Chapter Five – A Draft in Her Closet

Inside, Jude felt like someone was cutting through her insides. It felt like the world that she knew was crashing down around her and there was nothing she could do about it. She ran towards her target.

Tommy.

If she could just get to him then everything would make sense again. He was the only thing that made sense to her and she wasn't going to believe some guy she'd only known for 5 hours.

"Tommy!" Jude cried as she flung herself into is arms. She felt the warmth of his hands grip around her back as she held him tighter.

"Jude? Baby, what's going on?"

His voice was filled with concern, and she felt his breath on her ear as he spoke. She wondered if she should tell him about Christian, the affair, everything that he had told her. But she had decided not to believe him, so why would she tell Tommy anything? He would just kill him. No. She couldn't tell him.

"Nothing, I'm just tired. Can you take me home please?"

"Anything you want, sweetie," Tommy held Jude close until she was ready to pull away. He could feel her tremble beneath his touch and he grew concerned."Hey, everything's going to be okay," he said smiling to reassure her and somehow Jude's mind felt at ease again. With those simple words she had forgotten everything that Christian had told her.

"C'mon, we should go get home. Sadie wants to cook for us again, so you know what that means."

"Tofurkey and chunky mashed potatoes?" Jude asked knowingly. She had experience with her sister's cooking when Jude got home from the hospital. She watched Tommy nod, roll his eyes and groan before he helped her into the car.

She subtly wiped her tears away so that Tommy wouldn't see, and she got into the car, and looked behind her to make sure that Christian hadn't followed her.

xXx

"So I told him, 'Listen buddy. I don't care how much Red Anthuriums will cost; I want them at my wedding!'"

Jude watched as her sister tossed the salad while telling her story. She saw Jamie pinch the bridge of his nose from the corner of her eyes, and she had to stifle her laugh to keep from future embarrassment. She had been listening to Sadie rave on about her wedding plans for the past hour and didn't know how much more she could take. She felt bad that she was the maid of honor but hadn't performed any duties that she should, but she had been occupied with getting her own life back on track. Soon, Sadie's voice became a light humming in Jude's mind as she thought back to the day's events. She felt a sudden chill run up her spine, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up.

"Sorry. It's getting a little cold. I'll be right back, I'm just gonna grab a sweater." Jude stood up from the table and headed to her bedroom.

Walking away, Jude's thoughts drifted to Christian. She tried to forget everything that he had told her but the words kept eating at her.

'Open your eyes Jude!'

'They're all lying'

'I'm the only one you can trust'

She hadn't been listening to him then, but she was listening now.

Once she reached her room Jude walked into her closet and grabbed the first cardigan from a hanger and put it on. As she did, she noticed something from the corner of her eye. Something that she hadn't noticed before, camouflaged into the boxes around it. It wasn't like the others, but at the same time it was a subtle difference. The others sported their brand names on the outside but this box was decorated. It was wrapped in read velvet and as she pulled it out from its confines she noticed an inscription on it.

"To hide. To forget. To live."

She didn't understand it but at the same time a certain sadness washed over her, feeling a tear cast in crest of her eye. She lifted the lid and peered into the box using her fingers to leaf through its contents. The first object that caught her eye was a crumpled up picture that rest on top.

She slowly straightened it, flattening it between her palms. It was a picture of her and Tommy. They were smiling; his arm wrapped tightly around her waist resting firmly on her abdomen. He held a glass of wine in the air with his free hand like he was giving a toast.

Jude mentally smiled as she saw this piece of evidence. Evidence that she had been happy with Tommy, and evidence that they were in love. She just wished that she could remember it herself.

As she placed the picture back into the box she noticed a picture buried between the pages of a book. A red leather bound journal.

'Some of us go to our graves with our music still inside of us.'

"Well that's a tad morbid," Jude whispered to herself as she flipped to the page that contained the picture. She took it out and held it to the air to get better lighting. It looked like a small x-ray picture but she couldn't quite make it out in the darkness of the closet.

"Jude?" Tommy called from the bedroom. Jude quickly put the contents back into the box and walked out to meet her husband.

"Hi," she greeted, smoothing down her skirt and pulling the edges of her cardigan closed.

"Hey baby. Everything okay? You've been up here for a while."

"Yes. I'm fine Tommy. I was just trying to decide on a sweater," she told him. She tugged on her sweater to show him that she had found what she was looking for.

"Great. C'mon, let's go back downstairs. Your sister's about to start another fight with Jamie. I think he needs some saving."

Jude followed him out of the room and as she looked back she couldn't help but feel worry invade her heart.

xXx

"I'm glad we got downstairs when we did," Tommy said as he placed a glass of water on the nightstand by Jude's bed.

"I know. I thought she was going to turn into The Hulk and kill poor Jamie. But he should have known better than to suggest a small wedding to Sadie," Jude chuckled.

As she put her hair up into a hair tie she felt Tommy hold her from behind. His hands provided her warmth to her abdomen as he kissed her on the cheek. His touch brought her back to the picture she had seen earlier.

'Oh we just get closer,

I fall in love all over, hmmm.'

Tommy sang. The vibrations from his song drummed into her ear and she felt it tickle the length of her neck.

"Goodnight. My Jude," he whispered into her ear. Jude was no longer cold, but she found herself missing his warmth when he let go of her and walked away.

She turned around quickly when she noticed he was leaving her room.

"Tommy?" Jude called out after removing her slippers from her feet and sitting on her bed.

"Hmm?" He turned around slowly with a soft smile on his face.

"Can you stay with me tonight?"

She saw Tommy's facial expression change from content to confused, as he walked back into the bedroom.

"Are you sure?"

She stood up and walked over to Tommy, holding him by the collar. Slowly, she lifted her heels to match his height and she kissed him lightly on the lips.

"I'm sure."