Family Portrait (Fam Series #1)

Chapter 104 - Ashleigh VS Scarlett, Toorak

Templeton -

'Jason, please answer your phone. I'm really worried about you and I know for a fact that your phone will be glued to your hand right now so stop ignoring me' I say, as I hang up, ending my voice message and sending it to his voicemail.

I quickly close the open apps on my phone as Freyer starts crying. I clutch my head in pain - she never stops.

'MUM!' I yell, as I continue scrolling through Facebook on my laptop. Scarlett, my older sister walks in as she looks at me, pretty pissed.

'Why can't you ever look after her yourself?' She asks, as she scoops her niece up in her arms and bounces her, trying to calm her down. Good luck.

'She's been crying on and off since we went into the fire escape earlier' I groan, as I turn around and look over at them.

'What fire escape?' Scarlett asks. I shrug.

'The fire escape at Jason's house' I say.

'I see. And what about Ed? What's going on with him?' She asks, as she lays Freyer down again.

'I don't know, he's not talking to me and he's disappeared again' I say. She sighs.

'So is Jason like, the flavour of the month now or something? You seem to be hanging around with him a lot' Scarlett says.

'Just today since Freyer was born. And also, he's her father. He's allowed to see his daughter, Scarlett' I say, annoyed at the way she talks about my partners.

'You don't actually know if he is the father, Ash. It could still be Ed' she says, folding her arms.

'I've been over this with you a million times, Scarlett. I'm not getting a DNA test on her because I don't want anyone to look at her differently. I don't want one man to fall in love with her thinking he's her father, only to be hurt by a later result. And I don't want Ed to stay away from her and then only come back if she's his' I explain.

'It sounds more like you have doubts about her actually being Jason's daughter to me. I mean...you're naming him as father on the birth certificate but keeping her surname as Richards' she says.

'Oh, did I put Richards down? I'll fix that up later. I'll have to print new documents out though, because Jason scribbled nearly everything out on his section. He's so weird' I say.

'Be honest with me Ashleigh, who really is her father? You're going to end up raising a very confused little girl if you keep playing this game' Scarlett says, lecturing me.

'I've seen photos of Jason when he was a baby and they look the same, Scar. And she doesn't look like either me or Ed when we were babies' I say.

'Yeah, but all babies look the same if you ask me. Plus with genetics, she could technically look like anyone, not just Jason' Scarlett says.

'Why won't you just accept that he's her father?' I ask.

'Because it seems really sketchy, Ash. I can't even find the guy's Facebook or Instagram profiles. He's lock, stock and barrel private. What guy, who looks like that, is that private? Also, he's one of your former facilitators from the University which is just a disgusting abuse of power if you ask me. Thirdly, his jeans always seem far too tight, like he can't breathe in them' Scarlett says.

'He wears Levis. I'm pretty sure he said that the black pair - the pair that look too tight, were a gift from a family member from years ago' I explain.

'That's not the point, Ashleigh. I'm just saying, I don't wanna see you get hurt because this Brunswick East snob thinks he can walk around like king dick fucking his students. It's not okay with me' Scarlett says.