Lately, work has been hard for me. Every time I was there, I could only think about what Jacob said to me, what Jacob reminded me. Reminding me about a lot of things that would happen when he comes back home. Alicia was nice enough to let me have a few days off, but of course I couldn't take any days off. I still needed to feed Ryder, pay the rent, pay the piling bills, and everything that needed money.

I sighed softly as I wiped table nine clean, the table of the family that was here before. Was Jacob right? Did Ryder really did need a father?

No.

Ryder doesn't need a father like him. Ryder has me…and that should be enough.

I closed my eyes and all I could think about right then, was that family that was here before. I watched as the father cleaned the baby's mouth, laughing when the baby did something silly and how the baby even said "da-da" I watched as the mother kissed the father and whispered "I love you" to him.

That could have been me.

That could have been us.

But no, Edward decided to leave.

Decided to go to Europe

Decided to cheat

After that day, I couldn't even stand being near any of them that still kept contact with him. I just couldn't stand the idea of being able to get any news from him or about him. That day, when his mother showed me those pictures, that was the day that I swore to myself that I would never hurt myself over him again. I swore to myself, I would never think about him or have anything to do with him again.

And that included leaving Forks, leaving Alice, Emmett, Jasper, Rosalie and everyone else in Forks.

I sighed softly, and looked at the table that I was scrubbing, maybe things weren't fine with me. But then, a lot of stuff weren't fine.

"Bella?"

I looked over to whoever called my name, and I noticed it was one of my regulars.

"How come you're still here?" He asked, his name was Sky, and he was always really nice and cared for me. He wasn't like Mike Newton, Mike Newton only wanted to get laid and tried to play the innocent caring friend, but Sky wasn't like that. He knew I had a son, and he actually did care for me and Ryder.

"What do you mean?" I asked, obviously confused about is question.

"Aren't you supposed to get off work… fifteen minutes ago?"

I looked up at the clock, and noticed that it was already 3:15 and I gasped, "oh no! I'm late!" before running to the back of the store, while taking off my apron and leaving the cleaning rags on the counter. "Alicia! I'm running late. See you tomorrow!" I shouted and I saw Alicia poke her head out from the kitchen and she smiled.

"Drive safely dear!"

Alicia, always the caring person, "I will!" I replied before passing by Sky and waving a goodbye to him. "Later Sky! Thanks for reminding me." I said before running out the door.

But instead, I ran into something.

I bounced back and landed on my ass, and groaned softly and I heard the soft voice of Ryder, "Mommy, ares yous okays?" He asked before walking towards me and leaned down to help me.

I smiled at him and patted his head, "I'm fine Ryder." I said and blinked a bit, staring at my son. "How did you get here? How could the teacher just let you leave without me being there?!" I asked, suddenly realizing that he was here and not at the daycare like he was supposed to be.

"I picked him up." I heard a strong familiar male voice say.

Even though I haven't heard this voice in a long time, I wasn't dumb. I bit my bottom lip before I looked up to see the person that I bumped into and it was someone that I haven't seen in more than four years.

Emmett.

"Isabella Swan, long time no see." He said softly, before lending a hand to help me up.

I refused it.

I stood up by myself and held Ryder close to me and glared at him with whatever I can make up.

He started laughing.

He fucking started laughing.

"Bella!" He said in a louder voice before he walked towards me to give me a hug, but I denied it and took a step back.

"How did you pick up Ryder? That's not allowed." I said, almost growling.

Emmett only chuckled at what I said, and smiled. "The little squirt had no one to pick him up. How about we swing by your place and I tell you all about it?"

I shook my head, "Tell me here. You don't need to come by my place."

Ryder rubbed his eyes and looked up at me, "Mommy I wanna goes homes." He said pouting and I sighed at that, and held his little hand.

"Come on Ryder, let's go home." I said softly, before Emmett stopped me.

"Bella, come on. I haven't seen you in more than four years…and I have some things I want to talk to you about. I was surprised to see you the mother of this little squirt. Come on." He said, pulling out one of his old dog pouting faces that got even the ice queen of our high school to melt.

