hayloft, daniel le domas

two

Josephine was not happy about the wedding whatsoever. She should've been. She was the maid of honor at her best friend's wedding! That was something to be ecstatic about! She would've been, if she were marrying anyone else.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Grace asked

"Do you think the rest of Alex's family knows that I'm the maid of honor?" She was beginning to get nervous. Her heart wouldn't slow down.

The bride laughed, "what do you mean?"

"Like—like does it say somewhere that Josephine Bedford is the maid of honor. I mean, I don't know who the best man is, so maybe not. Who is the best man...?"

Grace rolled her eyes, "Alex's alcoholic brother, Daniel."

Alcoholic.

"I see. Uh, I'll be right back."

Luckily, she hadn't put her makeup on just yet. The wedding didn't start for another eight hours. But she knew he was there already. She walked through the dreaded halls, her stomach having the worst feeling ever. She walked to Alex's room, knocking frantically. The door opened and her heart stopped. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"We need to talk." She spoke, her voice breaking.

"Okay," he put his hand on her shoulder, moving her away from the door and shutting it. "Hey."

"Please don't touch me," she cried quietly. She watched his hand fall, something on his hand shined brightly. A ring on his finger. "I can't fucking do this."

"Josephine," he tried. She walked away, her heels clicking against the floor. He ran after her and grabbed her hand. "Can't we be adults, right now? Your best friend is marrying my brother."

"And I know what happens at midnight, Daniel." She spoke in a hushed tone, he still held onto her hand, she looked down. "I don't think it makes sense for us to be adults right now. You know what happened to us and you know what's going to happen to Grace if she pulls that card."

"I think we need to catch up,"

"Daniel?" He immediately let go of Josephine's hand. She turned around to see a beautiful woman. "Could you come help me?"

Josephine nodded and walked away, still a slight limp in her step, as she'd always had since that night in the hayloft. Catch up? He wanted to catch up? What an awful thing to say.

She shut the door when she stepped into the room Grace was in, her hand on the doorknob and her forehead resting against the door as she quietly sobbed.

"Josie? What's the matter?"

"You didn't tell me Daniel was married," she began, turning around. Poor Grace was entirely confused. Josephine sat on the bed. "Do you know why I limp?"

"Because you broke your ankle when you were a kid and your bone never healed properly."

"Mr. Le Domas shot me in the leg when I was seventeen," she stood up and walked to the window, pointing to the stables. "In there."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"I was the only girl with no money in a school full of rich assholes. And just one of those rich assholes happened to fall in love with me, and I fell in love with him. But his daddy didn't like me, it was embarrassing for him to have his son be in love with a little broke girl like me. Mr. Le Domas caught Daniel and I in the hayloft, he was furious. Carrying around a fucking gun like a psycho. He was acting like how my father was supposed to act when I brought a boy home."

"Josephine, are you serious?"

"Why do you think I've been so upset since you told me who you were marrying?" They stood in complete silence. A tear slipped out of Grace's eye just before she was going to apologize. Josephine shook her head. "I'm so glad that you're happy, Grace. And you know how much I love you. But after the ceremony, I'm going home. I can't be here for much longer."

"I understand. I'm so sorry I didn't—"

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's your day."