I am working on updating faster for you guys. I hope this makes sense cause I wrote most of this chapter hopped up on cold medicine. It would figure a day off from school with beautiful weather (finally) and I am too sick to enjoy it. Anyway R and R. And I apologize to any reviews I didn't answer last time, please let me know who reviewed and did not receive a review reply from me so I can rectify it.

Meg

Bella Pov:

When I woke up I was surprisingly calm. I was determined to put the whole thing behind me. It was with that mentality that I got out of bed and began getting ready for my day. I couldn't afford to lose focus because of Edward; I had more important things to occupy my attention today.

This was my chance to prove that I wasn't a washed up champion who should have retired, or a one hit wonder. Sure, last night was technically my first competition back, but I hadn't competed in the all around and it was only a team competition. Don't get me wrong team competitions are very important and it is vital to be a good team competitor as well as an all arounder if you want to make the big leagues in gymnastics, but when it comes down to it, gymnastics is an individual sport. It always comes down to you and the apparatus. That's what separates the champions from those who can't hack it. It is one thing to compete when you know that a teammate's routine can cover any mistakes you make, or a fall. It is a completely different circumstance when it is just you and you have one shot, and one shot only to prove yourself and realize your dreams. This train of thought followed me around as I continued to get ready.

Kaity's entrance interrupted my musings. "Ooh someone must have had a good time last night," I teased, acting way more lighthearted than I had felt in a long time.

"No!" she protested quickly. I glanced up at my roomie in surprise.

She seemed tense and was hiding what looked to be a newspaper behind her back. As I continued to gaze questioningly at her, she seemed to relax.

"Well okay, I did. But nothing happened… okay we kissed a bit, and talked a lot, but nothing else happened!"

I laughed at the blush gracing her tan cheeks, but said no more. It was obvious she wasn't in a mood for teasing this morning.

I leaned over to grab the remote to check the weather when she screamed, "No!"

"God! Chill, I am just checking the weather," I told her, continuing to do just that.

Before I could even hit the power button, I was tackled.

"Oomph!" I exclaimed, surprised to find myself on the ground. "What the hell was that for?" I questioned angrily.

Before she could respond our door opened and a jovial looking Jake entered. He took one glance at the two of us piled in the ground and a grin worthy of the Cheshire Cat appeared on his face.

"Well, well. My two favorite girls half dressed, rolling around on the floor. Did Christmas come early?" he laughed.

"Stuff it Jake," we chorused. Kaity added a "hi!" with a slight blush.

I took full advantage of her moment of distraction. Wriggling loose from underneath her, I triumphantly grabbed the remote.

"Ha ha!" I laughed, dancing out of reach and hitting the power button on the remote. Sure I could have walked over to the television and turned it on by hand, but at this point it was personal.

My triumph was short lived however, as she took a desperate lunge for it. This time I was braced and I managed to keep my balance as I held the remote high above my head out of her reach. What I hadn't counted on was my traitor of another best friend helping her out.

Jake walked over and grabbed it right out of my hand, but before he could turn it off, the commercial that had been playing ended and what was shown next caused us all to freeze.

The resounding smash of a slap echoed from the too loud television.

My breath caught in my throat as the scene between Edward and I flashed before my eyes. But no, I wasn't reliving it in my memory. No, I was watching it from a third point of view that was invading that personal moment. It was a distant, shaky shot, as though whoever was taping it was not prepared for what they were filming, but it got the point across quite well.

I sank unsteadily to the edge of the nearest bed, and I was vaguely aware of Jake and Kaity closing in, concerned, but I waved them off.

"Bellward snaps with a slap," the reporter on the screen stated.

"Last summer at the London Olympics, America's Aquaman, and America's Darling fell in love. It was a whirlwind romance between these two champions. Record setter Edward Cullen, and All-Around Gymnastics Champion Isabella Swan broke more than records when they fell in love, they also broke the hearts of millions of hopeful fans when they fell for each other. A "Golden Couple" in every way, they had it all, medals, looks, love, and the good wishes of fans all over. "

A veritable slideshow of pictures of Edward and I separately and together flashed across the screen.

"Even after the Olympics were over and it seemed as though a heartbreaking goodbye was in the pictures, Edward and Bella somehow managed to make it work. Apparently finding living across the country from each other too hard (Cullen lived in Chicago, and Swan in Philadelphia), the two quickly made a move in location and their relationship. They moved to a small town in the Olympic Peninsula where Cullen's father, Carlisle Cullen, who also happens to be Swan's new coach, had recently opened a gym. Reportedly the two barely spent a minute apart except for when they were training."

