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“Who?”

Theo smiles. “Excelsior Parks—my office.”

I blink.

“I pitched your story to the marketing team. They loved the idea of a home-grown athlete to sponsor.”

“Your office?” I repeat, my brain struggling to catch up. “Are you sure you can justify that to your boss? I’m not exactly a top-ten player.”

Theo smirks. “Trust me. He thinks it’s one of the best investments we’ve ever made. He’s already signed off on it.”

“You’re positive?”

“Completely.” He folds his arms. “I’ll have my assistant put you in touch with HR to take care of the paperwork. We’ll cover your coaching expenses, training costs, tournament travel. Everything you need to give this a proper shot.”

My mouth falls open. “All of it?”

“Indeed. From there,” Theo says, “it’ll be up to you to convince Andrew to keep you on.”

I look down at my phone on the counter, then back at Theo. For the first time in weeks, that heavy, stagnant feeling in my chest starts to lift. Maybe this isn’t the end of the road after all. “I won’t let you down, Theo.”

“I know,” he says.

My gaze drifts down to my ankle, still swollen beneath the edge of my sock. The clinic is this weekend. With any luck, I’ll be ready to go by then. But there won’t be any time to practice. Which means the first ball I hit will be in front of the man who could change my career.

I press my lips together. This isn’t just a second chance. It’s the only one I’ve got.

And I’m taking it.

Eighteen

“Do you mind if I take this?” I ask Zoe, who is currently navigating the Saturday morning traffic. “It’s Max.”

“About time he called you back,” she murmurs.

“He’s been busy, Zoe. Life doesn’t stop just because he’s across the pond.”

“I know,” she says. “I just don’t like how much of the waiting falls on you.”

I roll my eyes, leaning back against the headrest. “It’s complicated.”

“Mm-hmm,” she hums skeptically, returning her attention to the road. She still hasn’t forgiven him for Coral Bay, even after I showed her the texts and explained about the train delays. At this point, it would take a lifetime supply of theatre tickets to get Zoe firmly back on Team Max.

I swipe to accept the call. A gust of wind catches his hair, and he mutters something under his breath. It’s funny how one place can be wrapped in coats while another is baking in ninety percent humidity.

The background noise of the station is a chaotic symphony of whistles and announcements. “Cheers, Katie!” he calls out above it, his whole face bright with excitement.

“Hi, Max.” I wave, unable to stop the traitorous little jump in my chest.

“So sorry, I’ve only got a few minutes,” he says, straining to be heard over a booming announcement about the Northern Line. “I meant to ring you earlier, but it’s been crackers. This is the third time I’ve been asked to head into the city this week.”

“I take it that’s a good sign?”

“Very good.” He pauses, ducking into a slightly quieter corner of the station. “The casting directors want me for a lead role! A lead, Katie! Can you believe it? This is my big break, just like you said.”

“I’m not surprised,” I say, bringing the phone closer to my face, ignoring Zoe’s intentional silence next to me. “They recognized you for what you are—talented. You deserve it.”

I lean my head against the passenger window, watching the palm trees blur into a streak of sun-bleached green. “You’ve got this, Max. And it sounds like they already know it.”