Chapter 9: The Breaking Point He stared at his phone for a long time after hanging up with Valeria. *Are you really over your trust issues?* He didn’t have an answer. Not a real one. Not one that wouldn’t sound like bullshit. Then Coach Martinez texted, reminding him to let him know by Sunday night. Pressure from both sides. He was starting to feel crushed. He chucked his phone onto the bed and put his head in his hands, trying to block everything out. Duke, Valeria, Miguel, trust, lies, the whole fucking mess. It was like a swarm of wasps buzzing inside his skull, each one stinging him with a different worry. He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, feeling the weight of two impossible decisions pressing down on him. It felt like the walls were closing in. He needed out. He shot up, grabbed his room key, and bolted out the door, not even bothering to tell Rich where he was going. He walked through Duke’s campus without any direction, his mind racing. Everything looked perfect—the manicured lawns, the gothic architecture, the hordes of preppy kids laughing and tossing frisbees. It was like a goddamn movie set, and he was some extra who didn’t know his lines. He walked for what felt like hours, barely noticing where he was going. He just needed to move, to burn off some of the rage and confusion that was eating him alive. Eventually, he found himself at a small park just off campus. There was a playground, a couple of picnic tables, and a few benches scattered around. A group of kids were playing tag, their screams echoing through the air. He sat down on one of the benches, trying to catch his breath. His head was still spinning, but the fresh air helped a little. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sounds around him—the kids laughing, the birds chirping, the wind rustling through the trees. But even that couldn’t drown out the voice in his head, the one that kept replaying Valeria’s words over and over again. *I need you to figure out if you can really trust me.* Easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one dealing with her maybe-cousin, maybe-ex-boyfriend breathing down her neck. She wasn’t the one thousands of miles away, feeling helpless and insecure. He opened his eyes and glared at the playground. A little girl was swinging so high she was almost parallel to the ground, her face beaming with joy. He wished he could feel that carefree again, even for a second. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He hesitated, then pulled it out. **Lenny:** everything okay? you seemed stressed last night. **Greg:** pick a decision already. I ignored them both and clicked on the group chat with Kenny and Zion. **Jim:** yo **Kenny:** wassup bro? how’s duke? **Zion:** still alive? **Jim:** things are complicated **Zion:** story of your life lol **Jim:** val’s cousin or whatever confessed his feelings to her **Kenny:** damn son **Zion:** that’s rough **Jim:** she said she hasn’t responded yet but idk if i believe her **Kenny:** u gonna check her phone again? **Jim:** nah. she said she needs me to trust her **Zion:** and can u? He stared at the screen, his thumb hovering over the keyboard. Can he? That was the million-dollar question. **Jim:** i wanna. but it’s hard **Kenny:** i feel u bro **Zion:** just gotta decide if she’s worth it. if u can see a future with her even if it’s gonna be rocky sometimes **Jim:** idk man. feels like i’m being pulled in a million directions **Kenny:** we’re here for u whatever u decide **Zion:** fr. just don’t do anything stupid He sighed and put his phone away. Easy for them to say. They weren’t the ones with their hearts on the line. He stood up and started walking again, his pace faster this time. He needed to make a decision. Duke or Valeria. Future or present. Basketball or love. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized it wasn’t that simple. It wasn’t just about choosing one over the other. It was about choosing himself. Did he trust himself to handle a relationship with someone who had a complicated past? Did he trust himself to stay focused on basketball even if things got tough at home? Those were the questions he needed to answer. And he didn’t have a fucking clue where to start. Saturday bled into Sunday with very little sleep. He was checking his phone every five minutes, looking for any sign of life from Valeria, but there was nothing. Just a deafening silence that made his anxiety skyrocket. He skipped breakfast, not wanting to face Rich and have him ask a million questions he couldn't answer. He spent the morning wandering around campus, trying to clear his head, but it was no use. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Valeria’s face, her expression a mix of sadness and frustration. Around noon, he finally got a text. But it wasn’t from Valeria. **Kenny:** yo i need to tell u something. call me asap His heart sank. This couldn’t be good. He found a quiet spot behind the library and called him. “What’s up?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady. “Bro, I don’t know how to say this…” Kenny hesitated. “But I saw Valeria this morning.” “Yeah? So?” “She was with Miguel.” My stomach clenched. “Where?” “At that diner you guys always go to. The one on Bleecker.” “What were they doing?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. There was a long pause. “They were… holding hands, man.” He closed his eyes, trying to block out the image. “Anything else?” Kenny hesitated again. “Yeah, bro. They were kissing. And Miguel was squeezing her ass, like grabbing her ass. And he put his thing on her ass bro.” He didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. “I’m sorry, Jim. I didn’t want you to find out like this.” “It’s fine,” he said, his voice flat. “Thanks for telling me.” “I got pictures too, I can send them if you want.” “No,” he said quickly. “No, don’t. I don’t want to see them.” He hung up and stared at his phone, his hands shaking. He wanted to scream, to break something, to punch a fucking wall. But he couldn’t. He was stuck in the middle of Duke’s picture-perfect campus, surrounded by people who had no idea what he was going through. He walked back to his hotel room, his mind completely blank. He didn’t even bother knocking. He just unlocked the door and walked in. The room was exactly how he’d left it—bed unmade, clothes scattered on the floor, his duffel bag half-packed. It was a reflection of his life at that moment—a fucking mess. He walked over to the desk and grabbed the first thing he could find—a glass of water—and threw it against the wall. It shattered into a million pieces, the water splattering everywhere. Then he grabbed a lamp and threw it, followed by a chair, then another glass. Each crash was a release, a way to let out some of the rage that was building