Locked Out of Love

by Mary K. Norris

  Melanie tilted her head in askance.

  The door to the clinic swooshed open and Niella poked her head out. She scanned the sidewalk, as if looking for anyone who might jump out at her. “Are we ready?” she asked, still not coming farther out into the waning sunlight.

  Sydney’s golden blonde head popped up over Niella’s. “Not yet. Joel, can I talk to you for a minute?” Her emerald eyes rested on Melanie and she smiled. “Hi, Melanie!”

  “Uh … ” Melanie lifted a hand and waved. “Hi.” She didn’t realize how much Sydney and Tom looked alike. The two could have passed as siblings.

  “I’ll be right back,” Joel told her and went into the clinic.

  Melanie expected Niella to come out and keep her company. But the clinic door closed, leaving Melanie to her thoughts.

  • • •

  Joel followed Sydney into her office. She shut the door behind him, trapping him in her bright yellow sunshine room. Joel hadn’t been in here for quite some time. It hadn’t changed much; there were still pictures of the guild littered around the room. A frame that used to house a picture of him and Sydney was now replaced with one of her and Merrick.

  Joel walked over to it and picked it up. “I got demoted, I see,” he tried to make light of the situation. This was the first time he’d really been alone with Sydney since their breakup, and he hated to admit it, but he was antsy.

  Sydney’s face fell. “I didn’t mean anything by it—” she started, gesturing to the picture, but Joel held up a hand.

  “I’m teasing, Syd. I guess it’s still a bit soon, huh? Look, I’m right there in one of the group shots; I have nothing to complain about. Now, why did you want to talk to me?”

  “Right.” She buzzed around the room, too much energy for that tiny little body to contain. “I know you and Felix are having a fight right now—”

  Joel gaped. “How do you know that?”

  She stopped her buzzing to stare at him.

  “Right. Cali.” He should have known.

  Sydney nodded. “But I don’t want to have to pick sides. We’re all a team and I think you should be aware of our plans as much as anyone else.”

  “Plans? What plans?”

  Had the guild made plans without him? Son of a bitch!

  He clenched his hands into fists. “Felix,” he grumbled. “What did he do behind my back?”

  Sydney shot her hands out. “Joel, calm down. He didn’t do anything. This was a group plan.”

  “And where the hell was I?”

  “I think you were, uh, busy”—her cheeks flushed—“with Melanie.”

  Joel cleared his throat. Well, this was awkward. Nothing like talking about sex with your ex. “Okay,” he said calmly. “So I was … busy.” Adopting her word didn’t stop the urge to run away from this conversation as fast as possible. It was worse than when his father had asked him about his first time. He shook the thought away. “What was this meeting about?”

  Sydney looked relieved to be back on safer conversational ground. “We want to go back to the building, compound, whatever. The documents we took weren’t enough. We want to question someone, to know what they’re doing with these people on the list, if anything.”

  “You’re going back? All of you?”

  She nodded.

  “When?”

  She looked away. “Tonight.”

  “Tonight?” he exploded. “And no one thought to involve me?”

  “I’m involving you right now,” Sydney shot back. “Look, Felix was worried that you might tell Melanie what we were planning, but I figured you deserve to know what is going on. I did a poor job of letting you in on things before, and that’s going to stop now.”

  And there it was.

  The root of all Joel’s anger. He exhaled loudly. “Hell, Syd—”

  “I know you don’t want to talk about it. I know now isn’t the ideal time, but I wanted to let you in on this because if I didn’t, the rift between us would continue to grow and I don’t want that, Joel. Felix has his reasons for not wanting to involve you. I don’t agree with them, so I’m telling you, but the last thing I want is for you to harbor ill feelings toward Felix because you think he’s doing to you what I did to you. I was a coward. Felix is trying to protect those he loves.”

  “I know.” Felix’s reasons made it all the harder to be angry at him. Joel would do anything to protect Melanie and the guild.

  He let out a huge breath.

