"Who?" Dayton asked.
"Oh. Sorry. I thought you were... Someone else."
"You didn't recognize me?" Dayton smiled and pulled Jude into a tight hug.
"Haha. No... Just not that jacket." Jude smiled as best she could, hiding all the hope that had just silently crushed her heart.
Dayton brushed off his leather jacket.
"Do you like it? It's new." Dayton spun around.
"It's nice..." Jude lied quietly.
Dayton ran a hand through his brown hair.
"It's okay if you don't." Dayton took her hand and pulled her toward his car.
"No. I do." Jude lied again.
"Sure..." Dayton squeezed her hand.
He opened up her door and soon they took off into the night.
"Where to?"
"The coffee place and then back here. I have work to do." Jude eyed the road.
Tommy took a breath, gathering himself.
Her car was there. How could she not be?
He spied a blue Camaro but quickly disregarded, not knowing Jude was seated in the passengers seat of it.
He'd been out here for almost an hour. It was 3 o'clock. When would she come out and get in her car?
Had she fallen asleep?
Maybe she had turned into a partier.
Whatever she was, a sad thought approached him..
He didn't know her anymore.
And the feeling made him want to leave.
There was always tomorrow.
But he didn't know if tomorrow, he would be strong enough.
Tommy reached into his pocket and grabbed a picture out of his wallet.
Jude's senior picture.
She had given it to him 6 years ago.
Insane, he thought.
Finally, he dozed off, lost in memories of her smile.
Lights in his eyes woke him up.
"Ah!" He woke up.
Damn, he thought.
There was the blue camaro again.
Odd, he thought.
Tommy carefully studied the car, which was parked about 10 yards from him.
Someone hopped out of it, quickly making a trail behind her from the car, and waving at whoever was in it.
A slender, blond jogged up to the doors.
He couldn't think.
He didn't.
With out knowing it, he jumped out of his Volvo.
"Jude!" He called out loudly.
Jude jumped and turned around.
"T-T-Tom?"
He smiled and walked her direction.
Jude closed her eyes.
"NO! No! Leave! I'm gonna get hurt. I'm gonna fall. I can't do this to Dayton. You have to leave!" Jude's mind shouted.
Meanwhile, Tommy had made his way to her and locked his in a soft embrace.
She sunk in and finally took a breath.
"How have you been?" Tommy asked, finally started to let go.
"Uh. Fine." Jude lied, looking away from him.
"Why are you up here?" Jude finally asked, not meeting his eyes.
"To see you. I came to see you, Jude." Tommy brightened up.
Hearing him say that made her knees shake.
She'd waited to hear that, just hear his voice for half a decade.
Jude finally looked toward him, starting at his shoes.
The lights from the studio shone dimmly so she was able to study him.
He was wearing sneakers with faded jeans, a red shirt, and his old leather jacket.
Maybe it was even the same one he had always had.
Jude finally allowed herself to look at his face.
His cheeks were red, sun burnt.
His hair was a lot shorter than it had been.
But his smile light up everything around him.
She saved his eyes for last.
She had dremed of the calm, clear blue eyes since the day she left him.
She allowed herself to meet his gaze.
And then she lost conciousness.