Running the Tide

Julia's lungs burned as her feet struck the pavement, each impact a reminder of what she'd lost. Three months ago, David had been her oldest friend, the person who'd held her hair back when she drank too much in college, who'd stood beside her at her mother's funeral. Then came the lawsuit, the accusations of insider trading, the revelation that he'd used their friendship as a ladder while the bull market raged and ethics seemed quaint as coral reefs.

She ran every morning now, pushing her body until her mind went quiet. The Hudson River glinted to her left, its water deceptively calm, hiding the currents that could drag you under if you weren't careful—just like David had been.

"Julia."

She slowed, though she didn't want to. David stood by the pier, hands shoved in his pockets, thinner than she remembered. The bull market had turned bear. His firm had collapsed. The SEC had come for everyone else, but somehow he'd slipped away.

"I heard what happened," she said, her breathing ragged. "Good luck finding another job in finance."

"I'm not here for that." He stepped closer. "I'm here because I couldn't sleep. Because every dollar I made—I know exactly what I sacrificed to get it. And it wasn't worth it."

"You're saying this now?"

"I'm saying it now because I have nothing left to lose." He looked at the water. "You were the only real thing in my life, Julia. And I traded you for numbers on a screen."

She wanted to hit him. Instead, she started running again, harder this time. But his voice followed her: "I signed the affidavit. Against everyone else. They're offering me immunity if I testify."

Julia stopped. "Why?"

"Because," he said, "sometimes the only way to stop running is to finally turn around and face what's chasing you."

The water lapped against the pylons. Somewhere in the distance, a foghorn sounded. And for the first time in three months, Julia thought maybe she could breathe again.