So, how do we like FighterWard? Isn't he swoon-worthy? Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story … What's up next?

Up next, we'll hear about Bella and her past with Jacob. What do you think Edward's reaction will be? Leave your thoughts!

What I own: A love affair with Star Trek … hope for the future? A utopia where the universe is driven by the need to better oneself, as opposed to greed? Yes and please …

What I don't: Twilight

Chapter Fifteen

"We both were burned by cheaters," Bella sighed.

"I'm here if you want to share. I feel strangely better after telling you about the debacle that was my life," he snorted humorlessly. He blinked to look at Bella, who was shifting on the blanket. She twisting her watch again. Gently stopped her hand, making her jump. "Or, you don't have to."

"No, I should …" she whispered. "You shared your darkest secret. It's only fair that I do the same."

"Bella, if this is too painful, you don't have to tell me anything," Edward murmured.

"No, not even my best friends know the whole story. I mean, I had my suspicions about Jacob for a while, but I'd hoped that they were not true," she shrugged. "I've known Jacob for most of my life. Before living in Seattle, I lived in Forks. It's a tiny town here in Washington. Jacob lived at the nearby reservation. His family were from the Quileute tribe, who lived on La Push. His father was one of the tribal leaders and he was close friends with my dad."

"Did your father and Jacob's father have hopes of you getting together?" Edward asked.

"Billy, yes. My dad knew me well enough to know that I was my own woman, and I didn't need anyone telling me what to do," Bella smirked. "Jacob was younger than me by a couple of years and we didn't get together until after I'd graduated college. He was training with my dad at the point, and I'd taken over as the general manager of the gym. I love my dad, but he's a hot mess when it comes to maintaining the books, remembering dates, and paying bills. Thank goodness for automatic bill pay, which I had set up when I was in college."

"Tell me about it. With me not having a permanent address until a few hours ago, I had everything set up through email and my actual mail was sent to Marcus."

"Your former doctor?" Bella asked. "He still has connections to Volterra."

"He might have connections to Volterra, but his allegiance is to me," Edward explained with a cocky grin.

"Explain," Bella demanded with her own smirk.

"After you finish your story," he countered.

"Fine," Bella sighed dramatically, opening a container of brownie bites. "In order to continue, I need some comfort chocolate."

"That bad?"

"The beginning wasn't so bad, but the ending just tore me apart," she answered, popping a brownie bite. "Jacob was everything I wanted in a boyfriend. He was smart, funny, kind, loving and he didn't think little of me because of my chosen profession. He thought it was 'cool' that I could kick ass and take names. Hell, he learned a few moves from me. On top of that, I thought he adored me. He showered with me gifts and attention. I'd rather have attention. The gifts? Not so much."

"Not a fan of fancy jewelry?" Edward chuckled.

"I like sparkly things as much as the next girl, but not when it comes on the heels of a broken date, a shattered promise or anything else. I also hated roses. Jacob always got me roses when all I wanted was his attention and his love," she shrugged. "Anyway, the first couple of years of our relationship were great. Once Jacob became more popular on the fighting circuit, that's when I noticed the changes. He wouldn't return phone calls and was more interested in partying."

"Did he start cheating then?" Edward asked.

"I don't know exactly when, but it was within the last year of our relationship," Bella sighed. "Jacob had moved in, and I noticed things about his behavior, his clothes, just him. He easy to anger and had punched so many holes into my walls. He'd come home drunk and high, smelling like cheap perfume. His clothes were stained with alcohol, lipstick, and mascara. Our physical relationship … I put a stop to that when I noticed the change in his behavior. I didn't want to get infected some rare form of genital warts or whatever."

"Don't blame you there. He was fucking around, and you don't know if he had the wherewithal to wrap it up," Edward grimaced.

"Okay, you get bonus points for using the word wherewithal," Bella snorted. "Proof that you are as intelligent as you are on paper."

"I told you," Edward snickered, taking one of the brownies. "I haven't had sweets in so long."

"Do it, Masen," Bella urged. "One brownie bite will not hurt you. You have zero body fat on you." Wrinkling his nose, he popped the brownie bite in his mouth and took a tentative bite. "Isn't it delicious?"

"It's good, but I'm so used to having lean protein as my treat," he chuckled. "I think I'll settle for another one of those wraps."

"In the bag," she smiled. "I figured you'd want another one."

"Excellent," he beamed, pulling out the second wrap. "You're not done, Bella."

"Right," Bella sputtered. She'd been distracted by Edward's muscular abdomen as he'd reached over for the wrap. All those coiled muscles and the happy trail beneath his navel, leading to a place that Bella had no right to fantasize about. He was pure sex and sensuality, wrapped up in a forbidden career. No more fighters. "I never had solid proof that he was fucking around, only clues. However, I was going over the budget and saw some questionable charges to the Bull Dog credit card that Jacob had signed for. I'd caught, red handed. I confronted him at Las Vegas. I found him in bed with two women. Two!" She twisted her hand through the ends of her hair. "He said that he loved me, but obviously not. I told him that I was withdrawing him from the fight and that he had to pay the fees. I also had him tested for PEDs, which came back positive."

"I'm assuming your physician didn't prescribe them," Edward frowned, sitting up and folding his legs up. "Dr. Cullen doesn't seem like the type."

"His trainer got him the drugs, from some underground source," Bella huffed, rolling her eyes, and staring out over the water. She curled up, trying not to shiver. The clouds had rolled in, and the temperature dropped significantly. "Bitch tried to win me back with a ginormous bouquet of … get this … red fucking roses."

