Wow...it's funny how much power your reviews have! I went to bed with a major case of writer's block last night, and as soon as I saw all of the lovely reviews you guys left this morning, ideas started popping up left and right! So without further ado...chapter 4!


Jude slammed the door behind her, a small part of her feeling guilty for leaving Tommy so harshly. She squashed that small part of herself immediately, letting the now-familiar iciness coat her heart. I have to make a clean cut, she reasoned. You agreed to it, Harrison. Keep up your end of the deal and nobody gets hurt. She strode purposefully towards the lobby, trying to locate Georgia, when a familiar hand snaked its way around her bicep for the second time that day.

"Jude, please let me-" Tommy started, voice low so that only she could hear. If he could just tell her about the tabloids before she found out the hard way...

"Tom, LET ME GO!" Jude spat angrily, whirling around and yanking her arm from his grip yet again. "I don't want to talk to you, don't you get it? I'm done! We agreed to forget it and I'm just trying to do my part, but I can't do it if you won't LEAVE ME ALONE!" She cried, the hurt briefly shining through the anger darkening her hazel eyes. Every staff member in the lobby of G-Major stood frozen in their places, eyes wide and riveted to the spectacle that the two had created, but Jude and Tommy took no notice at their audience.

Tommy closed his eyes for a second, breathing in deeply, and then reached for one of the tabloids on the front desk. "If you had let me talk for just one second, Harrison, I would have warned you about this," he spat, tossing her the magazine. Jude caught it and turned it over, her furious countenance melting into disbelief as she took in the pictures splayed across the cover of The Daily Inquirer. Memories from that night assaulted her mind, but she refused to let the tears come again. She'd had enough of being the victim.

Tommy waited for her to say something; he waited for her to scream, or cry, or ask him how it happened. What he didn't expect was the change that came over her when she looked up from the tabloid in her hands. Her eyes looked vacant, and she showed not a single sign of anger, hurt, or sadness. She looked him dead in the eye and slowly ripped the magazine into pieces, ignoring the furious clicking of the paparazzi cameras that could see into G-Major's glass windows. Tom flinched as she threw the pieces at him, watching them drift slowly the ground in disbelief. What the hell?

Jude turned on one heel and left, ignoring the many pairs of eyes following her exit. The sound of a slamming studio door shattered the tense silence that followed her, and then those same eyes cut over to Tommy. He stared after Jude for what seemed like forever, and then stalked towards his office and shut the door quietly behind him. Shreds of glossed paper fell from his shoulders as he walked, leaving a brightly colored trail that led to his closed door.

The lobby remained still and silent for a few more seconds as the sounds of clicking camera shutters ceased, and then Georgia cleared her throat. "Let's get back to work, people."