Fighting Temptation

Chapter 3: Welcome to Hell

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of Stephenie Meyer. The original characters and plot are the property of me, Dobber17. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

This chapter has been edited by kitchmill, Starpower31, and CherryBerry12.

Bella Swan

We sat silently for a few moments until I saw Edward's face light up. "Excuse me," he murmured before getting up. He gave me a conflicted look before leaning close and promising me he'd be right back, sliding his narrowed eyes to Mike before he jogged across the gym. He stopped in front of two guys who looked to be in their twenties—guys who definitely weren't in high school. One stood a few inches taller than Edward, with blond hair that just barely fell in his eyes and the narrow body of a runner. The other had curly brown hair and was broad and sturdy

with layers of muscle. I couldn't make out any other features since they were standing on the opposite side of the gym, but a closer look revealed a whistle around each of their necks.

Mike pathetically took advantage of Edward's absence, sliding so his hip was flush with mine. "Do they make really short basketball shorts for girls?" he asked, his breath hot against my ear, making me squirm away.

I rolled my eyes at him, not placating him with an answer. He continued asking ridiculous questions, which was slowly grinding my patience to dust. I was normally a pretty quiet and tolerant person, but just like the day I had accidentally hit Edward in the head with a basketball, a girl had her limits.

"Which type of bra is the most comfortable to play basketball in? Push-up? Strapless? Not wearing one?"

I was trying my best to ignore his insane questions, but something about his last one made me snap. "I don't know, Mike! Everyone has their own preference. I prefer a sports bra, but I don't know about other people. Why don't you try wearing a variety of different bras and let me know which kind you prefer to play in?" I blurted out, feeling slightly smug at the sight of Mike, who looked shocked that I had flipped out while Tyler laughed uncontrollably beside him.

"Dude, you just got burned," Tyler managed to say between laughs.

I crossed my arms to prevent the sudden urge I had to punch Mike—not necessarily in the face, but definitely hard in the arm or dead center of the thigh. I settled on rolling my eyes at his stupidity before I scanned the room, my eyes drifting back to Edward. As if Edward knew I was looking at him, he turned around and met my glance. He graced me with a smile, causing me to blush, and I quickly looked away, embarrassed I had been caught.

I scanned the rest of the gym, trying to avoid Edward as I did so. The gym looked fuller, and I was pretty sure that things would get started fairly soon. I could finally feel my cheeks starting to cool when I saw Edward walking back towards us with a smile on his face.

"What are you smiling about?" I asked as he sat down beside me. His smile was contagious, and I felt one starting to creep onto my face.

"You'll find out tomorrow," he answered.

My curiosity burned as I tried to glare at him. He just smiled knowingly at me.

A shrill whistle made me snap my head to the center of the gym where three guys stood. There were the two Edward had been talking to earlier, but the third guy was unfamiliar. The third guy stepped forward. He looked about the same age as the other two. He had messy brown hair, a sharp jaw, and piercing blue eyes that were hooded with a deep frown.

"My name is Reid," the third guy called out in a deep, clear voice that was sure to reach everyone. "And this"—he gestured to the blond guy behind him—"is Jasper,"—he pointed to the guy with the curly hair and massive muscles—"and Emmett."

The names sounded familiar though I couldn't place Jasper and Emmett's faces. I didn't have time to dwell on it as Reid continued talking.

"If there is one thing I can promise you, it's that we will make your lives a living hell for the next two weeks. I don't tolerate complaining and I definitely don't tolerate crying." Out of the forty athletes in the room, Reid's eyes slid to mine. I waited for them to continue scanning the room, but they never wavered. I was by no means intimidating or tough looking, but I was admittedly insulted by his perception of me. Instead of looking down, I stared right back at him and raised my eyebrows. Did he think I would just start crying or something? His jaw tightened as he continued to stare at me. The gym was getting restless with the long silence, and Edward's casual brush of his hand on my forearm stopped the mini staring contest that was starting to break out. I smiled innocently at Reid and was tempted to wave but quickly decided against that.

He gave me one last glare before he continued. "We will be doing fitness testing today, and the next four days will be conditioning. During the next two weeks, you will need a partner for the majority of the time. Go ahead and pick one, and remember to choose wisely since you will not be allowed to change for any reason," he barked out before turning to talk to Emmett and Jasper.

