Chapter 45

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, and you exploded in my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you going to realize, it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet? -Romeo and Juliette, The Killers

Jacob

Bright lights shined hot overhead. Breathless, I trembled from depletion as I stood in the center of the ring, soaked in sweat, waiting for the Ref to hand the score cards over to the announcer. I gave everything to this fight from the first-bell ding to the last. Just the way I did in practice each day leading up to it. I knew I won.

My only pressure came from waiting for the judges to confirm. They had the final say and occasionally, they might disagree.

"By Unanimous Decision the National Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Champion is... The Blue Corner... Jacob Black!"

Cheers roared throughout the packed arena as the Ref jerked my arm upward.

Exhilaration controlling me, I erupted into the air. My feet landed back on the canvas, and feeling like I could fly, I leaped over the ropes and lifted Old Ben, who'd made his way, with Billy, from their seats to the arena floor when the last bell dinged. Ben taught me everything I knew. This win was as much his as mine, and I'd take him all the way to the top with me.

With my first major goal conquered, I could go home! Euphoric, I traipsed into the locker room and called Emmett.

"Congratulations! You did it! All your hard work paid off," Emmett said. "How does it feel to be the National Golden Gloves Champ, numero uno, in the entire USA?"

"It feels freaking incredible! I can't even tell you how much adrenaline is flooding me." We laughed when I told him about the panic in Ben's eyes as I lifted him.

"Seth said you're fighting Light Heavy now? You never mentioned that."

"I didn't? Well, I had to move up. It was getting too hard to make 165. I'm 185 pounds now, so with this weight class, there's not much weight to cut." When my body filled out in proportion to my height, including all my body fitness work, it was a natural step to take.

"Doesn't that put you on the smaller end of Light Heavy?"

"Puts me on the faster end, too."

"When are you coming home? It's my last summer hurrah before I head down to Colorado to become a Pueblo Thunder-Wolf. Get here before it's time for me to leave."

"We'll fly back to California to get my things first. Then me and my dad will drive home." I'd bought a used Chevy pickup, a fixer upper, after I gave Seth my car.

He talked about his Division II football scholarship and how he would use it to earn a bigger, better scholarship to a Division I school.

Other thoughts occupied my mind. Bella. I was dying for her to know I won. I wished she had could have been by my side for this. The win would have been so much sweeter with her. Over the past Christmas vacation, I tried chipping at the ice between us by sending her something I knew she'd really like, because she kept a similar stuffed pillow by her bed. I asked Leah to get her to call me afterward. Leah said she tried, but Bella never called.

Desperate to hear her voice, "Is Bella around?" came stumbling out of my mouth. I winced.

When Emmett took a moment to answer, I clenched my jaws, pissed at myself for asking him, of all people, about her. Dammit! After what I'd told him just weeks ago, there was no way he'd let me near his sister ever again.

"No, she's not... Just to let you know... She's got a boyfriend, and it's serious."

He didn't have to tell me. I figured it was serious when she didn't come to my graduation with the rest of them. I overheard Renee talking to Sue. "She went to Disney World with her boyfriend and his family. They're so cute in love!"

Who says that? Normally, Renee was a cool mom. This time, she irritated me.

Not knowing what to say back to Emmett, I didn't respond.

He huffed. "Jake. I'm just saying... Your work's cut out."

Hearing his words, I took in a swell of air and puffed it out, feeling liberated and with a heart full of gratitude. He knew I wanted her back, and didn't have a problem with it. My best friend wasn't holding one of my worst blunders, ever, against me. I loved him for that.

After what I'd heard about Bella at graduation, I decided to move on. My first weekend back in California, I met a cute girl at a boxing match, and I plunged, headfirst, into the relationship (Pun intended).In a heated argument one evening, she acted as if she was an expert on how often a boxer trained.

"So what if I was there this morning? I went back again. I'm training for Nationals, remember? Where else would I be?"

"Felix never trained that much!"

