Page 60 of Scoring with the Coach's Daughter

I grit my teeth. “She’s not Ellen. She’s a normal kid. She’s not driving cars.”

“She will one day.”

“She’s down to earth. She’s a great kid but if you think you can control the future, or her destiny, I hate to be the one to tell you this but it’s simply not possible. We all have free will to make decisions and your sister’s death was an accident. She drove that road hundreds of times, and she drove them fast, and she was fine.”

“But it only took a second and she’s gone forever.”

“You’re not responsible for her death. It was her life. Shelived the way she wanted to. But you can’t raise Ellie in the shadow of your fears. Don’t make her a victim of circumstances.”

She swallows hard, then looks away.

I drag in a breath, trying to steady the anger still burning under my skin. “You can’t live your life waiting for the worst-case scenario, Sam. That’s not living.”

She wraps her arms around herself, looking smaller than I’ve ever seen her. And I hate it. I hate myself for making her feel that way. But I tell myself it’s for the greater good. But Ellie isn’t my kid. And I’m the newbie here, so perhaps I’ve overstepped. Maybe I’ve given myself license to butt in when the reality is that I haven’t earned it, and I’ve misplaced my importance to Sam.

She’s one of the strongest people I know, but right now, she’s just… tired. Worn down by the weight of everything she’s been carrying alone and for too long.

I step forward and take her hand. “I know you’re scared. But she’s gonna be okay. You’re raising a damn good kid.”

Her breath hitches, and her hand lays in mine. “I just want her to be happy.”

I nod. “Then let her experience life, all of life, the good and the bad under your tutelage.”

Sam doesn’t answer immediately. Did I get through to her?

Instead, she pulls her hand away and sinks into the couch. She rests an elbow on the arm of the furniture and runs a hand over her long tresses that have obscured her vision.

I hesitate before sitting across from her. Neither of us speaks for a long time.

Eventually, she sighs. “You’re really not going anywhere, are you?”

I smirk, but it’s softer now, and her new tone gives me hope thatwe’ll be okay. “Nope.”

She shakes her head like she doesn’t know whether to laugh or roll her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“I’ve been told. I’m not perfect, but I’d never hurt you or her,” I say, my voice rough. “You know that.”

Her eyes snap back to mine. For a moment, I think she’s going to say something, something real, something raw.

But instead, she presses her lips together. “I know it was an accident. It could have happened to me. Heaven knows I had a learning curve in the beginning. There was bubble gum in her hair, and I had to cut it out. There was the glitter incident where she used Superglue, and it’s still stuck to some tiles on the floor in her bedroom. And the bleached spot on my bathroom counter? It’s nail polish remover.”

We both chuckle and it cuts the tension that’s been between us for the past hour.

There’s a beat of silence. Then?—

“Jake?”

I glance up.

She meets my gaze, something unreadable in her expression. “I do trust you.”

My chest tightens, and for the first time in this entire argument, something shifts.

I just nod. I don’t push her for more because knowing I’ve made my point is enoughfor now.

Somehow, we survived our first argument.

I’m not opposed to arguing but at the same time, it makes me wonder if Sam can ever truly change. I have doubts about her ability to let me in. Maybe I jumped the gun on that.

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