Page 99 of Unwritten Rules
“Let’s hope so,” I murmur, dropping my hand to my side. “Be safe tonight.”
“You, too,” Khai says, wiggling his brows. “Don’t think for a second that I’m not aware of who you’re going to meet up with.”
“How did you?—”
Khai taps his temple, a grin splitting across his face. “I just know.”
“How is that going, by the way?” Nico flicks his eyes to me. “You and Tatum.”
I hadn’t intended for Nico and Zane to find out about Tatum—well, more than what Khai had already told them over drinks that one time—but if there is anyone I can trust on this team to keep our secret, it’s those guys.
“Good,” I tell him with a nod. “Better than good, actually.”
Nico pumps his brows at me. “Do you like her?”
Khai grins and slings his arm around Nico’s shoulders. “I think our Sinny boy has the fattest crush known to mankind.”
I playfully roll my eyes and head toward the exit, refusing to play into their antics, and because I don’t know how to answer Nico’s question. “I’ll see you guys later.”
Khai and Nico call out their goodbyes to me as I walk through the change room and out into the hallway of the training facility. My legs drag with each step to my car, but somehow, I feel light and buzz with electricity. The grip on my gym bag tightensas I step out into the car park, my eyes landing on a head of strawberry-blonde hair leaning against my car.
My breath hitches as my legs falter, taking in her ethereal beauty.
Fucking hell. It’s like finding rays of sunshine on the darkest of days.
Before I met Tatum, I saw the world through a black and white lens, believing I needed structure and drive to achieve my goals. And now, she has lit my world up with colours I didn’t know existed, and taught me that if I want something bad enough, all I have to do is believe in myself. Tatum has shifted my way of viewing life and my career in such a short amount of time that it scares me at times, but deep down, I know it’s something I needed, especially after my injury.
I clear my throat and continue towards her, never taking my eyes off her face. As promised, she changed out of her work uniform into a pair of black jeans, a white graphic T-shirt tucked into the waistband and my leather jacket. Heat spreads across my chest, knowing she’s walking around wearingmyclothes and everyone is none the wiser.
“How was training?” Tatum asks, shoving the tote bag on her shoulder higher.
I fight the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss her. No one is in the car park, so I might get away with it, but I need to keep my head and be careful. To anyone else, this interaction can be viewed as me dropping Tatum home because her car is still getting fixed. Turns out, there is a lot fucking wrong with it, but my mechanic is adamant that she can pick it up tomorrow morning before the game.
I flash her a smile as I walk around to the driver’s side. My eyes stay locked on her as I pull open the back door and toss the gym bag onto the seat. “Hard. I don’t think my body has been in this much pain before.”
Tatum tosses out a laugh as she slides into the passenger seat. I follow suit.
“You’ve been out for six weeks, so it’ll take some time to get used to the rigorous training again.” She clicks her seat belt into place and watches me as I do the same. “But you’re okay?”
The engine roars to life and I put the car into reverse, needing to get Tatum as far away from this place as possible so we can be alone. My grip tightens around the steering wheel as I lean into the leather seat. Tatum’s floral perfume consumes the small space between us, and I fucking love it. If I could die with her scent being the last thing I ever smelled, I would be a happy man.
My hand instinctively glides over my right thigh as I respond, “I’m okay. My thigh felt a bit tight today, but I’ll have Todd wrap it well before the game.” I toss my gaze to her and grin. “Why? Are you worried about me, strawberry?”
“I’m always worried about you,” she says without hesitation. Her hand glides over the centre console to rest on my left thigh. My heart explodes in my fucking chest at the simple touch. “Be careful out there tomorrow, okay?”
My hand drops from the steering wheel to cover hers, the touch warm and electric. “I’m always careful, Tate.”
Sliding my fingers through hers, Tatum tells me about her day. Our winger, Jaxon, has been struggling with his hamstring the past week, so Tatum had an extensive session with him to see what the issue was. After talking with Ian, they’ve decided to keep him from playing tomorrow, which means our wing isn’t going to be as strong as it normally is with one of the reserves stepping up to the plate. Jaxon is amazing at what he does, so it’ll be some big shoes to fill.
By the time we reach Edwards Beach, the sun is starting to set on the horizon. Hues of pink, orange and yellow swirl amongthe thin clouds, creating a marbled look that has me dazed for a moment.
“What a stunning view,” Tatum murmurs beside me, equally mesmerised.
I turn my head to the left, eyes locking on the curve of her jaw and the way her hair falls around her shoulders in soft waves. Her mouth is tilted in a half smile, jade eyes sparking as they admire the view.
My heart hammers in my chest. “Yeah, it is.”
After a long moment, Tatum slips her hand from mine and reaches for her phone. “So, what playlist should I put on today? Are you feeling a more grungy vibe or something gentle?”
