**decided to skip the meeting the parents part and just give yall a lorrr recap 🤣 im sorry it's just boring to meeee they either like her or don't.
—gonna try to be more consistent with this book becauseeee im trynna be done with it very soon and there's a lot that hasn't been done yet 🤦🏾♀️. I think 40-45 chapters should be fine + a couple of bonus ones.
now to the scheduled programming
——
March 18th, 2021
Klay's Apartment
8:32 AM
It was the morning after returning home from Oregon, and Chanel and Klay were lying in his bed, trying to wake up for the day. After an eventful week of activities with his family, they were both equally drained. Chanel wouldn't complain, though; she enjoyed every second of it. She felt like she fit right in once they were all together.
In bed, she tiredly played with his curls while he rubbed her back underneath her shirt.
"You up, babe?" He asked quietly.
"Mhm," she opened her eyes to look up at him slightly. "Just comfortable right here."
"Same," he yawned. "Since we're both up, we can finally talk. We were so busy down there that we never got the chance to discuss how you felt about the trip and meeting my family."
"I loved it," she smiled. "It was fun; your brothers are sweet, your mom is amazing—your dad scares me a little, but he was nice too."
Klay chuckled. "He scares you?"
"Uhh, yeah? Don't act like he doesn't look intimidating," Chanel spoke. "Plus, he always has that same serious look on his face that you do but more intense"
"Yeah, I guess."
"But whenever I did speak with him, he was very kind and supportive of us," Chanel added. "I really thought he'd be the one in your family not to like the idea of us, but that wasn't the case for any of them, which was a big relief."
"It was... we were able to just be present as a couple and enjoy ourselves."
"I can't believe y'all really had me riding those nasty-ass horses and going on hikes and shit."
"Man, you loved that shit, don't start."
"I made the best of it."
"Next time, we're going to my grandparents' ranch for the family reunion, so be prepared."
"I hate you so bad."
"Anyway, I noticed you and my mom kinda ducked off a few times for a while. What were y'all talking about?"
"Nothing much, really. She just wanted to know more about my sisters, my music. Just getting to know me."
"She also wants us to get together again soon and hang out whenever we go back or when she's in town," she added.
"She told me that as well. I got a feeling y'all will be two peas in a pod. She always wanted a daughter."
"Aww that's nice"
"I'm surprised she ain't ask you about no babies." Klay jokingly said.
Chanel snickered. "Oh, she did... multiple times."
"Really..what'd you say?"
"Just that I'd be okay with that in a few years, but right now, we're just enjoying the two of us," Chanel said. "Do you agree?"
"Yeah, definitely..."He stammered.
"You didn't sound too sure about that answer," Chanel sat up so she could look at him fully.
"I mean, I know that we're not ready now, but a few years is... a while."
"Klay," Chanel started. "I don't want to just be another basketball player's baby mama. I want a ring, I want a house, I want stability. That's why I said a few years because I want us to get to that point first."
"I—"
She interrupted him. "And yes, I know that you can provide all of that at the snap of a finger but I want to enjoy our relationship as is right now and build up to that."
Klay nodded, understanding where she was coming from. She was right; they didn't need a child anytime soon. He just knew that he wanted her to be the mother of his kids, it didn't matter when it happened.
"I get you, baby," he assured her.
"Thank you," she leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. He placed his hands on her ass, massaging it. "And when the time's right, I'll have as many as you want."
"Promise? You tell me that now, I don't wanna hear that you ain't having no more later down that line"
"I swear, we can have whole basketball team if you want" She laughed.
Klay smirked. "Alright, well, since you're up here, let's practice making 'em."
Chanel hit his shoulder playfully sitting up "Boy, get your horny ass on somewhere. I don't trust you right now; you might still try and trap me."
Klay chuckled as she got off of him. She stood at the end of the bed, pulling her T-shirt over her head and dropping it on the floor. Next, she slid her pajama pants down and kicked them to the side, leaving her in nothing but her panties. Klay admired her body while she walked over to the dresser. She opened a drawer and pulled out one of his white T-shirts and slipped it on.
He watched her curiously as she left the bedroom and disappeared into the bathroom. Klay figured she had to use the bathroom or something, so he continued to lay in bed on his phone. A few minutes passed, and Chanel still hadn't come back.
He got up and walked down the hallway to the bathroom. The door was cracked, so he walked inside and found her standing at the sink brushing her teeth. He stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the side of her neck. "You had to get half naked to brush your teeth?"
She shrugged. "It's hot in here."
Once she finished, she put the toothbrush away and turned around to face him. She placed her hands on his chest and kissed him softly. They separated, and Klay looked down at her with a smile. His heart always felt like it skipped a beat when she looked up at him like that, with her big pretty eyes and full lips.
He kissed her forehead, then her nose, and finally her lips again. Chanel moved her hand down to the front of his sweatpants, grabbing his dick. She palmed it gently, feeling him grow underneath her touch.
