AN: This is Tami's chapter. And to clear things up, yes, the relay race in this chapter is the second to the last gold medal race. This will get addressed more at the end of the chapter. She wants everyone to know she's sorry for the delay, but unfortunately she's been out of internet for a week--this chapter's been done for awhile!
BPOV
I sat in the stands watching Edward prepare for the 4 x 100 Medley Relay. It was the final, and as usual, I was nervous as I watched him stretch and prepare alongside his teammates. He looked towards the stands, found me, and gave me a brief wave and a smile. I waved back, still a bit intimidated by the thousands of people in the Water Cube, and presumably on television, who had watched that particular exchange. The fascination with Edward and me was a new trend, quickly monopolizing any and all down time for reporters during these games. I shuddered to think what the stations might be reporting back home.
I'd panicked yesterday once the news had broken, but Alice had managed to calm me down, and Edward with his very public, passionate display of feeling for me, had managed to calm me even more. With the knowledge that he wanted this as much as I did, at least for the moment, I was able to push the doubts and fears out of my mind and concentrate on the increasing intensity of our relationship.
The silencing of the crowd brought my attention back to the large swimming pool and I watched Edward's teammate Justin jump into the pool, ready to start off the medley with the backstroke. I knew how important this race was, the race that could either make or break Edward's run for his medals. The Spanish team was supposedly the better of the teams with their best times. I only hoped that Edward's teammates could pull this off for him, not only for another gold medal, but also so they could beat Jacob Black yet again. Edward had confided in me that he thought Jacob had something to do with the press being outside the door yesterday morning, although I had my own suspicions.
The buzzer sounded, announcing the beginning of the race, and the swimmers started. I held my breath as Justin was able to keep up with the leaders, and surpass them at the end. Unfortunately, the next swimmer for the US, Edward's teammate Zach was unable to keep up on the breastroke and fell behind to third place. It was Edward's turn. He'd be swimming the butterfly, one of his best swims, and I was shaking from nerves. No matter how many races I watched, I knew this was something I would never get used to.
He dived into the water and began to swim. I leaned over the railing to get a better look. His powerful, measured strokes carried him closer and closer to the leader. At the wall, he was only a few strokes behind the leader as he turned. Somehow, almost impossibly, within the last few strokes he was able to catch up and pass the leader, giving Tyler the few precious seconds that he quite possibly would need to win this race, but I was unsurprised.
While I had watched him swim before, this time was different. This time, I knew the real Edward. I knew him to be so disciplined that he was willing to do anything to make sure he won, knew him to be so determined that nothing would stand in his way if there was something he wanted. He was also a man that could be tough when the situation called for it, but also very tender and romantic with me. His complexity was one of the reasons that I had fallen in love with him so deeply and so quickly. While I had thought I had been in love before, these new, raw emotions I was experiencing made me realize that I hadn't known what love really was.
I bit my lip nervously as Tyler swam against Jacob to hopefully win team USA and Edward another gold medal. Jacob was fast, and supposedly Tyler was no match for him, but I knew that anything could happen at these games and continued to watch with bated breath. Tyler was able to keep up and even gain more of the lead as he came out of his turn at the wall, but Jacob was coming on fast and I began to worry. I realized I was getting dizzy from holding my breath and gasped in some air just as Tyler touched the wall, just ahead of Jacob. He'd done it! Edward would have his gold medal thanks to the amazing teamwork we had just seen.
I looked up and smiled at the picture that Edward made. He was jumping up and down and screaming, more exuberant than I had ever seen him. I knew he had missed out on a lot of the fun things growing up that most people participated in, and seeing him looking so carefree and excited made me even happier that he had won.
I watched him do a couple post race interviews, then headed to the cool down area when he did. I wanted to congratulate him before all the reporters swarmed him. He was standing just inside the door, obviously waiting for me, and grinning from ear to ear. He held out his arms and I jumped in to them. "Congratulations," I said excitedly as he hugged me tightly.
"Thank you," he said amused, "but I think that the winner of a gold medal deserves more than a hug." I caught his meaning immediately and stretched up on my tiptoes as his lips came down to meet mine. We were lost in each other when the clearing of a throat interrupted us. I jerked away and turned in Edward's arms to see Rob standing there, amused.
