Behind Closed Doors

I promised...

May 10th

Jordan and Troy's wedding day.

Chris

I raised my hand and quickly groaned. I quickly knocked on the door and I heard Jordan yelling that she was coming. A few moments later, the door handle dropped, the door swung open and just as quick as she opened the door, her mouth dropped as well. "Chris?"

"Hey Jordan, mind if I come in?"

"Sure, come on in." I surveyed the room and realised that she was on her own and she sat down on the bed and I gingerly sat down on the chair, hoping that my wince went unnoticed with the pain that my side was giving me. "The last we heard, well, was the goodbye video."

"I know. Listen Jordan..."

"Does Jamie know you are here?"

"No. But I'm here to say no matter what, I hope that you have a lovely day today, but I won't be there." Her face fell and I knew I was letting her down. "Hear me out, please?"

"I'm listening."

"I discharged myself from hospital, they wanted me to stay in, but I refused. I've travelled here and I'm shattered, my batteries are drained but as much as I want to be there, I need to rest. I need sleep so badly, which is ironic since I slept solid for two weeks at hospital." I could see Jordan's mind going a hundred miles an hour and she probably has loads of questions, which will all be answered in time, but I just need to give into what my body is telling me.

"Okay, I get it, thank you for being honest. Where are you staying?"

"I've not quite worked that one out yet, since I haven't got a phone, I've not been able to get a hold of Jamie anytime I called from pay phones, which I thought were dying out..." Jordan chuckled and shook her head.

"Well, if you don't object, I can phone down reception and get you a key card for Jamie's room. She's out running a last-minute errand and will be straight back here for the rest of the day until it's time for me to get married. You can rest there and if you are up to it later, you can pop down to the wedding reception."

"Sounds like a plan. How is Jamie?"

"Crushed. We all were. Knowing that you are alive, and I have to keep it a secret, well that's going to be fun, not. But you look like death warmed up."

"Cheers Jordan." She quickly grabbed the phone and called reception and organised another key card and to save me from going down to reception, they delivered it to Jordan's room, and I was thankful as all I had to do was go down to the end of the corridor and I was going to be in Jamie's room.

Stepping inside the hotel room, I instantly smiled at the scent of Jamie's perfume, clothes thrown around certain areas of the room. Stepping inside the bathroom and as I splashed my face with the water something caught the corner of my eye. I stepped back out the bathroom and walked to the wardrobe and smile. My tux. She brought it even though she thinks I'm not here anymore.

I ran my hand over the tux, and I decided there and then. That no matter what, I will make it to the reception later, in this tux, to win back the woman whose heart is currently broken.

***

Jamie

Honest to God. Being the maid of honour is driving me up the damn wall. Last minute errands and when I forgot back to Jordan's room, she was acting shifty as anything. She wouldn't allow me to go back to my room for a shower and insisted that I used the shower in her room as it had better jets and instead of arguing with her, I caved. After all, it is her special day, and my dress is currently hanging up next to hers.

But despite it driving me up the wall, it is keeping me busy and my mind off...Chris. I swallowed hard and shook my head, getting my game face ready for the makeup artist arriving and the hairdresser along with the other bridesmaids. It sounds chaotic, but I'm sure that Jordan is going to love every minute of this day.

Several hours later, my heart swelled with pride and my Mum's tears were brimming on the edge and Jordan looked absolutely amazing. Troy is going to be so enamoured with her today, like he has from day one, but today is their new day one, the day they start out as husband and wife. The ceremony went off without a hitch, thankfully, I couldn't take any more mishaps like this morning and several hours later, vows said, photographs taken, the newlyweds sloped off for five minutes alone before the reception started.

I mingled with the other guests, chatted with my parents, and looked around the room at the happy, smiling people that came out to share my sister's special day, yet my heart tinged with sadness that Chris wasn't by my side sharing this with us all. Her absence is palpable. I don't know how l am supposed to move on when she is in my heart, my mind and my soul belongs with her. I'm hoping that tonight goes by swiftly and then I can retreat to my room and sleep the rest of the night away.

***

Chris

The room phone rang, and I was surprised to hear Jordan at the other end of the phone. They had had a few minutes to spare and popped along to the room, which I was grateful for. I had managed to change into some of my tux but was struggling with my shirt due to my ribs and my stitches. Jordan was sweet and took me into the bathroom and helped me into it, then my waistcoat and tie. Slipping my jacket on, we stepped out and Troy's smile beamed. "You look amazing Chris."

"Thanks, but I honestly feel like shit, but I'm not letting you both down anymore today and I really, really need to see Jamie."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Uhm, ask her to dance? I would need to go slow though, I'm in agony and if I take pain killers now, I will likely pass out." Jordan nodded and Troy gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Then there is a perfect song for you to approach Jamie with. Obviously, we are doing our first dance, then the father daughter dance, but then we are doing a dance where couples hit the dancefloor. That would be the perfect song to walk towards her to."

"What's the song?"

"A thousand years." I grinned. It was the perfect song.

***

I stood and hid in the shadows in the reception area and watched Jordan and Troy have their first dance and the Jordan and Jack with the father daughter dance. I watched Jamie from afar and despite her outward appearance of being happy for her sister, I could see her sadness and it was breaking me, but only I could make it right. 'Hearts beat fast..." and so the song began, and I truly watched Jamie standing alone and made my way through the crowd and stopped at her chair. "Can I have this dance?" Jamie looked up and the shock that appeared on her face was second to none and she simply nodded her head, I brought her to her feet and led her to the dancefloor.

Sliding my hand around her waist, her hand in mine, we danced along to the song and I looked over to Jordan and Troy who beamed smiles at me and then Jordan gave me kissy faces making me chuckle. "Why are you laughing?"

"Your sister is being very encouraging for me to kiss you right now."

"Well, if you are really here Chris, kiss me." We stopped dancing and I leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips, not probing, not searching, just a small kiss to show that I was here, and she is not imagining things. "I'm confused...the gun shot..."

"Shhh. We aren't talking about that, not tonight. Just trust me. I am here, I'm with you and I promised you, didn't I?" She looked up at me confused and I smiled back at her. "I promised you that I would find my way back to you."