Broken Hill Havoc (Broken Hill High Series 5)

Josh Henderson makes his way through the students and I find myself sliding down in my chair, hiding my face behind my laptop screen.

Holy shit. How could I not have seen this coming? Of course, he goes here. He fucked up his chances of getting into a major league school. He fucked up his chances of playing college ball. He fucked up his shot of making anything of himself and the only logical thing for him to do is aim for his back-up plan – go to the local college, study some basic course, and hope to God he finds employment afterward.

This isn’t something I was expecting. Nate had dealt with him over and over again and promised me that I’d never have to see the guy again, but none of us considered the fact that he’d go to the same college in the same damn town. I thought we were done with him.

How could I have been so stupid?

Nate is going to lose his shit when he realizes Josh is here and in the same class as me. He’s going to force me to switch classes and screw up the flow I’ve got going with my schedule. But that’s still not going to solve the issue of being on the same campus as the guy. He’s eventually going to see me and he’s eventually going to come after me.

To me, he took away my innocence, but to him, I took away his bright future, and if I take all the past few times I’ve seen him, I’d dare say the guy holds a grudge with one hell of a big chip on his shoulder. A guy like Josh Henderson doesn’t just move on and admit fault, he shoots himself in the foot over and over again until there are no more bullets left. He backs himself into a corner and tries to bulldoze his way out, and no doubt, I’ll be the one bulldozed.

Crap. Crap. CRAP.

This is not what I wanted for my day.

I was supposed to have a good, interesting class, do a little study, go home to see Brooke, and spend my night rubbing my naked body up against Nate’s. Not fretting and panicking over something I should have seen coming.

Shit.

I move my eyes off the back of Josh’s head and pay attention to Professor Harding droning on about something that I just can’t seem to concentrate on. My eyes keep flicking back to Josh and I work myself up so much that I feel like hurling, which would be stupid of me. The last thing I want is to draw attention to myself and let the prick know just who’s sitting in the row behind him.

When Josh leans back in his chair, I find myself also leaning back, instinctively needed to get as far from him as possible, but when his eyes flick across to the pretty blonde sitting beside him and leers at her as though she’s his next meal, flashbacks start rushing in.

His hand around my arm as he pulled me into the dark closet. The moment of confusion, thinking it might have been Nate wanting to fool around. The moment of undeniable terror as I realized what was happening. My heart racing. The tight grip on my body. The desperate need to get away. My head slamming against the hard wall. His lips on my body.

Tears spring to my eyes as a deep anger sets itself within me. How dare I shed a single tear over that rat bastard? I need to get out of here, but I wouldn’t dare risk making a move like that. It would be like a big red arrow pointing me out. I’ve done stupid things in my eighteen years, but I’m not that fucking stupid. I have no choice but to sit here quietly, hoping I can somehow manage to get myself under control and not throw myself across the desk and wrap my fingers around his throat.

As the class continues, my breathing becomes labored and I’ve bitten my bottom lip so much, I’m starting to taste blood. I can do this. My eyes flick to the clock for the umpteenth time, silently begging it to tick faster.

I focus on the screen before me.

I focus on the way Professor Harding’s dress shirt is slightly untucked at the side.

I focus on the engraved heart on my desk.

I focus on anything and everything to make the images in my mind stop haunting me.

My only saving grace is knowing that at the end of the day, I’ll be tucked safely under Nate’s arm.

The class finally comes to an end and I make a break for it before slamming my ass back down in the chair. I’ve waited this long, I can’t afford to be foolish now.

I watch as Josh drops a notebook and pen inside his bag before slamming his chair back into the desk behind him. The bag is slung over his shoulder and it doesn’t take him long to get to the bottom of the stairs, especially with the way he’s barging his way through the students, letting them know exactly what kind of asshole they’re dealing with.