CHAPTER 44
ELLEN
Blackheath, New South Wales, Australia
When Ellen woke up, one thing was clear: Every muscle in her body was aching, even those she hadn’t known existed. The cause, however, was not so clear. It might have been the hike, the fervent sex of the previous night, or the culmination of stress from the past few months finally subsiding.
Just like the day before, Ellen was afraid to open her eyes, afraid she'd realize it had all been a dream. Yet she could feel Roxy's body pressing against her back, her arm holding Ellen to her, their legs tangled together, and the warmth of Roxy's breath on her neck.
Silence filled the cabin until Roxy broke it with her voice. "Hello, Sunshine! Are you awake?"
"Let me think… Mm… If I wasn't before, I definitely am now." You could tell she was smiling from her tone.
Roxy's lips met Ellen's shoulder, a whisper of a touch that hinted at a kiss to come. "I thought maybe I dreamed last night. Best night ever. Plus, I can't feel my legs anymore. What did you do to me?"
Ellen turned to face Roxy so she could look her in the eye. "With all the screaming you did yesterday, I'm pretty sure every animal within a five-kilometre radius can attest that you weren't dreaming," she said, grinning. "It was all real."
"I feel like I've been reborn. I doubted I'd ever again experience the warmth of love, the security of trust, or the peace of feeling safe," Roxy said.
"My thought is, rather, that you have reinstated Roxanne Kerr into her rightful place," Ellen stated, then affectionately kissed Roxy. "And I'm going to like Roxy a lot."
"You know, I agree with you."
They stayed there for a long time, not at all concerned that they had to vacate the cabin by 11 a.m. The truth was, they had no idea what time it was. Ellen didn't care. She enjoyed Roxy's fingers tracing lazy shapes on her hip, while Ellen's slid through her hair, deliberately slowing down.
A loud rumble came from Ellen's stomach. "Are you hungry?" Roxy asked her.
"Yeah, but that means getting up and leaving the warmth, so I figure breakfast is overrated," Ellen said.
"Or... that means you get to stay comfortably in bed while I make us breakfast in bed."
"Oh my god, the perfect woman really does exist," Ellen exclaimed. Roxy rolled her eyes, kissed her forehead, grabbed her robe, and headed for the kitchen. "Roxy?"
Roxy turned around. "I'm glad I came to see you the other day," Ellen said without hesitation.
Roxy didn't answer right away, just looked at her, then a genuine smile spread across her lips. "Me too," she said.
She disappeared into the kitchen, humming a soft, wordless tune.
Ellen lay there, still enveloped in the warmth of the now empty space beside her. She felt completely and painfully happy for the first time since Leah had left for LA seven years ago.
***
July 14, 2025.
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
They closed the cabin door at 10:59 AM, having really cherished every second of that fantastic weekend. They headed to Sydney, keeping quiet. They were holding hands, making eyes, and chuckling away. Ellen felt a forgotten lightness, making the Sydney traffic way less annoying.
When her cell service came back, she had two messages waiting for her.
Leah Donovan - 8:23 AM Hello my friend. Where are you? I tried calling you. Nothing important. Just wanted to catch up a bit. L - xx-
Taylor Caldwell - 8:36 AM Hi, I'm at the studio for the day. I will finally meet the famous Jules Monroe. There aren't any leftovers for you. Sorry.
On top of her existing smile, these messages made her beam. First, things have really improved between Ellen and Leah since June. And the Caldwell Sisters were closer than ever.
When Roxy stopped in front of Ellen's house around 2 PM, Roxy turned to her with a look that could only mean one thing: I'm not ready to say goodbye.
"I'm the happiest woman in the world right now, Ellen."
Ellen bit her inner cheeks. Otherwise, she would have told her that she loved her, and even though it was the truth, Ellen didn't want to rush things.
"Would you like to come in? We could keep.
.. talking after we eat. Taylor is at the studio all day.
I could make us something to eat to thank you properly. "
Roxy hesitated. "I feel like you thanked me pretty well last night," she said in a warm, teasing voice. "But I'd love to."
They got out of the car. Roxy went to the trunk to get Ellen's bags, while Ellen went to open the door. But just as Ellen was about to step through the doorway, she sensed Roxy's hesitation. "Are you okay, Roxy?"
