Page 76 of Scoring with the Coach's Daughter

I brace my hands against the table, breathing through the sharp edge of it. “Sam?—”

“No,” she cuts in, shaking her head. “No, I let this happen. I let you in. And now I’m the one who has to pick up the pieces.”

“That’s not fair.” My voice is rough and strained.

She lets out a harsh, bitter laugh. “Fair? Jake, you knew what this was.Iknew what this was. You were always going to leave. Youknewyou weren’t staying, and you let her love you anyway.”

I feel those words like a knife. I admit I came here intent on winning her heart but in the process, I gained both their hearts, only Ellie is not an adult. I force myself to meet her eyes. “And what about you?”

Her breath hitches, but she masks it quickly.

I take a step closer. “You think this is just about Ellie?” My voice lowers. “You think I don’t see it, Sam?”

She swallows hard, but she doesn’t look away.

I shake my head. “You’re scared.”

She stiffens.

I push forward. “You’re scared because you letmein too. Because this—us—was never part of your plan.”

She glares at me, defensive. “Don’t pretend like it was part of yours either.”

I run a hand down my face. “Jesus, Sam.”

She keeps going. “You bought a house, Jake.”

I nod, exhaling sharply. “Yeah. I did.”

“In Maine.”

“Yeah.”

She laughs again, but there’s no humor in it. “And what, you were just going to tell us later?”

“I was going to tell you tonight.”

She presses her lips together, looking away.

And for the first time, I see it—the real fear underneath all the anger. The way she’s trying so damn hard to hold herself together because letting herselfwantthis,wantme, terrifies her.

Because if she reaches for it if she chooses it, and something happens—if I get hurt again, if I change my mind, if I leave anyway—she’ll be the one left standing alone.

I get it.

I getit.

But I can’t let her believe that this is just another temporary thing for me.

I take another step closer, dropping my voice.

“Come with me.”

She stills.

“What?” she breathes.

I hold her gaze. “Come with me. You and Ellie.”

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