The rehearsal dinner was over and the bride and groom were spending their last nights as unmarried people away from each other. The groom slept happily in his bed, dreaming of his wife to be and their life together. The bride, however, was far away from her bed. She was sitting on the familiar red couch in the studio where she'd spent so much of her life, hugging her knees to her chest. Next to her sat Tommy Quincy, the love of her life and keeper of her heart. An uncomfortable, almost to the point of being completely awkward silence fell over the room and neither of them knew what to say to the other.
Broken this fragile thing now
She'd always thought that once she turned 18, everything would be perfect. He'd come sweep her off her feet and they'd live happily ever after. Unfortunately, everything stayed the same when the day came. They continued to do the little dance that they'd done since she was 15. Then, she found David. He was the perfect gentleman, everything she'd ever wanted in a man. Well, almost everything. They didn't share that bond that she had with Tommy, the one that would make her always love him. But he wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt and after 2 years, they were getting married. She loved him, of course she loved him. But, she wasn't really in love with him, not like she was with Tommy, like she'd always be with Tommy. She knew Tommy felt the same way. She knew. She also knew that he was too afraid of making it known, like somehow if he did, suddenly everything would just go completely wrong.
And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces
Tommy looked up at her: the one woman he wanted and the one he couldn't have. He wanted to make a move when she turned 18. Hell, he wanted to make a move when she was 16, but he was scared that he'd mess her up. When she started dating David, he never thought it would last, that it was just a move to make him jealous, which is did. But when he proposed to her and she agreed, Tommy knew he'd lost her. He wanted so many times to just tell her how much he really loved her, but she was happy and he wasn't about to ruin that for her. He'd even tried to move on. Right after David proposed to Jude, he started dating this girl, Angelina, but his attempts at moving on never completely worked.
I've thrown my words all around
"Are you really marrying him?" Tommy asked, almost in a whisper. He kept his gaze on the carpet beneath him, unable to look her in the eyes. She snapped her head up at his question, a hint of hope in her eyes. "Give me a reason not to" she pleaded with him. She so desperately wanted him to give her a reason not to go through with it.
But I can't, I can't give you a reason
He thought about it, so many times he'd thought about it, but just like those millions of times he thought of taking her in his arms and telling her how he couldn't live without her, he'd decided against it. He was too afraid of what could happen. "I can't" he finally answered. The pain was evident in his voice and he continued to stare down at the carpet like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen in his life.
The little bit of hope she had only minutes ago was now completely crushed. He wasn't going to fight for her, so why should she fight with herself for him? "Then yes, I'm marrying him tomorrow" she spat bitterly as she quickly stood up from her spot on the couch.
I feel so broken up
And I give up
Tommy winced when she slammed the door of the studio. He let out a heavy sigh and blinked back the tears that were building up in his eyes. The most important person in his life just walked out on him, probably for good.
Just want to tell you so you know
He had to fight the urge to chase after her and give her a reason not to go through with it. He could give her a thousand reasons not to go through with it, but she only asked for one and he couldn't bring himself to give it to her. He was too scared and pathetic.
Here I go scream my
lungs out
And try to get to you
You are my only
one
As he finally got up from his spot on that couch, all he could think about was how she could do this. How could she go off and marry another man when she'd given her heart to him. She was his, he was hers. They both knew that. But he just let her go. He let the best thing that had ever happened to him slip out of his hands.
I let go, but there's just no one
That gets me like you do
You are my only, my only one
He drove home in the pouring rain with his radio blasting as loud as it go, trying to get his mind off of her. He never could though, no matter how hard he tried. No one in the world understood him like she did, not even him. She knew him better than he knew himself and that was another thing that scared him about her. The woman he'd shared his bed with knew very little about him, despite what she thought.
Here I go scream my
lungs out
And try to get to you
You are my only
one
I let go but there's just no one
That gets
me like you do
You are my only, my only one
Another sleepless night of thinking about how much of a coward he is passed and the sun started coming through the curtains in his bedroom. He looked to his right and saw Angelina's sleeping form and got the empty feeling inside that only Jude could make disappear. And then it hit him. He couldn't let her get away like this. He had to put his fears aside and get the girl of his dreams. He sat up in bed as smoothly as he could so that he wouldn't wake the sleeping woman next to him.
Here I go so dishonestly
Leave a note
For you my only one
He quickly threw on some clothes and checked the time on his watch. He only had half and hour until she walked down that aisle and he lost her forever. Quickly, he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled down a note for Angelina.
And I know
You can see right through me
So let me go
And you will find someone
He knew that she knew that his heart wasn't in their relationship, but they both ignored that fact. Her hoping that one day she could make Tom Quincy really love her and him trying to get his mind off of Jude. He wrote that in his note to her. That it wasn't fair to either of them to keep going like this and that he knew she would find someone else. He signed the note and left it on the pillow that his head inhabited earlier that morning and ran out of the apartment.
Here I go scream my lungs out
And try to get to you
He sped down the streets of Toronto as fast as he could in the pouring rain. He only had a few minutes until he lost her, so he pushed down even harder on the gas and made a sharp turn towards his future.
You are my only one
She stood in front of the full length mirror, looking at herself in her elaborate white dress. A single tear ran down her cheek. She'd so hoped that he would finally tell her he loves her and she was willing to leave everything with David behind just to be with the man who she loved more than anything.
"Are you ready?" her father asked, poking his head in the door.
Jude quickly wiped the tear from her eye and turned to her dad with a smile on her face and nodded her head.
I let go, but there's just no one
That gets me like you do
Tommy screeched into the parking lot and quickly got out of his car. Running as fast as he possibly could, he reached the doors of the church and threw them open right as she reached the front of the church, her eyes locking on his the second it happened. His legs stung from running so hard and his chest heaved up and down from the lack of oxygen, but he didn't care. He walked to the center of the isle and just gazed into her sapphire eyes, the ones he'd got lost in millions of times before.
Her heart stopped when she saw him walking towards her and she had to blink a few times just to make sure he was really there, that this was really happening. She turned to David who had a confused and hurt look on his face and whispered "I'm sorry" to him before she turned and ran to where Tommy was standing.
You are my only, my only one
Tommy cupped her face in his hands and kissed her with everything he'd been holding back from her. All the passion, the need, and the love was in that kiss and it wasn't long before their bodies were pulled together and her hands were running through his hair. All of the people who were there seemed to disappear and it was just them. Jude and Tommy. When oxygen escaped both of them they pulled away, looking into each other's blue eyes. Tommy smiled and caressed her cheek with his thumb and he said the words she'd wanted to hear since she was 15. "I love you Jude."