Tommy smiled at her and sped out of the parking lot. They hit all the lights right, zooming past the park. As they passed Jude's school, they heard a bell go off, signaling a class period's beginning. "Are you sure it's okay if you miss another day?"
Keeping her eyes fixed on the school as they passed, Jude exhaled deeply. "Not in the mood to answer random classmates' questions about Shay. I want to enjoy the rest of my day."
"Then I've got the perfect thing." Tommy glance over his shoulder and winked at Jude. He figured, it made her laugh when Kwest did it, maybe he could get something out of her this time too.
She couldn't help but giggle. It was surprising enough when Shay was macking on her, but with Tommy it was like a dream come true. Jude just couldn't hide her happiness when Tommy would make her glow.
Tommy and Jude enjoyed the car ride. They sang along with the radio and joked with each other. They even threw in the occasional kiss. They looked and felt like any other couple, and that fact made their relationship even better. Tommy and Jude never expected a normal life, especially while dating, but that's what they did to each other. They made one another feel normal.
The Viper pulled into a garage, almost suddenly to Jude. Tommy went around the car and opened the door for Jude. He led her to another door in the garage and opened it, sending her through.
Jude walked through the door, entering a room with soft, pastel green walls. Turing the corner, Jude entered another room with dull yellow walls and red leather furniture. On an antique looking coffee table sat stacks of sheet music and a guitar leaning against the side. The matching corner table held a red vase of giant sunflowers. Jude slid her fingers upon the petals and realized the elegant touch of sunflowers was real.
"You like my place?" Tommy asked, throwing his keys onto the hook on the wall.
Jude glanced around, judging the room. "It's not how I would've imagined Tom Quincy's bachelor pad…" Jude turned her attention to Tommy and finished, "I love it."
Tommy took off his jacket and placed it on the back of his red leather recliner. "So what did you expect my place to be like?"
Wrapping his arm around her, Tommy and Jude sat down on the sofa, cuddling. "First of all, I didn't expect you to have a house. Maybe more like… A penthouse."
"Too… Pimp. I'm not a pimp."
Jude and Tommy had a laugh. "Good to know. I'll cross that off my list of possible Quincy conspiracies." She surveyed the room again, now noticing a small bowl of potpourri by the sheet music. "Second, I would think you'd go more GQ… Not so Martha Stewart."
"Oh…" Tommy tickled Jude slightly. "So I'm Martha Stewart-like now?"
"I didn't say you were," Jude said, trying to get Tommy to stop tickling. "I said your place is."
He continued to tickle her until he planted a kiss on her lips. He brought her back to his chest and held her. Tommy sighed in contempt and asked, "Anything else?"
Gazing up into his mysterious eyes, Jude smiled. "It's perfect."
"Perfect's good," Tommy replied. He looked around the place, similar to Jude's initial reaction. He whispered softly to himself, "She made it this way…"
When Jude heard Tommy, her heart skipped a beat. She didn't know how to react to such a comment. Jude didn't really know what goes on in Tommy's life outside of the studio and music. Everyday, Jude and Tommy were learning more about each other, but was this something she really wanted to know?
Jude pushed Tommy away and sat up straight. Fluffing her bangs slightly, she asked calmly, "Who?"
Tommy could see the concern on Jude's face as she spoke. For a moment, he didn't even realize what she was asking. Tommy came to the conclusion he had accidentally blurted out something important just minutes earlier. He rubbed the back of his neck, not wanting to talk bout who she was, but when he looked at Jude, he knew he had to. Tommy needed to clear his name. "My--My aunt."
"This is her place?"
"Was her place," Tommy said as an instant depression swam over him. "She died a few years back."
Jude kept her eyes on Tommy as she could see him on the verge of tears. She gently stroked his cheek. "I'm sorry."
Sniffling, Tommy pulled Jude's hand down to hold it. "I am too," he said as tears escaped his eyes. "She… She was a great woman. She didn't deserve to die like that."
Jude brought Tommy to her chest, comforting him. She didn't want to make it worse, but she felt like Tommy still needed to get some more out of his system. "How did she…"
"Alone." Tommy raised himself from Jude's body and stood. He didn't like feeling so vulnerable, even if that meant Jude would hold him. He got so frustrated he needed to pace back and forth, letting out some emotion. "I should've been here, but I was too busy being Mr. Hotshot."
Tommy wept into his hands, facing away from Jude. She stood and stroked his shoulder, but he pulled away from her touch. Jude wanted to help him, but she didn't know what she could do. "Tommy…"
"I was on tour, posing as something I hated while this amazing woman was dying, Jude!" Tommy grabbed his guitar and wrapped his hands tightly around it. "She took care of me, and treated me like her own son. And what did I do?" he asked, raising his voice. Tommy swiftly and roughly threw the guitar against the wall, causing the case to shatter. "I let her die!"
Swinging the hysterical Tommy around, Jude held him tightly against herself. "Shh… Shh…" She whispered softly, trying to calm him down.
"I should've been here… She deserved better… I… I… I let her die alone…" Tommy bawled into Jude's shoulder, gasping for air and trying to speak.
All Jude could do was hold him, the truth being she didn't know all of the facts. She swayed him from side to side, trying to keep her own tears back. She felt his arms wrap around her, and his heavy head sunk into her shoulder. Running her fingers through his hair, Jude repeatedly kissed his neck, showing as much support as possible.