"That's why he sucks!" I didn't know her ex-boyfriend personally, but I knew who he was, and even if he'd trained as much, he still would have sucked.

Rage flashed across her insulted expression as the impact of her unrestrained smack stung my cheek, and I realized I was nothing but the rebound.

Big mistake.

That was that.

After Jane, I went back to tunnel-focusing on winning Nationals. I didn't need a relationship. I didn't need anyone. All I needed was my fists and my fight.

Bella wasn't on my mind the night I called Emmett, scared and panicking.

"Pregnant? How the fuck did that happen?" he whispered in a furious tone. "Weren't you wrapped?"

"Every time. But she told me she wasn't with anyone else during some time-frame."

The sound went silent. Then he said, "Well, she must be lying then."

I thought the same but wasn't sure. She showed me the stick with red lines when she came over to the house a couple weeks after we'd already ended it.

Relief dropped me to my knees when an ultrasound showed she was further along than she'd guessed. There was no possibility it was me and it had to be her Ex. The worst three weeks of my life, next to the three weeks I spent seeing her. Emmett was just as relieved when I gave him the exceptional news.

When I arrived home, I discovered there wasn't one tiny gap in the middle of Bella and her boyfriend I could squeeze in between. Emmett and Renee weren't exaggerating. Most of the time she was with him. The rest of the time she was avoiding me. She was civil, and sometimes even friendly when we were in the same room. That was all she'd give me. She wouldn't talk to me outside the family gatherings, and she for damn sure wouldn't be alone with me.

"I'm with someone now, Jake. Please, leave me alone," she said, the one time I called her before she blocked my number.

It hurt, but I prepared myself. I knew getting her back would be difficult and could take time. Meanwhile, I would comply with her wishes. I loved her enough to do that. I decided to ride it out and keep praying for that precious opportunity I needed, so I could get close to her again. With the excessive time they spent together, someone must have been insecure in their relationship, and I was hoping they'd end on their own.

I showed up at The Rack thirty minutes early, deciding to wait for Emmett inside.

The glim lighting in the room gave off a night vibe no matter the time of day. My nose didn't enjoy the faint smell of alcohol mixed with stale tobacco left over from before they made it no smoking and began allowing minors inside, but I always adjusted to it fairly quickly. While waiting for him, I got in a game of pool with some guy to pass the time. Laughter in the dark corner grabbed my attention.

When I glanced toward it, I saw some bikers looking over at me. I thought nothing of it. After I studied the table, I leaned over to shoot, when a solid whack came crashing down on my head. All I comprehended was a pool stick, dropping beside me and clattering against the floor. I clutched at the table, trying to steady my wobbling legs, but my knees buckled. My vision whited-out, and I hit the floor.

I came to with a vague recollection of being dragged outside and mumbling to someone which vehicle was mine. It took several minutes for me to get clear headed.

"Are you all right?" asked the guy I'd been playing pool with. It was him and another guy standing outside with me at my truck.

I reached for my thumping head in a daze. "What happened?"

"One of those bikers, the guy with dreads, hit you over the head with a stick."

"Who was it?"

"We don't know him, but we should get out of here. It doesn't look like the owners will kick him out or call the cops."

"All right..."

They hopped in their car and disappeared. I tried to drive out of the parking lot, but I felt shaky with ringing ears, a stinging scalp, and a pounding head. I was in no condition to drive.

I circled the lot, then parked opposite of where I'd parked the first time.

I sat in the parking area, recovering and wondering what that was all about. I tried to get a hold of Emmett. His voice mail message came on, so I hung up. I was raging inside as I gripped the steering wheel, white knuckled, and aching to kick somebody's ass. But I didn't know who or how many guys I was dealing with, so I just stayed there.

A few minutes later, the opaque door swung open. I recognized the bastard with dreads coming outside to smoke a cigarette. He wore the same leather biker vest as Emmett's enemy, James, and was probably part of the crew that tried to jump Emmett last summer.

When he came out, he was alone. Scowling, I wondered about the other two smokers. Were they all together?

They might jump in.

