Ivan stared at the nursing home, idly sitting on his motorbike. It was eight AM on a Saturday morning and any normal senior in high school would’ve been sleeping in but there he was. He wasn’t even sure if the nursing home accepted visitors at this hour and wasn’t even sure what reason he had to visit Juliet Rose.
Especially when he looked like he barely slept at all.
He glanced at himself in the mirror of the bike. He had tried to smooth down his hair, made sure that he didn’t look like he just rolled out of his bed, got on his motorcycle and sped to the nursing home the moment the sun shone. He didn’t know how to hide the dark circles around his eyes though and he couldn’t help but curse at the nightmare he had last night that had caused him stay wide awake.
He could still remember it clearly. As always, Hannah was in his dream but so was Juliet. It was why he felt like Juliet was a part of his previous life. When he saw her with Hannah and Emerson the previous day, there was something about her that felt familiar to him but not in any way near the familiarity that he felt with Hannah.
In his dream, he was with Hannah, as he always was but they were arguing about something. It was the first time that he dreamed of arguing with her. They were in a parking lot and Hannah pushed him away and stalked off. Juliet had suddenly appeared by his side. But the version of her in his dream was younger, different from the one he saw in the nursing home.
“Just because Hannah loves you don’t mean that you get to control her life, Ivan!” Juliet said, glaring at me. “Look, I’m all for your team because I see the way you look at her but control her one more time, tell her who to be friends with again, then I’m sorry but I will do everything I could to convince her to break up with you.”
Ivan’s eyebrows rose and he narrowed his eyes at her. He was losing his patience with Hannah’s best friend. She’s always been around lurking behind the two of them. Hannah always wanted her by her side and they barely had time alone together. And now here she was, telling him off about what he asked Hannah to do.
“You wouldn’t dare, Juliet,” Ivan growled.
Juliet scoffed. “If it’s about my best friend’s well-being, I would, Ivan. She’s had a lot of crap to deal with all her life. She doesn’t need from you too.”
Ivan rolled her eyes. “I’m doing what I know is best for her.”
“And telling her to stop being friends with Dominic is best for her? How? So you wouldn’t get jealous? For goodness sake, Ivan, she chose you!”
That was true. Hannah chose him over everything else, over medical school, a scholarship, even over her father. She loved him that much and he would go to the ends of the earth just for her too. But he couldn’t bear any more day of her being friends with a guy he knew was desperately in love with her just as he was.
“She always chose you, Ivan. Would it kill you to cut her some slack? It’s her life, she can be friends with who she pleases,” Juliet stated before turning around and ready to follow where Hannah went. But Ivan grabbed onto her arm and spun her around to face him.
His jaw was clenched and his eyes were blazing with annoyance. He inched his face closer to hers and made sure that she understood what he meant. “She’s mine, Juliet. I don’t want Dominic hanging off of her like a pathetic leech, unable to understand that she chose me and she will never reciprocate the feelings he has for her.”
Juliet narrowed her eyes at him and pushed him away. “If you didn’t come in the picture, she would’ve chosen him, Ivan. You just came waltzing in her life and taking her away from him. She was supposed to be his. You’re the one that took her from him.”
The dream bothered him that much was true. For one thing, the intensity of his love for Hannah in that dream bordered to obsession. For another, he actually felt the jealousy singing in his veins. He wanted to know if it really happened if he and Juliet had that kind of confrontation.
But he couldn’t understand how he could ask Juliet without sounding absolutely crazy. He still had no conclusion as to why he remembered Hannah and he had decided to just go forth with his memories and the feelings bubbling inside of him. He realized he will never find the answers to his questions if he kept on wondering rather than actually doing something that could lead him to figure things out.
“Hi, is Juliet Rose awake?” Ivan asked the receptionist politely.
“Wow, you’re the second visitor Julie has and it’s only 8AM in the morning. I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to have a visitor. You came with Emmy yesterday, right?” The receptionist asked him kindly, a warm smile on her face.