"You hate roses," Edward snorted.

"I hate roses," she agreed. "I bludgeoned him with the bouquet and left the hotel with Emmett. While I was in Vegas, my dad and a few of the other guys moved Jacob out of my house, changing my locks. His shit was left in the locker room shower, molding until he returned to Seattle. To quote you, long story long, Jacob's gone from my life and from the gym. His trainer left with him. I don't know where they went, but it wasn't here. He did try, however, to wheedle his way back as you heard before we left to meet up with my realtor."

"Jacob is such a douchebag," Edward grumped. "He had it good. A great gym, a great coach, a fabulous girl … and he threw it away? For what? An easy score? Empty sex? It's his loss, Bella. I know that you … that my compliments may seem too strong … but you're exquisite and you don't deserve a jag bag like him."

Her cheeks flamed. "Edward … don't …"

"I'm not going to apologize for saying the truth," he argued. "You're beautiful."

"Thank you," she whispered. "But, after Jacob, I made a personal vow to never be with another fighter. I don't want to go down that road again. To have something beautiful be tarnished by the call of fame. I'll be your friend. I'll fight for you when it comes to business, but this …" she gestured to the two of them, "can't happen."

"Bella, not everyone is like Jacob. Take it from me, I know what it's like to be cheated on and to have your whole world upended," he said, sitting up and inching closer. "I knew that my relationship with Victoria wasn't my endgame. She was just a girl along the way. But, am I going to shut myself off to the possibility of finding my forever because of what her whorish ass did?"

"I'm not shutting myself off," Bella argued. Edward arched a brow. "Okay, maybe a little … but, I can't. Not with another fighter. Jacob hurt me in ways I never imagined. Why wasn't I enough for him?"

"Why wasn't I enough for Victoria?" Edward countered. "I get it, Bella. I truly do. We both got burned." He reached over, taking her hand. "Don't let the water of the truth douse your spark."

Bella snorted. "Really?"

"I'm still recovering from a damn concussion, woman. I was going with the whole burned metaphor," he sighed. "Work with me."

"It was pretty clever, despite your brain shenanigans," she teased. There was a low rumble as the clouds opened up, dousing both of them with a torrential downpour. "Shit!"

Throwing their food into the bags and scooping up the blanket, they ran back to Edward's car. He threw the bags into the garbage and Bella tossed the wet blanket into the backseat. Edward slipped on a slick part of the pavement, catching himself on the car and caging Bella with his arms. They were so close, sharing the same breath. All she needed to do was stand on her tip toes to brush her lips across his. He just had to dip his head. "Bella …"

It had been so long.

No fighters.

No fighters. He's a fighter …

Absolutely, NO fighters!

But, he was so good. So handsome. So fucking smart … One kiss wouldn't hurt.

Her fingers glided up his sides and she trailed them down his cut jaw. Just one taste and then, walk away. Right? His eyes drifted shut as he stepped closer, pressing her to his car. Her fingers traced his features, but she refused to move closer. She wouldn't pull away if he brushed his lips with hers.

God, she wanted that.

They were millimeters apart, drenched by the rain. Bella could feel his body heat, wanting nothing more than to be enveloped by his strength, his power.

"Tell me no," he whispered, capturing her gaze with his.

"I can't," she whispered back, unable to deny their attraction. Her eye fluttered shut and his lips barely touched hers when there was a sudden flash of light, followed by a resounding crash of thunder. Bella jumped. Edward wrapped his arms around her, protecting her. The moment, which had been so sweet, but incredibly hot, had been ruined by the rain … by the storm.

"We need to get inside," he said, disappointment lacing his tone. Unlocking the car door, he helped Bella into the front seat. Jogging around the front of the car, he slid into the driver's side. Turning over the car and cranking the heat, he looked over at Bella. The fire from her eyes was gone, leaving an empty shadow. "Bella, do you want me to drive you home or back to the gym?"

"The gym," she answered woodenly, pissed off that she got swept up in Edward. It was one simple kiss.

A kiss that made her feel more alive than any she'd share with Jacob or any other guy she'd dated.

A kiss which should have never happened, as much as she wanted to repeat it. Over and over again …

But, it would never happen again.

Edward was a fighter, training under Charlie's tutelage. He was an employee. She was the employer. That line will never be crossed again.

Pulling up to Bull Dog, Bella jumped out of the car as it barely came to a stop. She hopped into her own vehicle, backing out and tearing out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Edward frowned deeply, knowing that whatever friendship, relationship, that had been building between the two of them dissipated after indulging in that one sweet, chaste kiss.

That broke his heart more than Victoria's cheating.

Unable to dwell on what had happened, Edward drove to the storage facility to meet up with the moving truck to unload into the storage unit. He signed for the unit and once the truck arrived, for his belongings. Absently, he watched as his world filled up the unit, but his mind was on the exquisitely gorgeous brunette who had captured his heart and sprinted out of his life.

A/N: Bella has some trust issues … in her mind: fighters = cheaters. No, sweetie … Jacob = cheater. Edward = love of your life … just saying.

Anyway, it's not always going to be butterflies, puppy dogs and rainbows. We gotta have some drama. Even if it's internal drama in Bella's mind.

Pictures from this chapter are on my blog. A link for that is on my profile. I'm also on FB: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.

Up next will be Edward moving into his new place, meeting up with Emmett and Jasper and dealing with the cold shoulder from Ms. Swan at the Labor Day Bull Dog Barbecue Bash at Casa de Swan. Leave me your thoughts. Thank you, always, for reading the nonsense that comes from twisted little brain.