Thanks for your AMAZING reviews. I am so grateful for all of your kind words. Warning on this chapter – one secret is coming out . After this point, it's all just going to keep on coming.

Chapter Eight

(Dante's POV)

I was finally off the clock. After the wedding ceremony had ended, there were hundreds of photos to be taken at what felt like dozens of locations. While I was not what most would consider shy, I did find it pretty uncomfortable to pose for photos in a large group of individuals that included the siblings that didn't know me as their brother and the woman who I was seeing, or rather hoped to be seeing soon.

The previous night had been incredible. I was so excited to have finally confessed my feelings to Lulu and know that she reciprocated. But before we could act on them, at least more than we had the night before, I needed to talk to Lucky. We had been through a lot together, and the last thing I wanted was for him to be as suspicious of me as he was every other man who crossed Lulu's path.

As it stood, I realized there was a good chance he sensed my feelings for Lulu. I had forgiven him for ditching me on my birthday. He and I discussed it over a beer a few nights back. But something was definitely going on with him.

Lucky had never been a fan of Johnny Zacchara, but physically going after him did not fall within his normal behavior. On top of that, he was never one to drink early in the day. He resented his father's alcoholism and worked very hard to keep his own consumption of alcohol to a minimum. So when I found him half drunk on the morning of his brother's wedding with his hands about ready to throttle Johnny, I knew that my suspicions were valid.

I tried to corner him while we were standing around for pictures, but he simply murmured something about me being the last person he needed to talk to and walked away. Once the limo made it to the reception hall, he headed straight for the bar. Not wanting to instigate a fight with him in the middle of his brother and sister-in-law's guests, I decided to keep an eye on him from afar.

However, as much as my eye should have been on Lucky, I had a really difficult time taking them off of Lulu. She looked incredible in the short blue bridesmaid dress that Kristina had picked. Her hair was curled and swept to the side of her face, and it took every ounce of self control that I had to keep myself from nuzzling against the exposed skin on her neck.

I was able to catch her gaze a few times throughout the day, but we had not spoken since the night before. I realized that she was incredibly busy, and it was probably a good thing we were unable to get too close before I had the chance to talk to Lucky. Unfortunately, it looked like that conversation was not going to happen anytime soon.

I accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter and nodded as Michael approached me. He extended his hand to me, and I reached forward to accept his handshake.

"Thanks, again, for pinch hitting as a part of the wedding party," he said. "If I know my sister, she probably didn't give you much of an option."

"Let's just say you can definitely tell she is the product of Sonny and Alexis."

He laughed. "You can say that again. Either way, I know she is really appreciative. And even if I wasn't thrilled about this wedding, I just want Krissy to be happy."

"I know exactly what you mean," I nodded, turning my attention to Kristina and Ethan as they shared their first dance. She was glowing with happiness, and it made my lips curl into a smile.

"But I thought you were an only child…"

The confusion in his voice reminded me exactly why it was an awful idea for me to be at that wedding. The more I spent time with Michael, Kristina and Morgan, the more I reconsidered keeping my secret. I just wished there was a way to have a relationship with my brothers and sister without having to claim Sonny Corinthos as my father.

"Well, I guess I don't know exactly," I covered. "I just mean that I have family, too. I mean my mom raised me all on her own. She's incredible – and I would like nothing more than to know that she is happy."

"If she's anything like my mother, I'm sure she reciprocates the feeling. Sometimes a little too much," he laughed, reassuring me that my slip up did not register with him. "If she calls to invite Starr to lunch one more time in an effort to interrogate her, I'm going to have to take out a restraining order."

"I think my ma would probably love to trade secrets with yours. She doesn't really understand the need for boundaries when it comes to my love life."

"Speaking of," Michael started, nodding across the room, "I feel like I should probably point that out to you."

I turned in the direction of his gaze and saw Lulu laughing with Johnny while he held his hand on the small of her back.

"Look, I don't want to be a hypocrite when I was just complaining about people meddling in my love life, but Lulu is my family. And I think you and me friends. So, as a friend, I'm just warning you that Johnny is major competition."

