So here is the next chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far. I am excited for her birthday coming up because my ideas for what he has planned are definitely falling into place. Of course it wouldn't be a Jude birthday without a bit of drama. Stay tuned.

Chapter 24

Jude and Sadie went to dinner, but she couldn't quit thinking about Tommy. Wondering what he was doing. She love hanging out with Sadie, but she really wanted to be with him. The previous night opened up a whole new world for her with him.

"So, are you all excited about your party next week?" Sadie's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Can't wait. It's going to be my first official public appearance with Tommy. Finally I can show the world he is mine."

"It's been a long wait, baby sis."

"Sadie I never thought we'd really make it. I hoped, but you know. He's Tommy Q, but I have never been happier."

"Good. So, you want to skip the movie, and I will drop you off at his place?"

"No Sadie, tonight is about us."

"I know that look. You should be with him. You were miserable with out him for a week."

"Thanks, Sadie."

One the way to his place, she couldn't help but think about when he got home from Montana.

Tommy had been gone a couple of months. After his first phone call, he called twice every week. He still wouldn't tell her what he was taking care of, but at least she was able to hear his voice. Now it had been two weeks since his last call, and he was still not answering hers.

It was time for the annual Instant Star competition, and Jude wanted to distance herself from it. She wanted to make a real career for herself. She was amazed when Darius agreed to not include her into the finale. She was ready to be Jude Harrison, star, not Jude Harrison, Instant Star. Since Tommy had been gone she didn't have much to be excited about, but this made her really excited.

"He said yes! Darius! Yeas to me! Jamie? Hello?" She had to share her good news.

"Sorry Jude. It's just when Liam bailed, guess who got asked to clean up his mess." About a week after Jude's album release Liam had disappeared.

"Oh any news?"

"Official word is that he's running the South American division."

"And the unofficial word?"

"Went snaky. Took off to go find himself. Think he is in Paraguay or Uruguay. One of the guays."

"Well, stick with me kid. I'm blasting off on a whole new phase. Nothing can keep me down."

Jamie gave her a look and walked away.

"Whitney Houston we have a problem." Sadie said walking up to her. She handed her a big envelope.

Jude was freaking out. The envelope was full of pictures of her from the night she joined Mason on tour. She was drunk and half passed out. She had her clothes on, but the pictures still looked bad. The guy was also threatening to send them to the press if she didn't send him fifty thousand dollars. She didn't want this to get out. Darius was always on her case for her stupid mistakes. She needed Tommy.

"Jude Harrison. I'm so thrilled to finally meet you. I was hoping you could…"

"Karma." Jude interrupted her. "You were really good on Instant Star last night. But I'm really sorry this is sort of a bad time for me. Okay." Her mind was so consumed that she couldn't really think straight.

"Hey ego trip. Handle all your fans that way?" Spied stopped her when she walked away from Karma.

"I'm a little freaked right now. I got a lot of things on my mind."

"So you can't take a few seconds?"

"What am I gonna say to her?"

"I don't know. You've been where she is. The dice rolls, she's either a star or nobody. Maybe you have forgotten where you come from.

She really hated that coming from Spied. Her phone rang before she could think more about it. It was exactly who she needed. "Tommy, thank God. It's been two weeks."

"Hey. How are you?"

"How am I? How am I, you were calling me every week twice a week, and then your calls stopped."

"Judging by Instant Star last night, I'd say you're right on your game."

"You saw that?"

"Uh, Jude Harrison night? I might have cleared my schedule for it."

"When are you coming home?"

"Soon enough."

"Tommy, I serious. I need you to help me."

"Look what ever is going down, you can handle it. You've got instincts."

"My instincts didn't catch you'd take off."

"Look my business is almost finished. I'll explain everything when I get back. I promise."

Being able to talk to Tommy really helped soothe her nerves. She felt bad about the way she treated Karma. The next day she took her to the rehearsal space to blow off steam.

She thought she was being nice, so later that day when she found out the Karma ran to Darius about the blackmailing scheme, she was pissed. Darius said he'd take care of it on one condition, Jude perform at the Instant Star finale. She didn't want to, but really had no choice.

That afternoon, she had a fitting with Portia. "I know you think D id being a beast, but he's worried for you."

"I still can't believe those photos showed up."

"That is nothing compared to the stuff Tommy used to pull." Portia said laughing.

"Really?"

"Okay, outrageous rock star 101: stolen limos, putting an octopus in the hotel pool, and one time he did a strip tease in front of the Junos. And I married the guy."

"Yeah ages ago."

