BACK AGAIN​- ᴊᴜᴅᴇ ʙᴇʟʟɪɴɢʜᴀᴍ

47

Of course, my answer wasn't definitive, and Jude knew that. We weren't exactly sure what was going on between us yet, but I'd said yes on that terras with excitement, so part of me was convinced I wanted to go with him. The other part was afraid of leaving everything behind. 

Jude had told me the contract wasn't official yet, and even he was still thinking it over, but it had been 2 months, and neither of us were sure what to do, but the deadline grew near. Of course, there was Lorenzo. He'd jsut gotten into Real and I'd be leaving him already. And I really loved Spain.

The past 3 months, however, had been the best of my life. Jude really was trying to fix his mistakes and his friendships with the team was finally restored. It would've been a shame to let that all go to waste. I'd also wondered what I'd do in Paris. I had no idea if the team in Paris needed a physiotherapist, or if any job would accept a non-french speaker.

That was until Lorenzo came running in my room a few days before Jude's deadline. 

"Sister! You won't believe what you've gotten in the mail!" He yelled, jumping on my bed.

"you went through my mail?" I asked, making him look guilty. However, I quickly brushed it away when I saw where the letter was from. PSG, the same club Jude was signing with. I looked at Enzo in disbelief, shocked from the coincidence. 

"We are hoping to see you in Paris, if you accept our offer," I read at the bottom. 

see yearly salary below

When our eyes glanced at the bottom of the paper, our mouths fell open in shock. Anyone would be dumb not to take the offer, but I kept my mind on Enzo. He clearly read my expression and was quickt to hit me on the shoulder.

"I swear if you don't take this offer I'll burn your precious bike," he threatened, giving me a stern look.

It was a crisp autumn evening, and I was standing outside Jude's place, nerves prickling under my skin. The news of the final approval for the job offer had come through a few weeks ago, but Jude had gone uncharacteristically quiet since I'd told him about it. I'd been sure we were both ready to take the leap, but now... now, I wasn't so sure where his head was at.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on his door, tucking my hands into my pockets to fight the chill. After a moment, I heard his familiar steps and the door creaked open. He looked surprised to see me, his face softening, but there was a shadow of hesitation there too.

"Hey," he said, stepping aside so I could come in. "I wasn't expecting you."

The warmth of his apartment was a welcome relief from the cold. I slipped off my coat and took in the space around me. Everything was familiar—the framed photos on the wall, the cozy blanket thrown over his couch, the faint smell of his cologne hanging in the air. But there was also a stack of half-packed boxes by the wall, and suddenly, everything felt charged with an undercurrent of change.

"Yeah, I know," I said, glancing at the boxes. "It just... felt like we needed to talk."

Jude nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess it's been a lot to process, huh?"

I took a seat on the couch, and he settled beside me, close but somehow distant. There was a silence between us, heavy and unsure, until I finally spoke up.

"Jude," I said quietly, "I thought this was what you wanted. At first, I guess we weren't sure what to expect but lately you seem hesitant. I don't know what changed."

He sighed, staring down at his hands. "It's not that I don't want to go. I do—I think. It's just... this place, this life here, my friends, people I call family... it's harder than I thought it would be to let it all go."

I nodded, trying to understand. "But we can't stay in this in-between, can we?" I said softly. "We're either here, or we're there. And I can't imagine us going through this again a year from now. I want to go with you, Jude, but we both have to be all in."

He looked up at me, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. He reached over, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "And you're sure? Leaving your life here, your friends, everything? You're ready to do that?"

I leaned into his hand, my heart aching for him to understand. "Yes. I'm ready because I want this with you. I don't want to look back and wonder what could have been. I'm ready for Paris, for whatever it throws at us, as long as we're together. But only if you are too. I know it's all so sudden, but the moment you asked me I knew my answer would be yes."

He closed his eyes for a moment, then took a deep breath, like he was letting go of something he'd been holding on to. "You're right. I've been so focused on what I might lose that I forgot what I'll gain," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "A new life, a new adventure, with you."

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, a warmth that melted the coldness of doubt and hesitation. Jude reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers, grounding us in this decision, in each other. We sat there in the quiet, our hands clasped together, both of us finally at peace with the choice we were making. And for the first time, the vision of Paris didn't feel so daunting. It felt like home was wherever we'd be—together.