Broken Trouble (Broken Storm Book 1) Read online

  "First thing’s first; it's movie time! We'll do our nails during, and then do clothes and hair after."

  Starre jogged through the house, turning on the TV with one hand while picking out a DVD with the other. "We'll watch Mulan first, since we planned on watching Tangled tomorrow. Sit!" Starre ran through the house while I set my bag of clothes down. I sat on the couch and waited for her to come back. When she did, she had a container filled with a variety of nail polish colors along with nail polish remover.

  She sat the things down, then went back to the TV, shuffling through the DVDs. "Where's the Mulan DVD?" she asked, her voice rising in panic as she tossed DVD cases aside in her search.

  "Umm, isn't it in the DVD player?" I asked, pointed at the TV, which had the main menu for the Mulan movie on the screen.

  "Ah, right,” Starre threw the DVD cases over her shoulder as she hopped onto the couch. "You're going to love Mushu and Khan!"

  I sat back on the bed, using some cotton balls and the nail polish remover to remove the nail polish I’d worn on my date. I couldn't help but smile at the memory, wondering if Dylan would ask me out again.

  I felt a hand smack my arm and my head snapped up to see Starre glaring at me, "Eyes on the screen, girly!"

  "Okay," I drew out, trying to judge if she was mad at me for daydreaming during the movie. She pointed to the screen, but the corner of her lip twitched, telling me she was serious, but not upset. She really loved her Disney movies.

  I looked back at the screen, watching as a girl cut off her hair with a sword before dressing in Samurai clothing.

  So Mulan was a tough chick; she was someone I could relate to. Maybe I could learn how to handle Jayden from her. There had to be a hot guy in this movie somewhere, there always was. When he finally appeared, you knew that he was the one she would fall for. Starre was right; I immediately fell in love with Mushu.

  I painted my nails black while watching the movie and made a total of a mess of it. I would need some nail polish remover just to clean up all the mistakes I made while staring transfixed at the screen.

  I couldn't decide which character I liked better; the short, husky-voiced guy, or the shy giant. I definitely liked Shang, he was a total hunk. This movie had me thinking like some fangirl who fawned over every likable character.

  I quickly finished my nails by painting the ends orange so I could watch the rest of the movie without being distracted.

  Starre would sing along with the songs and say her favorite phrases with the characters. In one part, she clutched her hands to her chest as if she was feeling the same things as Mushu.

  I was starting to wonder where the happy ending was. Didn't all Disney movies end in the girl and guy falling in love and living happily ever after? When Shang appeared on the screen, I smiled. There he was!

  The movie had ended too soon and I found myself staring at the end credits. I wished I had an old, spunky grandma like Mulan's.

  Starre hopped around. "What did you think? It was awesome, wasn't it? I can tell by the look on your face that you liked it. Who was your favorite? Do you want to watch it again right now?" Words and questions flowed from her mouth in a solid stream, her hand on the remote like she was ready to press the button to restart the movie again.

  "It was good," I admitted. Maybe I shouldn't have written off Disney movies as bad right away. Then again, maybe they were good because I had a friend to watch them with, and my life was headed in a not-so-bad direction at the moment.

  "Just good? Come on, you have to give me more than that!" Starre yelled, grabbing my arms.

  "Okay, so it was really good. Mushu was cute."

  "And Shang, too?" Starre asked knowingly.

  "Shang, too," I agreed.

  Starre's phone rang, interrupting us. "It's my boyfriend," Starre sang out before answering the call. "What? And you just now called to tell me that? No excuse. Okay, I'll see you in a bit. Love you, too," Starre hung up with a sigh, then squealed, "I'm going with you tonight! But we don't have very long until we have to go, so we have to hurry and get ready."

  We went upstairs to Starre's room, where I shuffled through the bag of my clothes. I finally settled on a white lacy long sleeved top that hung from my shoulders, black faux leather leggings, and tall boots that Starre let me wear for the night in exchange for a set of earrings she said would go perfectly with her top.

