CHAPTER 27
ELLEN
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The passage of time had become a blur for Ellen. The day could have been Sunday, or perhaps it was Monday. Sunrise or sunset. It made no difference to her. The duvet was pulled snugly over Ellen's head as she lay in bed, and every curtain in the house was firmly shut.
In any case, the answer that Ellen either did not know or chose to ignore was that Roxy had already been gone from her home for two days, like a thief caught red-handed. Her self-doubt escalated over time.
What did she do to get that kind of treatment?
Why hadn't she been in touch?
Was it possible she had misunderstood the signals?
How long would she have to wait?
Will they cross paths again?
Honestly, she was afraid of those answers. Afraid of having her heart broken. Again. Which was still quite advanced on that point.
The proper thing for Ellen to do, she realized, was to give Roxy time and space to process everything.
Given that Ellen's arrival had turned Roxy's life upside down, offering it to her was only natural.
Every time Ellen reopened their message thread, the "Read" receipt seemed to strike her with the force of a destructive slap.
No, Ellen had to trust that life always worked things out, didn't she?
But… there was the big unknown in the equation. Why did Roxy think it was better for them to stop seeing each other just before it happened? Roxy's words and actions that night were in stark contrast.
Suddenly, Ellen came out of her coma. The sound of a chime rang out on her phone, which could only mean one thing: the outdoor camera had just detected someone approaching the door.
Ellen's thoughts instantly pictured Roxy's return, eager to conclude their unfinished business.
Her thoughts vanished when she opened her app.
It wasn't Roxy. Nope, it was Taylor, Jess, and Blake who were next to open up the front door.
"Twinie, are you there?" Taylor shouted from the doorway. "We're here."
She got out of bed, put on her robe and slippers, and started down the stairs, which was a perilous task.
She then saw her sisters and Blake looking back at her.
They seemed exhausted after their 12,000 km journey.
And once more, the second time in more than a year, they proved to Ellen they'd be there for her during hard times.
With a gentle urgency, Taylor moved closer to Ellen, her words a soft pull, "Hurry, you come into my arms, now…" Jess followed immediately, bringing them all together, her forehead resting briefly against Ellen's temple.
Tears welled up in Ellen's eyes and began to fall. Her voice cracked as she sobbed, "Tay… Jessie…"
Jess replied, "We're here, and we're not leaving you," while stroking Ellen's hair.
When Ellen finally pulled away, her eyes were swollen, and her breathing had returned to normal.
Taylor was watching her, but Ellen saw the exhaustion in Taylor's face.
For two days, her twin, her other half, had been experiencing her pain, even from a distance.
Her gaze rested gently on Ellen before she moved her head against Ellen's and closed her eyes for a few seconds to rest.
Ellen glanced at the bags. One thing was certain: the three of them were not in Sydney for a quick visit. They were there for as long as it would take. Jess and Taylor could work on SNARL's new album from the Sydney studio, while Blake's tour didn't start for a few weeks.
"Go sit with Blake by the pool," Taylor instructed her. "I'll handle the bags, and Jessie will get us some coffee," she stated, then fixing Jessie with an intense gaze, added, "Make it strong and plentiful."
Ellen felt Blake's steady, warm, reassuring hand touch her shoulder blades to guide her outside—and felt the first rays of sunshine on her skin in two days.
She felt privileged that Blake had come with her sisters.
She didn't have to be there, but once again, she proved that Ellen could always count on her. "Thank you, Blake!"
Blake's simple "anything for my family," was all it took for Ellen's heart to feel a comforting warmth bloom.
Stepping outside, Ellen kicked off her slippers and carefully rolled up her pyjamas, her bare feet sinking into the water. "Are you ready to talk, or would you like to wait a bit longer?" Blake asked. Ellen gently shook her head, then leaned her exhausted head against Blake's shoulder.
The silence between them stretched for a few minutes before Taylor and Jess stepped outside, each carrying two mugs of coffee.
They settled by the pool, and Taylor took a sip, mock-coughing as if it were poison.
"Tabarnak, c'est quoi ca?" Taylor cursed in French.
"Man, this coffee… I don't have the words, but it's rough on the throat. "
"Don't be a baby. You wanted some kick-ass stuff, and now you're crying?" Jess giggled, and Ellen started laughing because of it.
