A/N: Hey, guys! So I was meant to post this yesterday, but I was out with my friends until about 1 in the morning and I just didn't have the time to update. I wouldn't keep you long, though. Here's the sixteenth chapter and I hope you guys will like it. To be honest, I feel a little nervous about this one, especially after hearing your responses in the last chapter. Lastly, I just want to clarify that Josh didn't go straight to Maya after having that "fight" with Sophie. He went Christmas shopping with her the day after the fight happened.

Disclaimer: I don't own Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994). It's an amazing movie though, one of my favorites!

Chapter 16: Four Weddings and an Invitation

"Thank you," Maya told her taxi driver as she unloaded the vehicle. She smiled at him before she shut the passenger door closed.

The moment the yellow taxi sped away, Maya turned on her heels and her eyes took in the facade of the Miller Boutique. She heaved a nervous sigh, patting her bag to feel the small painted canvas she brought along with her.

"All right, let's do this for Josh," Maya murmured as she marched toward the entrance. She strode into the boutique, catching Linda's attention from behind the counter. Flashing a cordial smile, Maya made her way to her.

"Hey, Maya," Linda greeted cheerfully. "I guess it's just you today, huh? Normally, Riley would be with you."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, but not today," she noted the obvious.

"So, what can I help you with? Are you looking to get something tailored for you?" Linda queried.

"I actually came here to talk to Sophie," Maya declared, agitatedly drumming her fingers on the counter. "Is she here today?"

"Yes, Sophie is in her office. Do you want me to tell her that you're here?" Linda replied with a smile.

Maya could only nod in response as the moment when she had to face Sophie drew nearer. Although she was innocent, confronting Sophie still made Maya feel anxious because she didn't know the level of anger she was about to face head-on.

With her smile still intact, Linda excused herself as she vanished into the boutique's back room. Not even a minute had passed and she was back with Sophie trailing after her, wearing a blank expression on her face. Linda flashed Maya a solacing smile as she walked back to the counter, leaving the latter alone with Sophie.

"I'm guessing Josh already told you," Sophie uttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I find it impressive that you still have a face to show after what the two of you did behind my back."

Maya noticed Linda's head snapping in their direction, surprised by the discourteousness of Sophie's words. She scrambled away from the counter and assisted the nearest customer, deflecting them from the unpleasant scene that was about to occur.

"Sophie," Maya began as her eyes wandered around the boutique. "I don't think this is the right place to talk about this. I don't want to sound like I'm trying to intimidate you, but you have a reputation to keep up."

Sophie's breath hitched before she took Maya's wrist and pulled her toward her office in the back. The second they were inside, Sophie closed the door, giving the two of them the privacy they needed.

Maya waited until Sophie had situated herself on the edge of her desk, her arms still crossed. With a raise of Sophie's brow, Maya spoke, "Before I say anything else, I just want to let you know that I didn't come here to cause any more trouble—"

"What? Are you here to rub it in my face even more?" Sophie interrupted.

"Sophie, I just want to make things right," Maya argued in a placid tone, dropping her bag on the chair by Sophie's desk. "What we're dealing with right now is all a misunderstanding, but you have to let me explain first."

"Maya, what's there to explain? It's very clear to me that you and Josh are having an affair behind my back!" Sophie exclaimed. "God, that must be it. I knew there was a reason why Josh barely calls when I'm away. He had you to fill my space!"

"Sophie, please just hear me out," Maya begged. "Josh is not cheating on you with me. Yes, it's true that the scarf you found in your apartment is mine, but what Josh and I were doing—I can guarantee you, it was strictly innocent."

"Oh, and what could you possibly be doing there?" Sophie retaliated.

Maya paused for a beat as though she was building momentum. She then looked Sophie sincerely in the eyes and said, "Josh knows I'm an artist, so he asked me to come over to help him with his Christmas present . . . for you."

Sophie straightened from where she sat on the edge of her desk. "What?" she asked.

