"Are you sure this will work, Marcy?" Harry asks the next day. He's just finished a meeting with Marcy and his manager, who flew out on a special trip to be here. They've just had coffee and discussed a plan to prove that Tim is the bad guy.
"Yes. I am sure. Let me call you right now." She takes out her phone and calls Harry. He answers it and keeps the line connected.
"Okay. So put the phone up to your ear as you walk out. I'm going to be talking to you through the phone and you know what you're supposed to say out loud."
"I'm nervous." Harry says. "I don't want things to get worse for Zayn."
"They won't if you go with the plan." Alfonzo says. "Yesterday, Marcy and I really thought about this when you told us who you suspected and why. Trust me. We are going to get him."
Harry sighs but Marcy waves a hand at him. "Harry. He's out there and waiting to take you home. Go bait him."
He gets up from the table in the corner and he makes his way to the coffee shop exit. A few people inside recognize him and follow him out for pictures. He does make time for that before he's being helped into the car by Tim.
Once Tim gets inside the car, Marcy begins to talk into his ear.
"About all that stuff that happened yesterday."
Harry follows right along.
"Forget all about it, Zayn..... No of course not. I'm glad you forgive me. I never meant for articles like that to come out about you.....Yes. it's the truth..... Oh really? You'd want that? Meet at your place? You're back home?..... Oh. I see. Yeah. Of course I'll be there. You'll have to buzz me up though..... Okay. Tonight at seven? Absolutely. I'll be outside your building as soon as the clock strikes seven. I promise..... Yeah. See you then. Bye, Zayn."
He hangs up the phone and then eyes Tim from the backseat. He wonders if that was enough.
"So... Mr. Styles. I don't mean to intrude. Sounds like you have special plans tonight."
Harry is relieved that he heard. "Yep I do. Looks like everything isn't ruined after all."
"Well, you're certainly going to need a driver, aren't you? I am available."
"Actually. No. I don't need it. A friend that I haven't seen in a while is going to pick me up and drop me off. It's cool."
"Are you sure, Mr. Styles?"
"I'm absolutely sure." He says. And isn't until then that he is so glad Tim never got in a habit of calling him by his first name. He doesn't know what he would do if this man had been comfortable with addressing him on a first name basis. He would probably feel twice as betrayed.
"Well alright. Good luck."
"Thanks."
The rest of the ride is silent, but Harry just can't help but stare at the back of Tim's head in disgust. This just doesn't make any sense to him. In the beginning, he thought Tim was good. Tim was so helpful in helping him get Zayn back again. He appeared to be on his side.
But now that the truth has been revealed to him, he hates himself for ever choosing him to be his personal driver. Why did he let him around Zayn at all when he knew Zayn had some very serious things going on with him? Why did he ever tell Zayn to make use of him when Zayn was as vulnerable as he was? Now he has no idea what's next for his career in music or even what Off The Racks thinks of him.
To be honest, though, his career is second on his list of worries. All he knows is that he is heartbroken right now. He was forced to let go of the one he loved and he had no choice in the matter. Now, the only thing he can do is catch the person who is responsible for his loss. And he won't even begin to feel better until he can at least make him pay for what he has done.
→→→→→
It's six forty when Marcy comes to pick Harry up in front of his house. He slides in the front seat. "I'm almost positive he took the bait." Harry says. "He even offered to take me. So he knows."
"Good. And based on everything you were telling us, I don't doubt he'll already be there if it's him."
Harry leans his head against the headrest. "Apparently I am not a good judge of character because I could've sworn when I picked him out that he was good. He seemed genuinely nice. How did we even get here?"
She shrugs as they drive off. "Maybe he was good at first. But then the enticement of earning money for exclusive photos of a celebrity got in the way."
He shakes his head. "Probably. And I would be somewhat okay if it was just me he was trying to ruin. But Zayn too? Zayn hasn't hurt anyone."
She hums. "I really wish I could have met him before you broke it off with him. You seem to believe in him very much."
