Chapter 37
Jude sat on a stool by the counter, her feet dangling a foot above the ground. She chewed slowly on her cereal her eyes distant as she stared out of the window in the kitchen wall. "Whatcha thinking about?" Tommy questioned placing his elbows on the counter either side of his bowl, his head resting lopsidedly against the palm of his right hand. He looked into her eyes waiting for her to meet his gaze.
Jude tuned her head in his direction, her eyes immediately falling to rest upon the wooden countertop. "Nothing." She whispered, looking up and flashing him a quick smile. Tommy displayed a weak smile in return stacking the empty bowls and placing them both in the sink. He turned back seeing Jude had left her seat by the counter, she was now sitting on the floor, her back against the front of the couch. Tommy smiled returning to the breakfast bar and resting his forearms on the surface. He watched as Jude scribbled in her notebook, mouthing words silently to herself. She pulled her guitar into her lap, lifting her eyes for a moment as Tommy walked into the living room area, "Working on your song?" he questioned simply. Jude looked up at him brows furrowed, "I heard the little piece you were working on last night." Tommy clarified smiling.
Jude smiled nervously, "It was good." Tommy said quickly, Jude's eyes lifted meeting his, a genuine smile tugged at her lips. "Thankyou." She said barely above a whisper, "and no, I guess this is turning into another chorus." She said with a shrug. Jude lets her fingers slide over the strings on her guitar, playing with different chords, and a few picked out melodies. "Can I hear it?" Tommy asked, crouching down to her level. Jude drew her gaze up once again a reluctant look upon her face. "please?" Tommy added, giving her his best puppy dog look. Jude groaned, "Tommyyyy, don't do the face!" she wailed. Tommy tilted his head in the other direction and continued the look. Jude leant forwards covering his eyes with her hand laughing as Tommy pouted in an attempt to keep up his persuasion. "Ok, ok." Jude gave in slumping back against the couch. Tommy chuckled, "but not if you're just gonna stare at me." Tommy smiled, remembering their time recording white lines. 'It's about me?' Tommy wondered briefly. "Ok." Tommy stood up, Jude watched curiously as he walked around to be back of the couch, he slid down to the floor, leaning against it.
Jude smiled, sighing slightly she finalized her chord decisions and played them through, humming the melody. A loose strumming pattern flowed through the room. She began again this time singing the lyrics she had written on the page infront of her. Her eyes flitting back and forth, finding the words between scribbles and among arrows on the sheet.
you leave me speechless,
when you talk to me,
you leave me breathless,
the way you look at me
you managed to disarm me,
my soul is shining through,
can't help but surrender,
my everything to you
Tommy closed his eyes, allowing the music and sound of Jude's voice to wash over him. She hit every note, with unfaultable tone, her voice full yet soft. The room fell silent again as Jude finished the small piece she had finished. Tommy smiled, a short "Wow." escaped his lips in an amplified whisper. Jude smiled, leaning her head back onto the cushions of the couch. "Thanks." She returned in an equal tone.
They were drifting closer and closer together, yet neither seemed to notice. It all felt so right, so natural that the boundaries between friendship and anything more were blurred the rift becoming invisible as they slipped back and forth over it. The energy and will Jude had for resisting her attraction to Tommy has seemingly been drained, his refusal drifted slowly away in pieces each day Jude spent in a relationship with someone else as the realization that one day he would lose her for good took over.