Author's Note; Here's the next chapter, and thank you all for the great reviews on this story. It is fast becoming a favorite of mine. You guys are so fantastic. You floor me--really you do by your response. Can't wait to update a few more chapters today. Please R&R. Lots of smiles and hugs to you all.

"You really know how to flatter a man, you know that Harrison?" Tommy asked as he plucked the bra off the door as if staring at your artist's underwear were nothing more than your average every day occurrence. Yep, your average day alright. Ha! I just shrugged.

"You really know how to piss a woman off, Tom" I stated simply as he just looked over at me strangely a moment—perusing me as if seeing me for the first time—as if he were mentally erasing the fifteen year old girl he had met two years ago.

"You've changed." He finally said as I just laughed at his statement—staring at him as if he had two heads instead of one.

"And now he notices." I said to no one in particular as I threw my hands up into the air. I would have thought he would have figured that out by now just by thinking about what our correspondences had been like over the past couple of months. Kudos for him. He had a brain.

"The scarecrow would be proud." I announced—referring to that movie the Wizard of Oz as Tommy just raised a brow at me as he sighed.

"You're so glib." Tommy stated sardonically as I just grinned up at him.

"So they tell me?" I replied as he just shook his head. I could tell that I had started to make him more than a little angry with my sarcasm, but hey, at this point in the game, I was allowed sarcasm. His expression changed suddenly as he advanced on me from the door way, and I took a step backwards involuntarily.

"Do you love me, Jude, because your posts online seemed to implicated you did…once." He stated simply as I just looked at him—stared into his calculating blue eyes in shock. I could tell he wanted me to say no—that I didn't love him. I think he was just trying to find a way to deal with his own conscious. I couldn't help but laugh and he cringed at the sound.

"Love? What is that exactly Tommy? Because I think…no I know, that I'm just not sure myself these days what that definition entails. I did hear a quote once by an author I can't remember that stated, Age does not protect us from love, But love to some extent protects us from age. Take that statement as you will." I replied solemnly before moving around the bed to pick up my suitcase.

"Besides, I seem to remember you saying online, and I quote, that sometimes it takes everything we've got to keep from losing control. Do you want me to ask what you meant by that or just brush the thought under a rug somewhere to fester?" I asked as he flinched. Yeah, that's right Tom, if we were going to start spouting out incriminating things stated in moments of weakness to someone we thought we didn't know, then I could one up him at best.

"You're so naïve, Jude. So innocent. You have no idea what you're talking about." Tommy muttered as I looked up at him in stunned anger. Naïve? Sure honey, just keep telling yourself that. Yeah, and maybe monsters under your bed really do exist. God, I could have spitted on him. I settled for throwing my journal, a gift from him no less, at his head instead. He ducked.

"You're one of a kind, Tom Quincy. Really you are. You are the only person I know who can manage to insult someone or just blatantly avoid the truth to save your own sanity. And in the process, alienate the ones who do care about you. Bows to you because I'm letting you have the stage. You seem to like being the center of it." I commented as I picked up a manila envelope out of the suitcase before going to stand next to him. I shouldn't do this—shouldn't give up my secrets out of anger, but I guess I just didn't care anymore.

"Here's that innocence you're protecting." I stated sarcastically as I threw the package down in front of him on the bed before walking over to the door. "I hope you enjoy the spotlight. After a while, the bulb always burns out." I reiterated as I stomped out of the room. I could hear him picking up the envelope, and I closed my eyes because I knew what he would see—a drunk, vulnerable Jude displayed for curious, prying eyes. Innocence my ass.