I knew she’d understand the hunger. The drive to win. I’d gone two years without feeling that metal in my hands, and now I felt starved. Desperate to feel that rich reward again.
I raised my mug towards hers.
“To being andactinglike teammates,” I said. Her hand held out her own mug, almost meeting me halfway, before hesitating, pulling back a fraction as her gaze slid back to me.
Those eyes, rings of deep green and blue, were unforgettable.
“To victory,” she added.
I nodded, closing the space, the dullchinkof porcelain ringing in the air. “To victory.”
15
Inés
Groupie—Rachel Bochner
“Hey! Wait up!” I shouted, spotting Henrik’s blonde hair ahead of me as he made his way through the country club.
He turned, smiling warmly when our eyes met. “Inés, how are you?”
“Fine,” I said with a dismissive wave. “Are you heading to your court?” I nodded towards the bag slung over his shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m on in fifteen.”
“I’ll walk you over,” I offered. I was supposed to be heading to the women’s locker room to start getting ready for the final later, but I hadn’t had a moment alone with Henrik all trip. A few minutes felt like a gift.
We walked side by side down the shaded path that snaked towards the courts. The warm hum of conversation from the club behind us faded, replaced by the wind chasing away the dry summer heat and the faint bounce of tennis balls in the distance.
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward, just full, like there were things waiting to be said. So much had changed. Not just over the last few months, but even these past few days. He had gone from being my closest friend, the person who helped me rebuild after injury, to someone I tried to avoid, dating Chloe, my longtime rival, the girl I’d once kissed.
I glanced over at him, my voice quieter than before. “Can I ask you something?”
He looked at me, brow lifting in curiosity. “Of course.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Chloe had broken up?”
“Did she tell you that?”
“Yeah, last night,” I said. “But I was surprised you didn’t tell me.”
Henrik slowed his step, as if the weight of it had caught up to him. “Well... we haven’t really spoken in the last few days.”
That stung. Because he was right. I’d been avoiding him. And now, knowing they weren’t even together, made it all feel... messier.
“I know, it’s been hard for me,” I admitted. “You knew how I felt about her.”
He gave me a sideways look. He didn’t know about the kiss, or the storm of guilt and confusion that followed. But he knew enough—about the rivalry, the history, the tension.
“But if you and Chloe are having all thisgirltalk—”
“Don’t get carried away.”
He shrugged, a knowing smile on his lips. “You’ve made it to the final with her, and if she’s talking about the breakup, then she’s obviously opening up to you.”
I opened my mouth to deny it. But then I remembered last night, swimming with her in the ocean under the moonlight. This morning in the kitchen. Small cracks forming in the wall she always kept up.
Something was changing.
