Chapter 41

The Return

Their reunion should have been beautiful and so sweet; two lovers finally back together after too much time apart. Instead their presence almost caused a riot at the airport where she waited for him to land. Alone with her hair tucked under a baseball cap, a sweatshirt and ripped jeans, she looked like any average girl, not drawing much attention. That lasted only until he came out of the terminal and his searching eyes found her. Once he made his way into her arms, pulling the hat off her head, letting her golden curls loose and pulled her in for a kiss they drew attention. The kiss itself was noteworthy in its passionate intensity and once people looked their way, the rest as they said was history. Even they, always so focused on each other could not drown out the buzzing noise of the people around them as they realized who the young couple were. Airport security had to be called and they had to be escorted to baggage claim and then to her car. The next day photos snapped on phones would be sold to the tabloids.

"Jude...?"

"Hmm.." She turned her head up to look at him, from the shelter of his arms. They had made it home in once piece although at one point it appeared that cars had been following them.

"How come you never asked me if I was with anyone else on tour?" He still remembered the early days of his relationship with Portia when she was constantly questioning his every action. Of course he had done plenty of things back then to make her mistrust him.

"Because you love me." She said simply as if there was no question, as if there weren't hundreds of beautiful girls throwing themselves at his feet every night. He appreciated the women, but had only felt burning hunger for one. The belief in him, so clear in her big blue eyes, floored him. "Besides if you were satisfying yourself with the groupies I figured we wouldn't have had all that phone sex." He laughed and tickled her ribs making her squirm against him.

"God I missed you so much." He said as he looked into her eyes and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Marry me."

"I can't. You see..." She whispered against his lips. "This man is blackmailing me and I promised I'd marry him."

"What secrets does he have on you Harrison?" He said playfully, turning his head to nip at her ear lobe.

"He's the only one who knows my weaknesses."

"Really..." His hand found one of her weaknesses bringing a moan to her lips.

The Fight

They arrived back at the apartment in the early afternoon from G-Major which was highly unusual for them. Usually when they had the chance they spent all day and sometimes all night working on their music. Today however, Tommy was starting to find out how disrupted Jude's life at G-Major had become. She would not even look at him as she took off her jean jacket and yanked open the closet door to fling it carelessly into the dark recesses, before slamming it shut.

She had been giving him the silent treatment, ever since he had made an offhand comment about her slacking on her music, while he had been on tour. He hadn't really meant it, but it had puzzled him why she had so few new songs written and had only produced 2 for her record while he'd been gone. After she had started yelling at him, and he still wasn't sure what she had been talking about, something about 5 cakes and celebrities she's never met, he'd overreacted and started yelling back. Then the yelling became a glaring contest, until Georgia finally came in and kicked them both out, saying they were distracting everyone at the studio.

"Jude..." She ignored him as she headed for the spare bedroom they had made into a music room. He followed her, but she already had headphones in her ears and her electric guitar in her hand. She was attacking the strings almost violently and he knew her hands would feel it in the morning. He sighed and turned around, leaving her alone.

Tommy sat down on the couch with his head in his hands. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He had come back from the tour just two days ago. He and Jude should have been making love, not fighting. It was true she seemed a little tenser than usual and she had shadows under her eyes, but he had assumed that was because she did not sleep well without him as he didn't without her. It wasn't that this was the first time they had gotten into a fight, they were both passionate people after all. It was the fact that Jude was holding something back this time and he couldn't figure out what it was.

Later that night Tommy lay in bed in the dark with the television remote in his hands, flipping through random channels. She had not surfaced from the music room, even to eat and he had finally gone to bed alone. He hoped he had made the right choice by giving her time to cool off, instead of pushing the issue. He heard the creak of the door and looked away from the screen to see her standing in the doorway. She stripped down to her panties and t-shirt as she walked towards the bed. Jude pulled up the covers and slid underneath them into his arms. She put her head on his chest as he held her close, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered so softly he barely made it out.

"What's going on Jude?" He asked with concern, but she simply shook her head and he let the matter drop for the time being. Her tongue darted out to taste his nipple and he fisted his hands in her hair. He let her distract him tonight, but he would not forget that she was keeping something from him for long.

This Is Pampering?

What was it with people having the urge to wrap her up like a sardine? Was all Jude could think as the masseuse continued to tighten the oversized towel wrapped around Jude's naked body. Sadie and E.J. had booked them all into a luxurious spa three days before the wedding so she could get the works done to her. Jude had not liked the sound of it and had been a little insulted that they said she really needed that facial. She was only 20 years old! She wondered why anyone would ever think it would be a good idea to put mud on her face. Jude could barely breathe, between not wanting to inhale any gunk into her nose and the evil woman who was continually tightening the cloth around her. The salt paste the woman had spread onto her skin, before the mummification process was not remotely comfortable and she wished badly that she could just jump into the large Jacuzzi in the common room, but no she was stuck here until they said she was done.

Sadie gave a small moan of pleasure on the table next to Jude as hot stones were placed on top of her. Jude just closed her eyes and tried to go to her happy music place. She had to tell herself countless times that day that it would be over soon.

This Is What It's Become?

Jude sat on her bed in old room and stared at the map in front of her. It was of the grounds of Casa Loma where their wedding would be held the next day. There was the part of the garden where they would be married, the spot where the stage would be set up with the movies screen on it, the outdoor reception area and then there was the...press tent?! She blinked and looked again, not believing E.J. had invited the press, when she had promised it would only be E! news following them around. Not that that wasn't bad enough. She looked inside the small shopping bad sitting next to her and rolled her eyes. Who had swag bags at a wedding?! As her thoughts raced, she knew she couldn't do it. She stood up quickly and grabbed the bag absentmindedly as she snuck out of her room and down the stairs. Sadie would be looking for her soon to bring her to the bachelorette party and she had to make sure her sister didn't catch her. She thought she could handle the wedding, but as the hours started to tick away, she knew in her heart it was wrong. She had to go to the apartment and tell Tommy, even though the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him.

Tommy opened the door to investigate, having heard Jude fiddling with the key, unable to even work the lock she was so agitated.

"Jude...?" She walked in with a small glossy cream colored shopping bag in her hand. He shut the door and turned to her. Her troubled eyes met his questioning ones as she looked up. "Aren't you supposed to..."

"Tommy I can't do this..." She interrupted, with words that tore out his guts.