Page 89 of The Girlfriend Goal
"I did." I leaned against him. "But he said something that bothered me."
"Anything that sentient red flag says should be immediately disregarded."
"He said I was running. That choosing Seattle over Lance was just fear disguised as ambition."
Jared was quiet for a long moment. "Is it?"
"I don't know," I admitted. "I've worked so hard for this opportunity. My family needs me to succeed."
"Your family needs you to be happy," he corrected gently. "And from where I'm sitting, you haven't been happy since you started pushing Lance away."
"I was happy before him."
"You were driven, focused, and determined." Jared turned to face me. "But happy? Really?"
I thought about the past few months – the laughter, the partnership, the way Lance made even mundane things feel like adventures. Then I thought about the last few weeks of self-imposed distance, how gray everything felt without him.
"It doesn't matter," I said finally. "I'm going to Seattle. He'll go wherever he's drafted. We have different paths."
"Matt and I are making it work."
"You're both staying here for now."
"And when that changes, we'll figure it out." Jared's voice went uncharacteristically serious. "Because some things are worth fighting for, Rachel. Some people are worth choosing, even when it's inconvenient."
Inside, Lance was laughing with his teammates, but his eyes found mine the moment I returned. The question there –are you okay?– nearly broke my resolve.
I nodded, forcing a smile. The night continued with more performances, more drinks, more pretending that my chest didn't ache every time he looked at me.
"Walk me home?" I found myself asking as the bar closed.
Lance's surprise quickly shifted to concern. "Of course."
We walked in comfortable silence until I couldn't stand it anymore. "Brad was there, at the bar."
His jaw tightened. "Did he bother you?"
"He offered career help. And called me a hypocrite for running to Seattle."
"You're not running. You're advancing toward your dreams."
"What if they're the same thing?"
Lance stopped walking. "What do you mean?"
"What if I'm using career ambition as an excuse to avoid this?" I gestured between us. "Whatever this is?"
"I thought this was nothing," he said carefully. "Physical attraction without meaning, right?"
The callback to my words after our last encounter made me flinch. "I lied."
"I know."
"You know?"
"Rachel." He faced me fully. "I've known you were lying since the first time you kissed me and ran. But I can't make you brave. I can only be here when you're ready."
"What if I'm never ready? What if I'm too broken from Brad, too scared of losing myself again?"
