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.
