Chapter 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 this girl talk—”
“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.
“Why did you bring her?” I asked. “Why would you take her to the beach house?”
Henrik’s expression shifted, more thoughtful now, less guarded.
“Because we’re still friends,” he said after a moment. “And I wanted you all to get to know her. Not just the version of her
on court. I know she can be . . . intense. But she’s good, Inés. You’ve seen it too, haven’t you?”
I had seen it—small, quiet moments where something softer peeked through. A joke, a shared look, an apology murmured under her breath.
Henrik kept going. “Her parents are tough. Always have been. She’s used to being pushed hard. I thought if she had a chance
to be around people who didn’t expect something from her all the time, it might help.”
I exhaled slowly. “That makes sense,” I admitted. Because I had expected something from her too. “And you’re okay? With the
breakup?”
“Yeah.” He smiled. “I promise, between us, Chloe and I weren’t a serious relationship.”
His words soothed my worries a little. Throughout our friendship, I’d never known him to be in a big relationship, always
preferring one-night stands to girlfriends. Chloe had been different, and considering who she was to me, it had scared me.
We reached the players’ area. He turned to the courts, pausing before stepping through the gate.
“Hey,” he said. “You’ve got this today.”
I nodded, managing a smile. “Yeah. So do you.”
But as he disappeared into the court, I stayed frozen outside the fence, feeling the weight of too many shifting things pressing
against my chest.