Book one | Alexa Harvey, a celebrated actress known for her fierce independence and uncompromising nature, has always steered clear of the sports world. But when her latest film role requires her to shadow Jude Bellingham, a rising football star wit...
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The tension between Alexa and Jude had become something of a spectacle. The entire training ground seemed to buzz with it, an electric current that hummed through every interaction they had.
The players had started to pick up on it too, exchanging knowing looks whenever the two were in the same vicinity. It was like watching two storm fronts collide—dangerous, unpredictable, and impossible to look away from.
Alexa had grown used to the stares, the whispers, the subtle shifts in conversation whenever she walked into a room. She was no stranger to attention, after all. But this was different. This was personal.
Jude had a way of getting under her skin like no one else, and she hated that about him.
Today, that tension seemed to reach new heights.
The morning started off as usual, with Alexa arriving at the pitch only to find Jude already there, going through his warm-up routine with his typical laser focus. She tried to ignore the way her pulse quickened at the sight of him, the way her nerves seemed to hum whenever he was near.
But as the session progressed, it became clear that something was off. Jude was more aggressive than usual, pushing the players harder, his commands sharper. Alexa could sense the frustration radiating off him, and it wasn't long before she found herself on the receiving end of his bad mood.
"Can you stop getting in the way for once?" Jude snapped at her as she hovered near the sidelines, trying to follow the complex drills.
Alexa bristled at his tone. "I'm not in the way, I'm observing. You know, like I'm supposed to."
"You're supposed to be learning," Jude retorted, his eyes flashing with irritation. "But all you're doing is distracting everyone."
"Oh, I'm the distraction?" Alexa shot back, her temper flaring. "I'm not the one barking orders like a drill sergeant."
"Maybe if you actually understood what was going on, I wouldn't have to," Jude countered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
The players nearby had stopped their drills, their attention fully on the escalating argument. Alexa could feel their eyes on her, but she didn't care. She was tired of Jude's constant condescension, tired of him treating her like she was some clueless outsider.
"Maybe if you weren't such a control freak, you wouldn't feel the need to micromanage everyone around you!" she fired back.
Jude took a step closer, his jaw clenched. "And maybe if you weren't so arrogant, you'd actually try to understand that this is more than just a game."
Alexa's breath caught in her throat at his words, the intensity in his eyes throwing her off balance. For a moment, they stood there, the space between them charged with unspoken emotions, neither willing to back down.
But before either of them could say anything else, the coach stepped in, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.
"Alright, that's enough," he said firmly, glancing between the two of them. "We're here to train, not to settle personal scores."
