A/N: I feel like it's been sooner, rather than later, that I updated this story, but the little stats are telling me otherwise. I apologize dearly! I have no idea why I haven't updated more – I have about 50 pages after this completely written, and recently I've been on a writing kick as well. It's like I've been so busy writing, I haven't had time to update. Unacceptable!
And a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed that chapter – and don't worry, when I said 'darker themes,' I didn't mean rape. There will be no rape in this story. Just…it gets a little gruesome. You sort of/almost find out some in this chapter – you definitely will next chapter. And don't worry, Sadie will finally take her head out of her…sand. Like an ostrich, you know. (What? It's late and that's funny to me.)
A big thank you to FlamingCammi, thinkpink14148, lo-love-last, Cra-Z-Praise, jess, jenn6891, carenicoleIQ, ISAddict, Kelly, musiclvr & everyone else that reviewed & gave me some constructive criticism or just plain enthusiasm. It's appreciated an absurd amount. ANYWAY…go read!
Disclaimer; Instant Star is not mine.
"Want to talk about it?"
It had been seven hours since the note had been found on Tommy's car – his fairly nondescript, plain vanilla car – and Jude had been wondering when Tommy was going to get around to asking the question she knew was on the tip of his tongue.
"I'm fine, Tommy," she answered, staring at the TV with blank eyes. She had no idea what was on, but was just glad for the distraction from reality.
"You've been pretty quiet since this afternoon. I just wanted to…"
"Just wanted to what, Tommy? 'Get to know me?' Take a number," Jude shot out before clamping her mouth shut and squinching her eyes. She didn't know what had gotten into her. She was just so fed up and so frustrated and scared and, subsequently, more frustrated because she didn't want to be scared. She didn't want this mystery stalker person to have that much control over her life. She just wanted things to go back to normal, yet she was painstakingly aware that that wasn't possible.
"I'm sorry," Jude said after a moment, turning towards Tommy and putting a hand on his thigh. "This…person…has so much control over my life and the lives of the people around me, it's just…maddening, you know?"
"Come here," Tommy said softly, pulling her into his arms. "It's alright to be scared, Jude."
Jude actually had to think back on what she had said aloud in order to determine whether or not Tommy was a mind reader. Apparently he was.
"I'm not scared," she said stubbornly, not convincing either of them.
"You should be," he said softly. "I know I'm probably scared enough for the both of us, but Jude…I couldn't live without you. You know this. I'm not cocky enough to think you feel the same, but-"
"You're not?" He rolled his eyes, but ignored her and continued.
"But, I can't stand the thought of you getting hurt. It's why you're staying with me, it's why there's extra security everywhere you go, and it's why…it's why your video shoot is postponed indefinitely." He knew that had to have been one of the things to bother Jude the most. After all, today she had gone from having it all and feeling good about her life, to having it all come crashing down again. It was like anytime she got her hopes up about something – her birthday party, her album release, her music video – someone yanked it away.
"I just want to be a normal famous girl sometimes. Is that too much to ask for?"
"Girl, I think having the stalkerazzi after you is normal for the rich and famous."
"Have you ever had someone be after you to this extent?"
"Not…not to this extent, no."
"What'd they do, just want to get your autograph? Steal your bandana? Get into your parachute pants?" She poked his stomach at the last part, drawing a laugh out of him.
"This guy will go away, Jude," he said quietly. "Sooner or later, he'll either be drawn out, or get bored, but he will go away. I just don't want it to go too far before that happens."
They sat in silence, both mulling over his words, both trying to comfort the other futilely. Finally, Jude broke the silence.
"I am scared, Tommy. I don't want to be. I want to be strong and brave and I want to be able to make jokes and laugh like this is happening to someone else that isn't me. I…I don't want someone else getting hurt because of me. And I couldn't live without you, either."
"I know."
"I thought you weren't cocky enough to assume so much?" Jude asked, sitting up, mildly put out that their moment was over.