Maya zipped her bag open and brought out the small painted canvas. It was something that she came up with the night after Josh told her about the misunderstanding. He didn't know she painted the piece, but Maya knew it was what they needed to prove to Sophie that they weren't having an affair behind her back.

"He wanted me to paint this for you," Maya stated as she handed the small painting to Sophie, who gingerly took it from her grasp. "He said it reminded him of a great time in your relationship, and it was one of the moments he treasures the most."

"It's us during my college graduation," Sophie murmured, her eyes taking in the painting. "It's been two years since we got together when this picture was taken. I remember how he kept telling me how proud he was of me, and I realized how lucky I was to have him by my side. Josh had always been so supportive of me . . . even now."

A smile crept up Maya's lips, seeing that the painting did exactly what she had planned it to do. "Josh loves you, Sophie," she declared. "I might not have known him longer than you did, but from the time I've spent with him, I know that he's not one to give up on the people he loves. When he realized he couldn't get through to you, he didn't hesitate to ask for help just so he could fix your relationship."

Sophie grew quiet afterward, thus Maya resolved to continue. "You mean more to Josh than anything or anyone else in this world," she spoke. "I thought you deserved to know that."

With those words out in the open, Maya shouldered her bag and headed for the door. She hadn't even grabbed the door's handle yet when Sophie called her attention. She swiveled around to find Sophie clutching the painting to her chest as though her life depended on it.

"I'm sorry," Sophie apologized. "I'm sorry that I jumped into conclusions. When I asked Josh what you were doing in our apartment, he couldn't say anything . . . and now I know why. I guess it was just . . . I've been with him for so long that I thought I had secured him, you know? So when I saw your scarf at our apartment, the thought that somebody could actually take him away from me scared me so much. It was wrong of me to assume right away that the two of you are having an affair, and for you to come to see me and explain the situation proves that it was what you said it was—a misunderstanding."

Maya nodded, a warm smile on her face. "Apology accepted. Thank you for hearing me out."

"You really are a good friend, Maya. I can see now why Josh keeps you around," Sophie replied with a laugh. She then looked at the painting in her hands again and added, "Listen, I want to make it up to you."

Maya shook her head. "No, you don't have to do that," she said with a wave of her hand.

"Come on, just let me have this one. I feel really bad, Maya."

Sighing, Maya caved in. "All right, what do you have in mind?" she questioned.

"I want to invite you to my family's Christmas party," Sophie uttered with a smile. "I know that we haven't really bonded that much, but I thought that this could be a start. Plus, Josh would be there. This is our chance to bring back the friendly dynamic that we once had before this whole misunderstanding fiasco began."

"Are you sure?" Maya asked. "Wouldn't that make you . . . I don't know, uncomfortable?"

Sophie snickered. "It would only be uncomfortable if there was actually something going on between you and Josh, but we've just established that what you two have is strictly platonic, right?"

"Sophie, I already have someplace else to be for Christmas," Maya informed.

"You don't even have to stay for a long time," Sophie suggested in an endeavor to further convince Maya to accept her invitation. "You can just stay for dinner and after that, how you want to spend the rest of your night is completely up to you."

After hearing that, it took Maya a moment to finally agree to attend the Millers' Christmas party.

"Wait, so let me get this straight. You said you went to Josh and Sophie's apartment to help him look for the engagement ring he thought he lost, then you accidentally left your scarf there, which made Sophie think that Josh's cheating on her with you. But now everything's all right, and you're invited to have dinner with the Millers on Christmas," Riley summarized from all the way in Maya's small kitchen.

Maya adjusted her position on the couch, grabbing the wool blanket to spread it wider on her legs. It had only been hours since Maya confronted Sophie at the Miller Boutique, but Riley found it incredulous that her best friend had yet to tell her the full story. To make up for that, Riley went to Maya's apartment and demanded that they have a girls' night while watching their favorite 1994 romantic comedy film, Four Weddings and a Funeral.

