45
EPOV
I tried to sleep but I couldn't. My nerves were already starting to get to me. The tournament hadn't even started and I was already feeling like I was going to puke or pass out, or perhaps both. I tossed the blankets off of me and sat up on the side of the bed. The clock on the nightstand read that it was just after six in the morning. Carlisle was sleeping soundly in the bed next to mine. In fact he was snoring and I am pretty sure he had a little bit of drool coming out of his mouth.
I climbed off the bed and quietly walked around the room to the door. Easing it open as quietly as I could, I stepped out into the hallway and shut the door. Just as in the Seattle tournament, Bella was already in the hallway. I slid down to the floor next to her, taking her hand into mine. Bella didn't say anything as she leaned her head on my shoulder and offered me one of her earbuds to her iPod. I smiled at the silly tradition that we seemed to have started. I placed the earbud in my ear and closed my eyes, letting her music wash over me. Today's music selection was U2's greatest hits.
Neither Bella nor I said anything as we sat in the hallway. There really wasn't anything to say. We were both trying to focus in our matches and working through what we were going to need to do in order to get through the throng of fighters that we would be facing today. Bella turned her head, resting her forehead on my shoulder. My lips curved into a smile as I turned and pressed my lips down onto the top of her head.
We stayed like that, locked in our own private bubble. A world without worries, stress. A world without the fear of what was to come and the fear of what had already come for us. Today's tournament was a big step for the both of us. It was the first step in trying to get our lives back on track, trying to push back the threats that had nearly torn us to pieces and threatened to destroy the only thing we had left in the world; each other and our small family.
It wasn't until we heard Carlisle moving around that our bubble was busted and Bella and I were forced back to reality. Bella sighed as the door to mine and Carlisle's room was opened and he stepped out, peering down at the two of us.
"What are you two doing out here?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe behind him.
"Nothing," muttered Bella, turning her music off and pulling the earbuds out of both our ears. "We were trying to relax before we had to get ready to fight."
"Relax," snorted Carlisle. "Ok, well, if that is what you want to call it…you both need to get ready."
Carlisle walked back into our room, shutting the door behind him. Bella sighed and looked up at me. "Phase two starts right the fuck now."
"On it," I said, winking at her. I stood up and pulled her to her feet. "See you soon."
"Ok," murmured Bella, blushing.
I leaned in and kissed her before letting her go. She turned and walked into her and Esme's room, letting the door close behind her. I took a deep breath as I turned and walked into my room. Carlisle was sitting on the side of his bed, pulling on his black t-shirt that said Cullen Boxing on the front in big red letters. I pulled my suitcase onto my bed and unzipped it.
"What time are we going to be done today?" I asked, keeping my eyes trained on the luggage that sat in front of me. I pulled out my black and red boxing shorts and my own Cullen Boxing t-shirt.
"I don't know," said Carlisle, standing up. "Five, six. Why?"
"Oh, no reason," I said, looking up at him. "I was thinking that maybe Bella and I could do…something tonight and I was just trying to make plans. Lots of things to consider, you know."
"No, I don't know," he muttered, folding his arms across his chest. "Why don't you tell me?"
"Just…plans," I said, shrugging my shoulders "It doesn't matter anyway. It's not like anything in Vegas ever closes, right?"
I laughed as I headed into the bathroom, leaving Carlisle standing there with a glare on his face. It was just too easy to play with his mind. I pulled out my cell phone and sent Bella a text letting her know I started phase two. A moment later, she sent one back saying that she had as well. This was going to be so much fun.
I quickly got ready for our tournament and brushed my teeth. Carlisle was pacing back and forth when I came out of the bathroom. He looked up at me and opened his mouth to speak but seemed to decide against it since he quickly shut his mouth again. I tossed my pajamas into my suitcase and grabbed my other bag that had my gloves, headgear, mouth piece, towel, water bottle, and iPod. I wasn't sure how much time I was going to have between matches and the last thing I wanted was to be sitting there for an hour, bored out of my fucking mind.
"Let's go," grumbled Carlisle, once I had assured him that I had everything.