"I think you were right, I'm just cocky enough to assume that." A cheeky grin spread across his face, coercing a smile out of Jude as well.
"I'm going to go get ready for bed. You, you deflate your ego before even trying to come to follow. That bed's not big enough for it."
"Yes ma'am," he said with a mock salute as Jude got up. She walked around the couch and paused to hug Tommy from behind him.
"Thanks," she said softly, pressing a kiss to his neck.
When Tommy finally got his voice back to respond, he heard the bathroom door click shut.
----
"Come on, hotshot!"
Monday morning came too soon for Jude's liking. After the hectic events on Saturday, what with the crazy note-leaving stalker, Jude and Tommy had spent all day Sunday in the loft, hanging out, watching movies and just listening to music. It had been perfect in all ways, but to have to wake up at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m. on a Monday morning? To Jude, that was just plain cruel.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jude huffed as she ran out of Tommy's bedroom, sliding to a stop by the kitchen table in her socks. She had teal heels in one hand and a black blazer slung over a shoulder as she tried to put her hair up one-handedly.
Dropping the heels unceremoniously on the floor and letting the blazer slide onto a nearby chair, Jude managed to successfully pull her hair back, and directed her attention to Tommy.
"Is it noticeable?" Jude asked, turning around to show her back to Tommy. She was wearing a teal tank top with a low cut back (and front, mind you), and judging by the way Tommy sucked his breath in through his teeth, it was just as bad as Jude had thought.
"Babe," Tommy breathed, stepping closer to her back and tracing the inflamed skin on her back.
"Sadie's going to kill me," Jude moaned.
"Does it hurt?" Tommy asked, ignoring her.
"Not so much anymore. It's not comfortable when I lay down, but the burning sensation isn't really there now." Jude hung her head in defeat. "How many people do you know that have gotten freakin' road rash on their backs just weeks before they're the maid of honor in their sister's wedding? Just like, a round about figure. How many do you think?"
Jude suppressed a moan, but couldn't help the shiver that raced through her body as Tommy's feather light touch continued to trace the large patch on her back. The skin was angry and dark red, a stark contrast to her white, creamy skin.
"Sit down," Tommy commanded softly, moving her blazer to the table and pulling out the kitchen chair for her to sit, which she did without comment. Tommy then disappeared for a moment, coming back with a small jar, uncapping it and setting it on the table. He scooped a little of the cream in his fingers and started gently working it into her inflamed and raised skin on her back.
"It's called Kelo-Cote," Tommy finally spoke after a minute of his calm ministrations on her back. "It will soothe the pain and the itching that comes with the healing, and will diminish the likelihood that you'll have a bad scar."
"Any chance that it'll work by Saturday?"
"'Fraid not, big eyes," Tommy said as he helped Jude into her blazer, settling it comfortably on her shoulders.
"Sadie really is going to pitch a fit."
"I like your hair down anyway," he whispered into her ear seductively before waiting patiently for Jude to put her heels on. As they stood in the hall, waiting for Tommy to lock the door, Jude leaned against the wall, watching him. Tommy looked up and noticed the small smile playing on her lips as she just took him in. "What?"
"Nothing," Jude said, shaking her head slightly. "Just…thank you."
"It's what I'm here for," Tommy said as he wrapped an arm around her gently, leading her to the elevators, neither commenting on how disappointed that one statement made them.
----
Tommy parked the car in the closest available parking space to G Major, and Jude and him made their way inside. Jude had no real purpose to fulfill at G Major that day, but she knew Tommy still had some clients, and she figured she could get some practice with SME in, since she had finally come to a compromise with Sadie. She would sing at her wedding, but only two songs, and not 'Home,' under any circumstances. Sadie had been upset, but had finally relented, happy to at least get something out of her.
She had just flopped down on the ever-inviting couch in the lobby, grinning up at Tommy, who was making his usual quips about her and her love affair with the couch.