"That's basically everything," Maya replied as Riley cleared her way toward the living room. She perched on the couch, passing over Maya's own bowl of buttered popcorn.

"And you cleared the misunderstanding by giving Sophie a painting of her and Josh? Wow, your artistic skills must be really something." Riley set her own bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and slipped down to the floor. She looked up at Maya and said, "Can you braid my hair? Lucas's taking me out to lunch tomorrow and I want to go for a braid-out look."

Maya took Riley's medium-length brown hair in her hands, the same time Riley reached for the remote control. She pressed the play button and movie started playing.

"I mean, I was surprised that it worked, too," Maya responded. "I knew I was taking a shot in the dark with that painting—and I'm sure Josh and I could've come up with a white lie that would've worked just fine, but what the hell, right? Why not go the extra mile?"

Riley nodded. "It was effective, though. Sophie saw your effort, and she recognized your sincerity."

The two best friends turned back to the television. While watching the numerous production companies the film teamed up with, Riley tapped Maya's knee to grab her attention. "So, I was thinking," she disclosed.

"Uh-oh. What trouble are you gonna get into this time?" Maya mocked. "I thought we decided to leave our mischievous ways in the past?"

"Oh, really? Then how would you explain your meddling with Andrew and Jasmine when we went clubbing with them?" Riley retaliated, an amused expression on her face.

Maya flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Andrew needed a little push, and Jasmine needed a little 'sweeping off her feet' action," she stated.

Riley slapped Maya's knee, which made the latter laugh. "Anyway, so since Christmas is, like, two days away, I was thinking about who's going to host our New Year's party this year," she said. "Farkle and Isadora are flying here to celebrate with us, so they're definitely not an option. How about you? You've got access to your building's rooftop. We can all head out there to watch the fireworks, that'll be cool."

Maya pursed her lips. "I would, but my apartment can only hold about fifteen people," she responded. "It depends on how many people you're going to invite. If it's less than fifteen, then sure, I'll host."

Four Weddings and a Funeral, the television screen read. The movie title alone emitted a squeal from Riley, who later composed herself to keep her conversation with Maya running.

"I'm thinking it should just be the six of us this year—you, me, Lucas, Zay, Farkle, and Isadora. Absolutely no parents because we already celebrated Thanksgiving with them, so they gotta let us have this one," Riley uttered. She then perked up and added, "Oh! We should invite Josh and Sophie, and Andrew and Jasmine. I mean, we did have a lot of fun the last time we all hung out. That'll be amazing!"

"Yeah, sure. I'll have to check in on Josh and Sophie, though. You know, make sure they haven't made any plans yet," Maya answered.

Riley squealed. "We're all gonna get coupled up—you're with Zay, of course," she taunted. "Speaking of, I don't think you've ever told me before, but how come you and Zay never . . . you know, tried to be romantically involved? I mean, you grew up together, so I'm pretty sure there were feelings that definitely surfaced somewhere along the way."

"Oh, we definitely tried," Maya admitted. "We tried when we were in high school, but eventually, we both decided that it was just too awkward. You should have seen the looks on our mothers' faces when Zay and I told them we're better off as friends than lovers. They had big plans for us—wedding plans. I think our mothers had already planned our future together the moment Zay and I first shared a Lego block."

Riley nodded in understanding. "I guess it's just one of those type of friendships you don't want to ruin by trying to be something more," she commented.

"He's more of like a brother to me, anyway."

The two best friends remained quiet after that. By the movie's four-minute mark, Maya had finished braiding Riley's hair and the latter had returned to her spot on the couch.

"Fuck iiit," Maya and Riley recited with Hugh Grant's character, Charlie, as he missed his freeway exit on his way to the first of the four weddings he was invited to. They continued to watch the movie in silence. At some point, Riley began reaching into Maya's bowl of popcorn since hers had run out.

