Rosa woke to Aedan untangling himself from the blankets. Fuzzy with sleep, she watched him pull on clothes. She should get up, but the bed was warm and the thought of dragging herself from it was daunting. Dressed, Aedan leaned down and brushed his lips against her forehead.

“Go back to sleep, babe. I’ll see you there. I slept in a bit too.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s the afternoon fight. Big fights are in the evenings. I’ll be there one day.”

She reached up, catching him before he could turn away, and drew him down for a real kiss.

“See you there,” she agreed as he pulled back. “I love you, Aedan.”

“I love you too.” He lingered to kiss her one more time, and then he was gone.

* * *

WHEN SHE WOKE AGAIN, the afternoon sun was shining in through the window. She glanced at the clock, and sat abruptly upright. Lying beside it was a flier for the fight, with the location and the time. Rosa grabbed it, glancing down at the information. She was going to be late if she didn’t haul her ass out of bed and get moving. How could she have overslept on the most important day of Aedan’s career?

She’d showered and dressed, and was doing her makeup when her phone rang. Probably Aedan, checking in on her. Rosa answered without glancing down at the screen.

“Where are you?” Her mother’s voice demanded, steadily rising in pitch and volume as it went on. “You need to come home! Right now!”

Great! She’s freakin’ out about the divorce. Her mother melting down was exactly the kind of thing she didn’t have the time or the inclination to deal with.

“I’m not coming home, Mom.” Rosa leaned closer to the mirror, adding a bit of mascara, the phone caught between her ear and her shoulder.

“You don’t understand!” She sounded like she was on the verge of tears, and Rosa felt a little twist of guilt for not being more sympathetic. Honestly, it hadn’t occurred to her that her mother would even be upset by the divorce. She’d been in everyone’s bed but her husband’s for years. Why should she care that he was finally making it official?

“What don’t I understand?” Rosa sighed. She screwed the cap back on the mascara and straightened up, wandering into the living room to sit down on the couch.

“Your father is divorcing me.” There was a sob in the words, and Rosa wasn’t entirely sure if it was genuine or for effect.

“And?”

“And maybe you should have a little sympathy for your mother!”

Rosa let her head tip back against the couch, staring up at the dingy ceiling. “I’m not sure I get why it bothers you. You don’t love him.”

Probably not the best choice of response, if she wanted to keep her mother calm, but Rosa couldn’t find it in herself to care. When the woman wasn’t absent, or ignoring her, she was treating Rosa like a misbehaving child. I’ve had enough of that. And enough of her.

Her mother made a sound like a cat that had been stepped on. “He’s going to turn me out! At my age.”

Rosa swallowed back a laugh. She’d never heard her mother admit to her age before. But laughing at her would be too unkind. As frustrated as she was with her mother, she wasn’t going to be that cruel. “He’s not dumping you on the street, Mom. You’ll be plenty taken care of, and free to go live your life however you want. With as many men as you please.”

Okay, so maybe she wasn’t going to be as nice as she’d planned.

“You never used to treat me so terribly,” her mother snapped. “Not until you met Aedan. What has gotten into you, Rosa? Is he doing something to you to make you so mean?”

“Mean?” Rosa got up from the couch, giving her irritation some outlet through movement. “Acknowledging the truth isn’t mean. I’m standing up for myself and setting boundaries. Something I should have done years ago.”

What time was it?

“And for the record, Aedan has been nothing but good for me.” Rosa paced into the bedroom, glancing at the clock, and frowned. Time was running shorter than she’d thought. She needed to call a car. Her mother was still prattling on in the background, and Rosa dragged her attention back to the words.

“—and I can’t believe you’d speak to me like this! Which you still haven’t apologized for, by the way.”

“You’re not going to get an apology,” Rosa said, forcing herself to keep the words calm. “Not after you slapped me. And I’m not going to sit here and listen to this anymore. I need to go.”

“Don’t you hang up on me, Rosalyn Thomas!”

