Page 43 of The Girlfriend Goal
"Yes. Now if you'll excuse me—"
But when I tried to step around him, he moved too, and we ended up doing an awkward dance that ended with me pressed against the film equipment table and Lance way too close for professional partnership standards.
"You can't keep running," he said quietly. "Every time we get close to something real, you bolt."
"You don't understand—"
"Then explain it to me." His voice dropped, intense and sincere in a way that made my chest tight. "Help me understand why you're so terrified of this."
"Because I've done this before!" The words exploded out of me. "With Brad. I let feelings get in the way, and he nearly derailed everything I've worked for. He made me feel small for wanting a career, for having ambitions beyond being his support system. He—" I stopped, horrified at the confession.
Lance's expression softened. "I'm not Brad."
"I know that."
"Do you?" He reached out, fingers ghosting along my jaw. "Because I'm pretty sure I've never made you feel small. If anything, you make me want to be bigger and better. I'm not asking you to give up your dreams, Rachel. I'm asking you to consider that maybe there's room for both. For your career and... whatever this is."
"I promised myself," I whispered. "After Ryan, after Brad, after watching my parents struggle their whole lives—I promised I wouldn't let anything stop me from succeeding. From getting them out of that tiny apartment, from proving that their sacrifices meant something."
"I'm not trying to stop you." His thumb traced my cheekbone, and I couldn't help leaning into the touch. "I want to watch you conquer the world. Preferably from a front-row seat."
The moment stretched between us, filled with possibility and fear and want. God, I wanted to kiss him. But—
"Hey, are you two done having your Hallmark moment?" Matt's voice shattered the tension. "Because Jared's threatening to key my car over the cargo shorts argument, and I need backup."
Lance stepped back, the loss of his warmth almost painful. "We should go referee before they actually damage property."
I scrambled for the signed papers, shoving them at his chest. "All signed. I have to go watch the game film. You understand."
I fled before he could respond, passing Jared and Matt who were now arguing about something else entirely.
I made it to my car before the shaking started. Lance's words echoed in my head:I want to watch you conquer the world.
The problem was, when he looked at me like that, I wanted to let him.
Chapter 17: Lance
"Okay, but what if she's actually a secret agent?" Matt suggested, hanging upside down off his bed. "And she can't date you because it would compromise her cover?"
I threw a protein bar at his head.
Three days since the film room. Three days of Rachel perfecting the art of being everywhere I wasn't.
"You know what your problem is?" Matt flipped right-side up, his face flushed from blood rush. "You're treating this like hockey. You're playing defense when you should be on offense. You're letting her control the puck."
"Did you just use a hockey metaphor for my love life?"
"I'm speaking your language." He leaned forward, suddenly serious. "Look, when have you ever gotten anywhere by playing it safe? Remember when you were scared to try out for varsity as a sophomore? You charged in anyway and made the team. Same thing when you were failing that stats class. You asked for help. Passed the class. Sensing a pattern here?"
I stared at the ceiling, hating that Matt occasionally made sense despite his chaos. "So what, I just charge at her?"
"No, you idiot. You show her you're not going anywhere. That you're worth the risk." He paused. "Also maybe stop letting her run away. Like, physically block the exits."
"That seems aggressive."
"Fine, don't block them. But stop making it so easy for her to bolt. Every time she runs, you just let her."
"Because I'm respecting her boundaries."