"See, that is what teamwork is all about," Maya commented when the wedding ring scene came up. Charlie forgot to bring his friends' wedding rings, thus he turned to his group of friends for help, who didn't hesitate to offer their own pieces of jewelry to act as the temporary wedding rings. "I expect all of you guys to do that for me when I get married—that is if the man I end up marrying has a lazy ass for a best man."

Riley snorted at Maya's remark, though she didn't say anything in response. Maya took that as her cue to keep her commentaries to herself and resume watching the movie.

"Ooh, ooh!" Riley perked up, slapping Maya repeatedly on her shins. "Do this one with me! I'll be Charlie and you'll be the old man."

Maya readjusted herself on the couch to find a more comfortable position as Riley straightened up in preparation for the scene they were about to reenact.

"How'd you do? My name's Charles," Riley recited along with the character Charlie, employing her best impersonation of an Englishman.

Maya cleared her throat when it was her character's turn to speak. She lowered her voice to imitate the old man that Charlie was conversing with in the scene. "Don't be ridiculous!" she responded, casting on a British accent. "Charles died twenty years ago!"

"M-must be a different Charles then," Riley said, her eyes trained on the television screen.

"Are you telling me I don't know my own brother?"

"N-no."

"And, end scene!" Maya declared, bowing theatrically before she burst out laughing alongside Riley.

"That scene is golden," Riley commented between fits of laughter. "Oh, that'll never get old."

By the thirty-minute mark of the movie, Maya stood up to get more popcorn. On her way to the kitchen, she noticed Riley had turned her back to the television screen while she muttered how much she disliked the particular scene that was playing out.

Maya extracted two popcorn bags from her stash and placed one inside the microwave.

"So, I want to know. What happens next?" Riley inquired, much to Maya's surprise.

"They sleep together and that bitch Carrie leaves him the morning after," Maya responded, referring to the upcoming scene in the movie.

Riley chuckled. "You really don't like her character, don't you?"

"She's put Charlie through so much heartbreak! I just find it ridiculous that Charlie still chose to be with her in the end when there's Fiona, who's so loyal to him from the first minute they met," Maya asserted.

"Whatever you say, Maya, but that's not my point."

"Then, I have no idea what you're talking about."

The first bag of popcorn finished and Maya cautiously took it out of the microwave. She put in the second bag and waited for the kernels to cook.

"What happens after you finish helping Josh with his marriage proposal to Sophie?" Riley asked.

Maya shrugged, ripping the first bag of popcorn and pouring its contents onto her bowl. "They get engaged, obviously."

"And then what?"

"What do you mean 'and then what?'" Maya queried in confusion.

"What happens after they get engaged? What happens to the two of you? Most importantly, what happens to you?" Riley elaborated, her chin resting on the backrest of the couch.

"Okay, first off," Maya began, holding up her index finger. "Josh and Sophie are going to get engaged. Those two love each other so much that the thought of them not being together forever is atrocious. Second, Josh and I will stay friends, of course. We've been opening up to one another about our personal lives, and it's going to suck if we ignored that just because we're done working together."

The microwave beeped and Maya brought out the second bag of popped kernels.

"So, you're saying that when this is all done—all this business with Josh and his marriage proposal to Sophie—you're confident that you won't at least have a bit of feelings developed for him?" Riley asked, an eyebrow perking up.

"And why would I have feelings for Josh?" Maya retaliated. "Riley, I don't know where you're getting all of these crazy ideas from, but you have got to stop throwing them at me."

"Maya, I can't tell you how many chick flicks I've watched throughout my entire life, but I can assure you that it happens all the damn time," Riley remarked. "You know what I'm talking about, right? Every chick flick has a cliché."

"I swear to God," Maya warned.

Riley dismissed her best friend with a roll of her eyes. "Put a man and a woman together in a state of affairs where they are forced to see each other almost every day, learning personal things about one another, and one of them is bound to fall in love! And if they're really lucky, the feelings will end up being mutual."

