A/N:-

Okay sorry about the long wait

It's taken a while to get down to writing this chapter considering I've got a load of work to do now that my A Level exams are coming up….scary thought.

Hope it has been worth the wait

And don't forget to R&R at the end of the chapter

Chapter 3 - All Is Not As It Seems

BPOV

"Bella bee honey I know you can hear me. I want you to know that everything's okay, I'm okay. It was my time honey, so don't waste your time feeling guilty about not coming home or phoning home more often. And Bella, Sophia is a gorgeous girl and she is lucky to have a mother like you. One word honey, Alice. Do you really think that girl would let me o on not knowing I had a granddaughter. I know that Edward was and probably still is an ungrateful, stupid little shit but he deserves to know his baby girl. You know what I say is the truth honey. I only wish I could say this to you in person instead of in our dream. Give Eddiekins a chance to prove his worth. Every girl needs her daddy."

I woke from a restless sleep. If I dreamt of anything I couldn't remember yet I felt somewhat more at peace with not visiting my dad. I had also resolved to find Edward at some point today.

I looked over at my sleeping beauty and sighed. As much as I disliked Edward, I had never been able to find it within myself to hate him, and I had already taken away the first 10 years of my baby girls' life away from him. I couldn't take anymore from him. My mother had taken so many years from my dad and I, apart from the couple of weeks here and there throughout the year; I couldn't do that to my Sophie.

"Babe, what you thinking about?" I heard Riley's scratchy voice say from the doorway.

"Nothing Ri just wondering what I did to deserve such an angel," I replied. "Where did you disappear off to last night?"

"Oh sorry about that babe. I asked Jasper if I could borrow his car and check into a nearby motel. I know how much you hate drama and I knew you would want to tell Estelle is it about Sophia," Riley answered and I couldn't help but be thankful that he knew me so well.

"Ri honey, her name is Esme. And thank you for letting me do this by myself. Who let you in?"

"Alice of course. She introduced me to Esme and Carlisle downstairs and then I came straight up here to see you babe. I missed you so much last night. I hate sleeping without you," he said enveloping me into a hug and inhaling my scent.

"Riley," my baby girl spoke sleepily from her bed and I prised myself out of Riley's embrace.

"Hey princess. I need to talk to your mom for a sec but I heard Auntie Ali and Esme talking about making some pancakes downstairs for breakfast," Riley said and my interest piqued when he mentioned needing to talk to me and I knew we were about to have a repeat of our discussion shortly after we got engaged. And he was not going to like what I had to say now.

"Okay," she said joyfully grabbing her dressing gown from the back of door and rushing downstairs.

When her footsteps had faded away Riley started to talk but before he could get more than "Look Bella I kno…" out of his mouth I cut him off.

"Riley, I know what you're going to say and the answer again is no. I understand you have been like a father to her ever since we started to get serious but she is never going to call you dad. No matter how much you want her to. And besides in light of recent events, I'm going to tell him about Sophie and then if he wants to be part of her life I am going to make him prove himself and once he does I'm going t introduce her to him."

"AND THEN WHAT BELLA! HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO EXPLAIN HIS ABSENCE OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS OF HER LIFE? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO TELL HER THAT HE DIDN'T WANT HER AT ALL IN THE FIRST PLACE? THAT HE THOUGHT SHE WASN'T EVEN HIS?" He yelled so loudly that I was scared everyone downstairs would hear, and I especially didn't want Sophie to hear.

"Ri calm down. She already half knows why he's not been around, so it won't be that hard to explain. As for the last part even if he hadn't thought that Sophie wasn't his, he wouldn't have known about her anyway. DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY RILEY HUH? YOU WANNA KNOW WHY ONE DAY EVERY YEAR I DISAPPEAR AND LEAVE SOPHIE WITH ALI…DO YOU?"

"Bella babe all I'm saying that Edward is an asshole and doesn't deserve for you or Sophie to be a part of his life in any way shape or form."

"YOU DON'T FUCKING GET IT RILEY. HE IS HER DAD…."

"BELLA HE'S NOT WORTHY OF THAT TITLE," Riley yelled gripping my arms and pinning me to the wall. "Now you listen to me and listen to me good, the instant we get back home we are going to the lawyers and I am formally going to adopt Sophie and from then on she will call me dad. Do you understand Bella," he hissed in my ear, his grip on me tightening and I was certain it was going to leave a mark.

