JOBE BELLINGHAM ⁵

Jobe Bellingham had been my best friend for years. He was a footballer for Borussia Dortmund, and I, Ellie Pérez, was an actress slowly making a name for myself in the film industry. We were inseparable, shared everything, and had a friendship that many envied.

But there was something Jobe never knew: I was in love with him. I liked his eyes, his smile, and even the way he pronounced my name. However, whenever I suspected something, he would joke, saying:

—Ellie, you know I only like models.

I smiled, pretending it didn't hurt. I was an actress, not a model, and I was convinced he'd never choose me.

Things got worse when he started dating Lila Moss, a British model. I tried to stay friends with him, listening to him talk about her and pretending to be happy for him, even though inside it broke my heart to see him with someone who wasn't me.

Tired of loving someone who would never look at me the same way, I started to distance myself. I stopped writing to him, declined his invitations, and stopped attending as many of his games. Little by little, I stopped sharing my life with him.

At first, Jobe barely noticed. He was busy with football and his relationship, so he thought he was just too busy with work.

Over time, our friendship devolved into occasional messages and awkward encounters. We went from being inseparable to two strangers who knew each other's secrets.

Jobe never asked me why I walked away. And I stopped hoping that he would ever choose me again.

Finally, I learned to live without looking for him, while he continued with his life, seemingly unaware of all that he had lost.

Or at least, that's what it seemed like.