Ivan nodded and smiled. “Yes. I’m one of Emmy’s friends. I thought it’d be nice to check on Julie for her.”
“Your other friend had the same thoughts. Julie’s in her room. I’ll ask a nurse to bring you there. It’s a good thing today is a good day for her. She doesn’t seem off today.”
Ivan wasn't surprised to see Hannah chatting with Juliet when he walked in the room. But she was surprised at the sight of him. So was Juliet. The older lady glanced at Hannah and then at Ivan but offered him a kind smile.
“Hello, Ivan.”
Ivan sat down on the available chair. The nurse checked on Juliet for a moment and then left the three of them alone. Juliet turned to Hannah and smiled. “I knew he’d be here. Wherever you are, he’s always there trailing behind. “
Hannah turned to Ivan for a moment. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you?” Ivan countered. He nodded at Juliet. “I came here to visit her.”
“You two still talk like you’re the only ones in the room,” Juliet stated, amusement lacing her voice. Ivan’s eyebrows furrowed. Juliet acted like she knew them so well. If that was the case, then that meant his dream was a memory from a previous life.
“I came here with my brother,” Hannah said, answering his question. “He went to see Kelvin. In fact, I should go see how things are with them. I’ll be back right back, Julie.”
Hannah touched Juliet’s hand tenderly and flashed the older woman a kind smile. But Ivan saw the sadness in her eyes as she looked at Juliet. She let go of Juliet’s hand and stood up, not even bothering a glance at Ivan.
“Did you two argue again?”
Ivan’s head snapped back to Juliet, his eyebrows furrowed. “We barely even talk. I don’t know what you mean.”
Juliet rolled her eyes. “Oh don’t play dumb with me, Ivan. The moment you moved here you’ve been smitten with Hannah. You couldn’t take your eyes off of her. But then who wouldn’t? Hannah’s the belle of the town. Everyone’s bound to love her.”
Ivan’s eyebrows rose at the statement. Juliet was talking about a different life and he had some memories of that lifetime. He’d been dreaming about it at times and during the day, bits and pieces of a previous life would come to mind. This was the only time he knew when to differentiate when that life was. The one that Juliet meant was the life before this one.
“You were jealous of her?” Ivan couldn’t help but ask.
Juliet scoffed and shook her head. “Of course not. Like everyone else, I adored Hannah. She was sweet and caring and the best friend anyone could ever have. She was the sweetest person you’ll ever get the chance of meeting.”
Something flashed in her eyes and then she turned to Ivan and said, “But you changed her.”
Ivan stared at Juliet surprise. He wasn’t expecting the last statement. But then, it figured that she would harbor anger at him because he had remembered the two of them arguing. Before he could ask her how he changed Hannah, she walked in the room with Dominic following closely behind her.
“Juliet,” Hannah said, her voice coated with the longing of the lost time of being beside her friend. She sat beside Juliet and took her hand with a smile. “This is my brother, Dominic.”
Dominic stepped forward and smiled at Juliet, ignoring Ivan. Juliet stared at him for a moment and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. “Oh Dominic! Oh, I’ve missed you! I have no clue where you’ve gone after…”
Juliet trailed off and then suddenly had a blank look on her face. Her eyebrows furrowed, eyes glazed. She tried long and hard to remember what she was going to say but simply couldn’t. Ivan saw Hannah’s heartbreak, he could see it in her eyes. It hurt her to see Juliet in this state and seeing her like that hurt him.
“Julie?” A nurse walked into the room, heading to where Juliet sat. She touched Juliet’s arm and Juliet looked at her, still looking dazed. She sighed. “I guess they’ve worn you out, dear.”
“Oh, is everyone here for me?” Juliet asked, looking at the three of them. Hannah turned away, unable to watch Juliet’s change of pace. “Oh dear me, what are you all here for?”
Dominic glanced at Hannah and then turned back at Juliet. He knelt in front of her and smiled. “They’re friends with your granddaughter, they just wanted to check if you’re doing okay while she works her shift.”
