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19. False Alarm
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Loving Jude 20. Alone Time
“That’s everything, right?” Simon asks, piling the last of my boxes in one corner of his room. “Yeah,” I nod, looking at all my belongings, now piled nicely in the corner. There wasn’t much to move, so we were able to get everything from my apartment in one trip using Isaac’s truck. Tori will be pleased to get back in the evening to find me gone. The last three days have been unpleasant. While the month is not over yet, I decided to move out early as she had demanded for the sake of my sanity. Simon’s place is already fully occupied with Trey and Jude around, but he insisted we’ll find a way. “When you told Eli you are staying here while looking for a new place, did you mention that Jude is still here?” Simon asks, leading the way back to the living room. I follow after him. “Yes.” “And he had no problem with it?” “Yeah,” I reply, heading for the kitchen and filling a glass with water at the sink. Taking a sip, I shrug, “He said it was fine.” “I think that’s a sign,” Simon muses
Loving Jude 21. Goodbye
“Want a ride?” I look up, startled, to find Jude standing over me, an apple in one hand and his car key in the other. I blink. “What?” “Want a ride to practice?” I stare at him, uncomprehending. Yes, I get what he’s offering. But… Since he showed up last evening with Trey, he has avoided me like the plague. He didn’t spare me a glance, much less say a word to me. I’ve never felt so invisible in my life. So, why is he suddenly offering me a ride as if we are on friendly terms? He’s going to give me whiplash. I give Isaac, who’s also sitting at the table, a glance, but he shrugs. I’m still trying to get over the confusion when Jude grabs my bag from the top of the table and heads towards the door. “Hurry up or we’ll be late.” I didn’t even agree… What exactly is he doing? Coming to my feet, I shove the last of my pancake into my mouth and finish up my coffee. Isaac coughs, and I look over to find him trying to hide a smile behind his wrist. “What’s wrong with him?” I ask,
Loving Jude 22. Stubborn
“Wait for me! I’ll go!” The two boys stop and turn to look at me. They are almost out of the door. They exchange a glance before looking back at me. “Sure?” Isaac asks. I nod. “Yeah. Just give me five minutes to change,” I tell them, then hurry back into Simon’s room. Rummaging through my suitcase, I pick out a pair of blue denim shorts, stockings, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket. I change into them and then hurry into the bathroom to wash my face so it doesn’t look like I’ve been crying. I apply moisturizer and lip balm, then gather my hair in a bun at the top of my head. Hurrying back into the bedroom, I get my black strappy boots and head back into the living room. Isaac and Jude are still waiting, one sitting on the couch, the other over at the balcony. “We can go!” I tell them. Isaac rises from the couch and approaches, giving me a once-over. “You look nice,” he compliments. “Thanks.” “What changed your mind?” A few minutes ago, I was against the idea of going to the pa
Loving Jude 23. All You Gotta Do
Out here, the party is full-blown.There’s a patio outside the French doors, with a few outdoor seats that are occupied by a bunch of kids. Then there’s a lawn after that, where more kids are milling around, drinks in hand and dancing to loud electronic music. Past the lawn is a huge swimming pool, where more partygoers are, in swimwear, lounging around or in the water. But what catches my attention is the aroma in the air. Sniffing, my nose leads me to one end of the lawn to find a barbecue in place.My stomach growls. “I’ll be back, guys,” I say, paying no attention to them as I make my way through the throng of kids and head for the barbecue.Trent, one of the football players on the team, is behind the barbecue, turning skewers of meat on the hot grill. There are a few other people around, feasting on grilled skewers.“Hi Trent,” I greet, eyes stuck on the sizzling meat.“What’s up, Jo! You made it!”“Yeah,” I nod. I swallow and point to the pork. “Can I have the next one?”“Sur
Loving Jude 24. Dying to Kiss You
I gape at him.Is he aware that people can hear him?“You’re climbing up the wrong tree, Jude,” Kimberly tells him. “She’s Eli’s girl.”He arches his brow. “Is she?” His blue eyes are staring relentlessly into mine. “Are we game?”I can barely breathe. How can I reply?“I’ll take that as a yes,” he says, turning back to the table.“You’re not going to kiss him, are you?” Kimberly asks, her eyes digging into me.“He’s joking,” I say, taking a swig of my beer.Only when I swallow do I realise it’s not my beer. Looking at my other hand, I realise my own can is empty, and I’m now drinking from Jude’s. When did I finish mine?It doesn’t take Jude long to win the game. He pockets his balls one by one and seamlessly pockets the black one at the end.“Too bad,” Daisy pouts, but she doesn’t look as sad when she shimmies out of her shorts, eyes stuck on Jude. “How about another round?” She turns around, giving everyone an unobstructed view of her mostly naked ass. The guys hoot while the girls
Loving Jude 25. Cold
“You did what?” Simon’s disbelieving voice comes across the phone.I groan and turn onto my stomach, burying my face into the pillow. “I know, it was a bad idea. Can one beer affect someone’s reasoning?”“You drank beer?” Simon’s already disbelieving voice goes a tone higher.“Can it?”“I don’t know about you, since I’ve never seen you drink one,” he replies, the jab in his voice obvious, “but for normal people, no.”“Ugh.” I turn onto my side again. I guess I can’t use that as an excuse.“How did you end up kissing him, anyway? When Trey and I left, you were all sad about Eli.”“He tempted me by saying it didn’t have to mean anything,” I say, as if Jude is to blame for my decision-making.“You’re calling me at half-past six on a Saturday morning, so I guess it meant something to you.”“It doesn’t,” I claim hastily. “I agreed with him, and I still do. I’m just not sure how to face him. Should I act as if nothing happened?”“Can you?”No, I keep replaying our kiss and I doubt I'd be ab
Loving Jude 26. Sick of Thinking
Eli doesn’t show up for training. I had expected that he’d be back by today, but he’s not. He wouldn’t miss practice without a good reason. Whenever he goes back home, he gets back on Sunday evening so he can be on time for Monday morning training.When training begins, the coach announces that he has taken an off for personal reasons.Did something happen at home?My first instinct is to call him, but I remember our relationship isn’t what it used to be. I’m not sure I can just call him out of nowhere as if everything is the same as before.While his absence makes me worried, it’s also a relief. I’d still not figured out how to handle being in such close quarters with both him and Jude after what happened. I had mentally prepared for a lot of awkwardness, but it appears that I’ve been spared that.It’s just as well, especially after what happened on Friday night.Jude tries to get my attention a few times, but I avoid him well enough.I’m not even sure what’s going on anymore.Did I
Loving Jude 27. Bestie
“Nice seeing you, bestie. It’s not too late to come back •~•”I shift in my seat uncomfortably, cast a quick glance at Jude to make sure his full attention is on the road—it’s after practice and we are in his car, headed to the place he wants me to see—then look back down at my phone.I’m on Instagram, scrolling through his latest posts.The above comment is on his latest post, a picture which must have been taken sometime on Sunday. There’s him, standing between two girls—fellow models—with his hands wrapped around their waists.I click on the username beside the comment. It takes me to a profile of one of the girls in the picture. She has about half a million followers, and her wall is full of glamorous photos. Her name is Abby, she looks about 5’9, and her natural hair is long and curly, the ringlets falling to the middle of her back.I go back to her comment and check the replies.“You two look good together”“Bestie yeah right”“When are we getting a photoshoot with you two?”At
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