By the fifth day, Elena had had enough of the hospital.
The constant questions. The tests. The feeling of being watched every second—it was getting to her.
When the doctor came in that morning, she didn't wait for him to speak.
"I want to go home."
The doctor paused, glancing at her chart. "We were actually going to discuss that today."
"Good," Elena said. "Because I'm ready."
He studied her for a moment. "Physically, you're stable. Your injuries are healing well. The memory loss is still a concern, but recovery in a familiar environment might help."
"That means I can leave?" she asked.
"Yes. With conditions."
Elena let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.
Finally.
---
An hour later, Claire arrived with a bright smile.
"I heard you're being discharged!"
Elena nodded, sitting at the edge of the bed as the nurse finished removing her IV. "Yeah."
"That's great," Claire said, walking closer. "You'll feel so much better at home."
Elena glanced at her.
Home.
The word still didn't feel real.
"I guess," she said.
Claire clapped her hands lightly. "I'll help you get settled. Don't worry about anything."
Before Elena could respond, the door opened again.
Adrian.
Of course.
He stepped inside like he owned the place, his gaze immediately finding Elena.
"You're leaving today," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Elena nodded. "Yes."
"I'll take you home."
There it was.
That tone again.
Decisive. Final.
Like it had already been decided.
Elena felt something in her chest tighten.
"No," she said.
The word came out calm.
But firm.
For a second, Adrian didn't react.
Then his brows drew together slightly. "What?"
"I said no," Elena repeated. "Claire can take me."
Claire blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"I—yes, of course," she said quickly.
Adrian's gaze shifted to her, then back to Elena.
"I'll take you," he said again.
Like she hadn't spoken.
Elena let out a short breath, irritation rising.
"Did you not hear me?"
"I heard you," he replied.
"Then why are you repeating yourself?"
"Because your answer doesn't make sense."
That did it.
Elena stood up slowly, ignoring the slight pull in her side.
"My answer makes perfect sense," she said. "I don't know you."
The room went quiet.
Claire shifted awkwardly behind them.
Adrian's expression hardened slightly. "You do."
"No, I don't," Elena snapped. "Not anymore. And until I do, you don't get to make decisions for me."
"I'm not making decisions. I'm helping you."
"By controlling everything I do?"
His jaw tightened. "That's not what I'm doing."
"It feels like it."
The words came out sharper than she intended, but she didn't take them back.
For the past few days, he had been everywhere.
Answering questions for her.
Speaking over her.
Deciding things before she could.
And she was tired of it.
"I can decide how I get home," she continued. "That's not something you need to handle."
Adrian stared at her.
Long. Silent.
Then he said, "You're not in a position to—"
"Stop."
The word cut through the room.
Even Claire went still.
Elena took a step forward, her eyes locked on his.
"Don't say that to me," she said, her voice low but steady. "Don't talk to me like I'm incapable of thinking for myself."
"That's not what I meant."
"That's exactly what you meant."
Silence.
Heavy.
Tense.
Elena's chest rose and fell as she tried to steady herself.
"I don't know what kind of relationship we had before," she said. "But right now, you're just someone who keeps telling me what to do."
Adrian's expression darkened slightly.
"And I don't like it."
Claire cleared her throat softly. "Maybe we should just—"
"No," Elena said without looking at her. "I'm not done."
She turned back to Adrian.
"If you want to help me, then start by respecting me," she continued. "Because right now, it doesn't feel like you do."
For a moment, no one spoke.
Adrian's gaze didn't waver.
But something in it had changed.
Something colder.
"Fine," he said finally.
The word was short.
Controlled.
But there was an edge to it.
"Go with her."
Elena didn't respond.
She just turned away, picking up her bag.
Claire let out a quiet breath, clearly relieved.
"I'll go get the car ready," she said quickly, heading for the door.
The moment she left, the room felt even more tense.
Elena didn't look at Adrian.
She could feel his eyes on her.
But she ignored it.
After a few seconds, he spoke.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be."
Elena let out a small, humorless laugh.
"I think you already made it hard."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
She turned to face him again.
