50

When I woke up the next morning, I noticed two things. First, I had a huge, goofy grin on my face that could only be due to two things. The fact that Bella was curled up around my body and the fact that she and I had made love last night. I had been trying to imagine what it would feel like to be inside of her, but nothing in all of my fantasies prepared me for just how good she felt. It was more than just the physical feel of her body under me, or the feel of sliding my cock into her. Both of those were incredible but it was feeling us, sharing everything together. We would always be each others first and I knew in my heart that we would be each others only lovers, too.

The second thing I noticed was that my body was sore as fucking hell. I knew after my matches yesterday that I would be sore today but I didn't think I would be this sore. My body was on fire and I had no clue how I was going to get the strength to climb back into that ring today and fight but I would. I had a job to do here and I was going to do it…somehow.

Bella groaned as she rolled from her side onto her back. Her shirt had ridden up, exposing the sliver of muscled skin on her stomach. Stifling my own groan, I rolled onto my side and watched her sleep. Her hair was sprayed around her, bright blue mixed in with the dark brown, and she was smiling softly. There was bruising around her eyes and shadowing her cheek and jaw a little but she had never looked so beautiful. She wasn't the same Bella Cullen that I had met a few months ago. Sure, she could still kick anyone's ass, including mine, but she smiled now. She didn't always look afraid that those men were going to come back and kill her, either. She was happy and I was so in love with her.

"Edward," muttered Bella, stretching out. "My body hurts."

"Mine does, too, Baby," I laughed, wincing immediately. "Ouch, shouldn't have laughed."

Bella giggled quietly as she rolled onto her side, looking up at me. "Morning."

"Morning," I murmured, bringing my hand up to her cheek. "Are you ok? You know, down there?"

"I'm fine," she smiled, biting on the inside of her lip. "How are you?"

"I'm way better than fine," I chuckled, then wincing again. "Oh, I've got to stop laughing."

"Today's going to be a real son of bitch," she whispered. "I don't know if I can do it."

"You can," I insisted. "After we both kick some ass and take some names, we are going to find the closest hot tub and live there for awhile."

Bella laughed as she leaned up and kissed me. I wanted to kiss her forever but two things stopped me. First, the pain that came from my busted lip from my own fights the day before and the banging on our hotel room door. The first, I could live with, but the second was increasingly annoying. Seeing as Bella muttered several four letter words that rhymed with luck, witch, and knit, she must have been pretty fucking pissed off, too.

She climbed out from under the covers, stomping over to the door and yanking it open. Carlisle and Esme pushed their way into the room, ignoring the glare coming off of my girl. They stopped at the end of the bed, looking between us as Bella slammed the door shut.

"Gee, come on in," she hissed, moving back over to the bed.

"How are you feeling?" asked Carlisle, ignoring her once again.

"Never better," I lied, sitting up. He snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, kid," he chuckled. "I saw the beating you got yesterday."

"Why are you here?" asked Bella.

"I came to check on my favorite sister and her pain in the ass boyfriend who should not be sleeping in the same bed with her," said Carlisle, glaring at me.

"Then you couldn't have sexed my sister up," I smirked. Carlisle and Esme blushed and looked at the floor, confirming that they had had sex once again.

"Ew," grumbled Bella, climbing off the bed. "I am going to go shower and see if I can drown myself."

"Ok, Baby," I said, climbing off after her. "See you in a few."

"Ok,"

Bella headed over to the door while I made my way over to the bathroom. I had just placed my hand on the doorknob when I heard Carlisle inhale deeply and growl. Looking back, I saw him standing next to the bed with the condom wrapper from last night in his hand. The empty condom wrapper. He snapped his head up to me and I saw it; he was going to kill me.

"You little son of a bitch," he growled, lunging over the bed at me. Bella moved faster than I thought she should be able to and pulled me behind her.

"Carlisle, stop," snapped Bella, placing her hand between me and him. Esme was standing there with her mouth hanging wide open and her eyes glued to the condom wrapper.

"Move," muttered Carlisle, glaring at her. She must have seen something in his face that I didn't because Bella stepped out of the way, leaving me to face him all on my own. Carlisle stepped up to me, pushing me into the door behind me. He reached around me, turning the doorknob and letting the door to the bathroom open. "In."

I didn't say anything as I stepped into the bathroom. He came in behind me, shutting the door and turning the lock. His jaw was set and his hands were clenched into tight fists. He leaned back against the door, bringing his hands up. His fingers were tense as his fist unfolded and he ran his hands over his face. I knew better than to say anything to him until he spoke, I wasn't a fucking idiot after all. Carlisle was facing the sad truth that his little sister was growing up.

