Broken Hill High (Broken Hill High #1)(17)

She lets out a relieved sigh. "Ok. I was worried there. I don't think I could handle you being sick again, not with everything that's going on with your Nanna."

"How is she?" I question, happy to change the topic and have the spotlight off me.

"It's not looking good, sweetie," she says in a pained voice. “I think this might be the end of the road for Nanna, but she’s putting up a tough fight. You should prepare yourself.”

“Really?” I question with a heavy heart as my eyes grow watery. “Do you think I could maybe video chat with her? Or maybe I could make her a video for you to play for her.”

“I think that would be lovely,” mom says with a heavy sadness. “She’d love to see you. She’s been asking for you.”

“Really?” I ask again.

“Yeah, sweetie,” she chuckles. “I’ve already shown her all the pictures on my phone twice.”

“Oh, geez,” I laugh. “I have a free period today. I’ll make her a video and send you some more things to show her.”

“That would be wonderful, darling,” mom says. “I better go, it’s getting late and we have an early start tomorrow with the doctor appointments.”

“Alright, mom. I love you. Let Nanna know I love her too.”

“I love you too, Tori. Be a good girl for Trish,” she reminds me before ending the call.

I put the phone back down on my bedside table and close my eyes. It’s only seven in the morning so I can still sleep a few hours before having to get up and get ready for school, but then, I’m so out of my comfort zone being here that finding sleep again is going to be impossible.

Instead, I get myself up out of bed and lay down on the floor. I go through my morning ritual of performing all my sit ups and push ups before adding a few squats and finishing on a good stretch.

I head into my personal bathroom and get myself showered and ready for the day before heading downstairs and grabbing a banana out of the fruit bowl. I pass Jesse in the kitchen who has made himself at least eight pieces of toast, a bowl of porridge, and a fruit salad.

Jesse sits on the kitchen counter in nothing but a pair of sweat pants, annihilating his breakfast when he sees me walking past. He grins and winks, a trait I’m sure he’s picked up from his brother. “How’d you sleep, princess?” he asks as his eyes roam up and down my body like a predator. “Were you lonely in that big bed by yourself?”

I roll my eyes and scoff as I continue walking. I don’t know what happened to these boys. They used to be so sweet and now they’re… well, them.

With still another hour left before I need to leave, I try picking back up on the book I was reading last night and just as I had hoped, I get pulled right in.

When I glance at the clock, I realize I’m late.

“Shit,” I grunt as I throw my Kindle in my bag and dash out of my room. I hurry downstairs and search out the boys, only I can’t find them anywhere. Crap. I bet they’ve left without me. That prick. He knows I don’t have a car here. I should have expected this.

I make my way back upstairs, grumbling under my breath about dickheads when I see Nate’s room is still closed without a sound coming from within. I march right up to his door and bang my fist into it over and over again until he responds. “What the fuck do you want?” he groans from inside.

“Are you seriously still sleeping?” I demand through the door. “School starts in ten minutes. You need to get your lazy ass up and drive me. I can’t be late today,” I tell him. “I have a test first period.”

The door is pulled open and I suddenly have a very shirtless Nate standing right before me, and with the way he’s leaned in towards me, it’s almost as though his body is calling for me to reach out and touch it. My eyes can’t help but travel up and down his muscled body and I hate how alive I feel inside.

“See something you like?” I hear from up the hallway. My eyes snap up towards Jesse to see him striding towards us with a smirk. He walks right up to me and throws his arm over my shoulder. “You know,” he says before indicating towards Nate. “This guy has a girl, but I’m more than willing to strip off if you need something to feast your eyes on.”

“Seriously?” I grunt as I push his arm off my shoulder. “To me, you’re still a kid. And besides, if I was going to fall victim to one of the famous Ryder brothers, I’m going to go with the big shot, not the consolation prize.”

Jesse’s mouth literally drops open as he gawks at me, looking completely dumbfounded. “Huh,” he breathes. I narrow my eyes on him and wait for whatever awful comment he’s going to come out with next, but what he does come out with, shocks me right to the core. “Fuck yeah,” he grins. “Besides Nate, nobody has the balls to put me in my place,” he says as a grin slowly spreads over his face. He holds his hand up for a high five before leaning in and whispering in my ear. “I liked it.”

With that, he steps away and struts down the stairs like he couldn’t be happier. I’m reminded of why I’m standing here and turn my attention back to Nate to find him grinning down at me. “Big shot, huh?” he questions with a sparkle in his dark eyes.

I let out a groan. “You’re kidding, right?”

He steps forward into me and the move has me stepping back into the hallway. He takes another step and then another and I find myself pressed up against the wall. “Admit it,” he says as he pushes up into me and leans his head down to mine. “I saw the way you were watching me last night. You want to know what it’s like, don’t you? You’re intrigued.”