lulu

pedri was on top of the world.

he moved out of tenerife. he won the golden boy award and kopa trophy. he’s traveled the world. he had a stable life filled with riches.

although, there was one thing missing.

*flashback begins*

“pass it to me!”

you were running for your life. tiny pedri was running after you as you passed the ball to his older brother, fernando.

“goal!” you yelled as fer kicked it into the net.

pedri’s young heart couldn’t help but catch feelings for you. how brightly you smiled at the sight of him or how your mother always gave him candy (mostly this reason).

the way the three of you laid on the floor, sweating from the hot summer nights in mid-july. fer closed his eyes as his body relaxed.

6 year old pedri looked at you in admiration. you were staring at the moon. you felt his stare and looked at him. his hand reached for yours. you interlocked fingers with him.

soon,the crazy days were over and the city lights didn’t seem to shine so bright after he left.

*flashback ends*

you moved to barcelona in hopes of running a successful business of creating clothings for big names.

fashion always seemed to appeal to you. drawing pieces that your grandmother would create to come alive. you wanted to follow her footsteps in the fashion industry because you enjoyed the memories with her.

attempting to get your name out there, a brand reached out to you. their hopes was to connect to the modern style. today was your first meeting with the company after your recent hire.

you walked through the glass doors. careful with your steps, you opened the door to the conference room.

“hello. are you y/n?” a lady stood up, offering her hand.

“yes i am.” you tried to show off your brightest smile. you shook her hand and quickly took a seat.

“i assume you were advised to sketch some pieces?” you nodded in response as you flipped your folder full of drawings. each filled with notes of materials.

“from the request, this is the sketch i had.” you took a picture of a black suit.

“it fits the client’s description perfectly.” she examined the paper with a smile. you nodded your head, returning the smile.

“we’ll send this to his team. i’m sure it’ll be accepted, so i plan to send you the measurements. the event is in 3 weeks, therefore, i plan to meet next tuesday for a fitting.” she got up once again to shake your hand. you thanked her for her time and shook her hand.

success filled your brain. your dreams were coming true. immediately, you went shopping for the fabric you needed. your heart was beating with excitement.

-

the work was completed. today was the day that you would meet with your client for the fitting. you tapped your feet in anticipation.

the bland white walls with clothes hanging everywhere. you heard loud footsteps with muffled talking. then, the door opened.

your eyes widened. your face dropped. your mouth was open.

his eyes widened. his face dropped. his mouth was open.

you were standing face to face with pedri.

“y/n?”

“pedro?”

the memories of your best friend came flooding back to the both of you. a smile appeared on his face. the nervousness and pressure was swept away instantly. you weren’t strangers, but it still felt that way.

he still looked so beautiful. better than the photos, for sure. his smile and eyes still so pure at the sight of you.

“it’s been so long.” he walked up to you, offering a hug.

returning the hug, “yeah, way too long.” an awkward laugh came out.

“i assume you’re the one who designed my suit?” he examined the suit from the hanger, nodding his head in approval.

“yeah, i did.”

“no wonder why i like it so much.” he winked at you. “so, when did you move here?”

you hummed. “not too long ago. big change for me.” he nodded.

“we should go out after this. maybe catch up a little bit.”

“we definitely should. maybe you’ll be my first friend here.”

“i was your first friend ever.” you rolled your eyes at his sarcasm. both sharing a smile, he still remained your sun after all this time.

-

the fitting was great. his outfit for the ceremony was complete.

“so, what brings you here?” he asked as he scooped vanilla ice cream in his bowl.

“just wanted to expand my business.”

“i thought you were doing great in tenerife?”

“i was. everyone agreed that i would be successful in bigger cities. fer motivated me the most to make the big move. did fer not tell you i was coming? he visited me not too long ago.”

“no, he didn’t. honestly, i thought i wasn’t going to see you until i came home.”

you looked at him with your eyebrow raised. “and when were you coming home?”

“good question.” he laughed. he hasn’t visited for about a year. even if he did, you never crossed paths. he tried his hardest to see you again, but fate always kept you separate.

the silence was killing both of you. neither of you wanted to make eye contact. you cleared your throat.

“maybe i should stop calling you pedro.”

“i don’t mind if you do.”

“very few people call you that now.”

“it’s a name where only loved ones call me. which would be you.”

you laughed. although he was genuine, you couldn’t take him serious. it was silent once again. tourists walked around as the fountain kept splashing water. the birds chirped as the sun was beginning to set.

