I don't know how long I was staring at the man but I managed to pull my gaze away from him and back to the celebrating couple at hand.

Once they took their seats they brought the food to the tables. Everyone began to eat but I hardly touched my food. My stomach couldn't eat at a time like this, my nerves were getting the best of me.

I just push my food around and continue to drink from my glass of champagne. I know I can't get drunk right now so I nurse it as the night seems to carry on. Once everyone is finished eating they decide that it's time to do the maid of honor and best man speeches.

I look at Megan and she already knows what's to come. This is where I was about to lay it all out on the line.

Expose Paul Lively for the devil he really is.

Blake decides to go first and as she stands up she smiles at the large crowd of people gathered for this wedding.

"Hi everyone! Some of you know me and others may not so I'll introduce myself. I'm Blake, Alexis's best friend since grade school. The two of us have known each other for so long that our friendship feels like a sisterhood." She says with a bright smile as she looks at the happy couple.

"When Alexis and Dylan started seeing each other I was honestly shocked because she's the complete opposite of him. But they say opposites attract and that happened in their case." Blake says with a soft smile as her eyes scan the crowd again.

"He's everything she's not, and she's everything he needs. They balance each other out and anyone in this room can tell the love their share for one another is genuine."

"That's the type of love every person wants. Genuine and passionate. They clicked instantly and I knew when she told me that she was going to marry him one day that it was the god's honest truth."

"Watching them find their way back to each other after being apart for years gives me hope." She says and her eyes flicker to my own as she pauses for a brief second. She returns her gaze back to them and anyone at this table knows she was referring to me.

And it honestly gives me some hope.

"It gives me hope that I'll have that type of love. Consuming, earth shattering, love that will fight through the coldest storms." Blake says with tears leaving her eyes.

"I just want you both to know I'm so happy for you guys. Lex I'm so happy you found your Prince Charming." Blake's tears continue to fall and that wraps up her speech. Alexis stands and hugs her best friend as the two shed many tears.

The microphone gets passed to me and all eyes turn towards me now. I can't help but feel even more nervous. I take a drink before standing to my feet. I look around the room and give a genuine smile. I've managed to spot my own mother in the audience along with my brothers and sister. They hold up their glasses to me and I can't help but chuckle.

"For those of you that don't know me I'm Y/N. Dylan and I grew up together and he's one of my best friends." I decide to do my speech first before exposing Paul. Dylan and Alexis both deserve that. I think I might hold off until a little later into the night honestly. Their wedding day doesn't deserve to be ruined completely by me.

"From watching Scooby Doo in my living room after school together to spending our last high school summer vacation together at a beach house he scored by mowing lawns." I give him a wink which causes the guys at the table to chuckle including Alexis and the girls.

"Dylan has always had my back and I've always had his. No matter what we are going through or where we are in our lives, we can always count on each other."

I give the couple a genuine smile before looking out at the crowd.

"When my Dad passed last year.." I start but get choked up. I feel Dylan place his hand on my back and as I look down I catch Blake's worried gaze along with the others.

"Dylan was there for me. He stayed with me everyday to make sure I was okay. It didn't matter how angry I would get or what hurtful thing I would say as I tried to push him away. He stayed. He stayed and had my back. I don't know how I would have made it through without him. Without all of my friends actually."

"Dylan has a special heart and I think Alexis won the lottery in having him as a husband. I know he will be an amazing husband and father someday. He's someone I can call a brother." I say as I look at the two. Alexis is crying and Dylan has a soft smile on his face.

"I wish you both nothing but the best for years to come." I say to the two and I raise my glass. We cheer to that and I take a drink before I'm wrapped up in a hug by Dylan.

Everyone erupts into cheers and applauds us as we hug it out. Alexis hugs me next and kisses my cheek before taking her seat. I grab mine and I look down to see Megan and Blake both staring at me.

Blake's stare is soft and almost as if she's longing for me while Megan's is confused.

The couple moves to the floor to have their first dance. We watch them share the special moment before dancing with their parents.

Once they finish with that the bridal party moves to the floor to have a dance with them. I make my way to Blake on the dance floor and she wraps her arms around my neck while mine wrap around her waist. The two of us immediately get comfortable together.

The familiarity of this makes my heart swell in my chest as I hold her so close to me. Our eyes stay locked within one another and it's as if no one else is in this room.

