Page 126 of Break Point
My pulse picks up.
My breaths are shaky.
And I can’t tell if I’m angry, sad, disappointed, or a terrible mix of all of the above. What I know for sure is Henry’s statement is upsetting me more than I was prepared for.
We’re standing behind Lydia, watching her argue on our behalf one last time. She insists we should at least get an upgrade, but the receptionist repeats for the hundredth time that they’re fully booked for the week.
Henry is clueless about what the real problem is when supposedly everything’s been settled.
Lydia turns around on her heel dramatically.
“Hope you don’t mind,” she says with a grimace, handing over two keys. One for me and one for Henry. “The room has a king-sized bed.”
Of course it does.
We take the keys.
“We’ll be fine,” Henry says. “Seriously. Don’t worry.”
We’re like brother and sister.
“Yeah, my big ol’ brother Henry here loves a good couch,” I say, patting his shoulder.
He flinches slightly. Good.
“He’ll survive.”
Lydia deflates once again with relief.
“Okay.” She claps once. “You’re on the 2nd floor. Your bellhop will take you up to your room. There should be a welcome package on the table. Let me know if it’s not there.”
“I will.” I smile. “Thanks for everything.”
“Bye!” Lydia waves us off like we’re about to board a ship to the New World. “Call me if you need anything!” Then, “Bye!” again.
We follow our bellhop to our room.
Henry tips him after he helps us unload our bags and closes the door, making the room feel smaller than it actually is. I walk around the suite to evaluate whether the room is big enough to hold us both.
Physically? It is.
The ceilings are high, the walls are painted in a soft, elegant cream, and the furniture has that solid, heavy look that says it will outlive all of us. The bed is massive, piled with enough pillows to build a small fortress if I feel like it.
The marble bathroom screams fancy, and it’s large enough to host a small party.
I spot the couch by the window. Unfortunately, it’s a loveseat. The only way Henry would fit is if he slept in a seated position.
I should’ve insisted he moved to another hotel.
The room is beautiful and cozy without trying too hard. Quiet without feeling empty. The kind of place that makes you want to take a deep breath and shake the exhaustion out of your bones.
That is if Henry and I wouldn’t be sharing it.
I have no idea how I’m going to get any sleep for the rest of our stay.
Hopefully, I’ll grow used to Henry’s presence or learn how to pretend he’s not here.
Henry and I have had countless sleepovers growing up. No big deal. This will be like any other. We’re here to focus on the tournament. We’ve got plenty of things to plan and discuss, so now that things have panned out the way they have, it’s best to see the silver lining. We’ll be more efficient.
