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17. An Unexpected Visitor
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Forever Jude 18. Resident Matchmaker
“Trey?” I ask, dumbfounded.What is he doing here?He gives me a smile. The kind of smile he uses when he does something I might not like but expects I’ll let him get away with it because he’s my adorable little brother. Never mind he’d tell me to fuck off if I used any of those words to describe him.“Sorry to barge in on you like this,” he tells me. “It’s an emergency, I swear.”And that’s when I notice the two large suitcases at his feet.“What the hell?” I mutter, looking back at him. “What are you doing here?”Why does it look like he’s moving in or something?“Why don’t you let me in first and I’ll explain everything?” he suggests. “It’s a long story.”I bet.He nudges one of the suitcases in, as if ready to plough past me if I don’t invite him in any second now. I move to the side. I don’t have enough sense to help him with the suitcases as he walks past me and I shut the door.“This place looks huge,” he says as he takes off his shoes. Done, he moves farther into the house.
Forever Jude 19. Magic Tongue
I’m brushing my teeth before bed when Jude comes into the bathroom and wraps his arms around my middle, his chin resting on my shoulder.“Are you mad?” he asks, looking at me in the mirror.I meet his gaze for only a second before leaning over the sink to rinse my mouth. He is still holding on to me when I put my brush away.“You weren’t actually going to let him go to a hotel, were you?” he asks.No, I wasn’t. He still shouldn’t have disregarded my opinion and told my brother he could stay before we talked it over. If I didn’t know he’s just doing this because of his wild idea to fix the ties between Trey and Jade, I would be offended.“It’s fine,” I tell him. Trey’s only going to be here for a few days, anyway. I’m sure his agent will find him an apartment soon.“I really want them to make up,” he says. “Your brother is a good guy and he is in love with her. He has always been in love with her.”“But she doesn’t love him,” I point out.“She does,” he counters.I sigh. “She broke up
Forever Jude 20. What Love Is
The sound of a ringing phone is what wakes me up in the morning. It’s Jude’s phone, so I ignore it and snuggle deeper into my pillow. It goes quiet only to start ringing a few seconds later.Groaning, I turn around to see why he is not picking it up.Ah. He is not here. He must be in the bathroom. I shift over to his side and reach for the phone. I’ll just put it on silent mode because I’m still sleepy and I don’t appreciate the rude awakening it just gave me.I’m flipping it around onto its face when I catch the name on the caller ID.Claire.An unpleasant jolt zips through me and my sleepy brain is not so sleepy all of a sudden. I watch as the phone rings and then goes quiet. A notification on the screen registers two missed calls from her.Why am I staring at the phone as if it’s going to blow up? It’s nothing. They work together. That’s why she is calling him at 6:42 in the morning. It would be weird if she was calling him at, like, 11:42 at night.I place the phone on its face
Forever Jude 21. Taking a Risk
When I finally get a job offer, it’s from the most unexpected place. So, the main small forward of the basketball team that fired me got injured at the last game. He’s been ruled out for at least six weeks. The last thing I expected was to receive a call from his personal manager asking me to become his personal trainer during his recovery. The club has agreed for him to have a personal trainer besides their own, and lo and beyond, the director mentioned I could be a good fit–the manager’s words. Recommending me to take care of one of the most important players on his team at such a critical time is the biggest vote of confidence I could ever hope for. It might even shine brighter on my resume than my stint at the club. Oh, you personally took care of the Brent Harvey? Now, that says something! There’s one huge problem, though. Brent Harvey is an ass.A serious full-time asshole.So big of an ass that it’s making me question the wisdom of accepting a gig that will take my resume
Forever Jude 22. Different Worlds
In the morning, I’m in front of Brent Harvey’s door a few minutes before nine. I’ve been thinking and I decided that I’ll use this initial meeting to decide whether I’ll take the job. I intend to discuss our training program before signing the contract, and that should be enough to show me what kind of attitude he intends to bring to the table.The door opens and a middle aged guy in black trousers and white shirt opens the door. I saw him several times while I worked at the club. Gavin Baker, Brent Harvey’s personal manager.“Thank you so much for coming,” he says, offering his hand in greeting before stepping aside to let me in. “Please come in.”“Thank you,” I say, stepping into the apartment.The place screams luxury, right from the shiny black marble floor to the plush velvet couches and the massive fireplace. A cabinet on one end of the room displays countless trophies and medals. The exterior wall is entirely made up of glass windows, allowing in ample natural light into the
Forever Jude 23. I Need You
Jude’s not home when I get back, and he’s not back by the time I give in to the sleep creeping on me. He’s also not back when I wake up in the middle of the night.I frown at the empty space beside me before reaching for my phone to check the time. It’s thirty four minutes past one. He wasn’t supposed to be this late. The last time we texted, he said he would be back around the time I did too.Worry sets in as I notice there are no new texts or missed calls from him. I sit up in bed and reach over to turn on the bedside lamp. I’ve just pressed his number to make a call when my eyes are drawn to a gap in the curtains. It allows me to see outside to the terrace, and I make out his figure in the moonlight. Sighing in relief, I quit the call and get out of bed. I cross over to the glass door and slide it open, then step outside. Jude is leaning over the parapet, his back to me. He’s wearing the same black long coat he was wearing when he left in the morning.It’s a chilly night and goos