"You're so beautiful." I find myself whispering out and I watch her eyes shine yet sadden at the same time. She looks down between us and I move my hand to cup her face. I slowly raise her head by her chin so our eyes can meet and everything between us only seems to intensify.

"I'm about to do something. And you might hate me for it, but I have to do it. I have to do it for us, for our family."

Blake looks at me confused as ever and worry is laced within her eyes.

"Y/N, what are you talking about?" She asks and I lean down and place a chaste kiss on her cheek catching her completely off guard. Just from that small kiss I can feel my lips tingly at the feeling. And as I pull away I hear a commotion.

I pull back and notice Blake's fiancé and Paul both storming towards us.

I motion for Megan to grab the microphone and she leaves Caras arms to grab it. She quickly tosses it to me just in time as the two join us on the dance floor.

"I'm glad you could both join us." I say into the microphone and the music gets cut off.

"Stay away from my daughter!" Paul grits out as he looks at me with his beaty old eyes.

"I have Paul. I've let her live her own life for four years." I say with anger laced within my voice. Everyone has stopped dancing and all eyes are on us.

"She has a fiancé and has moved on from you. I think it's about time you do the same!" He barks and the fiancé who stands next to him looks at me like he wants to punch me, but he's scared I might break his face.

"Do you know what I think it's time for?" I ask the man who's caused me so much pain.

"I think it's time you start telling everyone the truth!" I say with my jaw clenched and my veins bulging out of my neck. I feel Megan place a comforting hand on my arm and Blake stands next to us with a frown on her face but yet she's confused at what's going on.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here!?" Blake yells in frustration and I stare at Paul with a smirk now. He swallows harshly and looks at Megan with angry eyes.

"Yes Paul, tell Blake what's going on. Tell her what you did." I encourage the man who runs a hand through his old hair.

"I have no idea what she's talking about. She's crazy and obsessed with you Blake. I think we should all leave." Paul says as he motions for his family to get up and leave and I shake my head and the undercover police officers stand at the door with their badges.

Paul's face flushes white.

"Tell your daughter how you lied to her! Tell her how you faked our baby's death just so you could get her away from me. Tell her that our daughter has been with her older sister this whole time!" I yell as tears begin to leave my eyes.

Paul continues to stare at me with cold hard eyes and he finally looks at Blake just like I do. But what I didn't expect was for the blonde to faint, I catch her just in time before her head hits the floor.

"Get off of my fiancé!" Will yells as he tries to pull me away from Blake. At this point our whole wedding party is surrounding us along with my family.

"Is this true? Did you really take their child away from them!?" My mother yells at the man and my brothers hold her back from tearing his ass up.

Colton and Thomas hold back Will as I hold Blake in my arms.

"Wake up baby, please." I whisper softly and I watch her eyes begin to flutter open. Her eyes look at me and they shine brightly as her hand caresses my jawline.

"Y/N." She whispers and I nod my head as I lean into her touch.

"I'm here." I softly say and she looks at me as tears quickly form in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry." She whispers out and I feel the tears leave my eyes now too.

"I know you are, and so am I." I softly say before kissing the palm of her hand.

"I'm not dreaming am I? Everything that was just said is true?" She asks as the tears continue to fall. She goes to move from my arms and I help her stand to her feet. Everyone moves so Blake can look at her father.

The man looks at her with guilt but it's quickly replaced with hate as his eyes look at me.

"I just wanted you to have a normal life honey. And she's still in the family, I had your sister take her.." and Paul's cut off by Blake's hand slapping him across the face.

He turns to look at her with an angry glare and roughly grabs her by the arms.

Nope, not today.

I quickly grab ahold of his hands and pry them off of his youngest daughter. I gently push her behind me as I shove Paul and cock my arm back. My fist connects with his face and it sends him to the ground. His nose starts to bleed and before I can jump on him Will tackles me to the ground. He lands a couple of punches while I was caught off guard.

Everyone is screaming for us to stop and I manage to flip our positions. I land two solid punches to his face before I'm pulled off of him by Colton and Thomas.

"She wasn't even a good lay anyways." I hear Will spit out and all I see is rage as I rip myself out of my best friends arms as I slam the man back to the ground. I get another good punch in and I feel his nose crack under my fist.