But there was no recognition in Juliet’s eyes. She didn’t comment about Emerson. Instead, she touched Dominic’s face and caressed his cheek with her thumb. “You look so much like a dear old friend of mine. But he’s gone now. Left when the love of his life died a tragic death.”
“Wow, okay, I think it’s time for your morning nap, Julie.” The nurse stated, helping Juliet stand up. Dominic moved to Hannah’s side but Ivan saw the shock in his eyes. Juliet glanced at the three of them again but didn’t say a word, simply shook her head and headed to her bed.
“We’ll see ourselves out,” Hannah said, finally speaking again. She grabbed Dominic’s hand and held on tightly to her brother. Ivan’s stomach churned at the sight. He wanted her to hold onto him, not her ‘brother’. But then, they were merely co-workers at the café and classmates at school.
“I better get going, Hannah,” Dominic said once the three of them were outside. He pulled Hannah in for a tight hug, squeezing her for a moment before letting her go. Ivan gritted his teeth, not appreciating the way he hugged her, “If you change your mind, I could still take you home.”
Hannah shook her head and held onto both of Dominic’s wrists. She smiled at him. “It’s okay. I’ll just take the bus.”
“I could take you home,” Ivan suddenly said, reminding the two that he was around.
Both heads snapped in his direction. Dominic furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes questioning. “And who are you? I didn’t catch your name.”
“He’s the one I was stuck with at the café. You rescued us both with Sheriff Daniels. He’s the sheriff’s son,” Hannah said and then motioned her hand at Ivan, “This is Ivan Daniels. Ivan, this is my brother, Dominic.”
Ivan could only manage a curt nod. He knew that they weren’t biologically related and he felt uneasy with how close the two of them were with each other. Dominic seized him up a moment, the way a brother would to any guy getting close to his sister. But then, it could be the way a guy would seize up the competition to a girl he likes.
But they grew up thinking they were siblings, Ivan shouldn’t be jealous.
“Hi,” Ivan said, offering his hand for Dominic to shake, “I could take your sister home, make sure she gets their safe. In one piece.”
But Dominic wasn’t agreeing yet, “Where’s your car?”
“I have a motorbike,” Ivan answered.
Dominic scoffed and shook his head. “That’s dangerous. We already lost our brother to an accident. I’m not putting my sister at risk.”
Hannah cleared her throat and then pointed at her watch. “I already rode with him once, Dom. He’s a safe rider. And you should get going or you’ll be late for work.”
Dominic didn’t look convinced but sighed and heeded her. He glanced at Ivan and said, “Make sure you keep her safe,” and then he turned back to Hannah and pulled her in for another hug, “be safe, Hannah. I’ll see you at home.”
He left without glancing at Ivan but it wasn’t as if Ivan minded. He turned at Hannah and tapped her shoulder. “So shall I take you home?”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to be formal with me. But you don’t have to. I’ll take the bus. Thanks for your offer though.”
He grabbed her hand before she could take a step forward. “I told your brother I’ll take you home.”
“And I’m not wasting a fine Saturday stuck inside our house. I’ve been doing some digging about Dom’s life for quite a while and I haven’t had a chance to explore this town. I’d like to do it now.”
Ivan smiled. “Mind some company?”
Hannah looked at him for a moment, contemplating. Ivan rolled his eyes and stepped closer to her. He tilted his head to the side, hoping he looked as charming as he intended to be. “C’mon, Hannah. I could tour you around town.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “You have no memories about this town, Ivan.”
“Then we can make new ones,” Ivan answered quickly, still smiling, “I’ll make new memories about this town and you can make yours. Take it as if two new kids exploring the place they ended up in. Don’t you think it sounds fun?”
“Even if I say no, why do I think that you’ll just think of some ways to convince me to let you tag along?”
Ivan grinned. “That’s a yes?”
Hannah turned away from him. “I’ll need a ride anyways.”