Page 42 of Unwritten Rules
SIN: I had my mechanic grab it this morning before you could even think about returning for the death trap. My guy is going to give it a lot of love and hopefully by the time you get it back, it won’t be on the verge of killing you.
All I could do was blink at the screen becausewhat. Sinnett went out of his way to contact his mechanic, get my car towed and have it looked at. I didn’t ask him to do that nor did I expect it, but it didn’t stop my heart from slamming against my ribcage at his kindness.
TATE: Sin, you didn’t have to do that. I’ll pay you back every cent.
SIN: Don’t even think about it, strawberry. It’s the least I can do to ensure you’re safe on the road. At least until you get a new car.
TATE: Don’t even think about buying me a new car. This is more than enough.
SIN: I won’t… Not unless you ask me to.
The more I dwell on his kindness, the tighter my chest gets and the faster my heart beats. I need to remind myself that Sinnett Baxter is not someone I want to get involved with. Not only does he have a girlfriend, but he leads a complex and rigid lifestyle that is often in the eye of the media. Having that kind of spotlight on me makes my skin crawl. Strangers are relentless at the best of times, but dealing with the pressure of being attached to his name and not knowing how others perceive you is too much for me to handle.
But it doesn’t change how my stomach flips with excitement whenever I see him around the training facility, catching his eye no matter what he’s doing. It’s made worse when we’re working one on one and I’m surrounded by his cinnamon and cedarwood scent, and large presence. I’m only so strong.
Explaining to my dad how my car got to the mechanic so quickly was hard. I managed to pull Raya into the narrative, telling him she drove me home after the game and offered to get it taken care of by her brother who is a mechanic. Every part of the story was a lie, but Dad bought it with ease.
A sigh escapes my parted lips as I flick through Khai’s chart, eyes scanning the words on the page. My brain doesn’t retain a single word and I inwardly groan.
“You okay there, Tate?”
I lift my gaze to where Khai sits on the table, thick thighs hanging over the edge. His hands rest on his lap, pale green eyes steadily holding my gaze. Strands of mousy hair lift in different directions, soaked with sweat. The Wolves training jersey hugs the muscles on his chest, leaving his bare arms on display. It’s impressive how muscular yet lean rugby players can be. They have muscles in all of the right places that allows them to havethe strength to tackle hard and take big hits, but not too much mass that it slows their agility and speed.
“Look, if you’re still scarred from what you saw in Townsville, just know that I only feel slightly bad about it.”
I bite back a smile. “Oh really?”
Khai nods. “Yep.”
“And this doesn’t have anything to do with Sinnett, right?”
“...No.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Look, don’t take whatever Sinnett said to heart. I thought it was funny.”
A shit-eating grin splits across the five-eighths face. “Are you hitting on me right now, Tate? I can’t wait until Sin hears about this.”
“You’re impossible.” I drop my gaze to the chart and blow out a low breath. “From what I can see in your recent stats, and notes from our last session, the condition of your muscles and joints are looking solid. If you stick to your current training and general muscle recovery plan after training and games, I have no doubt you’ll continue down this path.”
Khai stands from the table, his six-foot-two frame towering over me. “And are you sure the tweak I felt in my lower back is nothing?”
“If it’s not causing you any pain or discomfort, I would say it was likely caused by improper lifting during weight training. Be sure to keep your posture and not push yourself too hard, okay?”
Khai lifts his hand to his forehead in a salute, and I fight the urge to burst out laughing at his antics. “Your wish is my command.”
I turn to put his chart on the table behind me as a way to keep him from seeing the smile slip onto my face. Khai is by far the most outgoing and carefree guy on the team. While the rest of the players are polite and offer friendly conversation whenever they come into my office, I can tell they're reserved, with theirheads screwed on straight and their minds focused on training and improving themselves. Khai, on the other hand, will crack a joke at every chance he gets, and he never fails to light up the room when he enters.
Before Khai can leave, I spin to face him. “Can I ask you a question?”
Khai shoves his hands into the pockets of his black athletic shorts, pale eyes peering at me from behind limp strands of hair falling over his forehead. “If you want to ask me out on a date, I’m not sure how Sin would feel about it. I mean, I’m sure he’ll be pissed at first, but he might eventually give us his blessing.”
I snort a laugh and wave off his comment with my hand. “I’m not asking you out on a date, Khai.”
He gasps, feigning upset as he slaps a hand over his heart. “You wound me, Tate. I don’t know how I’ll possibly recover from this.”
My eyes roll involuntarily, a smile lifting the corner of my mouth. “I think you’ll survive. Anyway, I wanted to ask you if… well, um…” I fold my arms over my chest and exhale a sharp breath, needing to get the words out that have been plaguing my mind the past two day. “Is Sinnett dating Zoe? From the cheer squad?”
Khai’s brows raise in what I can only guess is surprise.
