I looked over at Chris as he drove back to the apartment later that night with trepidation only because I knew he had been giving me strange looks all evening almost as if he could read the conflicting thoughts that kept running haphazardly throughout my head. This was not my day, I tell you.

"You're awful quiet tonight." I said finally as Chris just smiled slowly at me before reaching out and taking my hand gently into his—driving with one hand as he maneuvered through the streets.

"I'm just tired." He replied simply, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end at the frank statement. That was an 'uh oh' statement—the kind of phrase that everyone used when something was bothering them, but they didn't want to talk about it. I unlatched my seat belt and scooted over to him warily—twisting the stud in his ear slowly as I leaned up to kiss him on the neck. He just squeezed my hand—hard.

"Something is bothering you." I said frankly as he just shrugged again before pulling his hand out of mine.

"I thought I saw you in Tom Quincy's race car at the tracks, Jude. Were you riding in it, perchance? And please tell me the truth. Please." Chris pleaded softly as I turned to look out the window into the night. I couldn't lie to him so I just nodded mutely as he sighed from behind the wheel.

"What is he to you, Jude? Is he just your producer?" Chris asked in a whisper as I glanced over at him soberly.

"He's not even that now. I fired him." I stated matter-of-factly as Chris looked over at me in surprise—cataloguing the serious expression I had etched across my features.

"Did you do that because you didn't like his work, Jude, or because you found it difficult to work with him?" He asked seriously as I flinched. I didn't want to break up with him. Why didn't he just quit asking me all of these questions? I stared steadily at my hands.

"Because I found it difficult to work with him." I replied in a hushed tone as Chris winced. I knew that had hit home, but I was such a horrible liar. Telling him anything else would have been a disaster. He grew quiet again.

"I hope you figure things out, Jude, because I don't have the strength to walk away from you. If we broke up, you would have to be the one that left." He replied softly as I looked over at him soberly. He was right. I really need to figure things out. I dreaded the picnic tomorrow. I dreaded it terribly.