Emmett is a 26 year old successful man with a four year old son who has pretty much given up on finding a woman who can love both him and his son for the right reasons. Bella is a 19 year old girl in her second year of college who has just started to get her life back on track and has been avoiding dating any more immature college guys. Bella works as a swimming instructor and when she meets her four year old student Nicholas' father Emmett Cullen they are smitten with each other as Bella proves to be to be the mother Nicholas never had and the lover Emmett never had and Emmett proves that not all men are the same and can love and be faithful. Together the two grow together, try to jump through obstacles that life throws them all while raising a four year old Nicholas and being the best they can be.
Emmett P.O.V
"And dad she even taught me how to float on my back like a starfish," Says Nicholas excitedly as he eats his honey nut cheerio's. He stumbles over some of his words as he's only four and his speech is obviously …. I don't know weird? Like most four year olds. I remember when he was a baby and all I wanted was for him to talk now I just wanted the kid to stop. He was talking about his new swim teacher. He seems to really like her as I just put him in classes so that he can have something to do. Nicholas wasn't really sociable with other kids ergo didn't really get out much. I knew he was only four and didn't need to social life of a 26 year old millionaire. But when he's at preschool his teacher tells me that he kind of just sits by himself and reads his books or plays Legos by himself. I asked him one night what it was all about and he said he didn't like playing with other kids because he didn't have a mom like most of the other kids did. He explained that whenever a kid fell down in tag they would say "I'll tell my mom" or when cookies or brownies were bought "Their moms made it" the word mom always came into the conversation and he said he would rather be by himself so he doesn't have to keep explaining he only has me. I knew that even though some of the kids at school have divorced parents they still have both of them.
When I heard him explain he'd rather be by himself all the time because he didn't have a mom. I think you could hear my heart break in half as I looked into his blue eyes that tried to tell me this and be strong. Not knowing he was four years old and didn't have to be so strong. Nicholas didn't really cry or tell me how he felt about being mother- less. But it was clear he wanted a mother that would make him breakfast and cook him proper dinners. I wanted that for him too I wanted it for him so badly. The night he told me was the first time I cried in I think ten years. It was times like that; that I wished his mother wanted him. Carmen and I were college sweethearts. When she got pregnant with Nicholas at 22 she wanted to abort saying her life was just starting. I said hell no. My mother didn't believe in abortions and plus no one was killing my kin. Carmen had Nicholas but signed away all her legal rights twenty minutes after giving birth to him. She didn't even hold him. By law Carmen was never his mother and only ever had me. Whenever he asks me about his mom I tell him she's a nice lady who just couldn't be a mom.
I don't lie to him. I would always tell the truth even if it hurt. I didn't tell him she wanted to abort him because four year olds don't need to know that kind of information. But if in the future Nicholas asks I would tell him. But I would also make sure he knows that I love him with all my heart and did the best I could to raise him even if it's not enough. I didn't just want to marry some woman and make her Nicholas' step mom. Nicholas was a smart four year old and new my act. He knew that if I was dating a girl I didn't really like it was for him which in return made him not like the women I brought home as they tried too hard. One girl even asked him to call her "Mom" I nearly had a heart attack and Nicholas was no better as he grabbed his teddy bear and stomped to his room for dramatic affect. Women lately I found have been with me for all the wrong reasons. They knew I was successful and wanted my money and tried to use Nicholas as a way of doing that one girl even paid him to pretend he liked her. That got me pissed I didn't want women using my son as bargaining chip to get to my heart so they can get to my money.
Now I don't date. Everyone in my family tries to restore my faith by telling me there are women out there who want to date me for me. But honestly I believe otherwise. This upsets me isn't their someone out there I can date who would love me for me and my son for me and my son? Most of the women I dated ran away once they found out I had a son or pretended they liked kids but once around Nicholas it was a whole different ball game as they tried to shoo him away. I swore off women for the time being. It was just my son and I right now. Hopefully one day I would meet that special someone who would please the both of us. I put him in swimming to give him something extra to do but also because I had been working late lately and didn't want him spending hours at my parents' house playing by himself. I'd rather him try and get out more I was taking it one step at a time with the swimming lessons.
