Chapter 31

Another Misunderstanding

Late one night Jude and SME sat around on the bus, still too keyed up to sleep, from their concert that night. They had the radio going when a voice froze Jude in mid-motion. Spied turned the stereo up and they all listened as Tommy's new song Far Away came on. When it was over Spied went over and sat next to Jude on the couch.

"Do you think it's..." Jude turned to Spied with tears in her eyes. Although the tabloids had been pretty quiet about Tommy before she went on tour, she couldn't forget about the speculations about him and Cassandra Hayward. Or he could be with someone else even, by now.

"How could it be? I haven't heard from him in over a year." She closed her eyes as he drew her into his arms. Kyle and Wally joined them, surrounding her with their warm bodies. Sometimes boys could be really useful. He had done it. He had started his solo career and his single sounded amazing. She had always known he could do it, but confirmation that she was right held the tinge of bittersweet because she had always assumed she would be there with him.

"Is this a band thing or can anyone join in?" Mason Fox asked having just come out of the bathroom. He was Jude's opening act and they had invited him to stay on their bus since he didn't have his own band. The boys made room for him and Jude had to smile because she had the love of good friends even if she didn't have him anymore. She even let SME explain who Tommy was to Jude and why she had just broken down.

Declarations

There was a knock on the door and both Jude and Spied looked up. They had been working on a song together and the sudden noise surprised them both.

"Come in." She called. A man came in bearing a bouquet of roses. Spied frowned at his friend and Jude smiled.

"Smooth Andrews." He grinned at her and placed the flowers on the table before taking her in his arms for a hug. He glared at Spied over her head, but Spied didn't leave his seat. Jamie gave her a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back.

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked looking over at Spied again.

"We were just trying to work through some lyrics before the show. Speaking of..." She glanced at the wall clock. "I really want to get this one part right. Do you mind?" Jamie shook his head, knowing how Jude could get when she was inspired. He started to walk out, not sure she was happy he had shown up, when Jude put her hand on his arm.

"I'm glad you came Jamie." She smiled at him and he smiled back before backing out the door.

"You're not seriously considering getting together with Jamie are you?" Jude shrugged not understanding the big deal. She and Jamie understood each other. She didn't realize that Jamie had no inkling of the person she had become. "Don't do this to him Jude."

"Spied things are different now. We're not the same kids we were the first time we got together. I think there's a spark."

"You think there's a spark?" He repeated in disbelief. She nodded. "You and Quincy were like a raging forest fire." She looked away from him then unable to meet his eyes.

"What if that's not what I want anymore? Huh Spied?" That kind of intensity required an equally big sacrifice.

"That's who you are Jude. Passion, music, drama. That's not Jamie."

"You were the one who told me to move on."

"If you've moved on then why haven't you told your new 'boyfriend' what happened on tour? Don't you think he deserves to know?" She was silent. "You need passion. You're a rock goddess! You and Quincy used to make the walls smoke... Don't do this to him."

"I love Jamie" He was her rock; he was... safe...She closed her eyes knowing Spied was right.

"You're not in love with him though. Are you willing to risk your oldest friendship on a 'spark'?" Spied said with absolute belief, knowing she would make the right choice.

"What am I supposed to do huh? I have to move on. It's been over a year and I haven't heard from him once."

"Are you so sure that song wasn't for you?" She didn't want that kind of hope, because if it wasn't true the fall might break her. She closed her eyes again and shook her head.

Worth Waiting For

Tommy stood in front of the closed door, heart pounding, a manila envelope gripped tightly in his hands. He opened it quickly and drew out the sheath of documents, barely noticing the accompanying business sized white envelope, paper clipped to the back. He skimmed the pages quickly and was satisfied with what he saw. It was finally over. He carefully put the papers back in the envelope

Tommy went over to his desk and reached for a folded slip of paper with Jude's tour schedule printed on it, that he had snagged from G-Major. He searched for her most current location before going for his laptop.

There was a flight that would put him there in time to catch the end of her concert. He booked it and headed for his bedroom to pack a few things, careful to remember the papers he had waited so long for. His lawyer had called yesterday to confirm the divorce was final, but it wasn't closure until he could see the documents himself.

Finally

Jude was singing her second song of her three song encore when a dark haired man walked up to Jamie and Spied who had been watching her from backstage.

"Hey man." Spied said, not completely surprised to see him finally show up, especially after his single.

