Chapter 23
" Why don't I show you the other side?" Zander tried to change the topic. " No seriously, have we ever met before, like ever?" She looked straight into his eyes. He wanted to tell her that it wasn't just a meeting or a friendly handshake that they shared, it was love. A last-minute realization of their true feelings which dwindled down before it even bloomed from the bud.
" No... no. I'll show you some more things. Come on!" His happy expression took over again as he grabbed her hand and pulled her through the crowd. It didn't sit well with Scarlett. The expression of being caught was what she saw... Did she actually know him, there was that tug in her chest again. It was hard for her to let it go like that. She knew what to do...
"Thank you so much for showing me around! I never thought that a museum visit could be this interesting." Her smile was warm and that swelled his heard with joy. He smiled back. He was tempted to tuck that strand of hair which was disturbing her vision behind her ears, the urge to hug her and apologize... It was too late after all. Too late that she even forgot what they would have been...
" You're welcome." She surprised both of them by hugging him. His hands were limp against his body and she thought that he didn't want to hug her. " Sorry." She pulled back and turned to leave. " Letta!" His voice stopped her. The name struck a chord in her. She was very sure that she had been called that before, many times. But who?
She turned around and refused to meet his eyes out of embarrassment. " I'm sorry." His voice trembled a little. She didn't know that his 'sorry' had more meaning than what she thought it was for. " I was just surprised." He said and pulled her into a hug. Her body reacted as if it was something she had done many times before. She hugged him and felt that tug again. " Why did you call me Letta?" She asked him genuinely. " You don't like it?" He asked her with a disappointed look.
" No! I actually have this feeling that I've been called by that name... I just don't remember who or when that happened. I love that name." She let out and he would be lying if he said that his tear glands weren't working well. He was trying hard to keep his smile intact and act casual about it. " I'm glad you do. I have to get going... Work's calling." He hurriedly said before running in the opposite direction.
She found that quite odd but let it slip. She met her friends at the entrance. " I didn't see you hugging him. Not even the second time." Portia said and Scarlett laughed. " Well, I'm glad you didn't." She said with a playful wink. " Do you like him?" Dorothy asked and Scarlett answered with honesty. " I don't know... But I have a feeling that I might have met him somewhere. I feel this weird familiarity with him. It's almost like the most natural thing to talk to him like I've done it before..." Dorothy looked at her with worry written on her face. She understood where that came from. But Portia decided that Scarlett was in love with the cute guy.
" I'm not!" Scarlett answered but her heart was skipping a beat when she said that. What was all of this? She needed answers... Maybe after she gets home she'll get them.
Every Thursday Scarlett had a great time with her family. They loved the way she was bonding with them, better than ever. The rehab decided that Scarlett was free to leave after two more weeks. She wasn't happier when she heard that.
The following days went by in a breeze and she met Zander on the Saturdays. She was growing closer to him and she liked it. She still had questions that she had to ask her family. She knew that her siblings might help her.
" Can I get your number?" Scarlett asked as she sat next to Zander. " Sure. But what about your phone?" He asked. " I have a notebook for now?" She was unsure. " Of course." He took it from her and jotted down his number. " I've never seen a guy who has neat handwriting, well, except for you of course." She said and he chuckled at her compliment.
" That was... uh... thank you, Letta!" He thanked her. " Today is my last day in the rehab," she said without looking at him. " That's amazing!" He let out and gave her a sideward hug. Her heart skipped a beat and she felt that tug. She wondered if there was something wrong with her heart. She hugged him back pushing the thoughts to the attic in her head.
" Will we still hang out when you go back home?" He asked her and she nodded. " Obviously. I'm planning to join college and major in art." Zander was proud of her. She was finally doing things that she wanted. Her life was taking orders from her this time, not the other way round.
" You want to meet tomorrow?" Zander was excited and he was bad at hiding it. " Yup! Tell me where." She stood up, ready to leave. " Dreams cafe." He said. " Sure. I'll be there at 4 in the evening. I need to go and get the applications for college." He held on to her wrist for support and got up. " Alright. I'll mock you if you're going to be late!" He joked and she laughed lightly before turning around as soon as he let go of her wrist. The place he held was still warm and she left after mumbling a goodbye. " See you!" Was his only reply.
She was saying goodbyes to everyone the next day. everyone loved her in the rehab. They wished her for a bright future and she made sure to especially say her goodbyes to her three support systems. Dorothy and Portia had tears of joy in their eyes. " We'll meet up when we get out of here," Dorothy said and Portia wordlessly agreed.
Marvin stood there awkwardly and finally gave in to the fact that he was a human and hugged her tightly. " We'll miss you!" He said and Scarlett was happy to see that he was changing too. " Bye." She finally left the place with her siblings who were there to pick her up.
As soon as she entered the car the question tumbled out of her mouth. " How do I know Zander?" Marie gasped softly, hardly audible and Trevor gulped visibly. " Tell me. Did you guys know him? " Silence was the only answer she got in return. The siblings weren't ready for this. At least not yet.