Electric Touch | Jude Bellingham

Chapter 4

"I hate him," I said, lying on my old bed, staring at the posters on my ceiling. "Like so much it pains me."

"Mhm," Lexi murmured in the chair in the corner, flicking through an old Vogue. "You hate him soooo much."

"I do," I placed my hands on my head.

The party had finished just over an hour ago. As soon as the first people started to leave and John agreed to call me later, I had to scurried upstairs like a scared squirrel to avoid Jude.

"You have such problems, Evie," Lexi didn't even look up at me. "You know Jennifer Anniston had real problems, poor woman."

"Lexi!"

"What?" She closed the magazine and put it on the floor. "You have a good, kind boyfriend who loves you, you've seen Jude like twice and your a mess. What do you want me to say?"

I sighed. "I don't know, I don't know, it just ended so horribly."

"Believe me, I remember," Lexi nodded. "Look, you just need to adjust to Jude being back, you'll be fine."

"What do you know?" I muttered to myself, but my big sister heard me.

"Ah yes, what do I know? I only have been married for 3 years, have a good job and a child," she got up and rolled her eyes. "Just be careful Evie."

"I'm always careful."

Lexi didn't even turn around, she just waved her hand in my general direction, leaving the door open so I could hear the muffled voices of the people still laughing and drinking downstairs.

I flopped back on my bed. I looked at the posters on the ceiling and the fairy lights hung along the picture rail. It had only been 3 years since I'd left and I was back that often that my dad would say I haven't left, but it felt like a completely different chapter of my life. But apparently, someone was trying to open those pages again.

"I thought you would've redecorated in the last 5 years," a very familiar voice said from the doorway. I sat up quickly.

"Jude," I blinked at him a few times, leaning on the white frame, silhouetted against the landing light. "You're in my room."

"Technically, my feet are behind the line," he pointed to his socks. My mother had obviously yelled at him to take his shoes off, just like old times.

"Don't be pedantic, what are you doing here?"

"It's boring down there, and I wondered where you disappeared to," this time Jude wandered into my room, walking around the edge of the room. My eyes followed him as he picked up miniature ornaments and snow globes that were dotted along the sides.

He paused at a frame next to my mirror. It was pushed against the wall, nearly hidden behind magazines and post-it notes. He picked it up and turned around.

"I thought you would've burned all of these," Jude showed the photo to me.

It was of our prom night. I was in my perfect rose coloured dress, Jude stood tall in his tuxedo. The whole night was a blur of fuzzy warmth, it was too perfect. Two days before Jude left.

"I threw my dress away," I nodded.

"It was a nice dress," he said almost to himself and put the picture back onto the shelf. His eyes moved around the room again then landed on me.

Something about his gaze made me shiver. Jude's eyes glinted with mischief and excitement, but behind them, I swore I saw a hint of nostalgia and sadness. It vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Are you done staring into my eyes?" He grinned, suddenly making me aware that he was standing above me, close enough that I could smell his aftershave. Thank God it wasn't Lynx Africa.

"I'm not staring," I said extremely unconvincingly.

He rolled his eyes. "So, John, is a nice guy."

"Wow, that looked painful for you to say," I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm trying," Jude nodded. "So he works in finance."

"He does. We've been together for 4 months now, and I happy, so you can stop looking at me like that."

He smiled and turned around, his now untucked shirt moved and caught the light. I noticed the little, black embroidered flowers.

"Jude," I said.

"Lynnie."

"Those are carnations," I stood up and grabbed the silk material and examined it.

"Do you mind? This is Armani," he looked at me, trying to move away.

"Those are carnations," I let go and took a step back. "Carnations."

"I thought they were roses," Jude shrugged, smoothing out the wrinkles in the shirt.

I stared, my brain full of fuzzy words. "No you didn't, you know it's my favourite flower. You've bought them for me before."

Jude smiled softly. "I need to go," he held up his phone. "It was nice seeing you again."

And with that, he walked away, leaving me standing, watching him leave.