"Hey..." Tommy nodded at him. Jamie recognized him after a minute and spoke up in his typical sarcastic fashion.

"Little Tommy Q...I never thought I'd meet you." Tommy barely acknowledged him as he stared at Jude, listening to her beautiful voice, hearing the lyrics to Skin that could have been applied to him even if it had been written before they had ever met. He had more important things to worry about, than some geeky emo kid. When Jude finished her song Kyle and Wally got into place. She waited for Spied to come in with the opening chords to Broken and looked a little confused as Spied did not join her. Spied handed Tommy his guitar and headset and gestured for Tommy to get on stage. Tommy gave him a grateful look, having half expected Spied to slug him, instead of giving him a chance to get to Jude. Jamie and Spied watched as Tommy played the opening chords and started to sing.

I wanted you to know

I love the way you laugh

I want to hold you high and steal your pain...away...

They could not see the stunned expression on Jude's face from where they stood. She started to sing her part, coming in a beat late, her normally unwavering voice a little unsteady. Jamie turned to Spied with an incredulous look on his face. Spied did not miss the irony of the situation. Tommy was singing with Jude the song she had written for Jamie.

"What the hell is that about?" Jamie asked a little angrily. Although he didn't quite know the cause, he felt very uneasy. Jude had not known how to let him down and had been procrastinating. She had SME and Mason around most of the time so Jamie and she were rarely alone.

"Why do you think she said no every time you asked her out before?"

"Wait she told you that?!" Spied shook his head. That was not the important part.

"You know Jude was with someone on tour."

"Little Tommy Q?!"

"Look at them Jamie." Jamie turned his head back to the stage as Tommy continued to sing. "Think about why I let him go out there in my place. It's been over a year and she still isn't over him." Jude had come back from the tour different. She was no longer the same girl that had left reluctantly to join a boy band tour, but a more mature, more somber version as if she had lived years in the space of those few months. She had never spoken to Jamie about any of the personal stuff that had happened.

"That's bull. She was getting better." Spied just shook his head. You couldn't show the willfully blind anything they weren't ready to see.

"She's been pretending man." Jude had been getting good at putting on a mask to the world.

"Right...She's a horrible liar. Always has been."

"She had to learn..."

"What do you mean she had to learn? And what was the big deal about keeping his identity from me?" Jamie asked in frustration, gesturing towards the stage.

"He was married Jamie." No...His Jude would never have...

Jude's head whipped up at the voice, the one that still haunted her dreams. She thought she must be hallucinating as she stared into his eyes. His voice fell on her ears piercing straight to her heart. She could not think enough to even wonder why he was there. Her mouth opened automatically to begin her part. His eyes never left hers.

Jamie and Spied turned to stare at the couple again. It was just an act for the audience, Jamie insisted to himself. Then the song ended and they took their customary bow. The crowd was louder than usual, but neither of them noticed.The lights dimmed and the two of them walked off stage, passing Jamie and Spied without even acknowledging them, where they stopped a few feet away. They turned to each other again and Jamie saw her hand reach up to touch the small still pink scar on Tommy's forehead with the gentlest of caresses as if he would break. His hand grabbed hers, as she suddenly tried to pull hers away as if burned, and placed it against his cheek. She didn't have the will to pull back a second time, his warm skin felt so good against her palm.

He couldn't believe he was really here touching her. It felt the same, but different somehow, more important. Neither of them spoke, unwilling to break the spell. They never noticed the two men watching them, too caught up in each other.

"They're not even talking..." Jamie said, trying to find some shred of hope. Spied gave him uncharacteristically serious eyes.

"That's the point Jamie. They don't need to." Jamie could not keep his eyes from wandering back to them. Spied followed his gaze and saw Tommy lean in. "Come on Jamie. Let's get out of here." Spied clapped a hand on his friend's back and pushed him towards the next room.

"What are you doing here Tommy?" She finally said as he let go and her hand dropped limply to her side.

"I want another chance Jude." She was a little stunned to be seeing him and hearing this after such a long time. Their hands joined, fingers linking together so naturally she barely registered it. He leaned in and gave her the sweetest kiss before pulling back, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I.." She was interrupted by one of the techies, telling her the V.I.P. fans were waiting for her in the courtesy room. She nodded at him and looked back at Tommy. "I need to go." He nodded and unlaced his fingers from hers.

"I'll wait for you outside." She looked back at him once last time, still unbelieving that he was really there, before walking away.