inside him. He was vaguely aware of someone shouting outside the door, but he didn’t care. He just kept throwing things, smashing everything in sight. Finally, the door burst open, and Rich rushed in, his face a mask of shock and concern. “Jim! What the fuck are you doing?” he yelled, grabbing him by the arms. He tried to pull away, but he held on tight. “Get off me!” he shouted. “No way, man. You need to calm down.” “Calm down? You want me to calm down? My girlfriend is cheating on me with her fucking cousin, and you want me to calm down?” Rich’s expression softened. “I know, man. I heard. Kenny told me.” “Then get off me! He need to get back to New York. He need to…” He trailed off, not knowing what he needed to do. “You need to focus on basketball,” Rich said firmly. “That’s what you need to do.” “Basketball?” he scoffed. “Are you serious right now? He don’t give a shit about basketball.” “Yes, you do, Jim. It’s your life. It’s who you are. Don’t let some girl ruin that for you.” He looked at him, his eyes filled with tears. “But he loved her, Rich.” “I know, man. And it sucks. But you’re gonna get through this. You’re Jim Feder. You’re the best basketball player in the country. You’ve got a future ahead of you that most kids can only dream of. Don’t throw it all away because of some girl.” He stared at the floor, his anger slowly fading away, replaced by a deep, aching sadness. Rich was right. He couldn’t let Valeria ruin his life. He couldn’t let her take away his dreams. He took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay,” he said quietly. “Okay, you’re right.” Rich squeezed his shoulder. “That’s my boy. Now, let’s get you cleaned up. We’ve got a meeting with Coach Martinez in a few hours.” He nodded again and let Rich lead him to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, his face red and puffy, his eyes bloodshot. He looked like a fucking mess. But as he washed his face and started to clean up, he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe Rich was right. Maybe he could get through this. Maybe he could focus on basketball and forget about Valeria. Maybe. The meeting with Coach Martinez was scheduled for three o’clock. He’d showered and changed into a clean set of clothes, but he still felt like shit. His head was pounding, his stomach was churning, and his heart felt like it had been ripped out of his chest. Rich gave him a pep talk on the way to the basketball complex, reminding him of everything he’d worked for and telling him not to let his emotions get the best of him. He nodded along, trying to convince himself that he could pull this off. When they arrived at Martinez’s office, the coach greeted them with a warm smile and a firm handshake. He didn’t mention anything about the commotion at the hotel, which he was grateful for. “So, Jim,” he said, after they’d sat down. “Have you had a chance to think about our offer?” He took a deep breath and met his gaze. “Yes, sir. I have.” Martinez leaned forward, his eyes filled with anticipation. “And what’s your decision?” He paused for a moment, savoring the weight of the decision. This was it. This was his chance to move on, to leave everything behind and start a new chapter. “I’m in,” he said firmly. “I want to come to Duke.” Martinez’s face lit up. “That’s fantastic, Jim! I’m thrilled to hear it. You won’t regret this, I promise you.” He stood up and shook my hand again, his grip even tighter this time. “We’re going to do great things together, Jim. I can feel it.” Rich grinned and clapped me on the back. “That’s my boy,” he said proudly. “There’s just one thing,” he said, turning to Rich. “I want you to make it public. Now. I want everyone to know that I’m committed to Duke.” Rich raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that, Jim? That’s a big step.” “I’m sure,” he said, his voice unwavering. “He need this. He need to prove to himself that he’s moving forward.” Rich nodded and pulled out his phone. “Alright, let’s do it.” As Rich started typing, Martinez turned to him with a curious expression. “Why the rush, Jim? Usually, these things take time.” “I just want to get it over with,” he said, shrugging. “He want to focus on basketball and forget about everything else.” Martinez studied him for a moment, his eyes filled with understanding. “I get it,” he said quietly. “Sometimes, you just need to make a clean break.” A few minutes later, Rich hung up his phone and grinned. “It’s done,” he said. “The announcement will be out in minutes. Get ready for your phone to blow up.” He nodded, feeling a mix of relief and anxiety. He had made his decision. He was going to Duke. There was no turning back now. As they left Martinez’s office, his phone started buzzing like crazy. Texts, calls, notifications—it was a whirlwind of attention. Rich laughed. “See? I told you. You’re officially the hottest prospect in the country.” He managed a weak smile. The attention was nice, but it didn’t fill the void inside him. It didn’t erase the pain of Valeria’s betrayal. But it was a start. It was a step in the right direction. He just hoped it was enough. The ride to the airport was a blur. He barely spoke to Rich, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. He kept replaying the conversation with Kenny, the image of Valeria and Miguel kissing burned into his brain. He tried to focus on the future, on Duke, on basketball. But it was hard. Valeria had been such a big part of his life for the past eight months. It was hard to imagine life without her. When they arrived at the airport, Rich patted him on the back. “You’re gonna be okay, kid,” he said. “Just keep your head up and focus on what’s important.” He nodded and walked through security, feeling like a robot. He went to the VIP lounge and crashed on the couch, not even bothering to look at the messages flooding his phone. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but it was no use. His mind was racing, his heart was aching, and his body was exhausted. Finally, they called his flight. He stood up, grabbed his bag, and walked to the gate, feeling like he was walking to his execution. As he boarded the plane, he pulled out his phone and saw hundreds of messages. Most of them were congratulations about Duke, but one stood out. It was from Valeria. **Valeria:** we need to talk in person. i made a mistake. He stared at the message for a long time, his heart pounding in his chest. Part of him wanted to respond, to hear what she had to say. But another part of him knew that it was too late. He had made his decision. He was moving on. Without hesitation, he deleted the message, and then her contact, and then blocked her. Then, he turned off his phone and put it away, and stared blankly as the airplane started to leave. He was done with her. He was hurt. And still ruined himself.