Page 12 of Unwritten Rules
Noah shoots me a small smile, as if to say thank you for getting Nathan off his back.
Nathan huffs. “Okay, fine. I’ll drop it.For now.”
Clapping my hands together, I jab a thumb over my shoulder. “Now that it’s settled, let’s get my boxes packed away in my car.”
Before I can step away from the island, strong arms wrap around me. I’m engulfed in Nathan’s slightly spicy scent, and I can’t help but smile.
I chuckle against his chest. “What are you doing, Nate?”
“Keeping you here in Barrenridge,” he murmurs against the crown of my head. “Forever.”
I melt against his touch. “Nathan…”
“Get in on this hug, Noah,” my friend calls out. “I need reinforcement.”
Noah’s soft laughter echoes off the walls, and moments later, I feel his arms wrap around my back. I smile and blink back the tears forming in the corner of my eyes. I knew leaving my two best friends was going to be difficult, but now that I’m moments away from walking out the front door and watching them grow smaller in my rearview mirror, I’m wishing I could stay rooted to the floor, trapped in their embrace. Maybe then it would mean I didn’t have to face the changes that lie ahead on the road to Sydney and my new career path. Or having to rebuild therelationship with my father. And I wouldn’t have to leave the two people I trust most in this world.
But I know if I don’t, I’ll be stuck in this town with no sense of direction, and that’s just not an option for me.
“I love you both,” I murmur, voice wavering at the edges.
“And we love you,” Noah says, tone light.
“No matter what you do or where you are, we’ll be here for you,” Nathan utters, tightening his grip around me. “Always.”
The truth in his words has the tears in the corner of my eyes sliding down my cheeks, and a smile turning up my mouth. Even if Noah and Nathan are three hours away, nothing about our friendship will change. We’ve supported each other through every new phase in our lives from the moment we were in preschool, no matter how difficult, and this is no different.
No matter what happens, these guys are my family.
“Always,” I whisper.
Chapter Four
TATUM
“Tate, are you ready?”
My eyes shift from my reflection in the bathroom mirror to my father standing in the doorway of the ensuite. He has his arms folded over his chest, with his shoulder leaning against the frame. Deep blue irises stare back at me, framed by a warm smile and weathered features.
“Almost,” I say, fluffing the end of my ponytail.
Dad exhales a small breath and runs his hands down the front of his black and red polo shirt. “I know you didn’t want me to make a big deal of you being here, but I’m glad you are. It’s nice having you around.”
My lips flatten into a tight-lipped smile as I turn my body, resting my hip against the vanity. “Dad…”
He holds up his hands, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I know, I know. I wasn’t going to say anything, but you’ve been here for a week already. It’s been torture keeping my mouth shut.”
A chuckle bubbles up from my throat. “I appreciate you trying. And I’m happy to be here, so don’t think otherwise.”
“Good, good.” He smiles and runs a hand over the top of his greying hair. “Anyway, we should get going. You don’t want to be late on your first day.”
“Well, that’ll make two of us then because you’ll be driving.”
Dad chuckles and pushes off the doorframe. “Touche.” He drums his hands on the wood frame and raises his brows at me. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
My hands find the edge of the vanity after he leaves, and I drop my head between my shoulders. Nervous tension rolls through my muscles like a tidal wave, which in turn makes my stomach flip. It’s been an endless cycle since the moment I opened my eyes this morning.
Ever since I arrived in Sydney seven days ago and stood at the front door of my father’s house with a suitcase at my feet and my life packed in boxes in my car, I haven’t been able to relax. Not because I’m not happy to see him, but because it’s been years since I've spent more than a few days in a row with my father, especially after my mother passed away two years ago. We were once close, having spent lots of time together while I was growing up in Barrenridge, but once he started travelling to Sydney for work, our relationship grew strained.
