9

"Bella? Bella? Bella, are you listening to me?"

"Of course I am," she lied and shifted her attention over to her sister, who was sitting behind the wheel of her 'Thing' Convertible. They'd just gotten into the car, but Esme had yet to make any effort to actually leave for the beach. "You think I should stay home, back out of the tournament, breach the contract I signed, and tell Felix to fuck himself in the ass if he doesn't like it."

"Well, not the fucking himself in the ass part, but the rest, yes," Esme groused.

"Essie, I can't . . . No, I won't do that. My reputation is on the line."

"But maybe it's time to, I don't know, retire."

"You mean give up? Quit and spend the rest of my very limited life at home on the couch with only the Winchester Brothers to keep me company."

"Maybe it's time for you to focus on your health, not your career. That doesn't mean you can't so things, Bella, but the stress that these jobs puts on your body . . . Is it really worth it? Not like I can't support the two of us."

Bella huffed. "It's not about the money, Essie. It's about having something to live for. My photography may not mean much to you, but it's all I have right now. Don't ask me to give it up."

"Fine, okay, I'm sorry for bringing it up." Esme started the car and shifted into reverse. "Just promise that you'll take it easy today."

"I will." Though, that wasn't a promise she knew she could keep. Her body was no longer under her control.

The parking lots were already filled and most of the streets were bumper to bumper by the time Esme and Bella arrived. Eventually, Esme dropped Bella off at the front and said she'd catch up. Bella suspected that she was calling to check in with Carlisle, who'd left before Bella got up again. Alice and Felix were waiting for her at the entrance, the later with a grimace of annoyance that Bella suspected had less to do with the tournament and more to do with the secret Bella was keeping from him. Logically, she knew she should tell him. The more support the better, but it was hard to admit your weakness.

"I know, I know," Bella said to Felix, putting her hands up before taking the green smoothie Alice had practically thrust in her hands. "I'm late, and I'm sorry about missing yesterday, too, but Peanut got some great shots, so we're good."

"Are you feeling better?" Felix asked, his eyes narrowing just slightly.

"No," she admitted. It wasn't worth keeping up the charade, even if she wasn't prepared to bare her soul to him right then. "But I can at least function today, so we call it a win."

"Swan," he murmured, shaking his head. "If you need anything, I'm there. Understand?"

Bella nodded and watched in silence as he walked away. He meant it. He didn't know what was going on, or just how serious her failing health was, but he would do anything in his power for her, and that meant a lot. That was the Felix that she'd known as a young girl. If anything good came out of this tournament, maybe — just maybe — it would be regaining a friendship long forgotten.

"Well, come on, Swan," Alice chirped, gripping her elbow and pulling her toward the entrance to the pits. "Jasper's up in the first match and I don't want to miss a second of that action."

Bella laughed. "Okay, Peanut, let's go ogle your man."

Alice didn't refute that Jasper was hers, which shocked Bella. While her bestie had always had an attraction toward good-looking men, she wasn't the kind of girl to get attached after just a few days. Yet, Jasper seemed to be different. Not that Bella really knew him. A few meetings and a polite smile didn't really tell her much about him, or Edward for that matter. Though, she found herself more comfortable with them than she had with anything in a long time.

Jasper and Edward were already on their side of the net, passing the ball back and forth to each other. Jasper noticed them first and smiled at Alice, but the ball he had just passed to Edward came back at him quicker than expected and hit him directly in the face.

"Son of a bitch, that looked painful," Alice cringed, tightening her grip on Bella's elbow.

Edward threw his hands in the air with frustration and rushed to his partner, who was holding his nose between two fingers while using his other hand to gesture toward her and Alice. Edward's attention then shifted to Bella. Though she wanted to stop herself, her heart beat faster, especially when he gave her a cheeky, crooked smile. Feelings for Edward weren't going to make dying any easier.

"You're blushing, Swan," Alice accused.

"No, I'm not," she argued, unable to tear her attention away from Edward. "It's just hot out here."

"Whatever," she scoffed, but turned to the side of the pit as Edward and Jasper strolled up to him. "You all right, Cowboy?"

"Yes, ma'am," he drawled. "Nothing like a ball to the face to clear out the sinuses. Wait, I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"Sure, you didn't, dude," Edward snickered before shifting his eyes to Bella. "Hey."

"Hey," she murmured, sucking the inside of her bottom lip in between her teeth.

"You feeling okay?"

"I'm great," she lied. To be honest, her legs hurt, her hands were still weak, and she had a headache. "How about you?"

Before Edward could reply, a ball came flying from behind him, smacking him directly in the middle of his back. Edward cursed under his breath and spun around, kicking sand up in the process. "Newton," he said with a sneer.

"S'up, Mason," Mike Newton crooned, tilting his head back and smirking, like a dumb teenager who thought he was everything a girl could ever want. He wore his blond hair in gelled spikes that reminded her of the jocks she went to high school with a decade ago, the same ones who were still going to high school parties because it made them feel young again. He shifted his attention from Edward to Bella, his smirk growing even more annoying. "Who's the hottie?"

"Nobody you need to be looking at," Edward spat, folding his arms in front of him protectively.