I immediately looked at Edward so I wouldn't be stuck with Mike who was already starting to reach for my arm. If I got Tyler it would be okay, he was nice enough, but I shamelessly wanted to be partners with Edward.

When our eyes met, his crooked smile emerged at full tilt, making a spark tickle the inside of my stomach. Different scenarios flashed through my head and a surge of jealousy coursed through my veins. Two weeks was a long time, and if he turned me down and paired up with one of the other girls I didn't think my heart could take it.

He spoke before I could even open my mouth. "Bella, would you do me the honor of being my partner for the next two weeks?" His tone was formal, but his tentative grin was infectious.

"I would be positively delighted to be your partner for the next two weeks," I replied, matching the tone of voice he used, turning his grin into a full crooked smile.

My heart squeezed at the sight of him. He was able to turn from absolutely adorable to devastatingly handsome in a matter of seconds. With Mike and Tyler paired up beside us, the four of us started to remove the layers we had built up, stripping down to shorts and T-shirts so we would be ready to start when Jasper, Emmett, and Reid finished talking. Mike and Tyler walked a few feet away and began stretching while Edward and I sat next to each other on the bleachers, our sides nearly flush, as we traded our wet shoes for our basketball shoes. Neither of us noticed a person walking up until we heard a sultry voice.

"Hello, handsome."

I looked up from tying my laces to see a girl with her hand gently resting on Edward's shoulder. I hadn't even noticed her walking over, and it looked like Edward hadn't either. She had stunningly beautiful blue eyes, a thick line of kohl around them with shimmering eyeshadow. Her makeup was artfully done, but seemed a little excessive for a day full of basketball and sweating. She was dressed in tight athletic clothes, and her black hair hung down her back in loose, carefully styled curls, a far cry from the ponytails and messy buns most girls were sporting.

As soon as Edward looked up, she gave him a blinding smile, her perfectly straight white teeth gleaming in the artificial gym lighting. "I'm Lori. Want to be my partner?" She slowly removed her hand from his shoulder, only to reach up and put her hair in a ponytail, making an extra effort to stick her chest out.

Jealousy clawed at my heart even though Edward's eyes remained on her face. She was beautiful, and a hell of a lot more in his league than I was.

"I'm sorry, but I'm already partners with Bella," he told her, no hint of an apology in his voice as he tilted his head toward me.

She cocked her hip to the side and arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "So? You should be with me rather than with her. Plus, Reid is my brother so I'm sure there won't be a problem about rearranging partners." She leaned down, placing a hand on his thigh as she bent forward. "Our little secret, hmm?"

I wanted to vomit. Who thought it was appropriate to touch a stranger like that? And one who was clearly sitting next to another girl?

Edward grabbed her hand off his thigh and plastered a fake smile on his face. It was a look I recognized him using on some of the more persistent girls at our school. "I would much rather be with Bella than anyone else. You can go find some poor soul that will have to be your partner." Though he had a smile on his face, his tone was hard. The vein in his neck pulsed violently under his skin, making me wonder just how irritated Edward was with the whole situation.

Her fake smile fell in an instant. "Whatever," Lori snapped, barely sparing me a glance. I wanted to laugh at her sad attempt to swing her hips as she walked away, but I was far, far too mad to find any humor in the situation. Why was she so intense when she's only just met us?

Edward placed a gentle hand on my thigh, but my stomach rolled at the image of Lori doing that to him moments earlier. He squeezed lightly and leaned toward me, trying to catch my eye, but I looked away, giving my shoe laces a final tug.

"What are you thinking, Bella?" Edward asked softly.

"That Lori needs to go play on the freeway," I blurted without thinking. I had never been a violent person, and I was surprised I was thinking that. I covered my mouth with both of my hands once I realized what I said. Edward looked shocked for a second before he burst out laughing.

"Hush, Edward! It's not funny," I protested as I frowned at him, staring at Lori's back while she half draped herself over some poor guy who couldn't tear his eyes from her chest.

"Yes, it really is," he said with a chuckle, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and tugging at my still-limp ponytail.

I wanted to laugh, I really did. I was just so utterly confused by Lori's behavior. There was no invitation, no indication on Edward's part that he was even remotely interested, and she somehow thought it would be appropriate to start feeling up his thigh…

"Ha ha. It's fucking hilarious," I snapped before I could stop myself, moving from under his arm. I could feel tears threatening to make an appearance, but I quickly coaxed them away with a few deep breaths. I tried to turn around, but Edward grabbed my waist, stopping me.

