A/N: Ok I was going to tell you that the Charlie/Bella conversation was going to be pushed back one more chapter, but apparently Charlie had other ideas. He absolutely refused to shut up until I agreed to go ahead with their conversation. It's a short chapter, but it answers at least one important question.

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns it all; I own nothing, just borrowing her characters for my story. No Copyright infringement intended.

How Can I Help You?

Chapter 5

A Conversation with Charlie

Present Day

BPOV

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my courage to confess all of my mistakes to my father.

"Dad, have you noticed anything strange about Riley?"

Charlie gave me a concerned look. "What? What do you mean strange? He's a perfect little boy, Bella. Riley has your hair, your cute button nose, he's always happy and smiling, and he has your mother's green eyes." His eyes watered after mentioning Mom.

I took his hand and squeezed it.

"Riley is perfect and I love him so much, but I see a lot of his father in him."

Charlie laughed at that comment. "Maybe it's in his personality, but there's not much of a resemblance to Jacob, baby girl. I do see a lot of you though."

This is what I had been so scared to do. I took a steadying breath and forced myself to say it slowly. "Dad, Riley is not Jake's son."

Silence

There was no sound to be heard in my father's living room. I realized I was holding my breath and forced myself to let it out and continue.

"Jake and I tried so hard in our marriage. I loved him, I still do love him, but I was never in love with Jake. I tried to be a good wife and after we graduated from college we decided to try start a family. That was a last ditch effort to save the marriage. We tried for a year and it wasn't happening. Instead of bringing us closer together, it drove us further apart. Jake knew what he felt was stronger that what I could return to him and I hated that I couldn't love him the way he deserved. We were making each other miserable, so right before you called to tell me Mom was back in the hospital, Jake and I separated."

"Jesus, Bella, you never said anything to me. Did you talk about any of this with Renee?"

I shook my head, dropping my gaze. "No, with Mom's cancer coming back and spreading so quickly, I didn't want to add more stress to you both. Instead of moving out, I took a sabbatical from work and came home to help you and Mom."

Charlie looked so hurt and confused. "I still am not following you about Ry. You left after your mother's funeral and a month later you and Jake called with the news you were pregnant. Jake was so happy about the baby, calling me Gramps and planning future fishing trips with the baby."

I couldn't look at Charlie any longer. "Jake was happy. He thought it was a sign. Finally we were pregnant and we could still be a family. He didn't know and I had just found out the father was involved with someone else. Jake was there every step of the way throughout the pregnancy and the birth. It was only after Riley was born that it all fell apart."

I could feel Charlie's disappointment in me, it radiated throughout the room.

"Jake was filling in the baby book. He wanted to make sure everything was listed just right so he went through the papers we brought home from the hospital. The pediatrician's nurse had sent us with a little booklet with our first appointment information. Jake came rushing over, as I put Riley in his cradle, he had the booklet from the nurse telling me they made a mistake at the hospital. That freaked me out until Jake showed me the vitals page where Riley's birth weight, length, and his blood type were listed."

Charlie was dragging his hands through his hair, looking like he was about to walk away.

"Jake was ready to take Riley down to the ER so they could re-type his blood. Jake and I are both O positive, and they had listed Riley's as AB negative. I knew it was time to tell him and pray that he would forgive me for lying to him and not hate Riley for it.

I could see the resemblance in Riley to his father and knew Jake would see it too someday. So I told Jake about the six weeks I spent in Seattle visiting Mom in the hospital, trying to give you a break. I told him about running into an old friend that was checking on Mom. I reminded him that we were separated at that time; we had even discussed how to go about starting divorce proceedings. I told Jake I was sorry for hurting him, but that it wasn't something we planned, I was in Seattle for you and Mom. I didn't make excuses for what I had done just apologized for hurting him, again.

Jake wanted to know why I had not told him before. He would have let me go so I could be with the father. I told him what a friend had told me about him moving on with his life, and that as much as I didn't want to hurt Jake I was selfish enough not to want to be a single parent. I was scared of doing it alone."

Charlie stood and started the room.

"Bells, I don't know what to say about all this. I'm not sure how to react. I do wish you had come to me about what you and Jake were going through in your marriage. I wish I could have been around for you after your mom died, while you were going through this."

"Please just tell me you don't hate me, Daddy." I was more afraid of Charlie rejecting me for all my mistakes than I was of his anger or disappointment in me.

Charlie took me in his arms, patting my back awkwardly. "I could never hate you, baby girl. I may not be happy with lies, but I am glad you came home and have told me the truth. Now I get to be able to help you when you need it. What are your plans now that you are back in Forks, Bells?"

"Well, I am going to see Rosalie and Emmett on Monday. I'm hoping to find an apartment or small house to rent. I also have to check in at the Forks Weekly, and set up my schedule. As for what I am going to do about Riley? I'm going to see his father and explain all this to him. I just hope he wants to include Ry in his life." My eyes watered at the thought that he wouldn't want any part of Riley.

Charlie looked me straight in the eye when he asked the one question I knew he'd been dying to ask.

"Who is it Bella? Who is Riley's father?"

I matched Charlie's gaze, but could only whisper the answer.

"Edward is, Edward Cullen."

OoOoO

Yeah well I told you it was short, but Charlie was too curious for his own good. There will be a few chapters going back to the past, a lot of explaining leading up to Riley.

Please let me hear from you, good or bad. Thanks for reading.