Part 2: Pride

Jude lay in Tommy's bed, naked and facing away from Tommy. A navy blue sheet was tied around her waist, leaving her back exposed.

Tommy leaned over and laid hot, open-mouthed kisses along the bare skin of her back.

"Why did we do that, Tommy?" she asked in a low voice.

"I take pride in being your lover," he murmured into her skin. He moved her hair from her neck and began to suck on the sensitive skin above her pulse.

"You honestly take pride in lying and cheating on your girlfriend?"

"Jude," he said against her skin. She rolled and looked at him. Don't think about Jen, don't think about Luke. Think about us."

"Don't. There is no us, there can't be," she said in a low voice, also sounding raspy, tears choking her throat.

"Why?" he asked in the same voice, tears also coming to his eyes.

"Tommy," she sighed, tears spilling out of the corners of her eyes, "I will always love you. No one could ever, ever change that." She kissed him forcefully and slipped out of his bed, despite his provocative hold on her.

A half hour later, Jude sat in her Mustang, tears coming down her face. Her bottom lip quivered as she reapplied her lip gloss in the rear view mirror. She lifted her hair and examined her neck. A hickey. Awesome.

Jude reached into her purse and pulled out some cover up. She put it over the hickey and also used her hair to cover the spot. Sighing, she opened the car door and grabbed her purse. She stepped out of the car and entered her apartment. She opened her door and searched the apartment. No Luke. Again. She could have hours of hot sex with Tommy, and still, Luke wasn't home.

She went into her bed room and set her things down. She slipped out of her clothing and entered the bathroom. She began running the bathtub water and put Victoria's Secret Amber Romance bubble bath into the water. She looked into the mirror in the bathroom. "How adorable," she told her reflection.

When the bathtub was full, Jude turned the faucet off and slipped into the hot water. Sighing, she rested her head against the small bath pillow that was at the head of the tub. How could someone feel so dirty, beautiful, loved and wrong all at once? She had no clue.

After 2 ½ of soaking, Jude got out of the tub and wrapped a turquoise towel around her small frame. She drained the water from the tub and walked back into her bedroom. Looking over at the digital clock, which read 1:26 AM, she rolled her eyes.

Jude untied her towel and hung it on the hook on the front of the door. She slipped into bed, nude, not really caring and sighed for the umpteenth time that day. She rested her head on the cool pillow and pulled the soft silk comforter up to her shoulders.

The next morning, Jude woke to the alarm clock ringing. She groaned and hit the off button. Turning, she saw Luke still asleep.

"Whatever," she grumbled and got out of bed. She dressed and left the room. She got her bag and keys and left the apartment. In her car, Jude put more cover up on hickey and started the car. At G Major, she greeted her friends and went into Studio 1. She saw Tommy kiss Jen and Jude cleared her throat.

"Sorry to interrupt." Yeah right, Jude added in her head.

"It's okay," Jen sighed and stood. "I've got to get to school. See ya, Quincy."

Bitch! Jude thought. Only I'm aloud to say that!

Jen left and Jude walked into the recording booth. She sat on a stool, looking down, letting her blond hair fall in her face. She was crying, and quite frankly, she didn't care. Tommy felt his heart snap. She stood from his chair at the soundboard and walked into the recording booth.

Tommy pulled up another stool next to Jude's and let his eyes linger to her shaking figure. "Jude," he murmured. Her head shot up. "Honey…"

"Don't call me that!" she said in a loud whisper. "I take pride in being your lover," she echoed him from last night. "You're a fucking liar, Tommy!"

"Don't act like you had a revelation and dumped Luke."

"At least I didn't say something like that, Tommy!" she shouted, standing. He stood too.

"But you feel it. I can tell by every little moan you make when we have sex."

"Is that all I am to you? A good fuck when you're bored?"

"You're so much more than that. You know that," Tommy looked straight into her eyes.

"Do I really?" Jude challenged.

"I love you," Tommy confessed. Jude reached up and held his face in both her hands.

"I know, and I love you too, but…that's what terrifies me the most." She kissed his lips fully. "We have an album to finish." Tommy nodded sadly and walked out of her embrace, into the other room. Jude let out a sob watching him walk away.

Several hours later, Tommy was with Jen for lunch and Jude was alone at the sound board, eating a Big Mac from McDonald's. Jude put the sandwich down. A knock at the door broke her concentration. "Jamie…"

"Hello, Jude." He sat next to her at the soundboard. "What's up in the life of a rock star?"

"Boy problems, honestly," Jude answered back.

"Aw, Luke being a pain in the ass?" Jamie asked.

"Kind of. He's never home anymore! And I did something I shouldn't have."

"Tell me. I'd never judge you, Jude."

"You've done it before."

"I know. But I- We were young."

Jude took a breath. "I slept with someone."

"Who?" Jamie asked. Jude gave him a look that told him everything. "Quincy, right?"

"Yeah," Jude said, looking down, tears coming to her eyes again. "I mean, I thought I was over him, I really did, but I…I don't know, Jamie, I'm just so…So fucked up!"

Jamie rubbed her back. "Jude, I don't really know what to say."

"That's a first."

"I know, and it's scaring the shit out of me," he joked. He actually made Jude smile. "Thanks, Jame."

"What I'm here for." Jamie smiled and stood. "Hey, Patsy's got a gig at some club tonight. You up for it?"

"Yeah," Jude smiled. "I am."

That night…

"Hey, Hun," Luke greeted, walking into the bed room. He saw Jude in a pink one-shoulder shirt that cut off in the middle of her stomach and a shot black, jean skirt, sitting at the vanity putting on large silver hoop earrings. She had pink heels on her feet and her make up was usual.

"Hey," she greeted back.

"Um, did I miss something?"

"Nope. I'm going out." She fastened her earring and stood. "It's a work thing."

"Jude," he started, purely confused, "I thought we were gonna have some 'us' time."

"Yeah, well, things change." She walked out of the bedroom and Luke followed her. "I'll be back late."

"Jude!" Luke shouted.

"What?" Jude shouted back. "You do your work thing, I'll do mine." And with that, she grabbed her pink beaded purse and exited the apartment. "I take pride in telling you off," she told herself as if she was telling Luke.

About 20 minutes later, Jude entered the club, Burn, and immediately found Jamie talking to Tommy. They looked normal. If no one knew better, they'd say there were friends. Jude walked up to them and smiled.

"Boys…" she greeted.

"Jude!" they asked simultaneously.

"Yeah, it's me."

"You…You look great, Jude," Tommy complemented.

"Thanks," Jude answered.

"I'll just be…over there," Jamie excused himself, walking away.

"So, where's Jen?" Jude asked.

"Out with her brother."

"Oh." As if I care, Jude thought.

"And Luke, where's he?"

"Home. I left him there."

"Oh really?" Tommy asked, getting closer.

"Yes. Really. He can do his own thing, I can do mine."

"I'm impressed."

"There's no reason to be."

"Ms. Harrison, might I buy you a drink?"

"You tryin' to get me drunk, Quincy?"

"No. But you look parched. Can I?"

"Okay." Jude and Tommy walked to the bar, pretty close.

"Can I get a Heineken and anything for the lady?"

"A vodka tonic, please."

"Sure," the bartender answered. A minute later, he came back with their drinks and Tommy paid the man. They stood there, drinking. "Give It Up To Me" by Sean Paul and Keyshia Cole started and Tommy put his glass bottle down and held out his hand.

"Dance with me?" he asked. Jude smiled, nodded and put her glass flute down. She put her hand in his and they walked over to the dance floor. They began dancing close, their hands roaming each other's bodies. They smiled and together, they leaned in and kissed.