Common sense told me to leave, but it hit me. Seth was with Emmett that day.

He thought I was Seth!

My rage hit a whole other level. I spotted the leather weight-lifting gloves Emmett left in my truck, snatched them up, and slid my hands into them. The tight fit comforted me like the feel of boxing gloves. I balled my fists, relishing the leather stretching over my knuckles as I glared at him. I was home in them.

Fuck it!

I jumped out of the truck, stormed toward him, and I beat the piss out of him right front of the building. Nobody else standing outside said or did a damn thing.

That was The Rack for you.

Then I got the hell out of there. I called Emmett, leaving a voice message, telling him to stay away from The Rack and meet me at his house.

A few minutes later, he sent a text back. My appointment ran late, but yeah, I'll meet you at my house.

Suffering a painful, head-aching drive back to Forks, I made it to his house.

Bella's boyfriend's car was the only one parked in the driveway, a Tesla. An arrogant punk, driving an expensive car at his age to show off his wealth. I grimaced. Douche. Bella didn't strike me as a girl who'd be with a guy like him. Her nature was sweet and down to earth. He was a pompous, preppy wuss. Granted, I didn't know him and didn't want to know him. I made sure not to be in the same vicinity as him whenever I visited the Swan house. One of them probably would have tried to introduce us.

As I waited for Emmett, I saw them come outside, Bella walking him to his car. I turned away. The regret of losing her and jealousy consumed me when I'd see them together from a distance.

My head continued to throb and sting. I pressed my fingers on the tender bump. It felt warm and sticky, and it was oozing blood. I couldn't wait for him anymore. I needed to check my wound and get some Tylenol.

"I got in a fight," I said when Bella opened the door.

Her eyes widened in alarm. She stepped aside. "Come inside." Her focus went to the spot beside my ear. "Jacob, you're bleeding." She clasped onto my arm, tugging me to a chair. "Sit down. Let me see. What happened?"

She examined it, informing me she couldn't see the cut beneath the blood. I told her about the fight as she left to the kitchen. She returned with a wet washcloth and a first aid kit. A thick attraction sizzled in the atmosphere between us, from her standing closer to me than she'd done in a long, long time. I wondered if it was coming from just me or both of us. When she wiped my head to get a view of the damage, I flinched.

"It's small, and it looks like it's already clotting." She squeezed a layer of cool antibiotic ointment on it.

Her breasts held right in my line of sight. I lifted my eyes, tilting my head back to see her face, so I'd stop staring, causing a shift of her gaze. Her eyes flickered over my face, immersing deep into mine. Still the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen. Zooming in on her rose-colored lips, my mouth watered. I swallowed.

I don't know who caught in whose tractor beam, but Bella's lips fell over mine. The moment we connected, all the blood inside my brain rushed south. I scooped my arm around her and slid her onto my lap. Her petite frame felt amazing as I ran hungry hands up and down her, sensing her trembling body.

Flitting her fingers across my chest, she rubbed my biceps and felt for both of my shoulders then roamed my back. Her hands drifted all over me, making their way beneath my shirt while my hand glided up her thigh, between her legs, and up her breast, over her clothes.

My heart raced in love and lust and so much joy. My dream of being with her like this again, coming true.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, tugging at my hair, as we pressed our bodies together tighter. It seemed we couldn't get close enough. Then, to my disappointment, she let go, a soft sigh escaping her as she pressed her forehead against mine. I opened my eyes to see her eyes clenched shut. Tears trickled down her flushed cheeks. "Please don't, Jake." She sounded like she was in pain, holding back a cry.

"I still love you so, so much, Bella."

A car door slamming pierced my ears. Bella's eyes shot open. Her hands grasped my shoulders, and she popped herself from my lap. I expected Emmett, but someone knocked. Bella ran her fingers beneath her eyes and took a deep breath, readying herself to answer it. I glanced out the dining-room window.

Her boyfriend's car stood in the driveway.

I rubbed at my forehead as a sudden tension and frustration filled me. Fuck!