Jesse (Broken Hill Boys 5)

I get down to the front gate of my home and jump over it, not wanting to risk having the alarm go off inside. I make my way toward Tyson’s car and he rolls forward to meet me in the middle.

I drop down into his car and the second my ass hits the seat; he takes off like a bat out of hell. The music is turned up and my face is dropped into my phone as more and more people reply to my message.

Being Jesse Ryder is a fucking awesome gig. Everyone loves me. I’m the cocky, nice guy who isn’t afraid to throw down when I need to. The girls are mine for the taking while the guys are bowing at my feet, desperate to be on my good side. Simply put – I’m fucking awesome and everyone knows it. Did I mention that I have a habit of being an arrogant jerk?

Nate and I have had the attention of the whole fucking town on us since we were kids. We’re the fucking Ryder brothers and to be honest, our reputations aren’t great. Nate is known as the silent brooding guy who will go to extremes to protect those he loves, while I’m slightly different. I’m the guy who’s more than ready to go. You cross me and you better fucking duck because you can guarantee that my fist is already flying your way.

When I started my junior year, I never expected things to turn out the way that they have. I couldn’t even get through week one without drama. Tora Roberts. She came crashing back into our lives and ever since, there’s been nothing but drama. Usually, when someone brings my world drama, they’re fucking gone in the blink of an eye, but Tora is different. She forced her way back into our lives and she made us fall in love, both in a very different way of course. Nate is like full-on, crazy fucking obsessed with the chick, while I love her like the sister she was meant to be. She’s become my new best friend, slotting straight back into our lives without even trying. Despite Nate and Tora currently not being together, I know they’ll work it out and spend the rest of their lives together.

We’ve had all sorts of bullshit come our way over the last six months. There was Josh Henderson, shooting his shot in a bad way, Puck getting jumped, and Jackson Millington ramming Nate off the fucking race track, narrowly escaping with his life. There was a fire and way too many fights, but to be honest, I’m starting to lose track of how many times I’ve almost lost my brother this year. On top of all of this, my parents’ marriage ended abruptly with my father’s affair coming to light. Now I can’t seem to shake the memory of my whore of a half-sister grinding on top of me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get passed the notion that she always knew who I was to her, and she wanted me just the same. Fuck, it makes me sick. How does all this shit happen in such a short time frame? So, tonight I’m going to party and forget and it’s going to be fucking epic.

All I want is to relax, well to be completely honest, I want to relax and stir some fucking trouble. I’ve had enough trouble of my own and I’m not going to lie, watching other people suffer through the bullshit that I’ve had to suffer through is kind of amusing. Besides, it’s fun and I’m always down for a good time.

Ty pulls up outside a big house and we grin as we find the front gate wide open. He drives on through and parks right by the front door. We climb the stairs leading to this girl’s home and giddy excitement travels through me as I press the buzzer.

The door is opened by the girl in my English class and at first, she looks confused over who could be standing at her door, but as she takes us in, her confusion morphs into flustered nervousness. “Jesse Ryder?” she questions, as she flicks her eyes across to Ty with an excited smile spreading over her face. “Tyson? What are you guys doing here?”

I step right into her doorway and lean against the frame, looking down at the girl and enjoying the way she fumbles with my closeness. I’m pretty sure her name is Lauren, but to be honest, I couldn’t really be too sure. “We heard you were having a party.”

“Well, I mean…it’s not exactly a party. I’m just having a few friends over,” she says as I hear high-pitched laughter coming from her friends deep within her home.

“Really?” I murmur as a slow grin spreads across my face. I hood my eyes and let them travel up and down her body, knowing this will never fail and just as I expected, she looks completely dazzled. “Can we join?”