Page 10 of Unwritten Rules
A blush creeps up the base of my throat. “Yeah, well, I wanted to be adventurous.”
“I’m not complaining.” Sinnett grins. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
“Thanks for not murdering me,” I counter. “Well, I don’t know if I can say the same for my pussy.”
Sinnett bursts out laughing, and I can’t ignore the warmth that spreads across my body when I hear him laugh, knowing it’s because of me. It’s addicting.
“You really are something else, strawberry.”
I hadn’t realised the origin of his nickname when he first said it earlier, mostly because I was preoccupied. But now it’s grown on me.
My hair glides through my fingers as I try to get rid of some of the knots Sinnett created. “Yeah, well, I guess you’re all right, too.”
Sinnett tilts his head slightly, eyes roaming over my face. I’m mesmerised by how bright they are even in the shadows of the night. I could stare into them for eternity.
“You don’t know who I am, do you?”
I frown at his strange question. “No… Am I meant to?”
His tongue pokes the inside of his mouth. After a moment of silence, he smiles and shakes his head. “No, I guess not.”
“Well, thank you for driving me home.” A tiny voice inside me is screaming to invite him inside, but I know I shouldn’t. Sinnett only wanted one thing from me and now that he’s gotten it, we are destined to walk away and never cross paths again. The thought sours my mood slightly, but I swallow the bitter taste and offer him a smile. “I hope I never see you again, Sin.”
Sinnett bites back a smile and nods. “I hope not, Tate.”
With that, I swing open the passenger door and step out into the slightly warm air. It’s bordering on 1 AM, so the early morning shift of cool air hasn’t settled in yet. I wrap my arms around my waist and walk up the pathway to the front door of my parent’s house. The same house where I lost my first tooth, where Mum taught me how to plait my hair and where I learned what a gobby is, courtesy of Nathan. It’s littered with memoriesthat warm my chest, but break my heart in the same beat. Mum’s final moments are trapped in the walls, surrounded by every memory—good and challenging—we shared.
Come tomorrow morning, a ‘For Lease’ sign will be planted in the front yard, and another family will create their own lasting memories within the structure.
Once inside, I turn to see Sinnett’s Audi sitting idle on the street. Warmth blooms in my chest at his kind gesture of waiting for me to go inside before leaving. Barrenridge doesn’t have a high crime rate, but it doesn’t deter the townspeople from being careful.
I wave at Sinnett from the comfort of my home and watch as he drives down the street, turning the corner and disappearing from my life forever.
While I’m bummed I will never see him again, I’m grateful I got the chance to let my hair down and experience something I never thought I was capable of doing. I’m not above being spontaneous, but having a one-night stand is something far out of my comfort zone. And thankfully, it didn’t end with me dead in a ditch somewhere.
And Sinnett was right. Tonight will go down in the history books as one of my favourites.
I just hope it doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass.
Chapter Three
TATUM
The soil is colder on my bare knees than I thought it would be. I should’ve considered wearing long pants or bringing a mat to kneel on, but with the unexpected warmth in the air today, it hadn’t crossed my mind.
A light breeze rustles through the trees hanging overhead, flowing through the loose strands of hair falling around my face. Exhaling a soft breath, I place the bundle of native flowers in front of the headstone. The dirt has long since been covered over by grass, reminding me of how quickly two years can pass in what seemingly feels like the blink of an eye. But my heart would have to disagree. It has felt every minute of her absence, and I don’t know if that’ll ever change.
“You know I’m not one for goodbyes, Mum,” I murmur, running my hands down my thighs. “So consider this a ‘I’ll see you soon’ instead.”
The headstone is starting to see some discolouration around her name and the message Dad picked out.A loving mother to Tatum and a faithful wife to Phil. A sister, daughter and granddaughter. Avery will be missed dearly. I’ve spent countless minutes, hours and days in this exact spot, to the point where I can recite every word written into the stone withoutlooking. Besides the memories I have of her, this is what’s left. A headstone and a patch of grass.
“You always told me to follow my dreams and do whatever it takes to make them come true.” I swallow hard and close my eyes, willing my racing heart to slow down. “I just hope I’m not making the wrong decision by leaving Barrenridge.”
My eyes flutter open to find a white butterfly sitting atop Mum’s headstone, unmoving. A sob threatens to burst from my throat, but I manage to swallow it down. Whenever I would visit the cemetery, I would speak to Mum for what felt like hours, talking about my day and whatever else was on my mind. I started asking for a sign that she was here with me, and each time, a white butterfly would appear. I thought it was a fluke at first, but after the fifth time it appeared, I knew it was a sign. Mum was with me.
And she’s here right now.
Blinking back the tears in my eyes, I smile. “So I take it you think moving to Sydney to live with Dad is a good idea? That I’m not going to mess my life up by doing so?”