"Yeah well we shared something pretty hard to forget."

Jude wondered what Portia meant by that, but when she asked, Portia changed the subject. It was strange because she thought she knew everything there was to know about their marriage. She knew Tommy cheated on her with Angie, and that Angie died in a car wreck when Tommy wouldn't leave his marriage. Now she wondered if Tommy had been keeping something else from her.

Backstage at the finale she was trying her best not to be nervous. She hadn't performed on stage since the night Tommy left. She wasn't sure if she could do it with out him. She saw him walk around the corner, and at first thought she was seeing things.

She smiled and he smiled back. "Jude."

"About time super star." All she wanted to do was jump into his arms. She didn't care who was around or who would see them. She thought he looked better that she remembered. Then she saw a little girl with him. She watched as the little girl ran to Portia.

"There's our girl." She heard Portia say and picked her up.

Jude felt like she couldn't breath. She thought back to what Portia had said earlier about them sharing something hard to forget. She turned back to see Tommy smiling. "Oh this is rich. I can't believe it."

"Jude, you don't know what you are talking about." But she wouldn't let him explain. She rushed to her dressing room. How could he keep something like this from her? How could he profess his love for her when keeping a secret like this?

She wanted to scream. Tears fell form her eyes as she threw everything from her make up counter into the floor. She felt foolish for falling in love with him and believing he loved her.

"Jude." Tommy said from the doorway.

"How could you? I believed you when you said you loved me. If you loved me so much you would have told me you had a kid."

"Jude, she's not mine."

"Really?" she asked sarcastically. "Then why did you disappear for two months, then you show up with her. And the first person she ran to was Portia? Huh? Why?"

"She's Portia's niece. D's her father not me. He didn't want me to tell anyone where I was because it was his business."

"So, she's really not yours and Portia's?"

"No I promise. Why don't you go perform your heart out, and then we'll talk. I'll explain everything. We could go back to my place."

She shook her head. Maybe she wasn't his, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being betrayed. "I need time to process everything. I'm going home alone tonight. Maybe another night."

She went out and did a flawless performance. She tried to push all thoughts out of her mind. She didn't want to think about the pictures, Tommy, or Darius always cornering her into stuff. All she wanted to think about was her song.

She wanted to set herself apart from what everybody saw her as. She knew there would be a backlash, but like she told Darius she was a pro now. So, while she walked home in the rain, she decided to post the pictures on her web site.

Thinking back she was glad she didn't just open her arms to Tommy. She had needed him to fight to hold on to her. She really believed that was what made them the couple they now were.

Tommy was bored. He thought about calling Kwest, but didn't. He wished his girl were with him. If it were up to him, they'd spend the next few days leading up to her birthday in his bed. He walked to the kitchen to grab a beer, when there was a knock on his door.

He opened the door and chuckled. "What happened to dinner and a movie with your sister?" He asked seeing Jude on the other side of the door.

"We had dinner. Just decided to skip the movie." She said walking in. "So, what have you been doing?" She turned to face him.

"Wishing you were here." He said putting his hands on her hips.

"I'm here now." She responded with a smile wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Yes you are." He said before capturing her lips in a sweet longing kiss. He felt like he hadn't kissed her in ages when it only has been since that morning.

Jude was the one to deepen the kiss by running her tongue across his lips as he was backing her towards the couch. The back of her legs hit the side of the couch, and he lifted her up to sit on the arm never leaving her lips. He stepped between her legs and dug both hands into her messy blonde hair.

Jude moaned into his mouth, and lost her balance. She fell backwards onto the couch with Tommy tumbling after her. She couldn't help but laugh. "Oops."

"Yeah, oops." Tommy laughed and started tickling her.

"Tommy, stop." She said between giggles.

"Don't think so."

"Please. I'll do anything." She tried to wiggle out of his grip.

"Anything?" He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Yes." She said still in fits of giggles.

He got down so he could talk into her ear. "Say Tom Quincy is a sex god." His voice was raspy and sent chills all over her.

"I don't know. One time doesn't give me enough to go on." She said grinning before he attacked her sides again.

"Okay. Okay, Tom Quincy is a sex god."

"You better believe it." He said before meeting her in a mind-blowing kiss.

After a couple of minutes he pulled back and studied her face. "What?" She asked.

"We didn't talk this morning."

"About?"

"Last night." He was so serious.

"Tommy last night was perfect. It was everything I could have wanted and more. I love you so much."

"I love you too."

"So why don't we go up and you can prove to me how much of a sex god you really are?"

He jumped up and carried her to the stairs as quickly as possible.

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