Somewhere Else

Chapter 1

Besides, I saved a lot of money over the last month not having to pay rent. Luckily for me, Rob picked up my share of it since he's been staying at the apartment with Lily.

"I'm sorry, baby. I just know...never mind." He reached back around me and held me close. "Right. Let's start dinner."

I climbed down from Jude's lap and put the groceries out on the counter. Jude spent the next half hour showing me how to make the dish from start to finish. I watched and listened to him intently; he'd been teaching me how to make all of our favorite meals so I could enjoy them even while he was away working.

As we sat at the dinner table, two steaming plates in front of us, there was a somber air that hung within the room. We had just over a week before he was off jet setting around to different shooting locations. About halfway through our meal, I remembered what I'd seen in the check-out line.

"Jude?"

He looked up from his plate.

"Remember that table read you went to for the new season?"

He wiped at the corners of his mouth with his napkin. "How could I forget it? One of the directors was furiously scribbling notes like he was unhappy about something. I hope they don't change too much. It seemed like a solid plot line."

"Just thought I'd let you know that the rumors are back. Saw a tabloid in the grocery store. Front cover featured the two of you walking out together. Honestly, I wish they'd give it a rest already. I mean, we've been seeing each other for nearly eight months. You'd think people would stop believing that you were going to get back together with her." Jude looked into my eyes tentatively, and I rolled my own to give him a clue. "Listen, I get it. She's like, really pretty, but, I'm not that unattractive, right?" I let the smile widen on my face to the point where my cheeks started to burn.

"Very funny, love. I'm glad we can have a good laugh about it now." A small smile crept onto his face as he shook his head at me.

Ever since I had that moment where Jude finally got me to realize that it would take a lot more than some silly rumor to destroy what we had, I was able to laugh off any speculation about his ex with ease. She was no longer a threat to us; though, I must say I've also come to the conclusion that she was never one in the first place. Took you long enough.

Jude resumed his eating, and I did the same, the mood considerably lighter between us, and the heaviness in the air lifted. We spent the remainder of the night pretty much like we spent every other night. A little cuddling on the couch after dinner led to a little more touching which led to a whole lot of physical contact up in the bedroom. Hey—he was going to be gone for two months; we had to stock up while we could.

***

That final week passed way too quickly. It seemed as though before I could stop to take a breath, we were already at the following Friday. Three more nights together. As I rode the train to Jude's house (our house?), I thought back to the last month we spent living under the same roof. I never thought I could find a roommate better than Lily, but Jude was doing a pretty damn good job. He wasn't really actively working, which meant that while I was showering before work, he was making us breakfast. If he had any engagements during the day, he made sure he was back home by the time I got there so as to not waste a single second of our time together. There was also the bit about him teaching me to cook.

Things felt so natural between us, and I wondered how empty I was going to feel when he left. But we could make it through anything; there wasn't a doubt in my mind.

That night, we finally had our date to the London Ballet. Lily had given me the tickets (along with an incredible dress) back in December when we celebrated Christmas. Now, as January was winding down, it was my turn to be the one watching someone float across the stage.