Chapter 19: Three Years Later, Part 2

A/N: Clearing up confusion beforehand, this is NOT three years after the last chapter. This is last chapter in Emmett's POV, sharing his thoughts about everything.

Emmett's POV

My time at UCLA was finished, and I had decided to major in Literature. Since I could no longer play football, I decided to go into something else I loved. I always had a thing for English novels and poems. I wouldn't even mind teaching it, and Bella had made that part of me even more pronounced.

God, I missed that woman.

So I decided to go back to New Hampshire, hoping she'd still be there. Alice came with me, not wanting to stay in California alone. She also knew I'd need support.

So there I was, on my way to a hotel with Al after leaving the airport. We fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow, not even able to mumble the "I love you's" and "goodnights" like we always did.

The next day, we woke up late at 1:30pm. Alice and I went out for lunch and shopping. She bought me five shirts, three pairs of jeans, and some silk boxers, saying she'd make me some more clothes, even though we were no longer dating. I just laughed, knowing she was an absolute genius with fashion. She loved it, and once she got settled down somewhere, she wanted to become a personal shopper for some rich snobs.

It was 9:30 before we knew it, and Alice made me get dressed up to go to some bar. Little did I know, she was planning on me singing a song. When we got there, we started dancing together and drinking. We talked to some of the guys there, and they were pretty decent. I could see Alice with someone like that.

We were just chatting about where we all grew up when I heard a beautiful voice begin to sing. Her beautiful voice. I spun around, and she was staring straight at me, unshed tears making her eyes look glazed over. I listened to the words.

I always needed time on my own

I never thought I'd

Need you there when I cried

What did that mean? I knew that her song choice had some meaning behind it; they always did. I snapped out of my thoughts and continued to listen.

Do you see how much I need you right now?

When you're gone

The pieces of my heart are missing you

When you're gone

The face I came to know is missing, too

When you're gone

The words I need to hear to always get me through the day

And make it okay

I miss you

I seriously didn't think I was losing my mind. Was she saying she needed me? That she missed me? Why couldn't she just tell me already and save the suspense? But I would've hated that because I loved her voice.

I listened to the rest of the song, and it took my breath away. I came to believe she was saying everything I thought, for she ran off the stage, tears falling. I had to sing for her.

I sang a Plain White T's song, and I could see she was also stunned. When I was done, I began to make my way towards her, but she ran away.

Ouch.

Edward grabbed her and took her to his car. I ran after them and followed them to their house. I wondered why Shane wasn't with them, but decided not to dwell on him. I needed to talk to Bella.

We both got out of our separate vehicles, and I yelled, "Bella, wait!"

"We can talk inside," she snapped.

I could compromise because I sure as hell didn't want to have this conversation in front of an audience. "Front porch."

She sighed. "Fine." She looked at Edward and mumbled something that I couldn't make out. Something about helping Shane, I think. He went inside, smiling a pained smile. We sat down on the comfortable bench on the porch.

"Why did you stop talking to me?" I asked sadly.

"Wait a second. What? You stopped talking to me first," she stated.

I tried to think of a time when I stopped talking to her and immediately remembered. It was when I was injured in the game. "Bella, I wasn't allowed to for a few months. I had an accident. A linebacker crashed into me, threw me twelve yards, and I broke my leg and screwed up my back. I was pretty lucky that I didn't become paralyzed. They kept me just in case something happened. As soon as I got out, I called you over and over again. You never picked up or called back. So eventually, I just stopped."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know. Oh, god. I wasn't there." She began to sob into her hands, and when she finally calmed down enough, she questioned, "Um, Emmett, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure. You can ask me anything…" And I wanted her to. I wanted her to ask me if we could still be together for the rest of our lives, but she didn't.

Instead, it was, "Why did you come back? After I ignored you and everything?" Tears were flowing quickly down her pale cheeks.

"I wanted to see you again. Now that we're out of college, I thought maybe it'd be easier for us to be together. If you still wanted to be…" And I really hoped she did.

Then, she began yelling. "First off, I haven't even finished college, yet! And second, you can't just come back into my life like this and expect me to still want to be with you! You just can't! I mean, I still do, but what if something had happened? Like I had married Shane?"

I almost snorted. I almost laughed in her face at that. But I didn't because I knew at one point she had loved Shane. I'm sure still does, but we both knew it wouldn't last when we fucked each other Christmas break. "But I know you didn't."

