CHAPTER 8

Jude's pov

As we continue eating I notice that Juliana looks like she has something in her mind.

 "What's wrong Jules? You look lost." I ask her.

"It's nothing, jude, don't worry," she responds but I notice that even though she is saying it is nothing her eyes say otherwise.

"It does not seem like it is nothing to me. You were happy a moment ago, now you look worried." I say placing my hand on hers.

"Last night I received a message from an unknown person telling me that Marcus is hiding something from me. I asked Marcus about it and he told me that he was not hiding anything and I believed him. But there is a voice in my head telling me that maybe there is something about Marcus that I don't know. I truly want to believe that Marcus could never hide anything from me but I learned not to fully trust men a long time ago."

I can see the worry in Juliana's eyes and I want to reassure her that everything will be okay. Marcus seems like a good guy and I believe that Juliana should trust him. But I also understand her hesitation, especially because of the way she has been hurt in the past.

I reach for her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. "Listen, Jules, I know it's hard to trust sometimes, especially when you have been hurt before. But Marcus seems like a genuine person. Don't let some random message from a stranger ruin what you have with him. Trust your instincts and give him the benefit of the doubt."

"I don't know jude, the messages just keep on popping in my head."

"Come on, Jules, don't overthink things. If Marcus said he is not hiding anything then believe him. Maybe the person who sent the message wants to create a lift between Marcus and you."  I might not know this Marcus guy but from what I have heard from Juliana, he seems to be a nice person. Maybe there is just some psycho who wants to mess with her head and is sending her messages to put doubts about Marcus in her head.

Juliana looks at me with a mixture of gratitude and uncertainty. I can see that she is torn between trusting Marcus and listening to the doubts in her head. But I know that deep down, she knows what is right for her.

"Jude, you are right. I shouldn't let the messages get to me. I trust Marcus and I know he wouldn't hide anything from me. Thank you for being here for me and helping me see things clearly," she says with a smile.

"You are welcome and don't let someone you do not know ruin what you have," I tell her.

"You are right, I will  not let some unknown person destroy what Marcus and I are building together." She says with a smile.

I smile back at her, relieved that she is starting to see things in a more positive light."Do you have an idea of who  would want to ruin your relationship with Marcus?" I ask her after some time.

 The only way to find out what all of this is about is to find the person sending messages. I am pretty sure that the person sending those messages is someone who knows both Juliana and Marcus.

"To be honest I don't know Jude. Maybe his ex-fiancee, I met her at the gala on Friday. She could be the one behind the message." 

"Or maybe it's Maggie trying to persuade you not to be with Marcus. You said that she has changed since you met Marcus. You guys even fought because of him. Maybe she feels like he has taken you from her and she is trying to win you back." 

Maggie is Julianna's best friend, they have been friends since high school. She always has a problem with me and does not like it when anyone gets close to Juliana. She wants to be her only friend. I know in my heart that Maggie can do anything to have Juliana for herself.

"You could be right, Maggie has changed a lot lately. Maybe she is the one who sent the message so that I can start suspecting Marcus. I think she is capable of anything, especially after she told Mom about me staying with Marcus." Hearing Juliana say this reminds me of the time she framed me in college.

"Do you remember what she did in college when she noticed that we became close?" I ask, I do not like bringing up that incident but right now we need to think about every possibility. 

"I remember, how can I forget that? It was the first time I was angry with her." Juliana says I can tell even talking about it now makes her sad.

When we were in college, Maggie did a lot of things to try and break my friendship with Maggie.  One particular incident stands out in my memory. The incident I wish never happened every time I remember how broken Juliana was about it.

Maggie, for reasons unknown to me at the time, started a rumor about Juliana and one of our professors. She claimed that I had started the rumor, in an attempt to drive a wedge between Juliana and myself. It was clear to me that Maggie was trying to manipulate Juliana into thinking poorly of me, and ultimately end our friendship.

However, the truth has a way of coming to light, even amid deception. One of the people Maggie had confided in about the rumor ended up telling Juliana the truth. I will never forget the look of betrayal and hurt on Juliana's face when she confronted Maggie about the rumor. It was the first time I had ever seen Juliana truly upset with Maggie. She had always forgiven every wrong thing Maggie did but that hit her hard.

For two weeks, Juliana refused to speak to Maggie. I could see the guilt and regret in Maggie's eyes, but she seemed unsure of how to make things right. It took a lot of convincing on my part, but I eventually managed to persuade Juliana to forgive Maggie. I knew that deep down, Maggie was a good person who had made a mistake in a moment of weakness. Juliana finally forgave Maggie but even though I had helped in their reconciliation Maggie still did not warm up to me. 

Even after I convinced Juliana to forgive her, Maggie still hates me. I don't know why she feels like Juliana has to only have her.  She is so obsessed with having Juliana to herself. Juliana is my friend but I know she loves Maggie more than she loves me.

"You should try to talk to her again, I know how much you love her. I can tell that you are sad even though you are trying so hard to hide it." I tell her. As much as I would want to keep Juliana for myself I know how much she loves Maggie even though sometimes I feel like telling her to stop trusting her so much.

"I am tired of fighting with her Jude. Every time I try to talk to her we end up fighting. I can't deal with her anymore. I will wait until she is ready to talk."

"Okay, but I think you should talk to her before your friendship is completely ruined," I advise her. I know Maggie is not a good friend but I also know that she makes Juliana happy.

"Why do you always try to fix my relationship with Maggie even though she always says bad things about you?" Juliana asks me.

"I don't do it for her, I do it for you," I tell her genuinely, as I cover my hand with hers. I don't care about Maggie's fake ass. I just care about how their fights affect Julianna.

As we continue eating our meal, I can see that Juliana is feeling more at ease. I know that she will be okay and that she will make the right decision when it comes to Marcus. 

We finish our lunch in comfortable silence, both lost in our thoughts. The delicious food has left us feeling satisfied and content, but my mind is anything but at ease. As we make our way back to the office, I try to focus on my work, but James's face keeps popping into my mind.

I can't shake the memory of our passionate encounter last weekend. The way his hands roamed my body, the way his lips felt against mine... I can't help but crave more. I find myself daydreaming about him, longing to feel his touch once again.

I never thought I would be so affected by someone I barely know. James has turned me into a horny mess, and I can't seem to get him out of my head. Every time I try to concentrate on work, my thoughts drift back to him and the intense desire I feel for him.

I can't believe how much he has consumed my thoughts. I want to see him again, to feel his cock inside me once more. The mere thought of him sends shivers down my spine, and I can't deny the effect he has had on me.

As I struggle to focus on my work, I can't help but wonder what James is doing at this very moment. Is he thinking about me too? The thought of seeing him again is driving me wild. I wish I had gotten his phone number at least. If I had I would have managed to get him to satisfy this insatiable craving that he has ignited within me.

Amid my chaotic thoughts, I can't help but chuckle at the silliness of it all. Who would have thought that a one-weekend encounter would have such a deep impact on me? But here I am, a slave to my desires. James has awakened a passion within me that I never knew existed.