Four years later

Four years later:

"Ryder Lyric Pott let's go, " I yell for him for the millionth time this morning. I swear if I didn't know any better, I would say he is just like Bean. He refused to let anyone touch his now long brown hair with my curls and those green eyes with the perfect amount of blue from me, lightly tan skin from his father. I think about him often but could never locate him, so I just moved on with my life. All the kids are now in the car waiting to go to school, yes, I got a car now and my license.

"OK mom let's go," he says with his hands on his hips cocking is head to the side. Wow, facepalm right there.

After dropping them off, I head to work for meetings telling my boss I would be late.

Walking into my office just as I sat down.

"Lisa, you're 9 o'clock is here," my assistant Abby tells me, I nod watching her leave.

I log into my computer seeing my meetings were going to be boring but at least I had these five meetings in the bag. But one name caught my eye, Dominik Ryder, why did that name sound familiar.

Throughout the day and meetings went by and it was time to I headed out to lunch. While eating and walking I called my oldest son Axelle

"Hey mom"

"Hey, honey how's my baby?" I say walking, talking and eating he groans in my ear saying

"I'm not a baby. But were good except for Ryder being an ass"

Just as he finished saying that I trip it felt like slow motion my phone and food fell, I brace myself to fall but I didn't. Opening my eyes to meet those same green eyes from nearly five years ago. I began to shudder what, where, when. Only thing came to mind was "Dominik"

He raised an eyebrow, saying

"Lisa," looking down noticing my phone is shattered.

"Shit. I got to go" I said then I ran off, actually running as my life depended on it, rushing into my office, packing my bags if Axelle couldn't call me I would never hear the end of it, his hates it when I leave him in charge of Ryder. Ryder's Adhd is trouble, but not any worst then when I'm not with him.

"Abby rescheduled my meetings please I have to leave."

"Sure, is it any of the kids" she had the I know the problem look on her, she understood and it works well with this company.

"No, no I just need to leave"

"Lisa, can we talk," Dominik said as he walked into the office, stopping dead in my tracks, I couldn't look him in the eyes.

"Sorry, I was just headed out, I will reschedule." I swung the bag over my shoulder walking by him, he grabbed my arm the fireworks in my core light.

"I'm not talking about the meeting, I'm talking about that night," he said walking closer to me I step back against the door frame. Forgetting Abby is standing there I got lost in his eyes again as he leads down whispering,

"Remember I had you singing my name all night," the heat of his breath made me shiver.

"Please," sighing wanting nothing more than to be lost in him again. My world didn't move with him around.

"Sorry, to interrupt but Axelle is online one he's upset," Abby said, giving me {you better explain look.}

"OK" I reach out answering the voice call,

"Axelle, what's wrong?"

"Mom, Ryder threw a chair"

"SHIT!" I shout standing hanging up the phone.

"Abby, Ryder got in trouble," I said forgetting about Dominik,

"Who's Ryder?" He said before I could think of anything to say Abby blurt out

"Her four-year-old demon child," I stood in place pale as a ghost. He said nothing, but I knew he was calculating it in his head, I gulped the lump in my throat,

"I have to go" nearly running out of the office, just to get away from him.

"I'll drive you," he said I didn't object but I did know this was going to be a hard car ride.

Almost ten minutes passed before he spoke.

"I'm only going to ask once How?" his tone was different as if he didn't want to know either.

"Honestly I really don't know " keeping my head, I didn't really know him or how he would react, and I'm trapped in the car with him.

"Is there anyone else?"

"Of course not, and I don't want anything from you." I snapped before I could take it back, he slammed on the break making me slide forward.

I watched as he gripped the sterling wheel. He grunted then said

"I want to know my son" after a good five minutes, he spoke with a sour sound in his voice, I sunk further into my seat prayer for the ride to be over.

"Then you should line up a DNA test to clear your conscience" I snapped jumping as he pulled into the school parking lot. Jumping out of the car, running into the building spotting Ryder in the front office.

"Miss. Pott, my office please" the principal was out for blood I hated him always finding ways to make my day worse. I already know Ryder had Adhd and his meds barely work.

None the less as I sit, he jumped right into it saying

"Do your children have a double parent household?"

"Sir. I do the best I can with my children alone. Their parenting has nothing to do with their actions. "

I shot back at him, which gave him any right to speak to me like that. I may not be proud of my actions leading up to their births, but I don't regret having them.

"I'm just saying that if your children had a father figure they would be in fewer altercations." He said I didn't want to hear anymore I got up and walked out. I signed Ryder out and left the building, he kept his head down he knew he was in big trouble. This was the third time this year and it's only the second quarter.

"Lyric what happened?" I used his middle name to tell him I am seriously pissed off

"I don't want to talk about it"

"Well, I don't care, what happened?" I said more forceful this time bending down to his level. He looks outward and says

"Who's that?" he points to Dominick, who is standing outside of the car with his arms crossed and a serious pissed off look. I curse under my breath, I forgot he was out here,

But at least he is keeping his distances for now. I can see the wheels spinning in his head as he pieces everything from that night together. How did condoms and an IUD fail?

"That guy brought me here, you see I didn't tell you the whole truth about your father," I said looking him in the eyes.