How could I, a little measly woman stand that?

x-x-x-x-x

"This is my house." I said, showing Emmett the small little home we have. It was nothing big, at all. There was only a living room and one room and that room I shared with Ryder. I know that one day he would need his own room and his own space. But until that happens, we're stuck at this cheap little apartment.

"Wow Bella—"

"Don't even start that Emmett, I know what you want to try to say." I said sighing. "Anyways, please sit down… I'll get you something to drink."

"No Bella, that's not necessary." He said before sitting down on the couch while Ryder sat down next to him and lay on Emmett. Emmett smiled at Ryder and started to stroke his bronze colored hair. Ryder closed his eyes and a smile was on his face.

I sat opposite of Emmett, a little jealous that my son was with him right now and not with me. "So what brings you here Emmett?" I asked, hoping that he would just say he's passing by and is going to leave and never come back into my life again or tell anyone else about us.

"Rosalie." He said softly, while still stroking Ryder's hair. "We're married now… I wish you could have came lil sis…" He said looking up at me.

I haven't heard him call me that in a long time, and that just made my heart ache a little. Reminding me of the old days that I had with the gang, and those were the memories that I wanted to bury deep down in my heart. "H-How did you two end up here… and how come you picked up Ryder? That's against the day care's rules."

Emmett chuckled a little, but it sounded like a roar like always. "You wouldn't believe it if I told you. Rosalie is currently working at the daycare center, to get her some experience so she could open her own daycare. She loves kids—"

"Rosalie? Are we talking about the same blonde Rosalie here?" I asked, a little confused with the situation. Rosalie and kids? That was something I never thought about before.

"Yeah, she loves kids. Anyways, today I came to pick up Rosalie on her first day of working there and the other teachers left at exactly 3:00 PM when all the kids were picked up and this squirt was the last one and the teachers gave Rosalie the responsibility of re-packing everything in the room and all the snacks and stuff and when I went there she was in a frantic and saying that she had no time to take care of the kid. So I told her to go, and that I would take care of him. God, when I saw Ryder… I just knew that we have some fate to meet."

Emmett looked up at me and smiled, "he looks exactly like Edward…He's Edward's isn't he?"

I looked over at Emmett and I just couldn't lie to him. Emmett was the one that always protected me when I was being harmed, harassed or any kind of danger that came by. Emmett was like my older brother, "Yes." I whispered out.

"That asshole." Emmett growled, his face scrunching up and his face turned from the kind old teddy bear to the protector. He sighed, trying to relax and continued on with his story. "I talked to him, and asked Ryder what his name was and he told me that his name was Ryder Swan. Bella, you are the only one that I knew with that last name and I was willing to test it out. Willing to see if it was really you, you were gone for four years, and this kid… he was a three year old. I was willing to see. What I predicted was true, he told me where you worked and he told me and I brought him there and then I saw you."

I sucked in my breath, wishing that maybe somehow Rosalie never decided to work there. Emmett to not realize that I was the mother…but then in the end he probably would of met me anyways when I went to pick up Ryder.

Emmett stared at me, "Why did you leave Forks Bella? Why did you suddenly leave without a trace.. and ended up with a kid? I could have helped you…god Rosalie would have helped you…"

I looked up to Emmett with a sad face, "Edward cheated on me." I said softly, and from that hurting face of his, it turned to confusion.

"What do you mean by that Bella? He cheated on you?"

"There was evidence…" I said softly, playing with my fingers and trying to control my emotions around Emmett. Being around him right now, slammed me back into my past, I was so close to breaking down at this moment.

From confusion on his face, it went to anger. Pure anger emitted from his body and out came the protector mode. "That fucking asshole…" Emmett growled again, but it was soft enough to not wake up Ryder from his sleep.

I bit down on my bottom lip as the painful tears rimmed my eyes. I didn't want to think about it at all, this week was pure horror for me. First it was Jacob with his news of Edward's return and now Emmett had to stop by and figure out my whole secret.

"I'm going to fucking kill him Bella, I won't let him get away with this." Emmett said lifting Ryder's head from his lap and laying him on the couch. He stood up swiftly walking towards the door.

