golden | A HARRY STYLES NOVEL

"Keep It Sweet In Your Memory"

Chapter 17.

Summer Sky by Asking For a Friend
      I walked down the streets, listening to quiet morning whispers and sweet greetings. The air held up its reputation of liveliness and effortless goodness, I knew I'd never fail to love this city. I walked past a sweet lady who I spoke to briefly in Italian, she said that she loved my hair. Amo i tuoi capelli.

      I remembered the sweetened eyes of my mum, the thought of the city reminding me so much of her caused my head to tilt to the side. I saw her in the delightful cheers coming from the older man handing out flowers to passing people. I met his eyes and he went out of his way to give me one. Grazie mille.

      I saw her kindness in the colors of every building, alive with potential stories and past loves. Warmth and comfort in aging, no worldly mediocrity able to steal away from it.

     I watched the sky for a minute, I watched its clouds pretending to be the passing people itself, moving swiftly with icy breezes of the early hours. On my way to Anna's I found myself passing the florist. I looked down at the lily in my hands, and decided not to stop in. But my mind found its way inside, gracing every bit of memory with its fingertips, placing kisses on my undecided most favorites.

      I let my feet walk along with the beat, feeling like nearly skipping down the entire street. This is what I wanted out of life exactly. If I never published a book in my life I would regret it just the same as never living here. Looks like that was the next step.

      "Darby you look unmistakably joyful this morning." Anna called to me as I arrived at the café. "It is a lovely morning, Anna." I cheesed, feeling my smile exposed, a reminder to myself of my own radiance. I shied away soon after. Her face read once more a sarcastic 'alright'.

      "I'll have you know, Anna, I haven't seen him for nearly three days now."

      "I never said I was talking about him, did I?" She got me. I shook away my flushed cheeks, feeling slightly disgusted and surprised at my own actions. But I was supposed to let myself be vulnerable, right. I was alright with that.

      And the day would pass quickly as well, Harry texted only a couple minutes earlier. Telling me to arrive at his house at 7 p.m. Dressed up, with no other information. And though it typically would have been wretched to wait with no idea of what I was waiting for, he seemed much too excited about it.

...

      "Harry!" I threw my hands up to my mouth as he spun in a circle to show off. "That's so pretty on you." I smiled. He wore a teal-blue suit coat with some plaid pants, and a striped button-up underneath that. I pulled out a little pearl necklace from his collection and held it up to his neck.
      His room was bland, interestingly enough. I wouldn't think it would be. All that was in it were a couple of printed pictures, a ukulele resting on a dresser, which confused me. A load of different necklaces and his plethora of rings waiting to grace his hands, and a single daisy sitting in a tiny cup of water on his bedside table. It was nearly dead, but he must have quite a knowledge of keeping flowers alive. I dried mine out, it was hanging upside down in my apartment for weeks.

     "I think this one is perfect." I said, smiling as he turned for me to put the necklace on him. I hardly ever saw him dressed up like that, I almost forgot how stunning his sense of fashion was. Definitely looked up to him in that area. He had a confidence about him, it wasn't just the clothes he wore, you could tell that he felt in his element and I found that sweet.