"Yes. It's just that... the last time I was here..."
"No," Ellen interrupted her gently. "The past is the past. Let's focus on the present and dream about our future." Roxy looked at her and kissed her softly and confidently. Roxy Kerr was clearly a romantic at heart. "Come on," Ellen said softly.
And it was the moment when things got complicated for Ellen.
As soon as she entered the house, noises coming from the kitchen reached her ears.
Her annoying little sister, who was always looking for lesbian gossip, was back home.
Much earlier than expected. "Tabarnak," she murmured in French to herself.
"Taylor…? You're not at the studio? I thought you were meeting Jules Monroe today…"
Taylor, smiling and relaxed, arms folded, seemed pleased with her impeccable timing.
"You won't believe this!" She noticed Roxy was right behind Ellen.
"Oh, my, look who it is… It's none other than Roxy Powell herself," she said, a smirk playing on her lips.
"And finally, this time it's in a good way. "
Roxy walked toward Taylor with unwavering confidence. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, because my name is Roxanne Kerr." She offered her hand to Taylor. "But everyone just calls me Roxy."
Taylor gave her twin sister the most “what the fuck” look ever, even though she’d had many weird moments before. Via their mind-to-mind connection, Ellen promised a later explanation.
With a warm smile, Roxy then added, "It's an absolute pleasure to finally meet a singer whom I've admired for so long."
"So, you're flattering me?" Taylor asked, shaking her hand. "Mm. She has a knack for winning me over. I really like her, Twinie."
Free translation: I think your new girlfriend is great, and she'll be a perfect partner for sharing juicy gossip about you. Shit.
Ellen steered the conversation elsewhere, hoping to shift their focus. "You were about to tell me something about Jules Monroe."
"She showed up twenty minutes late when she knew she only had one hour with Kyle and I," she said. "She acted like she owned the damn studio, which, ironically, is mine. She was loud and arrogant, and thought she had it all figured out."
Ellen raised an eyebrow. "So… the usual?"
Taylor scoffed. "Worse. Every word felt pre-written, every move curated. She came in like a headline. But…" She paused. "There was something under all that noise," she adds. "And I hate I noticed it."
"You don't hate it," she said.
Taylor sighed. "Fine. I don't." She closed her laptop gently. "She's got everything Blake had when I scouted her at this bar in LA. But they'd rather turn her into an influencer. What a waste. So, it makes everything more complicated."
Ellen looked at her. Payback time. "You talk about her with such passion. Is it just me, or has she really caught your eye?" Taylor looked at her, annoyed. "Oh, isn't it less funny when you're the one getting roasted?" A smile touched Ellen's lips as she asked.
Taylor did what Ellen had a hard time doing—she ignored the question. "So, I walked away. She'll be ready to become an artist and will call me if she starts focusing on music instead of Instagram and TikTok. Until then, I'm too busy to deal with divas."
Roxy chimed in, "For the record, I like Blake Voss and Jules Monroe too."
"You don't have to try so hard to convince me, Roxy. You've already done that, particularly if you keep my sister happy and don't cause her any more pain."
Roxy gave a small shrug. "I'm not trying to win you over. But I'll take the point."
Ellen intervened before the mood soured. "Okay. Let's not make things weird."
Taylor raised both hands, smiling. "Who's making things weird?" Taylor glanced at her twin sister again, something softer in her face now. "You seem good, Twinie."
"I am," Ellen said, meaning it. "Want to eat with us?"
"No, I'm going back to the little café to get some work done. I don't want to interrupt anything."
Ellen didn't press the matter any further. Taylor had understood her again.
As she passed by Roxy, she gave her a subtle once-over. Then added, "Take care of her."
"I will," Roxy said. And Ellen believed her.
Taylor gave a brief nod and walked out. As she passed, she squeezed Ellen's shoulder, sending a silent "I love you."
When she was out, Roxy turned to Ellen, eyebrows raised. "Way better than expected."
Ellen grinned. "Trust me. You received Taylor Caldwell's stamp of approval."
She melted into Roxy's arms, and they embraced, silent and complete, like they were finally where they belonged.