"I think you should get in the pool now, Edward. There are other reporters waiting for your attention, too," he instructed. I blushed at the speculative look in his eye and stepped back. Rob left the room, at least giving us some privacy.
"I guess I'll see you later," I asked. "I probably need to go watch Rose's final match."
"Will you come stay with me tonight?" he inquired. I nodded and gave him a hug and watched as he dived into the pool. I watched for a moment, then left, hurrying to make it to the volleyball match in time.
As I hurried to where the match was taking place, I felt my phone vibrating in my bag. I retrieved it and looked at the caller id. Ugh. Laurent. Of course he would ruin my day with one of his calls. Sighing, I hit the answer button.
"Bella, how's it going?" Laurent's silky voice asked. I grimaced at his tone.
"Good, I'm planning to work on the story later this afternoon for awhile. I'll send you any rough drafts I come up with," I answered, trying to keep the conversation as short as possible.
"Not so fast Bella," Laurent said as I started to hang up. "I wanted to talk to you about something else." I stubbornly remained silent.
"So, it seems that you really haven't been telling me the truth about your relationship with Mr. Cullen," he said, and I heard the suggestion in his tone. "It seems that you could be including a whole lot more in that article of yours than you're intending."
"My personal relationship with him is off limits for this article. I told you I'd give you a good article, and I will, just as I agreed with the Cullens to do, but I'm writing about what makes Edward the spectacular swimmer he is, how he handles the pressure and expectation, and the type of person he is," I stated hotly, beginning to get worked up.
"Bella, Bella, Bella. Think about this for a minute. This could be the big break you've been waiting for. Think what it could do for your career. An inside story about what being in a relationship with Edward Cullen is like. We could make millions, and you'd definitely make a name for yourself in this business. All I'm asking is for you to put those uppity values of yours aside for a second and become a real journalist," he cajoled in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"I think you're definition of a real journalist is off, but regardless I'll write an article that is good, but not worthy of the trashy tabloids and that will be enough to sell plenty for you," I assured him.
"It seems that you're getting enough material that would fit nicely in those so called trashy tabloids. According to one of Cullen's rivals, you and him are almost too sickening to be around, that he can't seem to keep his hands or his eyes off of you. According to him, he's not surprised the press found out, he's only surprised it took so long. A well placed tip seems to have taken care of that."
"What are you saying, Laurent?" I asked suspiciously, thinking that it couldn't be coincidence that Jacob Black kept showing up wherever we were.
"Just saying that a certain member of the Spanish team has been helping me out with my suspicions, and when an opportunity too good to be true sprang up, I couldn't help myself and may have tipped off a few people in the business," he said with no remorse in his voice. I was disgusted.
"Why would you do such a thing?" I asked appalled.
"Because it sells papers," he explained. "The more people are curious about you and Edward now, the more they'll be willing to spend money just to read the article. Think of the sensation that could cause," he said gleefully. "I haven't been in this business this long and this successfully because I'm nice," he reminded me.
"What makes you think that I won't just quit and go to another paper or magazine with my article," I asked, seething.
"Oh Bella dear, let's be realistic. You won't quit. I gave you the break you needed, and if you're anything at all, you're loyal."
He obviously had a skewed perception of me, because while I was loyal to my friends, I never could be loyal to a snake like him. Perhaps we could sell the article to someone else. I'd discuss it with Edward later, after his last race ended and it wouldn't distract him.
"What, no response?" he asked when I was silent. "Well, I'll let you get back to your wooing. What's on the agenda today? A romantic walk in the park while you get to tell him all the juicy details of his life, or perhaps more kissing for the cameras?" He laughed at his own little joke and hung up before I could reply.
I threw my phone in my bag disgusted and tried to look normal for my friends' sake. They didn't need to worry about me while they were watching Rose make history. I wondered briefly if Emmett had proposed yet, but figured I would have heard about it if he did. Spotting them in my stands, I made my way towards them.
Jasper was pointing his camera at everything, snapping picture after picture. Alice and Emmett were talking excitedly about engagements and wedding plans. He'd obviously showed her the ring and she was already putting herself in charge of the whole operation. I wondered what Rose would have to say about that. They all looked at me as I sat down next to them.