He stopped laughing in an instant and searched my face, his expression suddenly turning horrified. "Please don't tell me you're jealous."

"Not jealous. Upset … and confused. Very confused. I don't understand what her thought process was through that whole thing." Edward had his fair share of attention back in Forks … but somehow this felt different to me. Something about Lori made me uneasy.

Edward's grimace was answer enough for me.

Reid's voice echoed off the gym walls. "Fitness testing is starting. We'll start with how many push-ups you can do in a minute. You'll take turns and your partner will count for you. We'll come around and record what everyone got after you both have gone."

"I'll go first," I mumbled. I just wanted to get it done and over with. I dropped to the ground and got ready to start.

"On my whistle. Three, two, one."Reid blew his whistle and I immediately started my push-ups. After a bit I could feel my arms burning, but I pushed through it. Of course it helped that Edward was right there encouraging me the whole time. I probably wasn't going down far enough, but I truly didn't care.

"Five, four, three, two, one, stop!"

I collapsed to the floor and then turned to lie on my back as I looked up at Edward. "How many did I get?" I asked. I was panting so hard I was surprised he understood me.

"Thirty-six," he answered. He tried to sound nonchalant, but he couldn't hide his smile.

"Seriously?" I gasped as I looked up at him.

"Yes, Bella! Good job, I'm proud of you." He gave me an exaggerated wink as he helped pull me to my feet.

"Switch positions. Three, two, one, start," Reid's voice boomed, and he blew his whistle.

Edward was a tank in all sense of the word. He was strong, powerful, and deadly attractive as my eyes glazed over watching his muscles contract and relax between each push-up. I could barely count fast enough between him moving in a rapid, smooth succession and my attention span that wasn't exactly functioning.

"Five, four, three, two, one, stop!"

"Seventy-eight," I said before he could ask, rolling my eyes and trying to sound unimpressed.

He wasn't fooled and childishly stuck his tongue out, pulling himself up to stand next to me as we waited for Reid, Jasper or Emmett to make their way to us to record what we got. Reid finished up with Mike and Tyler and moved onto us.

"Names?" he asked, barely looking up from the paper in front of him.

"Edward Cullen and Isabella Swan," Edward told him.

His eyes scanned the sheet, nodding when he found both of us.

"Alright. Cullen?" he asked.

"He got seventy-eight," I replied.

"Great job," he congratulated Edward. "And you, Swan?"

"Thirty-six," Edward told him.

Reid looked up for the first time, looking shocked before it shifted into amusement. He gave me a quick glance and barked out a laugh before controlling himself. "Funny. Now, what did she really get?"

My throat felt constricted as a hard lump formed in my stomach. Clearly being rude ran in this Lori, and now Reid.

"Bella got thirty-six. I'm serious," Edward said, and I couldn't place the tone of voice he used. It was sharper than the one he used with Lori, almost sounding protective and defensive.

This time when Reid looked at me, it was calculating and borderline uncomfortable. He started at my feet, his eye traveling up my legs before hovering at my chest. He gave my arms a quick glance before locking his eyes with mine.

"Hmm. Swan, why don't you prove it? I want you to re-do your push-up test." Reid had a smug look on his face and I felt my jaw drop.

Was he serious? My arms felt like Jell-O and now I had to do it all again. I looked over at Edward, hoping he would tell me this was a joke, but he was staring at Reid in disgust. After a few long seconds, Edward turned toward me and smiled in encouragement. I looked up at Reid and saw him watching me carefully. I glared at him, dropped to the ground, and got ready.

"Three, two, one, go."

I had only completed a handful when Reid's sharp voice told me I needed to get my chest closer to the ground. I tried not to think about the burning in my arms and just focused on doing well and showing Reid I wasn't just some weak girl he could stomp all over who wouldn't do anything about it. I barely heard him say stop and once he did, I dropped to the ground, my arms shaking hard. I looked up at Edward as I raked in much needed air and saw him smiling proudly down at me.

"Thirty-eight," he told me as he smiled. I opened my mouth in shock before I looked up at Reid and saw him staring at me in disbelief.

