Broken Hill High (Broken Hill High #1)(30)

I pour my drink before his voice draws my attention away. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”

I look up to find him staring straight at me with a very disgruntled Ashley in his arms. “Don’t you think you should find a room?” I snap.

An ‘oooh’ sounds around us and it takes me a moment to realize what I’ve just done. Nobody challenges Nate Ryder, especially in front of a crowd like this. That’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way. I mean, over the last few days it’s been fine when it’s just me and him, but in front of people, that’s a big no-no.

He steps away from Ashley as his eyes narrow on me and comes right up in front of me. The butterflies in my stomach take flight and I find myself looking up into his eyes, meeting his challenge.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’ve had a few too many drinks or maybe I’ve just gotten used to screaming at him over the last few days. Either way, I’m not backing down and he sees that clear in my eyes.

Nate’s so close to me that with the slightest movement, I’d be touching him. He reaches out his hand and takes the bottle from my fingers while searching my eyes. “Don’t make me do it,” he begs for only me to hear.

I’ve been in this situation many times before to know that this is not how it goes. This is usually where he’d call me out and put me down. He’d say something to make everyone laugh or try to make me feel small but never has he asked me to back down.

I see it clear as day. He doesn’t want to hurt me. He has no problem kidnapping me, scaring me or yelling at me, but hurting me… that’s different.

Things are changing.

A part of me wants to know what he’s going to do if I don’t back down, but then, another part is screaming at me to let him off the hook.

“Alright, boys and girls,” Jesse says situating himself between us and pushing Nate back a step and trying to put out the fire. “We all need to get along if we plan on living together for the foreseeable future.”

Nate allows Ashley to pull him back and I let out a breath.

Situation resolved. Both Nate and I got away from that one without having to back down. Points all around. I think that deserves another drink. I grab the discarded bottle off the table and finish pouring my drink. I bolt out of there with my drink in hand before Nate has a chance to light another fire under my ass.

By the time I get back outside, the party seems to have doubled. The sun has gone down and the music is turned right up.

As I make my way back over to Courtney and Bec, I get stopped by a tiny little cheerleader in a string bikini. She grins up at me with her hands on her hips. I try to step around her but she blocks me again. “Heard you were getting around last night.”

“Excuse me?” I grunt.

“Is it not enough for you to break the rules with Josh? You had to take Nate and Jesse too,” Elle sneers.

“First off. I couldn’t give a shit about Josh. He’s a loser and I was only messing with him to get under your skin, and apparently, it worked. I was never dating him. Second. I haven’t taken Nate and Jesse. I couldn’t be any less interested.”

“Whatever,” she scoffs. “I knew you were a slut and now you’ve proven it. I’m curious though,” she says with a grin. “How do you make it work? Do you alternate beds each night or do they just come to you?”

I step into her, letting her see the fire within me. “What’s wrong Elle? Are you jealous that I have all these boys pining for my attention? I mean, I had the quarterback all over me when everyone knows he’s supposed to want you, yet it’s obvious he won’t go anywhere near you. And as for Nate and Jesse? Well, it’s pretty clear you couldn’t get your claws in there. You had to scoop the bottom of the barrel and open your legs for Maxen instead. You know Nate and Jesse don’t share right? You’ve just shot down your chances with them.”

Her whole face turns bright red and within the blink of an eye, she throws her cherry red drink all over me. I gasp as a hundred people around me gasp as well.

I have two options here. I can either run away and cry about it, or I can own it.

I choose option two.

I’ve never been a violent person so when my hand slaps across the side of her petite face, I think I’m even more shocked than she is, though I don’t show it.

She gasps and covers a hand over her stinging face before being the one to run away in tears. “Fuck, that was hot,” Jesse says as he laughs and throws his arm over my shoulder.

I roll my eyes and step out from under him as I take another sip of my drink. I step towards the pool and hand him my drink. “I think it’s time to cool off,” I smile before launching myself into the freezing water and letting the red sticky drink wash off my skin.

“Hell, yeah,” Jesse cheers before throwing my drink over his shoulder and running full bolt towards the pool. I squeal as he launches himself into the air and over the top of me before bombing into the water and splashing all the hoity-toity girls around us.

Within two seconds, the pool is packed with bodies and I find myself on Jesse’s shoulders wresting Brooke who sits upon Maxen’s.

I’ve never had so much fun at a party in my life. I mean this is ridiculous. I’m even brave enough to say that maybe Jesse is becoming a friend, just like we used to be when we were kids. I’ve missed his friendship and I guess after all these years all I had to do was let him know he’s an idiot. Nate though, that’s going to need a lot of mending before we can get the same friendship we used to have, in fact, that bridge might be well and truly burned.