Page 64 of Unwritten Rules (The Sunburnt Hearts #1)
Opening the back door, I drop my gym bag on the seat and climb into the front seat. “I’m not a monkey.” Groaning, I press my palms into my eyes, rubbing at them until I’m seeing stars. Anything to distract me from the conversation Mia seems keen on having.
When I drop my hands to my lap, I meet Mia’s eyes. Her brows are raised, as if telling me she isn’t dropping the topic until I answer her
Fuck me.
I sigh heavily. “Just someone I thought I was close with seems to have turned her back on me.”
It’s an exaggeration at best. Yes, Tatum did walk away from me without so much as letting me discuss what happened with her, but that’s not what I’m frustrated about.
It has nothing to do with her giving me the silent treatment, and everything to do with Phil’s stupid fucking rule and Zoe putting her foot in it
Mia’s gaze narrows. “A girl?”
My jaw ticks as the engine roars to life. I turn the seat warmer up high, hoping it’ll ease the chill seeping into my veins and help soothe my sore quad muscles. Two birds with one stone. Pulling the car out of the space and onto the road, my hands tighten around the leather wheel. “Yes.
“Not the girl with the short brown hair I remember you mentioning once or twice.”
My lips quirk. I should’ve never told her about Zoe, but somehow, she managed to squeeze it out of me a few months ago. “Not her, no.”
A sparkle shines in her eyes. “It’s Tatum, isn’t it?”
“Shut it,” I murmur, not wanting to entertain this conversation.
“Interesting.”
“How so?”
Mia tilts my head back on the head rest, eyes searching the side of my face. “You like her.”
My jaw tightens as I stare ahead. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her she’s wrong, that she doesn’t know what I’m feeling. But the truth is: she’s right.
Mia gasps and reaches across the console to slap my left thigh—thank God it wasn’t my right—and I glare in response. “I knew it.”
I scratch at my jaw, chest tightening. “Mia…”
She laughs, no doubt at the shade of pink coating my cheeks that I’m helpless to stop. I’m not opposed to talking about my love life with my sister—it’s something I tend to keep private until she pulls it out of me—but when it comes to Tatum, I can’t help but let my emotions show more than usual.
Flustered, I shove my fingers through my hair, avoiding Mia’s eyes.
“Wow. You do love her,” Mia murmurs, voice light.
Fucking hell, is it really that obvious to everyone around me?
A small smile forms on Mia’s lips at my silence, and she reaches over to touch my arm. “I’m sure it’ll work out, Sin.”
Needing to take the spotlight off me—and so my heart rate will calm down—I nod in her direction. “Oh yeah? And how is it between you and Noah?”
Mia’s face falters as she pulls her hand away, turning her attention back to the road. “I haven’t spoken with him yet.”
She should be taking her own advice.
“What are you waiting for, Mia?”
She sighs loudly, rubbing a hand over her forearm. “Tomorrow I’m telling Mum everything. About Ryan, my therapy, my job with Noah. Everything.”
“Okay,” I breathe, nodding.
“I want to know Mum’s opinion before?—”
“No,” I interject, hands tightening around the wheel.
Mia’s eyes snap to mine. “What?”
“Stop waiting for their approval. I hate to break it to you, but Mum and Dad won’t ever be entirely happy with what you decide.
It’s how they are. Look at me. I’m the star halfback for the Wolves, a top NRL team, and Dad is still pushing me.
I made it, and he’s still breathing down my neck over every little thing.
Don’t wait for them to tell you they’re satisfied, because they won’t be. Not truly, anyway.”
Mia drags her bottom lip between her teeth, nodding slowly as my words hover in the air between us.
Silence seeps into my skin, putting me further on edge.
I want to see my sister happy after everything she’s been through.
Living in Barrenridge and having Noah in her life seems to have been the thing that she needed to get her life back on track, so it pains me to see her hiding from what makes her happy. Who makes her happy.
What are the odds that we’re both having trouble in our love lives? I suppose twins do everything together, right?
“I’m proud of you, Sin.”
My face flicks to the left, gaze lingering on my sister’s side profile.
I’m reminded of all the times Tatum said she was proud of me.
It was the confidence boost I needed after constantly feeling like I wasn’t good enough for my father, the club, the media, and the fans.
But seeing the smile on her face and the warmth in her eyes made it easier to breathe and push away the weight settling on my shoulders.
My mouth quirks in a half smile. “I know, and I’ll be proud too with whatever you decide is best for you , not anyone else.”
Mia blows out a breath and rests her head against the window. She might not think so now, but everything will work out for her. I can feel it in my gut. Call it twin-tuition, but I have no doubt Noah will do the right thing and take care of my sister. I just know it.
My grip tightens around the wheel as Khai’s earlier words sound in the back of my mind.
If you want to see her, you’ll find a way to do it .
An idea slams into my head like a freight train and I can’t help but smile as I turn onto my parents’ street. If Khai wants me to get creative, then I know just the thing to do. I hope it doesn’t blow up in my face.