#wloiabr

the cold gust of wind hit your bare arms with force. you started to shiver and run your hands up and down your arms to create heat. you were now regretting walking around la with no jacket. today of all days, california decided it should be cold. still shaking a bit, you started to jog towards the store that was only half a mile from where you were. 

once you reached the little bookstore that you adored, you suddenly warmed up. you smiled at the nice old lady, mildred, who had been working at the bookstore for years. you mostly came due to the lovely smell, the coffee, and the peace and quiet. 

you came here a lot with jack when you two were dating. it was your little escape when life got crazy. you would sit in the little reading nook and drink hot chocolate, laughing when jack got whip cream on his nose or a chocolate mustache. you two cuddled up against each other and basked in each other’s warmth. 

“y/n! look at you! you look amazing, love,” she walked over to you, taking her reading glasses that were attached to a string off and letting them hang around her neck. you snapped out of your thoughts and smiled at the kind woman.

“hey, mildred. how are you?” you gave her a hug and took in her scent.

“wonderful but you are freezing, my darling. c’mon let’s go get you some hot cocoa. it’s on us,” she motioned her hand to walk with her and you obliged.

she started to fix the hot chocolate and was asking you questions. you would answer bluntly and ask some back. normally, you would be so engaged in the conversation but you just weren’t your normal self.

“okay, what’s wrong love?” mildred asked when she noticed you weren’t into what you were talking.

“i broke up with jack two months ago,” you told her as you stirred the whipped cream into the chocolate.

“that’s why you haven’t come in recently. i’m sorry, doll. what can i do?” she told you and grabbed your hand with her bony one.

“i don’t know what to do,” you told and a tear slipped down your cheek but you wiped it away quickly. you told yourself you were done with tears after daniel came over and took the hoodie two weeks ago.

the bookstore door dinged and both of your heads turned towards the door. when you saw who was standing there, time stopped. you felt your heart break as jack pulled aspen into the store with giggles escaping her lips.

jack intertwined their hands and started to tell her something. aspen’s eyes lit up and she pulled her hand up to her mouth. she was wearing a hoodie. the hoodie. the hoodie that was taken from me and placed in her hands.

you watched them laugh and their happiness emit off them. they were still standing in the doorway too caught up in each to care about where they stood. you weren’t visible to them but it broke your heart to see the love of your life love someone else.

“y/n, you can go out the back door. i still have to help them, sweetheart,” mildred said to you but you just shook your head.

this was your place and jack and his new girl wasn’t going to stop you. it stung to see him take another girl to your most treasured spot. you weren’t having that.

you stayed where you were sitting while mildred walked over to them. your palms were sweating and you were debating whether or not to walk out the back door to avoid contact. you were getting up to do so until you head your name.

“y/n? what are you doing here?” you turned around to see jack who was still holding aspen’s hand looking confused.

“this is kind of my spot,” you told him. suddenly, you wanted to slap aspen across the face, grab your hoodie, and run.

“oh, yeah,” he scratched the back of his neck.

memories of the night you guys broke up came flooding back to you:

“you’re always with her! when will you ever spend time with me?!” you yelled at him.

“aspen is the manager’s daughter! of course, i have to spend time with her!” he yelled back.

you wanted jack’s hoodie you were in, to swallow you whole. fighting was not something you wanted to do with jack right now.

“i get it. the manager’s daughter is better right jack? she has money, she’s pretty, she’s cool, and most importantly she can spend every moment of the day with you,” you sucked in a shaking breath before continuing. “maybe you should date her.”

“maybe i should! she doesn’t complain like you do! she doesn’t hang out with me for publicity either! we’re done, y/n!” jack shouted and stormed up the stairs to his room.

leaving you alone with no boyfriend. no love. just this hoodie.

“hi, aspen,” you waved to her. she just stood there chewing her gum. “i should probably go.”

“wait, can i talk to you in private for a second?” jack asked you and you nodded. aspen tried to follow but jack had to firmly tell her to stay put.

“how have you been, honestly?” he asked you.

“not good,” a hint of sadness flashed through his eyes knowing he caused you pain.

“i’m sorry,” he hung his head low.

“it’s okay. you are happy now with aspen right?” you asked. he shrugged.

“can we be friends? it would mean the world to me,” jack looked hopeful and you couldn’t say no to that.

“sure.”

he smiled the smile that made you melt and hugged you. you hugged back and tried to cling onto the scent that you missed with all your heart.

“one second, i’ll be back,” jack said and ran over to aspen.

he returned with the hoodie his hands. the hoodie that you love miss and love. the hoodie that got you through the break-up. the hoodie that was there during it. he held it out for you to take.

“i know it was your favorite hoodie of mine and you are awfully cold,” he chuckled and you grabbed onto the hoodie.

“thank you.”

you left the store with the hoodie pulled over your shoulders. you were smiling for the first time in a long time. 

the hoodie’s back.

jack’s back.

***