"Dude you've been talking about your swimming teacher since yesterday morning," I say leaning on the kitchen island and looking at him curiously. He just blushes. I laugh throwing my head back.
"Does someone have a little crush?"
"NO!" he yells and I laugh more he gets even redder. Then he shakes his head. "Daddy Bella's really pretty," He says as he chews his breakfast very cutely. He had my dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. You just knew he was my son the older he got. I of course had to take a blood test when he was born as law required it if Carmen wanted to give him up. But I just knew I knew he was mine even when he was in her stomach I... felt it.
"That's nice son," I say not really paying attention.
"And she likes the same stuff you do daddy she likes reading that boring stuff and even has a tattoo of a quoo" He says. I smile.
"William Shakespeare is not boring and the word is quote," I say shaking my head at my observant son. "But that's nice"
"Yeah dad did I say she was pretty?" He asks and I narrow my eyes at him but he focuses on his breakfast.
"Are you trying to set me up crazy guy?" I asks as I fix my Armani suit. He looks guilty like he's done something I sigh.
"Sorry," He says quietly trying to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. I go down to his level and make him look at me.
"Hey come on now. You know I'm not upset over that little man what's up," I say picking him up and placing him on the kitchen island. He like always blinks away his tears not letting one fall.
"Sorry I just don't feel good sometimes because I know you don't have a wife and I know it makes you sad, It makes me sad because it's my fault my mama didn't like me" He explains.
"Why do you think that makes me sad?" I ask him.
"Because grandma Esme told grandpa that she thinks you're in dying need of a wife. She said you were dying daddy!" He wails throwing his hands in the air. I bite my lip to keep from laughing. I smile as I hug him.
"I am not dying Nicholas it's a figure of speech," I explain.
"What's that?" he asks I look at my watch.
"It's just something adults do. And it is not your fault about your mom and I tell you that all the time. I love you and I'm not mad at you for anything. You think your old man can't get a date?" I ask and he giggles. I smile as I give him my fist. He pounds it and we do our handshake.
"It's you and me buddy," I say and he nods giving me a
"Yup" in return.
"Good come on you can't be late for school don't want to see Mrs. Higgins again," I say and we both shudder at the same time. Mrs. Higgins was the school principal who had a crush on me. She was pretty this was true she was my age this was good. But HELL NO. she was a crazy motherfucker. She one time pulled Nicholas out of class and had him wait for me in her office just so she can ask me out to dinner. I always tell her I'm not interested she was creepy. She never stopped trying which is why I tried to avoid her often. I told my mother and she wanted to go down to the school and give her a word or two. But I didn't want any trouble for Nicholas so she didn't go in. I grab his back pack off the counter and we make our way to my black Ferrari. He gets in the passenger side and I zoom my way past traffic and into his school. When I pull up in front of the entrance and I see all the kids playing he sighs and rolls his eyes. He didn't want me to see that so I pretend I didn't. I hand him his back pack and smile.
"Can you try and play with the other kids today? Just for a little bit?" I ask softly. He nods his head.
"Ok daddy. You picking me up from swimming?" He asks I check my mental calendar and then nod.
"Yup it's me today," I say.
"Good because Aunt Rosalie always ends up taking me to the mall," he says in disgust and I laugh. He hops out of the car and runs into the yard. I watch him approach a group of boys asking to play. When they all start running around playing some sort of tag game, I deemed it safe to drive away. I sigh and then I bang my head against my seat in frustration as I pull up at a red light. This sucked I wish my inability to find someone didn't affect Nicholas so much. I grunt as I pull up in front of the office. I park in my usual spot and make my way upstairs to my office. As soon as I enter the building I'm bombarded with people asking me questions, reminding me of meetings and just flat out bothering me. But my best friend and brother in law Edward Cullen.
"People, people give the man a break and a half will you?" he says shooing them all away and guiding us into my office. I groan and take a seat behind my desk fixing a picture of Nick. His nick name.
"Ok man I got a date for you," Edward says rubbing his hands as he walks back and forth.
"No," I say not letting him get any further.
"Emmett man it'll be fun you'll double with Rose and I"
"No. I do not want to go on a date with my sister that never works," I say
"I know remember last time," He says and we both shudder.
