"What?" Jude screamed to Kwest at G Major the next day.

"He's gone Jude. Left last night."

"He can't be," she said quietly as she held back her tears.

"I'm sorry Jude. I didn't know anything about it. I got home last night and there was a message from Tommy on my machine."

"Wh...what did he say?" Jude asked as a few tears silently slipped from her eyes.

"He said he was leaving, but he didn't know for how long, and that he would be in touch," Kwest said as he noticed she was crying. He gently pulled her into a brotherly hug.

"He left because of me didn't he?" she said as she pulled away from Kwest.

"He doesn't want to hurt you Jude."

"That's all I ever hear Kwest! He doesn't want to hurt me, or he never meant it to happen this way."

Georgia walked into the room and saw Jude's tear-stained face. "I'm guessing you heard the news already?"

Jude nodded and ran out of the room. She didn't want to lose it in from of Georgia, she couldn't.

"He's really screwed it up this time hasn't he?" Georgia asked Kwest.

"I, uh, don't know what you're talking about."

"We're not blind around here Kwest. We know there's been something between Tommy and Jude since the beginning."

"Oh, well then, yeah, he has. He's really hurt her."

"Make sure you keep an eye on her Kwest. I don't want her doing anything she shouldn't be doing."

"Got it."

Tommy arrived at the cabin and hauled his stuff to the loft. The house hadn't been changed since his Mom and younger sister were killed. There was still the same furniture and the hideous green carpet she had always hated. So many memories of family vacations came flooding back to him. His father hadn't been a bitter old man, and his brother hadn't blamed him back then. Everything was better for the most part.

He slowly made his way to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a strong cocktail. She was everything to him, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it! "Come on Quincy, pull it together. She's just a kid," he told himself. But, in his heart he knew she was more of an adult than he was.

Jude ran to the bathroom and leaned against the wall. She let the tears flow freely. Sure, she was mad at Tommy for kissing her, but that didn't mean he had to leave.

"Jude," Kwest called as he knocked on the door. "Are you okay in there?"

"Yeah, just great," she managed to say through her tears.

"Can I come in?"

"It's the girls bathroom Kwest."

"I'm perfectly aware of that Jude," he said as he walked into the bathroom and saw Jude sitting in a corner. He walked towards her and crouched down beside her.

"He could have at least said goodbye," Jude sobbed.

It pained Kwest to see her like this. She was like his little sister. "I know, but I suppose he thought if he'd say goodbye you would talk him out of leaving.

Kwest let her cry on his shoulder until the calmed down a bit.

"I'm sorry for falling apart on you like that Kwest."

"Don't worry about it. I'll always be here for you. You're like my little sister."

Jude laughed a little. "We should probably get back to work big brother," she joked.

"Definitely lil sis," he said as he helped her up off the floor and put his arm around her.

"Do you think he'll come back?"

"I don't know Jude. It's Tommy we're tlaking about For all we know he's on his way back already."

Tommy sat in the rocking chair beside the picture window. It had been his Mom's favorite spot in the entire house. She would sit there for hours at a time, usually reading a book.

He thought about his family. Not only did his Father and brother blame him for her untimely death, he blamed himself. Kwest had told him over and over again that it hadn't been his fault, but even six years later he still thought it was.

The ring of the telephone brought him away from his thoughts and back to reality.

"Hello."

"Hey man, it's Kwest."

"How're things?" tommy asked.

"She took it pretty hard man. She cried for over an hour."

"Shit. DId you tell her anything?"

"Just that you left. I don't know why you insist on doing this. It's killing her."

"This is for her Kwest. We can't be together. I talked to Portia today."

"You...talked to Portia?"

"Yeah, she's going to stop by G Major and talk to Jude."

"Man, that is such a bad idea."

"Whatever, listen I have to go. Take care of Jude."

"Will do."

"See ya."

Kwest turned off his cell and looked at Jude in the recording booth. He knew there was so much more to this than Tommy was letting on.

"So are we done yet?" Jude said as she walked into the room. "

"Uh, yeah sure. Tomorrow we really need to get down to business though."

"I could just stay late...I mean if I go home, I'll just think of Tommy. That is, unless you don't want to stay."

"Nah, it's fine. So got some lyrics we can set down?"

"Sort of, I'm just kind of going with it," she said as she pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket and handed it to Kwest.

"Wow, Jude this is really good," he said as he finished reading it.

"Thanks," Jude turned around when she heard the clink of the door opening.

"Kwest, I haven't seen you in forever!" a tall black woman walked towards Kwest and hugged him. She was pretty, long black hair, with chocolate brown eyes.

"Portia," Jude said under her breath. Tommy's beautiful ex-wife. Portia had been nice to Jude when they had met, but seeing her just brought back the whole image of Tommy, and it didn't help her mood.

"Yeah, it's been a long time Portia. Probably too long," Kwest said as he hugged the woman back.

"It has, it really has been," Portia said as she turned around to face Jude."Hey girl."

"Hi Portia, it's good to see you."

"You too. You've grown up a lot since I saw you last."

"Yeah, it's been a tough few months."

"Kwest is it okay if I talk to Jude alone?" Portia asked.

"Yeah, sure. I'm going to go grab a cup of coffee," he said as he walked out the door.

"I heard about Tommy leaving," Portia said. "I know how close you two are."

"Were, not are, were. He left and he didn't even tell me, and I don't even care where he is," Jude rambled on.

"Yes you do."

"What?"

"You care about Tommy. It doesn't surprise me. I mean Little Tommy Q has made women fall to his feet all over the world."

"It's not like that Portia."

"I know. Your not just some other girl. Tommy really cares about you."

"How do you know?" Jude asked with a bit of surpressed anger.

"He called me and told me I should come talk to you."

"Great, now he has other people doing his dirty work."

"Hold on Jude. He wanted me to come tell you he was okay, and he wanted you to know that he doesn't deserve you."

"As much as I wish that helped. It doesn't. Not even close. He hasn't even been gone a week Portia and I miss him to death."

"I know you do," Portia said as she put her hand on Jude's shoulder. "I did too. The first month after we had gotten divorced, I thought I was going to lose it. Everytime I was around Darius he talked trash about Tommy and every tabloid I picked up had a picture of him and some other girl. I know he didn't mean to hurt me, but he did."

"So, what you're saying is that it'll get better?" Jude said with a look of wonderment.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You drove 500 miles to tell me that?" Jude said as she smiled.

"Yeah," Portia laughed. "Plus I really wanted to hang out with the girl that has Tommy confused. I didn't think it could be done."

"I confuse him? What should I say?"

"That's a good question Jude, one you'll have to ask him when he comes back."

"He's coming back?" Judes eyes lit up.

"I don't know, but I'm sure you'll see him again."

"Jude, we really need to record that song or Georgia's gonna flip," Kwest walked in carrying a powdered doughnut.

"Okay okay," she said as she made her way to the recording booth.

She was setting her things up when Portia turned to Kwest. "What does he think he's doing to her?"

"I really don't know," Kwest answered. "But, I do know that it's not anything good. She's going to break, it's just a matter of when."

"Are we ready?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, go for it girl."