“hey, i know we just reconnected. but i have a game next week. i think you should come.”

you looked down, playing with the ice cream in your bowl. you hesitated for a moment. pedri was nervous at your quietness.

you suddenly spoke,”yeah, i don’t see why not.” he gave you a warm and gentle smile once again.

“next wednesday. be there.”

the summer day finally ended.

-

pedri had asked you to meet in a private area before the match. you had bought a jersey in advance, not wanting to be an outsider in the crowd.

you stood in a narrow hallway, admiring the paintings on the wall. suddenly, the door opened and it revealed pedri.

“hey, nice jersey.” he said, pulling you into a hug.

“thanks. player 6 seemed more interesting, but player 8 was the only one available.”

“i’m better than number 6.”

“yeah, whatever you say.” you both laughed. he looked at you as if you were an angel. even though this was the first game you attended, you were already his good luck charm. whenever you were around, his soul always became electric and hyped. you looked at his pretty face. you wanted to look at him forever.

and that’s when you knew. this childhood crush never ended. you would love him when he was no longer young and beautiful. you would love him through his pain, his aching soul. he was your sun, and you were shining like diamonds around him. you looked in each other’s eyes, filled with nothing but love.

“crazy idea, but i think you should come to the event with me next week.”

“i was hoping you would ask.” he laughed at your comment.

“i’ll see you after the game.”

“score a goal for me!” he winked at you as you waved him goodbye.

making it back to your seat, you were amazed by the stadium. the crowd roared as red and blue was seen everywhere.

you honestly spaced out for the beginning of the game. the stadium was lit up as a stage for pedri. the smooth passes he had. the way the ball moved so quickly your eyes couldn’t keep up. then, he kicked the ball.

the stadium became louder. pedri had scored. he did his signature celebration, followed with heart hands being formed. he mouthed the words, “dedicated to you.”

-

today was the ballon d’or ceremony. you spent most of yesterday exploring paris, france. later on, you spent most of your time getting ready. pedri insisted in hiring people, but you declined.

you had designed and made your outfit. pedri thought it was the most beautiful thing.

“can you believe this view?” you said, admiring the stars.

“no, i can’t believe it at all.” pedri wasn’t looking outside the window. he was looking into your eyes. in that moment, nothing mattered to him. ever since childhood, he continued to love you. he knew that he would love you even if you weren’t young and beautiful anymore.

although you reconnected in just a few weeks, you knew him your entire life. a simple reconnection was all that needed. everything was fated since the beginning of life.

opening your eyes, you’re met with the bare, simple, plain ceiling. the cold air from the vents blew on your skin as your legs were warmed under the blanket. you rubbed your eyes as the sun was shining too bright from the window.

your head was pounding. you thought of what happened last night. it was friday night and you went to the bar to celebrate your friend’s birthday. you had way too many drinks.

the night was completely a blur. the faint memory of your best friend jude hugging you tightly as he kissed you passionately. he touched your body tender. the scent of his woody, aromatic cologne satisfied your nose as you were tangled together in his bed.

“fuck.” jude blurted out. his hands immediately going to his face. he looked like he saw a ghost. “no, this isn’t right.”

“what are you talking about?” you sat up as he kicked off the covers to put on his clothes. he was pacing around the room.

“i just slept with my best friend.” the panic ran through his body. confusion ran through your head.

you and jude were inseparable. the tension became intense when you entered the room. the flirting was never unnoticed by anyone. you couldn’t lie, jude was an attractive person. and, most of all, jude thought you were also attractive.

but this? this was jude’s worst nightmare. why? because you were the most precious thing to him. you were his other half. he didn’t want to hurt you. he hated himself for even thinking about you like that. he hated himself for what he was about to do as well.