"I do. I've known him since before I ever got famous. The Zayn that everyone is reading about in these articles is not the real Zayn. I know who he is inside and out. He doesn't deserve to be seen as what the media is making him out to be. It's unfair."
She has nothing to say to that. So she reaches out to him and pats his thigh. "Well, if that's how you feel, you should tweet it. All within respectful parameters of course. But please do so. If it's truly what you believe he deserves."
He smiles brightly. "I think I will."
"Good."
Before long, they reach Zayn's apartment building and immediately look for Tim. Harry assumes he's in his black SUV. So they look for it as they drive by. Harry spots it from a distance.
"That's it. That's definitely it."
"Okay then."
Even though Tim is close to the front, she parks at the very back of the lot. That way, Harry can get out and walk down the aisle, giving Tim time to notice him before he even gets in the building. As soon as he gets out and begins to head toward the building, Marcy gets out and sneaks through the cars in the lot, making her way over to Tim.
After she sees that Harry has made his way all the way inside the doors of the building, she races to the SUV. She pops up at his passenger window where there is little to no tint at all. He's so busy with his camera up and taking pictures out of the driver's side window, that he doesn't even see her taking a picture of him taking a picture of Harry.
Once she has it, she knocks on his window.
He jumps and puts the camera down in his lap. Then he cracks the window. "Can I help you ma'am?"
She tries the door handle to see if it's unlocked. It is. So she opens it and gets inside. "Whoa. Excuse me? What do you think you are doing?"
"I could ask you the same. Looks like you got yourself a Nikon, hm?"
He doesn't answer. He just watches her pick up her phone and dial someone.
"Hey, Harry. Yeah. It's all good. You can come back now. We got him."
When she says Harry's name, Tim's eyes get so big. He has nothing to say.
"We haven't properly introduced ourselves. But that's okay. There is no need. Just know that you've been caught redhanded, Tim."
"But..."
"No. Don't say anything. You'll just incriminate yourself more. We already know that it was you who took pictures of Harry and Zayn and sent them to celebrity photo agencies along with exclusive gossip for articles. That was a very bad thing you did."
Tim gulps but he doesn't have time to take a breath because Harry is knocking on his driver side window. He reluctantly opens it.
"I'm... I'm sorry, Mr. Styles. When I took the job, I never intended to do that. I just thought... Well, I don't know what I thought. I just saw an opportunity and I took it. Maybe I wasn't thinking at all."
Tim really does look hurt that he did this to Harry. But neither Harry nor Marcy feel sorry for him.
"Well, you will have plenty of time to think when we take you to court for breaching your NDA. I hope it was worth it."
Marcy opens the door and gets out and she and Harry walk away together. They don't need to stay there and make things worse. He already regrets what he did.
They walk back to Marcy's car and get in it. As they ride off, Harry can't help but look toward Zayn's building. He was right there at the intercom. He could easily go back and try to talk to him again. But he doesn't even suggest it. At the end of the day, Zayn told him that he isn't sure he can live a life under the spotlight. And if he truly loves him, who is he to pester him and force him to come back? Zayn is better off not knowing he was ever there.
The ride home is as fast as when he came. But this time, there is relief for Harry. He accomplished what he came there for. This "anonymous source" should go away now.
When he gets home, he takes advantage of what Marcy suggested. He is as straight forward as he can be while keeping it professional.
Harry Styles. @Harry_Styles
Lately, there have been a lot of rumors surrounding Zayn Malik and I. But I just want you all to know that is not the real Zayn Malik and that is not the real Harry Styles. The rumors are false.
Harry Styles. @Harry_Styles
Always check the source of your info and who that source really is. Sometimes you'll find they don't always want the best for you and the one you love.
Harry Styles. @Harry_Styles
All the love. H
When he's finished, he can't bring himself to smile. But there are no words that describe the new calmness he feels. At least if none of this will bring Zayn back to him, then he can feel good knowing he did the right thing for him.