"Sometimes I think you love it more than you love me," Tommy said with mock hurt.
"Sometimes," Jude whispered conspiratorially, "so do I."
Before Tommy could respond, an angry voice rang through the lobby, accompanied by the fierce clicking of heels on the tiled floor.
"What the fuck are you playing at, Jude?"
Jude, startled by the voice and who it was coming from, got up hastily from the couch.
"What are you talking about?" She asked in a much quieter voice than that of the figure fast approaching.
"I'm talking about you ruining everything for me, again!"
"What?" Jude was baffled, and Tommy's eyes were wide, indicating his confusion as well. "Sadie, what are you talking about, seriously?"
"Nice going," Sadie spat out sarcastically, not even trying to control the volume of her voice. "Now everyone will know just how awesome and selfless you are."
Oh no, Jude thought, panicked. She knows I'm paying for the wedding! How does she know I'm paying for the wedding? This is not possible.
"I, uh, I can explain, Sades," Jude tried.
"God, one day! One freaking day is all I ask for, and it always gets overshadowed by Jude. It's always about you, isn't it?!"
"Listen, no one has to know, Sadie."
"No one has to know?! I'm sure everyone will know! I'm sure you'll make an announcement or something!"
"Why would I announce that??" Jude was getting severely confused by this conversation, and Tommy was looking not too far behind.
"You know, this is so typical Jude, pretending to care only to steal the limelight in the end. You practically forced this Friday upon me!"
"What are you talking about, Sadie??" Jude cried out.
"Your birthday, 'rock star!'" Sadie let out a harsh laugh before turning to all the spectators in the lobby. "That's right everyone, Jude's birthday is this Friday! Pencil it in on your fucking calendars!" She whipped back to Jude, fury blazing in her eyes. "You planned it all along, didn't you, Jude? You wanted my rehearsal dinner to fall on your birthday."
"What?" Jude's mouth open and closed rapidly, her eyes looking wildly around the room. How had everything gotten so messed up? "Sadie, I…I didn't plan this. You know me better than that. And, and…you and dad chose the date and just told me about it afterwards, I didn't, um, force…? I didn't force you, I don't think." Jude's voice was shaky and confused, upset tears threatening to fall.
"Whatever, Jude. I just wanted to thank you personally for ruining my wedding. Or at least my rehearsal dinner."
With that, Sadie turned and stormed out of G Major Records, leaving a stunned and somewhat confused crowd behind.
"What just happened?" Jude asked no one in particular, confusion still evident on her face. Tommy came up in front of her and pulled her in to him, wrapping his arms loosely around her. Jude just scoffed at the entire situation, still in disbelief, and thumped her head against Tommy's chest. She couldn't even muster up the words of indignation she felt stirring in her head and heart, and the tears that were previously threatening had retreated back into her body. She was so shocked and confused, she simply felt numb.
After standing like that for what seemed like hours, Jude finally spoke up.
"Tommy?"
"Mmm?"
"You know, I…I didn't mean for…I mean, that's not…" Jude sighed in frustration. "Sadie had it wrong, you know that, right?"
"Of course I know that, girl. You're the most selfless girl I know, and don't ever forget that, ok?"
"Yeah, I mean…yeah. I guess."
"C'mon, come sit in with me," Tommy urged, trying to get her out of the lobby and out from under the prying eyes of G Major employees.
"Actually, Tommy, I'm just gonna…I don't know. Do you mind if I take the car for a bit? I have a few things I want to pick up for the wedding and all that. I just…I have to get out of here."
Tommy looked reluctant to hand the keys over, but the lost look in Jude's eyes was melting his heart slowly.
"Where are you going?" He sighed, already resigned to the fact that Jude was going to be going out. He couldn't blame her for probably wanting a little time alone – they had been practically attached at the hip for the past two, almost three weeks, and he imagined she was getting restless.
