Hey everybody, I'm so happy to say I'M UPDATING AGAIN! Can you believe it? I think I've outdone myself this time. Two updates this close together. Well I hope you like this chapter, I loved writing it. Jommy moments are my favorite thing to write. So Read and Review please and be gentle.

Chapter 26

I sat on my bed glaring at my bedroom door. I'd been shut in here for four hours, mostly because of my own stubbornness. I should have grabbed some food before locking myself in my room for the night. It was almost ten, I'd heard Callie say goodnight to Tommy around nine because she had an early morning recording session the next day. So Tommy was out there all alone probably just waiting for me to come out so he could ask more questions.

Or maybe so he could kiss me again. Why had he done that? One minute he looks like he wants to stand there and yell at me all day and the next he's kissing me like he can't get enough of me? I don't understand him sometimes. I know he had a right to be angry, I wasn't going to deny him that right. But he didn't have a right to make my life even more confusing then it already was.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I stood up and walked over to my door. I tried to open it quietly and peeked out and saw Tommy sprawled out on the couch. I couldn't tell if he was sleeping yet or not but I knew if he wasn't, he had just heard my stomach growl. I put a hand on my stomach and took a deep breath before hurrying past him and into the kitchen.

Callie and I had separate cupboards. She was a health freak constantly eating things I wouldn't dare put near my mouth and I was a junk food addict; and the number one thing I had to have on hand was pop tarts. It didn't matter the flavor, if it was pop tarty I would eat it.

"I should have guessed," Tommy said from the kitchen doorway. He was smiling at me which of course made my knees weak so I sat down on the floor right by the refrigerator.

"I'm hungry," I said pitifully taking another huge bite of my strawberry pop tart.

"You should have come out of your room when Callie knocked and told you we had pizza," Tommy said opening the fridge so he could grab the last Sprite.

"I was sleeping," I lied finishing off my first pop tart.

"No you weren't," Tommy said chuckling when I just glared at him.

I just rolled my eyes and looked straight ahead at the oven. I never realized how interesting an oven was until this moment. I mean, it's an amazing invention. Just think, if nobody had invented the oven we'd still be cooking over open fires. I wonder who had invented the oven? I'm going to have to-

"Stop Jude," Tommy said grabbing my hand so he could pull me up. He dragged me out of the kitchen and into the living room where he made me sit down on the couch. He sat down beside me leaving barely six inches between us. "What's wrong?"

"I'm hungry," I said even though the two pop tarts I'd just ate felt like a pile of lead in my stomach.

"No, what's been wrong with you since you left Darius's office this evening?" Tommy asked still holding on to my hand. He was gently rubbing circles on my palm and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and tell him all my problems. "Why didn't you want me to stay here tonight?"

"Because we would have been fine," I said trying to sound irritated but I knew I just sounded pathetic.

"Probably, but I still would have spent the whole night pacing in my own living room wondering if you were okay," Tommy said quietly. "Jude, I know we have issues, most of them by my own making but don't shut me out now. Especially not now please."

"I don't want to shut you out," I said turning my body so I was facing him. "I just…I'm sick of people having to solve all my problems and take care of me. I've been taking care of myself since I won that damn concert."

Tommy cleared his throat before he commented. "I kinda hope you thought I was also taking care of you too."

"Yeah but I was more of a nuisance I bet," I said smiling sadly. "Tommy, you've always solved my problems even the ones you didn't want to." I pictured the Shay kiss situation and my whole rebellious faze. "I just wanted to solve this one on my own. You know be an independent Jude instead of the no backbone Jude."

"No backbone?" Tommy asked incredulously. "Jude, you have more backbone then anyone I've ever met, including me. You don't give in for anything."

"Doesn't feel that way," I said softly laying my head down on the back of the couch.

Tommy turned so he was facing me now too and placed his other hand on my head which he started rubbing softly too. "Jude," he said changing the subject. "Why didn't you tell me what happened in private?"