"Man on a serious note I can't do the whole set me up blind date it's true love thing. Kay Nick knows when it's fake," I say
"That smart bastard, when I was four years old I was wondering how the ninja turtles could talk and mine couldn't. Nick's too damn smart," Edward says exasperated. I laugh at that.
"I know man I know," I say agreeing with him. "This morning he tried to set me up with his swim teacher. He thinks it's his responsibility to find me a wife and I don't need one," I stress Edward raises his eyebrow.
"Dude everybody needs sex!" He says shocked. Just then my assistant walks in with files and she waves with a flirty look before handing me files. She struts out using too much hip it looks like she was having a seizure in her legs. When she leaves Edward bursts out laughing and I just shake my head. They never stopped. Edward just laughs before he's out the door. I dive into my work. I was a real estate agent but people sometimes called me an entrepreneur as I owned many hot spots in the city of Chicago. Like night clubs, restaurants I was a self -made millionaire and I worked damn hard for it. Real estate is what got me started and I never thought about letting it go. I liked it, it was fun. I look at the picture of me and my baby sister Rosalie. She wasn't a baby anymore with long blonde hair and my striking blue eyes that we shared with Nick. Rosalie was a hard ass, and had men eating out the palm of her hand. Then when she met my best friend Edward. They fell in love and now my best friend was my brother. I worked till six and it was only when my assistant came in looking annoyed.
"Mr. Cullen you forgot to pick up Nicholas from swimming," She says.
"Shit!" I curse standing up. "Why didn't you remind me?" I yell as I grab my car keys and wallet.
"You didn't ask me to," She says with attitude and I roll my eyes. She was good for nothing that girl. I dash out and jump in my car muttering an incoherent "bye" to Edward who was laughing at the fact that I forgot my son. I speed to the posh recreation center and park in a way that I'm sure was not legal. I run inside to the pool and shoot open the door. I don't see Nicholas but I do see a girl who looked extremely sexy. She was in a two piece bikini and she was cleaning the pool as she didn't hear me come in. On her upper back on her right was a tattoo that said.
We will
all laugh At
gilded butterflies
In fancy writing. I smiled she was into history and William Shakespeare. I clear my throat and when she turns around I half expect an attitude for being so late because I know people her age had things to do and all that. I clear my throat and when she turns around my heart stops. I was met with black hair and grey- blue eyes that made me go weak in the knees. This girl was gorgeous she gave me this big smile.
"Hey you must be Nick's dad. I'm Bella," She says extending her hand out. I try my best to control my little friend and not make him noticeable as I take her hand and shake it.
"Yeah I am so sorry for being late I lost track of time and-
"Oh don't worry about it Nicholas and I have fun," She laughs a beautiful laugh. She points over to the other side of the pool where Nick was trying to read a book fully dressed his hair wet.
"He's trying to read William Shakespeare's King Lear," She laughs and I smile as we both make our way over to him. "Might want to get him before his little brain explodes," She says. I laugh as I go to him.
"Bella?" He asks.
"Yes," She answers. He still hasn't noticed me.
"What does Thee mean?" He asks and I laugh. Bella gently takes the book from him.
"Your daddy's here," She says and he looks up. When he sees me he smiles and runs to me and I pick him up.
"Sorry for being late I got distracted by work," I apologize to him.
"It's ok daddy we still going to get ice crème?" he asks and I smile. Bella smiles to herself as she goes back to cleaning the pool trying to give us two some privacy,
"Like always," I say and he smiles before he runs over to Bella hugging her legs. She laughs as she goes down to his level.
"Bella, daddy and I are going to get ice crème. Come with us and daddy can bring you home," He says my eyes widen but I hid it quickly. I couldn't go a whole night with that girl I'd combust in my pants was Nicholas crazy!
"Oh I don't know about that one buddy it's you and daddy time," She says.
"I see daddy every day," He whines and both Bella and I laugh.
"I think you should come Nicholas is getting kind of bored with me," I say and Nicholas nods his head not denying it. I shake my head at the traitor. Bella bites her lip in a very seductive way but I was just about sure that's not how it was supposed to go. I was just very sexually frustrated and she was beyond sexy.
"Ok I'll come," She says quietly and Nick jumps.
"Daddy she's coming!" He yells and I laugh.
