The secret

Hate

      
         The night was getting cloudy, where you couldn't see the stars. You could feel the wind blowing stronger against your body. The police took Melissa for a test, and unfortunately, she failed. Mr. Ken, the sheriff, walked over to her confused friends, Sofia and Ross. "What happened?" they asked. Mr. Ken explained everything to them. "Melissa failed the drug test. Can you take her home and make sure she stays out of trouble?" he asked. Ross, feeling angry, asked, "What will happen to Chris? He didn't do anything!" Mr. Ken replied, "Because of his past, we're keeping him overnight or maybe even two nights, depending on it." Ross continued to argue, saying, "But he didn't do anything! He's a good person!" The sheriff warned Ross, "Stop arguing with me, or I will take you in too." Sofia intervened, stopping Ross, and they took Melissa to the car. As they drove by, they could see Chris sitting on the curb, looking scared. Once Sofia arrived at Melissa's hotel, she took her purse to get the key and opened the door. Ross held Melissa, who was mumbling, while they walked in and laid her down, taking off her shoes. Sofia and Ross stayed the night with Melissa, making sure she was okay. The storm started to approach their town. The thunder grew louder, shaking the hotel, and the wind made noise against the window. It began pouring rain. Everyone fell asleep to the sound of the storm.

NEXT MORNING

Melissa woke up with a pounding headache, feeling confused about what had happened. She noticed Ross lying on the floor as she whispered, "Oh my goodness." In her head, she wondered why they were there. Feeling sick, she rushed to the bathroom and ended up vomiting everywhere. After a moment, she splashed some water on her face, brushed her teeth and hair, trying to regain some composure. As she got ready, she couldn't help but worry about Chris. All she remembered was him staring at her worried while dancing. Leaving her hotel room, she made her way to Chris's door, but as she was about to knock, the door swung open. A random lady started yelling at Melissa, accusing her of ruining her son's life. Confused, Melissa looked at her strangely and asked about Chris. The mother explained that Melissa had put him in jail the previous night. Melissa started to panic, not remembering anything that happened. She pleaded with the mother, asking if Chris was okay and what she had done. Sofia rushed out of the room, asking if Melissa was okay and "why is Chris in jail?!" Melissa's anxiety grew, and she began shaking. The mother, seeing Melissa's concern and realizing she couldn't remember, brought her inside to explain.
So there Melissa was, comfortably seated on Chris's bed, when Sofia spilled the beans about you were downing five glasses of wine. Naturally, Chris couldn't handle seeing you dancing with another guy, so he decided it was time to call it a night. But you wasn't exactly in the mood to listen, so Chris swooped in, effortlessly lifting her over his shoulder, attempting to carry her away. However, you  had other plans and rolled down the car window, screaming, 'Help! I've been kidnapped!' The commotion caught the attention of a concerned passerby who promptly dialed 911, leading to Chris being pulled over." Said Sofia.
Melissa, still a bit bewildered, couldn't help but ask, "If they knew I was drunk, why is Chris still there?" The tension in the air was palpable as Chris's mother, who clearly had some animosity towards Melissa, retorted, "I know why, but trust me, you don't need to know. You've already done enough damage to his life." Determined to set things right, Melissa stood up, locking eyes with Chris's mother, and declared, "But I was drunk! If I hadn't been, I wouldn't have said a word. Now, tell me the truth!"
Melissa's unwavering resolve to fix things and her genuine care for Chris were evident in her words. It was clear that despite their past issues, she believed in his inherent goodness. The situation was intense, but with open communication and understanding, there was hope for resolution.
Melissa stormed out of the hotel, determined to find Chris, with the mother hot on her heels. "Get back here! You're not going anywhere," the mother shouted. Melissa turned around, her eyes filled with defiance. "Why do you even care? You don't know me," she retorted. The mother's voice grew stern. "Listen up, that's my son. You have no idea what he's been through. I don't want you near him, ever." Undeterred, Melissa looked her in the eye and simply said, "No," before striding into the police station.
Once inside, Melissa sought help from Sheriff Ken to track down Chris and gather more information. After an hour of waiting, Melissa finally entered a room and saw Chris. Concern etched across her face, she asked, "Are you okay?" Chris glanced at her, a mix of emotions in his eyes, and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you okay?" Melissa's disappointment was evident as she replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. I don't think your mom likes me very much." Chris seemed puzzled. "My mother?" he questioned. Melissa nodded and explained, "Yeah, she was in your hotel. I woke up not knowing what happened, went to your room, and she was there, claiming that I've 'ruined your life'." Chris's confusion deepened as he shared, "I ran away from my parents five years ago and never saw them again. Are you sure it was my mom?" Melissa's confusion grew, wondering why Chris ran away and what secrets were being kept from her.
"Yeah, I'm sure she did a great job at acting. What's the matter?" Melissa asked curiously.
Chris hesitated for a moment and replied, "I don't really want to say why. We just met a couple of days ago, and I don't know you that well."
Melissa and Chris sat in silence, lost in their thoughts.
Melissa's determination shone through as she spoke up, "Well, even if you won't tell me, I'll find a way to help you. I feel responsible for all of this."
A smile formed on Chris's face as he looked at Melissa. "Thank you for understanding," he said gratefully.