Santa's Daughter | ✓|Book One| ❅ (2015)

Chapter Eight

"I never knew you had a wife."
Tara giggled and slammed her drink down on the table.
"I never knew you had a twelve year old friend."
"I'm actually twenty one."
"Whatever, Kady."
"It's Clara."
"Don't care."
I don't get why Jake married this woman. She smells like she hadn't showered for five years, her breath smells of alcohol and booze, and she dresses like an urban orphan.
"I go and put the kettle on."
"Stay out from my kitchen!"
We looked at her, confused.
"Sorry, it's the booze."
Jake shot her a glare.
"Clara, can you give us a second?"
"Sure."
I walked out of the living room and waited in the living room. I heard shouting, and glass breaking. The Christmas tree wasn't put up, or any decorations at all. My phone vibrated. It was another text from Mason:

Hixxxx I miss u so much. Remembering the good times all over again. Happy Holidays xoxoxoxo

Jake came into the kitchen and sat with me.
"I am truly sorry about her."
"It's fine.", I said, and tears started rolling down my face. Could this be Mason and Merisa in New Zealand?
"Don't cry.", he said, sympathetically as he reached over towards me to wipe my tears. "Ignore Tara."
I shrugged. "It's not her."
"What is it?"
I was almost done from crying and showed him the message from Mason.
"Who's he?"
"My ex fiancé. We split up a few weeks ago."
"I'm sorry."
"He dumped me and ran off with this stupid model to New Zealand."
"Ouch."
"Yeah. Of course I was hurt. I don't know if I miss him."
Jake reached for my hand.
"Why don't you visit him? I could come."
"No, I hate him. Just thinking about the good times makes me emotional."
"Have you burnt all of the pictures?"
"Did that."
"It works for me."
"What do you mean?"
"My ex girlfriend walked out on me."
"Wow. Sorry."
"It's fine. I'm married to Tara now.", he said it slowly like he wished she wasn't his wife.
"Why did your ex walk out on you?"
He sighed.
"Because she had been given the chance to go to Hollywood."
"Wow. Is that it?"
"No, not really. She and I had a row about it. I didn't know that she turned  down the offer. Now she's getting married to this commercial actor."
"What commercial was he in?"
"House of Fraser."
"Was he in that 'You Don't Own Me one?"
"Yes. And Haribos."
"Oh."
There was a long pause.
"What's her name?"
"Stacy."
"Cool name."
He smiled at me.
"You mentioned you were fostered?"
"Oh yeah!"
"What's it like?"
I put the phone in my pocket, scared that Mason might sent me anothere message.
"First of all, I would say adopted, but I call them my fostered parents because their last name is Foster."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know your parents?"
I froze. I can't just tell him. He'd think that it's nonsense.
"No."
"Sorry to hear that."
I smiled.
"Tell me about you. Where you come from."
He looked down.
"Jake?"
He looked up again. He sighed heavily.
"My parents died in a car crash around the Christmas period."
I gasped.
"I was eight."
"I am so sorry to hear that."
"And it was my fault!"
I stared at him in horror, hoping that my ears deceived me.
"What do you mean?"
He sighed.
"They had an argument about this social worker. She was scared that they weren't looking after me properly. We were quite poor, and we wanted stuff that we can't have. My Dad had this business and he sold books. It wasn't successful. They often argued about me."
I squeezed his hand tight as he talked, with tears in my eyes and tears rolling down his face.
"I was worried that I wasn't good enough. I often isolated myself. They were out one night to do some shopping, and on the same night, there was a fire at the local shop."
"How come?"
"No one knew the cause. I could see the fire from my window. He sold us stuff for less than 70p. After he died in the fire, my Dad's truck spiraled out of control."
I squeezed his hand more.
"And it injured at least four people. Then, they were heading towards the fire."
Tears started rolling down my face. He was sobbing lightly.
"And they crashed into the building. They died as soon as the heat hit them. In an explosion!"
I was crying for him, and he was crying too. He wiped his tears.
"That's why I hate the festive event. That's why I hate Christmas."
"I'm sorry.", I whispered.
I went up to him and hugged him, planting a kiss on his damp cheek and comforting him as he cried.