"Competition for what?" I asked, choosing to play dumb rather than divulge the details of my feelings for Lulu.

"Oh, come on. I have spent a lot of time with you and Lulu over the past few months. I know that you two have something going on. I just think you should know that Johnny and Lulu are practically legendary in this town. They were inseparable for a long time."

I finished off my glass of champagne and shook my head. "That was a long time ago. Lulu said that they're over."

"Johnny doesn't feel that way," he continued speaking while I watched the gentleman in question continue to flirt with her.

"How do you know that?"

"He said so himself at Ethan's bachelor party. Plus, I walked her down the aisle today, and it was hard to miss how he was staring her down. Maybe she doesn't see it, but practically everybody else does. Johnny's still in love with Lulu. So I'm just saying if you want something real with her, don't let him swoop in and ruin it."

(Maxie's POV)

I felt sick to my stomach, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, it was not from morning sickness. There I was, in the middle of a wedding reception that could easily have been considered the best I had ever coordinated, but all I could think about was how I had single-handedly given away everything that Lulu and I had worked since the creation of our company.

Granted, we were walking away with a substantial sum of money, but I knew she was going to be livid when I told her about the sale. And I had to tell her before she went home for the night because Mr. LeMontagne was going to have movers bringing his wife's things into the office first thing in the morning.

Fortunately, coming clean with Lulu was going to have to wait because it was time to toast the bride and groom. I texted Lulu to cue the photographer and videographer, and she immediately responded that she had already done so and had Sam ready to go for her maid of honor speech. She asked me to find Lucky for his.

"Fabulous," I muttered sarcastically under my breath.

I must have walked through the crowd four times before I finally spotted the father of my child, elbows up at the bar with a shot glass in front of him. No doubt he was miserable because of me, but there was no time for me to approach the conversation as a concerned girlfriend. Instead, I needed to rely on my skills as an expert event planner and ensure that the drunken best man could get through his toast without ruining the entire reception.

I approached the bar, saddling up next to him and calling the bartender over. "We're going to need a large glass of water and a cup of coffee, please."

"I'm not gonna drink that," Lucky slurred.

"We'll see about that," I commented, pulling the shot glass away from him and handing it off to a waiter who was passing by. "I can't have you getting up in front of all of these people in a drunken stupor."

"I'm a S-Spencer," he argued. "I can handle my liquor very well, thank you kindly."

The bartender handed me what I asked for and I pushed the coffee in front of Lucky. "Drink up."

"On one condition…"

"Oh, no, this is not a negotiation."

"You have to let me come over tonight so we can talk."

"You need to sleep this off tonight," I whispered, forcing the coffee cup into her hands. "Besides, even if you come over, you're just going to pass out."

"Maxie, I miss you," he whined, "Puh-lease!"

"Fine, I'll do whatever you need," I hissed. "Just drink the damn coffee and sober up so you don't ruin your brother's wedding!"

He smirked and took a sip. "You love me, don't you? You really, really love me. So just tell me."

"Not here," I whispered.

"Then no coffee…." He threatened with a grin that practically melted my heart. He could convince me to do anything, even in a state of complete inebriation. But just talking to him was making my stress disappear. And I did want to talk to him. Unfortunately, I knew that telling him about the pregnancy when he was hammered was not the right decision. I had to settle for getting him through the next hour without causing a scene.

"You are infuriating!" I growled, not wanting him to realize how soft he was making me. "Fine, I love you, and you can come over tonight so we can talk, even though you're only going to pass out on my couch. Just, please, drink some coffee and pull yourself together before you get up there drunk and blow things up even more than they already have been."

(Lulu's POV)

Sam's toast to the newlyweds was short and sweet, just as we had rehearsed it. While I didn't completely understand the tradition of making your loved ones get up and offer their best string of clichés in front of hundreds of people, Maxie always insisted that we coach those giving the toasts so that they can, in her words, make beautiful memories for the happy couple. Lucky for me, Sam was happy to read one of our pre-written toasts rather than come up with her own speech that may or may not have satisfied Maxie's requirements.

