At the same time, the three of them replied, ‘He’s not.’
I sat up, wondering what they had uncovered.
‘It’s someone from the company, someone who has high-level clearance. I managed to track down who authorised the apps that failed in the past. Looking at their business plans, they would never have worked and should never have launched. Someone at the company has put these apps out there, then tampered with the marketing at the last minute to ensure they fail and so turn the investors on Jimmy. It’s been the same person at Flirtify every time. I’m trying to hack the server just now to see who the authorisation code belongs to, but it’s going to take some time,’ Ethan added casually.
I glanced at Zola, and she smiled, impressed at Ethan’s work.
‘Will we have answers by Monday morning?’ Katy asked, knowing Jimmy’s meeting with the board was approaching in only a couple of days.
Ethan shrugged, finally looking up from the screen. ‘I sure hope so.’
I breathed a sigh of relief, a tiny glimmer of hope returning that I might be able to fix some of this mess, if not for me, then for Jimmy.
I walked towards the kitchen, opening the fridge for a bottle of water. It had been the worst couple of days of my life, but the idea of leaving New York with some clarity and even a little bit of dignity might make this trip more worthwhile. I took a sip, noticing Zola had wandered up beside me. Katy and Ethan were gazing at the computer screen together.
‘You OK, babe?’ Zola asked, rubbing my arm.
I was drained and riddled with guilt, but I replied with a smile.
‘Look, you were right,’ she said. ‘I’m running from anything to do with Curtis because I don’t know how to face it.’
I set down my water to listen to my friend.
‘And I know he’s a fucking arsehole, right? He’s lazy, he’s selfish and he fuckin’ cheated on me.’ She pointed to her chest and pouted. ‘Like seriously, imagine cheating on me.’ Then she flicked back her hair, and I laughed at her sexy sassiness.
‘But he’s always been there. He’s like your oldest pair of knickers you hold on to because they are comfy even though the crotch is stained with period blood and the elastic is gone. It’s hard, man.’ She leaned on the counter. ‘It’s so sad and disappointing that he did this. And there’s this part of me that can’t help thinking, maybe I caused it .?.?.’
‘No!’ I cut in. ‘No one makes you cheat, Zo. That’s on him!’
‘But I did it to him last year too!’ She covered her face. ‘OK, I might not have slept with the guy, but I was unfaithful. What if I deserve this, Ella? What if this ismykarma?’
I shook my head. ‘It’s not. And again, you did that because you were unhappy, he was being so distant, and you worked through it!’
She sighed, deep down knowing I was right, but I could tell excuses and doubts were flying through her head. ‘What if I never meet anyone? I’m not in my twenties anymore! What if I’m alone forever?’
I laughed, knowing the minute she wanted a man, he’d be there.
‘What if you meet someone who isn’t lazy, who isn’t selfish, who treats you well, oh, and who doesn’t fucking cheat?’ I shook my head, brushing off her negativity. ‘You deserve to find love. Real love, Zola. And if you don’t, then surely a life of true happiness with your friends is better than a life of misery with that big pussy back home!’
Zola glanced across at Katy and Ethan.
‘You don’t have to rush anything. I was mad before.’ I smiled, placing my hand on top of hers. ‘I know this is a big decision, and I was out of order earlier. I should never have said those things to you.’
Zola was zoned out, still observing Ethan and Katy’s interactions. ‘Maybe I should rush,’ she mumbled. ‘What am I waiting for?’ Then she headed to her bedroom, grabbing her phone off the counter.
Chapter Forty-Three
Zola
Zola paced her room, lifting her phone and hovering over Curtis’s name. She heard it ring the international dial code, then hung up immediately. ‘Fuck,’ she hummed.
Suddenly, her phone began buzzing in her hand and she saw that Curtis was calling back. Nerves piled up inside her as she answered, bracing herself. Her anxiety shifted into a tense anticipation.
‘Zo? You good?’ Curtis’s voice came through. ‘Zo?’
‘Yeah. I’m here.’ She cleared her throat, steadying her tone. ‘Are you free to talk?’ Zola asked, checking her watch and remembering it was dinner time back home.
‘Yeah, sweet,’ he said. She could hear his background noise fading and knew he must have paused his game. ‘Was starting to wonder if you’d ever speak to me again.’ Hearing his anxious tone, Zola sat on her bed.
