I had my eyes closed so tightly I couldn't tell what was going on as wood fell around me into the room. I didn't feel pain. That was good, right.

"Jude…Jude? Are you alright? Open your eyes." Tommy commanded me insistently. I cracked an eyelid open carefully—afraid of what I'd find once I sat up. Tommy's eyes searched mine frantically as I finally looked directly into his gaze.

"What happened?" I asked almost on a whisper as a growl met my question.

"You shot me that's what happened!" A voice yelled as I sat up to find Ethan sitting against the wall of the room holding his arm. Tom glared at him menacingly as sirens sounded in the distance. He grabbed for the pistol.

"I suggest you shut your mouth or I will finish it for her. Trust me, I have much better aim." Tommy stated in a low tone as he glanced back over at me. I couldn't even look him directly in the eye. I hadn't seen him in months and now here he was rescuing me. I didn't want that no matter how much I was grateful for that. He ran his hand up the side of my face.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly as I let him touch me only for a second.

"I'm fine." I answered carefully as the room suddenly flooded with uniformed officers. I looked over at Ethan almost sadly.

"Why did you do all this?" I asked him almost on a whisper. I couldn't understand what had caused the anger in him. He didn't seem like a generally violent person. I even felt like I would have liked him under different circumstances. My eyes fell on the picture of him with the young girl that I had seen earlier. His gaze followed mine as the police bent down to hand-cuff him.

"She's my sister." He whispered quietly as I looked back over into his face. I knew there was more to it than that.

"Why?' I asked again as the police got ready to haul him off.

"Because she's in the hospital right now dying of cancer and I can't afford the treatments that could save her." He answered in torment as I felt my heart break. The police pulled him away then, and I winced at the idea that this could have all been avoided if Ethan had just asked for help. But he seemed determined to do it the hard way as if he held a grudge against those who had money. Maybe he did. I jumped up with a wince at the soreness in my muscles. The wrestling match between us had done some damage.

"What's her name?" I called out as Ethan yelped when a paramedic came up to him in the hall. He looked up at me angrily.

"It's Rebecca." He answered bitterly as if he was furious at the world for what was happening to her. Maybe it was enough to drive a person insane—to make them greedy especially since he didn't seem to have any parents. He was probably a little older than Sadie. Tom touched my shoulder and I jumped—startled out of my thoughts.

"We should go." He murmured as I nodded before following him out the door and down the stairs. Ethan was right. Fame changed things. It made you a target for bitter people—for those who had real problems. It made mine pale in comparison. I glanced back at him one more time as I followed Tommy. I had a feeling this was going to change me because I already felt different. Songs started writing themselves suddenly in my head. Now the question was—was Tommy here to stay?