Chapter Six: Trouble in Paradise?

One Month Later

Jude and Tristan had gotten extremely close ever since Tommy showed up and left. Jude couldn't bring herself to talk to him so the entire week that he was there she avoided him like the plague. Tristan finally found out why Jude acted the way she did and he didn't blame her one bit. Of course he was slightly biased. The tour was slowly winding down and Tristan's feelings for Jude were growing stronger every day. He had decided to tell Jude that night after her concert. He just hoped she harbored the same feelings for him.

Jude found herself thinking about him again on stage as she was singing her hit 'Impossible'. It had been like that ever since that week he came on tour. After the song was over she thanked the crowd and walked offstage still thinking about him. He just wouldn't leave her brain alone. She wondered what he was doing, who he was with and if he really did meant it when he said he missed her. As she was walking she wasn't looking where she was going and ran into someone. The person grabbed onto her arms to help steady her and when she looked up, she laughed at who she saw.

"Tristan! What are you doing out here? I thought you were supposed to be breaking down the stage. That is your job you know." She said as she noticed that his hands were still on her arms. He had slowly changed from the fun loving Tristan she loved to some serious Tristan she was confused about.

"Yeah, well. I have a more important issue. Jude, I need to talk to you." He said, finally releasing her arms. Jude rubbed them because he had held her a little too tight.

"Oh, okay. Let's talk in my dressing room. I have to get out of these stinky clothes." Jude replied leading the way to her dressing room. Tristan followed closely behind making sure no one got in her way. When she reached the dressing room she walked in and went behind a curtain and began to change. Tristan closed the door and began to pace the floor.

"So, what do you need to talk to me about?" Jude asked from behind the curtain. Tristan took a deep breath and let it out.

"Us, Jude."

Jude's breath caught in her throat when she heard him. He couldn't be suggesting what she thought he was suggesting.

"Oh?" she asked, hoping it sounded as casual as she wanted it to.

"Yeah. Um, I know that we've become really good friends and everything on this tour and seeing as how it's almost over I figured I might as well tell you now than never tell you at all." He rambled. Jude finished changing and walked out from behind the curtain. She walked by Tristan and sat on the couch. She patted the spot next to her and Tristan took her lead and sat down.

"Tristan, you're rambling. You never ramble. What's going on?" Jude asked, facing Tristan. Tristan looked down at his hands and then looked back into her blue eyes.

"Jude, I like you. I like how you make me laugh when I've done something stupid. I like how I feel when I'm around you. I like how your eyes light up right before you go on stage. I like how you make me want to be something more." Tristan said. Jude's eyes widened and her mouth made a small 'o'. Tristan looked down embarrassed by what he just revealed. Jude's thoughts were going one million miles per hour trying to process what she just heard. 'Tristan likes me? I never thought about him like that. I mean he is attractive and funny and just amazing. I always thought he was what I wanted in a boyfriend. Maybe I do like him…' she thought to herself as she watched Tristan. Jude sighed and reached for Tristan's hands. She grabbed one of them causing Tristan to look back up at her. She smiled and intertwined their fingers.

"Tristan. I want to thank you for being honest with me and upfront about your feelings. We have become extremely close and I cherish your friendship." Tristan's shoulders dropped when he heard the beginning of her speech. "And because of that fact I want to do this right. I do care for you, I do. Let's just take this slow and see where it leads us." Jude finished smiling at Tristan. Tristan grinned and hugged Jude. Jude laughed when he stood up and spun around. He kissed her on the forehead and smiled.

"I like the way you think, Harrison." He said as he put Jude back on the ground. She giggled and smacked Tristan on his arm.

"You better, Hill." Jude grinned because the fun loving Tristan was back.

--

Tristan and Jude had been dating for three weeks when Jude noticed the difference between the new Tristan and the old one. The new Tristan was more possessive, protective, and sometimes more violent than the old Tristan. He was always yelling at her or at someone who had talked to her. He hardly ever laughed and he started to verbally abuse Jude. Instead of calling her sweet pet names he called her stupid, ignorant, and ugly. Jude never let anyone know what was going on behind closed doors. She was ashamed of herself and actually believed what Tristan told her. He loved her so why would he lie?