"Yeah I heard," I laugh.
"I'll just go get dressed in the back you guys can wait over there," She says politely I nod as I take his hand and the two of us go to the glass waiting area where you can watch your kid do swimming lessons if you stayed. Nick looks at me.
"Told you she was pretty daddy," He says.
"Shut up," I say to him. He giggles.
"You owe me money from the swear jar," I poke him in his stomach and he starts to laugh. I start to tickle him and all you can hear is his loud laughs as I tickle the living senses out of him. I hear a laugh and when I see Bella in jean shorts a grey off the shoulder top, her black hair up into a high bun she was wearing red converse but for some reason still managed to look adult without looking childish. I smiled and cleared my throat.
"Ready?" I ask.
"Yup," She says. Nick jumps up and grabs her hand.
"Bella you'll have fun dad and I always go to the beach and dad always says he'll catch a fish but there aren't any fish," he says as the three of us make our way up the stairs and out of the place. Bella giggles and I roll my eyes as the three of us make our way to my car.
"Whoa," She says impressed and I try not show too much pride.
"Think you can sit in the back today little man?" I ask Nick.
He thinks about it for a second.
"Ok but only for you Bella," he says she smiles a smile that makes my heart skip a beat.
"Why thank you little man," She says using my nick name for him. She lifts him up and places him in the back seat carefully and fastens his seat belt. I couldn't help but notice how she wasn't hesitant to interact with him or afraid to interact with him. She didn't have to look for me on how to handle it. Sometimes when I'm out and about with a girl something simple as holding his hand they kind of look at with an explanation of "What next? What do I do with the kid," I didn't have to walk Bella step by step on what to do with Nick… she just knew. I liked that. But then I had to stop myself she was a child she was by no means ready to help me raise a kid and as of the moment that's really my main priority.
Bella opens the door and when she gets in closes it with complication a few times. The butterfly door was hard to handle your first time around. But she got the hang of it. Nick was bouncing up and down in the back seat all thanks to our guest.
"So Bella who are you?" I ask trying to make conversation and she just laughs at my lame attempt. She wasn't even bothered by the fact that I was driving my car at an unbelievable speed.
"I'm a student at North-western," She says I nod in approval.
"I went there," I say "First year?"
"Second," She corrects. Nineteen not that bad…. STOP IT.
"What are you studying?" I ask and I smile a little at Nick in the back seat looking back and forth between the two of us.
"Event planner, I love parties and weddings." She says
"Interesting," I say.
"What do you do?" She asks.
"Daddy sells houses and owns restaurants and stuff," Nick says from the back. Bella laughs.
"Yeah that," I say and she smiles.
"You going to do that too little man?" Bella asks looking at him. Nick nods his head.
"Yup I'm going to be just like dada," He says and Bella smiles at him. Nick quickly gets distracted by his cards and Bella smiles at me as she turns her phone off.
"He's a cute kid. You guys did a good job on him," She compliments. I shake my head.
"It's just me. Doesn't have a mom," I say quietly.
"I'm sorry for your loss," She says quietly looking away as I try to find a parking spot.
"No loss, she left." I say as I put the car in park. She looks at me and smiles softly.
"That just means you did an even better job with him," She compliments quietly. I smile,
"I try," I say she smiles as she gets out of the car. She unbuckles Nick from his seat and easily pulls him out of the car. She hands him over to me before she grabs his toy car.
"Bella what kind of ice crème are you getting?" Nick asks excitedly. I haven't seen him this excited over someone since… since I don't even know.
"I don't know which one is the best?" Bella asks.
"Bubble gum," We both say at the same time and she laughs ruffing his hair as we walk.
"Bubble gum it is," she answers. I was still carrying Nick but he kept making sure Bella was there as to make sure she didn't disappear or something. He really seemed to like her. We get inside the beach side ice crème shop and Bella and Nick get bubble gum but I stick to vanilla knowing that bubble gum Is nothing but a sugar rush that I would have to deal with later. The three of us licked our ice crème quietly as we sat on a bench near the boardwalk on-looking the beach. I liked it, it wasn't tense or awkward it was nice. I notice another tattoo on Isabella on her neck of a moon and a star. If her hair was down I wouldn't have seen it. I wonder if she had any more…
"Bella I scored a goal in soccer today," Nick says excitedly.
