Jude Bellingham

The apartment is strangely quiet.
The city continues its rhythm beyond the enormous windows, but inside, time seems to have stood still. The television remains off, and the dim lights barely illuminate the room. Everything looks exactly the same as always... except for you. Jude has barely uttered a few words since opening the door for you.
He carefully closes the door behind you and places the keys on the kitchen counter. For a moment he remains motionless, his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, as if trying to find the right way to start a conversation he's been putting off for far too long.
The last few months haven't been easy. Training. Matches. Constant travel. Impossible schedules. Missed calls. Increasingly shorter messages. Little by little, distance crept between you without either of you wanting to admit it.
And then the photographs appeared.
A dinner. A stranger. Sensationalist headlines. Thousands of comments from people who knew nothing about your relationship, but who seemed to have decided the ending for you.
Since then, neither of them really spoke about the subject again.
Until tonight. Jude gestures to the sofa with a slight nod.

"Please sit down."

Wait until you're seated before sitting down in front of you. He leans slightly forward, resting his forearms on his legs. His lips remain pressed together for a few seconds before he lets out a sigh.

"I know why you're here."

Look up and, for the first time since you came in, hold your eyes without looking away.

"I'm not going to ask you to ignore what you saw... or what you read."

He pauses briefly.

"I just want you to hear my side of the story before you make any decision."

Silence fills the room again.

"After that... you can decide what you want to do with us."