Family Portrait (Fam Series #1)

Chapter 132 - Templeton's Spare Bedroom, Toorak

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR 10K ON FAMILY PORTRAIT!

...

Adeline -

Nervously waiting.

I grip my steering wheel tightly as I look out through the windscreen and all of the windows, making sure the police aren't about to bust my law breaking ass.

It's been weeks since I physically saw a friend. I'm so overcome with excitement right now.

I look back out to High Street as he suddenly walks around the corner, wearing dark sunglasses and a beanie at night.

'JOSH!' I yell, a little too loudly as I leave my car and bolt towards the man, jumping into his arms.

'I'm so happy to be back in Melbourne, you have no idea' Josh says quietly, as he wraps me up in his arms.

'Come on, let's go back to my car in case anybody hears us' I say, leading him up Westgarth Street and back to my car.

I lock the doors as I crank up the heater and he clicks his seatbelt in, pushing his chair back from when Ashleigh was a passenger months ago. I don't think I will ever know why, but she likes to sit right against the dashboard in cars. Says it makes her feel grounded or something.

'Where are we going? Kyle and Lara are at home' he says, as I suddenly turn around and kiss him, taking off his sunglasses so I can see his gorgeous, deep blue eyes.

'My kids are at home and my sister in law is babysitting. Legally, we're calling it caregiving. When are you sneaking over to regional Victoria?' I ask.

'Probably tomorrow. Mum and dad aren't going to be happy to know that I somehow managed to escape the hub, boarded a whole ass removalist truck and came all the way to Melbourne from Queensland. Literally the most uncomfortable three days of my life. But I'm missing Emmie and Noah and can't take the hub any longer' he says, as I move back into the lane and drive out of Northcote, where he said he'd get off the tram at and meet me.

'We've got a curfew at the moment by the way. Our city shuts down at 9pm, no later. I'm not allowed to be out right now and neither are you so don't do anything dodgy looking' I say.

'I'm Josh Dunkley and I'm in Melbourne, that's already dodgy enough' he says, as I pull a set of keys out of my pocket.

'Ashleigh gave me a spare set of keys to her house in Toorak since nobody's going to be using it for a while, I don't know besides Scarlett. But since lockdown I'm pretty sure she's moved back to Gisborne' I say.

'So we're going back to Toorak then?' Josh asks.

'Nobody can see us there and I've already rigged the surveillance cameras, so Ashleigh can't track us on her iPad' I say.

...

'You haven't turned your phone on yet, are you sure you don't want to let Lisa or Andrew know you're here?' I ask, as I unlock the grand front door and let him inside.

'The club can track my location if I turn my phone on. Luckily when the removalist guy stopped to sleep, I snuck out and we were at a McDonald's where I could use their landline phone to call you. I had your number written down before I left' he says.

'So how are you gonna call your parents? YEAH ALARM, I GET IT!' I yell, as I punch in the code and silence it.

'I'll use your phone I suppose. Is there a light switch around here?' He asks, as he runs his hands along the walls. I turn my phone flashlight on, accidentally shining it directly in his eyes.