Page 70 of Unwritten Rules

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“Has he mentioned me?” Zoe finally asks, jaw ticking.

Not wanting to get on her bad side, I shake my head. “Not that I know of.”

Zoe clicks her tongue, her features twisting in annoyance. “Funny he didn’t when we’re seeing each other.”

“You are?”

Sinnett explained the situation with Zoe, and he has never given me a reason not to believe his word, so I’m going to humour her to see what she’s playing at here.

“We are,” she confirms, voice sharp. “So if I were you, I would remember that when you work with him next. Sin is hot andlots of women want him, and I understand it’s hard to resist his charm, but he’s taken, hun. He’s all mine.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that if Sinnett really is her boyfriend, it would be a red flag that she can’t trust him enough to the point where she feels the need to warn other women away from him. I know they’re not actually dating, but it seems like she has an underlying fear of him seeing other women even while they’ve been hooking up.

Is that the type of guy Sinnett is?

“I hear you loud and clear,” I murmur, throat tight. “I’m just his physio, nothing more.” The lie settles heavily on my tongue, but I swallow it down.

A smile slips onto Zoe’s face, as if she’s just won the lottery. “Good. Because if I find out you or anyone else has gone near my man, there will be hell to pay.”

I blink at her, my heart thundering in my chest. Before I can respond, Zoe is called away by her friends to get ready for the performance. I lock eyes with Raya who offers a sympathetic smile before walking to the centre of the field.

My shoulders slump as worry works its way into my bones. Sinnett didn’t tell me Zoe is still hung up on him to the point she thinks they’re together even after he’s reiterated that they’re not hooking up, nor were they ever officially together. It’s clear she refuses to let go of what they have, but if she does find out I’m sleeping with him and I lied to her face, I’m going to be in some deep shit. Because although I don’t know Zoe from a bar of soap, her air of confidence and intensity is an indicator that she stands by her words and promises.

Not only do I need to keep whatever is happening between Sinnett and I from my father, but now Zoe has been added to the list. I’m not sure this is going to end well for either of us.

Chapter Eighteen

SINNETT

The second half is tense, to say the least. The Raiders are a strong side, and have been pushing hard against our defensive line with each play of the ball. It’s almost as if their coach lit a fire under their asses during half-time, and now they’re ready to play a strong forty minutes.

Shoving a hand through my hair, I lean forward on the plastic seat, eyes locked on Maximus—a front rower—as he charges into a tackle. The score has changed from 8-2 our way to 12-10. The Raiders are coming for our throats, and with how much pressure the team is putting on us, it wouldn’t surprise me if they find a crack in the formation.

“Fucking hell,” Roman breathes from beside me, right leg bouncing. “I knew this game was going to be tough, but they’re bringing the heat this half.”

Roman is on interchange, waiting for his turn to hit the field when one of the other guys needs a break. He’s lethal out on the field because he can play any position required of him, and he can do it well. I have no doubt Todd will walk over soon and have him start warming up, because with how gassed our guys are looking, some of them are going to need a break soon.

“When you get out there, tell Axel to tighten up our plays on the wing,” I tell him, eyes flicking to meet his. “Their right winger is lacking energy. His movements are slow, and pace off, so if they put enough pressure on him, they should be able to slip right past before he can understand what’s happening.”

Roman nods, running his hands over his thighs. “Got it.”

As if on cue, Todd staunches towards us, pointing his finger at Roman. “Start warming up, Ro. I need you out there in second row so I can bring Dante off.”

Without saying a word, Roman jumps up and jogs the half-length of the field to the right, stretching his muscles as he goes.

Releasing a sigh, I rub my hand over my right thigh. Without realising, my gaze flicks over my left shoulder to where Tatum sits a few chairs down, watching the game with her hands tucked under her thighs. The cool nip in the air has me wondering if she’s hiding her hands from the cold or if it’s to keep her nerves in check.

I want to sit close to her, even if it’s to breathe in her familiar scent and feel her warmth that my body craves. But with the eyes of the fans and the rest of the staffing team on us, I force myself to stay put with the notion in mind that I’ll be seeing her after the game in my car, where I have every intention of keeping her close for as long as possible.

I clear my throat and focus on the game, watching as Roman runs onto the field, switching with Dante. The play restarts, and Jace passes the ball to Khai. Before he can pass it off, he is tackled by an opposing Raiders player, sending him flying to the ground at an odd angle. My eyes nearly bulge out of my head when I see my best friend reach for his right ankle, face screwed up in what I can only assume is pain.

Oh,fuck.

I’m on my feet at the same time as Tatum. My eyes follow her as she rushes out onto the field with Greg, one of the clubtrainers. The ref gestures for the play to stop just as Tatum and Greg reach Khai, and both teams move to the side, waiting to see what happens.

My heart thunders in my chest, and a sickening feeling seeps into my stomach. I hope the pain Khai is feeling in his ankle isn’t anything major. Possibly a sprain? The team needs him because he is one of the best five-eights in the league right now. Being out on injury is torture, and I would hate for him to have to suffer the same fate as me.

My attention shifts to Tatum. She is speaking to Khai with her hand resting on his ankle, while Greg focuses on passing around a bottle of water to the rest of the team, making sure they’re okay, too. I wish I knew what was being said. It’s killing me that I have no clue what is happening.