Three months later, all the wedding details were done and it was Nick and Hayley's wedding day. Jane and Bob met Hayley and immediately they considered her family. They saw how happy Nick was and knew it was because of Hayley. Hayley sat in the brides room with Leighanne and Kristin. She put the finishing touches on her makeup.

"I can't believe the day is here, finally, a real wedding, he made my dream come true," Hayley said.

"I know, that's what Brian and Kevin did for us," Leighanne said.

"Yeah, Kevin made sure that our wedding was very romantic, in the hills of Kentucky, away from the press and fans, a very intimate wedding," Kristin said.

"Now you are making me want a wedding like that," Hayley said.

"I had my fairytale wedding," Leighanne said.

"Yes, Princess Leighanne," Kristin said.

"Hey, I married my prince," Leighanne said.

"I am marrying the man of my dreams," Hayley said. Leighanne and Kristin smiled and went out the door. Hayley stood up and looked in the mirror. AJ came in and saw her. "Hayley, you look beautiful," AJ said.

"Thanks, AJ," Hayley said. AJ came up to her.

"Hayley, marry me," AJ said.

"What, are you crazy, I am marrying Nick, I don't even have feelings for you," Hayley said.

"Hayley, I have fallen for you," AJ said.

"AJ, I am marrying Nick and I'm having his baby, okay, we can't have anything more than friendship, you should know that," Hayley said.

"I know that, but I can't help how I feel," AJ said. He grabbed her and kissed her deeply. She pushed him away.

"Please leave the room, now," Hayley said.

"I can't, Hayley," AJ said. He kissed her again. She weakened against him and returned his kiss. They kissed deeply and passionately. He pressed her gently against the wall of the room. He locked the door and he looked at her and looked into her eyes and she nodded. He lifted the skirt of her wedding dress and gently turned her and had her lean against the couch and he pulled her underwear down. He pulled his pants down and he was inside her. He gently moved against her and they came together. They didn't move for a moment and AJ fixed his pants. She fixed her wedding dress. She turned to him and they kissed deeply.

"Don't marry him, be with me," AJ said.

"I have to marry him," Hayley said.

"Hayley, we just made love, you can't possibly marry him now," AJ said. Hayley turned away.

"You are right," Hayley said.

"Break it off and be with me, we can be happy," AJ said.

"No, we can't, he's your friend," Hayley said.

"He'll understand," AJ said.

"Just go, please," Hayley said. AJ left the room. Hayley locked the door after him and burst into tears. She sat on the couch and cried softly. She put her hand on her stomach and she knew what she had to do.

Nick was sitting in the groom"s room talking with Brian and Kevin when there was a knock at the door. Leighanne came in.

"Honey," Brian said.

"Hayley's gone," Leighanne said. She handed Nick a letter. Nick opened it and read it. Dear Nick, as you are reading this, I will be gone out of your life forever. I can't marry you or be with you again, not after what I have done, Nick, I slept with AJ, today, on our wedding day, as I was getting ready, he came in and admitted of having feelings for me and he kissed me and something inside me changed and I gave into him and we had sex in the brides' room. I am deeply sorry and I realized it was a mistake but I can't be with you knowing that I cheated on you and betrayed you, I thought it was best that I leave you and not have you find out that I slept with AJ. I know you will hate me and I hate myself for hurting you because I never meant to hurt you, I love you more than life itself and that is why I left and you can be free to be with someone who won't hurt you, I will find a way to let you know about the baby. I am sorry for everything and I will love you always but this is for the best. I don't have any feelings for AJ whatsoever and I knew it was a mistake to sleep with him and I wish I didn't. I love you, Nick, Sincerely, Hayley.

Nick sat down and put the letter down. Brian read the letter and he looked at Kevin. AJ came in and looked at them. Nick glared at him.

"AJ, if you know what's good for you, you leave now," Kevin said.

"What did I do"" AJ said.

"You know what you did, you fucked my girl!" Nick said angrily.

"Hayley left, she left a letter explaining everything, you just ruined Nick's life, now he won't get to be there for his child," Brian said.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help how I felt," AJ said.

"Felt"" Kevin asked.

"I was in love with Hayley, but I realized that I was kidding myself, I am going to go talk to Amanda, see if she wants to get back together, I realized that I'm not over her," AJ said.

"That won't bring Hayley back, you asshole, she left me and is never coming back because of you!" Nick said angrily. He stood up and lounged for AJ but Kevin held him back.

"AJ, leave now," Kevin said. AJ went out the door. Nick sat down on the couch and buried his face in his hands.

"How could she give into him, how could she hurt me like this!" Nick said crying. "Nick, we know she loves you," Brian said.

