The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and buttery pastries filled the air as I stepped into the small, cozy coffee shop. The familiar warmth of the place settled over me, calming my jittery nerves.
Two years.
Two years since I'd seen him. Since I'd felt his arms around me, holding me the way only he could. I missed that feeling. I missed him.
My heart did a nervous little flip just thinking about seeing him again.
I glanced around, taking in the familiar layout of the shop. The tiny, round tables with mismatched chairs. The soft hum of conversations blending with the hiss of the espresso machine. It was the same place where I used to grab coffee after late-night study sessions since I started college.
I'd picked this place for a reason. Nostalgia.
Maybe it was silly.
Tugging at the sleeve of my sweater as I made my way to the counter. But I wanted this first moment back with him to feel familiar. Comfortable.
"Hi, I'll take a caramel latte, extra caramel," I said softly, then glanced at the display case. "And a chocolate croissant, please."
My stomach was too knotted with anticipation to be hungry, but I needed something to keep my hands busy.
"Coming right up," the barista chirped, her bright smile barely registering as I glanced around for the perfect table. I spotted one near the window, a table for two.
Perfect.
I checked my phone again. No new messages.
He said he'd be here.
I told him to meet me here since he didn't want me picking him up from the airport. "I want to learn my way around," he had said, that teasing tone in his voice that I'd missed so much.
My heart squeezed at the memory, and I couldn't help but smile softly.
"Caramel latte, extra caramel!"
I stood up to grab my drink just as another hand reached for it at the same time.
Our fingers brushed, and I jerked my hand back instinctively.
"Oh, I'm so sor-" I started, but the words died in my throat as I looked up.
My heart skipped a beat.
"Kath?"
I blinked, the sound of my old nickname pulling me straight back to senior year.
"Tyler?"
He grinned, his dimples flashing as he held the drink in his hand. The same easy smile I remembered. The same warmth in his eyes.
I stood there, frozen for a second. I hadn't seen him in... God, how long had it been? Weeks? Months? We had kept in touch here and there since he had started college, but nothing more than casual check-ins.
"What are you doing here?" I finally managed, my voice softer than I intended.
"Grabbing a coffee before heading back to the dorms," he said, holding up the cup as if to emphasize the obvious. "What about you?"
I hesitated, my stomach doing a weird little flip. "Waiting for someone..."
Tyler's eyes flickered with something unreadable, but his smile never wavered.
"Mind if I sit for a minute?" He nodded toward the table I'd been eyeing.
"Uh... yeah, sure."
We sat down, the moment feeling both familiar and strange all at once.
"Settling in okay?"
He shrugged, the easy confidence I remembered from the first time I met him was still there, but there was something else beneath it. Something heavier.
"Better than high school," he murmured, his gaze dropping to his coffee.
I tilted my head, sensing the weight behind his words.
"Tyler..."
"Eh, just pushing through," he said quickly, brushing it off. But his eyes flicked up to mine, and for a split second, I saw it. The same unspoken weight I carried from that last year of high school.
The same weight that never really left.
"How was your high school experience?" He asked, his tone light, but I could feel the shift. He was changing the subject.
I gave a half-hearted laugh, leaning back in my chair. "Oh, you know... complicated."
"Complicated?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's vague."
I bit my lip, my fingers absently tracing the rim of my coffee cup.
"I went to high school with my childhood friends," I started, my voice softening. "Never experienced a real relationship because... of a bet."
There it was.
Tyler's eyes widened, and he straightened, leaning forward slightly.
"Wait. A bet?"
I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of that word settle in my chest.
"It's... a long story," I murmured, suddenly feeling the past creeping back up like a shadow I couldn't quite shake.
Tyler glanced at his watch, then gave me a crooked grin.
"I've got time."
I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Are you sure?"
"Dude," he said with a chuckle, his grin growing wider. "You are not getting away that easily."
I groaned, covering my face with my hands, but I couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"Okay..." I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
And just like that, the past I'd tried so hard to leave behind came rushing back.