"Hey," I greeted them, "how's Rose? Is she nervous at all?"
"Of course not, it's Rose remember. She's just ready to win that gold," Alice assured me.
"So Bella, how's Edward doing?" Emmett asked slyly, winking at me with a big grin on his face.
I should have expected it, and was of course used to his teasing, but I blushed anyways. "He's fine, excited about the win this morning of course," I said, hoping to drop the subject.
"It was a good race this morning," Emmett agreed, and turned his attention to the starting match, which surprised me. He wasn't usually one to let things go like that. I watched him curiously throughout the whole match. He fidgeted nervously in his seat, raking his hands through his hair repeatedly. I figured he was probably more nervous than usual for Rose because this was a gold medal match. Still, it was uncharacteristic of him and I wondered if something else was going on.
Rose and Tanya wiped out the competition of course, and I was elated for my friend. We were seated in the stands, watching the beginning of the medal ceremony as the names were called when Emmett stood up and began shoving his way through the stands toward the medal podium. I watched open mouthed as the crowd, realizing that it was either get out of the way or be physically moved, parted and let him through, all the way to the bottom of the stands and up to security.
Muscular, weight lifting Emmett, easily pushed his way through the smaller, wimpier Chinese security team and grabbed the microphone out of the Chinese announcers hand, who had stopped speaking and was watching the proceedings in awe. While everyone looked on, he walked up to an equally shocked Rosalie on the medal podium and stopped in front of her. When he began to speak, it was into the microphone and his words were broadcasted throughout the whole stadium. We could watch them both through the big screen. Emmett had quite possibly chosen the most public place in the world to ask her to marry him.
"Rose, I love you. I've been wanting to do this for the longest time, but the time and place weren't right. When I thought of doing this, no place seemed more perfect than here, at the Olympic Games where we met and fell in love in the first place." He knelt down in front of her and I could see the realization dawn on her face as tears formed in her eyes. "I can't imagine my life without you, without waking up with you in the morning, and going to bed with you at night. I want to spend forever with you. Will you marry me?" he asked, and I saw his hands shake as he pulled out a ring box and opened it up.
Rose gasped, and predictably threw herself into his arms shouting out her answer to everyone. Of course it was yes. I was excited for my friends and watched as Emmett stood on the sidelines for the rest of the ceremony and Rose beamed happily from the podium. They were perfect for each other, and I couldn't wait to congratulate them.
Seeing them together made me want to get back to Edward, to spend as much time with him as I could. I knew I loved him, powerfully and irrevocably, and I was beginning to suspect that he shared at least a little of the same emotions for me, but I didn't know how long it could last. There were just so many complications facing us once the games ended and we went back to our very separate, very different lives. It made me want to live in the moment with him even more.
"Edward, it's not funny," I giggled as he laughed at my story. I'd been sharing some of my more spectacular clumsy Bella moments and could tell he was getting a kick out of them. Somehow, I was able to sneak back into his room even after being outed by the press. The security had looked at my fake athlete's pass with secret smiles and waved me on through, even though I was absolutely sure they knew who I was and that I was no athlete. Currently we were lying on Edward's bed, snuggled close as we told stories about our lives.
"Don't you have any embarrassing moments at all?" I asked after he stopped laughing.
"We-ell, there actually is," he said and I waited in anticipation. "There was this time that a whole tray of drinks was spilled on me on an airplane and the stewardess about mauled me trying to clean it up. Funny, that was when I met you. Before that, nothing," he flashed a teasing grin at me.
"Ha, ha ha," I said sarcastically, "very funny." He grinned at my expression and hugged me close. "Really, I do have one," he mentioned casually. "When I was 14, I decided I hated my hair color. It is quite unusual, you know, and most of the other boys on my swim team had blonde hair. Even my dad has blonde hair, and you know how much I've always wanted to be like him. So, I did my research, and one day got out the bottle of peroxide and dumped it over my head since I knew my mom would never agree to take me to the salon. She loves my hair. I'm sure you can imagine the results, peroxide on reddish colored hair. It did not go over well and my hair turned a sickly green color. My mom freaked when she got home and of course we ended up going to the salon anyways. They couldn't fix it though, every time they tried to change the color it got worse. Finally, they ended up shaving off my hair and I do not look good with a bald head. The team found out what happened and teased me endlessly. That was certainly the end of my longing for blonde hair, at least."
