Broken Hill Hearts (Broken Hill High 4)

P.P.P.S. Eat something!

P.P.P.P.S. You’re lucky this list isn’t longer!

Damn it.

I let out a huff and decide I better get started if I expect to enjoy any part of my holiday… I mean, suspension.

I walk into the den and connect the speakers to my playlist and hit play. If I’m going to remain sane while spending the day scrubbing toilets, then I better have something to sing along to and stop myself from daydreaming about Nate’s perfect six-pack… and arms. And chest. Oh my, his chest. Wow, just wow.

Hmmm, now where to start? Kitchen or bathrooms? Kitchen. Definitely kitchen. After all, there’s only one of them and seven bathrooms. Though, I don’t understand why I have to clean the bathrooms. It’s not like we use them. They’re all guest bathrooms and we each have our own private bathrooms in our bedrooms.

Damn it. This sucks big, fat, nerd balls.

I grab a fruit bar and get started. I may as well get it over and done with.

Half an hour in and my phone starts going off in the den. I waltz on in and grab it off the coffee table. Shit, three texts from Brooke, on top of the calls and texts I ignored last night.

Brooke – HELLO????? Are you alive or did your mom feed you to the neighbor’s dog?

Brooke – Dude? What’s going on? You coming or are you up shit creek?

Brooke – Screw you! I gave you last night because I figured you were upset, but now you’re just being a bitch.

Shiiiiit.

I knew ignoring those texts last night was going to come and bite me in the ass. I get typing as quickly as my little fingers will allow.

Tora – FORGIVE ME!!!!!!! PLEASE???????? I got a week suspension. Mom tore me a new asshole last night.

Brooke – Shit. You’re fucked!

Tora – I know.

Brooke – Elle’s my new best friend now.

Tora – Whore!

Brooke – Jealous much?

I put my phone down and have to pick it back up when I start getting an influx of texts from Brooke.

Brooke – Mr. Tall, Broody, and Sexy is here. He looks weird…. confused? Uh oh. He’s looking for you.

Brooke – Shit. He sees me. Crap, he’s coming. What do I do? What do I do?

Brooke – Does he know?

Brooke – TORA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I try to keep up with her texts but every time I go to hit send, a new one comes through. Shit. This isn’t good, slightly amusing, but so not good.

I wait patiently, desperate to know what’s going on.

Tora – ??????????

Tora – What happened? Are you alive?

Tora – Does he know?

Crap.

Brooke – …………

Brooke – You’re fucked! Lock the doors and hide! A hurricane is coming your way.

Oh no.

I run out of the den and straight up the hallway to the front door. I flick the lock and hit the button to shut the gate. I have no doubt he’s going to be here in less than three minutes and it’ll be my head on the chopping block. Crap. I can only imagine what he’s going to say.

This isn’t good. This isn’t good.

I thought I had a least a few hours before he’d find out. I didn’t expect him to search out Brooke like that. The poor girl, she would have tried her hardest, but when Nate wants information, he will go to extraordinary lengths to get it. She probably shit her pants. I’m going to have to buy the poor thing a day at the spa to recover… actually, maybe I’ll book a spa day for us both. Sounds good.

I hurry up to my room. I don’t know why though. Here is going to be the first place he looks to find me, but I feel safe here.

Why am I freaking out so much about this? It doesn’t make sense. No way in hell would he ever consider hurting me. I mean, he is going to lose his shit in a big way, not to mention, he’s had the whole car ride over here to think about what he’s going to say. It’s going to be a big one, and to be honest, I’m not sure I can hold back when it comes to defending myself.

I walk over to my window and peer out to find, at the end on my long driveway, the gate slowly peeling back as a very frustrated driver threatens to nearly run it down. Crap, he got here faster than I thought he would.

Oh no. What do I do?

I look at my bed. I mean, I could hide under it like a little bitch, or I can face the music. Bed? Music? Damn, the bed sounds good, but I’m sure as hell he’ll find me and drag me out by my little toe.

Guess I’ll be facing the music.

The Range Rover comes screeching to a holt and a second later, he’s flying out the door as I walk out of my room. I go down the stairs to hear him trying to break down the door. “Tora?” he yells through the door. “I know you’re there. You have three seconds to open the damn door before I knock the fucker down.”