Page 103 of Unwritten Rules
Dad’s jaw clenches as he holds my gaze, deep blue eyes burning with a fire I’ve never seen before.
“I can’t have this under my roof,” he finally says, squaring his shoulders. I know what he’s referring to. He doesn’t want Sinnett and me to be together while at work. “It’s not going to work.”
“Dad,” I warn, voice low. “Please don’t do this.Please. This isn’t what you think it is.”
“I know exactly whatthisis.” He waves his hands between me and Sinnett, nostrils flaring. “And I don’t like it.”
“Why?” I plead, not caring how pathetic I sound, tears brimming at the corner of my eyes.
“Why?” Dad repeats, heated eyes finding mine. “Because he’s not good for you, Tate! I’ve heard the rumours about him and how he treats women.” He scoffs, shaking his head. “I don’t wanthim to hurt you. The one person I care most about. Not like how I—” Dad runs a hand down the side of his face, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. “A guy likehimdoesn’t deserve a woman like you.”
A guy like him.
What does that mean?
If he’s referring to the women Sinnett has been with in the past, or his complicated relationship with Zoe, then that’s not a fair assessment of the man standing in this room. Dad only knows a fraction of the man Sinnett is. He sees the side of him that is an unstoppable force on the field, doing everything he can to help his team out there, and he’s heard about the side of him who was lost and finding ways to cope with the overwhelming pressure thrust upon his shoulders, ensuring he’s the best version of himself for the club and his parents.
But Dad hasn’t met the Sinnett I know. The man who saved me from being drugged in a club. The man who walked me home because he couldn’t stomach the idea of me being on the streets alone. The man who listens to music with me and sits through every single one of my random questions as they pop into my head. The same man who lights up my vision with his smile, and forces the butterflies in my stomach to go haywire.
Sinnett is far from the man Dad thinks he knows. I just wish he would allow me to show him.
“He’s not like that, Dad,” I tell him, voice barely above a whisper. I’m afraid if I raise my voice even the slightest octave, the tears I’m holding back will burst forward. “You don’t know him.”
“I know him well enough to know he’s not good enough for you, Tate,” Dad says, chest puffing out. “This ends. Right here, right now.”
I try and swallow around the lump forming in my throat, lungs burning for air. Eyes flicking to Sinnett, I see he’s alreadywatching me. Pain seeps into his face, ocean eyes calling to me. His biceps are tense, arms folded over his chest.
It pains me that I can’t reach for him or turn back time to yesterday when we watched the sun sink below the horizon, getting lost in the crashing waves and solace of being together.
“Dad, please don’t do this.” I step forward, hoping he can see the pain in my face. How much this is fucking hurting me.Us. “Please.”
“My hands are tied, Tatum.” Dad holds his hands in the air as if to prove his point. “Make your choice, Sinnett. If you care about this club as much as you claim, then you’ll know what to do.”
And there it is. The choice I knew would eventually be thrust upon us, namely Sinnett.
It’s me or the club.
My heart sinks when my eyes clash with Sinnett. They’re filled with hurt and indecision, mirroring my own. It hurts me that my father would put me in a situation like this, knowing he was in a similar position when he was my age and met Mum. If she were here, I have no doubt she would talk him off the edge and knock some sense into him.
But she’s not. And the reminder is painful.
“Phil, I?—”
I cut Sinnett off by taking another step forward, pulse so erratic I can hardly breathe. “I quit, Dad.”
Dad’s eyes widen as he stares down at me.
“Tate, no,” Sinnett pleads, reaching for me. “You can’t do this.”
“It’s already done,” I squeeze out, bottom lip trembling as I lock eyes with him. The man who crashed into my life like a bulldozer and has been slowly picking up the pieces ever since. “I’m sorry, Sin. But I can’t let you throw your career away for me.”
Dad exhales a sharp breath. “Tatum… I don’t want you to throw your career away.”
I fold my arms over my chest, anger seeping into my veins. “You didn’t give me much of a choice.”
He swallows hard, features like stone. Dad turns to Sinnett and gestures toward the door behind him. “You better get your ass into the sheds. Kickoff is in ten minutes.”
Sinnett doesn’t move, eyes drilling holes into the side of my face. I can’t bear to look at him, because if I do, the tears I’m holding back will break free. This isn’t just me quitting my job. It’s us having to say goodbye to the secret moments we shared in his car, the music we bonded over and the silent support we gave each other to keep pushing through. Now that Dad knows about us, he’ll do everything in his power to keep us apart if we try to see each other in secret. It won’t be the same as before today when we could be ourselves in private. But everything has changed now.