“y/n, let’s just pretend this never happened.”

your heart sank. you developed feelings for jude over the years. you thought maybe this time would be different. maybe he wouldn’t think of you as just a friend.

he knew he was being dramatic. but this terrified him. he developed feelings for you too. he didn’t wanna do anything because his worst fear followed him everywhere.

attachment.

jude was afraid he’ll act upon his feelings and you’d hate him. he was scared that one day you’ll end up leaving and never coming back. he hated the idea of losing you, because he loved you so much. he wanted to run away from his emotions mostly because he didn’t know how to deal with it.

as you walked out of his house, you didn’t bother to say goodbye to him. “it was just one time. forget about it.” you mumbled to yourself. but you couldn’t. you felt like he was perfect for you. why couldn’t he feel the same?

getting into your car. your thoughts consumed you. did i do something wrong? was i unlovable? did he hate me? what if he never wanted to talk to me again?

sitting up straight. you drove back to your apartment. you tried so hard to forget about last night.

how could we go back to being friends when we just shared a bed?

you couldn’t believe it. he couldn’t believe it. you were attached to him and he was attached to you.

he was right. this should’ve never happened. you were mad at yourself. he was mad at himself. you both physically and mentally felt like the bond was broken.

you unlocked the door. eyes immediately met with your roommate. tonight was her official birthday celebration.

“where were you last night? i was terrified when i realized you weren’t home this morning.” she hugged you with a sigh of relief. “i almost reported you missing.”

you tried to laugh with her. it started out as a laugh. then it turned into tears.

“oh my gosh. y/n, what’s wrong?” your friend expressed deep concern as she wiped away your tears. your face turned red. she brought you to the couch as your tears continued to fall. “talk to me, please.”

“i was at jude’s house last night.” her mouth dropped.

“did you…”

“yeah.”

she was confused from your tears. you’ve always had this secret admiration for jude. it was almost like everyone knew you had secret feelings for each other.

sighing and demanding for an answer, she spoke, “i’m confused. you’ve always liked jude. what happened?”

“i was happy. at first, at least. he woke up and he started panicking. he even told me to pretend it never happened.”

“are you serious?”

“i wish i was lying.”

“i don’t understand. i was convinced he felt the same way about you.”

“i don’t know what i did wrong.” you sniffled and laid your head back.

“it’s not you. he’s being an asshole.” she put the blanket over you.

“i really want to go to your birthday celebration, but i don’t know if i can face him.”

she had a small giggle. “you’re gonna let a man ruin your fun? you’re better than this.”

“this isn’t just a man. this is my best friend who i’ve known since i was a child. i mean, all this time, you don’t think he has ever liked me once?”

“anyone who doesn’t instantly have a crush when they see you is crazy. i see the way he looks at you.” she shook her head as she was very disappointed in jude. “okay, listen to me, you’re going to dinner because i need my best friend at all times. you will look your best because he should never get under your skin. you are better without him.”

you nodded at her words. quickly, you got up to get ready with her.

looking into the bathroom mirror, your eyes were filled with sadness. you were reminded of the memories you had. the cycle always repeats as you ended up heartbroken over and over again over jude.

-

the night was young. a live band was playing music as the friend group cheered with their drinks.

jude wasn’t there yet. you remembered he had practice earlier that day. honestly, you felt relief knowing that maybe he wouldn’t show up.

you were wrong. as soon as the door open, you felt his presence. the air was colder. blood rushed to your cheeks. you looked towards the door. your heart dropped.

he wasn’t alone.

your best friend was shock. her hand finding yours.

“hello, everyone. sorry for being late. happy birthday by the way.” he gave a warm smile to your friend. she smiled and mumbled a thank you as she grabbed the small present from him.

thanks to your luck, two empty seats were in front of you. one of your friends canceled last minute. obviously, jude thought this was a sign for an open-invite.

you looked down at your glass of water. you didn’t know what to do. should you look at him? should you look at her? how do you even start a conversation as if you weren’t in his bed last night?

your friend cleared her throat. you cleared your throat. jude drank from his glass, looking away. your other friends were in a deep conversation.

for a few moments, it seemed like everyone was having a good time. jude had talked to everyone, except you. even a gentle hello or how are you would’ve been nice. but no, you made eye contact once and he never looked in your direction again.

“excuse me, i have to use the bathroom.” you removed the napkin from your lap and placed it on the table. one of your other friends that was involved in the deep conversation noticed the elephant in the room. she followed you to the bathroom.

you stared at yourself in the mirror. holding back tears. you took a deep breath. your friend opened the bathroom door.

“he didn’t tell anyone he was bringing someone.” she spoke gently as she touched your hair. “are you okay?”

you shook your head no. what was his plan? what was his motive? why did he want you to suffer so bad?

