Come Closer

*Flashback*

After Meghan and James’ fight in Dallas

I couldn’t wait to get out of Dallas, I stayed in a hotel for the rest of my trip and I didn’t leave my room. I just laid in bed watched sad movies and ate my weight in chocolate and ice cream. James called and texted about 50 times when I got to the hotel so I turned my phone off and put it in my suitcase and decided I was not going to touch it for the duration of my trip. I didn’t cry after I broke it off, I just sat and stared at the celling and replayed the situation in my head over and over. A few hours after I got to the hotel I phoned Khloe.

“Hello?” Khloe answered the phone with confusion in her voice.

“Khloe it’s me.” I said.

“Why are you in a hotel room aren’t you supposed to be at James’ place for the weekend?”

“We got into a fight and I broke up with him.” There was silence for a few seconds.

“What happened” she said quietly.

“We were just laying in bed and I told him about me possibly going to Europe in the summer and he didn’t like that, but the part that got me really upset was that he told me that he could get any girl he wanted and that I was lucky to have him.”

“Oh. My. God, he actually said that?”

“He did, I told him that he makes me sick and I don’t want to be with someone who is going to say things like that to their girlfriend so I got up packed up my shit and left.” I started to get a little upset.

“You don’t deserve that Meg, maybe going to Europe is the best thing for you right now, has he called you or anything?”

“He has called and texted me around 50 times, so I decided to shut off my phone and get it out of my sight, that’s why I’m calling you from the hotel room.” I told her. “I just need space right now.”

“That’s totally understandable, I’ll let you go hun, get some rest ok?” I could tell there was a bit of a smile in her voice.

“I’ll do my best.” With that we hung up the phone.

After laying down for a few hours I finally fell asleep, it was around 2 a.m. when I heard the room phone ring.

“Hello.” I said sounding half asleep.

“This is front desk, do you know a James Neal.”

I knew I was going to have to face him sometime.

“Yeah, send him up.” I told the lady and hung up the phone.

Not even 2 minutes later I heard a knock at the door. I took a deep breath and opened it.
He stood there soaking wet with his arm hanging above the door; I looked out the window and saw it was pouring rain.

“What are you doing here James?” I asked him holding the door open with my foot and my arms folded across my chest.

“You won’t answer any of my calls or texts so I phoned every hotel in the area until I found out where you were staying.”

“That is really creepy.” I said looking at him.

“I just need to talk to you.”

I moved over a little and motioned him inside the room.

“What can I do to make you come back.”

“James…” I started to cry.

“There is nothing that you can say or do to make me come back, what you said to me broke my heart.” Tears came streaming down my face.

“I know and I’m sorry…I was just upset about you going to Europe over the summer and I didn’t think before I said it and I need to have you in my life.”

“You broke us James.” I was started to yell at him. “Why couldn’t you just be happy for me and support me like I do for you, moving to Europe in the summer would be the best thing that could happen for me in my career, it was easy for you to leave.”

“You think it was easy for me to get up and leave my family, friends and most importantly the love of my life, leaving you Meghan was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.”

“Oh yeah? Well maybe I can get any guy I want.”

“Don’t even say that.” He ran his fingers through his damp hair.

“Doesn’t feel very good does it? That is how you made me feel, do you just think that now you are hot shit you can do and get anything you want? Well you know what James Neal you can’t have everything, and you sure can’t have me.” I walked towards the door, opened it.
“Now get out.”

“Meghan do you really want to do this?”

I didn’t say anything just pointed my finger at him and then pointed it at the door.

Before James walked out he said one last thing to me.

“I will love you forever.”

After James left, as soon as that door closed I lost it. I laid awake for a while and eventually cried myself to sleep.

I woke up looking like a hot mess. My hair was all over the place and my eyes were puffy and red. My flight back to Toronto was leaving at 10:00 a.m. so I made myself look somewhat presentable, but you could still tell that I had been crying.

My flight back home felt like forever I just stared out the window. No music, I didn’t read my book or watch the T.V. that was in front of me. When I finally got in I went through customs giving the officers one word answers.

The moment I saw Khloe I started to cry, she came running up to me and hugged me tight.

Now was the time I needed my best friend the most.

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I woke up in a bit of a daze. I rolled over and saw Khloe sleeping beside me and Giselle laying on the bed next to me and I had a pounding head ache. I opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It was 12:00 and I was meeting my mom at 12:30 to go out for lunch.

“FUCK.” I yelled waking the other girls up.

“Jesus Meghan, don’t yell.” Khloe said as her and Giselle sat up and stared at me trying to rush and get dressed, do my hair and makeup all at the same time.

“Look at the time; I am meeting my mother in half an hour and it will take me at least fifteen minutes to get there.” I slipped on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, my north face winter jacket and a pair of knee-high leather boots.

“We are meeting Deborah at Starbucks on 5th at 1:30, don’t be late.” I said and ran out the door.

As I was driving I was practicing what to say to my mom when I tell her that we booked the wedding venue in the Bahamas.

