Wild feral islanders that we were.
Her eyes were alive, her face twisted into a laugh. “Come back here, you terror!”
Her smile was for me, but her gaze went to the stranger at the door.
She slammed to a stop; a hand slapped over her soaking heart. “Oh, my God.”
“Oh!” The redhead drifted forward, completely ignoring me. “Stel...” Her eyes brimmed, overflowing as she reached for my wife. “Oh, my...”
“Madi!” Estelle trembled then threw her arms around the girl I’d heard so much about. “Madi...it’s truly you.”
Together, they slid to the floor in a pile of dresses and lip-gloss, kissing, hugging, welcoming each other back into their lives, all while Coco zipped around in butt naked glory.
Chapter Seventy-Six
...............................................
E S T E L L E
......
THAT VOICE.
That lilt.
Oh, my God, I’ve missed her.
After so long, I finally had my best friend in my arms. As we sat hugging on the tiled entryway, I expected a sarcastic quip, a punch to my arm, an insider joke. Something familiar within our dynamics of friendship.
However, she shocked me stupid when she burst into ugly sobs, burrowing her face into my neck.
Galloway froze, his delicious body shining with rogue droplets from his long hair. He cleared his throat. “I, eh... I’ll leave you guys to it.”
Vaguely, I was aware of him scooping up our naked daughter and disappearing into the single bedroom off the lounge, closing the door quietly behind him.
My heart went with my family, but my attention focused on crying Madeleine. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here.”
“I thought—I thought you were dead!” Her wails tangled with my hair, knotting with every sob. “I—I—” She couldn’t finish, clutching me harder. “When they called me and said you’d chartered a helicopter that crashed...I thought they had the wrong person. What were you thinking? Why would you do something like that! You left me!”
A smile broke my face.
A laugh followed not long after. “You mean to tell me...that after all this time claiming you don’t cry at TV shows or shed a tear in books, you’re crying because I’ve come back from the grave?”
She pulled away. Her eyes puffed red and tears glittered on her cheeks. “When you say it that way, no, I’m not happy you’re alive.”
I nodded coyly, smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. “Oh, really? So the tears...that was staged, huh?”
“I didn’t miss you.”
“Yeah, you did.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“It was just a publicity stunt.” Her nose tipped up with airs and graces. “I know you. You’d rather go native and hide away for years rather than go on stage and sing. I’m your manager. You don’t run away from your manager!”
“I can if she’s a tyrant.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I was not a tyrant.”
Giggles percolated in my chest. “Do this, Estelle. Do that. We have to go shopping. We have to travel around the world together. Oh, oops, I just made you an internet star, now you must always obey me.”
She swatted me, unable to hide her smile anymore. “You liked it.”
“No way.”
“Go on...admit it. You missed me.”
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
“Nope.”
We glared at each other, slipping straight back into awesome pointless bickering. Our fake glares switched to watery welcome and we fell back into a hug.
“God, I’m so glad you’re back.” She kissed my cheek. “Just next time you need your space, tell me and I’ll leave. Like instantly. Not like before. I won’t hound you. I promise. Just...don’t try to kill yourself again, okay?”
I stroked her curly red hair. I’d always been slightly jealous of her amazing colour. Where mine had been boring blonde (not stark white from the sun), I’d felt monochromatic compared to her. Especially seeing as I favoured a wardrobe of greys and pastels, and she preferred vibrant almost garish designs.
Pulling away, I pointed at her blotchy nose. “You have snot mingling with your tears. It’s kind of gross.”
She pouted. “Well, you have no boobs anymore. So I think I win.”
I glanced down, hastily rearranging the gaping neckline of my dress. “Just because you have double D’s doesn’t make you queen.”
“It does.” She pinched air. “Just a teeny tiny bit.”
“You suck.”
“No, you do.”
Launching herself at me, her arms lassoed tight and her lips landed once again on my cheek. “Estelle, I’m warning you. Don’t ever leave me again.”
I laughed.
But my heart cracked.
To her, everything was perfect. I was home. I was safe. I was exactly where I’d been three and a half years ago.
But my soul was no longer here.
I’d left it in Fiji, on our beach, in our bungalow, with Conner swimming at sunset.
I didn’t belong here anymore.
And I couldn’t make promises I didn’t know if I could keep.
Chapter Seventy-Seven
...............................................
G A L L O W A Y
......
I WAS ALONE with two women.
Two gossiping women.
Coco didn’t appreciate the loud conversation, and once Estelle and her friend had calmed down, I dressed Coco in her store bought (no longer tatty t-shirt) diaper and placed her into the nest on the floor where the comforter from the bed had turned into a hard but warm welcome.
The moment she lay down, her little eyes drooped.
I couldn’t blame her.
The past few days had been immensely tiring. For everyone. I hadn’t been to sleep yet (neither had Estelle from talking all night) and the antibiotics had boosted my system so fast I forgot I was knocking on death’s front gate only a week ago.
I felt okay, but my energy levels were at half capacity and the temptation to nap with my daughter rather than dress in clothing (heaven forbid) and make polite conversation (kill me now) was not appealing.