  I dressed in her bathroom before stepping back into her room to work on my makeup, switching places with Starre so she could finish getting dressed. When she walked in, I whistled. "Trevor’s going to be tripping over his tongue tonight."

  Starre blushed, then spun around in a circle and struck a pose. She had on a gray shirt that buttoned up the side with a loose, low hanging neck line, black skinny jeans, and gray ankle boots.

  "He's not the only guy who's going to do some tripping tonight. You look amazing!" Starre dug through her necklaces, searching for the perfect one while I straightened my hair.

  We were finishing up the last touches when Trevor appeared at the door. I guess since he was her boyfriend, her parents were past the whole “letting him in the house” thing. Starre didn't seem surprised to see him.

  "The guys are waiting in the truck outside for you, Nova," Trevor said, motioning to the door while he walked toward Starre.

  I smiled and headed to the door. "Okay."

  "Ah good, I want to ride with Nova," Starre said, heading towards the door, only to have Trevor's arm wrap around her waist, and hold her back.

  "I want you to ride with me, Starre," Trevor said, his voice hinting at some underlying meaning. They communicated with their eyes in a way that only a really close couple could do. It was something I saw Polly and Chili do.

  Starre pouted, but finally relented, "Okay, we'll follow you in my truck in a minute."

  When I headed outside, I noticed Gavin was in the driver's seat and everyone else was piled in the back. I headed over, wondering if this was normally how they traveled when they all went somewhere. I was pretty sure it was illegal for people to ride in the bed of the truck like this, but maybe things were different in the country.

  "Hop up," Landon said, making drumming sounds on the side of the truck. Dylan grabbed my hand as I climbed to keep me from falling, a slight blush to his cheeks. Wyatt grabbed my hand and led me past the other guys to the front, pressing my hand onto the rail that was attached to the back of the cab.

  "Hold on," he said, before smacking the roof of the truck. Gavin started it, the engine rumbling to life.

  We lurched forward, peeling out of Starre's driveway, dust bellowing out behind us. I willed myself not to fall and positioned my legs to get better traction, thankful I hadn't worn heels. Landon let out a loud whoop from behind me. I glanced back and watched as all the guys leaned against the side of the truck, smiles wide on their faces. This was probably something they did all the time, but I’d done things much more dangerous than riding in the back of a truck. I just had to remember not to get mad at one of them and accidentally shove someone to their death.

  We took a turn onto the main road and Landon toppled over before scrambling back up. Everyone laughed.

  Maybe they would accidentally fall out on their own. I hoped no one got hurt, because I was started to get pretty attached to them. I had a feeling tonight was going to be a wild night.

  I felt my hair whip around my face. It would look wild by the time we got where we were going.

  "Gavin, turn it up!" Landon yelled over the wind, smacking the side of the truck. I expected Gavin to yell right back at him, but instead the radio was cranked up louder. The truck may have been old, but it had a killer sound system in it.

  The guys all broke out into song, even Wyatt and Dylan. I was watching them let loose. I thought they all seemed carefree before, but this was different. Jayden started dancing beside me, his earlier punishment from Polly completely forgotten.

  Maybe that's what tonight was all about. Going out and forgetting all your tro
ubles and just having the time of your life with the people around you. Another truck pulled up behind us with Starre and Trevor in the back. Starre waved her arms around in excitement, her hair being completely messed up in the wind, too. I guess she hadn't known where tonight would lead either.

  Everyone continued to sing the song, which went on about someone cruising the town, and I couldn't help but smile. Tonight was going to be crazy and fun, as long as I relaxed and enjoyed it. I turned back around, facing towards the front of the truck and letting the wind catch my hair and blow it out behind me.

  I leaned forward and flung my arms into the wind and sang along with everyone. This was what a moment of complete and utter freedom felt like.

  Chapter 17

  When the guys said we were going out tonight, I had no idea what that meant. Where we ended up was unexpected, but completely obvious to anyone who knew ranchers, and how they partied.

