What Dreams Forget

Tori Lynn heard a loud thumping on the door to the apartment. Who would be beating on Richie's door? She then remembered she wasn't at Richie's she was still at Neal's apartment. It could be Richie but doesn't he have a key. Tori Lynn attempted to sit up so she could answer the door. That was however not possible as she had 200lbs of sleeping hockey player snoring on her torso. Apparently Neal had decided she made a better pillow than the ones on his bed. He was also a blanket thief. He was completely tangled up in the duvet and sheets. It was probably for the best that he was laying on her or she would have probably froze. The person at the door showed no signs of letting up. Tori Lynn nudged his shoulder in attempt to wake him up or push him off of her. James pulled her in closer. "Not helping the cause Neal. Someone is at the door." said Tori Lynn running her hand through his hair "We need to answer the door." "No door" he replied "Don't care. Your here. Richie and Pete have keys." James turned his body and pulled her along with him. He was spooned up against her. "Much better" he murmured. Tori Lynn laughed. "James" she admonished "Whoever it is obviously not going to go away. If you don't want to answer it let me go and I will get rid of whoever." "No" he muttered "Comfy. You stay we will snuggle. I have an alarm set." "James, you sound like a petulant kid." She attempted to free herself again. "Too early for big words, love" he replied he loosened his hold long enough that she could turn and face him. He had cracked one eye open and was giving her a lazy smile. Tori Lynn kissed his scruffy jaw. "Let me go" she said as she kissed his mouth "Those are little words, Jamie." "Don't wanna" he said kissing her again "We can stay here all day. Never leave my bed." The pounding on the door got louder. "For fucks sake." he growled. Tori Lynn gave him one last kiss as he released the hold on her. "I'll be back in a minute" she reported. James smacked her ass as she walked away from his bed. He was now smirking at her. "You will pay for that." she called over her shoulder. "Can't wait" he said as she left the room. James looked at the clock it read 7:45am. Who in the fuck was at his door at this time in the morning. He wasn't getting out of bed. The only thing that James might love more than hockey was sleep. It was the entire reason that G called him Lazy. James stretched across his bed and laid his head on the pillow Tori Lynn had been sleeping on. He could smell the gummi bear smell he associated with her hair. James closed his eyes and fell back asleep. Tori Lynn smoothed the t-shirt she was wearing down so that she was fully covered. Then again Neal was 14inches taller than her it really wasn't an issue. Whoever was at the door was persistent. "I'm coming" called Tori Lynn at whoever was behind the door. "Open the fucking door Jay" called a female voice from the hall "I came all the way to this southern hell hole." Tori Lynn hesitated. Maybe she should go wake Neal up and make him come to the door. The woman was still beating on the door as Tori Lynn came to stand on the other side. She could hear her yelling more obscenities. Apparently she didn't want to be in fucking Nashville. Tori Lynn opened the door a little. There was a very irritated blonde on the other side of the door. The woman was absolutely beautiful. She was text book tall blonde model. Of course Tori Lynn know James had a type she just didn't want to see it personified before 8 am. The blonde was furious. Her brown eyes cut daggers into Tori Lynn. "Move" snapped the blonde as she tried to force her way through the apartment door. Tori Lynn held her ground. She wasn't sure if she was a friend of Neal's or a stalker. Knowing Neal it could be a combination. "Did you not hear me? Do you not speak English? Move out of my way." "I speak English and I hear just fine." said Tori Lynn calmly "Neal is still asleep. I suggest you give him a call and come back later." "I flew here from San Jose California. I flew across the country to see Jay in this hellhole. And that is exactly what I am going to do." she snarked "And no backwoods trailer trash barbie doll is going to stop me. Now let me into my fiances apartment. " "Fiance" repeated Tori Lynn. She felt all of her blood raise to her head then plummet to her feet. She thought she might be sick. "Neal doesn't have a fiance." "Yes he does." She held out her left hand and sure enough there was a diamond the size of robin's egg on her finger. "I'm Melanie." Tori Lynn still had her held at bay in the hallway "I'm...." Melanie cut her off "Doesn't matter, don't care. You are leaving." Melanie then began screaming at her "Do you think you are special? You aren't. You are one of the many girls he has fucked behind my back." Melanie took in Tori Lynn's appearance. "I suggest you find your pants and your shoes and get the fuck out of Jay's apartment." Tori Lynn was staring at her. "Are you fucking stupid?" chided Melanie "He usually doesn't pick them for brains. But I can't even see why he picked you." Melanie started pushing on the door."Get the fuck out of my way" she screamed. Tori Lynn heard the door to Richie's apartment open. Melanie stopped pushing. She turned a sugar sweet smile on Richie. He stepped into the hall in his boxer briefs and closed the door behind him. "Why are you here Melanie?" asked Richie deadly calm. "Richie" she cooed "Is that any way to treat Jay's fiance?" She held her hand out so that Richie could see the ring. "Now could you please tell this little whore to let me in to Jay's apartment." "Tori Lynn go wake Nealer up and tell him I said get he is fucking ass out here now." answered Richie as he turned towards Melanie "She isn't some whore Neal picked up in a bar she is like family to me Melanie. Fucking family. Do you get me? I don't give a fuck about that ring if you say one more ill word to her I will toss you out of here." "If you care so much why the fuck is she in bed with Jay?" asked Melanie as she pushed the door that Tori Lynn vacated open. Melanie walked in followed by Richie. Richie walked into the