"Stop!" I hear Blake cry out and I pull myself away from them all. I look to Dylan and Alexis who are both wide eyed and shocked about this whole thing.

"Will leave, we're over." I hear Blake tell him and the guy slowly picks himself up off the floor as he leaves the reception.

Paul stands to his feet with a shocked yet pissed off expression.

The rest of Blake's family finally makes their way towards us. Her mother, sisters and brother all stand to the side.

But my eyes don't look at anyone but my daughter who rests softly in Sarah's arms. Her head is buried in the crook of her neck from all the commotion I assume.

My eyes look at Sarah who has tears in her eyes. She looks from me to her little sister who looks at her whole family in shock, yet anger.

"Did you all know?" She asks and the only people who nodded yes were Sarah and Sarah's husband Adam.

"Why? Why would you do this to me!?" Blake cries as tears leave her eyes at a rapid pace.

"I didn't want to!" Sarah cries and it startles Mya causing her to cry.

"He blackmailed us Blake. Your sister and I refused so many times until he threatened us." Adam says and Blake wipes at her eyes furiously.

"He said if we didn't take her he would make her disappear all together." Sarah says and I look at Paul who has no shame right now.

I go to launch myself at him again and my brothers catch me this time. The two of them hold me back until I've calmed down.

"You all don't understand! They shouldn't be together! It's an abomination, it's not what the lord intended.."

"Fuck you!" I hear and I look to see my twin sister standing up to Paul now.

"It's over Paul. I understood that you didn't like Blake and Y/N together for your own personal religious reasons. But I will not stand by you any longer. You threatened to kill our grandchild Paul, our grandchild!" Katherine yells as she slaps her husband across the face.

Before Paul can react the police officers are to him and placing him in handcuffs. They move to cuff Adam and Sarah but I stop them.

We watch as they drag him out of the venue and as I turn my eyes back around I watch as Blake rushes out the side door.

I look at her family and know that this is something that I need to do. I rush out the door after her and find her staring at the night sky.

"Blake."

"I feel so stupid!" She cries out and I slowly approach her from behind.

I place my hands on her shoulders causing her to hang her head as she cries hard.

"I thought he changed. I thought he was accepting us, but the whole time he was planning to get rid of our baby." She cries as she turns to face me.

"You were hoping your dad changed, it's not your fault." I say and she shakes her head no.

"But it is, I'm the reason we lost her for four years. I didn't go home for two years after losing her. I distanced myself from my sister's baby because it only brought me pain."

"I should have known! She tried so hard to get me to bond with her, but I didn't think anything of it." Blake cries and I pull her into my arms.

"I'm so sorry." She sobs out and I kiss the top of her head as I slowly feel my heart starting to mend itself back together.

"It's not your fault, I promise you that." I softly say against her hair.

"How did you find out?" Blake asks as she pulls back to look me in the eyes.

"Megan heard him with the doctor at the hospital. She started following him and found out everything. But he threatened her life."

"I fucking hate him!" Blake cries out as her eyes fill with anger. I cup her face and wipe the tears from her face. I fix her makeup but most of it is waterproof so she doesn't look any different.

"I do too. But neither of us can risk going to jail because of him. Our daughter needs us." I say causing the woman to stop crying.

"I hated myself after I thought we lost her. I thought I didn't deserve to be happy, I didn't deserve to feel loved so I pushed you away. The one thing I was supposed to do was bring our daughter into the world safely and I thought I failed you." Blake cries once again and I shake my head with a frown.

"You didn't fail me baby. I don't blame any of this on you. We were both grieving." I softly say as I wipe her cheeks again.

It grows silent between us besides her occasional sniffle.

"So what do we do?" She asks and before I can answer we're interrupted by a familiar voice.

"You can get to know your daughter." Sarah says as she holds our little girl in her arms.

Adam stands behind her with his hands on her shoulders and looks at us with a sad smile.

"What have you guys been calling her?" I ask as the small girl continues to hide in Sarah's neck.

"Hope." Blake says and I look at the blonde beside me.

"I can't believe I never put it together." She sighs sadly and I grab her hand within my own and intertwine our fingers.

"Hope." I softly say and the small child moves her head from her aunt's neck before turning to face the two of us.

I swear my heart just molded back together completely as her blue eyes stare into my own. I feel Blake squeeze my hand softly in hers and I release a shaky breath.

Hope.

😁