"Nowhere too crazy, I promise. Just the plaza over on Glenwood Avenue, ok? I want to hit the boutique over there and maybe the Barnes & Noble."
"And you're sure you don't want-"
"I'll be a good girl, I promise."
"Don't park too far away, and keep your phone on."
"Always," Jude said with a smile, glad to be getting out of the suddenly stifling atmosphere of G Major. She leaned up and kissed his cheek gently, before snagging the keys from his hand and turning on her heel, leaving G Major.
- - - -
Jude took the long way to the plaza – as usual. Spending all her time with Tommy was causing her to pick up some of his less-than-desirable traits, such as driving around in circles to prevent one from picking up a tail. Jude had originally dismissed this as being paranoid, but she had begun to do it so that she wouldn't feel responsible for leading the press to Tommy's apartments, and it had sort of stuck with her. She had to admit that it was neat not being followed by the press every two seconds.
She had successfully lost all the paparazzi that had been smart enough to catch her slipping off from G Major, and she made her way to Glenwood Ave.
Her shopping adventures weren't really…adventures. At least not by Sadie standards, as she recalled. She was in and out of the boutique in about ten minutes, purchases clutched dearly (she was responsible, after all, for providing Sadie with all the traditional wedding accoutrements, and she was correct in assuming this store would perfect barrette for Sadie's 'something blue,' – hoping, of course, that Jude was still allowed in the wedding).
She made her way to Barnes & Noble slowly, enjoying the feeling of not being hounded by the paparazzi and being able to window shop as she saw fit. It was a Monday morning, not many people were out, and the people who were out were all businesspeople, completely oblivious as to whom Jude Harrison was.
As Jude perused the shelves of books in the store, sipping her Starbucks leisurely, she felt her spidey sense tingle strongly. She glanced furtively around, but it didn't look as if there were many people in Barnes & Noble, let alone any paparazzi.
Deciding that she had spent enough time dawdling, she quickly bought the book she had been dying to read (she had been putting it off due to her very real, very intense fear that she would want to cry after reading it).
"'He's Just Not That Into You,'" the old lady checking her out read off the cover. "Girly, something tells me you don't have that kind of trouble."
"Oh?" Jude was a little confused.
"You know, hanging onto a man. I'm sure that's easy for a pretty young thing like yourself. Me? When a man I go out with doesn't call me after a few days, I've got to worry about whether he's just not into me or if he just forgot to turn on his hearing aid when I gave him my number."
Jude laughed at the lady's antics and thanked her quickly, glad that no one had caught the 'famous Jude Harrison' buying what was, in essence, practically a self help book. Was it really her fault if she was completely and utterly confused at Tommy's body language? She didn't think so, but doubted the press would think that little of it.
Making her way outside and to the car – parked only a few rows back from the buildings, Jude's brooding thoughts on Tommy, Sadie, and hearing aids flew out of her mind as she spotted the car.
Tucked neatly underneath the passenger's side windshield wiper was a white piece of paper, folded, she assumed, directly down the middle with no fingerprints and nothing traceable on it at all.
"Why me?" Jude muttered as she slowly made her way to the car. She picked up her cell as she stopped about 10 feet away from the car. She crouched and looked underneath the car – no blinking lights, no 'ACME' boxes, and no sticks of dynamite. She seemed to be in the clear as far as that went, but who was she kidding? She wasn't in the Bomb Squad.
She hit her speed dial 3 and was rewarded when Tommy picked up after 2 rings.
"Everything cool?" Tommy asked, foregoing the usual pleasantries.
"Um, define 'cool.'"
"…Do I even want to know?"
"I'm not going to cry. I hate this. My life sucks," Jude sniffled into the phone.
"Another note?" Although Tommy was trying to stay calm, panic seeped through to this voice. Jude nodded in response before realizing he couldn't see her.
"Yeah. I sort of wanted you to be on the phone when I read it. You know…moral support?"
