Hi, all. One quick a/n: A lot of your feedback (which is all amazing!) has to do with Tommy & Jude getting together already but don't worry, I'm a huge T/J fan! I love them both but they're both stubborn and I just can't imagine them jumping from friends to more so quickly. So I do apologize, but I'm forcing you all to be patient. I know, I'm cruel :-) I think my story is more about how they get there, or at least that's what it's turned into. I'm trying to move the story along, but I promise, there's more drama still to come.

All of your comments and reviews have been incredible--I love all of you guys! And for those who commented on Alias, I'm so happy you caught my reference :) Wouldn't JJ be proud?

So without further ado, here's the next part...

As dusk settled in, Jude was satisfied with how her plan was moving along. She continuously noticed Tommy in the corner, grinding his jaw, which only enhanced her actions. She and Drew had stopped the card game to play Monopoly along with Jamie and Kat. Jude became overly enthralled with all of Drew's stories, laughing hysterically at all of his jokes, and giving him hugs whenever someone else landed on one of his properties and had to pay him. Jamie and Kat kept glaring at each other as Jude's over-inflated personality was driving them both nuts.

Once Jude officially handed the last of her Monopoly money to Drew, her mother announced that dinner was ready. On her way to the kitchen, Jude accidentally met Tommy's eyes across the room. She wanted to give him a cold, unemotional glare, but instead, she unexpectedly felt sadness wash over her. She remembered how content they had been the night before and that morning, but now they were back to their usual state of denial. She broke eye contact as she looked down and entered the kitchen.

She sat next to Drew and talked to him throughout dinner, more calmly and quietly than before, suddenly feeling self-conscious about her blatant display of interest in him.

As dinner ended, Jude offered to help with the dishes, figuring it would give her some time to think. Her mom left to help Steven with the firewood as Jude washed, hearing footsteps behind her.

"Need some help drying?" Tommy asked.

Jude looked at him and shrugged. "If you want," she replied apathetically.

He grabbed a towel and started wiping the washed glasses.

"So…you uh, had a nice afternoon?" he asked uncomfortably.

"It was great," she said. "I played cards and Monopoly…"

"Yeah, I think everybody heard whenever you collected money," he said, referring to her exaggerated and loud reactions.

"That wasn't for me, that was for Drew," Jude clarified. "He played really well."

"I bet he did," Tommy mumbled, barely audible.

"What was that?" Jude asked, not catching his comment.

"Nothing, it just seems like you two are pretty close."

"Well, he's cool and I like hanging out with him. Why? Jealous, Quincy?"

Tommy shrugged. "No, why should I care?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because it could've been you I was hanging out with, but instead, I'm with somebody who actually wants to be with me," she replied bitterly, shoving a clean bowl towards him.

Tommy sighed, trying to stay calm. "Look, Jude, I've been doing some thinking about what happened before," he said.

Jude furiously washed another bowl, not wanting to rehash their earlier conversation.

"I don't really feel like talking about it," she said. "I think we've said enough."

"No, this is important," he replied, stopping drying and looking at her.

"It's important? So what—you've had some sort of revelation and decided you want me again?" she spat, turning off the water and turning towards him. "Is that what you were going to say? That you're ready now?"

He searched for words, wanting to tell her what he was thinking and how he felt, but just stood there speechless.

"Okay then. Until you figure out what you want, we don't have anything left to say to each other about this," she said, walking away.

He sighed and put his elbows on the counter with his hands covering his eyes. She was right—how could he talk to her until he was positive about what he wanted? Kwest had given him some points to think about but he needed to make a decision one way or another. And he knew just the person to help him figure everything out once and for all.

He walked into the living room and eyed Sadie across the room. He walked over to her and crouched down to where she was sitting with Ryan.

"Hey, got a second to talk?" he asked quietly.

Sadie whispered something to Ryan, kissed him on the cheek, and stood up to head into the laundry room, with Tommy closely following. She closed the door as he put his candle down on the washer.

"Thanks for agreeing to talk to me. I know we sort of left things on a bad note last night," he said, feeling anxious with the situation but knowing he needed her advice.

"What do you want Tom?" she asked, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"A couple of things," he said, taking a deep breath. "This isn't easy…I owe you an apology."

Sadie looked surprised. "For what?"

"For everything. I said some things last night I didn't mean and I've done some things…I've done some things I'm not proud of when it came to you," he said, walking towards the window. "Lord knows I wasn't the perfect boyfriend to you."

"Perfect? Tommy, please, I've had bus drivers who treated me better than you did," she said, watching him across the room.

"It's just...," he started, "I didn't mean to screw everything up and hurt you." He turned to look at her, still standing with her arms crossed. "That night when we broke up, I still think about it—about what you said and how I reacted. I have a lot of regrets about when we were together, but I can't tell you how much I wish I could take back what I said to you that night."

Sadie still stood coldly. "And what exactly was that?"

"You know, the part about you being the problem. You weren't the problem at all," he said, looking down, "I was."

"You're just saying that," she retorted.

"No," he said, looking into her eyes, "I was the problem, not you. I had…issues…that I was dealing with and that's why we broke up."

"And your issues, did they or didn't they involve my sister?"

Tommy shifted uncomfortably. Silence set over the room as Sadie waited patiently for an answer. After a few moments, he quietly mumbled, "Yeah, sort of."

"Sort of?" she questioned, wanting him to fully admit it.

"It wasn't just her, it was me too. I wasn't happy with my actions, how I was treating you. I was frustrated—things weren't right between us and I didn't know how to fix it. And yes, some of it was about her too. But I didn't plan on her being involved at all."

"And everything I thought about your feelings for her? Was I really being delusional?"

He closed his eyes and hung his head, knowing he needed to be truthful. "No, you're not delusional. In fact, you pretty much hit the nail on the head."

She opened her mouth in awe, stunned at his honesty. "Wow. Really?"

"Yeah, you freaked me out. Which is why I said some of the things I did."

"So…are you…in love with her?"

He swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat. "Maybe…I don't know, but it's something. Something I can't shake. Which is part of why I'm here. Sadie, I really need your help. I need to get her back."