CHAPTER 13
ELLEN
Los Angeles, California, USA
After a sixteen-hour flight from Sydney, the Caldwell family's Global jet had just landed at Van Nuys Airport.
Twenty-four hours. Nothing more. Nothing less. That was how long she would be on American soil before flying back to Australia. Was it the best timing for her? Absolutely not, but this trip was a must do.
Nothing on Earth could have stopped Ellen from being in LA for the launch of Blake Voss's debut album, 'The Second Burn.
' The album, produced by Taylor, was Blake's masterpiece, and Blake felt immense pride, particularly for the title track, a profound statement of love for Jess.
According to Billboard, this album is among the most expected releases for 2025. Ellen was so proud of her.
She would be lying if she pretended to be fully present in Los Angeles: her heart & head were still in Sydney. With Roxy. At least she would be able to spend the evening with her favourite people in the world: her sisters, Blake, and Leah.
The Global came to a halt in front of the private terminal. Ellen got off the plane and entered the building, where she was eagerly awaited. She immediately noticed this tall, athletic, and gorgeous woman waiting for her with a contagious smile.
"Leah," Ellen exclaimed, hugging her. "I'm so happy to see you."
"You have no idea how much I do too." Leah hugged her tightly, but Ellen didn't complain too much. She felt lucky to have saved her friendship with Leah after the breakup. Leah gently pushed her away and looked her up and down. "You look like shit."
Ellen laughed despite herself. "Thanks, Leah. It's exactly what every girl wants to hear from her ex-girlfriend after a sixteen-hour flight."
"Sorry—but not sorry," Leah said with all the seriousness Ellen knew she had. She took Ellen's carry-on without asking, her fingers brushing Ellen's. "I am serious, El. When's the last time you actually slept?"
"Please don't bring that up," Ellen replied. "I've been trying to get over jet lag for two weeks, and now I have to start all over again. I'm so tired," she added dramatically, resting her forehead on Leah's shoulder.
Leah stiffened slightly, before regaining control. "I remembered our trip to Japan and your legendary tolerance for jet lag. That's why I thought of you, and there's a Starbuck waiting for you in the car."
"Oh Leah Donovan, you're my hero." Even years after their breakup, Leah had always been at the forefront of ensuring Ellen's well-being.
Ellen was on autopilot until she settled into the passenger seat of Leah's car.
From that moment on, Ellen's brain went on strike.
No one doubted Ellen's intelligence—except for the seatbelt, which decided to be the challenge of the day.
She tried everything to fasten the seatbelt without success, no doubt due to a lack of caffeine, fatigue, or a new addiction: Roxy.
"Here." Leah leaned over to help her, her hand covering Ellen's for a second. "There you go."
"Thanks, Leah."
She could sense that Leah had become much 'touchy' since Ellen's breakup with Caroline.
When they were together, Leah had a natural inclination to touch and to feel their connection.
She enjoyed running her fingers through Ellen's hair, or the gentle sensation of brushing her fingertips on Ellen's skin.
Leah had obviously avoided physical contact while Ellen and Caroline were together.
Ellen had to admit that this was one thing she missed most after they broke up because Caroline hated touching her. Looking back, that should have been a red flag for her. Perhaps Roxy was touchy too.
Don't go there, she's not yours, Ellen told herself, a pang of disappointment echoing in her thoughts.
Leah drove, letting Ellen settle down a bit, but at one point, she couldn't help herself. "So," she said, and Ellen could tell Leah was choosing her words carefully.
"So..." Ellen echoed, unsure where Leah was going with this.
"Um..." Leah was hesitant, unlike her usual self. "How's your new life in Sydney going?"
Ellen turned her head to look at Leah, but she was deliberately focusing her attention on the road ahead. "It's been..." she began, then stopped. "Okay, cut the bullshit. Taylor or Jessie?"
"Huh? I don't understand."
"Don't play dumb with me, Leah Donovan. You know exactly what I mean. Who told you about Roxy?"
Leah's lips parted as if to speak, then snapped shut, only to part once more to voice her thoughts. It was like watching text messages: a brief flicker of three dots, then nothing, then the dots returned.
"Don't be mad at them," Leah prompted. "I just walked in on a conversation between them where Taylor was talking about your date." A half-hearted smile broke out on Leah's face. "Good for you!"
