Broken Hill High Novel – ‘Go live with Nate Ryder,’ they said. He’s a bad boy through and through. A bully. Nate Ryder has been the bane of my existence for the past five years. He’s made it his personal mission to make my life a living inferno and now my parents expect me to go and live with the guy for the foreseeable future. No thanks. I’d rather gouge out my eyes with a toothpick than live with him and his little brother, Jesse. Only problem is, they have my parents wrapped around their little fingers, thinking they’re the good little boys they pretend to be. But I know better, Nate is not to be messed with. A guy who doesn’t care who he has to step on to get what he wants. He’s the devil and he knows it. Now that devil is my roommate. I better hold on tight because this is going to be one bumpy ride. One where I can guarantee that I won’t come out the same.
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. “No,” 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.
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 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 hips 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. “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.” I tilt my head up to him and bring my hand to rest against his chest. “Is that an offer?” I ask him, ignoring the way his skin burns under my fingers. I see the exact moment he thinks he’s got me. He leans in deeper, ready to take what he thinks is his. His hands find purchase on my waist. “Admit it and I’ll give you exactly what you want,” he murmurs. I smirk to myself before I run my nose up his neck and breathe him in. “When the day comes that I’m interested in getting an STD, I’ll be sure to let you know,” I whisper before pushing him off me. “Now get yourself dressed. I told you, I have a test.” His eyes narrow on mine, clearly not enjoying being played, but hey, what comes around goes around, right? I can’t imagine how many times he’s played a girl in that way.
“Why should I care about your stupid test?” he grunts as he looks down on me. “I’m not asking you to care about my test. I’m asking you to get youself downstairs and drive me to school,” I tell him. “This wouldn’t be your problem if you hadn’t been such a wanekr and brought me here.” He lets out a heavy breath before stalking back into his room and slamming the door. I hear him rustling around inside and I lean against the wall with a grin plastered on my face. I prop my foot up against the wall and cross my arms over my chest. Over the past few years, it’s always been Nate getting under my skin, except for now. Things are changing. I just put Jesse in his place and now I’ve done the same with Nate and it feels incredible. I mean, I’m victorious right now and the adrenaline pumping through my veins has me wanting to run up and down the hallway doing the chicken dance. I don’t know why I’m surprised by all this. I should have known that these guys don’t show up to school until the very last moment. Jokes on me. I should have sucked it up and learned how to drive my car.
Nate’s door is ripped open and he takes one look at the smugness that completely overtakes me before turning and practically running down the stairs. Clearly, Nate Ryder is not someone who enjoys losing, but unfortunately for him, I’ve just got a taste for the good stuff and I’m not about to let that slip through my fingers. I have to hurry to keep up with Nate as he storms out the front door and jumps straight into his Camaro. The engine purrs to life and something tells me he’s not about to wait for me to take my time. I throw myself through the passenger door of his car just in time for him to take off like a bat. I’m not even sure if the door was closed before he hit the gas. I pull my phone out and check the time to see that the first warning bell would be ringing right about now, but if he keeps up with this ridiculous speed, I’ll make it to my class just in time, assuming I don’t stop by my locker first. A minute later, Nate pulls into the parking lot of Broken Hill High and as the bell has already rung, the lot is absolutely packed, but naturally, Nate drives straight through all the cars and finds a spot right at the front. It takes me a minute to realize this must be his spot. Not that we have designated spots here, but I’m sure people are just terrified that he’ll beat out of them if they were to park in a space that’s declared as his.
The second his car comes to a stop, I scram. I hurry up to the school and run towards my class just in time to watch the teacher placing the test on my empty desk. I fly through the door and fall into my desk before rummaging through my bag for a pen. The teacher tells the class that we have exactly forty minutes to complete the test, he then hits a timer and leans back with the morning paper. I let out a breath and try to calm my racing heart as I write my name at the top of the sheet. That was way too close for my liking. Next time, I’ll be more prepared. By lunchtime, I collapse down into the chair beside Brooke. “I’m exhausted,” I tell her. “Today has literally been non-stop.” She silently turns her head my way and narrows her eyes on me. “What’s that look for?” I grunt. “There’s a rumor going ‘round ‘bout you,” she says. “Oh great,” I say with a groan as a million possibilities come to mind. I mean, has Jesse said something to get payback for this morning, or maybe it’s Nate who’s come up with something after I shut him down. “What is it this time?” “That you were seen getting out of Nate’s car this morning,” she says with a roll of her eyes as though the possibility of me doing that is slim to none. I press my lips together and look away. “What?” she shrieks. “What, Tora? Please tell me I’m imagining this.
I mean, how? There’s no way my best friend voluntarily got in Nate Ryder’s car this morning, as the best friend I know would have rather walked,” she tells me before an annoyed crease appears between her eyebrows. “And for another matter,” she adds. “It’s lunch. Why am I only just finding out about this now?” I let out a heavy sigh. “Believe me,” I tell her. “Me riding to school with that sewer rat is only just scratching the surface.” “Huh?” she grunts. “What could possibly be worse?” “Try living with him,” I say. Her mouth pops open before it slowly closes again. “Umm… I don’t even know what to say to that. You’re joking, right?” “I wish,” I grunt. “His mom sent him to check on me after you left last night and he deemed I was incapable of looking after myself. He practically kidnapped me and took me back to his place. I’ve had to deal with his glares and Jesse’s comments all night.” She throws her arms around me. “Oh, Torz,” she says with a pout.
“That would have been horrible.” “Believe me, it was,” I say. “That’s why I’m going to need you to give me a ride back to my place after school. There’s no way I’m staying there all weekend.” “No problem,” she says before a wicked grin crosses her lips. “Now, tell me you’ve got dirt on them? There’s got to be dirt.” With that, I launch into my rundown of how my night went, but I find myself skipping over major parts of the story, say like, when I threw up my dinner and how I’d caught him with another girl. I also skip right over the part about what happened up against the wall this morning. As we talk in the cafeteria, I can’t help but notice stares digging into me from three separate tables. My first instinct is to look across to Nate’s table, only for the first time in years, it’s not his stare that’s coming my way. It’s his girlfriend, Ashley.