A/N: Ok guys, a short update, but a big one. Been busy with school starting, but I hope you guys enjoy this update anyway. :D Glad you're enjoying the fic and still with me. Now…without further ado, chapter 16!

Chapter 16

Tommy peeled out of the parking lot of G Major Records and sped through the streets of Toronto.

He'd been an idiot and he knew it now. He'd had the girl of his dreams and he let her slip away; but not without a fight. He knew he deserved whatever coldness Jude threw this way but he couldn't help but hope that she'd listen and give him one more chance; and he'd had more than his share of second chances. If he were in a ballgame, he would have struck out long ago.

His first strike could have technically been when he iced her about kissing him in the dressing room in the Vynl Palace, but he honestly didn't think she ever faulted him for it…despite the harsh words that came out of her mouth just after. The next would undoubtedly at her sweet 16 when he had kissed her…and then made her take it back. The next strike? When she had found out he was dating her older sister in secret for a couple of months. He winced at the thought of Sadie and continued to drive on. His next, and fairly minor strike, was when he failed to tell her about the G Major take over and not supporting her choice to sing My Sweet Time over Stupid Girl. Everything seemed good then…until he supposedly cheated on her sister and all hell broke lose between them; luckily, he was able to save that relationship. And then now. He was sure there were probably other moments in her life he was forgetting, but those were the major ones he could remember and knew that he had screwed up at.

And she kept forgiving him; time after time, she accepted his character flaws and they went back to being…whatever it was they were. He just hoped, prayed, that this time was like the others. That she'd forgive him and they could move their relationship to the next level – a place, he thought, both of them wanted to be.

His foot pushed harder on the gas and he was momentarily thankful he had drove the Porche instead of the H2 this morning. He changed lanes to pass the car going the speed limit before him and cut back over sharply. He knew he was driving a bit more recklessly than normal, but he was determined to get to Jude, ASAP.

Jude set her guitar aside and held her head in her hands. She hated the way he always managed to make her feel. She hated the fact that she loved him no matter how many times he hurt her and no matter how determined she was to continue hating him, he always managed to charm his way back into her good graces and make her fall head-over-heels in love with him all over again.

That was the marvel of Tom Quincy; both the world's greatest jackass and sweet talker all in one package.

She sat back on her bed and closed her eyes a moment, letting her mind rest. She felt exhaustion ebbing at her and she gave away to sleep.

She bolted awake suddenly, not quite sure what woke her from a deep sleep. Her eyes traveled wildly around the room, not seeing a reason for her startling wake up. She relaxed and then heard her cellphone ringing from behind her. She reached around and grabbed it quickly and answered it without viewing the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Jude, hey." A nervous voice said.

"Kwest?" Jude asked, feeling confused. Why would kwest be calling? She wondered. "What's going on?" She asked, hoping she wasn't being called to…wait. She didn't work with Kwest anymore.

"It's about Tom." Kwest said, and she noticed something different about his voice. She couldn't place the emotion, but there was definitely something wrong.

"Kwest, I"

"He's in the hospital Jude."

Silence. Hospital. Tommy.

"He was in a car accident earlier."

Jude felt her heart stop and her blood run cold. She found she couldn't breath and Jude dropped the cell phone, her hands shaking to hard to hold it.

Hospital. Car. Accident. Tommy. Hospital. Car. Accident. Tommy. Those words repeated through her mind; a cacophony of noise that didn't seem to make any logical sense.

"Jude? Jude!"

She heard Kwest's muffled voice coming from the phone, but she couldn't answer him. Her mind barely registered the fact that his voice was there.