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6. Cool Boyfriend
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Forever Jude 7. A Little Badass
On New Year’s day, Jude and I are on the road, heading for his grandparents’. This is the first time I’ll be spending any time around Jude’s family. Over the years, he has gotten quite close with mine. Whenever he is back home, he has to come by at least once. But I’ve never been to his house. And here I am, going to spend two days and nights with his extended family.“How are they?” I ask as we get closer to our destination. We passed the last town about ten minutes ago and there’s nothing out here but forest and farmland. I’ve rolled my window down to enjoy the fresh countryside breeze on my face.“My family?” he asks, looking away from the mostly empty road for a second and at me. “I have no idea. Though I have to warn you, I remember one of my cousins to be a pain in the ass. He got along with Jared when we were younger.”I arch an eyebrow. “Birds of a feather?”Jude’s older brother bullied him when they were younger.Jude nods.“Maybe he has changed,” I say. “I mean, look at you
Forever Jude 8. I Can Feel It In My Bones
A lot more people arrive in the evening. When we sit down for dinner, every spot at the sixteen seater dining table is filled. There are so many and that’s a good thing–no one pays any attention to me beyond the initial introduction. Other than Ron, of course. He has been throwing nasty glares my way all night, as if he’s planning my murder in his head.I’m sitting near one end of the table, with Jude on my right and Janet on my left. Jade and Jared ended up on the other side of the table, with one of their first cousins sitting between them.The aunt sitting at the head of the table right next to Janet is quite conversational. She is the main driver of the conversation, asking about everyone’s family and work. I’m guessing she is in her mid sixties.She has engaged almost all of her nephews and nieces when she finally turns her attention to Jade. “Jade, that’s a beautiful ring you’ve got right there.”Everybody’s attention turns to Jade. Jade looks down at her ring and then smiles a
Forever Jude 9. His Royal Assholeness
Jude’s grandfather is laid to rest in the family graveyard, next to Jude’s grandmother. The service is done by two o’clock. There’s quite a crowd, with more relatives having arrived earlier today. We go back to the house afterwards, where a lot of refreshments are waiting. The mood today is a lot more subdued than the one last night when everyone was catching up. One of Jude’s older male cousins gets his attention when we get to the house, and I go to get something to eat by myself. I load a couple of sandwiches and some strawberries on a platter, then grab a bottle of water and look around the room. There’s a lot of sitting area inside the house and more in the back. But both places are swimming with people, so I head for the one place I’m sure is deserted–the front of the house. There’s a swing chair on the porch and I settle there, placing my bottle of water beside me and my platter on my lap.I was right, it’s quiet and deserted out here. It’s just me and the beautiful view. I
Forever Jude 10. We've Got Bad History
An hour into the drive, the weather takes a turn for the worse. Coupled with the unfamiliar route, it becomes risky to keep going.When we come to the next town, we stop at the first hotel we find. It also looks like the only hotel around–it’s a very small town.While handing us our keys, the receptionist apologetically informs us that the heating system is out of order. My teeth chatter just hearing that. When Jude and I get to our room, I get rid of my shoes and burrow beneath the duvet right away. I hold my hands towards him. “Come on, give me some warmth.”He chuckles, taking his time to place our bags on the table. “Are you going to sleep in your dress?” he asks as he opens my bag.I nod. “I’m good.” I don’t like the idea of getting from under the duvet and exposing myself to the frigid air in the room. Jude’s hand emerges with a nightdress from my bag and comes to the bed. He reaches for the duvet and pulls it away. “Here.”I sit up begrudgingly and get out of my dress. I put
Forever Jude 11. You Drive Me Crazy
After three long hours on the road, Jude brings the car to a stop outside a five-storey apartment building. It’s a modern building with a cubic architectural design and balconies with glass balustrades.“Is this where you live?” I ask. He still hasn’t told me anything about what he wants to show me. “No. Come on,” he says, opening his door.I get out of the car and we head towards the entrance. We go into the building and to a lift lobby. When we get inside the elevator, he presses the button for the fourth floor.When we get out of the elevator, he turns to a door on the left and punches a code into the keypad outside. “You said you don’t live here, how do you know the code?”He gives me a secret smile and then pushes the door open. He holds it open and gestures to me. “After you.”I walk into the apartment and he comes in after me. In the entryway, there’s a door to the left and what looks like a closet to the right. I move farther inside and come to a spacious living room. It’s f
Forever Jude 12. Whatever You Want
Sometimes my brain is like an automatic printer and usually I don’t mind but right now I hate it. The moment his words register, it prints supporting images like it already has cache. It does. From my ever reliable imagination. My gut turns into molten liquid from the heat of his gaze. He can tell what I’m thinking, can’t he? I know he could also tell it was what I was thinking during my little performance with his thumb. “You want it, don’t you?” he asks in a low voice that slithers over my skin like a sinful caress. I swallow and scramble for words to say. I want to be honest with him, but I’m not ready for that.He brings a hand to my face and runs his fingertips from my temple to the corner of my mouth. “Does the thought of my cock moving in your mouth the way it does in your pussy make you hot?”My sensitive core clenches and my first instinct is to press my thighs together but I’ve got one leg over his hip.I bite my lip and nod.He blinks, as if he can’t believe his eyes. I
Forever Jude 13. Seven Years
I was wrong.Simon is obsessed with that girl from Tuesday Night’s party. I’m sitting opposite him, sucking the life out of my chocolate milkshake while he narrates how from the moment he saw her, he knew she was the one.Now, Simon is not the kind of guy to talk about ‘the one’.Romance? It’s all unicorns and bullshit to him. When he talks about a girl like this, it’s because he wants to sleep with her. Or because he slept with her. As I understand, Keri–I’d already forgotten her name–hasn’t put out yet. And with the stars I can see in his eyes, that’s not why he still hasn’t forgotten her name after a full week. “Is she single?” I ask him. Isaac said she isn’t taken, but he also said she isn’t available. It would be such a bummer if Simon’s first venture into the land of flowers and hearts after so long ended in heartbreak.He rubs the back of his neck. “I think so.”I lift an eyebrow. “You think so?”He shrugs. “I haven’t asked.”“Wait.” I release my straw and focus on him. “I
Forever Jude 14. About That Woman
“Wakey-wakey.”I crack my eyes open as Jude’s voice registers in my brain. The light is on and the curtains are closed, so I can’t tell what time it is.I cover up a yawn. “What time is it?”“It’s six.”“You are lying.”The bed shifts as he moves. He gets down and around the bed and finally appears in my field of view as he heads to the window. Pulling the cord, he opens the curtains. It’s not exactly sunrise yet but there’s enough light to suggest it’s almost.He claps his hands as he walks back to the bed. “Come on, we’ve got a run to do.”I groan and grab a pillow, holding on tightly. “Can’t we start tomorrow?”He lifts his brow and crawls onto the bed, looking at me. “Where did all that enthusiasm from last night about discovering the trail go?”“I don’t know, it must have wandered off in my dreams.”He shakes his head in amusement and reaches for the pillow I’m clinging to. I tighten my grip around it. He arches an eyebrow. “I suppose you were lying with all that talk about how
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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
