cardigan [h.s.]

Chapter 63

Diana

"We're getting the band back together!" Niall comes in yelling.

It's been a week since I confessed to Cornelia that I want to spend the rest of my life with Harry, and now Cornelia, Niall and I are meeting to make a plan for me to confess the truth to Harry.

Sure, I keep seeing pictures of him and the model out and about, and I know he's doing all of this to keep me away, but I'm tired of staying away from him. And I just know that he is tired of staying away from me. In the photos you can't tell that he is hurting, but I know Harry, and I know he is.

"Why did I get back together with you," Cornelia rolls her eyes. I'm also glad that Cornelia and Niall are back together. I never wanted them to break up back when I did with Harry, but Cornelia wasn't going to let me go through it alone and I can't say I'm not grateful for that.

"Because you love me," Niall sings.

"Debatable," she replies back.

"Oh you love me." Niall leans in making kissy noise at Cornelia before she playfully shoves his face away from hers, but she falls into his arms. You can tell that they are meant to be together. Niall is the storm, while Cornelia is the calm before it.

"I'm really glad you two are back together," I say with a smile.

Cornelia and Niall both smile back at me before Cornelia breaks off and says, "Now, its time to get your guy back. It's time to get the band back together."

Niall pumps his fist in the air. "Yes! We're getting the band back together!"

I laugh.

"What's the first step?" I ask.

***

"The first step was bringing me to a hockey game?" I ask when we're seated in the loud arena. The hockey players coming out on the ice for the starting line up and I'm surrounded by the smell of bear and popcorn.

"Not any hockey game," Cornelia replies.

"Annnnnd now entering #14 Harry Styles!" the announcer says through the intercom and the arena erupts into cheers as Harry skates out onto the ice.

"Just so you know," Cornelia leans in to talk to me. "He changed his jersey number for you."

"What? What do you mean he changed it for me?"

"Your birthday. September 14th. He changed it to your birthday," she tells me. What she says hits me in the best way possible. He changed his jersey number to my birthday.

"When?" I ask.

Cornelia furrows her eyebrows. "When, what?"

"When did he change his number?"

Niall leans over his girlfriend to look at me. "Oh, he changed it when he started playing in college."

He's been wearing my birthday as his jersey number for years. He has carried me with him for years and I spent most of that time hating him for something he never did. And I know we can blame everything on my lack of trust due my childhood trauma, and on stupid miscommunication because we were just two young high school students who had no idea what love really was for the longest time.

But, Harry and I are both older now. We've grown and lived two different lives apart from each other. I have lived enough of life away from the love of my life and I damn well done doing that.

I smile to myself.

"He changed his jersey number to my birthday," I mumble quietly to myself.

We watch the game and even though I don't have that much knowledge on the game of hockey, I cheer every time Harry even touches the puck. I know in the crowded arena, there is no way he can hear me, but I like to think he can somewhat feel that I'm here or that he knows I'm watching because he is having the game of his life.