I hoisted my bag up on my shoulder and followed him out into the hallway. Esme and Bella were coming out of their room. Bella was all smiles while Esme looked less than happy. She looked from me to Bella before turning to Carlisle. She grabbed his arm and started pulling him down the hallway to the elevator.
"They are up to something," she muttered while Bella and I followed. "I don't know what it is but it's something."
"I know," hissed Carlisle, looking back at us. Both Bella and I were trying to look as innocent as we could but I don't think he bought it. "I will figure it out."
"You had better," grumbled Esme, stepping onto the elevator. Carlisle sighed as he followed her on. I slipped my hand into Bella's as we joined them. She turned and laid her head on my chest as the doors closed and we headed down to the lobby.
"I can't wait for tonight," whispered Bella, loud enough for Carlisle and Esme both to hear. I leaned down and pressed my lips onto the top of hers.
"Me either, baby," I murmured. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."
"I know," she whispered. "But I wasn't ready then and I am now."
"I know," I murmured. "I am too."
"What the hell are you two talking about?" snapped Esme.
"Oh, um, nothing," muttered Bella, turning her face into my chest.
"Yeah, nothing," I said, clearing my throat.
Before either of them could question us further, the doors to the elevator opened. Bella and I hurried out and crossed the lobby to where everyone else was waiting for us. My parents were looking almost as nervous as I was about today's match-ups while Emmett, Jasper, Alice, and Rose looked like they were bored to death.
"Well, let's go," I sighed, once Carlisle and Esme had caught up with us. They muttered something under their breath but I couldn't make out what it was.
"Are you nervous?" my father asked.
"Nah," I lied, shaking my head. "What's there be nervous about?"
"Right, right," he murmured. "Well, I'm nervous for you so…"
"Then you have me covered," I chuckled.
Ed laughed with me as we stepped into the Garden Arena inside the MGM Grand. Honestly, it took my breath away. There were a dozen or so rings set up inside and it was packed. Clearly, this tournament was going to be much bigger than the one we fought in in Seattle. Carlisle motioned for us to follow him down to the floor. Bella slipped her hand into mine. I could feel her shaking and knew she was feeling just as nervous as I was.
We followed Carlisle down and waited while he picked up our schedules. He informed us that neither of us had our first match for another hour so we found some seats and settled in. Bella and I each took out our iPods and listened to our music while we watched the other fighters. Most of them weren't very good. They had lazy footwork and heavy arms. They were going to tired themselves out in their first matches and be done for by the end of the day. Not to mention the fact that they were going to be sore as hell tomorrow, if they even qualified for tomorrow's matches. However, there were a few that I knew were going to stand out. They were smart enough to conserve their energy and choose just the right moment to strike their opponents down. It was going to be a tough road to the championships, that's for sure.
"Ok, Edward, it's time," sighed Carlisle. I nodded as I pulled out my earbuds and stowed my iPod back into my bag. Bella stood up and wrapped her arms around me, fisting the back of my shirt.
"Relax, keep your feet moving, arms tucked in," she murmured. "And kick some ass."
"I love you," I whispered, leaning down and kissing her.
"I love you, too," she whispered back.
It was hard to pull away from her but I did. I turned and followed Carlisle down the cement steps to the floor with my father and mother following us. Elizabeth had a look of fear on her face and I knew this was going to be hard for her to watch. She would do it though because she needed to support me.
Carlisle led me over to one of the rings on the far side of the arena. He taped up my hands and shoved my gloves on while I tried not to throw up all over him. I wasn't sure he would appreciate it if I did that. My father attached my headgear with shaky hands and shallow breaths. I wanted to tell him that everything was going to be ok, but he was a dad and it was his job to worry. Once Carlisle had my gloves tied off, he looked up at me and smiled.
"Relax, Edward," he said, placing his hands on my shoulder. "You've got this. Just focus on what you need to do and do it."
"When does she fight?" I asked.
"In about half an hour," he said. "She's going to be fine, too. She's got enough anger to feed on."
"I know but she's lost weight," I muttered, looking down at the floor.
"She's a fighter, Edward," said Carlisle. "She always has been and so are you. Just focus on your matches."
"I will," I mumbled, looking over at my first competitor. "Let's do this."
