Page 87 of Scoring with the Coach's Daughter

I snort. “Thanks, Maggie.”

She leans against the counter, crossing her arms. “So, when are you flying to Maine?”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” She takes a sip of her coffee. “It’s not too late, Sam. You can still fix this.”

I scoff, shaking my head. “It’s not that simple.”

Maggie sighs, exasperated. “It is, though. You’re the one making it complicated.”

I glare at her, but she doesn’t back down. “You’re miserable. Ellie’s miserable. Jake’s probably miserable too. So why are you still here, sitting in your self-inflicted heartbreak, instead of doing something about it?”

“Because I can’t just—” I pause, fisting my hands at my sides. “I don’t know if I can do this, Maggie.”

Her expression softens. “Why? Because you’re scared?”

I look away.

She steps closer, lowering her voice. “You’ve been protecting yourself for so long, you forgot that love—real love—is worth the risk.”

I swallow hard. “And what if I go and it doesn’t change anything?”

Maggie shrugs. “Then at least you won’t spend the rest of your life wondering what if.”

She has a valid point.

She lets the words settle for a minute, then gives me a sheepish smile. “I’ll watch Ellie. Go.”

I exhale, pressing my fingers against my temple. “Maggie, I?—”

My phone buzzes.

I glance at it, my breath catching when I see the email notification.

From: Jake

Subject: Open invite

My heart pounds as I open it.

Hey, Sam. Hope you and Ellie are doing well.

I was thinking… if you ever wanted to see what I do for a living, I can get you both tickets to a game. No pressure, just an invite. Let me know.

My fingers tighten around my phone.

An open-ended invitation.

A chance. A door has opened. I just need to walk through it.

Maggie peers over my shoulder, reading the email before smirking. “Mm, maybe you look at that as a good omen because it looks like the universe is handing you a second chance.”

I don’t answer, my chest is rising and fallingas if Jake is here, kissing my lips, and my neck before he chases me up the stairs. I stare at his words.

No pressure.

Just an invite.

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