A Christmas Baby #Wattys2019

9.

After showing Storm the photos she says. "We really should get back downstairs. I want to see what else your father is going to do to Jenna. I love watching that girl be put in her place."

"You go. I have to do something before I go back." Pulling my phone off the nightstand I flip through the contacts until I find Uncle Lucas. I wait for Storm to exit my room before calling him.

The phone rings a couple of time before Uncle Lucas picks up.

Lucas: Hello, this Lucas.

Me: Hey, Uncle Luc. It's Kadence.

Lucas: Kady, why are you calling me? It's nearly 8.30.

Me: I'm not going to beat around the bush for you, but you have a daughter.

Lucas: No, I don't. The only kids I have is with Julie.

Me: The Maid, she had a daughter and you're the father.

Lucas: Fuck, how's it possible that I'm the last to know this?

Me: The Maid didn't want you to know. She made her daughter pretend Dad was hers and things have been a mess at the house since.

Lucas: What do you want me to do?

Me: Come to the house in the morning and talk to your daughter. Get her away from this house.

Lucas: I can't bring her to mine.

Me: I'll see you at 9.30am, Uncle Lucas.

I hang up the phone and make my way back to the dining room. I join my family for dinner.

Jenna grabs her plate off the table and walks into the kitchen.

Storm leans towards me and says. "What took you so long?"

Everyone at the table turns their attention to me and I say. "I called Uncle Lucas and told him about Jenna. He's going to be here tomorrow to see her. He needs to step up and take responsibility for the nut in that room."

Gage looks at the table and guilt takes over him again. His eyes land on mine. I shake my head telling him that we're not going to talk about what happened.

I don't have it in me to continue arguing with him. He was stupid enough to believe Jenna and then accuse me of things she framed me for.

Over the years I have given people warnings about her and they don't want to hear me out. They prefer to go with the evidence she's provided, for the stuff she gets up to and I'm usually the one that end up getting blamed for her psychotic ways.

I start eating dinner as small talk is held around the table.

This is the most awkward dinner I've ever had in this house.

It makes it worse because the guy I have liked for a long time is sitting across from me and he's picking at his dinner.

Coden nudges his arm. "What's wrong?" he whispers.

Gage's phone starts to ring and he pulls it out of his pocket. Looking at my parents he says. "Excuse me." He stands up and walks out of the room.

Coden looks at me. "Kadence, he didn't mean the things he said to you tonight. Jenna's been feeding him lies for years and seeing more photos set him off."

"What do you mean she's been feeding him lies about me?"

He looks at Mom and Dad. "Can Kadence and I be excused? There's something I need to tell her and I can't do that with everyone at the table?"

Mom smiles at him. "Sure, son. Don't be too long. You're food's going to get cold."

Coden walks over to my side of the table and grabs my arm. He leads me out of the dining room and we stop close to the stairs. "After you left Jenna told him that you ran away because you were pregnant with his brother's child and you were ashamed of telling him. That happened after she showed him the pictures she stored in the room during the party we had."

"I got a phone call during that party telling me that I got the job over-seas. I didn't take it at first because I was enjoying my time with Gage, but when he disappeared halfway through the night and I saw him with Jenna I knew my time was up living here. I decided to move away because of them. It would have hurt seeing them together."

"Gage, never wanted her. He still doesn't, but she's manipulated him so much that he would hate you. Loving you has conquered that hate from the beginning and it still does for him. I just don't know how you feel."

Sitting on the stairs I look at him. "Loving Gage is the only thing I know. Hating him has never crossed my mind, but I'm hurting real bad now, Coden." My eyes begin to tear up as I look at my twin. "Love sucks."

He laughs. "That it does. You know it wasn't easy for Storm and I when we got together either. She had an ex that beat the shit out of every guy she was in touch with. When he came for me, I was prepared to fight for the girl I love with all my heart."

"Does she know what happened?"

Coden shakes his head. "I can't tell her." He runs his hand across his face before joining me on the stairs. "Her ex threw the first punched and I defended myself. Instead of me being beaten to the pulp it was him. During the fight I got jumped by a few of his friends. Gage happened to be driving by at the time and helped me get them. At the end of the fight I stood over the ex and told him to leave town and never contact Storm again. He followed my advice and we haven't seen him since."

Gage walks around the corner and sees us talking. "That was a client. I have to get to the office and sort out some paperwork for the meeting on Monday." He looks at me. "I'll see you next week at the Christmas Party. I would like to talk to you then."

"Sure, Gage." I open the door for him and wait for him to walk pass me. I watch him walk to his car and climb in. When the car pulls away from the house I close the door and turn towards my brother. "He needs help after all the things Jenna's said. Do you think you can get someone to talk to him at short notice?"

A smile spreads across Coden's face, "Of course I can. Gage's not going to like talking to strangers, but if I told him it was you that sent them I'm sure he'd be more open to it."

"Do whatever you want, Coden. I'm going back to the dining room to have dinner." I leave my brother at the stairs and make my way back to the dining room where dessert is being served.

Mom looks at me. "Where's Coden and Gage?"

"Gage, left. He got a call from a client and he needs to get paperwork ready for the meeting on Monday."

"Oh," she looks at Dad and back at me. "I thought he left because of what happened between the two of you."