Broken Read online

  Broken

  Teigen Harper

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  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication | To my babies, this is all for you. You are the reason I wake up each morning. You are the reason I breathe and continue to push forward instead of giving up. I love you all so much.

  Dedication

  To my babies, this is all for you. You are the reason I wake up each morning. You are the reason I breathe and continue to push forward instead of giving up. I love you all so much.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Hayley

  “What are you doing?” I whisper to Logan who has his hand on my inner thigh, his grip tightening.

  He leans in. “Come on, baby. Let’s get out of here?” I can never resist when him. His blue eyes command my attention.

  God, I want to, but I know we shouldn’t. Logan’s baseball scholarship will only be open to him if his grades are kept up. Well, that isn’t exactly true, he’s so good that certain exceptions are always made. Nonetheless, he needs to be here just as much as I do.

  Gazing down at my watch, I say, “We have two minutes left. Why are you edgy suddenly?”

  He lean’s in further, his nose brushing the skin on my neck, and I feel my pulse spike from the contact alone. “I was watching you. When you looked at me and then I saw you chew on the end of the pen and now I want to get you the hell out of here.” How we ever get out of bed and get anything done, baffles me, but I understand why he’s eager, we’ve been separated the last few days, all thanks to his mother, Celeste. He presses his lips just below my ear, and again and his

  grip on my thigh tightens.

  I hate that he has this much power over me.

  “We can skip the next class, it’s only eco,” I whisper.

  So far today, things have been calm. Not one skank has tried to hit on my boyfriend. Fighting the bitches off is a daily pain in my ass, and it doesn’t help that Logan and his stupid brother Lucas think it’s funny.

  I’ve never understood why

  the whores keep trying. Logan never acknowledges them. When we’re out, his eyes are always trained on me. Since the second we started dating, just six months ago, not once has he looked at another girl.

  His twin brother Lucas (fraternal not identical) is a player. He sleeps with a different girl every night of the week, but never are they allowed to enter our tight circle. It’s me and my boys against the whole

  goddamn world.

  My parents are always away for work. They own a bunch of restaurants across the world. The kind that only snobs go to. My father Henry is always gone. My mother, Toni, is never with him, however, she’s also never with me. My parents are still married, but they lead separate lives. Sad? Maybe. It would be nice to have my mom around, but that isn’t the life I lead.

  Logan and Lucas pretty much reside with me these days. The only time they aren’t at my house is when my father is home, or if something's happening at their house.

  Henry, my dad, is not a big fan of the boys because they’re constantly in trouble. In the last six months, I’ve had to bail them out of lockup no less than four times for petty crimes. Repeatedly, I’ve asked Logan to tame himself because his career could be at stake, and he has, well, he’s tried.

  “Your place?” he whispers against my cheek, and all I can do is nod.

  “Oi, fuck face,” Lucas calls from the desk behind us.

  Logan leans back in his chair, “What?”

  “Are you skipping?”

  “You’re not invited,” Logan hisses.

  “You can’t keep your dick

  out of her for five minutes?” Lucas scoffs.

  “Nope. Goodbye, fuck head.” Logan then shoots forward in his chair, and when he does, the bell sounds. “Let’s go,” he stacks our books in one arm and takes my hand with the other.

  While in the corridor, I roll my eyes at the girls whose tongues are practically hanging out of their mouths while staring at my man. I want to hit them, but what would that accomplish?

  “Hey, where are we going? My locker’s that way, remember?” I ask as I throw my thumb over my shoulder.

  “I’ve got my keys. Let’s go,” he repeats, and I chuckle. He’s beyond desperate to get out of here.

  “My wallet's in there, babe.”

  “I have mine, let’s go.” He’s now dragging me along.

  “My house keys are also in my locker.” That makes him come to a halt.

  “Fuck.” He turns on his heels, and we head for my locker.

  Not five minutes later, we arrive at his black, Buick Enclave. Destination, my bed. “So, what’s the matter?” I ask when we’re comfortable, and his hand is laced with mine over the console.

  “What do you mean?”

  Reaching up with my free hand, I stroke his arm, “You were pretty determined to get out of there. Something wrong? Did something happen last night that you’re not telling me about?” I know there is, but getting him to admit it, is where we have issues.

  Lucas and Logan stayed at their house last night and the three nights before that. Never have we been apart for that long since the minute he noticed me. I miss him so much that my heart aches when I think about him in bed, where he’d usually be wrapped around me.

  There’s always shit going on within his family. His mother is a raging alcoholic, and his father is never around. Logan has the weight of the world on his beautiful shoulders, and he never wants me to worry about him, it drives me nuts. He is always there for me, but because I can’t stand his mother, and the fact that she hates me when she’s drunk, that I don’t go over to their house anymore.

  In the past, I’ve had Lucas call asking me to come and calm Logan down after a fight with her, and I always manage to, but he still won’t let me in.

  Thomas, his father, is an amazing man, but I don’t see him much, he’s always away for work. Sometimes I wonder if that is the case, or is he just in hiding? Celeste, on the other hand, is always in our business. It’s not appreciated.