When Lucky got up and took the microphone, I held my breath. I had lost count of how many drinks he had consumed, and obviously something was bothering him. He had been downright cold to me earlier in the day. I had seen my father go into full-blown self-destruction mode countless times in the past, and Lucky's behavior was eerily similar.

Before he began to speak, my phone vibrated in my hand. I looked down at the text message from Starr asking me to meet her in the hallway and frowned. She was panicking about telling Michael that Sonny was Dante's father and almost held up the entire ceremony when she cornered me right before I had to walk down the aisle. I understood that she wanted to be honest with her boyfriend, but the reality was that this secret was not either of ours to tell. I just needed to keep repeating that to her and hope that it stuck.

By the time I reached her, she was pacing the length of the hallway, practically wearing a hole in the hardwood flooring.

"I think you should take a few breaths," I instructed. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"They're practically drinking buddies, Lulu!" she spat, her voice reflective of the level of anxiety that she had, "They've been together a lot all day, and it's a family wedding, and I don't know how to not freak out about this!"

"Keep your voice down, please," I whispered.

"Look, I have no idea how you feel about Dante, but you should know that I am completely in love with Michael. I can't lie to him! I won't!"

"We have been over this," I sighed. "If Dante doesn't want anyone to know who his father is, who are we to start telling people?"

"But I don't want to hurt Michael, and by keeping this secret while he gets closer to Dante, that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm sure that I can convince Dante to tell the truth himself if I can just talk to hi-"

"Absolutely not! You cannot talk to Dante about this!"

"I'll be very understanding…"

"That's not the issue."

"Then what is it? Because I have to do something."

"If you talk to Dante about this, he's going to know that I told you, and then our relationship will be obliterated before it even really begins."

"Your relationship?" she questioned.

Even with all of the drama surrounding our conversation, it was impossible not to let the smile on my lips escape when my words sunk in. I had a relationship with Dante. The last thing I was going to do was let a stupid, drunken slip-up get in the way.

"We're together, or at least we will be," I explained. "We talked for awhile last night, and he forgave me for missing his birthday. He wants to start with a clean slate."

"And let me guess," she groaned, "You neglected telling him about what I know?"

"He kept talking about how the past doesn't matter and we could start over… I wanted to tell him, but I freaked out. I just… I can't tell him that I betrayed his trust. And he'll never find out if you can just give this some time."

"Give it some time?" she questioned. "Meaning you're going to tell him the truth and make him tell Michael and Sonny about it?"

"Do I have to?" I whined, feeling m heart crash against my chest.

"Yes!" she argued, "And not just for the sake of my relationship with Michael. Lulu, each day that you keep this secret, you're sabotaging your future with Dante. You have to know that."

"I do," I admitted softly. "I'll figure this all out. Can you just give me a little time? Please?"

She looked really conflicted, but nodded her head in the end. "You have some time, but I'm not happy about this. Just take care of it – as soon as you can. Got it?"

"I promise," I finally let myself exhale and threw my arms around her in gratitude. "Thank you so much!"

She reluctantly returned my hug before heading back into the reception, leaving me to catch my breath and regain some perspective. I knew that Starr was right. I had told myself all of the things she was saying to me, but hearing it from her did not make me any less terrified. So when I felt someone come behind me and put a hand on my shoulder, I jumped.

"Hey, hey it's just me," Dante soothed. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh God," I exhaled, willing my heartbeat back to normal. "I-I'm fine. I just needed some air."

"In the hallway?" he questioned with a laugh.

"It's a little cleaner than inside," I explained, "There are far fewer people to share it with."

"Ah, I get it. See, I thought you were out here hiding while your brother gave his toast. But if you're just looking for your own personal oxygen supply, I can leave you to it."

Dante had always been a little flirtatious, but the grin on his face at that moment was downright sexy. In that moment, it was enough to make me forget all about my conversation with Starr. This man in front of me was not only sexy, but he could make any stress I was feeling melt away. He had always had a knack for that, but it seemed so much more powerful since I had been able to admit my feelings for him.

