Page 80 of Scoring with the Coach's Daughter

“Let me guess,” she continues. “This sudden perfectionist streak hasnothingto do with Jake?”

I close my eyes. “Maggie.”

She lets out a knowing hum. “So, what happened?”

I press my lips together. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Sam.”

I breathe out harshly. “He asked us to go with him.”

Maggie blinks. “Wait. To Maine?”

I nod.

“And you said no?” The credulous unbelievability that resonates in her voice should have been a tipoff to my mistake—the mistake of rejecting Jake’s offer.

“I didn’t say no,” I mutter, trying to defend myself. Technically, I didn’t say no. I’m staring at the shelves stacked with pasta and spices willing the inventory list to be wrong so I have something—anything—to fix. “I just… didn’t say yes,” I added sheepishly.

Maggie lets out a frustrated groan. “Oh my God, Sam.”

I tense at her tone. “It’s not that simple.”

“Yes, it is.”

I whirl on her. “No, it’s not!”

She blinks at me, startled by the outburst.

But now that I’ve started, I can’t stop.

“It’s not just me,” I snap. “It’s Ellie. It’s her life, her stability, her routine. I can’t just uproot her for something that might not last.”

Maggie’s gaze softens. “But you want to.”

The words feel like a gut punch.

I press my lips together, my throat tightening.

She steps closer. “Sam… you love him. He loves you. The three of you were destined to be. Why can’t you accept something good in your life?”

I exhale shakily.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, you better figure it out because men like Jake come along once in a lifetime.”

I let out a broken laugh, shaking my head. “Because what if something happens to him? What if he gets hurt again? What if he realizes that I am not perfect?” My voice wobbles. “What if I get used to having him, and then he’s gone?”

Maggie watches me for a long moment, then says, “So it’s easier to push him away first?”

I look down. She’s not wrong.

She sighs. “Sam, listen to me.” She grips my shoulders gently, forcing me to meet her eyes. “A compromise doesn’t mean you lost.”

I gulp air.

She shakes her head. “It means you’re an adult with a level head who’s willing to make sacrifices for the greater good.” She pauses. “And the greater good? That means having a future with him.”

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