But this woman was Estelle’s friend. She was a part of my wife’s life.
So I made the effort. I dressed. I closed the door on my sleeping infant and sat through the necessary introductions before fading into the background and indulging in watching Estelle interact with someone she loved.
It was a novelty, especially seeing her act younger than I’d seen. It was also a great way of peeking into her past and learning more about the woman I loved.
At some point, I raided the kitchen for food. The hiss of the refrigerator and blast of cold air shocked me until I remembered how modern conveniences worked.
For the first few days on the cruise ship, lights had been magical, carpet fantastical, and wallpaper so much smoother than palm tree bark on the walls. However, the oddity wore off after a while.
We’d been raised with this stuff. Almost four years away wasn’t long enough to erase such imprinted memories, and I hated how easily I fell back into opening drawers for utensils and grabbing plates to eat off rather than a carved coconut bowl.
For an hour or so, Estelle and Madeline gossiped, catching up on years’ worth of intrigue. They nibbled on grapes (holy hell, I’d forgotten how amazing they were) and drank coconut water from a bottle (rather than monkey up a tree and carve into a fresh one).
I sat back as a spectator, letting the wash of feminine voices crash over me as they discussed what Madi had done after Estelle’s ‘death.’ How she’d cleaned Estelle’s apartment and removed the furniture for the new owners. How she’d contacted the morgue and ran the necessary wake and send-off.
Apparently, she also took custody of a cat called Shovel Face (even though she was mildly allergic) and gave him a loving home until he passed away in his sleep a year a
go.
Estelle sniffed with sadness that her pet had gone but squeezed Madi’s hand in gratitude for giving him a good life.
For a while, I couldn’t understand how these two women ever became such great friends. Estelle was quiet, serious, with the occasional hilarious quip that showed wit, charm, and selflessness. Madi on the other hand was loud, vivacious, and wore every emotion as if they were a decoration.
Halfway through the never-ending conversation, I investigated the fridge again and uncapped the first ice-cold beer I’d had in almost four years.
Nothing else mattered after that first sip.
I reclined in manmade comfort and drank perfect tangy beer. Which was good because Madi had a lot to say.
I must’ve dozed at some point because my eyes shot open as Estelle jolted upright, slapping a hand over her mouth. “That—that can’t be right.”
Madi nodded solemnly. “It is. Once your funeral was over—you would’ve loved the coffin I chose, by the way—the paperwork all flowed to me. You, sneaky miss, didn’t tell me you’d put me as your emergency contact.”
Estelle’s gaze flickered to mine.
The energy around the room changed.
I pushed upright in my chair, pinching my eyes to banish sleepy cobwebs. Once again, the craving for glasses reminded me I was no longer stranded. I could go out right now and order a prescription.
But something told me I needed to hear this.
Whatever this was.
Estelle twirled her fingers. “Well, after my parents and sister died...who else did I have?”
Madi nodded sadly. “I know. And I was honoured when the lawyer called me. He said as I was the only one listed on your personal documents and the responsibility of dividing your estate fell on my shoulders. I’d already dealt with your landlord and sold off what I could of your possessions.
“You’ll be pleased to know the money went to the animal shelter in Blacktown you support and I kept your jewellery.” She waved her hands. “Anyway, that’s off-topic. What you really need to know is the deal you signed before stupidly boarding that helicopter took control of your artistic material. They bought your previous songs off YouTube, and your written lyrics not yet recorded. They released the ones completed but sold the remaining unrecorded rights to other artists.”
Estelle gasped, shaking a little. “Wow, I didn’t know they could do that.”
“Well, you should’ve read the fine print.” Madi patted Estelle’s knee. “Don’t worry. I did, and I made sure I got everything you were owed, even if you were dead.”
“But...Madi...that means...” She pressed her hand against her cheek. “Oh, wow.”
“Yes, wow.”
I placed my empty beer bottle on the side table, sitting forward with my hands steepled between my legs. “Anyone want to tell me what this gibberish means? Why the hell has my wife gone white?”
“Wait, wife?” Madi gaped.
Estelle flinched. “Oh, yeah. Um...surprise?”
“Surprise?” Madi’s eyes narrowed. “First, I find you chose death over me. Now, I find out you got married and I wasn’t your maid of honour.” She clutched her heart. “You’ve wounded me. For life, I tell you. Life!”
Estelle laughed. “Yeah, yeah. Stop with the dramatics. I know I have a lot of explaining to do, but so do you. Stop teasing and repeat what you so flippantly said before.” Pointing at me, she added, “Tell him so he can stop looking at me like I’m about to pass out.”
“Are you about to pass out?” My thighs bunched, ready to launch myself from the chair. After dealing with starvation and childbirth, living with broken bones and sickness, I’d never seen her pass out.
Madi faced me, her cheeks round and rosy. “Well, Mr. ‘I Still Don’t Know Anything About You,’ your wife is worth three million, two hundred thousand, and a few other measly dollars.”
My mouth hung open. “What?”
Estelle shook her head. “I—I had no idea.”
