Since Forever

She had never been preoccupied about her face or her clothes before. But now she was standing in front of the mirror, looking at herself and trying to look acceptable. For the first time she was not happy with her appearance and for a second she wished she had listened to her mother when she said that riding without a saddle could make her hips look bigger.

"Miss Jude, you will be late for your meeting" Kat informed her in a whisper, looking around as if she was scared that the walls could hear her.

"Kat, I am the most horrible girl in this Ville. Not in the Ville, in the entire world!" Jude yelled, still looking at herself.

"That is not true, Miss Jude. You are beautiful, just as you are. Do not try to compare yourself with Miss Sadie, because you are as different as water and oil" Kat replied, reading Jude's thoughts.

Jude nodded and took a deep breath.

"Fine, I am going. You will tell my mother that..."

"That you went to visit Mrs. Andrews, soon to be mother in law"

Jude smiled.

"Great. I will be back as soon as I can"

"Or as soon as Mr. Thomas puts his lips away from yours"

"Kat!" Jude yelled "As I said, he is just my friend. The only one who understands me, who cares about me..."

"The only one who causes you to sigh and call him in your dreams"

Jude gave her a deathly glance that caused Kat to laugh.

"I am sorry; I will better keep my mouth closed"

Jude arrived at the tree at seven o'clock, or at least that was what her clock did say. She looked around for Tommy, but he was not there. She became disheartened when she did not see him and inmediately thought that it has been a joke from Sadie and her mother, or that maybe Tommy had regretted of coming. Of course, he would not risk her marriage just to see her. How could she be so silly?

She sat down under the tree, trying to hold the tears. She was about to stand up and leave when something like a rock fell a few inches away from her silver shoes. She looked at it thoroughly and leaned forward to grab it in her hand. It was a walnut. Jude looked up to the tree and her eyes met a pair of blue pools. Tommy's eyes

"Good, afternoon, my lady" he said politely, waving at Jude and trying to keep the balance to not to fall from the top of the tree.

Jude smiled and felt her heart beating faster as she watched as he jumped down the tree.

"What were you doing up there, Tommy?"

Tommy straightened himself and walked towards her, a beautiful smile never leaving his face.

"I was waiting for you, Miss Big Eyes. I was making sure that no one sees us" he said as he took her hand and kissed it.

"Why?"

Tommy took a deep breath and looked in the direction of his house. Then he sat down under the tree.

"I am not pretty sure, but I think that your lovely mother and sister have something to do with this new situation" he spotted.

Jude looked at him puzzled.

"Tommy, Could you please be clearer?" Jude asked as she sat down next to him and leaned her back against the trunk.

"Somehow my father found out that I was more interested in being friends with Miss Judith than being friends with Miss Sadie" Tommy explained, looking away from Jude "He said that I could not meet you ever again, because you were a distraction from my objectives"

"Oh" Jude muttered, trying to cover the fact that she did not know what to say. "And what will you do about it, Tommy?"

Tommy made a circle in the ground and then looked at her, smiling.

"I am here, with you. Does that respond your question, Big Eyes?"

Jude nodded as she looked down to hide her red face.

"My mother does not want me to see you either. She must think that I am at Jamie's house in this moment" Jude commented and laughed. But Tommy did not laugh.

"Jamie, uh?"

Jude nodded, still smiling.

"So, he did ask for your hand in marriage when you were just eight years old" he said bitterly "He is your best friend, am I right?"

Jude took the walnut that Tommy had thrown at her and started to play with it.

"Jamie is more than just my friend. He is more than a brother, I must add. He asked me to marry him and then leave with him to Paris, where we will leave our lives as we always wanted too. Making music."

Tommy cleared his throat

"Sounds like a plan...and a very good one"

Jude nodded as she smiled weakly. There was an uncomfortable silence, just filled by the wind that hit the trees.

"Do you love him?" Tommy asked suddenly, taking her chin and forcing her to look at him. Jude opened her eyes wide, not knowing what to respond to that question.

"I..." She stuttered, nervous by the question and by Tommy's hand on her face "I don't know how to respond your question. It is complicated"

Tommy sighed as Jude looked away

"It is not complicated. You just love a person or not. I am afraid that you do not really love the man that soon will be your husband"

Jude laughed sarcastically.

"You are not the proper person to talk about that topic, Mr. Thomas" she said, standing up and straightening her dress "you are marrying my sister and I do not see you as interested as you should be"

Tommy looked away from Jude. Her transparent eyes were burning his and he was afraid that she would read his thoughts if she kept looking at him in that way.

"Tell me, Tommy. Why are you willing to marry my sister, if you do not love her?"

"Because my father did choose her for me and I have to obey his orders. I owe him everything I have"

Jude started to feel uncomfortable in his presence. He was talking as his father and it made her feel like she was talking to a strange person, not the Tommy she had met a couple of weeks ago. Jude rethought about it and realized of an awful truth. She had just met Tommy for a couple of weeks and she had started to consider him her best friend without even knowing him. Maybe he was not as she thought.

"Maybe this meeting was a horrible mistake, Mr. Thomas. I will better go back home" Jude said as she turned around, but Tommy grabbed her by the arm and turned her towards him, close to his body.

They stayed staring wordlessly into another's eyes for what seemed an eternity. Tommy took the initiative and leaned forward. Jude could not stop looking into his eyes but she leaned forward too. Their lips hovered inches apart.

"Please, stay with me" Tommy pleaded, breathing against her lips, holding her tight to his body.

He sounded desperate, like Jude had just taken the air away from him. she was shivering, but tried to pull away from him. She knew that if they stayed close just a little more she wouldn't be able to control herself anymore.

"But what will your father say..."

"I do not care what my father says..."

Two minutes ago he was saying he owed everything to his father and now he was saying he did not care what his father thinks about their friendship. Jude did not know what to think. She looked into his eyes and all her doubts vanished in the blue of his eyes.

"I want you to come with me" He asked, taking her hand in his. Jude followed him

"Where are you taking me, Tommy?" Jude could not help but laugh. She was following a stranger to an unknown place and she did not feel any fear. It was an awkward feeling to hold his hand and feel protected, loved and safe.

"Tommy, I have never done this before" Jude said seriously. Tommy stopped and turned his head to look at her "you are a stranger and I am following you who knows where"

"I am not a stranger Jude. We have known each other since forever. Do not you feel it?"

Jude nodded and smiled at him.

"So, Mr. Blue Eyes, would you mind to inform me where will you take me this time?" she asked politely, smiling at him

Tommy looked at her and smiled back.

"We will go to see the person that knows me better than anyone" He simply said as he dragged her in the opposite direction to her house.