A Little Life

Although Part 4 begins years after the end of Part 3 and Jude is now almost 40, Jude and JB’s friendship is still broken. JB begged Jude for forgiveness in the days and weeks after his hospitalization, but Jude told him he could not forgive him, explaining that he could not look at JB without remembering the impression and feeling tormented at the thought that others perceive him that away. As with the previous rift between the two, Willem takes Jude’s side and refuses contact with JB, while Malcolm considers Jude in the right but maintains his friendship with JB.

After Willem and Jude eat at a restaurant together one day, Willem broaches the topic of setting Jude up with one of his current girlfriend’s friends. Jude, who has always considered himself too broken for romantic love, scoffs at the idea and refuses to discuss it. Days later, however, he finds himself in a pleasant conversation with a fashion executive named Caleb at a dinner party. Caleb gives Jude a ride home, comes in the lobby with him, and kisses him suddenly. Jude’s former experience with sexual abuse renders him unable to enjoy this kind of physical contact, especially when it comes suddenly, but because he is also worried about being alone forever, he accepts Caleb’s advances.