Page 81 of Break Point
Evan walks away, tossing a cutesy wave over her shoulder.
I’m going to eat her alive next Sunday, and she won’t see it coming.
We head toward the elevators and ride up to my suite, where Dad is finally ready to share hisexciting news.
“Alright,” Dad says, settling into the massive armchair in my suite’s living room. Henry and I sit on the green velvet sofa across from him.
“I found the perfect coach for you,” he announces with a grin, rubbing his hands excitedly. “You’re going to meet him tomorrow.”
Aaaand we’re fucked.
“Who is it?” Henry asks, his voice deep and his brow furrowed.
“Tim McEnroe.”
CHAPTER 20
A TIME-SENSITIVE TEXT
AmI going through a dehydration episode, or did my dad say Tim McEnroe is going to be my new coach?
“Tim McEnroe is going to be your coach,” Dad repeats, grinning at my stunned face as he rubs his hands with excitement.
“Joe, that’s … great news,” Henry says, shooting a quick glance my way before turning back to my dad. “But isn’t he Theo Dabrowski’s coach?”
That tiny but powerful piece of information stuns me most. So much that I can’t process what it really means: Henry won’t be my coach anymore.
“Tim is done with Theo,” Dad moves to say, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Theo’s got a ratherparticularpersonality. “He claims that their time together has come to an end, and he won’t be renewing his contract next spring.”
Sounds familiar …
“I don’t know if I feel comfortable stealing Theo’s coach, Dad. It feels unfair, and I’m not sure it’s the right move. What if Theo wants to keep him, tries to renegotiate his contract, and it turns into some ugly fight over who gets Tim?”
“I know you and Theo are close,” Dad says in a calmer tone, making Henry veer his attention straight at me. His jaw works for a second, and curiosity lines his forehead.
Interesting.
“What’s done is done,” Dad continues. “We need Tim on our side. If we don’t take him for ourselves, somebody else will, and I cannot allow that.”
“Henry’s been an excellent coach,” I reply, knowing perfectly well that I’m putting my dad on the spot with Henry being present in the conversation. But it’s the truth. We make a great team. Henry’s position as my coach has always been temporary, but now, after everything that’s happened, I’m not ready to let him go. Not yet.
“And Henry has plans of his own,” Dad interjects.
I turn to look at Henry and I’m sure my eyes scream, “Care to share them with me?”
“Drew told me Theo will be at the cocktail party tomorrow,” Dad carries on with the propaganda, “so why don’t you approach him and see if you can find a way to feel things out regarding where he stands with Tim. I’m sure it’ll put you at ease. Not that it’ll change anything, because this is happening. I’ve already got the lawyers working on the paperwork as we speak.”
Crap.
As much as I know Tim is one of the best out there, the idea of stealing Theo’s coach makes me uncomfortable. It’s not their fault they don’t know Theo and I had a little fling. Brief, but intense. But if anyone knows Theo, it’s me. I’m not about to play games with him, no matter how fun I know they can be. I won’t let myself get distracted by a guy at a tournament again. Not if I can help it.
I’m here to win.
Theo and I agreed to keep things amicable after ending whatever it was we had going on behind everyone’s backs. Tennis always came first for both of us. Until I met Liam, and my priorities got scrambled.
We knew it was just for fun. And we weren’t oblivious to the fact that our clashing tempers would have ruined things fast if we had tried for something serious.
We’re both explosive, intense, and constantly fueling each other. No wonder Tim McEnroe can’t stand Theo anymore. We did the opposite of grounding each other. It was never meant to last. It was never meant to be anything more.
