We're Not Related Anymore...

Distance

"Hi, Maddie. Good to have you here."

"Yeah..." I wave awkwardly at the other bridesmaids. Most wave back, except one, a brown-haired girl who stares anxiously at her feet. "It's good to be here. I hope you guys have fun with the final fitting. Should we... er... leave?" I ask, looking at my brother.

He doesn't wait around to give Betty a kiss goodbye and instead just saunters off towards the revolving door in the lobby. I'm not the only one who's noticed this and I see Betty stare after him in confusion.

"Ok, bye!" My mom says energetically, eagerly grabbing the twins around the wrists, and marches them out after my brother.

"What the hell was that?" I ask after we're all outside. Josh has left to go find the car and the four of us wait for him on the curb.

"Maybe it's cold feet," Shelley suggests and the rest of us fall silent as the possibility confronts us.

-

"Ok, but this is weird, right? Like where's the rest of the wedding party? Please don't tell me this is the equivalent to your Bachelor party, Josh," I tell him, throwing a fry in his direction. We're at a family restaurant downtown and he's barely said a word to anyone. Not that I blame him. My brother isn't exactly good at conversing with women and now he's seated at a table with only females.

"It kind of is," he says, his first words since he sat down. "And I can't blame anyone. People have lives. I don't expect them to put them on hold just because I'm getting married."

"Well, shouldn't you? I mean, this is the time to be surrounded by family and friends for your big day. Aren't you the least bit excited?" My mom questions, smearing the top of her burger in the tomato sauce on my plate.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Josh whines.

"But it's your wedding weekend. Shouldn't we only be talking about you?" Mary asks looking utterly confused.

"Mary's got a point," I say and I'm surprised when I see the ghost of a smile on her face. "Come on, Joshy. You're getting married tomorrow! That's crazy exciting-"

Before I can even finish my sentence, Josh scraps his chair back and heads out of the restaurant. My mom stands to go after him but I put my hand on her wrist to make her sit down again.

"I'll go." I stand up and half-jog after him. Outside, I find him pacing in the parking lot. The blond strands of his hair are every which way and I know he's just run his fingers through it.

"Go back inside and finish your food," he tells me harshly, even though I don't know how he could've spotted me yet. Maybe he knows the sound of my footsteps. "I need a minute."

"Talk to me, Josh."

"Maddie, just leave me the fuck alone."

His words piss me off. I'm always the one trying to deepen things between us and he always brushes me off or shuts me down. "You know what? This is the moment, Josh. I'm tired of the way you treat me. If you want a relationship with me, you let me in. I'm not begging for scraps anymore."

"Now, what are you going on about?" He demands in frustration, coming over to where I'm standing.

"I don't know what I ever did to you but you have been treating me just as bad as Lilian and for what reason, I will never know. I used to feel guilty about what happened with Jacob but I will no longer grovel or be the only one who tries to fix our relationship."

"I can't deal with this right now," he tells me, looking like he's heading back to his car in the parking lot. I hear him mumble under his breath, "On top of everything else, now I have to deal with this crap."