"It wasn't a date," Ellen said with a sigh, "there was no way it could be." Ellen took a gulp of coffee, scorching her tongue and muttering a curse. "I'm such an idiot, Leah. She's straight and already in a relationship with a man. And I don't want to be part of a love triangle."
Leah's hands were now tightened on the wheel. "But are you in love with her?"
"I've known her for what… two or three weeks?" Ellen twisted in her seat to face Leah. "Does it matter if she could never love me back?"
"Your happiness always matters to me, Ellen. Always." Leah seemed to struggle to get her words out.
Ellen reached across and gently squeezed Leah's hand, which was on the gearshift. "You're the best ex-girlfriend a girl could ask for. My life is so much better because you're in it."
Leah took a gulp. Hard. Exceedingly challenging. "We're the perfect example of a lesbian cliché. You're my best friend, Ellen. I'm just lucky to still have you in my life after everything."
"No matter what, I'll be there for you," Ellen said with a smile. Leah turned toward her and gave a slight smile in reaction.
By the time they pulled up to the venue, Ellen felt almost human again. The caffeine had kicked in, and something about Leah's steady presence had smoothed out the sharp edges of Ellen's anxiety.
Leah grinned, pulling up to the artists' door. "There you go, darling," she said playfully, "don't hesitate to give me five stars for the ride."
"You're not coming?"
"I'll join you later. I am meeting with a representative from 'Trekko' who is coming to see the show," Leah said, checking her phone. "You're good to go by yourself?"
Ellen nodded just before getting out of the car. She adjusted the cuffs of her blazer and ran a hand through her hair.
A security guard nodded and let her pass into the VIP section without looking at the badge. Usually, looking identical to Taylor Caldwell was enough.
She glanced at her reflection in the window and thought: She was alright, not bad, not great. Only her eyes betrayed the weight she'd been carrying since Sydney. She vowed to leave it behind on the tarmac, but obviously, she didn't.
***
Being backstage with SNARL was something Ellen always enjoyed. Her sisters let her feel this amazing energy through them—Ellen was a huge part of SNARL, although she wasn't performing with them on stage. And today, Ellen felt that same thing for Blake's show.
It felt so good to be with family.
Ellen looked around for Blake or her sisters, but Blake spotted her first. The next thing she knew, Blake was dashing over.
"ELLEN!" Blake cried, rushing toward her. She immediately hugged Ellen tightly, giving her one of those reassuring hugs Ellen loved to receive from Blake. It almost made Ellen forget the pressure in her chest. Her eyes were shining as she said, "I'm so happy you're here."
"There was no question that I'd be here for you," Ellen said. "I flew for sixteen hours, and I even passed up a date with Roxy for you. You're a priority for me." Ellen realized the monumental mistake she had just made and hoped fervently that Blake hadn't noticed.
Blake stepped back with a grin on her face. "Oh, now we're talking about you dating Roxy?"
She noticed. Shit.
Ellen raised a brow and cursed herself. "My word choice is incorrect. Take it easy. It was just a friendly date. You know that's a thing, right?"
A smirk played on her lips as she said, "Yeah, yeah, sure," before adding, "That's actually a pretty big deal. Are you okay with that? I would've been okay if it you couldn't be able to make it."
Ellen looked at Blake and saw the sincerity in her eyes, but she still couldn't agree. She felt she couldn't confess her desire to stay in Sydney and see Roxy, even though she knew nothing would come of it, because this moment was so significant for Blake's career.
She cupped Blake's face in her hands and said, "Don't say that. I'm incredibly proud of you, Blake Voss. You're family, and we'll always be there to support each other. Just like you already been there for me. Got it?"
Blake nodded, fighting back tears. "Stop it, you'll smudge my make-up," she said, laughing.
Ellen could see that Blake was reading between the lines more than Ellen would have liked.
"Follow me, I'll take you to your sisters," said Blake, taking her hand.
They shared a natural chemistry that had been present since their first meeting a year prior.
They got to the door of a small lounge where Taylor and Jess were chilling.
"Thank you, Blake. Leah, Taylor, and you really did all you could to fit my schedule.
Being here does me a lot of good. I may have underestimated how difficult it is to settle into a new country and be so far away from all of you. "
A corner of Blake's mouth twitched upwards.
"You've always been part of it." Ellen nodded.
"You matter for me, Ellen Caldwell," Blake said simply.
"And you show up for me tonight means the world to me.
" They hugged again. "Come on, I'll come join you later.
I just have one or two things to take care of.
I'm warning you. Jessie is super excited to see you. "