“Unless you have something worth actually saying to me, I don’t have time.”

Her mother sniffled. “You never have time for me.”

“Never have...” Rosa barked a laugh. “I can’t believe you actually just tried to pull that. Like I’m the one who spent most of my childhood absent. My nanny had more of a role in my life than you did!”

“How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true!” Rosa spun on her heel, one hand lifting to run through her hair. “And I’m not having this fight right now, Mom. If you want to actually talk to me, we can set up lunch one day. Or a time for a call. But now I’m going.”

“You can’t just declare the conversation over! It isn’t done!”

“I can. And it is. Goodbye, mother.”

Rosa hung up the phone before her mother could start shouting again. She glanced once more at the clock, and her heart beat faster. It was cutting it closer than she wanted to, and she still had to call the car service. She dialed the number and ran downstairs to wait, anxiously pacing until the Lincoln pulled to the curb.

“Can you make it to this the MMA Bronx arena on time?” She held the flier out to the driver. The fight venue was in some remote part of the Bronx, somewhere she’d certainly never been.

“I can try, ma’am. But no promises.” The car slid away from the curb as Rosa sat back, knee bouncing impatiently.

The sounds of honking horns did nothing to lessen her anxiety. The last thing she wanted—the last thing Aedan needed—was for her to be late. But it was looking like she was going to be.

She tried his cell phone, but it still went straight to voicemail. “Aedan,” she swallowed, “I’m in the car. Stuck in traffic.” Please pick up. “I’m on my way.”

Rosa clicked the phone shut, drumming her fingers on the leather seat. The car was hardly moving. She leaned forward. “Any idea what’s going on?”

The driver shook his head. “No, ma’am. Just normal congestion, nothing unusual.” His impassive face in the rearview mirror made her shake her head.

I should’ve hung up on her the first time I told her I had to go.

What would Aedan think if she didn’t show up? If he thought she broke her promise?

Let him be okay. Just let him be okay. She repeated the words over and over, looking out the window of the Lincoln. She tried to remember everything Aedan had told her about the match, anything she could grasp that would ease her anxiety, playing back every conversation they’d had in the previous weeks. It did no good. All she could think of was that he wanted her there and she wasn’t going to make it. And how devastated he would be.

* * *

AEDAN WAS TRYING HARD not to be intimidated by the venue, but he’d never been any place with so many people. At least, he’d never been any place where so many people were going to be watching him. He took a deep breath, following Frank to the locker room.

“Okay, Aedan. Get ready for the weigh in. I’ll be right there with you.”

Aedan stripped off his shirt. Frank was back a minute later, to lead him through a maze of halls to the weigh-in area. He toed off his shoes, pulled off his sweats and stood on the scale in his briefs.

“One fifty-five and a half!” Frank slapped him on the back and he stepped off the scale. “Okay. Get your trunks on and start warming up. I’ll be back shortly. You’ve a one-man team today. I got a lot I gotta get sorted.”

He left, and Aedan was alone.

Aedan went through his warm-up, shadow boxing in a corner, working through the rest of his pre-fight routine. Rosa crossed his mind, the way she did so often, and he found himself smiling. He’d been afraid she’d turn him down, that she’d keep telling him she couldn’t make up her mind. That he’d have to go forward without her just when he’d learned to let himself need someone.

“Ready?”

He turned to find Frank there again, and nodded. He felt high on the anticipation of it, and the knowledge that Rosa would be waiting for him. They went back out through the mess of hallways, to the big arena with the cage in its center.

The rest became a blur of sight and sound.

Aedan saw Stone in the ring already, rolling his shoulders, shadow boxing for the crowd. Then he was in the cage and the referee was shouting out his height and weight, his record and Stone’s. He could see Frank on the floor outside the cage, already pacing.

And then he noticed the empty chair in the front row end. He remembered asking Frank, weeks before, to purchase a chair for Rosa. Apparently Frank had remembered. But she wasn’t there. Had she changed her mind? Or had something happened? What if she’s hurt?