"She slept with AJ, she doesn't love me if she's sleeping with my friends!" Nick said. "Nick, she never did anything with any of us before today, she was completely faithful to you," Brian said.

"How can you be sure of that," Nick said.

"She and I are best friends, she would have told me if anything happened," Brian said. "Well, she fucked AJ on our wedding day, god, I give her everything and she just throws it back in my face!" Nick said angrily.

"Nick, calm down," Kevin said.

"No, I won't, if I ever see her again, I will tell her she is nothing to me!" Nick said angrily. He went out the door.

Six months later, Nick became a player with girls. He would sleep with them and then dump them like he never knew them. Brian and Kevin were worried about him. Brian and Leighanne were talking when the phone rang. Brian picked it up.

"Hello," Brian said.

"Hi Brian," Hayley said.

"Hayley, where are you," Brian said. Leighanne looked at him.

"I'm home with my parents, I have been here ever since I left town," Hayley said. "Hayley, did you have the baby"" Brian asked.

"Yeah, a baby girl, three months old, born on Nick's birthday," Hayley said.

"Wow, same day as her father"s," Brian said.

"How is he, Brian"" Hayley asked.

"He is angry and upset, wants nothing to do with AJ anymore which has sent AJ back to the bottle, and well, he said if he sees you again, he's going to tell you that you are nothing to him," Brian said. Nick came in and saw him on the phone.

"Do you hate me for what I did," Hayley said.

"No, I don't hate you, I'm your best friend, remember," Brian said.

"You are talking to Hayley, aren't you," Nick said.

"Nick's there!" Hayley said.

"Yeah, he just came in," Brian said.

"Tell him he has a baby daughter, I named her Nicole Ann Carter," Hayley said.

"Nick, you have a daughter named Nicole Ann Carter," Brian said. Nick grabbed the phone.

"I want my daughter," Nick said.

"Last time I heard, you want nothing to do with me so you can't have your daughter," Hayley said.

"You can't stop me, Hayley, she is my daughter," Nick said.

"You have to find me first," Hayley said. Nick looked at the caller id and recognized the number.

"Fine, I will," Nick said. He hung up and ran out the door. He got on the next flight to Missouri and went to Hayley's parents house and ran up to the door and rang the doorbell. The door opened and Hayley stood there. She tried to shut the door and he burst in and stood there.

"Get out," Hayley said.

"I have a right to my daughter!" Nick said. He saw the baby and went over to her and picked her up.

"Put her down!" Hayley said.

"Don't fucking tell me what to do!" Nick said.

"You have no right barging in here!" Hayley said.

"I have every right, this is my daughter, Hayley, and she belongs with me," Nick said.

"No, she belongs with me, Nick, I am her mother, you haven't been there for her!" Hayley said.

"And whose fault is that, huh, you left me, you fucked AJ on our wedding day and you left me!" Nick said.

"I explained why I left you, I left you before the wedding because I thought it would be easier if I left before you kicked me out," Hayley said.

"I don't give a shit, I never once cheated on you and you fuck someone else who happens to be one of my best friends on our wedding day, damn, Hayley, was it good, huh, was he better than me," Nick said. Hayley slapped Nick. She got Nicole and ran into her bedroom and closed the door and locked it. Nick banged on the door.

"Damn it, Hayley, open the door now," Nick said.

"No way, Nick, just leave us alone, we have been doing fine without you, we don't need you!" Hayley said.

"You can't keep me from my daughter, I will sue for custody, and you know I have the power to do so," Nick said. Hayley opened the door.

"She is my life and if you take her away from me, I will kill myself, she is the only reason I can go on, the only reason I am living, she is everything to me and I will not let you take her from me!" Hayley said.

"You will be hearing from my lawyer, and don't even think of running because I will find you, you can't hide from me," Nick said. He went out the door. Hayley leaned against the wall and sank down and cried.

Chapter 33

Hayley sat there looking at Nicole and she knew she had no choice but to return to Florida to face everyone she left behind. She got hers and Nicole's stuff together. She headed for the airport and got on the next flight to Florida. She called Brian from the plane. Once the plane landed, she got Nicole and got off the plane and looked around and saw Brian and smiled and she went over to him. He hugged her.

"Is this Nicole, she is so beautiful," Brian said taking her in his arms. Nicole looked at him and gurgled.

"Thanks for meeting us here," Hayley said.

"It's no problem, Leighanne is getting a room ready for you, tomorrow, we will look for a house for you and Nicole," Brian said.

"Thanks, Brian," Hayley said. They went to Brian's house and got settled in the room Leighanne made up for her. She put Nicole down for a nap and started to sort some things. She heard commotion downstairs and went out and saw Nick coming up the stairs and towards her. He grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.

"I told you not to run because I would find you!" Nick said angrily.

