BACK AGAIN​- ᴊᴜᴅᴇ ʙᴇʟʟɪɴɢʜᴀᴍ

52

After what felt like weeks of missed opportunities and long, separate days, today was finally just for us. No training sessions, no meetings, no interruptions—just Jude and me, wandering around Paris, getting lost in the little moments we'd been craving for what felt like forever.

We started with breakfast at a tiny café tucked away on a quiet side street, sipping coffee and sharing buttery croissants, Jude's hand resting on my thigh under the table. It was one of those perfectly normal moments that felt anything but, especially after the whirlwind our lives had been lately.

Once breakfast was finished, we wandered into one of the old movie theaters near the Latin Quarter. It was the kind of place that still showed black-and-white films, with velvet seats and curtains that parted as the lights dimmed. The movie was some obscure French classic neither of us had heard of, but we didn't really care about the plot. Sitting in the dark, his arm draped over my shoulder, I felt a kind of peace I hadn't had in weeks.

Halfway through, he leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "You're not really watching this, are you?"

I grinned, turning toward him just as he pulled me into a kiss. The movie became background noise as we got lost in each other, his hands warm against my skin. It felt like we were stealing moments, hiding away from the world just for a little while.

By the time the movie ended, we were both flushed and laughing like teenagers sneaking out of class.

"Come on," Jude said, tugging me down the street. "I know a place you'll love."

He led me to a quirky little bookstore filled with secondhand novels and vinyl records. The air smelled like old paper and nostalgia. It was the kind of place you could lose hours in, and we did. Jude flipped through vinyl plates, making jokes about the weird album covers he found, while I wandered through the aisles of books, running my fingers along the spines. I picked up a worn copy of The Stranger by Camus, thinking it'd be a good read for our lazy afternoons.

After we both found a few treasures, Jude turned to me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We're getting a record player for the apartment, right? Because I'm definitely playing this on repeat."

He held up an old David Bowie album, and I couldn't help but laugh. "Sure, but only if I get to pick the next one."

We paid for our finds and left the shop, walking hand-in-hand down the sun-drenched streets, the day unfolding like a dream. Paris always had that effect—it could make the ordinary feel extraordinary. And being with Jude, like this, with no distractions... it was everything I had been missing.

As we walked toward the river, the afternoon sun casting long shadows over the cobblestones, I suddenly spotted a familiar face across the street. My heart skipped a beat. It was Sam. Somehow, she was simply everywhere. She was taking pictures of every street corner and bush.

Panic gripped me instantly. Sam didn't know about Jude—not the full story, at least. She knew I worked for PSG, but I had been careful to keep my relationship with him a secret. And now, here we were, out in the open, completely wrapped up in each other. I couldn't let her see us together.

"Jude, it's Sam," I whispered urgently, pulling him into the nearest alleyway before she could spot us.

He blinked, confused. "What? Why are we hiding?"

"Because she doesn't know about us," I said, peeking around the corner to make sure Sam hadn't noticed. "I haven't told her."

Jude chuckled, clearly amused by the situation. "You're acting like we're fugitives."

I shot him a look. "I just don't want her to find out like this, okay? It's... complicated."

He sighed, but nodded, pulling me closer into the shadows. "Alright, alright. Lead the way, master of stealth."

We waited until Sam passed, her head down as she scrolled through her phone. She didn't seem to notice us, but as she walked by, she hesitated, glancing around like she sensed something. My heart raced. 

"Is that—?" I heard her murmur to herself, her eyes scanning the street. Right then, I remembered public affection made people uncomfortable. Tehre wasn't anyone else in the alley, so I grabbed Jude and kissed him passionately. He tightened his grip on my, pulling me closer.

I heard her make a noise before scurrying away. I sighed of relief, still half kissing Jude, but he wouldn't let go, keeping me in place against the way. I smiled into the kiss.

"Jude, baby, she's gone now,"

"Who?" he replied, pulling me closer, but after a while, he let me go, still holding onto my waist, though.

"That was way too close," I muttered.

"You know she's going to figure it out eventually, right?" Jude teased, pulling me back onto the main street once Sam was out of sight. "You're a terrible liar."

"I know," I groaned. "But not today. I just wanted one day without everything getting complicated."

He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close as we walked. "Alright, one complication-free day. Let's go home before we run into anyone else you know."

We headed back to the apartment, the afternoon light turning golden as we reached the familiar streets of Boulogne-Billancourt. The thought of spending the rest of the evening together, just the two of us, filled me with a quiet kind of happiness.

When we got inside, Jude immediately dropped the bags on the floor and pulled me into his arms, kissing me and picking me up like he'd been waiting to do it all day. His hands slipped into my hair, and I melted into him, feeling the warmth of his body pressed against mine. We moved through the apartment in a haze of laughter and stolen kisses, barely making it to the bedroom before his lips were on mine again, and everything else faded away.

The night stretched on in a blur of soft whispers and tangled sheets, the city outside our window glowing faintly as we lay there together, wrapped up in each other. For the first time in weeks, everything felt easy, like we'd carved out this little piece of the world just for us, where nothing else mattered.

And as I drifted off to sleep, nestled against Jude's chest, I couldn't help but smile. Complications could wait. For now, this was all I needed.