Klay squeezed her ass before slipping his hand into her panties. Chanel giggled and pushed him away, saying, "Klay, for real." At times, she enjoyed playing hard to get with him. It always turned him on; plus he liked the challenge.
He backed her up against the sink, placing his hands on either side of her. Chanel smirked up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What?"
"You know what, stop playing."
"How am I playing?" She tilted her head. "I'm just trying to wash my face and shower."
"Aight, we can shower." He left her standing where she was and went to turn the shower on to its highest setting. He undressed himself, allowing Chanel to watch his every step. He pushed aside the glass door and stepped in, waiting for her to join him.
Chanel took a deep breath, slipped off her T-shirt, and walked over to the shower. Klay reached his hand out and pulled her inside with him. The hot water instantly started to soothe Chanel's skin. She wrapped her arms around Klay's torso, hugging him, and he wrapped his around her shoulders.
"I love you," he spoke.
"I love you too," she said back before putting some Dove shampoo in the palm of her hands and massaging it into his now wet hair. He tilted his head down so she didn't have to get on her tiptoes, enjoying the feeling of her fingers in his scalp.
"Feel good?"
"Mhm," he hummed. "Views nice too."
Chanel sucked her teeth, seeing that his face was practically in between her breasts. "Boy, shut your eyes before you get soap in them."
"Yes, ma'am."
After successfully shampooing and conditioning his hair, he returned the favor, and they showered silently.
Once they were finishing up, Chanel kissed his lips, finally giving in to what he wanted. He moved his hand up to her wet hair and gripped it as they continued to kiss. He bit down on her lip, causing her to open her mouth so their tongues could meet.
He moved his hands down to her thighs and picked her up swiftly "Mm" she hummed as her legs wrapped around him.
He pushed her up against the cold tile wall and let her hands slide up and down his toned arms. Klay separated their lips and pressed his forehead against hers looking into her eyes. "Fuck I'm so crazy about you" he muttered.
Chanel slightly smiled before reaching down beneath them and placing him at her entrance. Klay closed his eyes and bit down on his lip as he fully slid in. Her warmth welcoming him instantly, Chanel leaned in and kissed him again sucking on his lower lip gently. He gripped her thighs again and started to bounce her up and down his entire length at a slow pace.
"Oh fuck" She moaned wrapping her arms tightly around his neck once he walked them directly under the shower head
•••
A couple hours later
@therealchanel
liked by klaythompson, thatgirlrem, rubirose, and 93,456 other users
Feeling peachy 🍑
At their local Walmart, Chanel pushed a shopping cart around, tossing items in from every aisle they walked through. She was helping Klay restock his fridge and pantry since he was so horrible at keeping them full.
"Cheerios or Frosted Flakes, babe?" Chanel questioned as they walked down the cereal aisle.
"Frosted Flakes," he responded, reaching for the top shelf so he didn't have to. Klay stopped and stared into the basket and the growing amount of food in it.
"Damn, this looks like a lot of shit I'll have to cook."
"Oh please, that's the last thing I expect from you," Chanel waved him off. "I'll prep most of it when we get back to your place."
"You are too good to me." He smiled and gave her a quick peck.
They made their way through the rest of the store, throwing stuff in the basket here and there. Chanel went back up the frozen foods aisle, grabbing a few frozen fruit bags for his morning shakes for whenever the fresh fruit ran out. They stopped by the candy aisle next and got a few snack packs of M&M's and other candies.
"Is there anything we didn't get that you need?" Chanel asked.
"No, I'm straight. Do you need anything for the apartment? Tah'Jae?"
"We're all good, babe. I went shopping before we went to Oregon," she told him as they headed towards the checkout.
As Chanel loaded items onto the conveyor belt, Klay started to receive a call.
"It's my coach; I'm gonna step outside to take this. Here's my card." He handed her his black card and walked out the entrance of the grocery store, placing the phone against his ear in the process.
As the associate scanned their items, something compelled Chanel to look up in front of her.
A few registers away, a man locked eyes with her. The familiarity of that face drained the air from her lungs, and a surge of nausea gripped her. Palms sweaty, she fought to suppress the rising panic. Suddenly the loud grocery store became silent; her ears began to ring, and she felt lightheaded.
She was only twenty feet away from her father, the man who had been dead—or who she thought was dead—for the past ten years. Next to him was a woman around his age holding a child that looked like a spitting image of them both combined. The more Chanel looked at them, the more she felt like puking her guts out.
"Ma'am," the associate called, getting Chanel's attention, "it's $233.15, and I have a line, so please..."
"O-okay, sorry." Chanel slid the card on the machine with shaky hands, hoping for the transaction to go through quickly. When the ding signaled completion, she put all of the bags into the cart and began to rush out of the store.
She could hear him calling out her name as she went as fast as her feet could move. It was his voice. Kenneth Gray. There was no debate about it.
Outside, she let go of the cart and went straight to a nearby bush, throwing up all of the contents in her stomach.
Meanwhile, Klay had just finished his phone call and witnessed Chanel's hurried exit right past him. Concern etched across his face, he jogged towards her, kneeling down and gently rubbing her back. "You okay?"