  “So, what happened?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “Nothing. Celeste was drunk, that’s it.” He stopped calling her mom long ago.

  “Then why the hurry to get out of school?”

  He tightens his grip on my hand. “I’ve missed you. Is that okay?”

  “Of course, it is, but I wish you would let me in. I know there’s more to it.” I’m so frustrated with him. Looking over, I can see that his skin is lighter than usual and that he’s barely slept. His blue eyes normally sparkle, but today they’re almost gray.

  “It’s fine, nothing happened, okay?” He’s on edge, and lets go of my hand. I don’t say another word, but I do see his jaw clench. I’ve pissed him off, and I don’t care that I have.

  When he pulls into my driveway, I have the car door open before he’d even come to a full stop.

  “What the hell are you doing, Hayley?” he yells.

  I grab my bag and fling it over my shoulder. “I’m going in. You can go now,” I spit before turning away, slamming the door, and I don’t look back.

  Once the front door to my house is unlocked, I hear the tires of his car screech and drive away. Yep, I’ve pissed him off.

  My house is huge. It’s a little too big for my liking, but it’s lovely. It has a Shabby Chic feel to it, with whitewash tables, blue accents here and there along with lots of super comfortable overstuffed sofas.

  Frustrated, I drop my bag in the entranceway. I then walk through to the country-themed kitchen and grab an energy drink out of the fridge. I live on them. Between m
y homework, workouts, and family issues, I just don’t get enough sleep.

  As I take a sip, I prop myself up on a stool at the counter and debate whether I should call Lucas and ask him what had happened, but I decided against it. I know he’d tell me, but I want to hear it from Logan’s mouth, not his.

  When I’ve guzzled my

  energy drink, I grab another. I know I have to study, so I figure it’ll act as a nice distraction.

  MY BOOKS ARE SCATTERED all over the living room table, and my brain feels as if it might explode. I contemplate giving up, but I know I’m already in the shit for skipping, so I should at least have that part done.

  Two hours in, my brain felt fried. I needed to release some of my tension. My mother had a lap pool built downstairs for me when we first moved in, so that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to try and swim away my anger.

  JUST OVER ONE HUNDRED laps later, I pull myself up and onto the edge, and I do feel better for it. I feel like I can continue with my studies.

  AT AROUND SIX O'CLOCK that night, my phone rings. I pick it up thinking it could be either Logan or Lucas, but it isn’t, it’s my mother. The mother I wish was here with me.

  “Hey, mom.”

  “Hayley, my love. How are you?”

  “I’m fine. Same as usual.”

  “That’s good to hear. And how is that very handsome boyfriend of yours?” Mom loves, Logan. My father’s the only one that doesn’t.

  “Good. Same old, same old. Where are you?” Fuck knows where she could be.

  “London. I’m here launching the new restaurant because your father is stuck in New York, remember?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry, I forgot.” She never told me, but I find it’s easier just to agree. She claims to worry about me, but her actions sure as shit don’t show it.

  We moved to Orange County a little over six months ago, from Las Vegas. My father wanted a more wholesome town to live in because I was verging on turning eighteen at the time. Since I’d meet Logan, my father regretted the decision. He thought I would have been better off in Vegas, but he knows I won’t move now. Logan has all of me, and he's the one reason I haven’t broken down into a million pieces.

  “Is there anything you would like me to pick up for you while I'm here?” I then hear the front door open, and I know who it is. “Hayley?” my mother pushes.

  “Sorry, my head is killing me, mom. Can I call you back?” I see Logan come around the corner. His eyes immediately lock with mine.

  “No problem, sweetheart. Drink lots of water and take

  two aspirin.”

  “I will. Bye.”

  “Bye, sweetheart.”

  I hang up the phone and place it down on the table. My gaze is still trained on his.

  “Your mom?” he asks.

  “Yep.” That’s all he’s going to get from me, and he knows it.

  I hear him exhale a breath. Logan wants me to drop it, but that’s not going to happen. He needs to realize that we’re together and that he can’t deal with everything on his own.

  He drops down into the seat beside me. “I’m sorry.” I stay silent. “Celeste went at Lucas last night. I had to stop her from beating on him. Again.”

  My eyes close. I’ve been privy to seeing Celeste beat on her own son once before. It was a few months ago now. Lucas had called me to come and calm Logan down, but when I got there, I witnessed Lucas getting belted on by his mother. I saw red, I hit the bitch and pulled her off him. Lucas wouldn’t fight back. He’d never hit a woman, regardless of the situation. So I did it for him.

  Logan wasn’t anywhere to be seen, he’d left to cool off, but he ran when he heard Lucas yell my name and entered as I threw the last punch. She was so drunk that she remembered nothing from that night.

  Suddenly, I feel his hands on mine. “Where is he?” I care for Lucas almost as much as I do for Logan. I open my eyes and stare into his.

  “He’s out for the night. He’ll probably end up back there. He knows how much you hate the skanks he brings to the house, so to piss Celeste off, he’ll take them there.” He lets go of my hands, reaching for me, and I let

  him.