Tommy laughed a little, and Jude could hear him moving around and talking to a few people. Jude slowly reached out and grabbed the note, instinctively moving back to a safe distance away from the car. She unfolded the note and read the inscription, smothering a scream with her hand.
The phone clattered away from her as she felt it slip through her grip, and she was dimly aware of Tommy's voice still echoing through the device, growing more and more frantic. She stood still for a moment, the world moving in slow motion before slowly kneeling and picking the phone back up.
"Jude! Jude, are you still there? C'mon girl, are you there?? JUDE!"
"Sorry," Jude breathed into the phone, slightly confused as to how she was still breathing. She was standing there, breathing, staring into the passenger side window at a large box with 'Jude' written on it. In red.
"Oh, god girl, don't ever do that again. You have to stay with me. I'll be there in three minutes, I promise. Just stay with me."
"O…Okay."
"What does the note say?" Tommy's voice was surprisingly calm and soothing to Jude's ears, lulling her into a sense of security.
"I…um, okay, it uh says…it says, 'Wasn't the other day fun? I'm glad you're taking this seriously Jude. This is serious business, but it's our business, between me and you. No one else.'" She closed her eyes tightly before relaying the last bit of info to Tommy. "There's a box on the passenger seat, Tommy. It says my name…i-i-in red."
"Okay girl, just stay calm, ok? He's just trying to get to you, don't let him, okay? He's just fucking with you. I'll be there so soon, I'm not far now."
Waiting for Tommy those next few minutes were the worst minutes of Jude's life, she was sure of it. No other pain nor worry compared to that complete feeling of isolation and loneliness, as she stood stock still, staring at the car. Sure, he was in her ear, never ceasing to reassure her and talk to her, but he wasn't standing in front of her. He wasn't physically comforting her, and that's all Jude needed.
Suddenly, a big black Bronco swung into the parking lot, the passenger door opening before it had even come to a stop. Jude snapped the phone shut and ran into Tommy's arms, practically crawling atop him to get as much physical contact as she needed. His arms wrapped around her as tightly as he could, while still allowing her to breathe.
"I got you, I got you," he murmured in her ear, slightly swaying from side to side.
"I'm calling this in," a voice boomed from behind Jude. She lifted her head slightly to see Darius standing behind her, phone up to his ear.
"Just playing it safe, girl," Tommy whispered in her ear.
"I know," she whispered into his chest.
15 minutes later and Tommy hadn't relinquished his hold on her, and Jude hadn't made any attempts to escape. The parking lot was swarming with cops, and Jude was trying not to think too hard about what was in the box in the car. She had given her statement to the cops hastily, trying to ask them questions, but they were very tight-lipped. The bomb squad came and left, determining the car as bomb-free, which left only one thing really for Jude to see.
Detective Piercy quickly approached the car, snapping on latex gloves to touch the box. Jude watched as he sucked in a big breath of air as he opened the box, his darkened skin paling as much as it could.
Jude felt her stomach drop at the look the detective shared with the few cops standing around him. She was even pretty sure that one cop excused himself to get sick. Not a very promising thought.
"Miss Harrison, I'm afraid you don't want to look in this box."
Jude gritted her teeth. She was trying to have as much backbone as possible in this entire ordeal, but she wanted to show everyone that she wasn't scared. That he wasn't winning by making her too afraid to live her life. She had to prove it.
"Let me see," she said resolutely. "I don't want him to think I'm too afraid."
"Girl, c'mon…remember, you should be afraid. I'm scared as hell," Tommy whispered in her ear. As curious as he was, he did not want Jude to have to face that box. He wanted to protect her until the entire thing was over, but he wasn't sure how realistic that was.
Instead, he moved forward with Jude, his hands still firmly around her waist, and decided to look at the box too. After all, he wasn't afraid either, right?
She stepped up tentatively to the detective and he moved the box flap, opening it up only a few inches.
Oh, fuck, Jude thought before everything turned to black.