Zola giggled, picking up her phone again. ‘Deal! Ella, you good with that?’
I nodded, the ache in my chest flaring up. ‘Back to reality,’ I said with a wobbly smile, grief threatening to leak from my voice at the thought of leaving all the mess and magic of New York behind.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Ella
The following morning, I woke up at five, keen to get a run in before finally heading back to Glasgow. After mentally mapping my route and setting my watch, I aimed to reach the Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise. I stretched quickly, pulled on my favourite Gym Shark beige set, then added a body warmer for the chilly New York air. When I was ready, I slipped out of the apartment and started running. The cool wind felt fresh against my skin; almost no one was out yet as I followed the river and soaked in my surroundings. A ferry passed and I smiled, watching it drift along the calm water before settling into a steady pace. I passed through the towering buildings that seemed to soar from the sky, each one bigger and shinier than the next, then I smiled as I saw the Statue of Liberty standing proudly across the water. Soon, I rounded the curve of Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge appeared, more iconic and impressive than ever. I picked up speed, catching the first rays of sunrise glinting off the buildings. Reaching the bridge, I couldn’t stop grinning as my footsteps echoed on the wooden planks of the walkway. The sky shifted to a glowing orangey rose, and at the midpoint, I paused – taking in every inch of the city. The water below seemed silver, night melting into day. I held the bridge’s rails, knowing I’d remember this moment forever.
‘Ella?’ I heard someone call out my name.
I turned, almost dazzled by the rising sun. I could see a man in an all-black jogging suit, a North Face hat pulled down to keep his ears warm.
My eyes widened in surprise; I could hardly believe it.
‘Jimmy,’ I gasped. ‘You’re here.’
He grinned, breathless from his run, then walked towards me, pausing his Apple watch. ‘Yeah, I changed up my route today. Decided to watch the sunrise,’ he said, gesturing towards the sky, now brighter than only a minute earlier. ‘Couldn’t really sleep .?.?. so .?.?.’
He joined me at the rail, still panting, and together we gazed out at the morning unfolding.
‘Are you OK?’ I asked, knowing there was no way anyone could be OK after the fucking madness that went down yesterday. Everything had changed between us, and I could feel it. It was strange being beside him and not touching, not flirting, but too much had happened now for it ever to go back to like it was.
‘I’ll get there. Now that I know, it’s easier, I guess,’ he said.
I hummed, torn. There was so much I wanted to say, but nothing felt right. Only a few days ago, he was my boyfriend, then he left me in my apartment begging for his love. I got it, I totally did. I’d fucked up, and I knew that helping him keep his company was the least I could do, but I really didn’t deserve any more from him after what I did.
‘Jimmy I .?.?.’
‘I saw your TikTok,’ he said. We both smiled as we spoke at the same time. ‘I thought it was great, but kinda timid for what you could have said. It kept a lot of the team up all night,’ he added, laughing.
I felt my stomach pang again, hoping it didn’t cause him more grief. ‘Fielding the media?’ I asked.
‘Uh-huh.’ He turned his body round to face me, his elbow leaning on the bridge. ‘And a pretty wealthy European company have seen it. They have offered to invest the rest of the money,’ he said.
I nearly choked.
‘They have only one condition,’ he said, shrugging as if it might be a problem, ‘that it must launch during Thanksgiving week, as planned.’
‘That’s this week!’ I laughed. ‘We can’t make that happen in that time .?.?. I guess?’ I asked.
He placed a hand on his hat, rubbing it. ‘Technically, it could. But there’s a lot of heat on the app, on my company, Ella. Maybe keeping quiet for a bit, and launching it next year, would work best for all of us.’ He was still undecided. ‘I was going to swing by today and discuss it with you.’
I gazed at the sky, now brilliant with light. ‘A lot of heat on the app – good and bad press – with all eyes on you, Jimmy. Maybe act while everyone’s paying attention,’ I quipped. ‘I think you should go for it.’ Knowing it would benefit me just as much than returning home to an empty fridge and a debt letter for not paying my gym membership for months.
He laughed, acknowledging my influence over him.
‘I knew you’d say that, Ella.’ He chuckled under his breath. ‘I’ll be honest with you, I’m just so tired – exhausted by the drama and the infighting and now the fallout. I don’t know if I have a big launch left in me.’
I placed my hand on top of his, immediately feeling his breath pick up from my touch. ‘I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you, Jimmy. I thought I could fix it all, but you deserved better than that.’
‘Ella, no, I get it,’ he said. ‘You were protecting Katy, protecting yourself. I was just mad as hell.’ He breathed out a puff of frustration. ‘I should have replied last night. I didn’t know what to say,’ he admitted softly.
I smiled. ‘No, no, I get it. It was mental. I didn’t know if I should have come round to check on you or .?.?.’
Jimmy stood up straighter and side-eyed me. A tiny cheeky smile appeared on his face.
‘Well, that would have been nice,’ he admitted softly, suggestively, then he reached out his hand and held my chin.