living room he saw Tori Lynn's tank top and grabbed if off the floor. "You not going to answer me Richie?" "I have nothing to fucking say to you Melanie. He has been a fucking wreck. He finally starts settling in here and you show up." replied Richie "I want nothing to do with this fucking circus. I told him if he was fucking around with you to stay away from her." James thought he heard yelling but ignored it. Tori Lynn walked back into the room. She was extremely quiet. She grabbed her phone from the his nightstand and gathered her clothes in her arms. "Wake up Nealer" she said shoving his shoulder. "Are we back to Nealer?" he asked looking up from the pillow at Tori Lynn. He knew the minute he looked at her something was wrong. "What Tori Lynn?" She said nothing and walked out of his room. James sprang out of the bed and attempted to follow her. He didn't get past his door jamb before Richie was in his face. "Jesus Clune she is an adult." He watched Tori Lynn walk out the door of his apartment. "You dumb fucking son of a bitch" said Cluner nodding his head at Melanie "I told you Neal." Melanie came over and wrapped her arms around Neal "I'm not mad baby. We all make mistakes." James was still staring after Tori Lynn. One week ago he would have given anything to have Melanie standing in his Nashville apartment. Now he wanted to run after Tori Lynn. He freed himself from Melanie's grasp. "What are you doing here Melanie?" he asked through gritted teeth. "I made up my mind. I will marry you." she answered. Clune cursed a blue streak flipped Neal off and walked out the door. She walked over and sat down on the white couch. "Jamesy, we can keep this couch but everything else needs to go. Especially that ratty chair from Dallas." James was staring at her. He looked at the ring he bought in a last ditch effort to get her to come to Nashville. It sat there on her hand winking in the light. Taunting him telling him how much he had fucked up. He threw his head back and started laughing. Fuck my life he thought. Of course she liked that fucking couch. Why the fuck not. "That offer was kind of time sensitive, Melanie" spat Neal "What the hell did you say to Tori Lynn?" "Of course trailer trash barbie had a two part name." she replied with ire "I bet she comes with flip flops, cowboy boots, and a cute ball cap." "Get the fuck out Melanie" said James pointing at the door "Get the fuck out of my life." "You don't mean that Jay. Go wash the smell of the whore off of you and get dressed so we can go find coffee." she replied as if he didn't just throw her out of the house. "There is a coffee maker in the kitchen." he answer "Take any travel mug you want and get the fuck out. Leave the ring on the counter." Melanie stepped in front of him and narrowed her eyes at him "Oh no James Neal, you are not throwing me out after I flew across the damn country to see you. I have your fucking ring on my hand." "Keep it" replied James "Show it to the tabloids, talk to fucking Oprah, I don't give a fuck Melanie. Just leave." "Jay, you begged me to come. You've cried and pleaded. You hate it here." she replied "I don't care about her. I can get over that." "That's the problem Melanie. I do care about her." James walked into his room and grabbed a t-shirt off his duffle bag along with the lounge pants he had on the night before. He threw his clothes on. Melanie was standing in his bedroom door looking at him. He shoved past her and walked to the door "Be gone when I get back Melanie." Melanie screamed at him not to fucking walk out. He didn't care. He heard glass breaking in his apartment. It was all things. Things could be replaced. He needed to talk to Tori Lynn. He walked to Richie's apartment and turned the knob. It was locked. Richie never locked the door even at night. James knocked on the door quietly. He stood there patiently until Richie opened the door. Cluner came into the hall with Neal but didn't let him into the apartment. "No" said Richie. Neal knew he was pissed. In fact it had been a long time since he had saw Richie even close to this mad. "I need to talk to her" said James quietly hoping Richie would settle down. "She didn't even know about Melanie. She didn't know about the girl that you dated for a fucking year. A girl that you proposed to and sent a ring. Fuck Neal, what were you fucking thinking." growled Richie "I should beat the fuck out of you. But that would make her even more sad. I told you if you were fucking around with Melanie to stay away. I knew it was a fucking mistake." "It's not a mistake. I fucking forgot about Melanie! Fucking forgot after she refused to move here I spent a few days with Tori Lynn and I fucking forgot. We didn't discuss exes." said Neal "Just let me talk to her." "Not a god damn chance" said Richie "The name calling didn't bother her Neal. She can handle that. It was the being completely caught unaware that you had asked a girl to marry you in the past fucking week. Not even a full week." "She said no" yelled Neal "She said she couldn't live here. Said she didn't want to be here. She told me last night she wanted to see me on the western swing. I told her no that I didn't want to see her. I told her I was talking another girl." Neal's door opened and Melanie walked out and looked at the guys in the hallway."If I walk away Jay I won't be back. I am serious. This isn't like the times I caught you cheating in Pittsburgh. I will never come back." "Fucking go" said Neal and Clune in unison. James turned and walked towards her. He took her by the arm and led her to the elevator. He and Melanie both got into the elevator car. Upon arriving at the ground floor James took her to the front desk. He told the doorman to see that she gets to where ever she wants to go and bill him for it. He further told the door man that no one was to have access to his floor unless he or Richie authorized it. Finally, told the door man if Melanie came back into the building to have her arrested for trespassing. "Don't do this James?" she said pleading "I love you." "No you love the idea of me" he replied "Go fuck a few more sharks. Maybe they will bite."

Notes