"Did you hurt her?" he muttered, jaw still clenched tight.

"No," I lied, knowing that he would know that it hurt. I wasn't about to admit that to him, though. Suicide was not really on my to-do list today.

"Fucking liar," he growled. "You weren't ready."

"That wasn't your decision," I stated, folding my arms in front of me. "It was a choice for me and her to make."

"She wasn't ready," he said, shortly. "She's barely getting her life back and you took advantage of her."

"I did no such thing," I said, calmly.

"Car, open the fucking door," yelled Bella. Carlisle turned and slammed his fist on the door.

"GO FUCKING SHOWER, ISABELLA!" he shouted.

"CARLISLE!" screamed Bella.

"NOW!" he roared.

Bella must have known to do what he said in this instant because a moment later I heard the door to the outer room close. There was no way that Esme would have left her alone in there. Now, it was just me and Carlisle, and the knowledge that I had had sex with his baby sister. Not the best way to start the day. Carlisle slowly turned back and faced me, rage still evident on his face.

"You told me you were going to wait," he muttered.

"No, I told you that Bella and I weren't going to take that step until we were both ready," I said, quietly. "We were ready, Carlisle."

"You're seventeen," he sighed. "You can't be ready for sex at seventeen."

"I'm eighteen," I muttered.

"Whatever," he snapped. "You are too young to be thinking about that."

"How old were you when you first had sex?" I countered. Carlisle pressed his lips into a thin line. "That's what I thought. How's it feel to be a hypocrite?"

"I'm not," he insisted. "Bella has been through too much to-"

"I know exactly what Bella has been through," I hissed, interrupting him. "In case you forgot, I was on the island, too. She's not the same Bella that she was four months ago."

"She's not the same Bella she was two and half years ago, either," he said.

"She will never be that Bella, Carlisle," I insisted.

"I know," he muttered.

"No, you don't," I said, shaking my head. "You want you little sister back. The one that followed you around like you could do no wrong but she's not that girl. Carlisle, I would never do anything that she wasn't ready for. I thought you trusted me not to hurt her. Just as I trust you not to hurt my sister."

"Fuck," he grumbled. "I do trust you, ok. I just…Edward."

"I know," I said. "I love her, Carlisle."

"You had better," he muttered, turning and walking out of the bathroom. I heard the outer door slam to a close a moment later.

"Well, that went good," I murmured, under my breath.

I quickly got ready for my matches and hurried out into the hall. I was pulling my bag up on my shoulder when Bella came storming out of her and Esme's room, red eyes and tears swimming around. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to go into that room and beat the shit out of her brother. But seeing as Bella slipped her arms around my wait, I didn't. She needed reassurance that whatever he told her, was a lie. As she and I started down the hallway toward the elevator, Emmett and Jasper stepped out of their rooms.

"Bell, what's wrong?" asked Jasper.

"Nothing," she muttered, holding onto me as tight as she could. "Just nerves."

Neither Emmett nor Jasper said anything else as we made our way down to the elevator and stepped on. As the doors closed, I saw Carlisle come out of Esme's room, not looking any happier than Bella was. She kept her head on my chest as we rode the lift down to the lobby. We walked into the arena and took a deep breath.

Instead of the five rings that filled the arena the day before, there were only two. There were only a handful of fighters down on the floor, but the stands were almost completely packed. My nerves were starting to boil over as Bella pulled on my hand and we made our way down and settled into a couple of seats. She put her feet up on the chairs behind her, laying her forehead down on her knees.

"Talk to me," I whispered, mirroring her position. She turned and looked at me.

"He told me that I acted rashly," she said, softly. "That we were rushing into a physical relationship and that I wasn't ready for it. I told him that I was, that it was between us, but he kept going on and on about how I was just getting my shit together." Bella paused and shook her head as she looked away. "Will there ever be a day when I am not reminded of how crazy I was?"

"You weren't crazy," I murmured, pulling on her hand so that she would look at me. "Baby, you were scared and hurting but you weren't crazy."

"I know that you aren't going to leave me, Edward," she whispered, vulnerability pouring out of each word that she said. I leaned in and pressed my forehead to hers.

"Never," I whispered back. "I love you, Bella, and I am not letting you go."

"I know," she murmured. "I really do know that now."

"Good," I smiled.

