Chapter 8

"Jude?" Tommy asked surprised to see the socked girl standing at his door.

Jude looked up from the floor and met Tommy's concerned eyes. "I'm sorry to bother you I just didn't know where else to go and it was raining and—"

"Whoa, girl slow down." Tommy said in a calming voice as he ushered her into his apartment. He brought Jude over to the couch and sat her down. He left the room and returned a moment later with a towel. "What happened?"

Jude took the towel and wiped of her face and then wrapped the towel around herself. "I was out with Tyler at this party and he—"

"Did he hurt you? I'll kill him!" Tommy got off the couch and started to pace.

"No, Tommy, he didn't do anything he was just drunk and said these terrible things when I told him I didn't want to do anything with him. He just turned into this completely different person." Jude's eyes started to water. Awakened from his trance Tommy saw how upset she was and sat next to her and engulfed her in a hug.

"Girl your freezing." He said as he hugged her chilled and shaking form. "Come on." He said grabbing her hand and leading her towards his bedroom. He grabbed a pair of sweats and a shirt and handed it to her with another towel and told her to take a hot shower and they'd talk more when she was warmer.

As Jude showered she thought about Tommy. After she had ignored and been so rude to him for the past couple of weeks he still took care of her without hesitation. 'God,' she thought, 'he would be the perfect boyfriend if only he felt that way about me. But why would he like me. I'm just a kid compared to the girls he probably used to being with. I'm sure he's just being so nice cause I'm Sadie's sister.' Jude got out of the shower and dressed in Tommy's clothes. It didn't go unnoticed to her senses that Tommy's clothes smelled so good. She smiled sadly at her reflection in the bathroom mirror realizing that nothing would ever happen between them.

When Jude walked back into the living room Tommy was also entering the room from the kitchen with a mug in his hand.

"Tea." He said, offering her the mug.

"Thanks." Jude said smiling and taking the drink from him. She sat back down on the couch slowly sipping her drink.

"Feeling better?" He asked hesitantly, taking a seat next to her.

"Starting too." He smiled at her. "Tommy, thank you so much, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here tonight." Jude said looking into the mug as she spoke.

"Jude, honestly, I'm happy I was here to help. I'll always be here for you okay?"

"I'm lucky Sadie has such great people in her life." Jude said looking up at Tommy and smiling.

Tommy didn't understand why Jude didn't see how much he cared for her. A couple of moments were passed in silence when Jude started to stand up.

"Thanks again, for everything Tommy." She said handing him the mug. "I think I'm going to head back to the dorm."

"Jude it's still raining pretty hard out there. You're more than welcome to stay here."

"Thanks Tommy, really, but I should get back." Jude said hurriedly grabbing her pile of wet clothes and leaving the apartment.

Tommy stood shell shocked as he stood alone at the door of his apartment.

--

Jude was walking down the sidewalk, getting soaked once again, when she thought she heard her name. She turned around to see Tommy running down the sidewalk to catch up with her.

"Jude!" Tommy yelled approaching her. "Jude, you don't get it." They stood facing each other. "Taking care of you has nothing to do with your sister. It all has to do with you. Since the first time I saw you at that party, it's been about you. Everything has been about you for me." Tommy finished. Jude stared up at him with a blank face, trying to process what he was saying. "Every time you've called us friends I've wanted to protest otherwise. Don't you get it girl? I'm falling in love with you!" Tommy shouted through the rain, making sure she realized that what he said was true.

Jude stared at him, "I don't know what to say I—"

Jude was cut off when Tommy quickly closed the space between them, pulling her to him and kissing her.