Chapter Twelve: Born to Die
Jude was on a high after her performance and she could not wait to finally spend alone time with Tom that night. She rushed off the stage expecting to be greeted with a warm embrace from her lover, ecstatic parents, and squealing friends. Two out of the three were a success, but her eyes wander around the back stage area and Tommy was nowhere to be found.
She looks to Kat and Blue, "Do you guys know where Tommy is?"
Kat shrugged her shoulders as Blue spoke up, "I saw him head towards the exit as soon as the song ended."
Jude looked confused and her face fell noticeably as Stuart cleared his throat, "Honey maybe he has business to take care; don't worry about."
She offered a weak smile, "Yeah dad, you're probably right."
Jude was back in her dressing room staring into the mirror while plucking pins from her hair. She had texted Tommy asking his whereabouts because 45 minutes had passed since her performance. To her displeasure there was no response, and she wasn't sure where to go. Jude had already informed her parents of staying out that night because previously Tom had promised a long awaited sleepover. Sitting in front of her vanity she knew something was terribly wrong, but she couldn't place her finger on just what it would be. It didn't occur to her that her 'touchy feely' show with Shay had anything to do with it. Jude brushed through her hair and pulled it into a messy bun. After changing out of her dress and heals she threw on a pair of yoga pants and her maroon tribal print hoodie that showed the slightest bit of her creamy stomach. She threw on her vans and grabbed her phone; she was determined to find Tommy.
Tom was sitting on a stool at a bar he used to frequent. He was lazily sipping from his whiskey on the rocks when he felt a delicate hand brush by his back. He turned to the figure that sat next to him in confusion. Her familiar bleach blonde hair accented by her pink lips began to speak.
"Tom, aren't you supposed to be at my sister's show or something?"
Tom groaned while Sadie ordered a drink, "Why are you even here Sadie?"
"What? A girl can't go out for a drink?" Sadie questioned while pressing her lips to the straw.
"It's just I've never seen you here before." Tom stated while swallowing another gulp and motioning for another from the bartender.
Sadie giggled, "I needed a new spot." She watched as Tom rolled his eyes and quickly drank more of the dark liquor, "But enough about me, trouble in paradise I see?"
"You are the last person I want to be talking to about my Jude problems." Tom snarled.
"Come on Tom, stop acting like I'm nothing. I've seen you naked." Sadie smirked while drinking more of her fruity concoction.
Tom sighed and shook his head, "Yeah, trying to forget."
Sadie laughed and raised an eyebrow, "I'm used to hearing about how unforgettable and amazing I am."
Tom turned to Sadie, "What's your deal Sadie? Are you gonna sit here and torture me because I fucked you over?" He chuckled while setting down a few bills on the bar and stood up, "There's a long line of girls behind you on that one."
With that he turned to head towards the door and Sadie quickly jumped up to follow him. She wasn't done with this talk. Her heels clacked feverishly behind him as she tried to keep up with his pace, "So tell me why Jude?"
As they made their way out of the bar Tom stopped in front of the door, "She just gets me Sadie." He paused and turned to her, "She makes me want to be a better man. She's gorgeous; to me she's the most beautiful girl there is. She didn't want me for my money, or just my good looks, she wanted me because what she felt towards me was real. She's so pure and-" His thoughts were stopped by the over whelming need to vomit.
Sadie shrieked as vomit splattered everywhere, "Fuck Tommy!" He looked up to her and wiped his mouth, "Let's get you home."
Jude really didn't want to give up on her night with Tom and refused to have a sleepover with Blue and Kat. She did the only thing left in her brain to do, go to Tommy's. She typed in the code to his front door wondering if he was even home knowing normally his car would be in the garage. When she opened the door and it was pitch black she felt her heart drop. She called out Tom's name and there was no response, not that she really expected any. She flipped on the living room light and decided to hang out on his couch. Her thoughts were getting to her and all she could think was that he was with another woman. She jumped nervously when the garage door opening noise settled throughout the house. Cautiously Jude stood up to head to the kitchen where the door leading to garage was placed. Lights flicked on as Sadie, holding up a very drunk Tommy, bombarded the door open.
Jude's jaw dropped and her eyes immediately watered. Her first thought was that he was purposely off with is sister, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."
Sadie and Tom both whipped their heads up and seeing Jude instantly sobered him when he realized how bad their situation had looked, "Jude it's not what you think!"
Jude laughed while choking back tears, "Right."
She turned around immediately rushing towards the front door feeling absolutely betrayed and stupid for thinking Tom would change. More thoughts of how her sister, was too, betraying her settled in. Tears rushed from her face and she heard Sadie yell her name and footsteps behind her, but she was faster than that. She ran out the front door and sprinted. She wasn't sure where she was going, her car had still been parked in front of Tom's, but she kept running. Feeling out of breath she stopped at the end of her street. Jude pulled out her phone and called the one contact she was sure would rescue her and be awake and willing to go out at this time, Shay.
"What up shorty?" Shay picked up almost immediately.
"Can you come get me?" Jude didn't care if this was a mistake.
Tom was slumped into his couch holding his head in his hands frustrated with the current scenario. Sadie was sitting opposite from him in an armchair staring at his actions. She could tell he was upset, but was still curious as to why he was at the bar in the first place.
"You know she'll be back, she's obsessed." Sadie tried making the situation lighter with a bitchy undertone.
Tom sighed, "I don't want her thinking I fucked up. I promised her I changed and I did." He picked his head up, "I can only imagine how hurt she is right now and I hate it. She wouldn't even let me explain!"