  When I thought parties I’d been to in the past; I thought of too many people packed into a too small building. I thought of everyone getting completely wasted, and doing stupid stuff that they would regret in the morning. I thought of a place that smelled of booze, body odor, and vomit.

  Country parties were apparently different.

  Instead of the packed building, this was hidden in a patch of canyons out in the open night air. A huge bonfire was built. Trucks parked around it, and most of the people were just relaxing on their tailgates, drinking beer. A couple people danced near the fire, but it looked more like they were hanging out.

  This was my first party with the guys, so maybe there was more to it than sitting around, and drinking. Everyone seemed excited. I guess if things were too boring, I could always hike to the top of the canyon, and just hang out there until people were ready to go.

  It wasn't like I should drink much anyway. I didn’t need to spill my dark secrets at a party with people I actually cared about, and would be seeing again afterwards.

  Gavin pulled the truck beside the fire, and everyone piled out. Excitement was in the air. Starre walked over from her truck to meet me. She smiled; her eyes wide as she looked around, taking everything in. I felt out of place and unsure, so I followed her lead. I ran my fingers through my hair, working out some of the tangles from my hair.

  Several guys from the other side of the fire let out a whoop before hopping down from the tailgate of their truck and approaching us. One guy, a couple years younger than Dylan, swung his arms in the air, as if trying to expel his energy. "Finally you all made it! I was about to start the fun without you all."

  "Like you could have a party without us," Jayden smirked as he strode forward, "Is it all set up?"

  The guy caught sight of me and strode forward until he was directly in front of me. His green eyes gleamed with interest. He grinned and touched the brim of his hat, his curly blonde hair sticking out from under it. The freckles across his nose lit up from the fire. "Hey there, I'm Flint."

  I smiled back politely, trying not to look uncomfortable. Even though he was only a few years younger than me, it felt kind of like being hit on by a kid. Not that I knew what that felt like, but if I had ever been hit on by a kid, I was sure I would feel like I did now. Maybe I was just overwhelmed with all of the guys that were showing interest in me and I didn't want to bring anyone else in and complicate things more. Either way, I was trying to figure out how to let this guy down easy without hurting him, because he seemed nice and was their friend.

  "Nova," I introduced myself, letting my smile drop until it was barely there. Before I could turn away, he was leaning in closer. "Do you want to go hang out with me by the fire?" he asked.

  "No," Jayden said, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and tugging him away. "Off limits," he said firmly, redirecting Flint towards the opposite side of the fire. Jayden was yet again staking claim where he had none, but at least he wasn't feeling me up in front of Flint to prove a point. Maybe Polly's talk with him had worked. "Now, is it set up?"

  It only took Flint a second to realize what Jayden was talking about, his expression brightening like a lightbulb turning on. He nodded, glancing back at me before focusing solely on Jayden, who had released the hold on his shirt. "Yeah, of course,” he paused, looking nervously before adding, "Sike’s here."

  Jayden's eyes darkened as he looked around. "Great."

  "Where's the fucker at?" Gavin ground out from behind me, his brows furrowed in a scowl.

  "I think it would be best if you both stayed away from him. Look how it turned out last time," Flint said, raising his hands up as if to stop the guys, and any plans they were making, as well.

  "I haven't done anything to him that he hasn't deserved," Gavin remarked as he brushed past him. Jayden stepped into stride beside him as they both strode to approach a group of young men.

  I glanced at the others, completely confused. Trevor dropped his arm from around Starr as he joined Landon, Wyatt, and Dylan. I may not know them very well, but I knew when there was a fight brewing.

  "Who's Sike?" I asked Starre.

  She rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance over the man behind the name, "He's Jayden and Gavin’s top competition in bull riding. They've been rivals forever and that would be fine, if Sike wasn't the most arrogant jerk around. Every time they see each other it's a fight." Starre looked at me, her face solemn. "Do you want to help me stop them?"

  I nodded. I didn't want the guys getting into a fight. Tonight had started out on such a high note; I hated that things were plummeting downward. Starre and I jogged to catch up. We stopped in front of Jayden and Gavin, blocking their path.