"No Riley. Now get off of me. I am going to join MY DAUGHTER for breakfast. I suggest you calm down before you join us," I said ripping my arms from his grasp and opening the door. "Oh and by the way, I'm going round to Emmett and Rosalie's this afternoon. Sophie will be staying with Ali and Jazz, and I want you nowhere near her until you have a clear mind, so I think it best if after breakfast you go extend your stay at that motel."

I left the room and closed the door behind me and took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I heard a crash from the bedroom and knew that it would be a while before Riley joined us. I walked down the stairs and into the kitchen and felt everyone's knowing looks.

"Mommy were you and Riley fighting again?" Sophie asked from the edge of the counter where she had a stack of pancakes in front of her. If there would've been any doubt about who her father was (not that there was) and I hadn't known she was a Cullen before then it would've been evident through her eating habits. She could eat a load of unhealthy food and still not gain an ounce and I envied her for it. I tried and tried to give her a balanced diet and only let her eat like this on rare occasions, but somehow she always found a way to defy me in that department.

"No hunny. We were just having a conversation and we must have started talking a bit louder than we thought," I replied just as the door slammed shut. "Sophie mommy's going to visit an old friend today so would you like to spend the day with Ali," I asked her and then whispered in her ear "and I'll even let her do your hair all pretty."

"Okay mommy," she replied.

"Hey Es. Can you give me Edwards' number? I need to call him and arrange to meet up." I said walking into the lounge.

"Of course hon. Are you going to tell him a bout Sophie, she's an angel by the way and a true credit to you…and Riley of course,"

"Thank you Esme. Riley has always and will always be mommy's boyfriend to Sophie and if he carries on being and asshole he'll be even less. Anyway that's beside the point, I am going to tell him about Sophie but I'm just going to feel him out first and hope it all goes well. After what happened to my dad I feel I owe it to him to give Edward the chance he never had with me."

"Understandable and I'll let you in on a secret, I'd do exactly the same in your shoes," Esme said handing me a piece of paper with Edwards' number on it. "And if you ever need to talk I'm here."

"Thanks Es I know," I said leaving the room typing Edwards number into my phone.

I walked outside and sat down at the wooden table, my thumb hovering over the dial button, going over in my head what to say to him and how to say it.

EPOV

"Rise and shine Eddie my boy," Emmett's voice boomed. His voice was so loud that it sounded like he was practically yelling in my ear.

"Emmett not now dude, can't you see I'm trying to sleep," I groaned, turning over onto my other side and pulling the pillow over my head.

"I don't think so Edwardo. It's gone 12 now get up, get up, get up," he said pulling the cover off me.

"Emmett you tosser…." I started to yell just as my phone started ringing. I took my phone off the nightstand and saw a number I didn't recognise flashing on the screen.

"Hello," I said trying to sound more awake than I was. "Who is this?"

"Errm hey, it's err Bella." She spoke in such a timid voice. "Look I know it's kinda short notice but can you meet me at the diner in 20 minutes." She wants to meet me. Does this mean that there's a chance for me to prove that I've changed. "There's some stuff we need to talk about so things aren't awkward whenever were around your family."

"Sure I can and Bella.." I started.

"No anything that needs to be said should be said in person, it's the only way," she stated in a strong voice that I barely even recognised.

"Okay, I'll be there," I said and with that she hung up on me.

I sat at a table near the window waiting for Bella. I had been sat here for the last five minutes, anxiously checking my watch every few seconds and then running my finger through my hair. I was unbelievable how nervous I was; I mean it was just Bella, the same Bella I fell in love with 10 years ago, the same Bella that I still loved and had never stopped loving; even though I had made stupid mistake after stupid mistake and said some idiotic, hurtful things.

Before I could get too deep into thought and beat myself up even more than I had done over the last 10 years, the bell above the door rang. I lifted my head and saw my beautiful Bella. She looked even more gorgeous than the last time I saw her.

While she looked around for me I took the chance to get a good look at her before she noticed me. I drank in the sight in front of me and then I caught sight of her left hand. A small, simplistic, cheap and tacky engagement ring graced her ring finger. My heart sank and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. Here I was making an effort for her. I'd changed so much because of her in the last 10 years and I had seen this as an opportunity to be a friend and maybe get a second chance. The first was most likely but the latter evidently would not happen ever.

I found my voice at last and called "Isabella. I'm over here."

A/N:-

So the next update will probably be around the end of June or start of July because my exams start in about 2 weeks.

Reviewers will get a look at what Riley's thinking.

xoxo