BRAINSTORM

Chapter Four - Will Nick's secret tear them apart?

Melissa frowned at her phone. Nick said he hadn't taken that weird underwear case, so why wasn't he answering? Melissa typed in another message and pressed send. She shut off the screen, placing it next to her on the weight bench. Putting her gloves back on, she strode up to the punching bag, closing her eyes to regain her calm.

She pelted the bag with a hard right hook. Whack! Then followed the punch with several more. Sweat dripped down her forehead and into her eyes. She tried to wipe it off with the back of one of her gloves, but it just got worse.

Victoria Ilson, Melissa's sparring partner and friend, said, "Let me get you a towel, Mel."

"What? Huh?" Melissa looked over at Victoria. She was tiny, had short, spiked blond hair and striking violet eyes. Melissa had met her at this boxing gym years ago, and they had gradually become friends. Now they both worked at the same real estate agency.

Melissa looked down at the top of her glove, staring at the smear of sweat. "Yeah, sure. Thanks, Vic," she said absently. "Hold on." She took off her right glove and held it between her knees as she reached out to grab the offered towel. She mopped her forehead in a circular motion, then pulled the glove from her knees and went back to the bench. As she sank down on it, her body felt as heavy as her heart.

Melissa was troubled by what she had learned from the children's home. She loved her sweet baby boy but just wasn't ready for him when he came. She wished she had been. She hated that she'd had to give him up. But she couldn't deal with any more pain, and that was why she wouldn't let Nick find out what had happened to him. She feared the worst. Suppose it turned out that he was dead? How the hell could that help her heal?

She was afraid Nick might have lied to her about his search for Sidney. That hurt more than she cared to acknowledge. She trusted him. Or at least, she wanted to. She found it difficult to really trust anyone, growing up the way she did, but she didn't want to be that way anymore. Not trusting made her feel like she was always alone no matter who else was around.

Victoria slipped onto the bench beside her. "Something going on?" She rocked back and forth as she spoke. She never seemed to stop moving.

"Nothing a few hard punches can't solve," Melissa answered with tight diction. She was hurt, confused, and indescribably sad. But punching the bag made her feel better, sort of, so she got up to hit it some more. She fired jabs, undercuts, and hooks in quick succession, and even though each one connected with its target, she felt like she was stabbing the air. She stopped punching and stared at the bag. It was pointless.

"You do know you can talk to me, right?" Victoria said quietly. "If you want." She placed a gentle hand on Melissa's sweaty shoulder.

Melissa gave Vic's hand a couple of pats with her boxing glove and endeavored a smile, but it didn't carry to her eyes. A tiny sigh escaped from her throat. "Yeah, I know. Thanks. I'll let you know, okay? I just need to figure this one out on my own. I appreciate the offer."

She did appreciate Vic's kindness and friendship, but she had never told her about Sidney and didn't know where to begin. Nick was the only person who knew. "Sorry, I'm not such great company."

Victoria smiled. "It's okay. Just know I'm always here for you."