Chapter 4

Scarlett was gone for 5 good years, but everything still felt and looked the same.

After all those years of traveling around the world, the sense of nostalgia She felt was truly overwhelming. The bad memories she’d run from also scraped the surface. But now she was a different person, and bad memories wouldn’t make her crumble anymore.

Astrid had been horrified at her plan to stay in a hotel for the first few weeks, a traveling habit Scarlett didn’t think much of. It was weird that her online psychologist recommended her an apartment that was available on short notice, but Astrid was fast becoming a friend, something Scarlett lacked.

The building in front of her reflected how much Astrid had come to know her. An apartment near the sea, with the most beautiful blend of calming colors, nothing like her own life, which wasn’t calm or colorful. Scarlett took a deep breath and listened for the distant, but serene sound of the beach behind her new apartment, the cool breeze ruffled her luscious red locs. She started towards the building dragging her huge luggage behind her.

After a few seconds of dealing with paperwork in the lobby, Scarlett was ready to collapse and sleep forever. She made her way to the elevator admiring her surroundings as she moved. Flowers decorated the passageway, each pot with a considerable amount of space between.

The building's interior was chic and exotic just the way she liked it. She loved the soft colors that blended to give it a cool feel. She shivered. The word ‘cool' reminded her of the weather forecast that morning. Snow. It was going to snow very soon and her stomach rolled at the thought.

Scarlett didn’t hate the snow. In fact, she loved it. She'd loved playing in the snow as a child or just watching it fall, but that was before she started getting the visions. 

Now, snow, especially the first snow, always filled her with longing and reminders of a sad memory. A memory that was hers, but at the same time, wasn’t.

Now the snow which was once her favorite thing ever just made her restless, miserable, and always clouded her with a shroud of deep sadness.

Especially the first snow.

Scarlett's lips lifted in a tiny grimace as she recalled a day she gave in to the pressure and cried. Though it would’ve been laughable to anyone, there was nothing remotely funny about it to her. Because she was someone with a connection to her past life.

She had memories of a life she never lived.

She’d also learned the hard way that no one associated with a freak who had a connection with her past life. And it was no small connection either. She was used to being labeled as a weirdo no matter where she went, and sadly, she got used to it.

Kelvin had resented her for it, and Scarlett didn’t blame him at the time. That was the reason she had stayed with him even when he became abusive because she'd felt like she owed him something. Not anymore.

Now she moved on, accepted her past life, and the fact that she loved a man she didn’t know.

It was dangerous.

Scarlett snorted, “As if I’ll ever meet him.”

The elevator doors opening halted her train of thoughts. She stepped into the thankfully empty elevator and keyed on the fourth floor. As the door was about to close, a hand stopped it and the person's body closely followed.

The girl settled beside her and Scarlett wondered why she didn’t put in her floor number too, maybe she stayed on the same floor?

Her thick hair was in a twist out, and it bounced around as she moved. The bright lights in the elevator made her dark skin glow, like her eyes.

They didn’t talk throughout the ride.

When the elevator dinged and stopped, they both tried to leave at the same time. Scarlett stumbled as the girl’s shoulder bumped into hers. Thankfully, she caught herself before she hit the floor.

“I’m so sorry!” The girl looked embarrassed as she apologized and helped Scarlett regain her balance.

“It’s okay,” Scarlett said smiling. It was mostly the fault of her heavy backpack and her tired limbs.

She bent to pick up her suitcase which had dropped in the hassle. When she looked up, she was surprised to still see the girl standing there.

“Do you live here?” The girl asked as her eyes appraised Scarlett’s luggage “Or you just moved in?” She sounded hopeful, Scarlett noted. And Her voice was the epitome of gentle and calm.

“Yeah, I stay at number 204,” Scarlett answered as they began to walk down the hall.

“I stay there too!”

“Huh?”

“Sorry, I meant I stay opposite, 205.” She smiled scratching the back of her head.

“Oh.” She was her neighbor then.

The girl stuck out her hand with a friendly smile. “I’m Brianna and you?”

“Scarlett,” she paused. “You can call me Scar though.” They shook hands briefly.

“Okay...” Brianna fidgeted a little. “And I love your hair,” she said finally.

“Thanks,” Scarlett smiled at the compliment... After all, she was named after her hair.

They walked side by side till Brianna stopped at a door. Room 205 was written boldly in black letters on a gold template.

Brianna pointed to the side, towards a door directly beside her own. “That’s room 204.”

“Okay.” Scarlett smiled at her, she didn’t know it could be this easy to make a friend. Maybe not a friend yet, but at least an acquaintance. She was normally a loner, and not the good type.

“It was nice meeting you, Scar.” Brianna beamed.

“Nice meeting you too Brianna.” Scarlett smiled back. They both turned to enter their respective rooms. Nice people like Brianna were rare these days.