lover boy

Chapter 40

Jude Bellingham

The day of the first EM game arrived with a buzz of anticipation. The stadium was already abuzz when we arrived, the atmosphere electric with the excitement of the upcoming match. As a player, I was focused on the game, but today was different—today, the stadium felt like it was brimming with more than just football fever.

We were here for our pre-game training, and as usual, I immersed myself in the drills and warm-ups. The routine was familiar, but my mind kept wandering. This was supposed to be a straightforward day, but something else was lurking at the edge of my awareness.

As we finished our warm-up and I caught my breath, I noticed the photographers and crew setting up for a shoot. It was part of the EM campaign, and it had been in the news for weeks. I glanced over and saw a flash of movement—a woman in a striking black dress was being guided through various poses. Something about her seemed oddly familiar, but the connection didn't hit me right away.

It wasn't until I saw her again, more clearly, that the realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Cecilia.

There she was, amidst the hustle and bustle of the shoot, looking every bit as stunning as I remembered. She had always had a presence, but today, seeing her here, in the stadium, was like a jolt to my system. Her dress, the way she moved—it all seemed to captivate everyone around her, and me in particular.

Our eyes met across the field, and for a moment, everything else seemed to blur. The roar of the crowd, the buzz of the stadium—none of it mattered. It was just the two of us, caught in a moment that felt both surreal and intensely real.

I tried to focus on the training, but my attention kept drifting back to her. Every time I looked up, there she was, moving gracefully, posing with an effortless charm that made it hard to look away. The way she carried herself was mesmerizing, and it made me remember all too clearly why I had been so drawn to her in the past.

During a break in our training, I watched her more closely. The intensity of her gaze when our eyes met was impossible to ignore. It felt like there was an unspoken conversation happening between us, a mix of nostalgia and something deeper that I couldn't quite place.

As I approached her, I felt a strange mixture of hope and apprehension. The sight of her brought back a flood of memories, and I wanted to speak to her, to reconnect and maybe find some resolution. But before I could say anything, she looked startled and quickly started to move away.

"Cecilia," I called out, my voice barely carrying over the noise of the stadium. I saw her reaction—a mix of shock and anxiety—as she pulled away and headed towards the exit. My heart sank as I saw her leave, the fleeting moment of connection slipping through my fingers.

The rest of the training session passed in a blur. I was distracted, my mind occupied with the image of Cecilia disappearing into the night. It felt like the day had turned from a routine game preparation into something far more complex and emotional.

The game was about to begin, and I tried to push my thoughts aside, focusing on the task at hand. But every time I looked up, I was reminded of Cecilia. Her presence had cast a shadow over the game, making it hard to concentrate fully on the match.

As the game progressed, I found myself searching for her in the crowd. Each time I glanced towards where I had last seen her, it felt like there was an invisible thread connecting us, pulling me to look back. I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted, and the day was not just about the game—it was about confronting feelings and memories that I had tried to bury.

The final whistle blew, and we celebrated our victory, but the triumph was tinged with a lingering sense of unresolved emotions. The game had been exhilarating, but it had also brought Cecilia back into my life in a way I hadn't expected.