He just nods as we walk to Dominik's car

"Hello, I'm Dom," he said reaching his hand out

"Hello, I'm Ryder Lyric Pott" I smile at him trying to act shy, I know he's only putting on a front.

"Well, you know what your first name is my last name. You see my name is really Dominik Ryder," they shake hands I try to hold back tears at this moment my son had meant his father. Getting back into the car we drive to my house,

"Would you like to come in?" I asked not sure why because I was still pretty pissed that he would think Ryder wasn't his. But part of me understood why he would ask.

"Sure"

As we walked into the house, I leave them in the living room as I go to make food, finding a minute to myself to cry. Not even sure why just everything was piling up. I felt one arm snake around my neck and another around my torso, he pulled me tight into him whispering

"Sweetie, I'm sorry all this happened, and I left like that, you didn't deserve to be treated that way."

We slid down on the floor I melted in his arms, didn't even realized my eyes felt heavy. I jumped up finding myself in my bed, rushing to the kid's room I find Axelle doing his homework and Levi and Ryder playing match it. They look up at me then return to what they were doing.

"Kids dinner time, Axelle wake your mom please" I hear Dominik yell from downstairs. Maybe I hit my head or something I pinched my arm

"Ouch!" Nope, not a dream.

"Mom, come to eat," Axelle said taking my hand as we go downstairs. The food smelled delicious he made breakfast for dinner my mouth was watering yummy bacon.

It has been three days since we sat down and had dinner, it also felt weird because I had never introduced him to the kids and from their point of view, he just was just some stranger that was here for a day and that was it, he left after tucking the kids for the night. Kissing me on the forehead then leaving not a word was spooking. Abby schedules the meeting today although I had no idea how to pitch this to him even after reading his bio, I was still lost how would I get his company to accept the offer to sign partner green. Abby came in with our regular day coffee sitting on the couch she says

"So. do you care to explain?"

I smiled saying " I have no idea what you're talking about"

"So, Mr. Hot Ryder coincidentally has the last name of your youngest son and you looked at him like you going to jump his bones any second, Hmmm. I wonder" She giggled

"Fine OK OK, " I said holding up my hands then telling her the story of that night, how he was my shoulder to lean on and then the fire and passion that made us both weak and unable to walk in the morning, even told her about finding out that I was pregnant after we made sure we used protection.

"Oh MY God!" she shot at me "No way I can't believe that happened I didn't even know you were straight, trusted me because you never talk about your sex life. Do you enjoy toys more than men?" She finished making me blush oh my cheeks are going to stand out today.

"That's a really good question!" Dominik said standing in the doorway leaned over with his arms crossed. Her mouth dropped, and I became red as a rose.

"D... Do...Dominik"

"Sweetie, it's 10 a.m. our meeting is starting now, " he smirked

I scramble to find the files and notes that I needed, he was enjoying my nervousness and Abby had rushed out of the room, trying to head out to the meeting room.

The meeting went well, I held my composure throughout the whole two hours of talking to him and then him sending me smirks and winks throughout my presentations it really pissed me off that he still didn't sign off on the partner expo. but he did sign the green light shots. My boss was going to have my head for this. While cleaning up I was still shaking after everyone left the room, I was left to myself but still couldn't calm my nerves.

"Calm down sweetie!" He said placing his hand on top of mine, I instantly stop. My eyes shot up meeting him yet again the world stood still as his lips captured mine. The was so much heat and passion behind it, lust. I broke away saying

"It's can't happen again."

"Lisa, I'm sorry I left you like that. And I'm sorry for will happen next week, but know it is for your own good." He said as he kissed my forehead then left. I slumped down in my chair, what was going to happen next week? and Why did he seemed so different?

Abby had walked back in the room sitting on the couch seeing my obvious confusion and nervousness she came over and hugged me. We had become good friends over the years. I got this job a year after my ex-husband was charged with drug possession, I had no idea that he was that kind of man. About eight months after that cops came to tell me he had been killed in jail, I still haven't told the kids. When will the time ever be right for that?

Dominik had left a folder sitting on my desk, Abby picked it up she shook me saying

"Did you see this?"

I examine it and read it there were pictures of my ex-husband and Dominik, they knew each other reading more into it, bank statements and hotel bills in his name, a note dropped on the floor.

Dear Lisa,

I have a lot of explaining to do, but the best I could give you is that I divorced you because I fell in love with another. Not a woman but a man, his name is Dominik Ryder and well I didn't know it would go like this. I love you just not the way I thought I did when we married. Everything was so rushed between us, Have Axelle, and Levi was a great thing. I just felt something different in him. Our kids will be well taking care of I promise.

Goodbye Fletcher Gill

I sat with tears running down my cheeks, I felt so hurt and betrayed one question stayed in my mind

Did Dominik know I was Fletcher's wife when we meant?

Abby must have seen the tears and had canceled all my appointments for the morning.

After cleaning myself up my day went on as normal. Even at home kids doing their normal fighting and playing. My brain explodes yet again every day they test their limits with my patience. A knock at the door interrupted dinner, as I opened the door, I heard something bust through the back door, I turn to see men in black hoods running to my kids, the person behind me placed a cloth over my mouth and nose. I tried screaming watching as these men did the same to my kids. Terror took over as fought the blackness trying to get one last look at my babies praying, we were going to die. I heard a guy say something before I blacked out, but I couldn't comprehend it.