I closed my eyes and tried to find the words to really explain my feelings. "I was afraid of how you'd look at me once I told you." I opened my eyes and could see from the look on his face I'd hurt his feelings and I didn't want that. "I messed up bad that night Tommy. I was so emotional that I couldn't think straight and I made so many bad choices. I knew that you would be the first to call me an idiot and I didn't want you to say it." I looked away and added softly, "besides you did blame me when I eventually told everybody."

"I did not," Tommy denied shaking his head.

"Yes you did," I said glaring at him. "I saw the look on your face when I finished telling my story. You were disgusted with me. You couldn't even look me in the eye."

Tommy stood up and paced away, he couldn't think when he was sitting right beside her. "You're right. I was disgusted but never with you." He turned around slowly so he was looking me in the eye. "I was disgusted with the punk who thought he had the right to violate you. I was disgusted because the only reason you were there was because I had been to angry to tell you that I had to go back to my hometown." He took a couple steps closer towards me and crouched down so he was on my level. "I was upset with you for letting yourself get taken advantage of but I never blamed you."

"You could have said that," I said softly. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his gaze.

"I couldn't," Tommy said shrugging his shoulders. "I was too angry that day, I was afraid it would come out wrong." I nodded like I understood but I still thought he should have tried. "I'm sorry Jude, I really am."

"I forgive you," I said after a moment of silence. "And I'm sorry too Tommy. You were right, I should have told you in private. You told me your story in private, I should have given you the same courtesy. Like I once said, I'm all apologies."

Tommy smiled as he remembered that night. He hadn't planned it the way it had turned out but looking back, it's the only way it could have turned out. Being locked up with Jude for hours was one of the best things that could have happened. They had written an amazing song that had soared to the number one spot and had become even closer than they'd ever been. He just hoped they could get back to that point.

"You're forgiven," he said taking his seat again, except this time he sat right beside her, there wasn't any space separating them.

I slowly laid my head down on his chest and was comforted by the sound of his heart beat. I had missed this. Just quiet moments with Tommy that to other people wouldn't mean that much but to me, it was perfect.

"Tell me about Aubrey," I said softly snuggling in when he started smoothing my arm.

"She's quiet," Tommy said just as softly. "She barely says a word half the time. She loves this one stuffed animal, it's a purple cow. I think my sister gave it to her when she first got sick. She rarely laughs but she does get a sparkle in her eyes when she finds something funny. She loves the piano. I'll find her sitting there at odd moments just staring at it."

"You're going to have to get her music lessons," I said smiling as I pictured little Aubrey playing the piano like a pro someday.

"I'm planning on it. She likes you Jude," he said wrapping both his arms around me.

"She barely met me," I said looking up at him surprised to see him smiling down at me.

He shook his head at me. "It doesn't matter Jude, she likes you. I know that just by watching her interact with you that one time. She hides Jude when people come over, but not with you. Plus, she loves your music. She has me constantly playing your songs on the stereo or the piano."

"My youngest fan," I said chuckling a little.

"I want you to move in with me," Tommy said slowly like he knew I was going to freak out. But he was wrong.

"Why?" I asked softly. If he for one minute thought I would move in just because some freak was harassing me, he was crazy. But if he wanted me to move in because he wanted me there, I would in a heart beat.

"Because I care about you," he said placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Because I want to spend my free time with you. I want you to get to know Aubrey, I think you'll both be good for each other." He took a deep breath before he added the part that would have annoyed me except that he'd spoken the words in a way that I couldn't say no too. "And because I'm afraid something is going to happen to you and I can't imagine my life without you in it."

"You suck," I said wiping the tears away. I snuggled back into his chest and it was my turn to take a deep breath. "I'll move in with you Tommy but some things are going to have to change."

"I know," Tommy said nodding.

"We can't keep hurting each other," I said honestly. "We have to be open and honest with one another."

"It's going to be different Jude," Tommy said rubbing my arm again. "I promise you, it's going to be different." It only took another five minutes before my eyes were closing and Tommy was telling me to go to sleep. It had been another long day and I hadn't been sleeping very well the last couple nights. But I had a feeling that was going to change.