Thankfully, the doctor said she could go home in a week’s time.

Tiana couldn’t wait for that day to come. She did her walks and exercises diligently and in a week’s time she could walk properly although she couldn’t run or carry heavy things yet.

​​

The hospital organized a farewell party for her, everyone was excited that she was finally back on her feet. It was on that day her fans knew she had woken up.

Outside the hospital stood a crowd of people screaming and wishing her well.

Nicklaus’ men made sure she got into the car safely, Nicklaus was by her side all through, and Tiana didn’t let go of his hand till they got home.

The workers were all outside, waiting excitedly. Nicklaus had told them she was coming back that day, and although they already cleaned the house everyday, that day they took extra care, prepared a banquet, and decorated the house.

Nicklaus stepped out and helped her out of the car.

Tiana looked around, the house seemed familiar. She smiled as she walked towards the workers waiting outside, with beautiful smiles on their faces.

They greeted her happily and Tiana waved at them. They seemed very happy to see her.

As she walked past the door, she remembered walking past that door, and on with someone, a man, she had told him she would be going to her mom’s anniversary with Gwen.

No, was that where it happened?

Tiana closed her eyes briefly, calming herself down. Her thoughts weren’t fitting into place.

Nicklaus held her hand as they walked upstairs.

“Do you think you can walk up the stairs all the time, do you want to stay downstairs?”

He asked and she shook her head,

“No, it’s okay. Besides it’s a form of exercise.” She said.

They walked into the room and Tiana looked around the room, taking in everything.

Suddenly it clicked, it was here the call happened.

Tiana remembered who he was the voice was Nicklaus’.

She looked at him with a small smile.

“You must be hungry, the chef already prepared lunch, you can freshen up and go eat downstairs.”

Tiana nodded.

Nicklaus threw his phone on the couch and started to undress.

Tiana’s eyes followed his hands and she watched the buttons come undone.

Was he… he didn’t even wait for her to leave.

She never saw him undress in the hospital, he showered at home most of the times.

Tiana tried to look elsewhere but her eyes were drawn to him again.

His clothes came off his body and her eyes caught onto the beautiful Flames tattoo on his chest, it was so very familiar in her memories. She stared at it intently as she tried to remember.

“You like my tattoo?”

Nicklaus asked, when he had caught her staring.

“Yeah, it’s pretty, I have one too, on my breast and neck, I can’t remember when I got it.”

She stood up and walked towards him,

“Mm, you said you wanted to get one, you really liked it.”

Nicklaus said as he watched her close the gap between them.

She raised her hand and touched his chest.

Nicklaus breathed in as she traced his chest with his fingers.

“Its beautiful…” she murmured.

She smiled and brought down her hand but Nicklaus caught it and placed it back on his chest.

Tiana looked at him.

His gaze was passionate and she could feel the air in the room become hot.

His other hand went around her waist and pull her closer patiently, as though giving her a chance to leave if she wanted to.

He was looking at her lips now and she knew he wanted to kiss her, she gulped.

His head leaned closer towards her, but she didn’t move away.

She wanted to. She wasn’t sure how she felt about him, but she wanted to kiss his lips, so she didn’t move away.

Nicklaus held her head and their lips touched.

Her eyes closed slowly and she parted her mouth, kissing him back.

Her hands held his neck and in seconds, slow passionate kiss became a little too hot.

Tiana was losing her mind. It was as though her body was acting on its own, she wanted to kiss him but she didn’t think her body would react this way.

Her fingers pulled at his hair, as she kissed him deeply.

Nicklaus left her lips and kissed down her neck, Tiana moaned, her eyes rolling backwards.

She pulled his head back up so she could kiss him again, Nicklaus reached under her gown, his hands grabbing her butt.

He shouldn’t be rough on her bones, but he couldn’t stop himself, damn, it was over a year since he touched her.

He couldn’t control his actions.

Tiana moaned against his mouth, her hands reaching for his buckles.

Then suddenly she stopped.

“I remember…” Tiana said.

