Late that night, Jude was watching a movie on her laptop when her cell phone rang.
"Hello."
"Jude, hey. I didn't think you would answer since it was so late."
Jude smiled. "Well I'm still awake. What's going on?"
"You mean besides my dysfunctional family driving me nuts?"
"Yeah, besides that."
"Not a whole lot."
Jude frowned as she heard the high pitched wail of an infant. "Riley, what was that?"
"That would be my niece Brenna."
"One more thing I now know about you," Jude joked.
"You'll know more soon enough. So, why exactly are you awake at two in the morning?"
"Well I couldn't sleep, so I started watching a movie, and then you called me. I guess I could have ignored your call."
"Well I'm glad you didn't. I'll be home day after tomorrow probably."
"Good. So what are you doing with your family?"
He sighed. "Jude, it's a long story. I promise I'll tell you eventually, but now isn't the right time."
"I shouldn't have brought it up," Jude said softly.
"It's okay, you're curious. Look, it's nothing really bad, it's just one of those things that I don't really like to talk about. I'm going to let you get some sleep though. Bye Jude."
"Bye."
Riley had returned from the trip to visit his mysterious family, and over the next few months they had grown closer and closer. People could count on the couple being in the tabloids at least every other day. They were the world's next supercouple and everyone fell in love with them. Kwest and Jersey had yet to make the big move to L.A., and Tommy had returned to work at G Major.
Tommy had never given up on Jude before, and he wasn't about to now. He thought about her everyday and her memory almost killed him at times. Some days, he could go a whole hour without thinking about her, and just as he was thinking he was going to get through this, some small reminder of Jude popped up to bite him in the ass.
Kwest and Jersey had planned to fly out to L.A. in a few days when Tommy had found the guitar he had given Jude on her birthday. He ended up trashing Studio B and Jersey persuaded Kwest to postpone the move for Tommy's sake.
"But Kwest, you guys promised you would be here this week. You've been putting it off for months already," Jude argued.
"Jude, I know. We'll try for next week, okay?"
"Whatever. Why do you guys keep letting Tommy ruin your plans?"
"I never said Tommy was the reason why we weren't coming."
"You don't have to say anything about it, I just know."
"He's my friend, Jude, and he's Jersey's brother. We can't just abandon him."
"He deserves to be abandoned," Jude yelled and hung up the phone.
"Hey, am I interrupting something?" Riley asked as he walked into the apartment.
Jude looked up and solemnly shook her head. "No, I just. It was just a phone call."
"Somehow I don't think that was 'just' a phone call, but I'll take your word for it." Riley walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "You're stressed."
She shrugged as Riley began rubbing her shoulders. "Maybe a little."
"Let's go surfing then."
Even though Jude had developed a fierce love for the sport, she knew paddling out right now was probably only going to hurt her more. "Maybe some other time."
"Something really has you wigged out doesn't it?" Concern was evident in Riley's voice.
"You could say that."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"It's just one of those things that's bothering, but it shouldn't be."
"I'm guessing it has to do with that ex you left back in Canada that you never talk about," Riley said, sounding a bit irritated.
Jude spun around to face Riley. "You know nothing about that!"
"You're right, and I probably never will with the way you keep secrets."
"Oh I keep secrets? I know nothing about you!"
"Like I know much more about you! The few things I do know about your family and the life you had before you moved down here, all came from the tabloids!"
"I can't do this with you right now."
"Do what?"
"This! Fighting with you! I think you should go."
"What?"
Jude sighed. "I don't want to fight with you RIley! You know I like you a lot."
"Jude, I love you."
"But, but you just said you didn't know anything about me," she said timidly, all the angry feelings fading away.
"I know what I said, and I didn't mean it. Let's face it, we both have our ghosts. I don't need to know about the Jude of the past because I know the Jude that's right in front of me."
"Riley-"
"Shh," Riley said, gently holding his finger against her lips.
"Riley, you don't love me."
"Yes I do Jude. You're different than the other girls I've met."
"Riley, do you really know what you're saying?"
"Of course I do."
"No, you really don't. This me, it's not who you think I am."
"What are you tlaking about? What's the great big secret about you?"
Jude shook her head. "My big secret? I fell in love with my older, alcaholic, drug-addict producer, and he fell back too late."
"Everyone makes mistakes, Jude. Are you expecting me to hold that against you? Because I won't, and you should know that by now."
"You're just going to brush that off?"
Riley took hold of her hands and looked into her eyes. "Yes. You fell in love, it's not something you have control of."