  "You two are not going over there to start a fight. This is Nova's first party and she didn't come here to watch you get all bloody and beaten," Starre chastised, putting her hands on her hips.

  "I'm not going to be the one who's bloody and beaten," Jayden assured arrogantly, barely paying attention to the fact that I was standing in front of him until he walked into me. I put my hands on his chest to stop him.

  So, I did what any girl would do in my situation. I used his own words against him. "No," I said with a sharp edge to my voice, "Off limits."

  Jayden eyed my hands on his chest and frowned.

  I sighed and pouted, "I came here to have fun, so why don't you show me a good time?" I immediately regretted my words. If he wasn’t making inappropriate comments, apparently I was.

  I stiffened, waiting for his crude response about how good of a time he could show me.

  His eyes flickered with heat and I knew his thoughts had turned vulgar, but what came out of his mouth was surprisingly innocent, "Okay."

  That was it? No cocky response that would make me blush? I stumbled for something to say, before settling on a simple, "Good."

  I glanced at Gavin, wondering if Starre or Trevor was making any progress with him. It looked like they were trying to talk him down.

  "Wait for him to come to you. Let's enjoy ourselves while we can," Trevor reasoned. Everyone had caught up by this point, moving to stand in front of Gavin and Jayden like a wall, blocking their view of the group. Wyatt stepped forward, putting a hand on Gavin's shoulder. "Now's not the time."

  Gavin growled, his eyes peered over our makeshift wall to glare murderously at someone behind us. Slowly, his eyes dragged themselves back to Wyatt's, their blue eyes exchanging an inner conversation like I’d heard only twins could do. Gavin growled again, before slowly turning and stalking away, his shoulders hunched with pent up aggression.

  We all followed him and headed back to the fire where a few people were making s'mores. We spread out, taking seats on random truck beds. Jayden found a cooler full of beer and handed a few out, while Starre and Trevor settled into the back of the truck to talk. My steps faltered as I wondered who to follow. Dylan appeared beside me, his cheeks flushing as he handed me a stick with a marshmallow impaled onto the end.

  At least I knew Dylan wouldn't pick fights. He sat on a rock, placing a marshmallow on his stick and extend
ing it over the fire. I paused before I sat next to him. We had to press against each other to both sit on the small space, our sides pressed flush against the others. Dylan blushed as I shifted, but didn’t get up or move away. I smiled at him and he smiled nervously back. Our faces were the closest they'd been since our date, reminding me of our kiss. He must have had the same thought, and glanced down at my lips.

  I loved these sweet moments with him.

  We were in the perfect position to kiss, but I wasn't sure if it was the right time. I knew I was hesitating because I’d never openly showed affection towards one guy while in front the others.

  So, while I panicked on the inside, I gently nudged him with my shoulder in a playful way. He smiled and the tip of his ears turned pink. It was freaking adorable.

  I directed my marshmallow over the fire, trying to lightly brown it like Dylan’s. I kept moving it around, but it was either too high and not cooking, or too low and catching on fire. I frowned and glanced at Dylan, whose marshmallow was perfectly roasted. Maybe it would help if I had actually roasted a marshmallow before.

  I pulled my stick back, the marshmallow flaming like a torch. I waved the stick in the air, trying to get the fire to go out, before finally just blowing it out. All that was left was a blackened crisp.

  Dylan nudged me gently and a perfectly roasted marshmallow appeared in front of me. I glanced at him in question. Was he offering me his marshmallow? Of course he was, that's just Dylan. With his encouraging nod, I reached up and slid the marshmallow from the end of his stick and placed it in my mouth. My teeth broke through the lightly browned marshmallow crust and into the hot, gooey center.

  I moaned as the marshmallow hit my tongue, filling my mouth with its sweetness. I put the rest of it in my mouth and devoured it, some of the marshmallow sticking to my lips, forcing me to lick it away. I was halfway through before I noticed Dylan's eyes on my mouth, following my tongues every move.