“i think i have to go.” she nodded. she pulled you into a hug. she reassured that she’ll tell the birthday girl that you had to step away.

you walked out the restaurant door. rain was pouring down. you walked to your car, careless about your soaked outfit and hair.

then you heard splashes of puddles behind you. you turned around, curious to see who was behind you.

it was jude.

he looked at you with deep sadness. the street light shining over him. emphasizing his hazel eyes, you felt like you were looking at the devil.

his eyes sent signals for you to come back. then something came to mind.

you deserved so much better. you were too attached to him while he gave you nothing in return. you had to let go of him.

he knew what you were thinking. he was watching as he felt himself losing you. you both sat there frozen in the rain., not daring to move. his black suit becoming drenched, your mascara running down your face.

you looked at him one last time. you were looking at him pretending he was someone you had never met. and within a moment, you walked away from him.

he was everything, but now he’s nothing.

- - -

your heart broke in pieces. the memories of gavi filled your mind. you loved him so much. you wanted to be happy that you ended it in good terms. it was everything necessary in life.

or so, you thought. you knew gavi was doing big things in life. focusing on the national team, celebrating wins with barca. and you didnt want your relationship holding him back throughout that process to get there.

he didn’t want to hold you back either. you were finishing with school, ready to start in your career. big things were happening in life.

one of the important things was that your heart carried grief. you missed him so much. the house felt empty without his presence. you were so emotional. you wanted to smile at him, tell him everything will work out the way it should.

oh you were so wrong. you cried every single night. you couldn’t believe it was over. you would sit in the shower for at least an hour thinking if this was the right decision for the both of you. sitting in your bed as your friends were in and out your room. they offered you a party to celebrate your job opportunities. they took shots to get you to think about something else.

you hadn’t check your phone for days. and you were disappointed that no notifications were missed calls and messages from gavi. you scrolled through your phone, but he seemed to be everywhere. he was in your pinned messages, your photos, your social media.

your heart dropped low. a photo appearing on your screen of gavi hugging a girl tight in his arms. water was falling from your eyes. you were in disbelief he moved on that quickly.

he was supposed to think about you every time he held her.

you wanted him to miss you as much as you missed him. these past few days you wanted to call him and pour your feelings out.

you felt betrayed. you felt like you wasted so many tears over somebody who didn’t care as much as you did.

you were wrong. gavi was hurting inside. he wanted to be happy. he thought he was making good decisions in life. his worse decision was thinking he didn’t need you.

he thought meeting someone new would fix everything. he was wrong too. through every person, he saw a glimpse of you. whether it was their hair, eyes, clothing, or even their catchphrases. everything reminded him of you.

you sat on your bed. you thought it was pathetic on how much time you spent crying over him. you thought he was even more pathetic for even meeting someone that quickly. the sounds of the rain outside accompanied your thoughts.

then your phone rang. you picked up urgently.

“hello?” you said, trying to hold back your tears.

“i missed your voice so much.” gavi answered back to you.

- - -

sitting on the couch with you boyfriend, joe. you ran your fingers through his short hair.

“i can’t believe you did this.” you laughed as both of you smiled.

“yeah, me either. i decided to change it up for the summer. do something for the new season.” he held you tight, smelling his strong cologne.

“if it’s one thing, you look good. really good.” you clicked your tongue at the emphasis of the word ‘really’.

and that’s when the flashback hit you.

slowly touching his hair, admiring the white chocolate color. at the same time a few years ago, you would be ending a messy situation with a boy with a similar haircut, mason mount.

“is there something wrong?” joe asked you as your expression changed.

“no, nothing is wrong. something just came in mind.”

you love joe, seriously. the memories of june 2023 always come back to haunt you. meeting the famous other footballer, changing your life. you experienced so many things within a month. you were so attached, blinded by love, nothing would’ve seen it coming.

on mason’s summer vacation, he invited you to go to spain with him. of course you accepted, you wanted to see what this relationship could bring to your life.

in the end, it was pain, regret, and heartbreak.

joe was staring at your facial features and talking gently, “you can talk to me.”

“it’s nothing. just some old memories came back. it was never important anyway.” your cleared your throat, desperately wanting to change the topic on the conversation.

“is it about that one guy you told me about? mason mount, right?”

you looked at him, trying to find a good answer.

“yeah, but i don’t wanna think about him. he’s long gone in my life. i’m craving some brownies, what about you?”

laughing at you, “i think it’s funny, the guys sent in the group chat of him when i first showed my hair. they said it was funny how you’re dating another blonde now.”

“i never thought of that.” you laid your back on the coach, really taking in the information of the pattern you just figured out.

“you know, you never told me what happened with him.” you looked at joe, a lump formed in your throat.