"Really," Bella asks returning his enthusiasm.
"Yeah and then Megan kissed me on the cheek,"
I covered my laugh with a cough. My man the little player.
"Really? Did you like it?"
"Nope, I didn't like it," He says upset.
"Why not?" Bella asks sadly.
"Because after she kissed me, Sarah was mad at me but I don't know why. I asked her if she wanted to kiss me on the cheek instead of Megan and she said no, then I ask her if she wanted me to kiss her and she ran away crying," He says upset. Bella laughs out loud and I just rub the back of my head trying not to smile too brightly.
"Women,"
I say and Bella shoves me a little.
"I'm sure she was just a little jealous. Tomorrow go up to Sarah give her a big hug and say that she's your best girlfriend," Bella advises.
"Really she won't be mad at me anymore,"
"She shouldn't be," Bella says licking her ice crème.
"Ok!" He says perkily. Then he hands me his half eaten ice crème and runs off towards the water without a second thought.
"Don't go too far!" I yell after him.
"Ok daddy!" He says and Bella smiles as he runs off.
"Wow that is a ball of energy you have," She says I laugh.
"Yeah around bed time I usually have to sedate him," I say she laughs at my lame joke.
"What happened to his mother?" she asks softly.
"Didn't want to be a mother, the fact that he's never met her is good and bad in its own right," I say and she nods her head softly.
"You're doing a good job. At swimming class all he talks about is my daddy did this and my daddy does that. He really looks up to you," she says. I laugh out loud.
"At home all he talks about is you and how cool you are," I say she smiles.
"I try," She says laughing as she licks her ice crème.
"You look cool to me I mean your tattoos," I say she smiles.
"I only got two and this one," She says pointing to the one on her neck. "Was done in my rebellious phase," She says
"We all had one of those," I say. She nods her head. "Yeah I'm finally starting to you know think properly," She laughs.
"Well any girl whose into literature is cool in my book,"
"Oh don't even get me started on my love for literature I could go on for days," She says pointing to the tattoo on her back. I laughed. I was doing a lot of that being around her which was odd. Nick is waving his hands in the air.
"Daddy. Bella look what I found!" He screams holding up a little crab. He walks up to us with it and Bella laughs as he places it on the bench. They play with it for a little while and then I look at my watch.
"Come on we should probably get Bella home so you can get to bed," I say picking him up.
"I'm not tired daddy," He says while yawning and Bella giggles.
"Sure you're not," I say.
"Bella can you come eat Pizza with daddy and me tomorrow after swimming?" He asks.
"Um.." Bella says looking at me for affirmation and I shrug mouthing a "Why not". My son liked her we could be friends I guess. Nothing weird with being friends with a hot nineteen year old. Nothing at all.
"Sure little guy I'd love to come with you tomorrow," She says. Nick smiles and then rests his head against my shoulder trying to fight of sleep. I get the both of them in the car and then drive Bella to the front of her condo. Nick was awake but he had his thumb in his mouth. Bella wiped his hands with a wet tissue paper before he did because she said he was playing in the sand and his hands got all dirty. She didn't want him putting it into his mouth until she cleaned his hand. My mouth dropped at how motherly she was and how soft she was. You look at her and that's not the impression you get because she was so young.
"Bye Bella see you tomorrow," Nick says waving.
"Bye have sweet dreams," She says to him. He nods his head and then rests his head on the seat. I knew he'd be out like a light.
"Bye Emmett and uh thanks for the ice crème," She says I salute her.
"See you tomorrow," I say she smiles in return before entering the building. When she was inside Nick spoke.
"You think she's pretty don't you daddy," He says.
"Go to sleep you lug," I say shoving him and he just laughs and then I drive off to the big huge house that I shared with my son and got him ready for bed. Then I crawled into my own bed where a woman has never been and sighed, feeling just a little bit happy that I would be seeing Bella tomorrow and I knew that, this could be a very bad thing. But didn't find it in myself to care.
Ok so it's a short chapter because it's the first one but. Yes! Exams are done this week I'm so excited soon I'll be updating more often I'm taking summer school but it's only one subject so I'll be updating more often hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW