Second chance ~ Jude Bellingham

chap 36

The train ride to Madrid was supposed to be a chance for Juliette to relax and unwind after the intense pressure of her exams. She had rented an apartment for the weekend, looking forward to catching up with Karen and enjoying some much-needed downtime. But ever since Militao's cryptic message, a sense of unease had settled over her. She couldn't stop thinking about what he might want to say and why it involved Jude. Her heart raced with anxiety as she sent him a text.

"When and where should we meet?" she typed, her fingers trembling slightly as she hit send.

Militao's reply came almost immediately: "Thank goodness you're here. Meet me in the park near the Santiago Bernabéu stadium at 1pm. I'll be there waiting."

He didn't add anything else, leaving Juliette to sit with her swirling thoughts. As the train sped toward Madrid, she stared out the window, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside her. What could Militao possibly have to say that was so important? And why now, when she had finally started to put some distance between herself and Jude?

By the time Juliette arrived at her rented apartment, she was practically vibrating with nervous energy. She barely had time to drop her things before heading out the door again, making her way to the park where Militao had said they would meet.

When she arrived, she scanned the area and quickly spotted him sitting on a bench, his usual relaxed demeanor replaced by a tension she hadn't seen before. As soon as he saw her, he stood up and waved her over.

"Hey, it's been a little while since I've seen you!" she greeted him with a smile, trying to hide the anxiety gnawing at her insides.

Militao smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He gave her a quick hug, but when he pulled back, his expression turned serious. "Yeah, it has. You look good," he said, giving her a once-over. But then, as if unable to delay the inevitable any longer, he gestured toward the bench. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something important. Can we sit down?"

Juliette's smile faded as she sat beside him. "I'm really confused about what you said... explain to me," she urged, her voice tight with worry.

Militao sighed deeply, leaning forward as he gathered his thoughts. "Okay, first let me ask you a question. Have you spoken to Jude lately?"

Juliette shook her head, the question striking a chord of unease within her. "No..." she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Militao nodded, as if he had expected that answer. "Alright, that's what I thought," he said, frowning as he stared down at his hands. "Okay, listen. I'm gonna be straight with you. Jude... He's not in a good place right now. He's really messed up about what happened between you two."

Juliette's heart skipped a beat. "What? What do you mean?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch as panic began to set in.

Militao sighed again, his expression heavy with concern. "I mean, he's a mess. He's been training too hard, not sleeping or eating, avoiding everyone, drinking, and hooking up with different girls all the time. He's just... He's not himself. It's like he's trying to run away from something. And we all know that it's because of you."

Juliette's breath caught in her throat. "Because of me? No! I-" she started, but then she stopped, her mind racing. "I don't understand..."

Militao's gaze was piercing as he nodded gravely. "Yeah, because of you. He won't admit it, but we all know it. You broke his heart, Juliette. I know you two had a complicated history, but he was head over heels for you. And when you broke it off with him... it destroyed him."

Juliette felt a pang of guilt so sharp it almost took her breath away. "We never even dated... I didn't break his heart, I just-" She paused, struggling to find the right words. "I lied to him so he would move on..."