Second chance ~ Jude Bellingham

chap 24

One year and five months later

Jude had immersed himself in training games with Real Madrid, occasionally partying with teammates. He was becoming recognized as one of the best midfielders in the world, with an incredible transfer value. But despite his success, he couldn't shake off memories of Juliette.

It's December, and Real Madrid is playing against their rival team, Barcelona. It's the first game that Real Madrid loses, 1-0. Jude, known for his talent, didn't play well enough tonight. As he walks back to his car, feeling frustrated and dejected after the team's loss, he's deep in thought and doesn't notice the person in front of him until it's too late. He bumps into them and quickly looks up, expecting to see a fan or reporter, but is stunned to see Juliette standing there. His heart skips a beat, and he's momentarily rendered speechless.

Juliette, distracted by her phone, looks up to insult the person who bumped into her. "God, can't you-" she begins, but then her eyes widen in surprise. "Jude?"

Jude and Juliette lock eyes for a moment, both stunned by the unexpected encounter.

"Juliette? What are you doing here?" Jude asks in bewilderment, wondering if he's dreaming or if she's really standing in front of him after all this time.

Juliette hesitates, then speaks, her voice tinged with a mix of awkwardness and surprise. "I live in Barcelona actually... With—" As she speaks, a man appears from behind Jude. Alejandro Balde, from the rival team, quickly hugs Juliette and kisses her cheek.

Jude watches as Alejandro appears and hugs Juliette, feeling a sudden pang of jealousy and disbelief. He can't believe that Juliette is not only in Barcelona but also with a rival player. "Wait, you live here? With him?" he asks, gesturing towards Alejandro.

Juliette nods, trying to compose herself. "Yes. And this is Alejandro. I suppose you already met..." She looks at Alejandro.

Alejandro smiles and waves at Jude. "Hey, man. Good game tonight. You guys played well," he says, attempting to lighten the tension.

Jude forces a smile and nods at Alejandro, but he can't help but feel a mix of envy and confusion. "Right. Good game."

Juliette chuckles awkwardly and looks at Jude, trying to bridge the gap between their worlds. "How's your mom?"

Jude looks at Juliette, surprised by her question. "Um, my mom's fine. She's doing well, actually. She's been coming to games sometimes."

Juliette's expression softens slightly at the mention of his mom. "I would love to see her again," she says, turning to Alejandro. "She's like a second mom to me."

Jude feels a mixture of surprise and regret at Juliette's words. He had almost forgotten how close Juliette was to his mom, and it hurts to be reminded of it. "Yeah, she'd love to see you too. She asks about you sometimes."

Juliette smiles, a touch of nostalgia in her eyes. "Really? She's doing fine without me?"

Jude nods, looking at Juliette with a pained expression. "Yeah, she's fine. But she misses you. We all missed you."

Juliette nods, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll go see her soon." She turns to Alejandro. "I would love for you to meet her."

Jude feels a pang of heartache at the thought of Juliette bringing Alejandro to see his mom but manages to nod in agreement. "Yeah, she'd love that. You should definitely come visit her."

He takes a deep breath and looks at Juliette with a mixture of curiosity and jealousy. "So how long have you and Alejandro been together?"

Juliette glances at Alejandro, who smiles and nods. "We met eight months ago when I moved to Barcelona."

Alejandro nods his head, smiling. "Yeah, something like that. We met at a party and just hit it off, ya know?" He drapes an arm around Juliette, pulling her closer.

Juliette smiles, a genuine happiness in her eyes that Jude finds both beautiful and painful to see.

Jude tries to tamp down the jealousy and hurt swelling inside him. He clears his throat. "So you two are serious then? You live together and everything?"

Juliette chuckles softly. "Yes, because my apartment was so small since I moved. And Alejandro suggested we live together. I couldn't be happier."

Jude feels a rush of jealousy and possessiveness at the confirmation that Juliette and Alejandro are living together. He tries to hide his feelings but can't help but feel hurt that Juliette is with someone else. "Right. Well, I'm glad you're happy."

Juliette nods awkwardly. "Thanks. You're welcome to come over anytime."

Jude tries to imagine what it would be like to go over to Juliette's new home and see her with Alejandro, knowing that they are together and happy. "Um, thanks for the invitation. Maybe sometime," he says, trying to keep his voice even and casual. He can't help but feel a sense of longing for Juliette and regret for the way things ended between them.

Juliette smiles awkwardly. "I'll come see your mom soon, though."

Jude nods and manages a forced smile in return. "Yeah, she'd love that. Just let me know when you're coming, and I'll let her know."

"I'll text you if you still have my number," Juliette says, her voice softer now, the tension easing slightly.

Jude feels a flicker of hope at the thought of Juliette having his number still, but he tries not to show it. "Yeah, sure. I still have your number."

Juliette turns to Alejandro. "Tuesday sounds good?"

Alejandro nods his head in agreement. "Tuesday works for me."

Jude feels a deep sense of unease as he listens to Juliette and Alejandro make plans to visit his mom. He wants to say something, to ask Juliette to reconsider, but he knows it's not his place. "Okay then. See you Tuesday," he says, forcing a smile and trying to hide his hurt and confusion.

Juliette smiles a bit. "You'll be here?"

Jude hesitates for a moment, unsure if he should attend. He doesn't know if he can handle seeing Juliette with his rival, and he doesn't want to make things more awkward. "I'll think about it. I have some things to take care of," he says, offering a non-committal answer.

Juliette nods. "Okay..."

Jude nods and awkwardly glances between Juliette and Alejandro, feeling out of place and unwelcome. "Well, I should get going. I'll let my mom know you're coming by, Juliette. It was nice to see you."

Juliette forces a small smile. "Nice to see you too, Jude. It was nice seeing you again."

Jude forces a smile back, still feeling hurt and confused. He turns away and walks back to his car, his mind swirling with conflicted thoughts and emotions.