"See, but that only happens in the movies, Riley. This is the reality where stuff like that doesn't happen on a daily basis," Maya retorted on her way back to the couch, holding the two bowls of popcorn in her hands. "Take Zay and me for instance, or Farkle and I—hell, even Lucas and I, if you will. We've all been friends since college and neither of us has shown romantic interest toward one another. Who says the same thing can't happen with Josh, too?"

"But, you and Zay—"

"Okay, maybe Zay and I had a little something before, but my history with him is different than what I have with Josh," Maya interjected before she threw a popcorn in her mouth.

Riley grabbed the other bowl of popcorn from Maya. "I'm just saying," she declared, shrugging. "But if it happens though, I can't promise I won't be saying 'I told you so.'"

Maya stared at her best friend in disbelief. In the end, she shook her head and turned her full attention back to the movie, where Charlie and his friends were once again late for yet another wedding ceremony. The second of their four.

"I have a theory," Riley asserted as she watched the scene where Andie McDowell's character, Carrie, married someone else while Charlie stood off to the side, observing the entire ceremony with a trampled heart.

"What?" Maya questioned, grabbing the last handful of popcorn in her bowl.

"Your life has the potential to resemble Four Weddings and a Funeral," Riley answered. "I mean, I'm not saying that the scenes in the movie will happen to you, but your life could well be another version of it—a modern day one, so to say."

Maya gazed at Riley with questioning eyes. "Huh, and why do you say that?"

"Okay, so you know this scene very well, right? Fiona confesses to Charlie that she'd always loved him from the start, but she couldn't tell him about it sooner because she knows he could only see her as a friend—"

"Ah, good 'ol unrequited love. It kills you like a bullet shot straight through your goddamn heart," Maya mused, shaking her head as she turned her eyes to the screen, just in time to witness the heart-wrenching scene playing out. Fiona lit up a cigarette while she revealed her secret to the man she'd always loved.

"The most vicious kind of love there is," Riley agreed, heaving a saddening sigh afterward. "But anyway, as I was saying: you, Josh, and Sophie can easily be Fiona, Charlie, and Carrie—respectively. Now, we all know that Fiona has feelings for Charlie, but she casts that aside because Charlie's happiness weighs more than her own feelings for him. And so, Charlie and Carrie—or rather Josh and Sophie—end up together, while you're like Fiona—"

"Riley, I'm gonna have to stop you right there," Maya interrupted, laughing. "I think you're forgetting a very, very important detail: Fiona got married to Prince Charles at the end of the movie."

Riley paused for a moment as she recalled how the movie played out in the end. "You're right," she agreed. "Even so, you can still be Fiona."

"As thrilling as the idea of getting married into royalty is, my life will never be like Four Weddings and a Funeral. Sure, Josh and Sophie can easily be like Charlie and Carrie, but I can assure you that in my version of this movie, Fiona simply does not exist," Maya stated.

"Well, you never know," Riley argued.

"Trust me, Riley. I didn't exactly cast a Fiona."

"It's probably because it's you, Maya."

"Riley," Maya warned, holding up her index finger.

"But if it happens—"

"You can't promise you won't say 'I told you so.' I know, you already told me that," Maya finished her best friend's sentence.

Riley passed Maya a look that indicated she knew exactly what was bound to happen regarding her best friend's current predicament. Given that Riley stepped out of line for an innumerable amount of time that night, she couldn't deny her gut feeling—the kind that she couldn't suppress.

"You're still coming to my Christmas party, right?" Riley questioned, placing her head on Maya's shoulder.

"I might have to take a detour, but of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

I know you all probably hate me for how quickly I fixed the misunderstanding between Josh/Maya/Sophie, but trust me I have bigger plans for the fallout. I didn't want to go on the usual "cheating" route, so . . . there's that.

I still hope you guys liked this one. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!