The studio was a bevy of flurried activity as I moved resolutely through the chattering crowds. Walking over to studio 1, I watched in mind-numbing silence as Kwest leaned over the soundboard mixing a song while Tom sat in a corner with his head held painfully in his hands. I knew the reason why and it pained me all the way down to my soul. I must have made a sound without meaning to because Kwest suddenly looked up at me before glancing quickly at Tommy and then back up at me before moving toward the door in a hurry. Tommy held up his hand without even looking up.
"Don't Kwest. Stay." He said with a moan before looking up at me with blood shot eyes. I shivered at the look he had in them. Something told me now was not a good time for us to talk, but I also knew that if I didn't tell him soon that I wouldn't do it at all. But I could also tell, he thought we had made a mistake. I couldn't argue with him there. Neither of us had been in a position to think too clearly at the time. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing here now as Mrs. Tommy Q.
"I don't guess I could close my eyes and hope this would all just go away, huh?" I asked quietly as I saw Tom's eyes darken considerably. He shook his head slowly as dread spread throughout my gut.
"Jude…" He began before shaking his head again and standing up to pace the room. "We made a mistake, Jude." He said with a sigh as I just stood there staring as every bone in my body went cold.
"You have to understand, Jude. It's not you. It's me. You're way too young to even think about being tied down right now." He said with deep regret as I felt my soul go dead. Yeah well, I was too young for a lot of things it seemed but it was too late to go back now. And right now, I couldn't even talk as he looked at me expectedly waiting for me to speak. My larynx just didn't work. I couldn't even manage a squeak as I turned to walk out of the room.
"Jude…" He called from behind me as I shook my head and kept on going. I could hear him stomping behind me way before his hand gripped my shoulder to turn me around.
"Jude wait." He said again as I crossed my arms across my chest and looked him square in the eyes.
"What Tommy?" I asked sardonically as Tom shifted uneasily under my watchful gaze.
"I still feel the same for you, Jude. I just think neither of us thought through last night like we should have." He said slowly as I rolled my eyes up at him in exasperation.
"You think, Tom?" I asked so quietly that he had to lean over to hear me. He shrugged as I let my shoulders fall with the weight of a thousand worlds.
"Can I ask you one question, Tom?" I asked in a low tone measuringly. He nodded warily. I leaned over until our noses were nearly touching.
"Do you love me?" I asked matter-of-factly as I stood there with my heart literally held out in the palm of my hand. Tom looked uncomfortable as he looked at the ground almost as if he were hoping the answer would be written there in big, bold italic print.
"Yes, I do, Jude." He answered in a drawn out sigh as I shook my head slowly.
"Then prove it." I answered sarcastically before turning again toward the door, stopping suddenly only a few feet away from Tom. I didn't even look at him as I closed my eyes to feel the hot tears trickle down my face.
"By the way, I'm pregnant." I said in a quivering voice before walking out the door with a jounce of my hips and my head held up as high as I could hold it with a whole studio staring at me. I didn't even want to know what Tommy was doing. At this point, I didn't care.
Tom and Kwest in the studio…
Tom couldn't seem to process the bombshell that Jude had just released as he slumped back wearily in a chair across from Kwest.
"I heard her right, didn't I?" Tommy asked Kwest uncertainly as Kwest nodded his head while looking at Tommy silently.
"You're an idiot, man." Kwest said suddenly as Tommy's head shot up like an arrow.
"Don't patronize me, Kwest. I know I made a mistake." Tommy said sullenly as Kwest threw a pencil dangerously at him.
"What mistake, Tom? She is the furtherest thing from a mistake I ever saw you make. Forget about everything else. She makes you better, you make her better. Okay, so she's pregnant. Big deal. Things like that happen in the real world. You could make it work if you tried. And don't pretend that you don't love her. I've seen you do more things for that girl in the past two years than you've done for anyone, even yourself. Just go after her, you moron." Kwest said with little empathy as Tommy looked up at Kwest sadly.
"What if she doesn't take me back? What if she doesn't believe that I love her?" Tom asked in a low tone as Kwest leaned over meaningfully.
"Then do like she asked, Tom. Prove it."
