Page 36 of Break Point
That’s unacceptable. Dora had to sacrifice so much for Mitch.
“What about the bookies trying to get their money back?” I ask, knowing I’m pushing it too far, but it’s now or never.
Henry hesitates for a moment, his jaw tightening, but he gives in when I squeeze his hand.
“My dad sold another property, the only one he had left, and managed to pay them off what he owed before we moved away. But these greedy men demanded he pay interest, claiming he’d taken too long to pay them back. Once we were gone, they just … forgot about us.” His gaze shifts away, and before I can press further, he quickly steers the conversation away from the lenders.
“My dad kept promising to be better, and my mom kept believing him, so she worked her ass off for us, but it’s not like she was earning a lot. And my dad wasn’t even trying to bring any money into the house. He kept sneaking out to drink on weeknights with the excuse of it being work-related opportunities.”
I can’t believe Mitch would hurt his family like that. The things theymust’ve gone through. Henry is most likely leaving out a bunch of details from his story. There must be a lot he’d rather not remember, and the thought of him thinking it was best to keep me out of his life because of this makes me angrier. Not at him but at the situation.
“So what happened to your tennis career when you moved to Chicago?” I ask. “I … sort of kept track of your ranking points when you first left. That’s how I knew you were still playing. But then I stopped. It was giving pathetic stalker vibes.”
I gently release his hand and look away.
“I’ve been keeping track of your every tennis move since I left, and I never stopped.” He concedes with a laugh, but it sounds sad again. “So, who’s the pathetic stalker now?”
I lift my hand, and he high-fives me. “I guess we both are.”
“Guess so.”
“So how did you manage to keep training over there, with money being tight?”
“Well, my dad called in a few favors and got me an agent, who quickly landed me a few sponsorship deals.” He looks at me with a stiff smile. “Nothing like your sponsors. But it was enough to cover my coach and other basic expenses. I also had a free membership at my uncle’s gym where my mom works, so things kind of fell into place.”
“The French coach Jasper mentioned earlier?”
“Oh, no. Jacques came along two years ago. He saw me at a Challenger event and offered to train me. Adjusted his fee to whatever we could afford and said he didn’t mind. He believed I could go far. Told me I could pay him back after I won my first major.”
Henry turns his gaze away, out toward the city. He wants to shut me out, but I won’t let him.
“Jasper said you were planning to go on tour this year. What happened?”
“Jasper’s a nosy bastard, that’s what,” he says, tugging my ponytail playfully. “Nothing happened. I just couldn’t afford it.”
“But your agent could’ve lined up more sponsors to help cover the travel costs. I mean, you were going to?—”
“Bells, I can’t go over this right now.” His eyes cloud with pain. “Please.”
I know I’m pushing it. He’s already said more than I expected. But I want it all.
“I have money,” I say reactively. “I’ll give you the money. It’s not too late. If you start right now and?—”
“Belén,” he says, his voice dark and husky, a clear warning if I ever heard one. “You can’t just throw money at problems to make them disappear.”
“Uh, yes, I can,” I say with a laugh. “In this case, that’s exactly what money would do. Solve the problem. I’m sure my dad would authorize me to get money out of the account for that. For you.”
Henry says nothing. I know he won’t take my money, but why does he have to be so stubborn?
Once I set my eye on something, I know I must get it. And what I want right now is for Henry to play tennis again because I know he wants that too. He freaking lives and breathes tennis. It’s what he lives for. So it’s beyond frustrating that he won’t let me help out. He deserves to play.
I’m about to keep pushing on the matter when my phone starts ringing on the small table between us. It’s Liam, his name staring back at me, mocking me. Henry glances at my screen, and his brow quirks up. “Aren’t you going to take it?”
I’m not sure.
I’m pissed at Liam, and I don’t know how to act or talk to him when I’m this worked up. I know I want to change. Seeing those kids at the tennis courts earlier was a rough wake-up call. If I take that call, it won’t end well. I know myself.
Liam reaching out to me after our last fight is shocking. I believed him when he said he wouldn’t call me again, and I do miss him. A lot. But I’m growing tired of all this back-and-forth. As addictive as it can be, they’re also toxic and constantly draining my energy.