  He pulls me into his lap, and I bury my head into the nook of his neck. I hate that Lucas isn’t coming back here, but those sluts are doing my head in. Every female that lives in this town thinks I’m sleeping with both Lucas and Logan. I catch looks of disgust from the girls traipse half-naked around my house.

  I didn’t ask Lucas to stop bringing them here, but he

  must have caught onto my moods when the whores were around. “I’d rather he stayed here.”

  His arms envelop me. “I know. I did ask him to call if she flared up. I may need to leave during the night if he does ring.”

  “You’re staying?” I wasn’t sure if he would because it’s been so long since he’s been here with me.

  “Only if you want me to.” He reaches up and tucks my

  hair behind my ear.

  “Of course, I do.” My head raises to look at him, and when I do, I see how sad his eyes are. I want to take all his pain and worries away. “Is there anything else you don't want to burden me with?” There’s more to it, but I don’t know if he’s ready to tell me.

  “Just Celeste.” He’ll tell me when he’s ready. I don’t want to push him. He’s close to giving up. I can’t let him do that. Yes, I was on his back earlier, but I need to cut him a break.

  “Tell me if I’m crossing a line, but I think your mother needs an intervention.” I’ve been trying to broach the subject for some time, but now feels right.

  “I don’t think it will work. She’s so

  stubborn.”

  My hand reaches up, and I run it through his blonde hair. God, he’s sexy.

  “What’s her weakness?”

  “What do you mean,” his brows bunch.

  “Who is the one person she will cave for? Everyone has one. Mine is you.” I lean in and kiss his cheek.

  His hands skim my arms. “Mine is you.” I watch his lips. “My mother's is Stef.” Stef is Logan and Lucas’s older sister. She moved away to college four years ago and never looked back. After she finished her studies at Harvard, she moved to New York. I talk to her a lot. I fill her in on what happens around here when the boys won’t. We’ve never met in person, but we’re close.

  My brain’s finding it hard to focus. I can’t

  stare at those lips for much longer. I want them on my skin, but I know I must keep enough composure about me so we can arrange something for Celeste.

  One night not that long ago, Logan was at a late training session which left Lucas and me back here at the house watching a movie in the media room. After my third beer and his fifth, I asked him what his mother was like before becoming an alcoholic. According to him, she was caring, sweet, and kind. The way he spoke about her, told me he missed her. He also missed his sister. Sure, the boys go to visit her every few months, but growing up, the boys and Stef were as close as siblings could be.

  “Would it be okay with you if I asked Stef for her opinion? If she’d be okay with being involved? You don’t have to do anything.” His gaze is now on my lips. He’s holding back just as much as I am.

  “You don’t need my permission,” it comes out no louder than a whisper. He then lightly kisses my

  cheek.

  I take a breath. “Yes, I do.”

  His hands move to my hips. “If you think you can pull it off then go for it.” He shifts under me. “Now,” his grip on me tightens again. “Can we focus on just us for a little while?”

  My mouth is dry, so I lick my lips. “Come on,” I stand, taking his hand in mine. While walking to my room upstairs, Logan’s phone rings.

  Dropping his hand, I continue to the room. I know I’ll be going to sleep horny and alone. Every time his phone rings, it’s because there’s a problem, and it always has something to do with his mother. I’ve grown used to the disruptions, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to be s
elfish and tell him to fuck the whole world off.

  Who were we kidding? If there’s a problem, he’ll be there.

  My door’s open, so I peel off my shirt off and step out of my jeans as I move across the room. “What happened?” I turn and see Logan come in. I reach back, unhook my bra, throw it to the floor and hop into bed. Logan’s eyes have darkened with lust, but at the same time, he’s focused on the person on the other end of that call.

  Our eyes are locked on one another’s. “Fine,” he hangs up.

  Frustrated, I know he isn’t staying because he hasn’t pulled his shirt off for me. Kneeling on the bed he edges towards me. “Where are you going?” I ask.

  “I’m so sorry, baby. It’s Celeste. She’s tearing up the house. Dad said something that pissed her off.” Leaning in, he presses his lips to mine. “I’ll be back.”

  Reluctantly, I shake my head. “Don’t bother coming back, baby. By the time you deal with her shit, it will be late, and you need to be up early for training. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I’m beyond pissed off, but not with him.

  He takes a breath. “What day is it tomorrow?” he’s so tired from his mother’s antics over the last few days he doesn’t even know what fucking day it is.

  “Saturday. You need sleep, you can’t function properly. How does she expect you to keep your grades up, and attend practice? You need to take a time out.” I’m so worried about him. If the crap doesn’t settle soon, he’ll lose his shit.

  He presses his hand to my cheek, and I lean into his touch. I’ve missed him so much. “I know. I’ll see you tomorrow. I promise. I feel like we haven’t seen each other properly in days.”

  “It has been days,” I swear Celeste’s causing trouble just to keep us apart. Bravo, bitch. It’s working. “Take the spare key, just in case you or Lucas need it.”

  “Is it in the same spot?”

  “Yep, the same spot,” I breathe. I hate that he’s leaving.

  “Will you be okay?”

  “Fine. I just miss you. That’s it.” I miss him so fucking much.

  His eyes search mine. “I love you,” he whispers as he leans in and kisses me.