Page 40 of Unwritten Rules (The Sunburnt Hearts #1)
I slowly lift my head to see Sinnett standing on the opposite side of the room, ocean eyes locked on mine while his fingers hover over his phone. How is it possible for him to look as good as he does in an all black outfit of athletic shorts, a hoodie and a backwards cap?
TATE: Do you think I am?
Sinnett rolls his tongue in his cheek, flicking his eyes up to meet mine. The fire burning in my core intensifies as I’m reminded of what his tongue can do.
You’re at work, Tate. Relax.
SIN: Don’t answer my question with a question, strawberry.
TATE: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
SIN: Well, I think you’re avoiding me because you secretly love me and can’t bear to keep your hands off me.
TATE: Ha-ha, you’re so funny. Has anyone ever told you that?
SIN: No, just you. Now tell me, Tate. Are you avoiding me?
I exhale a sharp breath and run my fingers through the ends of my slightly curled hair.
TATE: I’ve been so distracted by you the past four days that I forgot why I’m really here.
SIN: Ah, right. And here I am once again distracting you while you should be working. If you need an excuse to talk to me, I can tell Coach my quad has been playing up this past week. Because I don’t know if he’ll appreciate the other reason being I simply can’t keep my hands off his daughter.
Heat bursts across my cheeks and down my neck as I re-read the text. This man says I’m too much?
TATE: Yeah, look, I don’t think he’ll appreciate it one bit.
SIN: Yeah, maybe not. Was a nice try though, right?
TATE: The best. And if you really want to see me, I can find you after the game before Dad is ready to leave. With all the media stuff he has to do afterwards, we’ll have plenty of time alone.
Sinnett smirks, dragging his bottom lip between his teeth.
SIN: Tate, are you suggesting we have time to make out in my car?
TATE: Those are your words, not mine.
SIN: Well, consider it a date then.
Dad’s voice filtering across the room tears my attention away from the flirty text messages and the racing of my heart. I slip my phone into my pocket and watch as the team shares a last-minute pep talk with Dad before getting ready to head out to the field for kickoff.
I stay as close to the corner of the room as possible, knowing the sheds are being broadcast on TV, showing the team making their way out to the field.
Their team song blasts through the speakers around the field, followed by the deafening cheers of the fans.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the sound, and even now, with this being my fourth game, I still get a flutter in my chest watching the team run out through the tunnel.
By the time I make my way to the Wolves’ staffing team and benched players on the sideline, Sinnett is already seated with them, watching intently as the game gets underway.
Settling down on a free chair, I do my best to watch the game, keeping my focus on Ryder as he finds himself in some intense tackles.
He doesn’t seem to be favouring his shoulder, so it must be holding up all right for now.
I jot down some details on the notepad I keep in my pocket, wanting to see him for a more intensive session next week just to be sure nothing is wrong.
By the time the clock nears forty minutes, half-time on the horizon, my leg bounces with anticipation of seeing Sinnett after the game. He might be sitting ten metres away from me, but it’s not the same as when we’re alone.
The more time we spend together, the closer I am to seeing the real him.
Even now, I’ve learned from our late-night drives around North Sydney that he can’t stand tomatoes or mushrooms, he and Khai would sneak out of class in high school to kick a football around the oval because they wanted to practice their skills as much as possible, and his favourite part of the day is watching the sun rise.
I’ve shared details about myself, but I can’t bring myself to mention my mum in much detail.
It’s been on the tip of my tongue numerous times, but I could never get it over the line.
I want to talk about her, to keep her memory alive, but maybe I’m not ready yet to share that part of me with Sinnett.
We don’t speak every time we go for a drive; sometimes we’ll sit in silence and listen to the playlist I curated.
If I’m too tired to hold a conversation, and Sinnett has other things on his mind, we’ll get lost in the music with his hand on my thigh and drive for what feels like hours.
It’s calming in a way, having a quiet support system that is comforting and familiar.
And now I crave it whenever I’m stressed or need company that isn’t my father.
The whistle blows for half-time, and I exhale the breath I was holding.
