Page 37 of Unwritten Rules
“No.”
“Come on, I know you’re lying. You don’t need to play hard to get.”
I huff a laugh. “How’d you go from offering some top tier advice to being a dirtbag and saying I need to get laid?”
Khai shrugs, a goofy grin consuming his features. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”
“I’ll say it again, you’re an idiot. And I’m not in the mood to hook up with someone.”
“Why? Because you have a certain strawberry-blonde on your mind?”
My fists clench, fingernails embedding into my palm. “No.”
A knowing smile splits across my best friend’s face. “You can’t lie to me, Sin. I can see right through you.”
“Well, you’re wrong this time,” I grunt, unable to meet his eyes.
When Tatum walked into the locker room before the game, her shoulders were tense and jade eyes refused to lift from the floor. I watched her walk across the room to where Olive, our social media person, stood on the other side of the room. Icouldn’t put my finger on why, but Tatum looked rattled. It was obvious by her refusal to meet the team’s eyes—especially mine—and how quiet she was on the sideline, body rigid and spine straight as she watched the game.
I had to stop myself multiple times from asking her if everything was okay, but the death glares I received from Zoe, where she sat with half of the cheerleading squad on the opposite side of Tatum, made me think twice. The last thing I need is for Zoe to cause a scene and make Tatum’s life hell—and from experience, Zoe has no problem doing so. She’s made my life hell since breaking things off with her, constantly calling or texting me, with no clear end in sight.
Seeing Tatum this on edge has me wondering if Zoe has said something to her. My fists tighten again at the thought. If she has, I will have no problem causing a scene of my own.
Khai holds his hands up in defence. “Okay, if you say so. But if you’re wound tight and need an outlet to release some pent-up energy, I’m heading out to grab a drink with Axel. Who knows, maybe you might meet someone who makes you forget about Tatum.”
I run my hand through my hair, eyes sweeping across the near-empty locker room. Empty beer cans fill the bin in the centre of the room, courtesy of the celebration ritual post-game. Most of the alcove spaces are cleared out, with only a few players remaining as they gather the last of their belongings. Todd, our head assistant coach, lingers in the corner of the room talking with Axel, our fullback. Coach Phil left ten minutes ago, but I haven’t seen Tatum for at least thirty minutes. Not that I’m keeping tabs on her…
Okay, maybe a little.
“I might pass,” I say, flicking my eyes back to Khai. “I should probably get some sleep.”
Khai raises a questioning brow. “Are you sure?”
I nod. “Go have fun. I’ll see you when you get home.”
Khai claps me on the shoulder, guiding me out of the sheds and into the hallway. “If you hear strange noises coming from my room, don’t be alarmed, okay?”
“Khai, I’ve heard you have sex enough that I know far too much about the ‘strange’ noises that come from your bedroom. So, believe me, I will be falling asleep with my headphones in.”
A snort sounds from my best friend’s throat. “Sorry not sorry, Sin. I can’t control them the same way you can’t control how weak you are for always going back to Zoe. We’re only human.”
“I told you I’m done with Zoe.” My voice is tight and harsher than I intended as we step through the back entrance of the stadium, the air cool against the exposed skin of my legs. May weather in Sydney makes no sense to me. The mornings and evenings are chilly, but the sun is a blistering bitch throughout the day, making it impossible to gauge what the temperature is going to be or decide what clothes to wear. “If you’ve heard otherwise, then you’re mistaken.”
Khai turns his body to me, only an inch shorter than I am. “We both know Zoe talks an unbelievable amount of shit. And while I have heard her saying to her friends that she plans on winning you back, I know you’ve already checked out.”
“I was never checked in.”
He chuckles. “That was probably for the best. I would’ve hated to see you get caught in a web of feelings for that girl.”
“You and me both.” I exhale a deep breath. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”
Khai hoists his gym bag higher on his shoulder and nods. “As my emergency contact, I expect nothing less from you.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I bite back a smile as I watch him walk to his car across the lot. “You should really get that changed.”
“To who?” he throws over his shoulder.
“I don’t know, maybe either one of your parents.”
