Page 3 of Pretty Broken Things

The corner of my mouth curls. “Most, not all, and I don’t have to like them to let them choke on my dick.”

Her dark eyes flash with anger. “You’re a pig.”

I pinch the bridge of my nose. “And yet you’re still fucking here. In three seconds you’re either out, or coming with me.”

Tessa puts her feet up on my dashboard. “Let’s get on with it then, because you’re not getting rid of me until I get what I want.”

ChapterTwo

Ford

I go straightto Shane’s from school. Tessa gets increasingly irritated, but that’s just a bonus. Pissing off Ocean Bluff High School’s reigning queen is the only satisfaction to be found stuck with her. At least the only satisfaction I’m willing to indulge in.

Shane narrows his eyes when he sees my passenger, but holds his tongue until he can get me alone. “You going to sit there with your thumb up your ass, or are you going to come help me?” He points to the giant cooler in front of his garage.

I start to get out, then reach back and take out my keys. Tessa scoffs, “Like I would steal this piece of shit.”

There’s an audible crack as my teeth snap together. I say nothing as I head toward Shane. He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it when he sees the thunderous look on my face. Finally, I say to him, “Let’s just load this and go.”

“Are you bringing the princess to the party? I thought you would have gotten rid of her at school. I know you like to dip your wick in rich pussy, but she’s taking it a bit far, don’t you think?”

A dull ache forms behind my eyes, and I rub the center of my forehead trying to alleviate it. “Unless you can figure out how to dump her spoiled ass somewhere it seems I’m stuck with her. And for the record, I’m not dipping or sticking anything into the Countess.”

Shane seems like a nice guy. His blond, all-American boy good looks, and easy charm disarm most people and leave them with the false impression that he’s the safe choice between the two of us. They’re wrong, he’s just better at hiding his crazy than I am.

He doesn’t always make that effort though. Now is one of the times he lets his real self come out to play. He rips open the passenger door, and leans in to her space. “Move your ass, sweet cheeks.”

“I thought you were the nice one,” she mumbles.

“Many make that mistake. Clue in faster than they do and do as you’re told. I’m only truly nice to my friends, and you’re not one of them.” His blue eyes are cold and hard as he drops the nice guy façade.

Without further argument her hand drops to the buckle of her seatbelt. She releases it, and scoots closer to me.

Shane drops his arm out the window and slaps the outside of the door. “Let’s party!”

I know she’s getting whiplash with the rapid change in his mood, but it’s just part of hanging out with Shane. He’s not like me though. He thinks he acts like a nice guy, but at his core that’s who he really is. Someday he’ll escape the toxicity of the Park, and become the man he really is deep down. He’s got his grandfather in his corner to make sure he doesn’t slip too far down the slope to giving in to the darkness this place brings out in him.

Shane’s house is on the outskirts of Jefferson Park. It’s not as downtrodden as the rest of the Park. As we move further through town we watch the manicured lawns give way to brown, brittle grass, until there’s only patches of weeds sprouting among gravel lots of trailer parks.

“Ugh, it’s so depressing out here,” Tessa comments.

My jaw clenches. At this rate I’m going to crack a molar. “Feel free to get out and walk. No one here needs your judgment.”

I catch her eyes in my mirror. She holds them for a moment before she lowers them. Maybe I’m imagining things, but I think I detect a hint of remorse. It must be my mind playing tricks on me because no way would Contessa James ever feel remorse for looking down her nose at someone she can’t use.

Shane reaches forward and cranks up the radio. Rap blares through the speakers, and I give him the side-eye. The fucker smirks at me.

Quickly he assesses I’m in no mood for his ribbing, and changes the station. “Spit It Out,” by Slipknot comes on, and a little of that knot clenching inside of me unfurls letting me exhale some of the tension.

A couple of minutes past the Park is an abandoned drive-in. Shane has worked construction jobs for his grandfather, so when we found this place last year he managed to rig up the power and the water. Someday the utility companies will figure it out and disconnect us, but until then we’re going to party.

Aside from Tessa, everyone here is from the Park. Bringing her is a major violation of our code, no outsiders allowed. We already deal with judgment at school, but here at The Grand we rule. Something she needs to understand completely before she lets one bitchy comment escape her lips.

Shane levels a look at me, silently telling me to keep watch over her. I give him a quick nod and he exits the cab, leaving me alone with Tessa.

She tries once again to distract me from my irritation by crossing her arms. She overly relies on her looks to get her way, but I don’t let my eyes stray from her face. It allows me to watch irritation cross her features when I don’t take the bait to ogle her as she expected.

Giving up her lame attempt at manipulation, she huffs, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. “Something tells me your mom isn’t here.”

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