"I might be willing to share. That is, if Lucky didn't get up there and say something that is going to send the whole party into chaos."

"Nah, he stuck to the cue cards," he answered, stepping closer to me. His hands found my hips and that contact alone gave me goose bumps. "Have I ever told you about my lifelong goal to get the prettiest bridesmaid at a wedding to dance with me?"

"You haven't, but I bet if you were really nice, Sam would be more than happy to oblige."

"Sam looks great today, don't get me wrong," he continued, slowly drumming his fingers in place. "But unfortunately for her, the groom has this gorgeous sister who sets an impossible standard when it comes to bridesmaids."

I moved my arms up to wrap around his neck and hoped that it would be enough to distract him from the way he was making me blush. "So say you get this unnamed bridesmaid to agree to a dance. What's the end game?"

"Definitely a kiss," he answered softly, "And eventually the whole happily ever after with the marriage and the kids and the annual family trips to Brooklyn."

"Well, I can't make any promises about the rest of it, but I can help you with this part," I whispered as I moved up to my toes and pressed my lips against his. He responded and things got heated quickly. If we had been in private, I had no doubt that we would have gone farther than we had the night before.

I was so wrapped up in him that I didn't notice Lucky's presence until he physically pulled Dante away from me and landed a punch against his face.

"Lucky!" I screamed, "What the hell!"

Dante's back was turned to us, but I could tell he was in pain. Lucky circled him in a rage that I had never seen before. He was mumbling something incoherent, and I knew he was looking for a fight.

"Look, maybe I deserved that," Dante admitted, turning around to face Lucky and making the blood on his shirt visible, although I couldn't determine where on his face it was coming from. "Let's just take this outside and talk abo-"

Lucky wasted no time listening to Dante, shoving him against the wall and punching him hard in the stomach instead. I scrambled to get behind my brother and grabbed his arms, begging for him to stop.

"Lulu, back off," Lucky warned with a growl.

"You back off!" I argued, "Stop this! I get that you're mad, and we should talk about that. But Dante didn't do anything wrong!"

My comment must have been enough to turn his focus from Dante, because he spun around quickly to argue with me, inadvertently planting his elbow against my right eye and knocking me to the floor. Of course, it was at that exact moment that people started flooding out of the ballroom to see what the commotion was all about.

Maxie and I must have done a good job of lining up ample security for a Corinthos wedding, because in less than seconds, two security guards had Dante and Lucky separated. Ethan was at my side quickly, helping me back to my feet.

"What the hell happened!?" he barked at Lucky, who had tears in his eyes while he stood speechless in custody of a guard.

"It was an accident," I told Ethan softly, hearing the tears in my voice. I reached my fingers up to touch my eye and winced, feeling the first sensation of pain that left my head ringing. "Just go back in and enjoy your reception."

"You need to get that checked out," he instructed, pointing to my eye. "I'm going to take you to the hospital."

"No, you're not," I argued firmly. "This is your wedding reception, and you have a bride in there who deserves your full attention. I will be fine."

"Kristina will understand…"

"She doesn't have to," Johnny spoke up from behind us. "I'll take Lulu to GH to get checked out."

"I don't need to go to the hospital," I argued.

"You do," Dante spoke up from across the room. "Lulu, please?"

"You don't talk to her!" Lucky growled, struggling against the guard who had him to go after Dante again. That outburst was obviously the last straw for Mac, who pushed his way through the growing crowd to address Lucky and Dante.

"That is enough!" Mac scolded. "I will not have two of my best officers physically assaulting one another! Both of you are coming with me to the station now."

I watched the guards escort Dante and Lucky to the elevators with Mac right behind them and felt tears drip down my neck. Johnny and Ethan were speaking to me, but their words were virtually inaudible to me. All I could do was repeat the events of the past few minutes over and over in my head. It was bad that Lucky found out about Dante and me that way, but what was worse was that my brother was obviously losing control.

"Lulu," Johnny finally captured my attention when he took my hand in his. "Let's go. You'll get checked out at the hospital and everything is going to be fine."

I shook my head. "Somehow I doubt that."