She is making it sound like I moved in with him, I thought slightly disgusted before the next part of her report recaptured my interest.

"It was a fairytale story for these two sports superstars, complete with magic and a happily ever after for the besotted couple, or was it? A few months ago rumors that the couple had a bad split hit the headlines. Rumors ranged from Swan ran off with a fan to Cullen injured Swan were furthered by the fact that Cullen was in swimming Siberia and Swan seemed to have quit training."

A shot of Edward looking angry in the airport dashed across the screen followed by the one of me taken outside of my physical therapists.

"No one knew exactly what happened or if it was true, until now. This reporter witnessed a scene that can leave no doubt that there is trouble in paradise. And today we bring it to you to be the judge."

With that the scene between Edward and I that I had experienced hours before, was played. I was too enthralled to be incensed that such a private moment was captured and shown to the world, though I knew later I would be furious. The one thought I spared towards the broadcast was that everything looked worse on syndicated television!

I watched entranced as the me on the televisions stalked past Edward and grabbed something from the ground. I watched as I leaned over a second time to grab something else from the ground and Edward's arms stopped me.

It looked incredibly sweet and ardent, and romantic when he pulled me into his arms and leaned down to kiss me. All of that just made the following slap that much worse.

Edward's hand shot up to his cheek and the hurt and shock was evident on his face even from a distance. My own shock was less evident but just as true. There was no sounds being as the camera was thankfully too far away to capture what we had said, but the message was clear nonetheless.

Not seconds later it was replaced by another emotion as the commotion that had broken into our little bubble became apparent. The camera shook and went out of focus for a minute and I deduced what had happened. It seemed as though whoever was controlling the camera in their bid to get a closer look at the action, had stumbled.

And like that it was all over. The camera steadied and refocused just in time to catch a glimpse of me running out of the arena as though the hounds of hell were on my heels.

The one part in the clip that I hadn't seen before was a close up of Edward's face. I didn't know such a look of devastation was possible, but at the same time I realized that it mirrored the look that had been too often present on my face in the last few months.

It almost made me rethink my decision. But it had already been made and it was too late to change it now, wasn't it?

Edward Pov:

My whole day was haunted by the scene the night before. As if it wouldn't have been imprinted in my mind as it was, every time I passed any form of news media, I was bombarded by pictures and images of it. Not to mention the paparazzi were clamoring for an interview, practically swarming me anytime I moved from one location to the next.

I tried to place it out of my mind as I swam in my freestyle final, but there was no hope for it and I swam one of the worst races of my life. Granted I still placed but it should have been an easy field for me to decimate, but I finished in second place, far below my personal best.

To top it off I had barely finished cooling my muscles down before I was accosted by my mother. "You messed up Edward Anthony Cullen," she reprimanded. "Now what are you going to do about it?" she questioned.

I hung my head and whispered my answer. "I don't know mom, I don't know."

With that I walked dejectedly away. Something in my expression must have gotten my point across because my mother neither followed nor berated me. The only acknowledgement she made was a gentle pat to my shoulder as I passed.

I had waited too long. I had caused too much damage to repair it. It reminded me of a line from a nursery rhyme: all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again.

When I saw the look on her face last night when she first realized it was me, I had thought I still had a chance. Oh how wrong I was. It broke me. I thought I had been broken before when I chose to leave her, but I hadn't even scratched the surface on broken. Now I could relate to the pain she must have felt when I had left her. Or maybe I was wrong, maybe she was fine and if I had stayed away she would have moved on and lived happily. No, I told myself. Despite all that had happened we had loved each other deeply and I knew she had felt the same acute loss I had was now experiencing, but despite all of the love, it was too late to fix our relationship.

She had decided this time and maybe it was more than I deserved to even hope for a chance of reconciliation. I now had a heavy price to pay, but it was a price that I would honor if she could finally be happy; no matter what it did to me.

My melancholy musings were interrupted by a young woman wearing the official polo and khaki shorts that I had come to associated with those running this dual championships.

"Mr. Cullen?" she asked in thickly accented English.

My answering smile was weak and I reminisced about a time not so long ago where I would have dazzled her with a beaming smile as Bella had too often accused me of.

"The organizers would like to have a word with you if it is convenient."

I nodded, though I felt little curiosity. "Lead on," I gestured to her, holding open the door for her.

I followed though I longed just to go curl up and hide from the world. I had little interest in what this meeting was for though it would soon become one of the most influential decisions of my life.