"I live with my mama here," he says, surprising me. "It feels good to be back in my hometown. The house can't be more lively, 'cause I just got a new nephew. Everyone is excited."
Right. I forgot that Mike was born in New York. I'm happy that he can be closer with his family now that we've moved here. We spend the rest of the ride talking about his family.
Once we arrive at Jamie Cohen's studio, I become more restless. Is Jude really here?
Oscar told me to show the world that Jude and I have no hard feelings toward each other—I remember saying it once when I was on Ella's show.
But now that Jude is here too, I start to question if I can admit that. It's not easy to forgive and forget your ex-lover who cheated on you. We were together for two years—that's an achievement for people like us in Hollywood, especially when both of us are superstars who encounter temptations everywhere we go.
Despite our hectic schedules of tours, performances and practice, we still managed to survive those two years.
I can't say that Jude isn't someone important in my life—he is. I've also learned a lot of things from him, since he’s been in the music industry longer than I have.
Our relationship—everything that we'd built with love, patience and loyalty—crumbled in an instant when I caught him cheating with his backup dancer.
Don't ask me how I broke up with him—it was overly dramatic, with me yelling at him, slamming doors and tears streaming down my face.
I step into Jamie's studio with Mike trailing behind me, my hands sweaty because I'm nervous to meet Jude. My eyes travel around the place, which screams Jamie—the studio looks lively and fun, just like his personality.
"Cassie!" a cheerful voice startles me. Jamie totters toward me with a big grin on his face.
He looks chubby as always, his black hair fashionably styled in a slicked-back.
He gives me a hug. "Thanks for coming. You look fabulous as always."
A burst of small laughter leaves my mouth as I hug him back. "It's always been my pleasure, Jamie."
He pulls away, his eyes glinting with excitement. "This is the most anticipated car ride ever. It's gonna be fun. You've read the script I sent you, haven't you?"
I nod.Right. There won't be any problem with this. The script is fine. We're just going to have a fun car ride while Jamie drives us around New York.
"Jude is already here too," Jamie says, making my heart skip a beat. Jamie looks around. "Where's that guy?"
A familiar figure approaches us, and I feel my stomach drop.
"There he is," Jamie exclaims.
Yes, there he is. Jude Scott is walking right in our direction, with his signature messy blond hair that makes girls all around the world dream of running their fingers through it.
He wears a simple outfit, just a pair of ripped jeans and a white t-shirt, that looks ridiculously good on him, his tattooed arms exposed.
However, all those things still can't be compared to his intense gaze that I once thought was only for me. His beautiful grey eyes never fail to captivate me every time I look into them.
Jesus. I can't believe what I'm thinking in my mind. Shouldn't I curse everything about him? These thoughts shouldn't be coming from an ex-girlfriend who claimed that she'd moved on, and who is now someone's wife.
Speaking of that, I still haven't told Luke that I'm meeting Jude. By now, he must have heard from his house security guards that I'm working in a talk show studio.
But he doesn't know that Jude is also here.
Jude doesn't utter a single word as we finally come face to face, his intense gaze still not leaving me. Like usual, it feels like it’s ripping my chest open and snatching my heart out.
Jamie snaps his head toward me and then Jude, noticing the heavy atmosphere surrounding us. He clears his throat.
"Well, I'm sure that you guys want to catch up with each other. I know that you two met at Cassie's wedding, but there wasn't much time to hang out, with all the hectic procession back then," Jamie chirps, clearly having the wrong idea that Jude and I are ready to become best friends.
Still, neither Jude nor I respond to his words.
"So, Cassie, Jude initiated this brilliant idea, and I totally agreed with him," Jamie says, startling me. "As you know, this fun car ride will break the ice between both of your fans. I'm glad that I can help in getting rid of the conflicts between them."
