Under Your Skin | Jude Bellingham

014

I stepped out of the house, the icy winds immediately blowing against my jacket. I found amusement in the way I could see my breath rising into the air that frosty morning, happy for it to be heading towards the end of November, meaning Christmas was just over a month away. "Come on, girl," I said to the little dog settled by my feet. We set off at a steady pace, heading towards the park.

Over the last few weeks, I'd gotten acquainted with the kind old lady who lived next door to Gio and Chloe. She lived alone, her husband having died a few months prior, but her sons came to visit her every so often, bringing her grandchildren with them. I'd offered to walk her dog for her that day since she was recovering from her hip surgery and both her children were out of the city that week. Her dog, Bella, was the cutest little Yorkshire Terrier I'd ever seen, and was really no trouble at all.

In one hand, I held Bella's lead. On the other, I had my phone pressed against my ear as Jude started talking about the party he was having on Friday. "My mum's gone back to see Dad and Jobe for the week," Jude explained, "so I have the house to myself."

"And would Denise be happy to know that you're throwing a party whilst she's away?" I questioned him.

There was a pause. "No," he answered, "that's why she's not going to find out."

"I could never lie to Denise."

"You won't have to lie to her. Just...don't bring it up."

"Alright but if she asks me, I won't hesitate to tell her everything."

"Come on, Hannah, I thought we were friends now!"

"We are. But I like Denise a lot more than I like you," I grinned.

I couldn't see his face, but I just knew Jude was pouting on the other end of the line. "Whatever," Jude muttered. "You will come, though?"

"Of course," I said. "Someone's got to make sure you don't wreck the house."

"Maybe you could even wear the new dress that I bought you."

"Is that a hint, Bellingham?"

"No...maybe?"

I laughed. "Okay, I'll wear the dress."

"Awesome. Alright, speak to you later, Hannie."

"Bye, Jude." I smiled, putting my phone back into my bag.

When I reached the park, I let Bella off the lead and sat down on the bench, watching as she ran around a little. I took a few moments to collect my thoughts, realising that I was the most content I'd been in months. Trent had observed that I seemed happy here and he'd been right. I'm not sure what exactly was the root of my happiness, but I loved living in Dortmund, and this thought solidified the fact that I'd made the right decision to live here. Perhaps this would end up being a more permanent thing than I'd anticipated.

"Fancy seeing you here," a voice said, interrupting my train of thought.

"Felix!?" I exclaimed, looking up to see him smiling down at me.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," I smiled back, moving my bag so he could sit beside me on the bench.

Felix followed my gaze, spotting Bella rolling around on the grass a few feet away. "Is that your dog?" He asked.

"No, Bella is my neighbour's dog," I replied, then turned to study him. "Your accent...you're not from around here, are you?"

Felix smiled. "Nope. Born and raised in Liverpool, but I moved here to live with my girlfriend. Only...we're not together anymore so I'm moving back to England soon."