  “Thanks, Syd.” He didn’t know what to make of his situation with Sydney, but he did know he wanted to find out more about this organization. “Does this mean I can go with you guys?”

  “Aren’t you hanging out with Melanie tonight?”

  He shook his head. “It just so happens that I’m free tonight. I’m taking Melanie to Niella’s, then I’m all yours.”

  Sydney frowned. “Niella wants to hang out with Melanie?”

  “Yeah,” Joel said quickly. “You know … girl stuff.” He didn’t want anyone else to know about his plans with Niella. “I’ll see you later tonight, Syd. And thanks.”

  He left her standing there, a perplexed expression on her face.

  • • •

  “Wow, this is your house?” Melanie could do nothing but stare. The entrance hall had a small ramp to the right and opened into a huge living room. Hallways branched left and right, but Niella rolled into the living room. Melanie descended the few steps, taking in the tall ceiling, complete with a skylight, and all the potted plants that lined the walls.

  The living room was connected to a large, stainless steel kitchen.

  “You want anything?” Niella called as she took out two glasses and held them up for Melanie to see over the island.

  “Water’s fine,” she called back and proceeded to the large entertainment system. The shelves were bare, but on the floor, packed into cardboard boxes, Melanie found what had once decorated them.

  Trophies, medals, and pictures were thrown into the boxes, some of the picture frames cracked where the packer hadn’t taken care to place them in the box gently.

  She took one out and stared at the young, smiling face.

  It was Niella. Her oak-brown hair was still short but a few inches longer than it was now, held back with a neon green fabric headband. She held up a first place medal, her other hand holding out her index finger for number 1. She stood in front of a sign that read San Diego State University.

  “No way.” Melanie stared at the newspaper articles and magazine clippings hidden beneath the picture frames.

  Souveray favored to win next summer Olympics.

  Niella Souveray, next Olympic legend?

  Melanie squatted and sifted through the articles. There were dozens. Stories of Niella being the next track and field star, her success through high school and college, interviews about her goals and aspirations, and then the articles changed.

  Terrible car accident wrecks Olympian’s dream.

  Souveray crashes under the pressure.

  SDSU Track and Field star, Niella Souveray, paralyzed after horrific accident.

  Melanie stifled a gasp at the black-and-white image of a car wrapped around a large tree.

  The caption beneath the photo read: Rising Olympic potential Niella Souveray crashes her car while falling asleep at the wheel after what rumors say to be a hard week of training.

  Melanie stared at the article, unseeing.

  Fell asleep at the wheel?

  Her hands tightened around the paper, her heart constricted.

  She’d bet her entire life savings that Niella hadn’t fallen asleep at the wheel. She’d had a Dream.

  “Oh, Niella,” she breathed.

  The paper was ripped from her hands. Melanie jumped, falling on her ass. Niella stared down, her hazel eyes hard. “Don’t you dare go through my things,” she warned. “And don’t you dare feel sorry for me.” She thrust Melanie’s water at her, liquid sloshing out the side onto the carpet.

  Melanie fumbled for
it, afraid if she didn’t reach it in time Niella would simply drop it to the floor, not a care in the world.

  “I … I didn’t mean to pry. I saw it there—”

  “And thought that because it was out in the open it was available for public viewing? Well, guess what? You thought wrong. Now, because you have no qualms about invading my personal space, let me return the favor.” She leaned over, her chest nearly resting on her knees as she stared down Melanie. “What the hell are you really doing here?”

  Melanie’s fingers tightened around the glass in her hands. “I’m sorry?”

  Hazel eyes narrowed. “Your reason for being here. What is it? And don’t lie about it either. I’ll find out. I may not be able to control my Dreams, but if I concentrate hard enough on something, I can sway them.”

  Melanie started. “You can?” That was news to her. At Niella’s look she swallowed her curiosity. “I’m here to help you. Honest! You’re like my brother, a Dreamer, and I see in you the same struggle he went through. I thought I could help.”

  Niella continued to study her before finally leaning back in her wheelchair. “And how exactly did you help your brother?”