"You're right, but before you say you want to be with me still, there's someone you should meet…" It wasn't a good thing whenever Bella sounded uncertain, so I quickly followed her when she walked inside. I was thoroughly confused.

"Heath! Heath, baby, come here!" She yelled. Who the hell was Heath? Just then, Edward and Shane walked out with a cute little toddler. Right when I saw him, I knew that he was my cute little toddler. "Em, this is Heath. Heathcliff Alexander…er…Swan."

I had to voice my suspicions. "Am I…you know…?"

"Yeah. If you want to act like it, then can I go ahead and tell him?" She asked quietly. Of course, I wanted her to. I would've liked it three years ago when she actually had him, but I didn't say that. Yet. I just nodded. She picked him up, smiling. "Heath, this is your daddy."

I saw his eyes brighten when he said, "Daddy? You my daddy?" I could tell by his dimples that he had my smile.

I was still in shock, but I managed to get it out. "Yeah, Heath. I'm your daddy." He held out his arms to me, and I grabbed him, holding him close. It felt right holding my son in my arms. I liked that. My son.

"Daddy. I miss you, Daddy," he replied.

I began to cry because I didn't even know I had a son to miss. "I know. I'm so sorry."

"Daddy, don't cwy."

I grinned widely. "I'm happy, Heath. I'm crying because I'm happy."

"Heath happy, too," he stated matter-of-factly, smiling once again.

"Good. Can mommy and daddy go talk for a minute?" I asked.

Heath nodded. "Uhhuh. I love you, Daddy."

I squeezed him even tighter, growing more ecstatic. "Daddy loves you, too, Heath."

Bella and I walked upstairs and to her room after I set Heath down. She sat on the bed, looking sheepish. And she should.

"Why didn't you tell me I had a son, Bella? A three-year old son, to be specific…" Damn it. I wanted to yell, to scream, anything to let her now how pissed I was.

"I thought it would be better for us all."

I was seriously about to lose it. "You thought it'd be better for our child to grow up without a father? What kind of sick woman are you?" I let it slip, not meaning to. She used to be sick, to be a cutter. Like me, but I hoped she stopped. I didn't. Mostly because of her. Not having her, anyway.

"I'm not sick, okay? I didn't think you'd want him! I thought that since I had Edward and Shane to help me, I would be fine without you, but I'm not!" Oh, shit. I made her mad and upset. She was now crying on the floor. I wanted to comfort her, but I couldn't. Not after her keeping Heath a secret. "I'm not okay. I love you, Emmett…I loved you five and a half years ago, and I still love you, now."

I gave into her, not wanting to hurt her anymore. "I love you, too, but what are we going to do? I can always move up here. Didn't you say you had to finish school?"

Her tears were now silent. "Yeah, I have another year. And you don't have to move up here if you don't want to…" She didn't believe that I wanted this, a family.

"I want my child to have a father and a mother, okay? I can watch Heath while you go to school, and then, we can spend the rest of the day as a family after you unwind." Then, I tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. "How does that sound?"

Her face instantly lit up, but I could see the doubt. "Amazing. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Duh. Of course, I do. So, I borrowed her frequently used line. "I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I want this."

"Alright. Em, I'm really sorry I never told you. I'm sure you'll be a great dad." And she really did sound sorry, like she was beating herself up.

"I'm sure you're already a fantastic mom, Bells." I wanted her to be joyful, like me.

We just sat there, our expressions mimicking the other's, for a very long time.

I finally broke the silence, asking, "Do you know what this means?" I was really excited for her answer, just so I could respond to her confusion with my awesome revelation.

"No, what?"

And so, I said it. More like exclaimed it, but whatever. "We get to get a house together!"

She rolled her eyes, laughing. "Oh, geez…I guess we can, but let's just rent one. I kind of want to move back to Phoenix, if that's okay."

"Of course. I wouldn't mind at all." And it was true. I just wanted to be with my Bella and my son.

She placed her hands in mine, sighing. Our gazes locked, and she said, "I'm never going to forgive myself for not calling you back."

What? She didn't have to apologize. "And I'm never going to forgive myself for choosing football over you…"

"Don't say that. You've always wanted to play," she gasped.

Then, I told her the truth. The fact that I hadn't told anyone, except myself. "But ever since I met you, I've wanted you a whole lot more. I just didn't realize it until now."

A/N: Sorry for the part one and two of this. There's so much conversation, but I felt the need to express why he went back to NH. And Alice stayed at the club. I'll explain next chapter. I might do a Alice POV or a Jasper POV. Maybe a Shane, too. Who knows?