Jimmy uttered a laugh under his breath. ‘Do you know someone willing to invest two million in a company that doesn’t even have a CEO?’
Everything drained from me. My legs shook, my arms felt as if they were holding twenty-kilo dumbbells. I stared at nothing, frozen as the silence settled in.
‘You told me you loved me.’ Jimmy’s voice broke as he spoke, grief etched into his face. His eyes finally allowed tears to fall, and I immediately felt my bottom lip quiver, my heart breaking at the sight.
‘I do.’ I ran over to him and grabbed his jacket. I’d never met someone as amazing as him, and I knew I’d meant those precious words.
‘You don’t. You would have been honest with me if you had,’ he said, his hand trembling as he lifted it and ran it down my makeup-stained face. I could sense this was coming to an end and a wave of panic rose inside me – I didn’t want him to let go, to give up, not yet. Not like this.
I shook my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. I was gasping for breath as I tried to explain. ‘I just had to protect Katy,’ I cried, my voice shaking under the pressure that was now too much to withstand. ‘Please, understand that, Jimmy.’
There was a long silence as he leaned in and hugged me tightly. Relief and dread collided inside me. I didn’t want to let him go. I took a breath, inhaling his scent, clinging desperately to his warmth and solidity.
‘I gotta go, Ella. I’m sorry, but too much has happened now,’ Jimmy said as he gently raised my chin to look at him and managed a small, sad smile.
‘Jimmy, wait. Don’t go, not like this,’ I pleaded.
He kissed my forehead and pulled himself free from my grip. ‘Goodbye, Ella. I know you’ll have an unbelievable life.’ He took a few steps towards the elevator, his footsteps growing fainter.
‘Jimmy, wait. I love you! Please,’ I called out, not caring if I lost what little dignity I had left. I was prepared to beg for forgiveness.
There was silence, and I paused, hoping he’d turn back. Then I heard the lift door shut.
‘I guess I just love my friends more,’ I whispered before collapsing onto the floor.
I broke down in wails, my chest heaving with sobs, knowing I’d truly fucked everything up.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed before Zola picked me up and helped guide me to her room. I lowered myself down onto the mattress beside Katy, who’d fallen fast asleep. We didn’t say another word until morning.
*
I woke at six, numb and woolly-headed and praying that last night had all been a nightmare. I sat up. Both Zola and Katy were already awake and cuddling one another.
‘Hey,’ Zola said, her voice croaky.
‘Tell me this is a bad dream,’ I said, shaking my head.
‘I wish,’ Katy said, turning her phone screen towards me. She was on TikTok, scanning the Stars and Swipes feed. ‘We even made it to the For You page.’
She tossed me the phone, looking completely fed up. Videos of how the night had unfolded flooded the screen. From the glitzy Met to a knockout finish, it was all on camera. It felt like The Dicktionary Club all over again, only on a much grander scale.
‘And look at the video with Leo, the big sleazy creep,’ Katy said.
I felt nausea hit my stomach as I scrolled down to see the big Texas cowboy speaking to the media about having previously met us on the dating scene and how we’d told him we’d love a rich man to take care of us.
‘What a lying piece of shit!’ I shouted at the phone.
‘Exactly!’ Katy hummed.
‘I wouldn’t give that cunt a nod in the desert,’ Zola spat, ‘and he’s making out as if we were the ones all over him.’
‘Is Jimmy raging at me?’ Katy said, and I could hear the worry in her voice. I shook my head.
‘He’s raging at me, babe. He’s fuming because I kept it all from him: Travis and the stalker. He said we’re done, that there’s no going back. He’s going to lose the company.’ As I said it, I felt a piercing pain stab me in the heart.
‘We heard,’ Zola admitted. ‘Ethan called us about an hour ago. We told him all about the stalker. He promised he’s going to go digging.’
I sighed, running my hand through my hair, which was now in some form of crazy beehive. ‘There’s no point. Jimmy has to go to work on Monday. The board has called a meeting and that’s when he’ll be officially fired.’