It finally registered in my brain what Emmett was going to do. He was going to harm Edward. As much as I wanted that to happen towards the bastard, I couldn't let him know about the existence of Ryder or the location of where I am at. If he knew about the existence of Ryder, his mother might try to take Ryder away from me. I couldn't let any of them take Ryder away from me. He was the reason I was still living, he was the one that was keeping me sane.

I quickly ran towards Emmett and grasped his arm tightly, the tears flowing freely now. "No!" I begged, "Please don't Emmett, if you do that they're going to find out about Ryder and they're going to take Ryder away from me. I can't let them take Ryder away from me! He's my lifeline and I can't lose him. Please Emmett…Don't… Please…" I whimpered out, grabbing on tightly to Emmett.

Emmett stared at me, bawling my eyes out and his eyes slowly softened to the big teddy bear that I've known my whole life and he sighed softly, slowly wrapping his arms around me and pulled me close to him. I could tell that Emmett was holding back, I could tell that Emmett was really going to let his irrational side out and really hurt Edward and reveal the existence of Ryder. "I…won't." He said softly, petting my hair. "I promise, Bella. Don't cry anymore." He whispered into my ear.

After a while of me crying on Emmett and him comforting me and telling me that everything was going to be okay, it made me realize how hard life has been for me ever since I left Forks and left behind everything and it reminded me how much I loved the gang and how they could always make me so much happier. It made me realize how much I really missed them, Emmett, the big teddy bear/ protector for all the girls, Rosalie, the cold hearted bi—girl but really a really nice person when you get to know her, Alice the spiky haired shopaholic pixie, Jasper the calm and cool one of the whole group and knew how you felt by just a single look and then there was Edward. Edward was the romantic one in the whole group and he always made me weak in my knees. He always made me feel warm and loved.

I slowly pulled away from Emmett, with him so close by it brought back all of the memories of Forks. The memories of the gang, the memories that I was trying to forget and bury deep down in my heart and never think about it again. Because every time I thought about them, it always made my heart ache and break into a million pieces again. "Thank you Emmett…Please don't even mention this to Rosalie… Not anyone…" I whimpered out. Most likely if Rosalie knew, she was going to tell Alice and Alice would most likely tell Esme, her mother, and Jasper. If Esme found out, she would try to help and tell Edward.

Emmett stared at me for a minute, wondering why I would request such a thing and then it dawned upon him on the reason, and reached forward and pushed a loose hair from my face to the back of my ear. "You don't want them to know do you?' I knew who "them" was. It was Elizabeth and Edward.

I nodded me head and looked up at him, "Please promise me that Emmett."

He nodded his head and hugged me tightly again. "I promise you Bella. I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Rosalie."

I smiled softly and Emmett petted me on the head again.

"Okay Lil Sis, I gotta get back to the daycare before Rosalie suspects that something is wrong."

When he told me that, for some reason I didn't want him to go so soon. I know I didn't want them to know but seeing Emmett again made me realize how much I really missed my old friends. Sometimes, Sky, Jacob and Alicia just didn't fill in the hole in my heart which the gang took over long ago. Reluctantly, I nodded my head to what Emmett told me and I kept my head down.

"I'll come back to see you Bella, please don't look that depressed." He said softly, as if he read my mind. "Stay happy for Ryder 'kay?" He asked and I nodded my head again and he sighed softly again and patted my head before leaving my apartment.

I watched one of my bestest friend leave my apartment and I walked over to where Ryder was laying and slowly stroke his hair.

"I won't let anyone take you away from me my little angel…" I whispered out.

A/N: I'm sorry it took me over like... a million years to update this story. I kind of lost my interest in it and I'm not sure when the next update is going to be at but I hope not as long as this is going to take. Haha... Please don't kill me. I'm also sorry that this isn't long long long to make up for my awful laziness. Slowly, things are going to build up and this story isn't going to be in all BPOV. But we'll see.

Anyways, I know that I haven't updated in like a million years, but please be nice enough to leave me some reviews? =) I'll love you for a long time.