Still with you

Chapter1

“Sweetie, breathe, I promise it's going to be perfect” the man chuckles as he caresses her hand that is intertwined in his.

Blaire releases a shaky breathe as she adjusts her wedding gown and veil with her free hand, “ I know dad, I’m just a bit anxious that's all”.

“Well you don't have to be, it's your special day, just enjoy it, hmm?”

She smiles, nodding her head as they proceed to the altar. The smile never leaving her face as she locks eyes with her soon to be husband, staring at her like she was the only one in the room.

She feels the anxiety melt away, it felt right, his eyes alone enough to make her heart beat faster, she could get lost in them forever.

“If any one is against this union, speak now or forever hold your peace”.

The priest announces looking into the congregation

…..

“Alright, we will cont…..”

“I object!”

Everyone in the room gasps loudly.

Blaire's eyes widened in horror, snapped out of her love gazing, praying and hoping that it was a mistake as she turns slowly.

She sees a set of gray eyes staring back at her at the center of the aisle, her face in a frown, hands on her waist.

She quickly turned to look at her fiancé, to see his reaction, to be sure that he truly was just as confused as she was, hoping that he wouldn't even know who the strange woman was.

“Lisa?, what are you doing here?”.

Blaire felt her head spin as the words escaped his lips. Her fiancé knew the woman, he knew her name, and it seemed like they even had history with the way he was looking at her in disbelief, not mere confusion.

“Mark… you.. you know her?” Blaire asks in a quavering voice, tears pooling in her eyes, her shaky hands tightening around the bouquet in her hands.

Mark quickly turns to her, his face apologetic, “Darling, it's not what you think, I also don't know why she is here”. He places his hands on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

“Oh quit the pretense, of course you know why I am here”. Lisa snaps at him, a sinister smile on her face at the drama she is stirring.

“What are you talking about? Why would I let you disrupt my wedding!”. He yells back at Lisa, his jaw clenching in anger.

Their argument seems like a blur to Blaire as she spaces out, standing still, ignoring the gentle shake of her shoulder by her father who quickly rushed to her side, her head starts spinning as the weight of the situation dawns on her.

The voices around her fade out as she loses her balance completely, falling backwards and going unconscious.

Blaire slowly opens her eyes. Looking around, she sees the beeping monitor beside her and the needle in her arm. She soon realizes that she is in the hospital.

She tries to sit up, but she feels pain shoot up her head which makes her fall back to the bed, her other hand massaging her temple. She tries to remember what happened before she blacked out.

Then it hits her, she fainted, she fainted on her wedding day. Tears streamed down her face at the memory of why she fainted, little hiccups escaped her lips as she cried out, her body shaking violently at the intensity of the tears.

Footsteps approached her, then she is engulfed in a hug. She hugs the figure back tightly, recognizing who it was.

“It's going to be ok sweetie, we'll figure it out. Please stop crying”. Her father whispers in reassurance, as he gently pets her.

“Why,... Why me? Why is this happening to me?” She wails with a broken voice, the tears continuously flowing as she cries into her father's shoulder.

“Please calm down, we’ll work something out, I promise”. His face and voice laced with concern.

Soon her weeping reduces to quiet sobs. She untangles herself from her father's embrace, cleans her bloodshot eyes and leaking nose.

“Mark isn't here”. It comes out as a sentence rather than a question, her head hung low.

“He is sitting outside, wanted me to come in first to calm you down”. He places her hands in his, caressing it.

“Good, I don't want to see him right now”. She responds in a monotone voice, not in the mood for whatever explanation he has for her.

“It's alright, I'll tell him to give you some time before coming in. You must be hungry. I brought you some food”.

She lets out a tired sigh as she turns to face him “Thank you so much dad, for everything. I don't know what I would have done without you” she gives him a little smile, happy that she had someone she cared about present in this low moment.

“You don't need to thank me Sweetie, I promised your mother to take care of you and I intend on keeping that ……”.

A knock interrupts them.

“It must be Mark, I have been here for a while. Let me go tell him to give you some time hmm?”.

Blaire nods as she lays down.

Her father goes to open the door intending to close the door behind him so as to block Mark from entering.

But as he unlocks the door, a force from the other side pushes him backwards, whomever that is on the other side forcing themselves in much to Blaire’s displeasure.

Blaire attempts to stand up as she sees her father stumble backwards but doesn't find the strength to. She turns to face the door, ready to yell at whomever just pushed her

father.

Her eyes widen as the last person she expects to see walks through the door.