the car and get my ass over to the dancing bodies. I find Brooke right in the middle with Jesse dancing up on her. I push him away and trade places. If anyone is going to be dancing like a skank ass bitch tonight, it’s going to be me.

Nate finds me a little while later and brings me a drink. He goes to walk away but I grab him and pull him back, not allowing him a chance to escape. He’s never liked dancing but right now, he’s got no choice. Though it doesn’t take him long to get into it, especially when I push my ass back into him and he grinds against me.

We find Courtney and Brylee, and ten minutes later, Elle stumbles up, looking as though she’s already drunk a little too much. “Hey,” she cheers holding her drink up before throwing it back.

“I’ll drink to that,” I tell her before doing the same with mine.

The girls follow suit as the song is changed to one of Brooke’s ultimate favorites. We all squeal as she starts jumping up and down.

Nate groans behind me. “And that’s my cue to go,” he says as he pulls me in tighter. “Don’t go far,” he tells me. “There are some guys here we don’t know.”