“Fighters in the ring!” The referee motioned to Aedan and Stone. They moved to the center of the ring, standing almost toe-to-toe while the referee spoke. “Fighters, you know the rules. I want a good clean fight and I won’t tolerate anything less. Touch gloves, and let’s get ready to rock and roll!”

Aedan touched gloves with Stone and then stepped back to the cage. He bounced on his toes, staying loose.

“Fighters ready?” Aedan watched Stone nod. The referee turned to him. “Fighters ready?”

Aedan nodded.

The bell for the first round dinged.

Stone was on him immediately. Aedan, worry for Rosa still lingering at the back of his mind, struggled to find his rhythm. Stone was quick. Blow after blow landed on his body. He was backpedaling and he could hear Frank yelling.

Aedan saw an opening and stepped into it, taking a swing that connected with Stone’s mid-section. It felt solid and he knew it was a good hit. He feinted. Set up for another hit. The combination surprised Stone, and he got in a second punch and then a third.

He was pushing Stone back, his confidence building. Then movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention, a girl with blonde hair. He glanced after her, but she was already gone.

Stone’s punch connected while his head was turned, sending him off-balance. He stumbled, going down. In the next instant Stone was on him. Gloved fists pounded against his body, his ribs. Before he could gather himself, Stone grabbing him in a hold, not letting go.

Aedan jerked against the pressure of his arm. Twisted. He shoved hard, and broke the hold, scrambling away. Stone followed, pummeling him. Panic rose in Aedan’s throat.

Shit. Get back in the match, stupid idiot. Fight!

He bounced back to his feet, dodging a punch aimed at his face. Ducking, he came up with a hard swing at Stone, but his reach was off. It missed, and Stone pressed forward.

Aedan’s hand impacted with Stone’s ribs harder than Aedan anticipated. He felt the wet snap of a bone, the pain hot and intense. Stone heard it too, a smirk crossing his face.

He smells blood.

Aedan danced out of Stone’s reach, looking for a chance to land a solid kick. Stone swung. Aedan dodged, lashed out with his left leg. The kick landed a solid foot to Stone’s mid-section. Before he could follow up, the bell for the first round sounded. He made his way to his corner, Frank wiping his face. The towel came away covered in blood.

“Good kick,” Frank said. “Keep those up. He’s cut you under the eye. It’s swelling so you’re going to have to watch that side if it swells shut.”

Aedan rinsed his mouth, spitting the water out.

“And get your head out of your ass, boy.” His trainer’s eyes narrowed. “He’s had you against the cage more times than I care to see. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s not about this match.”

Aedan jammed his mouth guard back between his teeth, nodding his head. He’s right. Whatever’s happened, you can’t bail on the fight. She’s fine.

Still, he glanced toward the seat where she should have been. It was still empty.

If she went back on her word, you don’t need her.

The bell sounded for the second three minutes. Stone was aggressive, coming across the cage after Aedan.

But Aedan was ready for him. He charged, and they met in the middle of the ring, in a tight clinch, raining blows on each other. Aedan felt his punches landing solidly, slowly working away at Stone.

Then Stone managed to throw a knee to Aedan’s ribs. They fell apart. Aedan stumbled, his balance off. A blow to the head sent him reeling back, collapsing down to the mat.

He looked up as Stone kicked out, his foot making direct contact with Aedan’s ribs. The breath went out of him. Bone snapped. He struggled to his feet as Stone took another swing.

The blow connected with his temple.

He struggled to raise his arms. To defend himself. To punch back. Nothing seemed to be working.

I’m not done yet. Not yet.

The roar of the crowded seemed to ebb and flow around him. He felt the mat beneath his face, strangely hard and soft at the same time. There were voices calling his name, Frank’s bellow closest, and someone else, higher pitched.

Get up. Fight, damn it! Get up!

But his body refused to cooperate and then he closed his eyes. He could hear the bell sounding, shatteringly loud and then there was total silence.

I can smell her perfume...