  Melanie could read Niella’s skepticism in every line of her body. She had only one shot to convince her and she couldn’t screw it up. Niella’s life might rest in the balance. Tonight was the night, if she wasn’t mistaken, and she needed to do everything in her power to keep Niella from leaving.

  “It was an accident, really,” she started. “I got scared when Nathan started to have another Dream. He looked as if he were in pain and I panicked. My powers flared. I didn’t have much control at the time and I absorbed them. It tore him right out of his Dream and sucked me straight into one.” Niella eyes went large. Shit. She shouldn’t have added that last part. She waved her hand. “That doesn’t matter though; I was fine. The fact is that my brother was … relieved of his powers. I don’t know how long it lasted, but it gave him a break. I can only imagine how much you ache for a break. To have a guaranteed amount of time to call your own, where you don’t have to fear—”

  “I’m not afraid of my powers,” Niella snarled.

  Melanie jumped.

  Damn, she did it again. She needed to stop assuming everyone in Joel’s guild thought like she did.

  Niella looked away and lowered her voice. “Not anymore. I’ve accepted my lot. I might not be the most joyful one in the bunch, but I’ve learned to cope.” She stared at the cardboard boxes that lined the floor. A few heartbeats later she spoke again. “You said you took your brother out of a Dream and fell into one?”

  Melanie instinctively reached for the leather band on her wrist, but the water in her hand stopped her. “Yeah.”

  Niella’s attention turned back to her. “It was of me, wasn’t it? That’s why you acted the way you did at the hospital.”

  Melanie stared into her lap, her throat growing thick with emotion. “Yeah.”

  “That’s the main reason why you’re here, isn’t it?”

  Melanie felt the tears burn the back of her throat. She nodded.

  “Do I even want to know what you saw?”

  Melanie bit her lip and shook her head.

  A moment of silence.

  A resigned sigh. “In this Dream you had, do I accept this help that you volunteered to give? Does it help me?”

  Melanie shook her head miserably. “I don’t know.” She swallowed past the tears, “I’m trying to change what I saw.”

  “Ah,” Niella said, as if she understood, which Melanie guessed she did.

  They were quiet for a few seconds more.

  “Does Joel know about this Dream?” she asked.

  “No. I haven’t told anyone. I don’t want to worry anyone else. I promised myself I would deal with it and I am.”

  Niella let out a heavy breath. “Well, I see Joel’s hero complex has rubbed off nicely on you.”

  A laugh escaped Melanie. She looked up to see Niella smirking at her and she laughed even more.

  “I guess it was bound to happen, all those superhero t-shirts he wears … ”

  Niella groaned. “Oh God, don’t get me started on his horrible fashion sense. It’s awful, isn’t it?” They laughed. “I can’t believe Sydney dated that for three years.”

  Melanie’s laughter cut off abruptly. “Sydney and Joel … dated?”

  Niella expression froze. “Shit. I thought you knew.” She snapped her mouth shut as if attempting to stop any further rambling.

  Melanie was only half listening as her mind went back to earlier that day when Sydney had wanted to talk to Joel. Alone.

  A flare of jealousy.

  She quickly stomped it down. That was impossible. Sydney had Merrick, and even in the short time Melanie had with them she could tell the two were crazy about each other. When they weren’t talking to anyone else their eyes were constantly on one another.

  But there was the first time she’d met Joel. At the bar, when he’d been drunk and depressed.

  Like someone who’d just gotten dumped.

  Her stomach twisted. Was Joel still pining over Sydney?

  Was she nothing but a rebound? A temporary fling, despite his claims about soul mates?

  She had to admit, hanging out with an ex after breaking up with them was strange behavior. Though she supposed belonging to a guild where everyone had powers made for certain exceptions.

  But still …

  “Are they … ” She cleared her throat. “Are they still close?”