She continued to throw up for the next minute or two before sitting up. "What happened in there? You feel sick?"
Chanel struggled to catch her breath, gasping for air and clutching her chest. Klay recognized the signs and knew then she was having a panic attack.
"Baby, hey, look at me." He pulled her up. "Hey, you gotta breathe, okay."
Clutching her throat, Chanel shook her head. "I c-can't. I saw him; he's in there—"
"Chanel." Klay gently held her face. "Inhale, love. Breath."
Taking a deep breath in, Chanel locked eyes with him. "Now let it go." He coached.
Slowly exhaling, she repeated the process until her breathing steadied. "You feeling better?"
She nodded.
"Who did you see? You said you saw him; was it Saint?" Klay asked. "I'll go back in there." He started to move, but Chanel grabbed his arm.
"No, it wasn't," Chanel said. "Can we just go? I just want to be home, with my sister."
"Yeah, we'll go straight there."
Chanel's Apartment
3:23 AM
Hours had passed since bringing Chanel back to her place. Klay didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone after what happened, so he stayed over as well. Currently, Chanel was fast asleep in her bed, and Klay lay next to her, wide awake, staring up at the ceiling.
He was deep in thought, struggling to comprehend who she might have encountered in the store while he was on the phone. Whoever it was had caused her to react in a way he hadn't seen before—she was frazzled and in shock.
"Babe? What are you doing up? It's like three in the morning," Chanel's soft voice pulled him out of his trance. She sat up and looked over at him.
"I can't sleep; I've been thinking about earlier today, and we need to talk about it," he told her truthfully. "I know I usually let you come to me about things when you're ready, but this is something I need to know about now. I've never seen you like that, and if someone or something can have that effect on you, I need to know who or what it was."
"Babe," Chanel started, "I was tripping. I didn't know who I saw. I think I was just tired or—"
"No, don't start that," he shook his head.
"Klay, drop it."
"No," he said sternly.
"I was imagining things, okay!" She snapped. "It's not worth your time, so please—"
"I don't believe that," he argued. "Whatever or whoever you saw was real, and I'm not going to let you gaslight yourself into thinking it wasn't. I'm not going to judge you, so just talk to me."
Chanel took a deep breath and rolled over to face the wall. "I saw my dad."
"Your dad?"
"Yes," She let out a shaky breath.
"Isn't he..."
"Supposed to be dead?" Chanel finished. "Mhm... that's why I was literally sick to my stomach. Not only did I see him in the flesh, but he had a family with him. Some woman and a baby."
"Oh shit, babe. I don't know—I don't know what to say."
"There's nothing to say," she responded before turning back over to face him. "I guess I should've told you this a while ago, but my dad was in the U.S. Army. When I was 13, he got called in to serve in Iran, and the day he left was the last time I saw him. He was there for a few months before they reported he was missing in action. Two months later, soldiers were at our door."
"My mama couldn't handle the fact that he was gone, so she purposefully overdosed... Tah'Jae was only 6 or 7 then, but she was already in the bathroom when we found out mother in the tub with slit wrists and bottles of empty pills," Chanel struggled to say. "I haven't told you this, and she doesn't know that I know, but she keeps this pink notebook in her room, and one day I found it and decided to just flip through it just because."
"She's lost, babe. She doesn't understand why some days she's so uncontrollably sad and other times she isn't," Chanel spoke. "But I do... she's suppressed our mother's suicide so deep into her memory that she doesn't know it's what's making her feel these emotions."
"I feel like a terrible sister every time I have to see her in those moods, but how do I—how do I tell her our mother took drugs, slit open her arms, then drowned herself right in front of her?? How do I tell an already fragile teen that?"
"And I'm scared that if I take her to a therapist, they'll say something that'll cause her to remember or—"
"It's okay, Chanel. I understand what you're saying, and I don't think you're wrong for not telling her. You're trying to protect her," He responded. "Don't beat yourself up about that."
"He let us believe he was dead... he's the reason my mama is gone. I hated her for so long for what she did, but it was always his fault."
"Why didn't he just come home?" she angrily said "All the pain and struggling I've had to endure is because he didn't just fucking come home. Why didn't he want me babe? Why didn't he want us? I just don't get it what did we do wrong we loved him."
Chanel couldn't stop the tears from falling. Klay pulled her into him. She laid her head on his chest and cried. "What am I supposed to tell my sisters? What am I supposed to do now?" she sobbed.
Seeing Chanel cry, which was rare; pained Klay. Because he knew that to let tears shed she was really hurting. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry, baby. I know this is a lot for you but I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. We're gonna figure this out together, alright? Whatever happens next you're not doing it alone. The whole chip isn't on your shoulder anymore. You got me and you got my family."
Chanel sniffled and nodded her head.
"We can talk about it some more tomorrow, alright. Go back to sleep," he told her softly. Soon after he felt her body relax against his as her breathing evened out.
—-
???????
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