A/N: Thanks guys for all of your reviews on the last chapter! I figured you would like it, but it's great to hear your feedback. :) So we're picking up with Jude's reaction to Tommy's news. I'm sorry for the shortness of this post, but I decided that I wanted to keep the next chapter together instead of breaking it up between this post and the next one. So this chapter is a little shorter, but the next one is longer. And it's a good one. :) So enjoy!

But as she opened her eyes, Jude heard the quietest, softest voice behind her murmur,

"I broke up with Jessica."

----

Jude froze in her spot, her mind immediately doubting what she had heard. Maybe he hadn't spoken at all. Maybe it really was just a dream.

Needing to know if she had become completely delusional, she kept her back to him but quietly asked, "What?"

She heard him behind her take another deep breath, pause for a few seconds and then, he said it again.

"I broke up with Jessica."

This time, she knew she had heard correctly. His voice was a little louder, a little clearer, more definite.

All at once, she felt light-headed, grabbing hold of the kitchen counter next to her to keep her balanced. A million thoughts burst into her head, feeling overwhelmed by the admission he had just made, not knowing where to begin to sort everything out.

Feeling the dizziness fade, she exhaled deeply and slowly turned around towards him, her tears barely dry on her cheeks. She looked at Tommy across the room, sitting on the edge of the couch with his head down staring at the ground. She didn't dare budge—she couldn't move even if she wanted to—as she attempted to comprehend the words that she had just heard.

"But…you couldn't have…I mean, I just saw her…" she started, her voice sounding shaky, unsteady, with a hint of panic as the realization of his confession began to set in.

His head lifted and his eyes immediately met hers across the room. "What?"

"I…I just saw her…on Thursday…" she muttered, remembering their night at the bar together.

He sat upright and eyed her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"We—we had drinks together. At a bar. Didn't she tell you?"

He silently shook his head, as she put the pieces together of the situation. Her thoughts came together in a jumbled mess, trying to rationalize everything that was happening.

"She was waiting for you and you didn't show. I was there…just by coincidence…and she sat down. We just started talking…we drank…she told me that she loved you and that you loved her…"

"Jude...," Tommy started, willing her to calm down, as her voice became stronger, more resilient.

But she just stopped speaking and met his gaze with a distant chill. Her instinct darted to Jessica, as she felt herself grow defensive and angry. She stumbled backwards a little, shaking her head in denial.

"No. It's not true…"

"It is," he replied quickly, watching as she turned away, covering her eyes with her hands.

"No…it's not!" she cried, running her fingers through her hair, refusing to believe what he was telling her. "When?" she asked fiercely, opening her eyes to burn into his. "When did this happen?"

He paused for a second, then answered hesitantly, "About three hours ago."

She looked at him in disbelief. "But the wedding…"

"Is off," he mumbled softly, watching her reaction closely.

"What?" she asked faintly, in complete shock.

She closed her eyes as the feeling of sympathy flooded her whole system. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Tommy sitting peacefully on the other side of the room. His composure made her even more infuriated and defiant. Why wasn't he upset?

"How could you do that? To her? She's your fiancée! You can't just break up with her! You can't call off your wedding!" she yelled, wanting to rile him up and see some form of a reaction.

"I had to," he responded calmly, observing her full range of emotions.

"No, you didn't! How could you just…end it? Didn't she mean anything to you?" Jude questioned heatedly, her thoughts unwilling to stray from Jessica.

"What? Jude, you've got it all wrong—"

"No, Quincy, I think you're the one who's wrong here! You ask a girl to marry you and then you marry her. That's the way it works. Isn't it?" she asked vehemently, staring him in the eye across the room with her hands on her hips. "You need to go…go back…go apologize!"

"Jude—"

"Just leave!" she cried loudly, turning away from him and feeling the lump form in her throat.

He sighed and stood up quietly, not walking towards the door but closer to her.

"Jude, please…"

She swallowed away the tears and felt her fury subside as she glanced back at him, standing only a few feet away, his eyes revealing his own inner turmoil.

She took a deep breath, recalling every bit of her conversation with Jessica, recounting it all mindlessly but more evenly. "She told me…about how you used to bring her flowers. About how you've had problems before but always worked through them. About how much she loves you. And how much you love her. Right?"

He looked into her eyes shamefully. "It's over, Jude."

She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She closed her mouth again, using the brief moment of silence in the room to try to think a little more clearly. But as her mind began racing again, her consideration for Jessica suddenly became replaced by alarm. What did this mean? Why did he break off his engagement? Was she part of his reason?

"Oh my god…" she started, touching her forehead in the realization that she may actually have been part of the reason.

He saw the guilt and confusion flash across her face, as he walked a little closer, eyeing her the whole time. As his steps grew nearer, he said softly, "That's why I'm here…why I needed to hear how you feel about me. And why I couldn't tell you where the question came from."

She looked up at him but searched for more answers. "I…I don't understand…"

He exhaled deeply and attempted to explain a little more. "If you knew I broke off my engagement, I thought it might've changed your answer and I didn't want that. I needed to know how you really feel—regardless of anything or anyone else in our lives."

She watched the words come out of his mouth, fearful to know more but needing to understand why he needed to hear her confession in the first place. "But…why? Why did it matter how I feel?"

He gazed at her gently and took a deep breath. He looked over at the empty couch and pointed to it. "You might want to sit down."