lover boy

Chapter 53

Cecilia Anderson

I woke up slowly, blinking against the soft morning light that filtered through my curtains. For a moment, everything felt like a dream—the fashion show, the party, and then sneaking into the stadium with Jude. But as I shifted, feeling the warmth of his body beside me, I knew it wasn't.

Jude was still asleep, his arm draped lazily over my waist. His steady breathing made me smile, and for a second, I just lay there, enjoying the quietness of the moment. But I knew he had training soon, and the morning would inevitably come crashing in.

I gently nudged him. "Jude," I whispered. He stirred but didn't wake up completely. I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. "Jude, you've got to get up."

He grunted, slowly opening his eyes. "Hmm?"

"You have training," I reminded him softly, already feeling the blush creep into my cheeks at the thought of us walking out together.

He blinked a few times, then smiled lazily as the memory of last night seemed to dawn on him. "Right," he said with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. Reluctantly, he sat up and stretched, then turned to me with that irresistible grin. "We better get out there before your roommates think we're hiding."

I laughed softly, nerves fluttering in my stomach. "Oh, they probably already know."

We both got up, moving quietly to avoid making too much noise. I grabbed a sweatshirt and pulled it over my head while Jude reached for his jacket. As we headed toward the door, the sounds of laughter and chatter reached my ears from the living room. Great—Lisa and Aurelia were already awake.

I shot Jude a look, and he chuckled. "Let's face the music, shall we?"

We stepped out into the living room, and sure enough, Lisa and Aurelia were sitting at the kitchen table with their morning coffee, mid-conversation. The moment they saw us together, they froze. Their eyes went wide, then they exchanged a knowing glance before bursting into laughter.

"Good morning, ladies," Jude said with a smirk, not missing a beat. His voice was warm and casual, like this was just any other morning, as if nothing at all had happened last night. "I'd stay and chat, but I've got training."

Lisa couldn't contain her giggles, and Aurelia just shook her head in disbelief, her eyes dancing between Jude and me.

"Right..." Lisa managed between laughs, "Training, of course. Have fun!"

Jude shot me one last smile before leaning in close. "I'll call you later," he whispered and kissed me, his breath warm against my ear. Then, without another word, he gave a casual wave to the girls and headed out the door.

The moment it clicked shut behind him, I turned to face Lisa and Aurelia, who were both grinning like maniacs.

"So..." Aurelia began, leaning forward with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Are we going to talk about this?"

I sighed, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. "There's not much to say."

"Not much to say?" Lisa practically squealed, her voice filled with excitement. "You and Jude just casually walk out of your room together, and we're supposed to believe there's nothing to say? Seriously?"

Aurelia smirked, crossing her arms. "Yeah, spill. Was it a post-fashion show hookup? Or are we missing something?"

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "It's not like that."

"Then what is it like?" Lisa pressed, her curiosity clearly insatiable.

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. "It's complicated, okay? Jude and I... we've been through a lot. And last night, we just—things happened. But it doesn't mean we've figured everything out."