"Believe him now?" I meant for it to be full of sass, but it sounded more like a wheeze.

He just nodded, and for a moment, I swore I saw a flash of something flicker across his face before he walked away. Respect, maybe? I scrambled into a standing position, feeling my arms burn until I felt two strong arms wrap around me.

"Bella, I'm so proud of you!" Edward murmured into my hair as he hugged me. Then to my surprise, he kissed my forehead. It wasn't something I ever recalled him doing, and I couldn't stop my heart from swelling in my chest.

The next two hours passed quickly, consisting of fitness tests for flexibility, agility, and strength. Of course, whenever Reid would come to record what Edward and I got, he would give me a skeptical glance and looked liked there would be nothing else that would give him more satisfaction than to have me re-do all of my tests again. Thankfully, I only had to redo a handful. Never one that caused a scene like the push-ups, and thankfully none after Jasper told him to cut the shit. I had no idea why Reid seemed to hate me, but the feeling was slowly becoming mutual.

We only had a thirty-minute break for lunch. My muscles protested with every step I took in my journey to the cafeteria in the sports complex, and I was pondering if I was desperate enough to see if Edward could just throw me over his shoulder and carry me. The only thing that really stopped me was seeing how tired and sore Edward was—how tired all of the athletes were. I wasn't the only one who rested their head on their arms and took a much need fifteen-minute nap at the long cafeteria tables.

Thankfully, Jasper announced that the only thing left to do was to record everyone's height and weight then we were free for the day. It was only time consuming because each athlete had to go into one of the side rooms individually for confidentiality and liability reasons. Apparently someone had thrown a shit-fit in the past after another athlete saw their weight, so this was the new protocol to avoid unnecessary drama.

Luckily they had two rooms going to cut down time, with those with last names A to M with Jasper and Emmett, and N to Z with Reid and Lori. I couldn't help but wonder how they allowed an athlete to help with something involving confidentiality, but if I learned anything throughout the day, it was that Lori was spoiled, and Reid turned a blind eye to his sister's antics.

Edward and I were side by side in the parallel lines, too tired to even speak. We moved up together and soon we were separated when Reid and Lori's door opened up and another exhausted athlete walked out. I took a deep breath and walked through the door that surely led to another circle of hell.

"Swan, right?" Reid asked, looking up from his clipboard with a smirk. His face seemed almost playful with a dark edge to it. I didn't say a thing, knowing damn well he knew who I was by this point. My silence only seemed to make his smile grow.

"Stand on the scale so we can see how heavyyou are," Lori demanded with a sneer. I glanced her way only to find her glaring at me. If looks could kill, I would already be dead and buried in her eyes.

I rolled my eyes and stood on the scale, staying as still as possible until I saw the numbers flash on the screen.

Despite her comments, Lori paid no attention. Her attention was firmly fixed on her phone as Reid recorded by weight. "Swan, please go stand straight against the wall next to the measuring tape."

I did what I was told and stood straight against the wall. Reid came over to measure my height while Lori sat cross-armed and huffing, a clipboard perched precariously on her lap.

"Isabella," he drawled, slowly shaking his head. I froze in place and tilted my head, wondering when he started using first names. I didn't have time to think as he moved so he was standing directly in front of me, maybe only half an inch away, but definitely in what one would consider to be a personal bubble.

"Your shoulders need to be right against the wall." He dropped his voice to a whisper, and with a quick look behind him, he gently pushed my shoulders back, making them go closer to the wall and effectively making my chest stick out. With him standing so close in front of me, my chest pressed firmly into his, and my lunch churned in my stomach. I tried to ignore it, but when he smiled down and shot me a quick wink, I knew it was intentional on his part.

I walked away from the wall, feeling a small sense of satisfaction as Reid took a few seconds to regain is balance. "Five foot five," I told him, not sparing either a glance as I walked out of the room.

My feet took control as my mind wandered, not exactly sure what had just happened. I kept walking until I found a bench just outside, haphazardly clearing it of snow with my bare hands. I sat down and pulled my legs to my chest, resting my forehead on my knees. I didn't care that it was cold out and I was only in shorts and a shirt—the cold was actually somewhat welcoming and helped clear my head. I sat there in silence, trying to calm down by taking deep breaths. I had almost relaxed completely when I heard footsteps approaching behind me.

A/N: Drop a review and let me know what you think!