"It means… I don't trust you."
The words hung in the air.
Blunt.
Honest.
Adrian's expression didn't change immediately.
But she saw it.
That slight shift.
"You don't even know me right now," he said.
"Exactly," she replied. "And somehow, that makes it worse."
Silence.
"You act like you have a right over me," she continued. "Like I belong to you in some way."
His jaw tightened.
"And I don't like that feeling."
Another silence.
Then Adrian said, quietly, "You did."
Elena froze.
"What?"
"You did belong to me," he said.
The words were calm.
But they hit hard.
Something about them made her stomach twist.
Elena stared at him.
"I'm not something you can own," she said slowly.
"I didn't say you were."
"You just did."
Their eyes locked.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Elena shook her head.
"Whatever we had before…" she said, "it's gone now."
Adrian didn't respond.
But his gaze darkened.
"And until I remember anything," she added, "you don't get to act like I'm yours."
She picked up her bag again.
"I'm leaving."
---
The drive with Claire was quiet at first.
Too quiet.
Elena sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window as the city passed by.
Everything looked unfamiliar.
The streets.
The buildings.
Even the people.
It felt like she was in someone else's life.
Claire glanced at her a few times before finally speaking.
"You didn't have to talk to him like that."
Elena didn't look at her. "Like what?"
"Like he was… nothing."
Elena frowned slightly.
"That's not what I did."
"It kind of is."
Elena turned to face her.
"Then tell me what he is," she said. "Because no one seems to want to give me a straight answer."
Claire hesitated.
Elena noticed it immediately.
"There it is again," she said. "That pause."
"I'm just trying to find the right way to explain it."
"Then try harder."
Claire tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
"You and Adrian… it's complicated."
Elena almost laughed.
"Of course it is."
"You've been… seeing each other for a while."
"Seeing each other how?"
Another pause.
Elena's patience was running out.
"Claire."
"You were close," Claire said quickly.
"That's not an answer."
"It is."
"No, it's not," Elena snapped. "Close can mean anything."
Claire stayed quiet.
That silence told Elena everything she needed to know.
Her chest tightened.
"You're hiding something."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Claire shook her head. "I'm just trying not to overwhelm you."
"That's not your decision to make."
The words came out sharper than she intended.
But she didn't take them back.
Claire exhaled slowly. "You should focus on getting better first."
Elena looked at her.
Really looked at her.
And for the first time, something clicked.
Not a memory.
A realization.
"You keep defending him," Elena said.
Claire blinked. "What?"
"Every time I question him, you step in."
"That's not true."
"It is," Elena insisted. "Even at the hospital."
Claire looked away for a second.
That was enough.
Elena's stomach dropped slightly.
"Is there something between you two?"
The question came out before she could stop it.
Claire's head snapped back toward her.
"What? No."
Too fast.
Too defensive.
Elena felt it immediately.
"You didn't even think before answering."
"Because there's nothing to think about."
"Then why does it feel like there is?"
Claire's grip on the wheel tightened.
"There isn't."
Elena studied her face.
The tension.
The slight shift in her eyes.
The way she avoided looking at her for too long.
Something wasn't right.
"I don't believe you," Elena said quietly.
Claire didn't respond.
And that silence said more than words ever could.
---
When the car finally stopped, Elena looked up.
A building stood in front of them.
Tall. Modern. Expensive.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"I live here?" she asked.
Claire nodded. "Yes."
Elena stared at it.
Something about it felt… distant.
Like it didn't belong to her.
"Let's go inside," Claire said.
Elena stepped out of the car slowly, her eyes scanning everything.
This was her life.
Supposedly.
But it didn't feel like it.
As they walked toward the entrance, one thought kept repeating in her mind.
Adrian.
Claire.
The way they acted.
The way they avoided certain questions.
The way things didn't add up.
Elena didn't remember her past.
But she wasn't blind.
And right now—
It felt like she had just walked into the middle of something she wasn't supposed to see.
Something messy.
Something hidden.
Something that involved both of them.
And she was going to find out exactly what it was.