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 weekend after their conversation, Alexa found herself driving over to Jude's place again.
He'd called her that morning, casually asking if she wanted to hang out, and although part of her had been tempted to say no—to keep her distance until she figured out what was really going on between them—she found herself agreeing.
The day was bright and warm, and as she pulled up to Jude's apartment building, she tried to push aside the mix of anticipation and anxiety that had settled in her chest. It wasn't the first time she'd been here, but something about today felt different—like the stakes were higher, even though neither of them had said anything to make it so.
When she knocked on his door, it swung open almost immediately, and she was greeted by a grinning Jobe.
"Well, if it isn't my favorite actress," he said, stepping aside to let her in. "Come on in, Alexa."
She laughed, giving him a light shove as she walked past. "Jude didn't tell me you were going to be here."
"Surprise," Jobe said, closing the door behind her. "He's in the kitchen, by the way. Trying to cook. I'm not sure it's going well."
Alexa raised an eyebrow, already amused. "Is that so?"
"Yeah," Jobe replied, his voice dropping to a mock whisper. "I think he's trying to impress you, but it's a disaster waiting to happen."
She chuckled, shaking her head as she made her way to the kitchen. Sure enough, there was Jude, standing at the stove with a look of intense concentration on his face as he stirred something in a pan. The air was filled with the scent of what she assumed was an attempt at pasta sauce, but there was a hint of something slightly burnt in the mix.
"Hey," she said, leaning against the doorframe, trying to hide her grin.
Jude glanced up, a sheepish smile spreading across his face when he saw her. "Hey. You're early."
"Not really," she replied, eyeing the pot with amusement. "What's going on here?"
He shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "I thought I'd cook lunch. Figured it was time to try and impress you with my culinary skills."
Alexa couldn't help but laugh, walking over to stand beside him. "And how's that working out for you?"
Jude sighed, lowering the heat on the stove. "It's... a work in progress."
Jobe appeared in the doorway behind them, a teasing grin on his face. "By 'work in progress,' he means 'complete disaster.'"
"Hey, I'm trying!" Jude protested, throwing a mock glare at his brother.
"Maybe I should take over," Alexa suggested, stepping closer to the stove. "I mean, if you don't want to accidentally poison us all."
Jobe let out a bark of laughter, and even Jude cracked a smile, shaking his head. "Okay, okay. You can help. But I was actually doing pretty well, thank you very much."
