Tainted Love [H.S.]

Chapter 3 - Mystery Man

Zayn is played by Zayn Malik
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Posey's POV

Looking for a job in New York is harder than you'd think. There are so many people fighting for one position it's maddening, I can't imagine how many resumes the employer has to go through in order to chose a single person. It must be hundreds. And those are my odds 1 in 100, not so good especially when I have little experience. I've never worked for a fashion company, let alone a fashion designer, it would be a miracle if I even get a call back. But I have to keep my head high and my hopes up, if I believe in something strong enough maybe it'll work out. Maybe the employer will see me as a fresh face and a good asset to a company that is older and looking for new material. Here's to hoping.

After a long day of smelly cabs and crowded subway stations I make my way back home. I've earned a nice bowl of cereal and some late night television. Jogging up that staircase of my building I hear a beautiful sound coming from my neighbor's apartment. His name was Harry wasn't it? I met him this morning. He seemed really nice and I'm a sucker for great music, especially acoustic guitar. Against my best judgment, I knock on his door. Almost instantly the music stops and I hear light footsteps.

"Hi," I say, loud enough so he can hear me through the door. "I don't mean to bother you, I just wanted to let you know that the music your playing is quite beautiful."

Unexpectedly, he opens the door, only a little but enough so I can still see his face. "You can hear that?" He asks

I smile "Yeah, your really good. Have you been playing guitar long?"

Opening the door fully he smiles back and says "Since I was little, I just started picking it up again today actually."

"Well I'm glad, I would love to hear that every time I come home."

"Would you like to come inside? I'll play you some more."

Shaking my head, I point to my apartment behind me "Thank you for the offer, but I really have to get home. It's been a long day and I'm exhausted... maybe another time?"

"Perfect," he says shutting the door a little "see you around Posey."

"Bye."

He seems really nice. He'd be a great first friend to have. I mean he lives literally across the hall. I feel a little safer knowing I could knock on his door if I ever needed anything. New York City is a big place and it's not always nice, the stories you hear about the crimes are terrible, but living across the hall from Harry gives me a strange sense of security. I don't know why, I only met him today and I know nothing about him, he could be some psychopath that wants to murder me... I highly doubt that though, a man that can play the guitar so beautifully and treat a new girl so nice has to be a good person. Right? Maybe my country ways are still clinging to me, I have to stop trusting people so easily, especially a man I just met... Even if he is really cute.

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"Open the door mate! I know your home!"

Jolting out of my bed, my heart racing, and head pounding, I hurriedly make my way to my front door. The person isn't knocking on mine he's across the hall trying to get a hold of Harry. My head tells me not to but I open my door anyway. Earning the strange man's attention. "Is everything alright?" I ask him, trying to sound as nice as possible. "Is Harry okay?"

The man furrows his eyebrows and says "You've met him? Harry? The man that lives here?"

I nod and say "Yes I have, I just moved in yesterday."

He shakes his head and continues to bang on Harry's front door. "Open the door Styles we need to talk!"

"Maybe he isn't home" I offer as an explanation as to why he isn't coming. "It's a Tuesday morning, doesn't he have a job?"

The man chuckles "No job, never leaves this apartment... not in the morning anyway."

"Maybe he's still out, from last night then?"

After I said that the knocking ceases and the man turns to look at me again "That. That is what I'm worried about. Who are you anyway?" He says

"My names Posey, I just-"

My sentence is cut short when the man starts walking over to me "Well Posey, I suggest you stay as far away from Harry as you can."

Shocked, I can't find the word to say back to him. I don't understand why this man is so angry or why he feels the need to tell me what or what not to do. It's annoying actually, if I wanted to be told what to do I would have stayed in Kentucky.

"Zayn? Why are you here?" Harry's voice coming from the staircase makes the man and I both look towards it "Posey is everything alright?"

"I'm okay, Harry. He was looking for you."

Harry's eyes shoot to the man and he says "Looking for me? Zayn why?"

Okay so the mystery man's name is Zayn. God I'll never forget that name now. "He felt the need to tell me to stay away from you." I tell Harry. To which he nods in agreement.

"You should stay away from me Posey, Zayn's right."