"Well weren't you supposed to already be with her?" Sadie questioned.
Tom groaned and nodded, "At the show she was all up on Shay on stage and I just got so angry." He then began to think of his thought process and feel bad, "But I should've realized it was just a show. I'm so stupid."
Sadie laughed, "No you're a jealous boyfriend, it happens."
Tom groaned as he ran his fingers through his hair, "She's completely gotten to me. I'm going crazy over this girl and she's only 17!" Tom stood up and began to pace, "She's not even close to being ready to settle down."
Sadie could see the pain and frustration in Tommy's eyes and that's when it clicked in her; her and Tom were really done and him and Jude were really real. "Tom, Jude is crazy about you too! I can't believe I'm even saying this or offering my help, but I will talk to her. You go get some rest okay?"
"Thank you Sadie," Tom solemnly stated while heading towards his room.
Jude was sitting on the couch of some high-end boogey pent house suite explaining her love triangle with Tom and her sister to Shay over a blunt. This being only the third time Jude has ever gotten high, she was really feeling light-headed. By the end of her story she was nearly out breath and laughing at her own tragedies.
Shay shook his head as he inhaled and exhaled, "Shorty that scrawny little white boy is not worth it. Take it from me, I've known him for years now."
Jude bowed her head down feeling her eyes gain wetness, "I must be insane because I think he's worth it."
"Quincy always did like his girls insane," Shay laughed, "especially my aunt."
Jude's head perked up with question, "You're aunt?"
Shay chuckled, "You mean you don't know about Portia?"
"You mean his friend Portia?" Jude questioned wondering where this could all be leading.
"Yeah his friend, and ex wife." Jude's eyes widened, why had no one told her? Why hadn't Tommy told her? Shay noticed the drop in her face, "Look shorty it lasted a month tops. He was a cheater and well she was fucking nuts. I don't really know the details, but everyone is shocked over the fact how cool they are now."
"How long ago was this?" Jude wondered out loud.
Shay shrugged his shoulders, "Five, six years ago or so."
Just then Jude looked to her phone and it was a text from Sadie.
Look Jude I can only imagine what you really thought was going on, but it was innocent I promise. I found Tom at the bar trashed and sad over your little performance with Shay. I brought him home, that's all. I know we haven't seen eye to eye on this Tommy thing, but he's really into you sis. Any girl, including me, would be jealous. Be safe tonight. Love you xoxoxo.
Although the whole reason she was upset in the first place had completely disappeared, Jude still couldn't help but to feel hurt. Tom had hid a big part of his life from her, so what else could he be hiding? It had finally come to Jude that Tom was a complete mystery to her and that hurt most over any betrayal. She had completely put her all in this and opened herself up to him, but she was discovering he rarely opened up at all. So the rest of the weekend passed and she stayed a recluse from him. She wouldn't pick up his calls or even text back. Tom had stayed in all weekend and watched from his window, as long as Jude wouldn't go out neither would he. To his surprise when she arrived home Saturday morning she didn't step foot out of her house until the weekend was over. He wondered where she had gone Friday night, but that wasn't his biggest concern at the moment, his concern was keeping Jude, little did he know she was busy writing another masterpiece all weekend. So by the time Monday strolled in Jude was in Studio C behind a piano piecing together her latest work of art. Tom crept in to listen feeling an overwhelming joy in his stomach seeing her there.
Feet don't fail me now
Take me to the finish line
Oh my heart it breaks every step that I take
But I'm hoping at the gates,
They'll tell me that you're mine
Walking through the city streets
Is it by mistake or design
I feel so alone on the Friday nights
Can you make it feel like home, if I tell you you're mine
It's like I told you honey
Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough
I don't know why
Keep making me laugh
Let's go get high
The road is long, we carry on
Try to have fun in the meantime
Come on take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane
Choose your last words, this is the last time
Cause you and I, we were born to die
Lost but now I am found
I can see but once I was blind
I was so confused as a little child
Trying to take what I could get
Scared that I couldn't find
All the answers honey
Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough
I don't know why
Keep making me laugh
Let's go get high
The road is long, we carry on
Try to have fun in the meantime
Come on take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane
Choose your last words,
This is the last time
Cause you and I
We were born to die [x3]
Come on and take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane
Don't make me sad, don't make me cry
Sometimes love is not enough and the road gets tough
I don't know why
Keep making me laugh
Let's go get high
The road is long, we carry on
Try to have fun in the meantime
Come on take a walk on the wild side
Let me kiss you hard in the pouring rain
You like your girls insane...
Choose your last words,
This is the last time
Cause you and I
We were born to die
Tom came up next to Jude and took a seat beside her. She looked over to him with small tears burning her eyes, "What's the story with this one?"
Jude wiped her eyes and stared into the depths of Tom's eyes, "It's about a fatal attraction." She spoke with her voice shaken, "You can take it literally or metaphorically. Yes, we were all born to die, but some relationships-" She paused, rethinking here words, "well we were born to die."
Tom decoded her quickly on what she meant. She had told him that this relationship was destined to fail. It wasn't meant to be literal, nothing she wrote was. "Jude I didn't do anything with Sadie."
Jude nodded, "I know, it isn't about that."
"Then what is it baby? I miss you so much I can't take it when we are like this." Tom pleaded, his eyes began to feel that unfamiliar burn.
Jude stood up and looked down to him, her own tears reaching her lips, "I know nothing about you Tom, nothing substantial that is. Your past and even most of your present is a complete mystery to me." She began to walk out, but just before shutting the door behind her she looked at him one more time, "I have an appointment with your ex-wife, we can record later."