The Last Summer We Shared

Chapter One – The Return

The bus ride back to Aba felt longer than I remembered. Maybe it was the weight of memories pressing against me, or maybe it was the fear of what I might find. I hadn’t been home in five years, not since I left for the city chasing dreams that never turned out the way I imagined.

I stepped down from the bus and inhaled deeply. The familiar scent of roasted corn mixed with dust welcomed me like an old friend. Everything looked the same—the narrow streets, the colorful kiosks, the laughter of children chasing one another barefoot. It was as if time had stood still, except that I had changed.

I didn’t expect to see him that evening. I thought I would quietly settle into my mother’s house, unpack my bags, and melt into the background of this sleepy town. But fate had other plans.

As I walked past the old bookstore—the one where I had spent endless afternoons hiding between shelves of romance novels—I froze.

There he was.

Chike.

Leaning casually against the faded wall, his arms folded across his chest, his gaze fixed on something distant. The years had deepened his features. His jawline was sharper, his shoulders broader, and his smile lines more defined. Yet, the moment his eyes caught mine, it felt like no time had passed at all.

“Amara?” His voice was a mix of surprise and something softer, something I couldn’t name.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. “Chike.”

For a moment, silence stretched between us, filled only by the distant hum of evening traffic. A thousand unsaid words seemed to hang in the air—apologies, regrets, memories of long walks and stolen kisses.

He stepped closer, the corner of his lips curving into that familiar half-smile. “You’re back.”

“Just for the summer,” I said quickly, reminding myself this was temporary. Nothing more.

But as we stood there, caught between past and present, I couldn’t ignore the truth rising inside me: this summer would not be quiet. Not with Chike back in my world.

And maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t ready to let go of what we once had.