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“That’s not what I’m doing.” She stayed at the bottom step.

“No? Sure as hell what it looks like.” Chance didn’t move either.

“You shouldn’t have done that last night.”

“Unlike other people, I don’t listen to the things people say about the people I care about and believe them.”

He would never forgive her, but that wasn’t why she was here today. She needed to get him to see reason when it came to Isaac.

“Chance, I know I screwed up and I’m not here to ask you to forgive me. I probably should, but if I were you I wouldn’t.”

He backed away from the door. “Come inside so we don’t give the neighbors a show.”

She walked past him into the house but stayed in the foyer. It was clear that she wasn’t welcome and she knew why.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Please don’t throw away everything you worked on for me. I will be the first person to tell you that I don’t deserve it.”

“Tori,” his voice softened.

“No. Let me finish.” She had to get this out before she lost her nerve or her words. “I don’t know what the right decision was for us and if we would have worked if I hadn’t screwed it up, but at no point did I ever want to see you throw your career away.”

“He shouldn’t have said those things at all, especially not in front of Emmett,” Chance defended.

“I agree. I am glad it’s on video. I will be sending it to my lawyer later. That’s not the point, though. You have enough on your plate without my mess in there, too. I know this is going to impact you in some way, even if it’s not on my fields.”

“It’s already done.”

She nodded. “I guess I just came to say, please don’t do it again on our account.”

“Got it. I don’t imagine I’ll be seeing you much after this week anyway.”

“If you ever want to practice with Emmett, just know that I wouldn’t stop you. If you don’t see him again after this, then I understand completely and wouldn’t think less of you for it. In my story, he will know that you aren’t the bad guy here.”

Chance stared at her for a minute, a move she was getting used to. He always tried to get a read on her before answering like he was judging if she was being honest or not.

She moved to walk past him to go out the door and Chance put a hand on her arm.

“Fuck, Tori,” he hissed out. “I can’t do this.”

“I understand. I do want to say that I am sorry for everything. It was my insecurities that I let take over and for that, I am sorry for the way things ended between us.”

“Maybe one day I will be able to see Emmett. Not right now,” his sad tone cut through her.

“As I said, you aren’t the villain in his story, and he will know that. I’ll make sure of it. I’ll be using that video to help adjust custody with Isaac, so hopefully, nothing bad from there either.” She brought her hand up to his on her shoulder and squeezed it. “I really wish you nothing but the best.”

Chance pulled his hand back from her, and she let herself out of the door. The tears stayed hidden until she got home.

Work wasn’t going to happen today. She went inside, crawled into her own bed, and let the tears fall. There was nothing left to fix between them. She’d screwed it up too much by doubting him more than once.

It was for the best. They weren’t a good fit. Chance’s life was too different from hers to make it work. She’d said her piece and made her apologies. That was all she could do.

If Chance forgave her, then that was great, but they weren’t meant to be more than friends. Her life was just too messy, or so she repeated to herself.

At some point, she got up and cleaned herself up before going to get Emmett. She still had to see Chance two more times this week with the clinic. Everything else could be done via email and he’d probably prefer it that way, too.

Going to a Bardley game would never be the same again. Seeing Chance would probably never stop hurting her in some way. She would do it. She’d make it work for Emmett’s sake and not let this stop her from enjoying the games that she loved to attend.

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