Chapter 21
The tension between them lingered like an unspoken truth as they drove from Sydney to Queensland. Twenty hours of road stretched ahead, an eternity when the air between them was so thick with unresolved feelings. Colette wasn’t sure why they hadn’t taken a flight or even a train—anything that would have made the journey quicker, more bearable. But the endless road gave her time to think, to brood, and maybe that’s why she didn’t mind it. The scenic views passing by the windows felt like a cruel contrast to the turmoil churning inside her.
As they crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Matt kept his eyes on the road, but every now and then, he’d glance at her with a forced smile, cracking subtle jokes in an effort to lift her spirits. He was trying so hard, and it wasn’t lost on her. But no matter how many times he tried to coax a laugh out of her, the bitterness in her heart remained. There was only one reason she was here, in this car, with him now: she couldn’t let Iris win. The blonde-haired witch had wanted her to cancel this trip, to give up, and Colette was not going to let that happen.
Two and a half hours later, they took their first break at Newcastle. A small café near Nobbys Beach was where they stopped for lunch. The meal was simple—salads and sandwiches—but Colette barely tasted it. Her mind was elsewhere, replaying their argument over and over like a broken record. She expected they’d get back on the road as soon as they finished, but Matt had other plans.
“Want to explore the beach with me?” he asked, shrugging nonchalantly, though there was a hint of hope in his voice. “Heard it’s beautiful this time of year.”
She hesitated for a moment, but then agreed. Maybe the fresh air would help clear her head, give her some perspective. Or maybe it was just another way of avoiding the inevitable conversation they’d have to have.
Nobbys Beach was a place where time seemed to pause, allowing its visitors to truly absorb the beauty that unfolded before them. As she and Matt stepped onto the golden sands, Colette felt a fleeting sense of serenity wash over her. The beach stretched out in a graceful arc, bordered on one side by the calm expanse of the Pacific Ocean and on the other by the lush green headland that rose majestically from the shoreline.
The morning sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow across the tranquil beach. The light danced on the water, creating a shimmering mosaic that seemed to pulse with life, each wave catching the sun’s rays like a thousand tiny mirrors. The gentle lapping of the waves against the shore blended with the occasional cry of seagulls, forming a soothing symphony that calmed the restless thoughts in Colette's mind.
She felt Matt’s hand slip into hers, his touch gentle but firm, grounding her in the present moment. A rush of warmth flooded her body, igniting a familiar fire in her belly—a sensation she had almost forgotten. She looked up at her husband, a man she had loved for so long, yet who had hurt her so deeply. His presence, his touch, still had the power to stir something within her, something she wished she could ignore. But she didn’t pull away; she couldn’t. They walked on, hand in hand, as if trying to reclaim something lost, something precious.
At the far end of the beach, Nobbys Lighthouse stood tall and proud, its white façade gleaming against the brilliant blue sky. The lighthouse had been a beacon of hope, guiding ships safely into Newcastle Harbor for over a century. Its steadfast presence seemed to mirror the resilience she wished she felt—solid, unyielding in the face of stormy seas. They made their way toward it, their feet sinking into the soft, warm sand with each step, the silence between them now almost comfortable, like an old, familiar friend.
When they reached the lighthouse, they found a bench overlooking the panoramic view of the beach below. Colette sat down beside Matt, her gaze sweeping across the curve of the shore, where tiny figures of morning walkers dotted the sand, and surfers rode the waves in the distance. The scene was idyllic, a perfect blend of natural beauty and serene solitude. For a moment, she allowed herself to soak it in, to let the peace of the place seep into her bones.
Then, she realized something startling—she was smiling. A genuine smile that reached her eyes, something she hadn’t done in what felt like an eternity. It caught her off guard, this unfamiliar feeling of contentment. She glanced at Matt from the corner of her eye, catching him mid-moment as he fiddled with his phone, trying to capture her in the perfect frame with the lighthouse as her backdrop.
“A little more to the right, Itty,” he called out, his tone light, almost playful. She adjusted her position slightly, watching him through the lens of his camera. It was him. The man she loved. The man who had driven her to the brink of despair, yet somehow still held the key to her heart. She was smiling because, after two years of a marriage that had grown cold and distant, she finally felt like she had him back—if only for a moment.
And that only saddened her!
Matt seemed unusually buoyant after their walk on the beach, a noticeable shift in his demeanor that Colette couldn’t quite place. He had slipped his phone onto silent, a rare gesture that did not go unnoticed, and turned on the car radio. As they continued their journey, he hummed along to the tunes, a soft smile playing on his lips. It was as if the weight of the past few weeks had momentarily lifted from his shoulders, leaving him lighter, almost carefree.
As they drove, he asked about her job at the restaurant, the one she had been forced to leave. “I’m sorry you had to leave a job you liked,” he said, his voice laced with genuine sympathy. Colette shot him a surprised look, raising an eyebrow at the unexpected sentiment. Matt caught her expression and laughed, the sound warm and oddly comforting in the small space of the car.
“What? I’m just trying to learn to be a better husband,” he exclaimed, the sincerity in his voice unmistakable.
Her heart slammed against her chest at his words, a mix of hope and despair swirling within her. Why now, Matt? Why Now? When she was finally trying to move on? If this realization had come just a few weeks ago, she would have been the happiest woman on earth. Perhaps still living in the la la land with her husband trying to please him to the best of her abilities. But now? Now, she wasn’t sure if it was too late, if too much damage had already been done. The lingering doubt gnawed at her, refusing to be silenced.
“Itty,” Matt's voice broke through her thoughts, drawing her back to the present. “If you had the choice to do any job in the world, what would you like to do?”
Colette paused, the question catching her off guard. She hadn’t allowed herself to dream in a long time, not since the early days when hope still burned brightly in her chest. As a teenager, she had harbored dreams of becoming a lawyer, of working as a senior partner in a big law firm, much like Zoe’s father. The memory of that ambition flickered briefly in her mind, a ghost of the person she once was.
“As a lawyer, I suppose,” she murmured after a moment, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt Matt’s gaze on her, his eyes searching her face as if trying to decode the unspoken words beneath her simple statement. But he didn’t press further, and she didn’t elaborate. The admission had brought long-buried hurts back to the surface, wounds she had tried so hard to keep hidden.