————flashbacks————

“are you serious right now, mase?” you pushed him away from you as he was attempting to explain.

“it wasn’t like that!”

“you use that same fucking excuse for everything.”

“i’m not the one who followed someone else on this vacation.” he threw his arms up.

“everything is about you. isn’t it? i went on this vacation because i was in love with you. mase, you can’t be serious right now.”

“nobody told you to catch feelings, alright. i thought we both assumed this wasn’t gonna be serious.” you scoffed at him.

“so you took this as a joke? i am not a joke.”

“holy shit, you’re actually unbelievable. we were never official!”

“to you. you think mind games is funny?”

“i only thought this was a summer fling. i thought you were gonna see other people, like me. i wasn’t gonna stay in chelsea forever and i was sure you weren’t gonna stay.”

tears forming in your eyes. you were in disbelief.

“of course i was gonna stay with you. i was ready to leave everything behind to follow you. i thought we had something.”

“sorry y/n. you thought wrong.”

————flashback ended————

you cleared your throat as you poured white chocolate chips into the batter.

“so yeah, that was my lame ex.” you gave him a warm smile as you shared the most vulnerable part of your life.

“you didn’t deserve that, seriously.” joe stroked your hair as he ate a few chips.

“the past is past. the pain is healed, and i’ve got the best boyfriend ever.”

joe kissed your forehead as the oven beeped after it was done pre-heating.

-

sitting on the couch with freshly baked blondies.

“i think you have some sort of magic on men.” joe said, taking a bite after.

“what?”

“you start dating a guy, then all of a sudden, he goes blonde.” he shrugged his shoulders.

“i’ve never thought of that. i’m just really that powerful then.”

sharing a laugh, you were proud of the person you became. the pain healed, and so did your heart.

joining the annual vacation with the bellingham family and your sweet parents, life felt as ease.

at least, for you.

jude was rapidly tapping his feet on the wood bedroom floor. hands in his hair, anxiety filling up his thoughts. jobe was seriously getting concerned.

“mate, you have two days. everything is gonna be okay.” sitting next to him on the bed, jobe put his hand on jude’s shoulder to get his nerves to calm down.

“i’m overthinking it now. what if she says no? what if she only sees me as a brother? am i being delusional?” he could feel his heart racing, and it wasn’t even the day.

jude was planning to ask you out. he felt like no other person who wasn't blood related to him could understand him, deeper and personally better than you. noticing over the past few years, he noticed his rising feelings for you. getting overexcited by the mention of you two hanging out. his cheeks heat up as the thought of you popping into his head. his resistance of trying not to pull you into a deep hug.

jobe, trying to comfort him to the best of his ability, was getting concerned. “jude, you seriously need to calm down. y/n is one of my favorite people in the entire world. have you ever seen her talk to anyone else? i mean seriously, her whole life involves us.”

“you’re not helping,” jude stands up from the bed, heading his way outside for a bit of fresh air. “i need a breather.”

walking across the sand to gather his thoughts, he saw a familiar figure in the distance.

admiring how your hair flowed in the air, perfectly shaped and painted nails coming into contact with the golden sand. your lashes slowly moving up and down as you blinked. he couldn’t grasp the idea of losing you.

“hey jude, what’s going on?” almost standing up, he quickly sat down beside you. “is anyone asking for me?”

shaking his head, “nah, everything is fine. i just needed to take a walk.”

noticing his body language, and how his eyebrows moved when he talked, something was wrong. “you seem tense. is there anything you wanna talk about? what’s on your mind?” you scooted closer to him, touching shoulders.

jude cleared his throat, a lump forming. “there’s nothing wrong. i just wanted to see the sunset. beautiful waves isn’t it?”

“definitely. i wish i could spend all day here.” resting your head on his shoulder, he began to control his breathing and heart rate. struggling to make a next move, he moved his arm to push you closer by your shoulder.

little did you know, your mother and denise were standing from the balcony, watching you two embrace each other’s comfort.

jobe holding his youngest nephew, who was pointing at the future couple, seeing what the future could bring.

----------the next morning--------------

"hey little one." jude picked up his niece and spun around.

"i found your stash of flowers. they look really pretty. are they for me?" catching a small glimpse of the gap of her teeth, jude couldn't help but laugh at the question.

"i would like to say yes, but they're for a really special girl. are you ready to go swim at the beach?"

a frown formed on her lips, "yeah, i guess so. i can't wait to build a giant sand castle that i can live there forever." she threw her arms up high in excitement.

