"Lena! You comin' in?"

She was broken out of her strange reverie by Tommy's commanding voice in the room. She was still standing outside, barefoot and wrapped in a sheet, and it was chilly. It felt like she had been standing outside staring at the stars for hours.

The sliding glass door shut with a 'shhhh'. Tommy was sitting up in bed, watching her intently. She crawled in with him and he hauled her up to his chest, kissing her forehead.

"You awright?" he whispered.

"I don't know Tommy…just worried for you."

"Nah, don't you worry. Not supposed to be easy." He covered her up in the blanket and cuddled her to him. Lena sighed deeply, warm in his arms. "Go to sleep."

She tried to let go, and found herself in a sweet spot physically, with a racing, anxious, terror-filled mind inside.

Tommy didn't think she could sense his hotwired psyche, he really thought she was asleep when he got up an hour or so later, dressed and left. Lena sat up as the door softly clicked closed, and she sat looking the clock- 12:35 AM. What was he doing?

She waited a while, thinking maybe he went to get some ice for his shoulder. Maybe he needed something from the kitchen. Maybe he went to the drugstore for something.

Finally at 1:15 she couldn't stand it anymore. She kicked the sheets and blankets off, put on some jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed one of Tommy's hoodies from the closet and wandered downstairs. There was no immediate sign of any activity whatsoever. It was late, no parties to be had.

Lena asked the concierge if anyone had seen Tommy, but they responded they had not. She checked the pool and grounds, parking lot…nothing.

The night clerk at the desk smiled at her as she approached the desk for the second time.

"Can I help you?"

Lena felt lost. "Umm…I hope. The mini-bar is out in my room, do you have anything available?"

The clerk smiled wider. "Uh, I think we normally wouldn't, but...if you'll excuse me. I'll be right back." He shuffled out to what she imagined was the kitchen. When he returned he had a pint of Crown and a 20 ounce Coke.

"Where did you get that, the alcohol fairy?" Lena smiled weakly with her own joke.

He laughed. "Are you sure you're old enough for this? Do I need to card you?" He slid the bottles her way.

"Ugh, I can't thank you enough. I want to sleep and I can't shut down." She took the bottles from the clerk, shaking her head.

"It's quite alright, I totally understand. If you need anything else I'm here all night." The clerk winked at her, and she quickly ducked out to the pool grounds to sit with her drinks. It was cold in the desert night air, steam rising from the heated pool, and she cuddled up inside Tommy's hoodie and sipped from the bottle of Crown and then the Coke to wash it down. She had left her phone upstairs and didn't realize it until she started to buzz a little.

She didn't realize she had polished off a third of the bottle until she actually looked at it. Her head was swimming. Maybe she could sleep now…

Upstairs the room was still empty. Lena was fuzzy and confused, sad and agitated. She set the bottles down on a table and flopped into bed, grabbing a pillow to hold onto and prayed for the room to stop spinning.

"Hey. HEY." Tommy's voice in her ear. Her body refused to respond. "Lena. LENA."

He shook her hard. She peeled her eyes open and saw the clock-5:50 AM. She closed them tight again.

"Hmmmmpphh."

"You're about to fall outta bed."

"Don't care."

Tommy heaved her into bed using just his right arm. "I do."

"Fuck did you go…Tommy…"

Deep loud sigh. "I'll explain when I get back. Love you."

"Agghh…no I wanna know now." She couldn't look at him, her head hurt too much.

"No. Later."

Lena heard and felt the covers being drawn around her and she was passing out again. The last thing she remembered was his warm lips on her cheek.

LATER. Had to be mid-morning, she thought, maybe a little later…she opened her eyes out of the coma-like sleep she had been in. She was hot and sticky with sweat, wrapped in Tommy's sweater and the covers smothering her-she was on fire. The room was cool and quiet, the sun was shaded through the blinds, and the clock read 2:15. No way, she thought. She dragged herself out of bed, ripped all her clothes off and threw her aching body into the shower. Afterwards she checked her phone-nothing, not a phone call or text message. The more Lena thought about last night, the angrier she got.

"All you had to do was talk to me!" she said out loud to Tommy, who wasn't there. Wrapped in a bathrobe she went onto the patio to face her punishment from the sun. It blasted her burning eyes and roasted her in her robe. She stood there and took it for as long as she could before drifting back into the room. She called room service and had them bring her up coffee and an omelette. Sustenance, dark sugary coffee, and fluffy eggs wrapped around vegetables and ham, smothered in cheese – and after a handful of painkillers, Lena was in heaven, if only for the meantime.

She tried to watch a movie but fell asleep again instead, only to wake up and find herself on Tommy's bare shoulder, his skin still moist and fragrant from a recent shower. She stretched out and yawned, and Tommy caressed her naked skin, kissed her hair.

"Mmmm," she growled, and turned her head to gnaw lightly on his pec. He hissed a little and giggled softly.

"Good morning." His voice vibrated in his chest and through her, giving her the chills.

"What time is it?!" Lena looked around and caught sight of the clock- 4:45 PM. Tommy just laughed.

"You been sleeping all day," he said. "You must've been really smashed."

Lena broke from his grasp, sat up next to him, suddenly remembering everything. Tommy was naked, half-covered in a sheet, his left arm wrapped with bandages and in a sling. "You know I wasn't really, and I feel fine now, and where the fuck did you go last night?"

He considered her quietly, his expression blank and guarded, and Lena narrowed her eyes at him, almost daring him to argue with her in any way. Finally he broke away from her stare and sighed.

"I couldn't sleep. I went to Colt's room to talk to him, tell him about Pop. That's it. And I get back to you passed out drunk-where did you get the Crown?"

"The concierge gave it to me. Why couldn't you have told me? I panicked when I couldn't find you. Worried about Paddy-"

Tommy interrupted her, his eyes dark and flat like a painting. "He's for me to worry about."

"No, not anymore. If we're actually gonna do this it has to be together Tommy. You may not understand that part but that's the way it should be. You aren't alone anymore."

His cheeks flushed and she could see he was literally biting his tongue.

"Say it. Go ahead, say it."

"What?" He narrowed his eyes at her. She really didn't like that guy when he came out.

"You were about to say something not very nice."

Tommy shook his head, looked away from her. He stood up and walked to the table where there was a big sweating carafe of water standing with two glasses. She felt like he was going to run any minute.

"I don't know what to say anymore, Lena…I tried to tell you I was just gonna fuck up your life-"

"No, Tommy, no. I don't want to hear that. It's not true. You and I are past that point. We already crossed that cop-out." She stood up and joined him for a glass of water. He regarded her with a blank expression and hostile eyes. "Look let's just drop it, I don't want to fight about something trivial. I'm just glad you're OK."

Tommy washed his water down in one pass, set the glass down, never taking his eyes off her. "Well…I wouldn't say that."

Lena looked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm on the injured list. I'm out for at least two weeks, can't train, can't fight. Rivera broke his foot yesterday in training, so the fight has been cancelled. UFC official was in the gym this morning to tell Colt about Rivera and sent me to the doctor. I have to be in this bandage and sling or end up needing surgery." His face was getting red again.

Lena bit her lip, shook her head. "Tommy, I-"

He raised his hand to stop her. "Don't. Don't say a word. I have to go home. This's the way it has to be. But I'm not off the card for Sparta. And I still have other fights. So you better change your ticket, looks like we're goin' home together."