Page 43 of Unwritten Rules
Panic floods my system, and words spew from my mouth before I can stop them. “I know it’s not my place to ask, and I wouldn’t have said anything but Raya kind of got into my head before the game on Thursday.”
Khai rolls his tongue in his cheek and leans back against the table. “Consider yourself lucky that Raya warned you at all. She isn’t one to take kindly to new faces, especially someone she doesn’t trust.”
“Yeah, she said that,” I mumble, cheeks warming.
“But her warning does ring true.”
“How so?” I question, voice tight. “I mean, I haven’t met Zoe yet…”
“Let’s just say that she thinks her shit doesn’t stink and because of that, she believes she controls the entire cheer squad, and the guys on the team, too,” Khai explains with a shrug. “And Sin is just one of the poor suckers who got caught in her web.”
“I don’t…” I swallow hard, the words getting caught in my throat.
“If Raya told you to steer clear, I would for the sake of your sanity. Zoe has been known to have a ruthless streak, mostly with those she doesn’t like or feels threatened by. She’s possessive as fuck, and will go to great lengths to keep everything in her life the way she wants it,” Khai says, eyes searching my face.
My pulse jackhammers in my throat. What does he mean by that? Sweat slicks my palms, and I wipe them down the front of my polo, distracting me from the speed at which my heart is racing. “I-I don’t understand. This whole thing is confusing.”
Khai chuckles, the sound warm and inviting. “Believe me, if you’re confused, I’m confused. And if we’re confused, then Sin is fucking lost.” He offers me a shrug. “Look, I think it’s best if you speak to Sin about this. I love talking about my best friend, but if you want the real story, he’s the best person to ask.”
I exhale a sharp breath and nod. “Yeah, no, you’re right. I feel weird asking him about his personal business because he’s… well… Sin.”
Knowing exactly what I’m referring to, Khai chuckles. “Too fucking right. But trust me, if you ask him what’s going on, he’ll tell you.” He claps his hands together and gestures behind him. “I better get back to the gym before your father or Todd has my nuts.”
I want to question why he believes Sinnett would be willing to talk to me about his girlfriend problems when we hardly know each other, at least on that kind of level, but I don’t.
“Remember what I said about your posture and pushing yourself too hard,” I say pointedly.
Khai smiles. “You can trust me.”
When I’m alone in the room, I sink against the table behind me and sigh. The conversation with Khai has left me more confused than I was ten minutes ago. I’m nowhere closer to finding out what is going on between Sinnett and Zoe, and now I’m starting to wonder if it’s any of my business at all. Even if I find out the truth, it won’t change the fact that Sinnett will always be just out of reach, unattainable.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, pulling me from my thoughts. Needing the distraction, I reach into my pocket and retrieve the device. Noah’s name appears on the screen, and my heart leaps with excitement.
“Noah!”
“T, it’s so good to hear your voice.” A giggle-squeal sounds in the background, and my heart squeezes knowing who it belongs to. “How are you?”
“Better, now that I’m hearing from you.” I smile, dragging my bottom lip between my teeth. “How are you doing? And my sweet niece, of course.”
“We’re both good. Missing you, of course.”
“I miss you both, too.” I pace across the room to my desk nestled in the corner. It’s not much, only the essential office supplies and a desktop computer, but it’s more than I need. Dropping into the black leather chair, I lean back, relishing in the pressure dissipating from my feet. “What’s new with you? It feels like forever since we last spoke.”
“It’s been a week, T.”
“Yeah, a week too long. Now spill, Noah. How is everything going with the new neighbour you don’t shut up about?”
Noah chuckles. “She’s fine.” A cupboard closes in the background, and I picture Noah moving through the kitchen, cleaning up after Jade, no doubt. “And the neighbour has a name, you know.”
“Yes, I know. Now talk to me about her.”
“Well, I hiredMiato babysit Jade two days a week.”
My eyes nearly bulge out of my head. “What!”
“I know, I know. But hear me out. The daycare was dropping its trading days, and I was desperate to find an alternative. Mia offered to look after Jade, and, well… I took her up on the offer.”
“I get that,” I drawl, blinking slowly. “And is it going well? How does she get on with Jade?”
