We're Not Related Anymore...

Wedding Bells

Maddie: Three Years Ago

When I wake up, the sheets are tangled up in my legs and my body is drenched in sweat. I sit up and raise my hand to push my hair out of my face. My heart is still racing even though I'm awake and the dream is over.

It's hard to remember what it was about exactly. All I know is that ever since I saw Jacob roll up his sleeves and fix Josh's truck, I've been having... interesting dreams. I'll go to sleep and think about how the muscles in his arms flexed as he used the wrench or the way his butt looked like in his suit pants... Ugh! I grab my pillow and flop back down to the bed, covering my face as I do. This can't be happening to me. I can't be crushing on Jacob still, not hours before our parents get married and we become stepsiblings.

It was ok when I was attracted to him at first... I had no idea who he was then. He was just some cute guy I had a five-minute conversation with. But then he was my dad's girlfriend's son... and now every time I think about the way he looked at me when I rubbed his cheek clean, I get heart palpitations. Not cool, cupid. Not cool.

I force myself out of bed and into the shower. I make it a cold one. Focus, Maddie!

I wash my hair, shave, and pluck my eyebrows. I decide to not bother with makeup. When I get to the wedding venue, there'll be a whole team of stylists to make me presentable.

I leave the bathroom and enter my room, looking around the space mournfully. Everything, except a few clothes and the bedspread, is packed in boxes. The apartment has been put up for sale and soon me, Josh, and Dad will be moving into Lilian's place. I frown as I near my mirror, fingering a polaroid I took last year of me and my mom. So much has changed in the last year- the last month even. I went from living in New York my whole life, to coming here and then moving twice in just under two months. I let out a sigh, trying to let go of all my problems with it and get dressed for the day ahead.

-

I ask Tessa to drive me to the venue. Originally, I'd asked her to be my platonic plus-one to keep me sane but she had to pass up on it. Her dad is showing people around his vineyard this afternoon and she's the assistant tour guide.

I smile at her as she pulls to a stop outside of the hotel's drop-off zone. If I thought the country club was too big and fancy, it was because I hadn't seen this ten-story monstrosity.

"Please send me updates every five minutes. I need to know if your step-monster is a total bridezilla. Gah! I can't believe my dad is making me miss this thing!" Tessa says, hitting her hands against the steering wheel and accidentally setting off the horn. "Oops!"

I laugh. "I promise!" And then I lean across the middle of her car to bring her in for an awkward hug. There's not enough space in the car for us to wrap both our arms around each other.

I hear her hoot her horn intentionally as she pulls away. I trudge into the hotel, really wishing Tessa had been able to stay with me today. Not only would she have been great company but she would've kept me on my best behaviour. Because there is no way I'd be considering doing what I'm thinking about if she was here.

I knock on Lilian's door when I find it. Even if I didn't know the room number, I still would've found it considering all the foot traffic coming in and out of that room. The hotel's pristine red carpets are run thin by the bridal team.

I sneak in, despite no answer to my knock. Lilian sits at the hotel room's vanity. An older woman and a stylist are discussing her hair.

"I know she wanted it down, but I personally think all wedding hairdos should be up! It's just common sense," Says the older woman. She has a no-nonsense face and is wearing a cardigan over her wedding outfit. If I had to guess, this is Lilian's mother.