I was bang on time, I walked into the restaurant and saw mom as soon as I walked in.

“Woo, she is brisk out there.” Mom got up and hugged me as the waitress came over and took our drink order. I just ordered a water. We got our lunch and talked about my life in Pittsburgh and how I am settling in. Then she brought up the wedding.

“So, have you talked to James about having the wedding here?” mom asked as the waitress came and picked up our plates.

“Actually mom, I have.” My heart was pounding so fast.

“And…”

“We booked the venue in the Bahamas, it is what James and I want.” I was so nervous about what her response will be.

“Are you joking Meghan?” she had that pissed off look in her face.

“No mother, I am not joking.” If she wants to play the pissed off game then I will to.

“I cannot believe you did that, don’t you understand…we cannot afford that” mom was starting to yell at me and people started to stare. “How could you do this, we are not rich people, we have jobs that we need to do. We are not like James’ family that just go on vacation all the time…we are not made of money and if you think that we are just going to drop everything and spend how many thousands of dollars on this wedding. I do not think so, you can count us out of your wedding.” Mom put $20 on the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

I paid for our meal and walked back out to my car and burst into tears. I looked at the clock
and it was 1:15, I know I need to make it down to 5th Avenue but I needed to call James.

“Hey babe, what’s up.” The only thing he could hear on phone was me crying. “Meghan, what’s wrong, calm down.”

“My mom isn’t coming to the wedding.” I calmed down and talked normal, there was silence.

“Honey I’m sorry, we will get through this ok?” his voice was calming.

“Yeah I know, I just needed to talk to you about it before I go shopping with your mom and the girls.” I turned the car on. “I’ll talk to you later, I’ll be watching tonight. Break a leg babe.” He laughed.

“Sounds good, I love you.”

“I love you too.”

As soon as James and I hung up I made my way over to 5th Ave, hopefully this day will go better than this morning.

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We went to about 4 bridal stores and I couldn’t find anything I liked. Deborah also brought James’ sister Rebecca along to look at dresses. I asked Rebecca to be one of my bridesmaids and she gladly said yes, since my sister is not coming to the wedding I asked Giselle if she wanted to be a bridesmaid and with no hesitation she said yes. There I have my 2 bridesmaids and maid of honour, I’m all set.

“I did something special for you.” Deborah said as we got back into my car. “I made you an appointment at Vera Wang Bridal.”

I almost fainted.

Ever since I was young I have always wanted a Vera Wang wedding dress. We walked into the store and I was in complete awe. I was looking at some of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. We went up to the front desk and told them my name and they sent my consultant Mike.

“Come on back with me ladies.” Mike said as he led us to the back where all the dresses were. “You must be the bride Meghan, so nice to meet you” he shook my hand and sat us in the middle of the showroom floor. “Who have you brought with you today?”

“My soon to be mother-in-law Deborah, maid of honour Khloe and my two bridesmaids Giselle and Rebecca.”

“Do you want to tell me a little about your wedding.” Mike was so precious.

“We are getting married in the Bahamas next summer.” I said smiling.

“Fabulous, well ladies let’s start looking around, if there is anything you like just let me know and I will take it to the room.”

We found tons of dresses that we loved. I had on my 5th dress and I loved it. I was a strapless white lace mermaid style that suited my body perfectly with an ivory lace belt made out of a mixture of Swarovski crystals and diamonds. I put it on and started to cry. I walked out and stepped on the pedestal and everyone, Deborah, Khloe, Giselle and Rebecca were crying, Mike was even tearing up.

“Meghan it’s beautiful.” Deborah said.

Mike turned around and grabbed one of the sample veils and put it on.

“Now there’s a bride.” He said. “Well…”

“Can we have a minute?” I asked Mike as he stepped away for a few minutes.

“Ok, you look stunning.” Rebecca said.

“Is it too early to get my dress? I mean, the wedding is next year.” I asked.

“Of course not.” Deborah piped up.

I called Mike back over and asked him if it was too early to find the dress.

“Absolutely not, with dresses like this there is so much detail that needs to be put in it can take almost up to 9 months to make, and then you have alterations and all that fun stuff.”
I turned around and looked at myself in the mirror again, Mike came and stood beside me.

“Meghan is this your wedding dress?"

I took a deep breath “Yes!”

Everyone clapped and came over to hug me.

“This calls for champagne.” Mike went and grabbed a bottle and poured each of us a glass.

My dresses final cost was $14,000 I went to go pull out my check book to put down the down payment when Deborah pulled me aside. She grabbed my hands and smiled at me.

“This is my gift to you Meghan.” She said tearing up. “I’ll buy your wedding dress.”

“Omg Deborah, are you sure?”

“Positive honey, I love you.” She said hugging me.

Once all the paper work was finished we thanked Mike for everything and left the store.

“Well this is cause for celebration, let’s all go out for dinner and have a good time!” Khloe said.

And with that all 5 of us had the best dinner and headed back to the hotel to watch the Penguin game, I could not have asked for a better day.

Notes