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I couldn't know for sure if that was why he was quiet, but I had a gut feeling it was.

When we entered the hotel lobby, he walked me to the elevators.

"Do you need anything?" he asked, his voice low.

"I'll be okay," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

He wouldn't quite meet my eyes, and I felt my stomach sink.

Oh, he was definitely angry.

"Get some sleep," he said quietly before pressing the elevator button.

The elevator pinged, and I stepped inside as the doors opened, pressing the button for my floor.

There was so much I wanted to say, and so many things were being left unsaid.

I couldn't keep pretending everything was fine.

When we returned to California, I'd have to reach out to Dr. Morgan about a referral to an OB-GYN. And if they thought I needed surgery, I'd have to decide what to do.

But none of it could be solved tonight.

I caught his gaze just before the doors slid shut and bit my lip, blinking back tears as the elevator carried me to my floor.

Then I looked at my tongue in the mirror. The place where I'd bitten down didn’t look as bad as it felt. I hoped it would heal quickly.

I rinsed out my mouth, brushed my teeth, and took a shower. I scrubbed the chalk from my skin and washed the hairspray and glitter out of my hair before changing into my pajamas.

I had to fight not to wince as I pulled my shirt over my head. It had never been like this. The pain always lingered, but it usually only flared during gymnastics. Now even the smallest movements hurt.

I crawled into bed and closed my eyes, though I knew sleep wouldn't come. At some point, Lexi would be back.

Sure enough, the hotel room door clicked open an hour and a half later.

I jumped a little at the sound of the lock and pushed myself up into a sitting position as she stepped inside.

"Scarlet," she breathed when her eyes landed on me.

She crossed the room, sat beside me on the bed, and wrapped me in a hug.

The sudden affection caught me off guard. I swallowed against the lump in my throat, resisting the urge to cry all over again.

"Hey," I whispered.

She pulled back just enough to look at me. "How are you feeling?"

I gave a small shrug. "Better than I was."

"We all saw you collapse. You scared us."

I looked down at my hands. "Yeah." I let out a slow breath. "I have a hormonal condition that can cause a lot of pain. It just... got to be too much today."

It wasn't exactly a lie. It just wasn't the whole truth.

Her expression softened. "I had no idea you were dealing with something like that. I'm so sorry."

I shook my head. "It's okay. But I have some things I need to figure out. Otherwise..." My voice caught. "I don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep doing this."