I laughed at him and ran my fingers through his hair. "I can't believe you wanted to change this hair. I love it," I told him as I continued to play with it.
"Hmm," he growled in my ear, "but I didn't know you back then, so I didn't have any reason to keep my hair the way it was."
We were both silent for a while, both reflecting on the silly stories we'd shared. Finally, I broke the silence. "So, Edward," I asked curiously, "what's in store for you after you get that sixth gold medal around your neck tomorrow? Obviously more swimming, and more competitions, but I'm wondering what comes after swimming for you? Do you plan on coaching like your dad, or something else?"
I was surprised by how still Edward had gone. He stiffened next to me, and I sat up to look at him. The expression on his face was torn and something was obviously wrong. "Edward," I asked, shocked at his reaction, "are you okay?"
"Bella," he said quietly, "there's something I need to talk to you about."
"What is it, Edward," I asked gently, sensing that there really was something bothering him.
"I don't know if I am going to win tomorrow," he stated, and I looked at him in confusion.
"Of course you're going to win, Edward. This is your best event, and even your rivals have admitted that no one can beat you at it," I assured him.
"It's not that, Bella. I didn't say that I don't think I can win, it's that I don't know if I should."
"I'm...confused," I said, trying my best to figure out what he was telling me. "You're saying that you don't want to win the last gold medal for some reason?"
"It's not that I don't want to win it, because I do, but part of me rebels at the thought. It seems . . . wrong somehow. Like I don't deserve it in some way," he explained.
"But Edward," I exclaimed vehemently, "of course you deserve it! You've worked so hard, given up so much to get where you are today! I don't think that anyone can say that you haven't given swimming your all!"
"No, that's not what I'm saying. I know I've worked hard and from that standpoint deserve it, but not from the standpoint of the person I am. My father's the greatest person I know, right?" he asked, and I nodded, starting to see where this was headed. "Even he couldn't win that many golds, but he did set his own record, one that has lasted for over 20 years, and now I feel it would be a great dishonor to him if someone broke it, especially his own son!"
I was dumbfounded. I couldn't believe what he was telling me. And just how wrong he was in his thinking. Finally, I realized I'd been silent too long and knew that I had to say something.
"Edward, you know that's not true! While your dad didn't win that many golds, I don't think he even went for that many, he still is a legend and just because you broke it, he won't be forgotten. It's bound to happen sometime, and I'm sure your father desperately wants it to be you that breaks it. He's trained you, stood by you, and he'll be ecstatic when you win!"
"But Bella, my father is a great man, and me...I don't even know if I'm that good. I can swim, but that's all there is to me. By my age, my father had accomplished so much more, and he even did it with a family. Why would I deserve to break the record he set facing impossible odds?" he asked.
"Because you're facing impossible odds too, Edward!" I exclaimed, frustrated. "Listen to me. I don't know your father very well, but I do know him well enough to say that he wants you to win it tomorrow, that he's rooting for you in every way. Any loving father wants success for their child, especially when they've worked so hard and long at helping you achieve your dreams. I'm sure your father is not any different. Watch him tomorrow, Edward! Watch his face when you win that final gold and see how proud he is of you, how happy you've made him. I'm sure he doesn't care if you break his record, what he cares about is you. I've watched how concerned he is with you, how dedicated he is to you. Don't let all his hard work go to waste. I'm willing to bet that he wants you to win tomorrow more than he even wanted to win his last gold medal. Although I'm not a parent, and can't say for sure, I'm almost positive that watching your own child achieve greatness is better than anything a parent has ever done or will do themselves."
"Maybe you're right," he sighed pulling me close, "but I just don't know yet. I just don't want to do the wrong thing."
"I trust you to do what's right, Edward. I want you to know, though, that whatever you decide, I'm proud of you and will be cheering for you during the whole race tomorrow and will be waiting for you at the finish," I assured him. I snuggled in close to him and listened to the sound of his even breathing, hoping and praying that my words had gotten through to him and he'd finally realize what a great man he was and accomplish what he'd been dreaming of his whole life. Surprisingly, I was able to fall asleep quickly, even with everything that was going through my mind.