Page 117 of Unwritten Rules
“Did you come off the field after it happened?”
Sinnett holds my gaze, jaw ticking.
His silence speaks a thousand words.
“Sin…” I press, raising a brow at him.
He shoves a hand through his hair and huffs out a sharp breath. “No, I didn’t come off the field. I got it strapped during halftime and continued on like nothing happened.” Lips rolling, he shakes his head. “My sister was in the crowd and I didn’t want her to worry.”
My eyes widen. “Oh, your sister is in Sydney?”
He nods. “She drove down last week. She’s been… dealing with some personal shit. But I’m sure you know that already if you’ve spoken to your buddy recently.”
I grimace, guilt gnawing at my sides. “I’m so sorry for giving Noah your number without asking first. I didn’t know what else to do. He was desperate to get in contact with her.”
Sinnett’s jaw ticks. “It’s fine, Tate. I don’t care about that.”
“Is she okay?” The question doesn’t feel right the moment I ask it, but I can’t stop it. “I mean, if you don’t mind me asking.”
“No and yes.” He shrugs. “But she will be. If your friend is as good of a good guy as I’ve heard, Mia will be in safe hands with him, and that’s all that matters to me.”
“Noah is the best guy I know,” I tell Sinnett, voice even. “Whatever Mia is going through, whatever that is, Noah is the guy who can give it to her. I’m sure of it.”
Sinnett nods, the movement slow as if he’s trying to convince himself that my words ring true. “I hope so.”
A thought strikes me, one I’m surprised I hadn’t thought about asking until now.
“Is that why you were in Barrenridge the night we met? To see your sister?”
“And Gran,” he answers, voice tight. “I helped Mia move up there. She needed to get away, and with Gran needing help, it felt like the best decision for her.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what she is running from, but I refrain from doing so. His sister’s business is none of mine. If Sinnett wants to tell me the details, I’ll listen. He knowsI’ll always listen and be there to support him. But until then, I swallow the question and nod, allowing silence to consume us like a suffocating cloud.
Not wanting to focus on how intense his presence is or the fact that I feel like I’m drowning, I touch his quad, hoping to distract myself by properly examining him. His gaze watches my movements, searing holes through my skin and straight into my soul. It sets my nerves further on edge.
Wrapping my hand around his ankle, I lift his leg off the stool and go through the movements I did with him during our first session together, checking for mobility and if there are any flashes of pain.
I flick my eyes to his, but his features remain deadpan as he watches me. A shiver races down my spine—both from his stare and the fact I’m here with him, touching him, breathing in his woodsy scent.
I clear my throat and lower his leg to the ground, placing it at a 180-degree angle. “I think you might have just irritated the muscles. With the flexibility you still possess, and the fact that you’ve been icing it, I would suggest continuing with the exercises I’ve already given you to help strengthen the muscles and take it easy for the next couple of days during training. But remember to be careful in the future, okay?”
Sinnett holds my gaze, hands flexing on his thighs.
God, I wish he would say something.Anything. Not knowing what’s going through his mind is killing me, setting me further on edge.
Swallowing hard, I jab my thumb over my shoulder. “I… I should go.”
“Why did you do it, Tate?”
His words are charged and holds too many questions. But I know exactly what he’s asking.
Why did you quit your job?
Why did you end things between us?
Why did you ignore my messages the past week?
Why did you walk away?
