freedom taste like you

Chapter 28

Amber’s POV

By the time I got back to campus, my feelings felt heavier than before.

Maybe it was the silence that followed after the weekend, or maybe it was just the thought of Timothy and Lydia “getting back together” echoing in my head like a song I didn’t want to hear.

Juliet met me at the dorm entrance, all smiles as usual.

“You look refreshed,” she said cheerfully. “How was home?”

“It was good,” I replied, forcing a smile. “Emma fed me like she was trying to make up for a year of starvation.”

She laughed. “That sounds like fun.”

We walked up to our room together, and even though Juliet didn’t say it, I could tell she wanted to ask about Timothy.

I briefed her on my difficulties one night. I couldn't help myself, she just seemed really nice and easy to talk to, and besides it's not like I said too much, I just explained to her about how his family adopted me and how it's been weird these past few days with him not spending time with me like he used to.

Okayy, maybe that's too much information, but like I said, you can't blame me.

“Are you and Timothy good now?” she finally asked as she unpacked her bag.

I hesitated. “Yeah, I think so. We talked.”

Her head popped up. “Oh. That’s good, right?”

I gave a small shrug, sitting down on my bed. “I guess. He told me he and Lydia might be getting back together.”

Juliet froze, her lips parting slightly. “Oh.”

That was all she said, but that single word carried more than enough meaning. I knew she probably already knew this, but it felt like she knew something else.

“Yeah,” I whispered, picking at a loose thread on my blanket. “Which is good right? Since they didn't before”. I said trying to sound supportive, hoping she wouldn't notice how sad that sentence made me feel.

Juliet sighed and sat beside me. “I mean, I guess. They had a lot of fall outs, which Lydia never really handled well. I just hope they know what they are doing.”

“Me too,” I murmured. But the truth was, I didn’t even know what I wanted anymore.

—

Classes the next day felt like a blur. I didn’t see Timothy, though I caught sight of Lydia once, standing by the cafeteria steps talking to a few people. She looked radiant, confident, like someone who got exactly what she wanted.

I didn’t wait to see if Timothy would show up. I turned the other way and kept walking.

After my last lecture, I went to the coffee shop nearby to get a drink before heading back. The same one where I’d met Timothy last time. I didn’t know why I chose that place again..maybe I just wanted to feel what I felt that day before everything turned complicated.

The shop was quiet, filled with the faint hum of soft jazz and the scent of roasted beans. I found a corner seat and ordered a cappuccino.

As I waited, my phone buzzed.

Ben: Hey, are you back yet?

I smiled unconsciously.

Me: Yeah, I got in yesterday.

Ben: Coffee today?

I stared at the message for a few seconds before replying.

Me: I’m literally at a coffee shop right now.

Ben: Perfect. Stay there.

Before I could type anything else, he sent another text:

Ben: Five minutes.

And true to his word, five minutes later, the bell at the door chimed.

There he was..tall, a little disheveled, hair slightly messy from the wind. He spotted me almost immediately and grinned as he walked over.

“Amber,” he said warmly, sliding into the seat across from me.

“Ben,” I greeted back with a smile that came easier than I expected.

“You came back sooner than I thought,” he said, setting his phone on the table.

“I couldn’t stay home forever”, I replied. “Besides, Emma was starting to feed me like I was training for a marathon.”

He laughed. A deep, genuine sound that instantly lightened the air around us.

We talked about classes, campus food, random things. He was easy to talk to…effortless in a way that didn’t make me think too hard or second-guess every word like I usually did.

“By the way,” he said after a while, stirring his drink, “I saw you and that guy at the café last time. Timothy, right?”

I froze for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. That was him.”

“your boyfriend?”

The question made my heart skip. “No,” I said quickly, maybe too quickly. “He’s just… a friend, more like family, I was adopted by his mum so we practically live together like siblings.” I added, not sure why I gave that much information out, already shaking my head inwardly for my blabbing mouth.

Ben nodded, a small knowing smile tugging at his lips. “oh, that's nice.”

I didn’t say anything else. I just stared at the foam on my drink, tracing patterns with my spoon.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice gentler now. “Hey… you don’t have to explain. I get it.”

That made me look up. “Get what?”

“The way you looked at him,” he said softly. “And the way you’re trying not to.”

My breath hitched, but he didn’t push. He just smiled and leaned back, giving me space to breathe again.

We sat there for a long time after that, talking about random things…his major, my classes, how awful the Wi-Fi in the dorms was. By the time we realized how late it had gotten, the coffee shop was nearly empty.

“I should walk you back,” he said, standing up.

“You don’t have to—”

“I know,” he interrupted lightly. “But I want to.”

So I let him.

The walk back was quiet but comforting. The night air was cool, the street lamps casting soft yellow glows on the sidewalk. I wasn’t sure why, but walking beside Ben felt… easy.

At the dorm entrance, he stopped. “So… Monday coffee turned out pretty good, huh?”

I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yeah. It did.”

“Good,” he said softly, stepping back. “See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. See you.”

I watched him walk away, his figure fading into the night.

For the first time in a while, my chest didn’t feel as heavy.

Maybe it was the coffee.

Or maybe…it was Ben.