Forever Jude 24. The Purse
“Coach Walker! Coach Walker!”I move out of the way just in time to avoid getting bulldozed by a bunch of kids in blue football jerseys flocking to Jude.Coach Walker?What am I missing?“Hey buddies!” he greets them, high fiving everyone in the group. “How’ve you been?”The boys and girls who all look below ten years old talk over each other to answer his question. Somehow, he hears what each of them is saying and offers compliments where necessary.“Are you ready for today?” he asks them when they are done telling him about the developments in their little lives.“Yes!” they all cheer in unison.“Let’s get them,” he says, and the kids cheer again.A middle-aged man with greying hair in a tracksuit that matches the kids’ jerseys approaches, a smile on his face as he addresses Jude. “I think my work’s done here,” he says. “Seeing you is all the motivation they need to get in there and kick some.”“Chandler,” Jude says the man’s name in greeting, and they shake hands. “It’s nice to see
Forever Jude 25. She's Not Worth It
Hunger is a powerful motivator. My pity party has been going on for barely an hour when I can’t take it anymore. I haven’t eaten anything proper since morning, okay? I only had a few snacks while we watched the games and that was it. And when Jude mentioned barbecue earlier? My mouth watered and my stomach started warming up for all the good food I was anticipating. I never followed through with that and now my stomach is growling in protest. It also doesn’t help that the aroma of what Jude ordered is making its way into the bedroom. I should have taken my share before announcing my need for isolation.I walk out of the room and turn straight to the kitchen. Jude is in the living room with his back to me. Football is playing on the TV. If I’m quick enough he won’t even know I was here.I open the refrigerator and find the food containers sitting right there. I reach for the first one but another hand beats me to it.Startled, I look behind me. He’s right there, reaching for the cont
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Forever Jude 44. Will You?
Jude’s POV“No,” I say, reaching out and wiping her tears away. Cole’s right. I’m an asshole. Shithead. Dumbass. As if I haven’t made her cry enough times. After everything I’ve put her through, I should spend the rest of my life making up for it by making her smile every single day. Instead, I go and do this.Her eyes fall shut, and her body trembles as she takes a deep breath. I jump to action, pulling the comforter over her.“What are you doing?” she asks, confusion palpable in her voice. Her eyes remain closed.“I don’t want you to be cold.” I sound lame even to myself.Her throat moves as she swallows. Her eyes open and stare right into mine. They are shiny with tears but lacking their usual brightness. “Do you hate me?”I blink. What? Why would she–Yeah, right, buddy. Why would she ask that? Can’t possibly think of any reason.So it isn’t working for you?No.Like a bona fide idiot.“No.”“Then why…” she trails off and lifts her hand to her face. She covers her eyes, but I can
Forever Jude 43. On the Outside
Jude’s POVTen minutes, fifteen seconds.That’s how long it’s been since she left.She must be gone by now, right?It’s too late to go after her.How fast can I get a boat, and how fast can I get to the mainland? Maybe they’ll be delayed before leaving on the plane. Maybe the plane needed refuelling, or is awaiting clearance.It’s only been ten…eleven minutes. I can catch up. I can catch up and take back every stupid thing I just said.God, what the fuck is wrong with me?Everything.I groan and bump my forehead against the window. That was the right thing to do. It was the right thing to do. It was the–A knock on the door interrupts my mantra. I straighten instantly, my heavy heart racing. That’s her, right? She is back to give me a piece of her mind. She is not the kind to walk away without a word.I race to the door like I didn’t tell her to basically get out of my life twelve minutes ago. I open the door.My excitement dies the moment I see Cole’s face.What is he doing here? Did
Forever Jude 42. Living in a Dream
An hour later, we are in the plane, taking off. It’s a forty five minute flight to the coast, then we’ll take a boat to the island where they are filming.Fortunately, it’s such a small island that it only has three hotels. The second hotel that I called asking to leave a message turned out to be the one he’s staying at. I’ll figure out how to get to him when we get there. “So, he told you about Claire?” Cole asks me after takeoff.“Not much,” I say. “We ran into her at a hotel at the coast three months ago. He told me they have history.” “I can’t believe he has been working with her all this time,” Cole says.“What happened back then?” I ask him. The fact that Cole agreed with the necessity of this impromptu trip means he agrees with me that an inebriated Jude cannot be left alone with Claire. Jude insisted that Claire did not take advantage of him, but if Cole’s reaction is anything to go by, I must have been right. “I don’t think it’s my story to tell,” he says.“Did he swear y
Forever Jude 41. I'll Take Care of Him