As the Raiders and Wolves leave the field, the score sitting at 8-2 with the Wolves in the lead, I hang back and wait.
Sinnett leaves with the rest of the team, a knowing twinkle in his ocean eyes as he passes by with his hands shoved into the pockets of his shorts.
Oh, yeah. We’re so on for a make-out session after the game.
A presence behind me has my spine straightening.
Whoever it is doesn’t speak, so I spin on my heels to face them.
A woman I don’t recognise stands at eye level, her honey irises filled with a fire I can only describe as annoyance.
She gives me a once-over before tilting her head to the side, pom poms hanging limp by her hips.
“You’re the new physio, right?”
I swallow hard, eyes sweeping over the curled brown hair sitting just above her shoulders, and the perfectly applied makeup to her sharp and stunning features.
She’s dressed in the Wolves cheerleading uniform of black leather mini-shorts, a long-sleeved black and red crop top, with toned calves hidden beneath fishnet stockings and skin-tight knee-high boots.
Behind her, I spot Raya in the same uniform, watching us with a worried expression. She’s standing with the rest of the cheerleaders, likely getting ready for their half-time performance. But even as some of the other girls try to talk to her, Raya keeps her attention on us.
“I am,” I squeeze out, and clear my throat. “And you are…?”
“Zoe,” she bites, mildly offended I don’t know who she is. “So, you work with the team?”
Oh, shit. This is the same Zoe who has the complicated history with Sinnett, and who Raya warned me to stay away from. How I managed to avoid her until a month into the job is beyond me, but maybe that goes to show how little she cares about the staff members.
But now the question becomes: why is she talking to me?
I nod. “Yes, I do.”
“So that means you work with Sin?”
Oh, God. Where is this going?
“Yeah, I’m helping him through the recovery process of his injury,” I tell her, not wanting to give her too much information as it’s private doctor-patient confidentiality.
Zoe folds her arms over her chest, giving me another once-over. It’s clear by her posture and the way her lip curls upward that she would rather be anywhere else than talking to me, but she has a hidden agenda that keeps her rooted to the spot in front of me.
“Has he mentioned me?” Zoe finally asks, jaw ticking.
Not wanting to get on her bad side, I shake my head. “Not that I know of.”
Zoe clicks her tongue, her features twisting in annoyance. “Funny he didn’t when we’re seeing each other.”
“You are?”
Sinnett explained the situation with Zoe, and he has never given me a reason not to believe his word, so I’m going to humour her to see what she’s playing at here.
“We are,” she confirms, voice sharp. “So if I were you, I would remember that when you work with him next. Sin is hot and lots of women want him, and I understand it’s hard to resist his charm, but he’s taken, hun. He’s all mine.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that if Sinnett really is her boyfriend, it would be a red flag that she can’t trust him enough to the point where she feels the need to warn other women away from him.
I know they’re not actually dating, but it seems like she has an underlying fear of him seeing other women even while they’ve been hooking up.
Is that the type of guy Sinnett is?
“I hear you loud and clear,” I murmur, throat tight. “I’m just his physio, nothing more.” The lie settles heavily on my tongue, but I swallow it down.
A smile slips onto Zoe’s face, as if she’s just won the lottery. “Good. Because if I find out you or anyone else has gone near my man, there will be hell to pay.”
I blink at her, my heart thundering in my chest. Before I can respond, Zoe is called away by her friends to get ready for the performance. I lock eyes with Raya who offers a sympathetic smile before walking to the centre of the field.
My shoulders slump as worry works its way into my bones.
Sinnett didn’t tell me Zoe is still hung up on him to the point she thinks they’re together even after he’s reiterated that they’re not hooking up, nor were they ever officially together.
It’s clear she refuses to let go of what they have, but if she does find out I’m sleeping with him and I lied to her face, I’m going to be in some deep shit.
Because although I don’t know Zoe from a bar of soap, her air of confidence and intensity is an indicator that she stands by her words and promises.
Not only do I need to keep whatever is happening between Sinnett and I from my father, but now Zoe has been added to the list. I’m not sure this is going to end well for either of us.