Loving Jude

as K

’t seen

oor when all I want

dre

nating,

e suitcase standing between them. “

r him, and his ey

ulls the luggage into

rinkles noisily as my f

hing, but I do

threshold. His blue eyes bore int

? More l

ng poke

waves in fro

ude to find Eli tryin

a confused

the paper to the floor. “Bathro

nce to the bathroom—which is, in this situati

the toilet bowl. Out of nowhere, my stomach is q

g my back to the wall between th

ortunately, I don’t

eal. It’s

Jude at

u

Eli’s new

his not

, but it proves futile. My hear

an think of right now is getting out of here. Once I’m out of here, maybe I can process

self. Probably a long time because I don’t move until

re you

wipe my clammy hands o

lly open. I meet Eli’s worried gaze th

akfast. And you haven’t

an eme

’s wr

e lie flies off my lips effortles

like this? Let me get them for you

I’ll be fine until

you s

no

y. U

me my phone

s and disappears. I pul

n reach my foot out to bring my shoes closer. After I put them on

d kisses my fo

for me. This time around, the distance between

threshold into the hallway. With a f

print down

number as I t

l, he grunts into the ph

g over,” I

her

is b

le

ha

inally

*

ss of water, his finge

you’re maki

ur hangove

me up at eight o’clock after a n

nine o

the p

should

I don’t know.

two

his feet. “I

the bathroom bef

il biting until he reappears, h

mon shares a two-bedroom apartment with Isaac. But,

w you can

ready to

ead. “No. Tell

w how I feel! Totally c

ock

s expe

im

slept with El

es

ly over Jude, and had waited long e

eat beside him. “And

without saying

ything I cou

“How did

pris

ly one way

ich

t. You need to talk to him

managed to let him

re? Because him showing

e back. Everything I’ve done to hea

confirms my

never so much as sent a text message. T

up with was that he let me go and

n the first place? I was bad for him. If he had to cut

g him. My feelings festered long after I had giv

en more attuned to what was going on in his mi

e and couldn’t care less. Would it not have been less cru

being in the dark. I wouldn’t have waited for so long

r truly loved me. That all along,

nless you plan on ignoring him forever.

Simon i

escape him when he

oving on. I’m sure he won’t hold that against me. Jus

start on a

is bottom lip. “

ut w

eelings for

ke El

now,

’t matter

too far to

“What is he doi

lso be joining the football team

be seeing a

no

know you

e bothered to

r so long, and now here he i

Maybe because he’s the one who was there whenever I broke dow

and

u should,

, I let

rough only because Jude chose silence.

beside Simon a

Eli that h

he’s the person I’ve been

now what to do unt