Family Portrait (Fam Series #1)

Chapter 72 - Beaurepaire Pde, West Footscray

Adeline -

Ashleigh and Charlie suddenly bolt out of the car as I awkwardly park it, lock it and run off to join them.

'OI, CORDY! OPEN UP!' Ashleigh yells, banging on his front door.

'Is Jayden home?' Charlie asks.

'I don't see his car anywhere, only Zaine's' I say, joining them.

'He's probably at work or something. CORDY, I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD IF THIS IS A PRANK!' Ashleigh yells.

Zaine, an absolute mess, suddenly answers the door and lets us in.

'Zaine, what's happened?' I ask softly, a little scared.

'Ugh, Sayers is still leaving his things all over the floor' Ashleigh says, going to pick up Jayden's discarded hoodie.

'Don't touch that!' Zaine yells. Ashleigh jumps, keeping her hand hovering over that.

'Zaine...where is Jayden?' Charlie asks.

Zaine starts crying more as he sits down on the couch, trying to think about whatever he's next going to say.

'Is Jayden okay?' I ask, sitting down next to him. Charlie leans against the closed front door, still keeping a safe distance away from Charlie. Ashleigh kicks Jayden's hoodie around like it's a football.

'The police just left' Zaine mumbles.

'The police were here?' Charlie asks, shocked.

'Oh my god, what drugs did Jayden do this time?' Ashleigh asks.

'None! Well, nothing that I know of anyway. Uh...they were coming to tell me that Jayden.....Jayden died. He was the only person involved in the accident. He deliberately crashed his car, they think' Zaine says through heavy tears.

Ashleigh suddenly sits down, jaw dropped as she takes in the news. Charlie's eyes widen in alarm.

'Oh my god, Zaine, I'm so sorry' I say pathetically.

'I need to use your bathroom' Ashleigh says, as she walks into Zaine's bedroom.

'That's not the bathroom!' Charlie yells.

'I know!' Ashleigh yells back.

'Could you please leave it?' Zaine asks.

'I need to lie down!' Ashleigh yells.

'She's also had a rather...eventful night' I say, picking my words carefully. Zaine cries as I hug him.

'Shit, mate. Fuck. I can't believe it' Charlie says, as he sits on the floor below Zaine and I.

'It's just us, Charlie. Jayden's gone' Zaine says, as he hugs his former best mate, and finally ending the feud between him and my fiancé.

...
Templeton -

I run into Zaine's room as my head spins, a mess. First I hurt Olivia, and secondly, Jayden dies in a non suspicious car accident. Oh my god, this is all my fault.

I suddenly sit down on the bed and turn the light above me on, as I catch sight of a framed photo on Zaine's bedside table, of Quinn Schache, taken just before she died.

'WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THIS? WHY WOULD YOU TAKE JAYDEN, QUINN?' I yell, the frame shaking in my hands.

Something loud suddenly happens, like overhead thunder as a loud snapping noise happens and the light above my head shorts out, causing sparks to go flying around me.

I scream as I drop the photo of Quinn and sprint out of the room, crashing into Adeline.

...
Adeline -

'Jesus Ashleigh!' I yell, as Ashleigh runs straight into me and wraps her arms around me, crying.

'there was a storm! Lighting and, and bang!' Ashleigh stutters.

'What storm?' I ask

'The storm! There was the loudest, brightest strike of lightning. The light above Zaine's bed fused out' Ashleigh says.

Zaine gets up and goes into his bedroom as he switches his light on and off.

'It's working just fine now' Zaine says.

'Shes had a long night, I think she's just tired' I say, hugging an overemotional Ashleigh.

'Yeah, I'm the same. Hey, how's this get here?' Zaine asks, bending down as he picks a framed photo of Quinn up.

'Adeline, where's Jayden?' Ashleigh suddenly asks me, as she starts crying harder.

'Ashleigh' I say. Charlie wipes away tears as he also begins to break.

'No. Don't say he's dead. He's not. Obviously he's upstairs in his room' Ashleigh says. Everyone starts crying harder at that.

...

Jayden Sayers'. 9:32pm.

Driving through the outskirts of Geelong, I roll my window down and stick my head out the window as I feel the wind blowing in my face, while also witnessing the clouds covering the moon.

I take another swig of my whiskey as I step harder on the accelerator, speeding off down the country highway.

I begin to tear up as I think about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it, as I take a deep breath and turn the steering wheel.

I suddenly swerve back onto the road for the 5th time, realising I just can't do it.

Doing an illegal uturn, I go back up the street as I see the same concrete pillar.

Closing my eyes, I turn the wheel and let go of it as I speed into goodbye forever.

Love,
Jayden Sayers.