Madi slapped her on the arm. “Didn’t I tell you you’d hit it big when I uploaded that YouTube video?”
“What YouTube video?” I inched further off my seat, drawn deeper into a conversation I couldn’t understand.
Millions?
How?
She told me she penned songs and occasionally sang. I ran a hand through my hair. She told me the singing tour was low key and hardly anyone went. She told me it meant nothing!
“Estelle...goddammit, what have you been hiding from me?”
She blushed. “It’s nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. You kept this from me.” My heart literally hurt. “How could you downplay something like that? Your songs on our island. Your music. Your bloody talent. I should've known a voice like yours wouldn’t go unnoticed. I should’ve seen past your blasé comments and dug deeper.”
I stood, unable to sit still any longer. “How could you keep such a secret from me?”
Estelle never took her gaze off me as I paced. Her head tilted to one side, blaring messages only for me. “You had a secret, too, remember? And you only told me a few days ago under pain of death.”
I froze. “That’s different.”
“No, it’s not.”
“How is it not? You should be proud of your accomplishments. While I should...I should—”
“What, G? You should continue to punish yourself? Find some other way to pay? You’ve paid enough, don’t you think?”
My nostrils flared. “That’s not for you to decide.”
Madi stood up, waving a white pillow from the couch. “Whoa, time out you two.”
Estelle and I glowered, but we stopped. The argument (wait, was it even an argument?) hovered, waiting for the smallest spark to erupt again.
Madi pulled a cell-phone from her back pocket. “Before you kill each other, let me show you.”
My insides clenched to think of the sun-cracked and ancient phone we’d left behind. Pictures of us younger, fatter, and scared, slowly morphing to capable survivors. Videos of Conner. Theatrical performances of him and Pippa and newborn entries of Coco.
God, I would give anything to have that bloody thing.
I rubbed at the ache in my chest as Conner’s death and Pippa’s leaving weighed heavily.
Estelle laid her hand on Madi’s as she swiped the phone’s screen with practiced fingers. “Wait, don’t show him. He doesn’t need—”
I held up my hand. “Don’t you dare say I don’t need to see this, Estelle. Don’t you dare.”
“Don’t get angry with me, Galloway.” She crossed her arms. “Just because I love you doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything.”
“Eh, yes it does.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“I would agree if it’d been something stupid like you stamp collected or hoarded stuffed toys. But bloody hell, Estelle, this is major. You’re worth millions. I’m worth nothing. How am I supposed to compete with that?”
The argument switched to a full fight.
“Compete? There is no competition, G.”
“Wrong choice of words. I’m not competing with you. But how can I accept that you have so much to offer when I have nothing?”
“Really? You’re truly going there? You can start by not saying you’re worth nothing!” She came toward me, stabbing my chest with her finger. “And money doesn’t define us, G. We were equals on that island when we had nothing. Don’t take away that equality just because a bank statement has a different number of zeros.”
Madi scooted between us. “Uh, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here but take this.” She shoved the phone into my hand. “Watch and stop fighting.”
Estelle gave her a nasty look but stepped away as I stole the phone. I cursed my shaking hand. I didn’t know if I shook because I hated fighting or because I was terrified of how successful Estelle was, how capable, how wealthy when I had nothing to offer.
I was a cripple. I was a blind, penniless, cripple.
Bloody hell.
Estelle bit her bottom lip as the YouTube video loaded. “This edition isn’t very good. It’s not polished.”
“Try saying it isn’t very good to five hundred million watches, Stel.” Madi smirked.
“Holy shit.” My eyes dropped to the ‘watched’ numbers, and sure enough, 529,564,311 people had watched my woman sing with her eyes closed, blonde hair cascading over her shoulder, and the hauntiest, sexiest, most perfect melody falling from her lips, all while she played the piano.
She can play the piano?
The moment I pressed play, the outside world didn’t matter.
Only Estelle.
Only her.
Goosebumps broke over my skin as the music soaked into my brain.
How could such random stringed-together sentences be so life changing? How could they make me love her any more than I already did?
She owned my heart completely.
What else could I give her but my soul?
By the time the song finished, Estelle trembled.
Why did she tremble?
From embarrassment?
From fear that I wouldn’t like it?
Whatever the reason, I couldn’t stand the emotional distance between us.
She needed to know how much I valued her, worshipped her.
How much I would bow to her every damn day of my life.
Handing back the cell-phone to Madi, I grabbed Estelle and hauled her into my arms. She gasped as she landed hard against my chest. “I love you.” Fisting my hands in her hair, I kissed her hard, fast, and entirely inappropriately in front of an audience.
But I didn’t care.
This woman was magic.
This woman was mine.
As Estelle’s tongue met mine, a burst of perfume filled my nose.
Madi hovered next to us, grinning like a demented cat. “Aww, that’s cute.” Pecking my cheek, she kissed Estelle before giving a cheeky wave. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. You sound like you have a lot to discuss. Money being one of them.” She cackled. “I’ll be expecting a full report on the marriage and anything else you haven’t told me by the time I come back tomorrow night.”
Unseen Messages Page 56