Sweater [Harry Styles AU]

Chapter One

                                                     Flash-Forward

After three years, he left me that one single item. 

Its fabric stretched and tattered from its numerous times of use, tag attached to the collar had fallen off in the washer at one point in time.

But after three years of having a love hate relationship, I realized that this shitty article of clothing was a symbol of all the memories that we shared. 

The duvet at the end of our bed, well now just my bed, was in a crumpled heap at my feet as I stared at it with no emotion on my features. 

My eyes did not water, my lips did not quiver, my heart did not stumble, my breathing did not hitch, my brain did not pause all thoughts. I was stuck in a looped dream of me waking up to the single article of clothing laying beside me. 

The only emotion I feel is guilt, I wasn't awake to kiss him goodbye one final time. I wasn't awake to hold him one last time before he left me forever. 

This is exactly how he told me it would happen. Except, he told me he would leave something, he could have left me a note or a flower. But no, he left me his favorite piece of clothing. That is typical him.

I managed to completely avoid the neatly laid sweater beside me and stood to my full height beside my bed. My feet dragged to my closet that used to be filled with his clothes, but I knew to expect the closet to be half bare. 

His scent still lingered in the tiny space of the closet, somehow. His misty scent of cologne and mint enticed my senses and made me wish that he was standing behind me in this very moment with his arms encircling my waist.

My hands reached towards a flannel shirt that barely clung to the hanger that it hanged from. This is his. Why did he leave this here? To taunt me more than the sweater already had? 

With shaky hands I retrieved the long sleeved shirt from its hanger and clutched it to my chest as if it were my only source of oxygen. Then........I collapsed. 

I fell to the floor in a sobbing heap, with the smell of him surrounding me and his flannel clutched between my shaking hands. I shook my head as images of us together flashed across my vision. Our hands intertwined and his hearty laugh, it all brought bouts of more emotion my way. 

Why would I ever agree with someone on something as stupid as this? 

                                                                    Flash-Forward Over

"No I will not give you money for groceries Elizabeth, that is just uncalled for." My roommate continued to peel carrots for dinner tonight while I rolled my eyes at her motherly response. 

"Is that friend of yours coming over tonight?" There she goes again, asking me questions as if she doesn't know the answer already.

"Of course, he's bringing his friend over too. I don't know, I just went with it bro." I grabbed the carrot from Bridgette and started to shop it into small pieces while she peeled more carrots over the trash can. 

"How many carrots do you think --." Knuckles pounded on the door, scaring the living daylights out of me. The knife I was gripping loosely slipped and cut my finger but I forgot about it for now and ran to the door to see my rather short boyfriend standing in front of a rather tall boy.

"It's so nice to finally see you again beautiful." I took Niall's hand and pulled him into a hug. His friends eyes averted from mine to the living room he was now standing in.

"Bridgette get in here and socialize!" The stomping of her small feet pattered into the living room while Niall wrapped his arms around my waist. 

"Aren't you going to tell us who your friend is baby?" Bridgette wiped her hands on her apron and smiled at me before staring over at the tall boy in our apartment. 

"I'm Harry Styles, nice to meet you love."