"I was through running, I came back down here so you can be closer to your daughter where we can share custody, okay, I am doing this for our daughter, Nick, I don't care if you want nothing to do with me but we have a daughter who needs both of us," Hayley said. Nick let her go and went into the room and saw Nicole sleeping.

"You are right, she needs both of us, we can work something out but we can't be together anymore, ever," Nick said.

"I understand," Hayley said. They sat down and talked about when each of them will have Nicole. They agreed that Nick would have her on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays while Hayley would have her on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. That night, Hayley sat in her bedroom looking out the window. Brian knocked and came in. He saw her sitting by the window.

"Hayley, you okay," Brian said.

"No," Hayley said.

"What is it," Brian said. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I still love him, I never stopped loving him, I hurt him and it's over, why was I so stupid!" Hayley said.

"Hayley, you made a mistake and you know you did, but you can't change it, it happened, it's over," Brian said.

"I should have made sure that my marriage to Matt was annulled before I left for vacation, the vacation where I married Nick, god, I would be married to Nick, and we would have had Nicole and been so happy," Hayley said.

"But it's not what happened," Brian said.

"I know!" Hayley said. She started to cry. Brian hugged her. Hayley cried herself to sleep and he picked her up and laid her down on the bed and covered her up and checked on Nicole and left the room.

Chapter 34

(Author's Note-Hayley's been dreaming! It's back to her wedding day to Nick and she hasn't done anything with AJ)

"Hayley, Hayley," AJ said as he gently shook her. She woke up and looked around and saw that she was in her wedding dress. She saw him and moved away from him.

"Get away!" Hayley said.

"Hey, girl, chill out, everyone's wondering where you are, Leighanne and Kristin came out and said you were getting ready and I come in here and see you asleep, girl, Nick's worried about you, wondering if you changed your mind in marrying him," AJ said.

"We didn't do anything, did we"" Hayley asked.

"Girl, you must have hit your head or something, I just came in here and woke you up, I haven't been in here today besides now, now, let's get you moving and get you ready to walk down the aisle to your man," AJ said helping her up.

"You don't have any feelings for me, do you," Hayley said.

"Hayley, no I don't, you are like a little sister to me, I love you like a sister, no more than that, girl, I would never do anything to jeopardize you and Nick's relationship, besides, I'm getting back together with Amanda," AJ said.

"Thank god!" Hayley said under her breath.

"Come on, get ready, I'll go tell Nick you were asleep," AJ said.

"AJ, don't, just tell him that I was just staring at myself in the mirror making sure I looked okay, he'll worry if you tell him I was sleeping," Hayley said.

"Okay," AJ said. He went out the door. Hayley sat down and took a deep breath and smiled knowing that it was a dream and she never did hurt Nick. She put her hand on her stomach and smiled at the thought of marrying Nick and being happy. There was a knock at the door and Brian came in.

"Hey girl, you ready," Brian said.

"Yeah, I am," Hayley said smiling. He helped her up and hugged her.

"What happened to you in here, AJ said you were just staring at yourself in the mirror," Brian said.

"Don't tell Nick, but I was sleeping, I fell asleep," Hayley said.

"Are you feeling okay"" Brian said.

"I'm fine, just been tired lately, been getting up with morning sickness," Hayley said. "Oh, well, come on, girl, Nick's waiting and he's worried that you are leaving him," Brian said.

"That is stupid, I have no reason to leave him," Hayley said.

"Let"s go, it"s time for you to get married," Brian said.

Later at the wedding reception...

Nick and Hayley were enjoying their first dance together as husband and wife. Hayley rested her head on his chest.

"I love you so much," Nick said.

"I love you, too, more than anything in the world, I am so happy, Nick, we are married for real this time and nothing can tear us apart now," Hayley said looking up at her.

"I will never let you go, never, no matter what," Nick said. There was commotion and they saw a guy heading towards them.

"Hayley!" he said.

"Who are you," Hayley said.

"Greg, remember me," he said.

"Yes, I do, please leave me alone," Hayley said. Greg pulled a gun and pointed it at Hayley.

"If I can't have you, no one can!" Greg said as he pulled the trigger. The bullet hit Hayley in the shoulder and she collapsed in Nick's arms. Eddie and Billy both grabbed Greg and knocked the gun out of his hands and held him while Howie called 911. Nick pressed against Hayley's bullet wound. She cried out in pain.

"Baby, I'm sorry but I have to stop the bleeding," Nick said.

"I love you, Nick," Hayley said.

"I love you, too, you are going to be okay," Nick said. The paramedics arrived and took over. Nick stood up and watched as the paramedics worked to get Hayley ready to go to the hospital. The cops arrested Greg and took him away. The paramedics loaded Hayley up in an ambulance and Nick got in with her and they headed for the hospital.