"i don't know about forever, but i'm sure it's gonna be great."

a knock was heard on the door. the air felt colder as tension fell.

"hey jude, we're about to go." you gave him a warm smile, as he stood there in silence. he put the princess down as he went to go sat down on his bed.

he picked up his phone, texting jobe,

i'll be at the beach later, got to get my things together.

he took a deep breath. and for the next 30 minutes, he was trying to form the perfect plan. going out to the balcony to look for a special spot to set up a dinner. noticing splashes that seem far more intense.

getting a better view, he noticed you and jobe. jobe was hugging you from behind and throwing you into the waves. shared laughter echoing throughout the beach. he couldn't lie, the inside of the palm of his hands were sweating and getting white from the grip of the wood. he didn't wanna admit he was getting jealous of his own brother, but the timing was nowhere near perfect for things like this to happen. he has seen moments like this between you two, but it felt different. his head began pounding. he grabbed his towel and ran out to hopefully score a remarkable moment with you

smiles appeared on everyone's faces as he walked through the burning hot sand.

"jude, you're here!" you yelled as sounds of waves crashing and seagulls talking. he waved at you while he gave his mom his belongings for safe keeping.

joining you and jobe in the water, he felt off. in his imagination, jude felt like a mood-killer. the laughter died down, the sun no longer reflected off your skin. he felt like he caused something wrong.

clearing the air, jobe did little small splashes throughout the trio. jude stared at the smile that was on your face after jobe's actions. he felt anger race through his blood. impulsive thinking, he pushed the water right into jobe's face. jobe dodging the salt water in his eyes, he was confused on jude's sudden gesture. you ignored what just happened, because siblings can be siblings.

actions speaking more than words, jude became more aggressive. walking more towards to shore for safety, jude wasn't just playing around. he gave a jude a small but rough push to jobe, making him slip and fall into the water.

"jude, what the fuck." his eyebrows narrowed watching you trying to help jobe to his balance. you weren't sure what was going on, but awkwardness was following all three of you.

jobe cleared his throat, "do you know what we're having for dinner?"

"i think our dads are grilling tonight." jobe nodded as you played with the salt water. without any explanation, jude walked back to get the towel from his mom, and walked back to the house. jobe and you made eye contact in confusion, but just brushed it off.

walking to the shore, the three little children were playing with the sand. classic sand castle with wet sand circling it. picking up the baby boy, giving him a small kiss on his forehead, you could really see jude’s face written all over him.

“y/n, you should sit. the sand is cool under the umbrella.” jobe patted a spot next to him under the shade. sitting the baby down on your lap and hugging his tiny body, he pointed at the sand in jobe’s bucket.

“are you going to help build our castle?” the little princess with her pink hat was desperately trying to scoop a decent amount of sand in her flimsy shovel. jobe nodded his head, but we all know he loses the sand castle contest every year.

“y/n, guess what.” the girl said with a bright smile.

“what?” you smiled back, but more in confusion.

“jude has flowers in his room. i asked if they were for me, he said no. he said it was for someone special though.”

your lips made a small gap. you were shocked at the fact. jobe held in his breath. he was looking back and forth in panic.

“did you know jude was talking to someone, jobe?” he looked at you with slightly wider eyes.

frantically shaking his head, “no, of course not.” he looked at his mom for some help.

“did you know?” you asked denise.

she shrugged it off with a “no darling.” as she was playing it off. you were playing with the baby’s soft curls as your mind wandered off.

—————————

“hey jude, how are you?” walking into his room and sitting down on the desk chair as he sat on the bed, scrolling through social media.

with an unexpected surprise, jude sat up. “i’m doing fine, how are you? you look like you got a nice tan.”

a slight giggle coming out, “yeah, it’s pretty nice. i just wanted to ask you about something.”

“about?”

“our lovely niece told me you bought flowers for someone,” jude instantly looked at you in your eyes. has his secret been busted? “i was just wondering who they were for. usually when you start talking to someone, jobe and i know.”

“oh, it’s nothing really. i bought them just because.”

“just because? you can’t be serious. have you met someone at the beach?” you got up from the chair and sat next to his legs on the edge of the bed.

“seriously y/n. they’re not for anyone. it wouldn’t be any of your business anyway.”

“excuse me?”

“why are you always in my business? i feel like you and jobe are spying on everything i do. and you try to get me to speak about everything. just leave me alone.”