"Edward," said Ed. I turned and looked at him. "Keep your elbows in and your head down."
"I will, Dad," I smiled.
Carlisle popped my mouthpiece into my mouth and I climbed into the ring. My first opponent of the day, number 244, was a short, stalky boy with wild curly red hair and beady little grey eyes. He looked like he just barely made it into the weight class, having at least twenty pounds on me. We met in the middle and bumped gloves before heading back into our corners. The referee moved between us and started our match.
I watched number 244 as he started to move around the ring, circling me. I knew what he was doing; he was waiting for me to make the first move. However, I also knew how to take him down. His feet were heavy, sliding along the mats instead of lifting up. All I had to do was get him tangled in his feet and go in for the kill, so to speak. I shifted to my right and number 244 across from me followed. I stepped back to the left, again he followed. We did our little dance, moving from side to side for a while longer. Each time I moved from one side to the other, though, I was stepping a little closer to me.
Number 244's eyes widened as he realized I had been moving in on him. Before he had a chance to defend himself, I threw my left hook, followed immediately by my right. He stumbled back into the ropes but I didn't give him a chance to regroup as I stepped up to him and started pummeling him, throwing my left and right fists. He stumbled to the mats and I stepped back, letting the referee in to check on him. Number 244 stayed down on the mats as the ref came over and held my arm up.
"Winner is number 157!" yelled the ref. "Good luck."
I nodded my head at him before heading over and climbing out of the ring. I spit out my mouthpiece and took the bottle of water my mother was holding to me with shaking hands. I placed my hand over hers and squeezed before I took it from her, chugging nearly the whole thing in one gulp.
"Good job, Edward," said Carlisle, ushering me to my next match. "You did good at watching his feet."
"Has Bella fought yet?" I asked.
"Fixing to start," he muttered. "Focus on your match."
"I am," I said, heatedly.
Carlisle merely snorted but didn't say anything else. We reached my next ring and I popped my mouthpiece back in. He pushed me over toward my ring and it was a good thing my hands were enclosed in my gloves because I would have flipped him off for sure. I climbed into my ring and prepared to face my next opponent, number 103.
Number 103 was a tall, gangling looking boy with a buzz cut. He was rolling his neck, stretching out as he prepared to start our match. There was a look in his eyes that told me that if I didn't strike quickly, he was going to lay my ass out. We met in the middle, bumped gloves, and moved back to our corners. The referee stepped between us, looked at him and then at me before he motioned for us to start.
Just as I expected, number 103 came right at me, arms swinging wide. I could hear Carlisle and Ed muttering about me moving faster and keeping away from him but I knew better. I could see that he was in for the early knockout and I damn well wasn't going to let him take me out first. Number 103 threw his left at me and I threw up my right arm, blocking his hit. I countered with a left jab to the ribs. He groaned and stumbled back. I closed the gap between us and threw a right uppercut followed by another left jab. He fell back into the ropes, groaning again before he slid to the floor.
The referee pushed me out of the way while he went up and checked on number 103. He came over a moment later and announced me as the winner and just as the previous referee had, wished me luck in the tournament. I climbed out of the ring and followed Carlisle over to my next ring.
"You took a risk," he grumbled. "He could have taken your ass out."
"Which is why I took him down first," I muttered around my mouthpiece.
As the day wore on, I found myself standing in the rectangular ring facing one fighter after another. Some of them were easy to defeat, others were not. By the time I climbed out of my seventh ring of the day, I was sore and I was sporting a new black eye and busted lip. My mother had finally given up her ringside vigil and had moved up into the seats next to Rose, Alice, and Esme. My father stayed by my side from match to match, offering me words of encouragement and support. I was thankful, even if I couldn't express those feelings right that second.
"Is Bella done?" I asked, spitting out my mouth piece for the last time today. My gums hurt from having it inside of my mouth so long.
"She's fixing to start her last match," explained Carlisle.
Ed and I followed Carlisle through the crowd of fighters who were finishing up their first day of competing. We stopped outside of Bella's ring. She was standing in her corner, twisting her arms above her head. I could tell she was trying to keep loose. Jasper and Emmett were standing on the edge next to her, talking hurriedly at her. She turned and snapped something at them. I stifled my laughter as they scrambled down. Getting in her face like that wasn't going to help her at all. Like she could feel my eyes on her, she looked right at me. A huge, gorgeous smile crept up on her face and I couldn't help but smile back.