The rest of our family settled down around us but Bella and I were focused on each other. Even when Carlisle muttered something under his breath as he walked past us and down to get our schedules for the day. He was being a dick and I was going to have to take care of that shit. I leaned in and pressed my lips against Bella's before following Carlisle down to the floor. I reached out and grabbed his arm, spinning him around. He glared at me and started to speak but I stopped him.

"Let me make something very fucking clear here, Carlisle," I said, forcefully. "You don't have to like that Bella and I had sex. That was a choice that we made between the two of us, as we have both told you, but if you ever make her cry like that again, I will beat your goddamn ass. Bella is my world, my entire life, and I would never do anything to hurt her. Have some goddamn confidence in her that she wouldn't do something so stupid to hurt herself and have some faith in us. I am trusting you with my sister, the least you could do is trust me with yours."

Carlisle pulled his arm out of my hand and folded them in front of me. I matched his stance, not willing to back down and let him intimidate me. This was one battle that I wasn't giving up. "I should kick your ass for talking to me like that," he said.

"You could try," I said, pointedly. The corners of Carlisle's mouth twitched.

"You got balls, kid," he muttered, shaking his head. "I just don't think you are ready for that kind of relationship."

"We weren't asking if you thought we were ready," I said. "Bella and I talked about it and made the decision that we were. I think we've both earned the right to have that say in our relationship."

"Yes, I suppose you have," he sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry. You have to understand, Edward, that Bella is more than just my little sister. She's my best friend."

"I know," I said. "Esme's mine. You need to apologize to her, not to me."

Leaving him there, I made my way back up to Bella, ignoring the glare that came off of my sister. She would have to deal with this just as Carlisle was. Mine and Bella's relationship was nobodies business but ours. I settled into the seat next to Bella, slipping my hand into hers. She leaned over and laid her head on my shoulder, sighing so softly I felt it rather than heard it. I didn't regret the decision we made to make love last and I would be damned if I let anyone make her feel back for it, either.

A couple of minutes later, Carlisle came trudging back up the cement steps to where we were all sitting. He stopped next to us, knelling down. "Bell, I'm sorry," he muttered.

"I'm sure you are," she said, softly. "We weren't acting rashly."

"I know," he grumbled, looking down. "I-"

Before he could finish what he was saying, Bella stood up, pulling her hand out of mine. I looked up at her and saw her staring across the arena. I followed her gaze and saw her looking at her parents, who had just settled into a couple seats on the other side. She looked down at me, cocking an eyebrow and silently asking me if she should go over there. I stood up, ignoring the looks from everyone who were clearly confused about what Bella was doing. I leaned in and pressed my lips to her cheek.

"Do what you need to do," I whispered.

Bella nodded her head, bringing her hand up to my cheek, before she let it drop and scooted around me and Carlisle, down the steps and toward them. "BELL!" yelled Carlisle, chasing after her.

Whether he knew where she was going or not, I wasn't sure but I knew she needed to do this. I took off running down the cement steps after the two of them, with everyone following me. Bella had just started up the steps on the other side when Carlisle and I caught up with her. He reached out and grabbed her arms, stopping her.

"Don't," he murmured and I knew that he knew they were here. Bella looked over her shoulder at him, Emmett, and Jasper, who had stopped behind me. "You don't need them."

"I do," she whispered, pulling her arm out of his hand. "Car, I do."

"Bella," he whimpered. "They hurt you."

"I know," she frowned. "But they are still our parents."

"What?" gasped Emmett, finally catching on. I turned and saw him looking around for them. His head fell still as he saw them. "Bella, get your ass back down here," he demanded.

"No," she said, quietly moving up a step. "I need to do this before I fight today."

"Bella," sighed Jasper. "You don't know that they aren't going to hurt you again."

"No, I don't," she admitted. "But I am tired of running."

"You can't trust them," argued Emmett. Bella turned and looked back up where Nolan and Corrine were sitting.

"I know I can't," she murmured. "But she's my mom," cried Bella. "He's my dad."

"Bella-"

"Let her go, boys," said Elizabeth, pushing her way through all of them. She placed her hand on Bella's check, wiping the tears away. "It's her choice, not yours."

"You know this doesn't mean that I don't love you," whispered Bella. Elizabeth smiled.

"I know you do, Sweetheart," she murmured. "I love you, too. I am still your mom."

Bella nodded her head and looked back at me, holding her hand out. "Come with me?"

I simply nodded my head and placed my hand in hers as we headed up the stairs towards her parents. Let's hope this wasn't the biggest mistake we had ever made.