Second chance ~ Jude Bellingham

chap 28

Juliette crouches in a corner outside, hiding her tears. Jude steps outside and spots her, feeling a strange mix of concern and irritation at seeing her in such a state. He stands there for a moment, unsure of what to say or do, before finally approaching her hesitantly.

"Hey. Are you alright?"

His voice carries a hint of concern despite his usual cold demeanor. Juliette doesn't respond, her mind swirling with a mix of anger, sadness, and betrayal. Jude awkwardly stands there, trying to figure out his next move. He eventually takes a seat beside her.

"Look, I may not like you much, but I don't think you'd be out here crying in the cold unless something was seriously wrong,"

Juliette finally looks up, her eyes red from crying. She feels exposed, vulnerable, and wishes she could just disappear. Jude feels a pang of guilt for his harsh words earlier but tries to ignore it.

"What do you want, Jude?" Juliette asks, her voice trembling.

Jude lets out a frustrated sigh, his annoyance returning.

"What do you think I want? Why else would I be out here checking on you?"

His expression is a mixture of irritation and concern. Juliette rolls her eyes, still upset, the weight of her emotions making it hard to breathe.

"Why would you even care?" Juliette snaps, her voice breaking.

Jude scoffs, his irritation bubbling to the surface.

"Why would I care? Are you kidding me? I don't care about you. I'm out here because my mother sent me, and she would be devastated to see you like this. That's all."

He crosses his arms, his tone cold and dismissive. Juliette puts her hands back on her face, feeling even more isolated and misunderstood. Jude watches her, feeling a momentary flicker of guilt but quickly pushing it aside.

"Look, whatever you're going through right now, don't let it consume you. You're stronger than that," Jude says, his voice cold and detached, but there's a hint of concern underneath.

Juliette takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself. The pain in her chest feels unbearable, like her heart is being squeezed.

"He cheated on me," Juliette whispers, her voice barely audible.

Jude's expression stiffens at her revelation.

"He cheated on you..?" Jude says, his voice low and guarded, his eyes studying her closely.

"Someone sent me a video of him kissing another girl," Juliette says, hiding her eyes. The humiliation of it all feels like a heavy weight pressing down on her.

Jude's expression darkens, feeling an unexpected pang of sympathy for her.

"Damn... What a bastard."

Juliette stays silent, still trying to process her pain, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts. Jude feels conflicted, unsure of how to comfort her.

"You deserve better than that, you know," Jude says, his voice gruff, but there's a hint of softness, surprising even him.

Juliette sighs, the tears still falling despite her efforts to stop them.

"I just-"She looks up, her eyes red from her tears.

Jude clenches his jaw as he sees her pain, his stomach twisting with a mix of sympathy and annoyance.

"You just... what?" Jude asks, his expression guarded.

"I thought he loved me. I thought it would work..." Juliette says, her voice filled with a deep, aching sadness.

"He clearly didn't if he cheated on you. You shouldn't waste your tears on someone who doesn't appreciate you."

Juliette stays silent, trying to stop her tears but failing. She looks up at the sky, her phone ringing repeatedly. The sound feels like a cruel reminder of her shattered trust. Jude glances at the phone, his brow furrowing in irritation.

"Let me guess. He's calling you," Jude says.

Juliette looks at her phone and nods, starting to type something. Jude's eyes narrow in annoyance.

"What are you doing? Don't answer him."

Juliette stands up, still crying, feeling lost and overwhelmed.

"What should I do then?" Juliette asks, her voice a mix of desperation and hopelessness.

Jude stands up too, his expression conflicted, a mix of frustration and concern.

"What you should do is ignore his ass. He doesn't deserve your time or your tears," Jude says.

Juliette tries to wipe her tears away but fails again.

"If I don't answer, he will continue to text or call," Juliette says, her voice trembling. Her phone rings again, each ring feeling like a stab to her heart.

Jude grits his teeth, the sound grating on his nerves.

"Damnit. You need to ignore him, Juliette. Don't give him the satisfaction of responding," Jude says.

Juliette looks away, the pain evident on her face. "It's complicated, Jude... I live with him." The thought of it makes the pain worse.

Jude sigh.

"Why the hell would you live with that cheating prick?" Jude asks, his voice rising with disbelief.

"He never cheated on me before... I told you I thought it would work." Juliette cries harder, her sobs wracking her body.

Jude's expression softens slightly as he sees her crying harder, his irritation mingling with a flicker of concern.

"Just because it hadn't happened before doesn't mean it wouldn't happen. It was only a matter of time, but you refused to see it."

"Jude, it's not the moment. I already feel awful," Juliette says, her phone ringing again.

Jude rolls his eyes, but he tries to temper his irritation. He glances at the phone, the continuous ringing adding to his frustration.

"You're right, it's not the time. But you need to understand that you can't keep talking to him right now. He's not good for you, Juliette."

Juliette hands him her phone. "Answer him."

Jude's eyes widen in surprise as Juliette hands him her phone. He looks at it skeptically for a moment before reluctantly accepting it.

"Fine. But I can't guarantee that I won't be harsh with him."

"If I don't answer he'll keep calling," Juliette says, her voice barely a whisper as she continues to cry, feeling completely broken.