  Niella squirmed in her chair. “Look, Melanie, I’m not really the gossiping kind.” She held up her hands. “Not that there is any gossip to begin with. Any questions you have about Joel and Sydney need to be directed to Joel, not me, but I will tell you this. They’re over. And they most definitely aren’t as close as they used to be. In fact, Joel has been pretty scarce around the clinic. We’re hoping that’ll stop soon. After all, he’s a part of our guild, probably the most enthusiastic about it too aside from Felix, and we need him.” She took a swallow of her water. “Now, should we get started on whatever treatment you had in mind that’s supposedly going to save my life?”

  Melanie hesitated. “What makes you think it’s supposed to save your life?”

  Another smirk. “Life and death would be the only reason someone would want to seek out my company.”

  “Why?” Melanie asked. “Why do you push them all away? They’re a great group of friends that clearly care for you, so why do you act the way you do?”

  Niella took another swig of water, looking as if she wished it were something harder. Like vodka. “It’s a protection mechanism.”

  “Protection against what?”

  “Against caring, okay?” She finished her water and wheeled herself into the kitchen. Probably in search of something alcoholic.

  Melanie heard the fridge open and the sound of liquid pouring into a glass. Niella came back moments later, glass full of a cream-colored water.

  “Is that white wine?”

  Niella knocked it back. “I have boxed in the fridge, and before you judge, it does in a pinch and that’s all that matters.”

  “Fair enough. Are you going to elaborate on what you said earlier anytime soon?”

  Niella glared at her and finished the glass of wine. “Out of everyone, I would have thought you’d figure it out fastest. Guess I overestimated you.”

  Melanie locked her jaw to keep from snapping. Niella was just falling back into her defensive mode. She decided to do as her mother always did: cross her arms and wait.

  Their staring contest lasted about two minutes before Niella sighed and stared into the bottom of her glass. “It won’t hurt as much when I Dream something terrible happening to one of them if I don’t care.”

  Melanie wanted to reach out but knew this was the wrong person to do it with. Instead she sipped her water, letting the words tumble around in her head for a bit.

  “It’s normal to worry about seeing something you don’
t want to. Lord knows Nathan was terrified, but I’m sure nothing horrible will happen to them.”

  Niella laughed humorlessly. “You don’t know the guild. They search for trouble, have been for the last eight months or so now. We’re stuck. They won’t stop and there’s nothing I can do. It’d be different if I was out there helping them break into buildings and rescue others, but I can’t.” She punched her own thigh. Melanie winced at the sound. “I’m left at home like a spouse with a husband in the forces, waiting for that one phone call, only it won’t be a phone call, it’ll be a Dream and I’ll have no way of stopping it. There’s only so much you can do to change the future. I think some events were just meant to happen.”

  Her gaze bore into Melanie’s. The image of Niella getting hit by the vehicle flashed through her mind, over and over.

  She squeezed her eyes shut.

  No. She could change that future. Niella would never be hit if she didn’t flee from her house, and if Melanie stopped her from fleeing, it would stop her death.

  She reached for her powers, felt the familiar tingle in the back of her neck and held out her hand to Niella. “There is only so much one can do to change the future. So let’s start changing it. And if you could promise never to leave your house after dark for the next week, just as a precaution, that’d be great.”

  Niella’s lip twitched.

  She stared at Melanie’s open palm for a long time. Indecision, fear, hope—it all swirled in her hazel eyes. After a few heartbeats she tentatively reached out and grasped Melanie’s hand.

  Chapter 28

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Felix jerked his chin at Joel.

  Syd stepped between them and put a hand on Felix’s black thermal-covered chest. “I invited him.”

  Felix’s blue-green eyes widened. He opened his mouth then closed it. He shook his head at Syd, finally returning his attention to Joel. “Where’s Melanie?”

  “With Niella.”

  This caused quite a few of his guild members to stare at him.

  “With Niella?” Cali asked.

  Joel clenched his fists. “Yes, with Niella. I asked her to keep an eye on Melanie.” His stare bore into Felix’s, daring him to say a word. Felix was still full of shit, but that didn’t mean he’d risk the guild.