A/N: Here's the next chapter, posted today as promised. Thanks for reviewing everybody! You're seriously all the best.
We pick up a few days after the whole 'morning after' incident.
"Hello?" Jude said weakly into the phone.
"Jude? Is that you?" Sadie's voice came echoing through the phone line.
"Hi, Sades, it's me," Jude replied quietly, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"Are you okay? You sound all spacey or something…"
"I was sleeping," she replied distantly, stretching.
"Sleeping? Jude, it's 6:00 on a Tuesday night. What are you doing sleeping?"
"Oh, well…I kind of left work early today. I wasn't feeling well," Jude admitted hesitantly.
"Not feeling well? What's wrong, Jude? And why didn't you call me back this weekend? I left you like ten messages."
Jude exhaled loudly over the phone. "Yeah, sorry about that, I umm…turned my phone off…"
"Turned your phone off? Why?"
"Well, I was…busy…" Jude replied distantly.
"Busy with what? Oh wait—wasn't the concert on Saturday? How was it?" Sadie asked, her tone more upbeat. However, her question was met with a few moments of silence on the other end of the line.
"It was fine," Jude said faintly.
Sadie contemplated the way in which Jude's response came out.
"Okay…" she replied tentatively. "Jude, what's going on? You're not acting like yourself."
"What are you talking about?" Jude asked, wanting to avoid telling Sadie the truth.
"This mood you're in. You sound all…weird. And coming home early from work to sleep? What is it? There's way more going on than what you're telling me," Sadie said.
Jude sighed into the phone. "It's a long story."
"So? I have an hour or so before my last dress fitting."
"Sadie, I don't really feel like talking—"
"Tough. I'm going to get it out of you eventually, so start talking," Sadie insisted.
Jude swallowed and began timidly, "I sort of had a big falling out with Tommy."
"Falling out? Over what?"
Jude took a deep breath, realizing that Sadie was right—she was going to tell her the truth sooner or later, but she was really hoping it would be later. "Umm…well, it was kind of complicated…"
"Jude, just tell me already," Sadie pleaded impatiently.
"Fine, but you're not going to like it. In fact, you might hate me. I pretty much hate myself right now."
"Hate you?" Sadie questioned. "Oh, this is going to be good…really good…please, continue."
Jude closed her eyes and spit out the story in one breath. "Well, Tommy and I went to the concert, which was great, but we ended up drinking too much and when we got back to my apartment afterwards, one thing led to another and…well…you know…"
"You know? No, Jude, I don't know. So you're going to have to clarify. What happened?" Sadie asked anxiously.
"We sort of…did something really really bad," Jude mumbled.
"Like, how bad?" Sadie asked, her tone becoming more ominous as she sensed the answer.
"Really bad. Like the worst thing we could've done," Jude admitted quietly.
"Like—oh my god—Jude, did you—no, you couldn't have—" Sadie stumbled, her thoughts coming out in spurts.
"We did," Jude confirmed dimly.
"Oh. My. God," Sadie said slowly, then whispered frantically, "You had sex with Tommy?"
Jude bit her lip, not wanting to answer, but let out a feeble, "Yes."
"Oh my god!" Sadie screamed. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my—"
"Sadie, will you please stop?" Jude asked irritably. "I feel bad enough, okay? And that's only half the story."
"What else happened?" Sadie questioned, trying to calm down.
"Afterwards, we had this huge fight and I told him that I wanted him out of my life. That I didn't want to be friends anymore—that we're done."
"Wow, Jude. That's kind of…severe, don't you think?" Sadie asked in surprise.
"Severe? Sadie, he's engaged! And I'm dating someone else! And I slept with him! Now I'm supposed to hang out with him like nothing ever happened?" Jude shouted heatedly.
"Whoa, calm down!" Sadie ordered.
Jude breathed deeply. "Seriously, Sadie, I can't eat or sleep ever since that morning. He's been calling and leaving me messages but I just keep deleting them without even listening. Or turning my phone off. And today I felt so sick, I had to leave work."
"Do you regret what you told him?" Sadie asked directly.
Jude took a minute before answering. "No, I don't. You were right—we can't ever just be friends. All this time, I was lying to myself…I thought I could handle it, but I couldn't," she faded, tears welling up as she spoke. "The truth is that I have feelings for him. Feelings that I shouldn't have…I put on this show of being this great friend but I was falling for him. I tried not to, I really did, but I felt like I was fifteen all over again."
"Jude, you two have a history. How could you not feel something for him?" Sadie asked in an attempt to make her feel better.
"You don't get it, Sadie," Jude said, her tears falling freely, "The worst part of the whole thing is that I wanted it to happen. I wanted to be with him, even if it was only for one night…and it just…it felt so right…"
"Oh, Jude," Sadie consoled, listening to her sister's confession.
"I hate myself for feeling those things…but Sadie, it was so amazing…and it's never been like that for me. Not with Rob, not with anyone."
"Do you think…maybe he felt that too?" Sadie posed skeptically.
"He didn't. He can't," Jude answered dismissively through tears. "He already made his decision on who he wants to be with—forever. And it's not me."
Sadie took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm not going to disagree with you, Jude—you know I think the two of you could never just be friends—but part of me saw how happy you were once he was back in your life. You were happier than you've been in years."
"But it was all a lie," Jude replied through tears. "I was happy believing in something that wasn't real."
"But you were happy nonetheless. He made you happy, regardless of what went on inside your head," Sadie said flatly.
"Yeah…" Jude agreed softly, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "I'm gonna go, Sadie. My head hurts…I need to lay down again..."
"Okay. But you're still coming home next weekend for the wedding, right?" Sadie asked in a panic.
"Of course, Sadie. Rob and I will both be there."
"Good," Sadie replied in relief. "I think the weekend at home might be good for you, Jude. It'll give you a chance to spend some time removed from everything and be with your boyfriend. The one you're supposed to be with, remember?"
"Yeah…maybe you're right. I'll be home on Friday night, so I'll see you then?" Jude asked.
"I'll see you then. And Jude, please don't be so hard on yourself. Your life will go on whether Tommy is in it or not," Sadie pleaded before hanging up. "Everyone makes mistakes. You just have to learn from them and move on."
"Thanks, Sades," Jude replied feebly.
"And please eat some dinner," Sadie added.
"Okay, okay…good night, Sadie," Jude said before hanging up.
She sighed and leaned back on her bed, head on her pillow, and closed her eyes to stop the tears from flowing again.