Chapter 26B
TAYLOR
Los Angles, California, USA
Before she could comprehend what was happening, Taylor was two floors up, knocking at Jess' door with more urgency than force.
The sound of Ellen’s last breath before she ended the call was like a punch in Taylor's heart. She didn't need to say a word: Taylor felt it instantly, in that place only twins knew existed, where her pain became hers before she even had to speak
"Jessie, open the door," she said, knocking, without worrying too much about how loud she was. "Please…"
"Come on, people are trying to sleep!" Mr. Sanchez, Jess's awful neighbour, yelled at her.
"Sorry, Mr. Sanchez, family emergency," Taylor said, trying to defuse his anger. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his shitty temperament.
He closed his door, not without a murmur in Spanish. Taylor wasn't exactly sure about what he said, but it sounded something like 'fucking rock stars.'
It took three series of knocks before Jess finally opened up to Taylor in a long T-shirt, sleep still clinging to her face. "Tay? What on earth is going on? Do you know what time it is?"
"No, and I don't give a shit about it. Pack your things. We're leaving for Sydney ASAP."
"Euh. Okay. Would you mind explaining what is going on?"
"Ellen called."
Jess stepped aside immediately, holding the door open without a word. Blake was already sitting on the edge of the couch behind her, hair messy, and eyes sharp despite the hour. Jess closed the door softly behind Taylor. "Okay, now you're scaring me. What is happening, Tay?"
"I don't know. She called me an hour ago and could barely talk. It looks bad, Jessie. Really bad. I am not feeling well."
Jess ran a hand through her hair, already heading to the kitchen. "Do you want tea?"
"No. I want to board the next flight to Sydney."
"Okay," she said, as if there was no need to discuss it further. "It's about Roxy?"
"For sure it's about Roxy. Whatever happened, it got through Ellen's armour, and I felt it—not just emotionally, but physically. She's in pain, and so I am. It's worse than her breakups with Caroline or Leah. She's destroyed."
Jess opened the cupboard and grabbed three mugs. Blake entered the kitchen, still quiet but fully present. She poured water into the kettle while Jess looked at her. "Do you want to come with us, honey?"
"Do I really need to answer that? Duh. Of course," Blake answered. Jess didn't argue. She just nodded.
Taylor sat at the table, that heavy silence from the call still lodged in her chest. "Jessie, she didn't even try to pretend she was okay. It was one hour of silence and difficult breathing. Something is broken inside her."
Jess slid a mug in front of her, sat down, and closed her eyes. "Don't worry, Tay. We've got her."
"Yeah. If it's not too late."
At this point, the three of them couldn't rush anything. There won't be a flight before six, maybe later, but that didn't matter. The decision was made, and they were already in motion. Her twin needed her, and Taylor wouldn't be able to breathe properly until she could hold Ellen in her arms.