Her Home, His Heart | ✓

☆*✿FIFTY-ONE (51)❀*★

♪♪We're going down and you can see it too

We're going down

And you know that we're doomed, my dear

We're slow dancing in a burning room ♪♪

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ [Slow dancing in a burning room] - [John Mayers]

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The brightly lit hospital room was the first thing that greeted her when she opened her eyes. She shut it right back as questions swirled in her head.

Who am I? Ivana Ivaneć.

Esmé slumped, the tension easing from her body. She remembered who she was. It almost seemed like a dream.

Congratulations, Miss Ivaneć.

I'm so happy for you.

These were the little reminders she held on to, reminding herself that it wasn't a dream. But with the relief came questions she needed answers to and ones she wouldn't get if she continued resting. It's been five years too long.

She groaned as she tried to sit up, opening her eyes. Her head still ached from the hit to the floor.

Kian turned to her at the groan and hurried to help her.

"Thank you," she said once he took a step back.

He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He turned around back to the table to get the tray of food that he was sorting out there. Walking back to her, he asked, "How do you feel?"

"A lot better now," she replied with a smile, collecting the tray from him.

Kian sat by her side, waiting for her to eat something.

The surrounding atmosphere felt strained like they were both walking on eggshells. One not knowing what to say to each other.

Esmé was sure some of the strain from Kian's end had to do with the mention of Luka, but from her end, she wasn't entirely sure what it was about. With her memories back, she felt different. Things that should have been five years too old were not anything like that. The freedom she carried as Esmé was one she lacked as Ivana. This was something else she figured was the reason for Kian's restriction.

However conflicted she felt about who exactly she was, Esmé or Ivana, she knew she didn't want a strain between them.

"Have you had anything to eat?" she asked him.

Kian blinked, surprised at the question. "Yes," he replied with a smile in place. No matter how he felt about things, she had regained her memory and it was a joyous occasion for them, apart or together.

Esmé arched an eyebrow up, and he chuckled.

"I have, honestly. Petra made sure of that."

That was a good enough answer for her. She ate her food, and they both sat there in silence. It wasn't the first time she'd had Kian watch her eat, but it felt different. Questions popped into her mind. Was he checking to see if she was a different person? Was he waiting for her to dissect the food as she did before?

"Still your thoughts, Es-," he paused. "Ivana. They are running too wild."

Esmé chuckled at his statement. The mishap in the name wasn't something she missed. As much as she wanted to let him know she could always still be Esmé to him, she couldn't deny the skip of her heartbeat at him saying her real name.