Hope's Chance(93)

After the ceremony, as we were walking out, I was supposed to walk with Hope, but Susan threw herself in front of her and took my arm. I watched Hope’s eyes get big, and at that very moment, I realized she had reached her breaking point. I tried to get her attention, but her hateful eyes bore into Susan.

“What are you doing?” I heard Hope ask.

“Taking what is mine.” Susan spat out.

Before I even knew what was going on, I saw Hope pulling Susan away from me. “He will never be yours.” She screamed.

The music finally stopped and Mark and Buffy stood at the end of the aisle watching in disbelief.

“Little girl, I don’t know what kind of crush you have on him, but I can assure you he is way out of your league.” Susan announced while she gritted her teeth.

Mark was already hauling ass back up the aisle and Buffy was right behind him.

Hope pushed Susan again. I could hear people gasping in the congregation. “You bitch! You have no idea what I can do.” Hope gladly admitted. I tried to grab her by the arm, but she was steady going at Susan.

“Hope! Stop this now!” Mark ordered. Once he separated them, he looked toward Hope. “What is the meaning of this? Dammit, ever since Susan came here you have been acting crazy. I want the truth Hope. You are ruining this wedding.”

My stomach started to knot up, like everything was going in slow motion. Hope wouldn’t look at me and there was only one reason that would happen. She was going to tell him. Before I could yell, scream, or grab her by the hand and run out of there, she just started talking. “I love him Dad. I have loved him since before you even introduced us. We met before I came to live here. I can’t keep lying about it anymore. We tried to stop, but it made us closer instead. I am so sorry that I lied, I just knew you wouldn’t allow it.”

Tears filled her eyes. “And I can’t stand back and watch this slut try to put her paws into my boyfriend anymore.”

“Who are you calling a slut you little tramp?” Susan announced.

Buffy put her body in front of Susan’s and Mark held Hope back. “I am not having this here!” He yelled.

I wanted to say something, but I was in shock. My sister had tears running down her eyes. We had ruined her ceremony.

Mark turned to Buffy. “Did you know?” He seemed hurt.

Before she could answer, I interrupted. “She didn’t know. We didn’t tell anyone.”

He turned to face me. “You promised me Chance. You promised that you wouldn’t touch her.” The pain in his eyes ripped right through me.

“You’re right. I did promise you, but I had already fallen in love with her.” I took a deep breath, preparing myself to be hit with a fist. “We had already been together when you introduced us.”

It was as if everyone in the room disappeared. The four of us were in this private conversation with no regard for the people around us. The room was completely silent.

“I don’t understand. You couldn’t have met her.” He reiterated.

Hope interrupted. “I met Chance when I first came to see you here. I walked in on him changing in the pool house. I didn’t know anyone lived there and you told me to explore. Later on, he saved me from a shady man on the side of the road. Then after that, he saved me again, when Rylee snuck me into a bar you guys went to. I didn’t want you to catch me and when my friend refused to leave, Chance took me home. Dad, it just happened. It wasn’t planned, I swear.”

Mark’s eyes lit up. He knew exactly when it happened. He turned to me. “When the police came, they asked you questions you wouldn’t answer?”

I nodded my head. “I found out how old Hope was after the fact. I knew I couldn’t let the police know that she was a minor, so I lied to keep her safe. I didn’t want you to find out about that night for several reasons.” I confessed as I put my head down.

Mark had real tears in his eyes. “I love her Mark. I swear to you that I have always loved her.”

He looked over to Hope. “This is why you have been acting so weird?”

She nodded. “We didn’t want to tell you until my birthday, but Susan wouldn’t leave Chance alone. I couldn’t take it anymore. Please say that you forgive us. Please Daddy.”

“I need to talk to Chance alone.” He said as he grabbed me by the arm and took me into a private room.

I looked back and saw the two women, that I loved the most in the world, standing there with tears in their eyes.

When we got into the room, Mark closed the door behind us.

“Sit down.” He ordered.

I sat down and looked at the floor.

“Do you have any of those cigarettes on you?” He asked.

“I quit for Hope months ago.” I admitted.

“Of course you did.” He shook his head and almost smiled. “You really have put me in a bad place Chance. I trusted you with my daughter and you gave me your word. Now, after all of this time I have really gotten to know you and accepted you into my family. I appreciated how you always were there for Hope and I thought you treated her like a sister. I knew that you cared, I just didn’t understand how much.”

He ran his hands through his hair. “I love you like you are my own son Chance.”

“Mark, I am so sorry. I don’t know what to say. I should have told you. We were just so afraid that you would keep us apart.” I admitted.