A/N - Hey, guys! This is it--the final chapter. It's been fun.
I started this with only a couple chapters in mind, but you guys all let it grow into this. And I love you all for it.
So, enjoy and review!
-JQ-
---
Chapter Eight : I Don't Know How It's Gonna Be After This
---
Victoria pulled the car into their driveway, shutting off the engine. She turned around to face her daughter, but Jude opened her door and hopped out, stalking in the house. Vic sighed and laid her head on the steering wheel in defeat.
---
Jude ran up the stairs to her room, collapsing on the bed. This entire day had been unbelievable. From her gift, to her kiss, to her entire party seeing her tangled up in Tom, she could safely say that this was one birthday she'd never forget.
A faint knocking sound interrupted her thoughts. She glanced up at her door, waiting for her mom to enter. But it stayed shut.
Jude heard the knocking again. Groaning, she stood and walked to her door. "What do you--" She stopped. The hallway was empty. She stuck her head out the door and glanced around. Her mother's door was closed. "What the…"
The knocking returned, a little louder this time and coming from behind her. Jude paced her room, searching for the sound. She checked all her desk drawers and pulled everything out, starting to get a little freaked. She heard the knocking again, then a soft voice drifted over to her from the window.
Spinning around, she gasped and dropped the book she was holding. It landed with a crash. Her eyes widened and her voice came out raspy. "Tommy!" She rushed over, opening her window. "What are you doing here? How did you get up here?"
"Fire escape ladders come in handy." He smirked at her.
She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest. "How very 'high school' of you."
Tom gave her a wounded look. "I was going more for 'Romeo and Juliet'." Jude scowled at him. "Come on! It's this romantic?"
"You scared the living daylights out of me, Quincy," she said.
"Jude?" Vic's voice floated through the door.
"Oh, my God!" Jud shot a panicked look at Tom, who just shrugged. She glared and he waved, before pulling the curtains shut in front of her window. Sighing, she collapsed on her bed and tried her best to look natural.
Vic cracked the door open and stuck her head in. "Jude, honey. We've got to talk."
"Okay," she mumbled, hoping Tom could climb down silently.
"Honey, I saw you and Tommy." Jude was silent and Vic stepped inside her daughter's room. "Everyone saw you and Tommy."
The younger girl smiled. "Mom, I don't expect you to understand---"
"What's to understand? You were making out with your twenty-three year old producer at your seventeenth birthday party!"
"Mom, he's twenty-four," Jude corrected her offhand, not meeting her mother's eyes.
Vic frowned. "You're not helping your case." They both fell silent. "Do you have anything you want to say?"
Jude finally looked up at her mother. "I don't care what you, or Darius, or Portia, or Sadie, or the presses think about this. I love him. And he's been afraid to do anything about these feelings because of all of you. But not anymore. I won't let him." She took a quick breath, then continued. "We've been fighting this for two years and I'm through. If all of you people are so concerned about me, why don't any of you want me to be happy? Because Tommy makes me happy. Being with Tommy makes me happy. I could just ride off into the sunset with him, you know? But I'd rather stay here, at home, and have people just accept this."
Vic stared at her daughter, not quite sure what to say. "Jude…he's seven years older than you. He's….more…experienced than you, and--"
Jude scoffed. "Do you really think he only wants to have sex with me, Mom?"
Vic was taken aback by her bluntness. "No, honey. Not only that… but--"
"If you think that, then you don't know Tommy. And you certainly don't know me." Jude turned her back on her mother. She could feel the tears starting to sting in her eyes.
Victoria reached out and touched Jude's arm. Her daughter pulled away and Vic sighed. "Please, just listen to me…"
Jude spun around, an angry glare on her face. "No, Mom. You listen to me. I love Tom, okay? And you can like it, or hate it, but I will still love him. And you can't stop us from being together." She pushed past her mother, storming our the door and down he stairs. Grabbing her coat and guitar, she headed for the front door.
"Jude, where are you going?" Vic asked, chasing after her.
"The studio…Tom's…wherever. As long as it's away from you!" she screamed, stomping out the door and slamming it shut behind her.
---
Jude spotted Tom's Viper parked out on the street and raced over to it. She threw her coat and guitar in, but then stopped.
Where's Tommy?
Glancing around, she saw his muscular body climbing down her fire escape ladder. Her eyes widened.
Had he been up there the whole time? Had he heard all of that in her room?
Jude swallowed hard, panic and worry rising up in her. At least until she noticed Tom jogging toward her, a smile on his face.
"Hey, you," he greeted her.
"Hey…" She looked away, a little uncomfortable. "Look, what you--"
"You don't have to explain," he interrupted. She smiled gratefully. "Hey, hop in."
Jude got in the passenger seat and Tom settled himself in the driver's. "Where are we going?" she asked, buckling herself in.
"Wherever you want." He grinned at her and raised his eyebrows. Jude looked down at her lap, fiddling with her hands. "What's wrong?"
"What's going on with us?" she asked, bluntly, still not looking at him.
Tom sighed. "Jude…"
"Tommy, I want this. I want us. I don't care about the other things anymore. I just want to be with you…"
He was silent for a moment. "Okay…"
He eyes widened. "Okay?"
Tom nodded. "Okay." Jude leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. "Think of it as your birthday present."
The two of them shared a smile, before Tom started the car and pulled away from the curb.
"Hey, Tommy?" Jude's voice was a mere whisper.
"Yeah?" He glanced over at her and saw her playing with the charm on her necklace, eyes focused out the front window. He smiled to himself and turned his attention back to the road ahead.
Jude glanced at Tom, a distant look on her face. "Let's run away together."
---
The End.
A/N - I hope you liked it. It really evolved, in my opinion, and I truly grew to love this!
Leave me one last review!
Always,
JQ
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUTS!
Thanks to the following people who added this story to their Favorites (or Alerts!)
0xoox0friendless0xoox0, A9L9O8N7E, britbrat, Catch1star, Duddley111, EmmyM, falloutgrlXO, Freak1985, gilmorekbm, harroc83, HRInuyashaFan16, jcriminal714, ilovetommyq, iluvthatboy, jOmMy19 XxX, KayKay2007, KiTeH, LittleZurawski, LuvTommy56, melody-teen, melodie568, mZtOmMyQ5319, Neviegirl, rebelangel566, riotgirllina, SaraLyleth, shadmsluv, Starburst198716, Starlight63, TheSouthernBelle, tommys21, undiscovered91, VilandraofAntar, whats life without chaos, writingflirt and xTrademarkLiar!
And super special thanks go out to… KayKay2007, who was my first review!
Anyone not mention, thanks for reading! I will truly miss you all!