Chapter five
774 Words
Amara's POV
“I'm going to be late!”
I grabbed my bag from the bed and rushed toward the door.
“Ava, hurry up!”
“I’m coming!”
“You've been saying that for the past five minutes!”
“Then stop rushing me!”
I rolled my eyes and stepped outside.
We had a lecture in less than ten minutes, and judging by the distance between the hostel and our lecture hall, we were already late.
I hurried down the walkway, barely paying attention to where I was going.
“Amara, slow down!”
“I can't!”
“Why?”
“Because we're late!”
I heard Ava laughing behind me.
I turned around for a second.
Big mistake.
My foot caught on something.
“Ah!”
Everything happened so quickly.
I lost my balance, my bag slipped from my shoulder, and I was certain I was about to hit the ground.
But I didn't.
Two strong arms caught me before I could fall.
For a moment, I couldn't move.
My heart was beating wildly from the shock.
“Are you okay?”
The voice was deep and strangely familiar.
I took a breath.
“I—I think so.”
I slowly lifted my head.
“Thank you so—”
The words died in my throat.
My heart stopped.
For a few seconds, the entire world seemed to disappear.
I stared at him.
He stared back at me.
Those eyes.
That face.
That familiar expression I had spent years trying not to remember.
No.
It couldn't be.
My lips parted slightly.
“...You?”
His eyes widened.
“Amara?”
I couldn't breathe.
Out of all the people in this university...
Out of all the places we could have been...
It had to be here.
It had to be him.
The person I never thought I would see again.
The person I had spent three years trying to forget.
My heart pounded so hard against my chest that I was almost certain he could hear it.
His hands were still around my arms.
He quickly let go.
“I'm sorry.”
I stepped back.
“No... it's okay.”
Neither of us looked away.
He looked different.
Older.
More mature.
But somehow, still exactly the same.
The same smile.
The same eyes.
The same person I had once known better than anyone.
A million memories threatened to rush through my mind, but I pushed them away.
Not now.
Not here.
Not after all these years.
He swallowed hard.
“I can't believe it's you.”
I forced a small smile.
“Neither can I.”
Ava finally caught up with us.
“Amara! Are you okay?”
I turned toward her.
“Yeah. I'm fine.”
She looked between us, confused.
Then she looked at him.
“Do you two know each other?”
Neither of us answered immediately.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
Three years.
Three whole years without seeing him.
And now he was standing right in front of me.
“Yeah,” he finally said.
His voice was softer this time.
“We know each other.”
I looked away.
That was an understatement.
We knew each other.
We knew each other's favourite songs.
We knew each other's fears.
We knew each other's dreams.
We knew how to make each other laugh when nothing else could.
We knew each other better than anyone.
At least, we used to.
Ava looked at me.
“Amara?”
I forced myself to look at her.
“Hmm?”
“Are you sure you're okay?”
I nodded.
“I'm fine.”
He gave me a small smile.
“It's really good to see you.”
My chest tightened.
“It's good to see you too.”
And somehow, saying those simple words felt like the hardest thing I'd ever done.
He glanced at the time.
“Don't you have a lecture?”
I looked at my phone.
My eyes widened.
“Oh my God!”
“We're late!” Ava exclaimed.
I quickly picked up my bag.
“We have to go.”
I took one last look at him.
He was still watching me.
Neither of us said goodbye.
Neither of us needed to.
I turned around and followed Ava toward the lecture hall.
But this time, I wasn't thinking about the lecture.
I wasn't thinking about being late.
I wasn't even thinking about university.
I was thinking about one thing.
Why was he here?
And more importantly...
Why did seeing him still make my heart feel like it had forgotten how to beat?
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