Electric Touch | Jude Bellingham

Chapter 25

Jude

The flight back to Madrid was cancelled due to high winds at Heathrow, so I had an extra 48 hours until my rescheduled flight. I wandered around Tesco and picked up a bunch of flowers to give to Lynnie. It had been a day and a half since I'd last seen her. She's missed my last few calls so I thought I would surprise her before I had to fly out for real.

As I was walking back through Hyde Park, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Lexi.

Confused, I answered. "Hey Lex what's up?"

"Have you talked to Evelyn at all?" She sounded worried.

"Not since Friday," I replied. "Why?"

She sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of. Have you been online in the past hour?"

"Not really no."

"Shit. Um ok," there was panic in her voice. "You might want to check Vanity Fair."

"Why?"

"Once you do please find Evelyn and call me back."

She hung up the phone and I opened Google.

Before I knew it, I was stood outside her door, Vanity Fair's latest article open on my phone. "Evelyn let me in," I said, on the verge of yelling. I couldn't hear anything from inside and started to panic. "Evelyn!"

A minute later the door opened and she was stood there, coat on, as if she was ready to leave. I looked behind her and what looked like two packed suitcases were sat in the middle of the floor.

"I thought you were going back to Madrid," she said quietly.

"Flight got delayed," I said shortly. "What the fuck is this?"

I showed her the article on my phone and she looked away and bit her lip.

"Jude, I can't do this now."

"Yes you can," I told her, "because last time I checked you told me that you loved me and you were going to break it off with John not, and I quote, 'I am so excited to plan my wedding, John is the love of my life and I wouldn't want it any other way.'"

She couldn't even look at me. I was so confused and angry, I didn't know what to do. Some part of me refused to believe this was true and another part was fighting with it, telling me to leave.

"I realised that we would never work," Evelyn looked up at me and I could see her eyes were glistening.

It was like a punch to the stomach. "What? Of course we can work, what's changed in the last 48 hours?"

She shook her head. "I just needed time to think."

"I don't understand. How can you marry someone you don't love?"

"I do love John, just differently."

"Bullshit."

"Jude, please."

"Where are you going with those bags?"

"I'm moving to John's house in Mayfair."

"So is that what it is? A house in Mayfair?" I asked, desperately grasping at straws, trying to make anything make sense.

"Of course not," she replied, properly crying now and it broke my heart.

"Because I can buy a house in Mayfair," I continued. "I can give you anything you want."

"Jude," she said quietly.

"What can he give you that I can't?"

"Jude."

"I love you Evelyn, more than he ever will."

"Jude."

"What does he have on you?"

"Jude you need to go."

"No, Evelyn I need an answer."

"I need you to leave," she walked behind me and reached for the door, tears still streaming down her face.

"Please Lynnie, don't do this," I begged, "I got you flowers. Carnations."

She looked at them, and for a moment I thought I saw her again. My Lynnie. But in a split second she shook her head and closed the door. "Bye Jude."

I was left alone in the hallway, staring at the door. I didn't know if I should punch the wall or cry. So instead I dropped the flowers and walked away.