Bella turned back as the referee called for her to meet her opponent in the middle of the ring. The girl, number 210, had about a foot on Bella and at least ten pounds. They bumped gloves and moved back to their corners. With one last look back at me, Bella went on the offensive and attacked poor number 210. The girl really stood no chance against Bella. Especially when she flinched the first time, Bella raised her glove up. Bella could smell weakness and knew enough to take her down quickly at least.
As Bella pushed Number 210 into the ropes, something or someone caught my eye. Sitting halfway up the stands on the opposite side, were Nolan and Corrine. Nolan was perched on the edge of his seat with his elbows resting on his knees. Every once in a while he would move his head, like he was directing her gloves to where they needed hit number 210 at. He smiled and leaned back in his seat. He looked over at Corrine and said something, grabbing her hand. He must have felt me watching him because Nolan turned and looked right at me. For a moment, we just stared at each other. Then he stood up, nodded his head at me, and left with Corrine following him.
I turned as Bella climbed out of the ring. She paused just long enough to take her gloves off and spit out her mouthpiece before she was in my arms. She head her arms and legs wrapped around me and I pushed all thoughts of Nolan and Corrine out of my head. She leaned her forehead down on mine.
"How'd you do?" she asked.
"Won all my matches," I murmured. "How about you?"
"Same," she smiled. "Today was the easy day. Tomorrow is going to be much harder."
"I know," I sighed, putting her down. "But we'll kick some ass tomorrow, too."
"You bet your ass we will," she giggled.
Since both Bella and I were done for the day, we gathered all our stuff and headed out of the arena. Rose, Esme, Alice, and Elizabeth met us up by the doors. They all told us we did a good job. We thanked them and headed over to the elevator. My parents, Rose, Alice, Emmett and Jasper rode up first, leaving just me, Bella, Esme, and Carlisle waiting for the next one.
"I am so fucking tired," sighed Bella, laying her head on my chest.
"Too tired for tonight to happen?" I asked. Bella smiled as she looked up at me.
"Never too tired for that," she murmured, blushing bright red. I wondered what she was thinking about that was causing her to blush so brightly. "What all do we need?"
"I think they said just our Id's," I whispered, ducking my head into her neck. "I can't wait until later."
"Me either," moaned Bella.
The doors to the elevator opened and Bella and I stepped out, leaving Carlisle and Esme standing there with there mouths wide open. Had they realized what we were talking about? Bella slipped her arm around my waist as we headed down the hallway to our rooms. I leaned down and kissed her again before we went into our separate rooms. I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a dress shirt and rushed into the bathroom.
I quickly showered, washing off the days sweat and grim from my body. The hot water felt amazing on my already sore muscles but not too good on the black eye. Once I was clean, I turned off the water and dried off. I got dressed and walked back out into mine and Bella's room. Carlisle was sitting on the bed, with his hands folded in his lap.
"Where are you and Bella going?" he asked.
"What?" I asked, chuckling.
"You heard me, you little shit," he snapped as he stood up. "Where are you taking my little sister?"
"We are just going out to dinner," I laughed, putting my hands up. Carlisle narrowed his eyes at me.
"Don't you fucking lie to me, boy," he growled.
"I am not lying to you," I lied.
"I'm watching you," he grumbled, pushing past me and walking into the bathroom.
As soon as the door was shut, I rushed over and pulled out the phone book. I flipped to the back of the yellow pages and found the listening for wedding chapels. Digging a pen out of my bag, I circled one that was called 'Heavenly Moments Chapel.' I laid the phone book on my bed, making sure that Carlisle would see it the moment he came out of the bathroom. I grabbed my card key and wallet and rushed out of the room. Bella was waiting for me in the hallway with a big smile on her face.
"Phase two?" she asked, smirking.
"Complete," I smiled. "On to phase three."
"I fucking love phase three," she laughed.
I laughed as Bella and I rushed down the hallway and stepped onto the elevator. Phase three was definitely going to be a blast.