Nicklaus opened his eyes, he stared at her puzzled,

“Remember what?”

“I told you I saw Gwen on the day of the accident, right?”

“Yeah,”

Nicklaus replied, he had a serious hard on at that moment, and he was trying his best to come back to himself and understand what she was talking about.

“I think I remember what she said,”

Tiana walked away from him, and his hands slowly slipped from underneath her dress.

Nicklaus swallowed, he wished they could leave that for later but it was clearly more important to her than what they were doing. So walking towards her, he tried to listen,

“what happened?”

Tiana turned to look at him,

“She said I was selfish, she said… she said all these wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been selfish?”

Tiana breathed frantically. It was as though she didn’t want to believe what she had just remembered.

Nicklaus was quiet. Should he tell her now?

He wondered.

Tiana laughed, “no maybe I was hearing things, my sister can’t possibly say something like that to me…”

She paused and looked at Nicklaus,

“Do you know what she meant by that?

It meant that she knew about the accident…”

Tiana paused, the more she spoke the more clearer that day became in her head.

“yes she was just across the road, I can remember, I can remember clearly. I wanted to call out to her, then the car tumbled over.”

Tiana said, her eyes wide.

“But I can’t believe she said that, that doesn’t fit in… what have I been selfish about?”

Tiana looked at Nicklaus, who was watching her patiently and she frowned.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Tiana asked, her head was beginning to hurt.

Something was not right.

Nicklaus sighed and took her hand,

“Beautiful, I have to tell you something.”

…

“I didn’t do anything to her because you were still not awake yet.”

Tiana was quiet.

Trying to comprehend what he had just said.

She couldn’t believe any of it, it was so unreal.

Gwen wouldn’t do any of that to her. She wanted to tell herself but her words that day when she had laid in the pool of her own blood, was enough to tell her it was all true.

“Is she really out of the country or you lied to me to keep me from meeting her?”

Tiana asked and Nicklaus nodded,

“I’m sorry about that, I lied.”

Tiana breathed in.

“Thank you for not touching her and waiting for me to wake up, I really want to see her now, but I want to regain the rest of my memories before I do so. She had said I was selfish, I want to know what I did that made me selfish, I want to know if she was right by hurting me as much as she did.”

Nicklaus nodded. He was finally relieved that he wouldn’t have to lie to her anymore.

“Ill go take a shower and come down for lunch.”

Tiana said and walked to the bathroom.

Nicklaus breathed out and fell back on the couch, the earlier steaminess had disappeared completely, and so had his hard on.

…

“Nicklaus told me what you did, thank you so much. I already told him to give you a raise.”

Bella smiled,

“No need to thank me, I only did what I should have done as a friend.”

Tiana smiled. It seemed she was close with her.

“I’m sorry, I can’t really remember somethings, were we friends?”

Tiana asked and Bella smiled,

“No need to apologize, Nicklaus already told us, and we were a little close, well closer than the rest of the workers, we interacted a few times, and we were close when you first came here.”

Tiana nodded.

“Thank you, again. I don’t know what would have happened if you had not interrupted her.”

“I really didn’t want it to come to that but I guess it did. After I heard she tried to poison you, I knew she was capable of anything.”

Tiana forced a smile. She had always cared about Gwen so this had really come as a hard blow.

“Alright, I was walking to the garden, Nicklaus said it was that way.”

“Yeah, I’ll follow you, do you remember getting lost when you first came here, I don’t want you to get lost again.”

“Haha, Nicklaus told me, but I’m not going to stray far, I just want some quiet.”

“Alright then.”

Bella smiled and Tiana walked away.

When she had walked far, her mind drifted back to Gwen.

She remembered their childhood, times she had made herself unhappy so she could be happy.

Times she had given her the prettier clothes so she could stop crying.

Tiana couldn’t understand why she could do such to her.

Maybe she did something she couldn’t remember yet? Tiana tried to think, but she couldn’t remember.

Sighing she turned around to go back into the house but at that moment she realized she had strayed far into the maze.