All I Need {Sequel to We Belong Together}

Chapter 17: A Bunch of Idiots

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delay. Life got the best of me again. -__- But all that matters is that I was able to keep my promise to you for an update before my wedding (less than 2 weeks now!). I was able to write this all last night, all in one sitting, but I had to wait for a better internet connection to post. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this. :)

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Adrianna stared at the name on her phone for a few minutes, amused that finally she was getting some kind of response after several hours of trying to contact Tom. While the name clearly stated Rupert, Adrianna assumed it probably wasn't the ginger boy. The girl seriously debated not answering it, but decided she probably should for the sake of humanity. Adrianna excused herself from the game she was playing with Val and Marisa, and stepped outside onto the back patio before responding.

"Hello?" she answered, unable to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"Hey, Dree," Tom's voice greeted her. "What's been up? Rupert said you've been trying to call me. I left my phone in the trailer, otherwise I would've called you sooner."

Adrianna honestly didn't know an appropriate way to address the situation. She was peeved, but she didn't know exactly why. The situation was only speculation, nothing proven, but yet it irritated her that she hadn't been informed in some way. She took a deep breath before she answered Tom.

"Are you seeing Jade behind my back?" she asked bluntly, cutting right to the chase. "Everyone is saying you are, and I just need to know. Are you seeing her?"

Tom was silent for a few moments. "No... Why the hell would I do that? That doesn't make any sense. Why would anyone think I would do that?"

"Well when ex-couples do movies together, sometimes old flames are rekindled," Adrianna retorted. "So the paparazzi are seizing this opportunity to assume you and Jade are doing just that. People assume things, Tom- especially when the current girlfriend isn't aware of any of it."

Tom didn't say anything for a few moments, and then sighed. "Dree, you should know I would never get back with her after all the hell she put me through. Seriously... That would be like you getting with Matthias again."

Adrianna was not thoroughly reassured. She leaned against the railing, staring off into the distance. "Yea? Then why didn't you tell me you were going to be working with her?" she confronted.

"Because I was pretty sure I was going to get chewed out for it," Tom retorted. "Plus I didn't really know I was going to be until not that long ago, so I was trying to come up with some way to tell you."

"Okay," was all Adrianna had to say to that. She tapped her fingers impatiently on the edge of the railing. She was still not convinced. Deep down, she wanted to believe Tom would never be so stupid as to cheat on her, especially so publicly, but her insecurities said otherwise. Admittedly, the girl was nearly sure she was always going to have some doubts about loyalty because of what Matthias and all the guys before him did. Adrianna was doing her best to put the past behind her, but it was proving to be a more difficult task than she originally anticipated.

"Dree... c'mon. Listen to me," he almost pleaded to her. "I would never do that to you. You got to believe me."

Adrianna glanced down at her feet, debating her words over carefully in her head. "I do believe you, it's just... where the hell are they getting these rumors from? Someone has to be telling them all this for them to just announce it to the whole planet."

Tom sighed again. "I dunno, but when I figure out who it is, they aren't going to like what I have to say to them. This is utter nonsense."

"You're not telling me anything I don't know already, Tom," Adrianna muttered. "The past so many hours have been obnoxious, and I honestly was thinking I was going to have to be locked up somewhere."

"Eh, knowing you, you still might have to be," Tom replied, trying to joke with her a little bit. "Rupert was saying you've been watching that show again."

"Yea... just a bit," Adrianna replied, glancing back at the television on the other side of the glass door. Her friends were both staring at her, growing ever more anxious for her return.

"Well, don't let it ruin your mood. I know that show is err... heart-wrenching, at best," Tom went on. "And certainly don't just watch it because there's 'hot guys' or whatever."

Adrianna unintentionally smiled. Tom knew her and her friends all too well. In fact, it was the 'hot guys' that had tricked her into watching Supernatural to begin with. "Yea, okay. We're playing a game now, so... bite me," she retorted.

"Don't tempt me," Tom replied, chuckling a little bit. "Anyways, I'll let you get back to your friends, and I'm really sorry for all this mess. I'll try to get to the bottom of it, mmkay?"

"Alright, just let me know if and when you find out anything. And answer your phone sometime!" she answered him.

"I will, I will," Tom assured. "I love you, Adrianna. Have a good night. I'll text you in a few minutes when I get my phone."

"Love you too, Tom," Adrianna said back. "And I'll talk to you then."

The girl hung her phone up after they said their goodbyes, and stowed it in her pocket before making her way back into the house. Both Marisa and Valarie both had eager looks upon their faces, both dying to know what was said on the phone between her and Tom. Adrianna rolled her eyes at the two of them.

"Don't get too excited," she said, plopping herself down on the couch between her friends, picking up the controller she had been using once again and unpausing the game.

"What did he say?" Val asked.

Adrianna shrugged. "That he's just as clueless as we are when it comes to where these people are getting this idea that he would cheat on me with her," she explained.

"The tabloids are a bunch of idiots," Marisa grumbled before taking a drink of her soda. "Just ignore them and keep on living your life."

"I'm willing to bet it's Jade who's filling their heads with all this crap," Val added.

That idea actually made sense to Adrianna. What a better way to get revenge on an ex than ruin their current relationship? Surely, there was no proof of it, and Adrianna certainly couldn't say whether or not Jade was actually vindictive enough to do that, but it was starting to look like it was a possibility. After all, who else would say Tom would cheat on her? Especially when everyone knew how loyal he was?

As the friends resumed their game, the thought danced around Adrianna's mind, and she was seriously starting to wonder if that was the case...