Worth the Fight

Chapter Fifteen

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."