Bella snorted, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm nobody he needs to be looking at?" she countered with a raised eyebrow. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm—"

But she didn't give him a chance to defend himself before she turned her attention to Mike Newton. "And you might want to focus more on your game than trying to sex me up with your eyes. Your serve is weak and your spike reminds me of a ten-year-old girls."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Stupid, fucking cunt," Mike sputtered.

"You motherfucking, asshole." Bella expected the sling of curse words to come from Edward, which was why it shocked her when Jasper let out the four-letting words. He lunged for Mike, but Alice quickly moved in front of him, placing her hands on his chest. "Darlin, move out of the way."

"No way, Cowboy. You'll get disqualified from the tournament," she said, and then she turned and glared at Mike, who was laughing. "Mosey on away, loser. Nobody here gives a flying fuck what you think."

"Whatever, shorty," Mike laughed, but winked at Bella before he ran over to his bench, where his partner — a tall, dark haired man named Tyler Crowley — sat scowling at his partner.

"What a dick," Alice quipped, and turned back to face Jasper. "Do me a favor, Cowboy, and knock his ass out of the tournament?"

A loss wouldn't automatically knock Newton and Crowley out of the tournament, but it would drop them into the bottom bracket, which meant they'd have to win every match they played from that point on to have a chance at the title.

"With pleasure, ma'am," Jasper chuckled, leaning down and placing a kiss against her cheek. "Let's go, Edward. We've got work to do."

"Yeah, okay," Edward muttered, looking over at Bella once more before following Jasper.

"Oh, Swan," Alice murmured, shaking her head. "Things are getting interesting."

Esme ran up to them, huffing and puffing as she struggled to take in a deep breath. "What I'd miss?"

"Nothing," Bella lamented.

"Just a pissing contest between Edward and that spiky-haired prick over there," Alice said, pointing to Newton, "over our dear, sweet Swan."

"No, there wasn't," Bella insisted, turning to Esme. "It was nothing, but boys being stupid."

"Over you?" Esme smirked. "Oh, sis, you sure do know how to attract them, don't you?"

Bella groaned, but didn't say anything. Her track record with men hadn't been great, or horrible. She'd dated a handful of guys over the last ten years, but nobody that mattered. Most of the time the relationship fizzled out before they got to sex, and the few that lasted longer than that — so to speak — didn't leave much of an impression. When Charlie got sick, Bella stopped dating altogether and focused her attention on him. She never imagined that she would be dealing with the same twisted life.

"If you two are done, I've got work to do."

And with that, Bella left them standing there laughing, while she moved into position to get the best shots of the game. A few minutes later, the line official called for the first set of the match to start. Edward twirled the ball on the palm of his hand as he stood at the back of the pit, preparing to serve. Jasper was up close to the net, his hands behind his back.

Bella brought her camera up to her eye and snapped a picture of Edward just as he threw the ball into the air, jumping at the same time. The ball flew over the net landing a foot in front of Newton, who stood there with his hands on his knees and stunned looked on his face.

"Damn, if that wasn't a shade, I don't know what is," Bella murmured, zooming in on Edward and snapping another shot. "I'm in so much shit."

Edward followed his ace with another power serve to Newton, who managed to get his hands under it and set it up for Crowley to lob it over the net. However, Jasper was prepared and blocked the lob, sending the ball back at Newton with more power than Bella had ever seen him use in a game. It was clear they were sending a message: Bella was off limits.

"Damn, boys," she murmured, taking another series of shots as Edward served once more.

Newton and Crowley struggled in the first set to get anything flowing. Newton was taking his anger out on his partner, who was doing everything he could to keep then in the match. Edward and Jasper worked flawlessly. They communicated and almost seemed to be able to read each other's thoughts. They took the first set 21-10. Newton and Crowley came back in the second set with more fire, but in the end, it was still a shutout when Edward sent a fiery ace over the net and over Newton's head to seal the 21-17 win.

Bella slipped away while everyone was congratulating Edward and Jasper on their victory. She couldn't explain the anxiety she felt when it came to Edward, why she wanted to be around him, yet at the same time, she wanted to keep her distance. It wasn't like they really knew each other. A few horrible confrontations, followed by an awkward dinner and a day lusting over Dean and Sam Winchester. Yet, she couldn't deny that she felt something for him, but what? And why now? Why when she was at the end of her life, would she meet him? It was cruel and mean and she hated that she cared.

She was halfway to the hospitality tent, when someone grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. She spun around and found Edward behind her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Um, nowhere," she lied. "I mean, obviously I was going somewhere, but . . . Shit." She blew out a heavy breath. "I was getting a water. It's hot out here."

"Hot, huh?" He chuckled. "Thought maybe you were trying to get away from me."

"And why would I need to do that?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Because you like me."

"I do, huh?" Bella shook her head. "Man, the size of your ego. I'm surprised you can keep your head up with such confidence."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It wasn't one," she quipped and tried to turn, but Edward pulled on her arm once more. "What do you want?"

"This."

And when she turned back to him, Edward slipped his other arm around her waist, brought his hand from her arm up to her chin, tiling her head backward. Before she could stop him, he leaned down and kissed her.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the reviews. I apologize for the delay, but it's been a long couple months between Christmas, going back to work, getting sick, and having other health issues. I started this chapter a few weeks ago and had like 900 words, but deleted every one of them last night because they were crap. This turned out much better than I had planned. Anyway, do me a solid and leave me a word or two and let me know what you think about this chapter.