Jude had been talking to the guys of SME when her cell phone started to chime 'Time to be Your 21'. She blushed when the guys started to make kissy faces at each other.

"Guys, its Tommy. What should I do?" she asked. Speed raised his hand like he was a little boy in a classroom. Jude laughed and pointed at him, allowing him to speak.

"I think you should answer your phone, Red. It's been how long? Just talk to the man." Speed said, bowing as Kyle and Wally clapped. Jude shook her head.

"I don't have red hair anymore moron. You can't call me Red." Jude said as she walked away from the peanut gallery. She took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jude. I'm surprised you answered."

"Well, let me let you in on a little a secret, Quincy. When a phone rings, people generally answer it."

Tommy chuckled. That's the Jude he knew.

"Anyway Ms. Smarty-pants, I just called to apologize yet again for my jerkiness and to ask you what's new on tour."

"You are forgiven Tommy. I just was hurt and all that jazz. I'm over it." Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tristan talking to some of the other roadies. She winced when she saw that he noticed her.

"Well that's good. Did you at least get a good song out of this?"

Jude laughed and quieted herself when Tristan looked over at her again.

"I did actually. Tommy, you are my inspiration. Oh yeah, and the wind beneath my wings." Jude replied sarcastically. Tommy laughed. Jude looked over towards Tristan and sighed when she saw that he was now heading towards her.

"Tom, I gotta go. I'll see you in about two to three weeks, ok?" she said. She didn't give him the opportunity to respond; she clicked 'End' and smiled up at Tristan when he finally reached her.

"Hey babe." She said as she tried to give Tristan a hug and a kiss. Tristan backed away from her and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why were you talking to Lil Tommy Q? No, let me rephrase that, why were you FLIRTING with Lil Tommy Q?" he asked, grabbing hold of her upper arm and squeezing. Jude's eyes closed from the pain.

"I wasn't flirting Tristan. He called and I answered. We talked. That's it. He is my producer after all." She replied instantly wincing when she realized what she said. Tristan's eyes flared with anger and he shoved Jude away causing her to land hard against a wall. She slid down until she was sitting with her legs folded up to her chin.

"Never speak to me like that again, do you hear me? I don't want you talking to him anymore. He hurt you, remember? Maybe you like the pain. It draws people's attentions, doesn't it?" Tristan asked before walking away leaving Jude behind to cry in humiliation and anguish.

Back at the studio Tommy was looking at his phone like it had come alive when Kwest walked in with two cups of coffee. Tommy looked over at him and smiled.

"Guess who I just talked to?" he asked as he accepted the cup Kwest handed him. Kwest cocked his head to the side and pretended to think.

"Well, let's see. With the way you're smiling and glowing like some girl who's pregnant, I'd have to say Jude." Tommy nodded his head and drank some of the coffee.

"Yup. She forgave me and she even made fun of me. It's just like old times. Except towards the end she kinda rushed me off the phone. I dunno what was up with that." Tommy said, placing the cup down and spinning in his chair. He had had way too many coffees that day it seems.

"Dude, lay off the caffeine. Maybe she rushed you off because her boyfriend was coming to talk to her and she didn't want to be heard talking to y-o-u." Kwest said. As soon as Tommy heard the word 'boyfriend' he stopped his spinning.

"Jude has a boyfriend?" he asked. Kwest smiled and nodded.

"Yup, some guy named Tristan. Apparently he's a roadie on her tour and they've been an item for about three weeks or so." Tommy's jaw dropped.

"Tristan? Three weeks? She didn't tell me." Tommy said. Suddenly his caffeine high wore out.

"Maybe you didn't give her the chance. You were probably talking like some auctioneer or something. Like I said, lay off the caffeine." Kwest turned and went back to work leaving Tommy to cope with what had been said.

'She has a boyfriend?'