“what the hell are you on about? we’ve never invaded your privacy. if you felt this way, you could’ve said something a long time ago.”

standing up in anger, you couldn’t believe what you were hearing. everyone told everyone updates on their life, this wasn’t a secret tradition. surprisingly, jude would be the one sharing most of his life updates.

“you know what, you always take jobe’s side too. i feel left out every time. when i come around, you and him stop laughing and it gets all silent. i feel like i’m the bad guy.”

“jude, you’ve been acting fucking mental lately. i don’t know why you’re being like this, but you need to fix it. i asked a simple question, not a whole lecture from you.”

tears formed in your eyes as you went to leave the room.

“yeah, go run to jobe like you always do.” was the last thing you heard before slamming the door with a loud bam following it.

jobe was waiting outside the door, hearing everything. breaking down in his arms, you thought this vacation would be different.

----------the next morning--------------

the smell of syrup, eggs, and other breakfast goodies was lurking around the beach house.

not a word from jude after the argument. it wasn’t any surprise that everyone in the place heard what was happening. mark, jude and jobe’s dad, made sure to cook butterfly pancakes to try and cheer you up. something he loved doing for you since you were a child.

sitting down with a plate of eggs and toast, he placed the pancake in front of you with a little whipped cream in the middle. giving you a gentle pat on the back, you thanked him quietly. jobe sat down next to you, not wasting a chance to dig in.

all of a sudden, the hairs on your arms rose due to the coldness. awkwardness cooling down the food as jude walked into the room. jobe cleared his throat as he glanced at you before looking down. you continued to try and eat, even though he made you lose your appetite.

“morning.” jude said to his mom as he gave her a little peck on her forehead.

quick change of events as jude sat on the other side of you. it was normal of course, jude, you, and jobe. it was just unexpected that he pretended nothing happened.

everyone ate in awkward silence. except jude, humming and dancing as he ate. his mom looked at him in concern.

“what?” he questioned her, as she quickly shook her head no. “being awfully quiet this morning, what did i miss?” everyone looked at him in confusion.

“nothing, just eat.”

he threw his arms up, “hey, i’m not making this awkward. you guys are.” he got up and started washing his plate and fork.

he was right, we were the ones being awkward. it didn’t change the fact that you didn’t get an apology though. finishing up your breakfast, you forced yourself to approach him with your dirty dishes. putting it into the sink, you stood behind him, waiting for him to be done.

he slightly whispered to you, “it’s fine, i got it.” you nodded at him while you went to the balcony for a summer breeze. soon, your mother and denise joined you.

after a few hours of talking, you got a text from jude. reading,

hey, can we talk later? meet me at the beach in 2 hours.

you tried not to question it. yet, the thought lingered. jude always apologizes straight away after an argument. what made it different now? giving the message a thumbs up, you continued talking with the ladies.

“hey y/n, did jude text you?” denise asked you.

“yeah, he did. he told me to meet him in 2 hours at the beach, but that was about an hour ago.”

“oh honey, you should probably change then.” your mom chimed in.

“what’s wrong with what i’m wearing?”

“wearing pajama pants in hot sand is not very fabulous.” the two moms laughed as they rushed to put something together in your room.

after playing dress up through your suitcase, it was finally time to go. the sun was starting to set, the orange hitting the water perfectly. walking down the creaking wooden stairs, you weren’t sure to expect.

looking to your right, you hands flew on your mouth. a table surrounded with roses, forming a heart shape, was lit with a candle. standing there at the table was jude, with a bouquet of flowers. he looked very nervous.

walking up to him, you really admired the detail. you both started laughing at the sudden seriousness in the friendship.

“are you kidding me? this is surreal.” you hugged him and kissed him on his cheek.

“do you forgive me? is this too much? i didn’t know if the flowers were too much. i also didn’t know if you wanted sand in between your toes as you ate. i mean, i could literally get on my knees and beg for forgiveness. please, forgive me.” cutting him off, you placed a finger on his lips.

“of course i do. i could never stay mad at my best friend.”

“uh. ouch. i was actually going to ask you something. y/n, would you be my girlfriend.”

your mouth formed an ‘o’ shaped. he started tapping his feet in stress.

“i don’t see why i shouldn’t be.” dropping the flowers quickly on the seat, he hugged you.

in history of hugs throughout your friendship, this one was the best one. it marked a new beginning.

a new beginning of love.

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