Chapter One
"I hate you! I hope to God I never have to see you again" Jude cried as she grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair.
"You cheated on me. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?" She threw his hoodie at his chest and screamed "get out."
"Jude, please. I didn't mean to hurt you." He tried to level with her but that seemed to make her even angrier.
"No, you didn't mean for me to walk in on you…with my sister."
"It's not what you think. It only happened once, I swear." He looked at her with pleading eyes.
"So only doing it once makes it so much better? I don't need to hear your rationale. Get out."
As soon as he was out the door, Jude fell to her knees and broke into tears. Given her history of relationships, this really shouldn't have come as a surprise, but that reasoning didn't take away the hurt. She thought that this would be the one that would last, but apparently she was way off on that assumption. She gave a laugh at the bitter irony and picked herself up off the floor. Crying over a broken heart would get her nowhere. She grabbed her keys off the entry table and turned to walk out the door just as Sadie called her name.
"Don't Sadie. This is the second time you have taken away somebody I truly care about. You think Speed would have been enough, but I guess not. I don't feel like dealing with the betrayal just now. It's your place too so I can't expect you to be gone when I get home, but stay away from me."
Jude slammed the door and got into her Honda Civic. She didn't have a particular destination in mind but wasn't really surprised when she ended up at G-Major. Her recording studio always provided a safe haven from drama- well, that which excluded her sister, and provided a release for any overwhelming emotions. With tears streaming down her face yet again, she walked into recording studio A, not bothering to check if it was occupied. She sat on the couch and dropped her face into her hands, now letting the tears come freely, from a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger. Jude had no idea anyone was there until strong arms encompassed her.
"Honey, what happened?
The familiar voice provided her great comfort and she slid into Tommy's lap and rested her head on his shoulder. He was technically her boss, but always there for her, no matter what the circumstances, as both her producer and friend. She cried until the tears would no longer come. When Tommy heard the sniffles stop, he gently lifted her chin until their faces met.
"Whenever you're ready", he told her.
She composed herself and was indecisive. She knew that he would listen and not interrupt, but she would be embarrassed to admit another failed relationship.
"It's ridiculous Tommy; I doubt you want to hear it."
"If it made you this upset, I have a feeling it isn't that ridiculous. You know that you can tell me anything."
Jude sighed and began retelling the events of her night.
"Well, you know that Sadie and I have been living together the past few months since Kwest kicked her out. When he dumped her for cheating on him, I never expected her to actually cheat on anybody again. I thought she learned her lesson. Anyway, we were supposed to have a movie night tonight but you and I had to finish that single so I called her and told her I was working late tonight and not to wait up. When we finished here early, I headed home."
"Bad choice I take it?" Tommy said, already anticipating what had happened. Jude gave a half smile and continued on.
"Bad choice indeed. I walked in the apartment and I could tell something was off. Sadie's car was parked outside but there was no noise in the house and she can never go to sleep without the TV on. I listened closer and I heard faint noises upstairs. I realized then Sadie must have had someone in her room, and you know me; curiosity got the best of me. I opened the door just a crack, which was another bad choice. Imagine my shock when it was my boyfriend, well…ex-boyfriend, who was in bed with my sister. I would have expected Speed to do something like this, but Jamie?"
A single tear dropped down her cheek and Tommy wiped it away with his thumb. He cupped her face in one of his hand and smiled at her, forcing her to smile.
"You know Jamie didn't deserve you. Nobody ever will."
She laid her face against his chest and waited for the tears to come again, but surprisingly, not one fell. She whispered thank you into his shoulder. After a few minutes she stood up and blew the bangs off her face. If she really wanted to let go of everything, she had to write a song.
"Tommy, how long were you planning on staying?"
"As long as you need me to, girl. I am all yours for the rest of the night." He smiled at her and walked into the sound booth.
When we first met, it seemed so right
But the years have passed, and we didn't last
The test of time
See you now and then, thought you were my friend
That was wrong this time
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking
You've lost your sense of stability
Now that you're free
No memory of yesterdays
What you say to me
So you're so jaded but intoxicated
Is all you feel
And now I've learned that what we had
Was never real
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking down
She's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
(breaking down)
Breaking, breaking, she's breaking down
(breaking down)
She's broken down
She's broken down