“Nothing!” I blurt out, turning around to face Jude. He is standing in the doorway, his gaze switching from me to Cole. Shit. Did I not close the door? How long has he been standing there?Jude’s brows pull together. “Are you talking about Brent Harvey?”“What? No!” I deny. “We were just…just–”“You were,” he says, his eyes narrowing. He walks into the room. He gestures to his phone and addresses Cole. “Did you do this?”“No,” Cole says.“But you know who did.”Cole shrugs. “Maybe.”Looks like we are both terrible liars. At least I tried.“And what does it have to do with Jo?”“Nothing,” I say.Jude looks at me. “Is that so? What business does Cole have with him that has nothing to do with you?”I cross my arms over my chest. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”“What doesn’t matter anymore?” Jude asks.“He was an asshole to her, and I taught him a lesson, that’s all,” Cole says.“A lesson,” Jude deadpans. “He might never play ball again.”“What do you care?” Cole asks. “Are you a fan?” Jude
Forever Jude 40. The Wrong Woman
I want Cole to keep driving and driving until we are as far away from here as possible, but he pulls over barely a minute later.I can’t even tell him to keep going because I’m crying too hard to form words. He brings the car to a complete stop, which makes my sobs the only thing either of us can hear. I tried really hard to not cry, but once the tears started flowing, there was no going back. The little strength I was using to hold myself together turned out to be nothing compared to the emotions that hit me as soon as I was in the safe cocoon of the car.I’m hiding my face behind a tissue I plucked earlier, not wanting to face Cole.“Jo, what happened?” Cole asks, his voice tense and full of concern.I shake my head. There’s a throb at the back of my head from where I hit the floor earlier, and my cheek is stinging with pain. The hand he grabbed isn’t working too well either. I can’t squeeze it right when I try to blow my nose.I discard that tissue and press my palms to my face. C
Forever Jude 39. Just Drive
Someone steps forward and offers to take Brent’s coat. I use the chance to look for an escape route. I spy a crowd of people milling around a room to the right. Other guests emerge or disappear through an opening to the left.“You look very beautiful tonight,” Brent’s voice draws my attention back to him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress before.”“Well, a tracksuit is hardly suitable for the occasion,” I say, forcing a smile onto my lips. I need someone to show up right now and steal his attention. I’m quite sure a lot of people will be all over him tonight, so can they hurry up?When I mentioned the invitation to Jude, he was worried about me running into Brent. But Brent took my job rejection well, and I did not think that would be an issue. Besides, we are in a house full of people. It’s the ideal setting to firmly turn him down if he brings it up.“No, it’s not,” he agrees, taking a step forward. He extends his hand, intending to touch me again. I step back just in ti
Forever Jude 38. If You
“Jo, let me go.”I shake my head and squeeze my arms tighter around Jude’s middle, fighting against his attempt to remove them. “No.”“Do you want me to miss my flight?” he asks.“Yes. That’s exactly what I want,” I reply. “You are not going anywhere.”“I’m fine, I swear.”I shake my head. “You are not.”The last thing I expected when I woke up this morning was to find Jude getting ready to leave for work. He was in a daze when we got back to the condo last night. In bed, he tossed and turned all night. I was too worried to sleep, but the fatigue caught up with me around four in the morning. Thank heavens I woke up when I did because I would have lost my shit if he’d been gone.“I know what happened last night must have been scary,” he starts.I huff. “You think?”“But it’s perfectly normal,” he continues.Yeah, and he must be out of his mind.“I mean it was a perfectly normal reaction to that kind of thing rushing into my brain out of nowhere,” he adds. “It blindsided me. T-boned m
Forever Jude 37. Good Enough
“Hey, have you see this boy around here?” Jude asks the owner of one of the only two stores still open at the local shopping centre.The man looks at the photo of Rico on Jude’s phone and shakes his head. “No.”Jude nods and puts his phone away. “Alright, thanks.”We move towards the exit of the shop and stop under the eave because it’s suddenly raining. As if this night couldn’t get any shittier. Where do we look next? Between us, the police, and a couple of Rico’s neighbours who volunteered, we’ve searched the entire neighbourhood. If Rico was anywhere nearby, someone should have spotted him by now. Jude sighs heavily, his breath condensing in the night air. “What, now?”I shove my hands in my jacket pockets and try to think of somewhere we should check but haven’t yet. Nothing comes to mind. We’ve been to every public place we could be. The only alternative now is to broaden the scope of our search area. When we started this search, I was optimistic that we would soon find Rico
Forever Jude 36. Cheesy, creamy?
Back to Jo’s POV“This means you are not working with him anymore, right?”I look up from the container I’m filling with leftover food and over at Jude, who’s standing in front of the TV holding the remote. “What?”He gestures to the screen with the remote. “Him.”My eyes rise to the screen, where footage of Brent Harvey from today’s game is playing. It was his first game back after his injury, and he performed quite well. “Um,” I mumble, switching my eyes back to the container. When I turn to stow it in the refrigerator, I say, “I might still be.”Might? I’ve already accepted the offer, it’s just that I’ve not signed a contract yet.And yes. I haven’t mentioned it to Jude yet. “What?” he asks, his voice full of confusion. “He’s fully recovered, right?”I turn back around to find him raising his brow at me. “Yes. But he offered me to become his full-time personal trainer.”That brow raises further. “What?”“I accepted.”“Why would you do that? You said you would only work with him f
