Tainted Attraction (Ziall)

Chapter 9

“Is that all?” Louis asked with his greedy hands spread out before me. “I thought you made more from Liam. He never skips out on his payments.”

I gulped. Liam didn’t pay me as much as he had before. It probably had something to do with me crying for him to stop. I was still hurting from the other day. I worried about Zayn being displeased by it. I knew Louis wouldn’t take that as an excuse. “T-thats all I have for you.” I gave him this begging sort of look. 

“Don’t lie to me, Niall.” Louis pulled his grubby hands back and crossed his arms over his chest. I knew he wouldn’t stop until he had more money from me. The only problem was that I needed the extra money to pay Harry for the month when I would be gone. “Come on, Niall.” Louis grinned, showing a bit of his playful side. 

I reluctantly gave in and reached for my money in my pocket. I counted out an extra three hundred and handed it over. I was left with only five hundred and I till had to pay Harry. 

“Good. I’m leaving, but the car will be back in an hour to come pick you up. This Malik guy wants you dropped off at his place. I still have to meet up with him and discuss the money portion of this deal. Thirty thousand, Niall.” Louis said exasperatingly. “God work.” He tapped my chest with the stack of bills I had given him and smirked. 

“Uhm, when do I get paid?” I asked Louis cautiously. 

“All in good time.” Louis smirked, turning towards the door of my apartment. “The car will be here in an hour. Pack up.” With that, Louis left me behind, basically penniless, and worried about my upcoming, month long session with Zayn Malik. 

I had mostly packed up the night before in a frenzy. I wasn’t exactly expecting to leave a week before the time I was given. So, at the moment, the only thing I had left was to pay Harry. And I was freaking out because how the hell was I going to afford it? I guessed that I would just have to wing it. 

So after I left my apartment with my bags, I walked over to Harry’s place on the main floor of the apartment complex. I wondered why he and Ruth lived in the place when Ruth’s brother was Liam. He could literally afford to buy them a mansion. I still shuddered at the thought of the two of them being related. It was too weird. 

When I walked up to their door, I nervously rose my hand and rapped my knuckles on the door a few times. I wondered if they were even inside at the moment. But after waiting only a second, I heard the footsteps on the other side of the door and then I saw Harry’s face. He answered the door with a confused look on his face “Hey, Niall? What are you doing up so early? I usually don’t see you wandering around until after noon.”

“Oh yeah. I, uh, I just had some things I needed to get done before I leave.” I spoke nervously. Harry was a great guy and I always paid him everything I owed, but I was concerned that he would be like all the other people in my life. They would be nice on the outside and gain my trust and they rip it all away in one fell swop. Everyone was out to get me and I think I have that mentality from my parents. 

“Oh?” Harry leaned against his doorway. “Where are you headed?” He looked at my two duffle bags and pursed his lips. “Vacation?”