Page 93 of Unwritten Rules
Raya turns her body to me, leaning her shoulder against the wall. “Why do I get the feeling there’s something you’re not telling me.”
I exhale a long breath and turn my eyes to meet hers. “I’m just scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing him.”
Raya clicks her tongue and nods. “That’s a valid feeling to have, Tate. But you can’t let the fear of things ending one day stop you from living in the moment. I know I initially told you not to go there with him, but I’ve seen how you two are with each other.”
A lump forms in my throat. I try to swallow it down, but it’s a persistent thing and won’t budge. “I know, I just… This feels too good to be true, you know? We’ve been seeing each other in secret for three weeks and in that time, it feels like three months have passed. Being with Sinnett feels right, like it’s where I’m meant to be.”
“But…?” Raya presses.
“But I know it won’t last,” I whisper, voice tight. “Time has been against us from the very beginning, and we both knew that. And now I can’t shake the feeling that the short time we were given is running out quicker than we realised. If Dad finds out about us… I’m not sure what’ll happen.”
Raya pushes off the wall and moves to stand in front of me. With her hands planted firmly on my shoulders, the moon casting off her stunning features in a soft, ambient glow, she holds my gaze.
“You listen to me,” she says, voice steady. “Don’t let the fear of the clock running down stop you from embracing this moment. If being with Sinnett is what makes you happy, don’t worry about anyone else and just focus on him. I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching. That man thinksyou are the light that brightens his world and leads him from the darkness. In my eyes, that’s a man worth fighting for. And I know he would go to war for you if it came down to it.” Raya pats my shoulder and drops her hands to her side, retrieving her gym bag from the ground. “It doesn’t matter that you haven’t known each other long. When the right person enters your life, you’ll know it. And if that person is Sinnett, then take the hand you’ve been given and don’t look back.”
My lips part as I try to retain the inspirational words that fell from my friend’s mouth. I didn’t know she was capable of such profound words, given her tough exterior and reserved nature. Deep down, she must hold on to a lot of emotion she refuses to share with others. And for a brief moment, I got to see a glimpse of the real Raya.
“You’re right,” I murmur, my lips thinning into a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
Raya smiles. “As my friend, you get my good advice for free.”
I snort a laugh and pull her in for a brief hug. “I don’t know what I would do without you, Ray.”
She pulls back and winks. “You’ll never have to find out.”
“Do you have any plans for the night?” I ask, needing a change in conversation. One that doesn’t have my head spiralling.
“I’m video calling with my family,” she murmurs, eyes darting away.
“You don’t talk about them much.” Her family is included as one of those emotions she doesn’t talk about. “Where do they live?”
Her hands glide through the ends of her hair, tongue dragging over her full bottom lip. “Just this little town three hours north of Sydney. Barrenridge?”
My eyes nearly bulge from my head. “Barrenridge? No way! I was born there.”
Raya’s eyes widen, the skin between her brows creasing. “Seriously? What are the odds of that.”
I’m reminded of Sinnett’s connection to Barrenridge—the tiny town I thought no one outside of it’s perimeter knew about—and I can’t help but laugh. “More likely than I thought.”
“Well, they moved to Barrenridge a couple of years ago, but I wanted to stay in Sydney to pursue dance and cheerleading.” Raya shrugs. “They tend to keep to themselves, so I’m not sure if you would’ve seen them around.”
I want to question Raya further about her family while the topic hangs in the air, but she drops her attention to her phone, checking the time.
“I better go,” she murmurs, lifting her head to meet my gaze. “You all good?”
Disappointment tears through me, but I swallow it and smile. “Yeah, I’m all good. I’m waiting for Dad.”
Raya’s brows wiggle. “Or are you waiting for a certain halfback?”
I playfully roll my eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now get out of here. I’ll see you next week.”
We bid farewell for the night with the promise of going out for brunch tomorrow since it’s Sunday and neither of us have any plans. I’m in desperate need of some girl time with my friend, and to ask her about her family in Barrenridge. Having two guy friends all throughout high school was good because I always felt safe with Noah and Nathan, but as a girl, I craved the kind of friendship that comes from befriending women and talking about usual girly topics. Noah and Nathan did their best to provide me with that, but it wasn’t the same. Now that I have Raya, I’m learning what it means to have a girl best friend, and it’s been a fun experience thus far.
Footsteps approach from the side and I look up to find Sinnett smiling at me, his gym bag hanging by his side. Havingditched the grass-stained Wolves jersey and black shorts, he’s looking freshly showered in loose black athletic shorts and the same black hoodie he wears every day. I’m convinced he has several of them in his wardrobe that he rotates through each day. I’ll have to test the theory the next time I stay over. The hood is thrown up, covering his half-dried hair, the strands messy and slightly curling at the edges.