"You know you scared us, especially this one," Jess said, pointing at Taylor. Her voice was low and firm. "She almost broke down my door the other night, much to Mr. Sanchez's delight."
Ellen looked at her. Jess was full of humanity and compassion. "Thank you, and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you drop everything and come all the way from LA for this," Ellen whispered.
"Come on, all of us know you'd jump across the Pacific to our rescue. This is just us doing the exact same thing," Jess replied without hesitation. "You looked out for me so much last year."
The four girls stared silently at the water's edge. It brought a sense of calm to their hearts. Then, Taylor broke the silence. "What happened?"
Taylor had just asked the first head-on question since their arrival. She wanted answers to how much she should hate Roxy or not. And if so, how much?
"It all began when she asked me to meet her at a pub on Valentine's Day. I was probably expecting a date, you know, the whole Valentine's Day thing. But I was so wrong. She wanted us to stop seeing each other before all this happened." Ellen's voice broke on the last words.
"What do you mean she wanted to stop seeing each other?" Jess asked, still trying to recover from the shock. It didn't make sense.
"She told me we should keep our relationship professional because she was a bundle of problems." Ellen was trying hard not to give in again. "The thing is, I didn't make it easy for her. I told her to follow me if she wanted real closure."
"And then?" asked Blake, who was hanging on Ellen's every word as if she were reading a sapphic romance novel.
"We'd just gotten here, and I challenged her about her feelings.
What did I have to lose?" A beat. "We kissed.
On the coach. And it was like… like nothing I'd ever experienced before.
We were definitely heading for more. She completely froze when her phone rang.
" Taylor, Jess, and Blake were visibly in shock that they'd kissed.
"And no idea why?" Taylor asked.
"Tay, has anyone ever figured out what happened to Amelia Earhart when she disappeared?
Or where did flight MH73 go? So the Roxy's whole thing?
Same total mystery to me," Ellen answered deadpan.
Taylor's eyes widened, as if she had just experienced an epiphany.
"Was that a moment of inspiration?" Ellen asked her with a faint smile.
Taylor nodded furiously but then regained her composure. "Yes, but it's not important. Go on."
"She completely flipped out after reading a message on her phone and stormed off. Which leads me to believe this distraction made her realize what she was doing. She said it was true between us, but none of this makes sense. Seriously, am I the only one who doesn't understand?"
They remained silent, because there was nothing to understand.
Taylor looked up. "I knew something was happening with you," she said. "I was already awake, waiting for you to call. You're not the only one who felt it, Twinie."
"I know, Tay. And I am sorry you had to feel it too."
Taylor looked offended. "Stop it. You have no right to say this.
"Being your twin is probably the greatest privilege I have in my life. You're a beautiful, strong woman. You have no idea what I could give to have only 10% of this strength. Or just how much I admire you."
A tear ran quietly down Taylor's cheek. Taylor Caldwell was undoubtedly one of the most vulnerable women in the world, despite her public image. Perhaps that's why she was as successful as she was today.
"So, don't you dare apologize for even a moment, Ellen Caldwell. If my purpose on this earth is to experience what you're going through so that I can be there for you when you need me, then so be it. I love you, Twinie."
And now all four girls were crying at this pure moment. Ellen leaped to her feet, threw herself on top of her twin and took her in her arms. All in the space of a few seconds. "I love you too," Ellen whispered.
"So what do you want to do?" Jess asked.
Ellen grew impatient. "I don't know what I should do, Jessie."
Jess remained calm. "I didn't ask you what you should do, but rather what you want to do."
"I want her. I want to see her again." Ellen's voice was filled with a sadness that could be likened to a weapon of mass destruction for the heart. "I want to finish what we started. But above all, I want to understand. Is it too much to ask?"
Taylor, Jess, and Blake shared a knowing look between them, and then, Taylor let out a spark of "Okay."
Ellen was stumped. "Okay?" she asked. "What on earth does that mean?"
A smirk spread across Taylor's face, though it was Jess who took it upon herself to say something. "Okay, the three of us will do everything possible to help you get your answers, and hopefully your girl too," Jess said. "We'll never let each other down. Never again."
Taylor eyeballed Ellen intently and repeated softly, "Never again."
These words weren't just empty words, but a commitment.
***
March 1, 2025.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia