Kitty's p.o.v
"Put me down!" I shouted, pounding on Chris' muscled back. According to him, I'd spent too much time in front of the computer looking for an apartment and not enough time with him lately. I swear he's more needy and demanding then Jaylee sometimes.
"Do you agree to watch a movie with me? Maybe even snuggle up on the couch." Cheeky bastard.
"Fine! I'll do it, but only if you get me snacks. Oh, and it has to be a good movie." He set me on my feet, grabbing my waist to be sure I was steady.
"I'll get snacks, you pick the movie." I held my hand out for him to shake, the two of us doing the fairly complicated handshake we'd come up with over the time I'd been living with him.
"Deal." We'd set up a really nice routine here, and I was a little reluctant to leave now quite honestly. "What are you in the mood for?"
"Whatever you want toots." I put on a random movie, not really caring what we watched and settled down to wait for Chris and my snacks. He came not long after, setting the snacks on the table, lifting me off the couch to set me in between his legs, the reaching and grabbing the snacks off the table.
"You could've just asked me to stand up." He shrugged, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth and pressing play on the movie.
The plot was like pretty much every other basic movie, nothing spectacular so I soon lost interest. I began fidgeting, shifting around to get more comfortable. Chris grabbed my arms with a groan, so I stopped and tried to refocus my attention. It wasn't long before I had once again lost interest and started moving around.
"You need to stop sweetheart."
"I can't help it! I'm bored of the movie." He chuckled and stopped the movie, shuffling a little another low groan escaping his throat. "What's wrong?"
"You got me all excited when you moved around toots, sorry." It took me a moment to catch onto what he was saying, a blush flaring on my cheeks when I finally realized it.
"O-oh, sorry." I went to sit up, turning around to face him. He smiled sheepishly, pulling his legs back together and setting me in his lap instead. "What now?"
He grabbed my face and connected our lips in answer, a sigh of contentment leaving me when they met. I moved closer to him, my blush coming back when I felt a prick on my thigh from his earlier excitement. He smirked and grabbed my ass to push me into him, a squeak coming from me at the sudden movement. Just as he was shifting to lay me down on my back and crawl on top of me my phone rang.
"Ignore it." I nodded and reconnected our mouths, getting lost in him. My phone began ringing again, and I pulled away with a grumble of frustration.
"Hello?" You could hear the frustration in my voice, but I didn't really care. Maybe that would make them get to the point quicker.
"Kitty, it's Gigi."
"Oh, Gigi, hey." I pushed Chris off of me, sitting up to focus better. "What's going on? Is everything okay? Not that you can't call me for the sake of talking, it's just... well you've never done that before."
"And I'm sorry for that, but I'm not calling just to talk honey. I don't know if you've seen it or not, but Papi has been really sick lately."
"W-what? Why didn't you tell me?"
"I don't know, I know now that I should've..."
"What do you mean 'should've'? Is he... Did he..."
"He's gone Katherine. We're holding a funeral for him this weekend if you'd like to come. I hope to see you."
"Gigi, tomorrow is Friday."
"Yes, if you can't make it we'll understand, we didn't really expect you to come."
"I'm going to be there if I have to drive the whole way. See you tomorrow." With that I hung up, my bottom lip quivering.
I wasn't sure wether it was the fact I didn't even know my own grandfather was sick and just got a call to say he was dead, or the fact my own grandmother didn't expect me to even be interested in coming to his funeral that upset me more. Did they really think I was that heartless?
"What's wrong Kitty?" Chris pulled me to him in a hug, putting his chin on my head and rubbing my back.
"My Gigi just called to tell me my Papi died. I didn't even know he was sick."
"Aw, toots." I wiped my face of any stray tears and sat up.
"As much as this sucks I need to start packing. I have to be there by tomorrow." He followed me to my room, Stitch and Dodger watching us go but not moving to come with.
"How long are we staying? I need to know how much to pack." I stopped in my tracks, turning to look at him inquisitively.
"What do you mean?"
"You're gonna need as much help as you can get with Jay, I'm coming with you." Instead of saying another word, I walked over and hugged him.
"Thank you." He kissed my head, returning the hug.
"Of course toots. Now, what do I need to pack?"
"I'm only planing on staying through Sunday, but you never know with this type of stuff. If my Gigi needs me I'm going to be there for her, I haven't been for far too long." He nodded and went to pack.
~~~~
*The next day*
"Now boarding Flight 223 BOS to SDF airports." Chris and I grabbed our things, Jay passed out in Chris' arms, and began boarding our flight. We got the earliest one we could, which left at 5:30 a.m., much to my sleep schedules displeasure. After packing and everything last night I hadn't gotten to sleep until nearly two, meaning I was working on under an hour of sleep compounded with stress.
The flight was easy and much shorter than our last one. Jaylee and Chris slept the whole time, while I nodded off every so often. By the time we arrived in Louisville, I was practically dead on my feet, Chris catching me multiple times when I started to fall over waiting for our bags. It took about fifteen minutes to get to my Gigi's house from the airport, my stomach filled with butterflies the entire ride.
I hadn't seen any of my family since before Lee was born, so I wasn't sure what to expect from them. When we pulled up in front of the house, I began getting Jaylee while Chris payed the Uber and got our bags. The door to the house opened as the driver pulled away, an all too familiar voice greeting my ears.
"Well, well, well, the prodigal son returns." My older brother chuckled.
"I'm a girl in case you forgot, Roger." I wanted to smack that holier than thou smirk off his face as soon as I saw it, but instead forced a smile onto my own. "How are you big bro?"
"I'm great little sis! You still disappointing the family?"
"Hey! Don't talk to her like that." Chris snapped at him before I had a chance to say anything.
"You're new. Last time she came around here it was with some dead beat guy that got her thrown in jail. You the next one?" I had to place a hand on Chris' chest to keep him from charging my asshole of a brother, shaking my head when he looked at me incredulously.
"He's not worth it boss." We grabbed our stuff, struggling a little bit with the car seat since it was such an odd shape.
"Here, let me help you." Of course he'd offer to help. It goes against his 'perfect' persona not to help with the bags.
"We got it, thanks Robert." I snorted at Chris' obvious passive aggressiveness toward my brother, the man himself looking highly offended.
"It's Roger." Chris didn't respond, just walked past him with the bags. "You're in your old room Kat."
"Thanks." I showed Chris to the room, laying Jay on the bed carefully. "I can't believe she's still sleeping."
"Me neither." He wrapped an arm around me waist and pulled me to him. I laid my head on his shoulder, the two of us looking at my little girl in adoration. We weren't there for long when a knock sounded on my door, followed by my grandmother peeking her head in.
"Hey Gigi, come in." She eyed Chris, memories of my past relationship surely passing through her mind, before looking to the bed at Jaylee.
"Is... is she yours?" I nodded, moving so she could get a better view. Tears sprang to my Gigi's eyes, a hand coming to her mouth. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't you tell me Papi was sick?" She gave a look that said 'touché', coming closer to us.
"She's beautiful."
"Inside and out." Chris bragged.
"And you are?"
"Chris, ma'am, it's nice to meet you. Your granddaughter is quite a catch." I smacked him on the chest gently, only making him chuckle and kiss my hand.
"Well, you're much better than the last one."
"Gigi!" My cheeky grandmother only laughed, patting my face.
"It's true and you know it. Lunch is in thirty minutes, I expect to see you there."
"Yes ma'am." Chris and I said in unison. She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"Well, so far your grandmother is amazing, and your brother is a dick."
~~~~
*The next day*
"Mommy, why we here?" We had just arrived at the church where the service was being held for my grandfather. Jaylee kept fiddling with her dress, not used to wearing them.
"We're here to say goodbye to someone I loved very much." This seemed to satisfy her curiosity, her little arms reaching out to Chris.
"Hey, Kat, there you are." Chris cursed under his breath when my brother sounded from behind us. He and Roger had not gotten along at all in the time we'd been here, each of them making passes at each other when they could.
"Hello Roger." He sat in the seat next to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders.
"Why so formal sis? We all know you're a party girl. Since when do you where decent clothes and show up to things sober? Has Gigi told you you aren't even in Papi's will? Guess all those crazy days are coming back to bite you in the ass huh?"
"Would you just shut the fuck up! I'm sick and tired of hearing you drag Kitty through the mud, when in reality she's three times the person you'll ever be. So maybe she made some bad decisions, so do all of us. At least she's a decent person at the end of the day, unlike you." Roger looked shocked by Chris' outburst, only ever hearing his under the breath remarks to this point. "Apologize dickwad."
"I-I'm sorry Kat. I didn't realize how horribly I was treating you." His scared, repentant front soon dropped and he began laughing so hard he had to wipe away a tear. "Psyche. You and your bodyguard can rot in hell for all I care." This only pissed Chris off more, but the pastor called our attention before anything else could be said.
The service was a beautiful celebration of my Papi's life, Lee constantly asking if I was okay since I was crying. I noticed my grandmother was pretty distraught by the end of the ceremony, and didn't see her anywhere when we walked into the reception area. I didn't have long to worry about it though since Jay started hounding me about getting her food.
It was as the three of us were looking for a place to sit that I saw him. He looked exactly how I remembered, the only difference being the little bit of scruff he'd grown since then. I instinctively grabbed Chris' arm, pulling Jaylee closer to my chest. His eyes met mine, and the sickliest sneer I'd ever seen came across his face. A pit of uneasiness settled in my stomach and I began pulling Chris in the opposite direction.
"Kitty? What's going on? Who'd you see?" I didn't respond, only continuing my path to the door. Much to my dismay Chris tugged us to a stop. "Talk to me."
"It's him Chris. It's Cason." Recognition flashed in his eyes, and he was now pulling me toward the door. One of my family members had lended us their car for today since we had the car seat, so we were able to get out of there pretty quickly.
"Are you sure it was him?"
"Positive. I could never forget him." Another car was sitting in the driveway when we pulled up, and I nearly puked at the sight of it.
"Is that him?" I nodded, my throat suddenly very dry. Chris' jaw locked, a dark look passing over his face. "How did he beat us here?"
"I don't know, but I think I'm going to have to talk to him."
"Hell no."
"Chris..."
"Hell. No." I placed a hand on his large bicep and looked into his eyes.
"If I do it now you can be in the car listening and watching over Jaylee. If he corners me you won't have that privilege. This is the best option." He still didn't look convinced, but let me go anyway.
I stepped out of the car, walking toward his with my head held high. He stepped out of the driver side, his signature smirk on his face, a cigarette between his fingers. I stopped in front of him, crossing my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow.
"What are you doing here Cason?" He snorted, throwing his cigarette onto the ground and stepping toward me.
"What do you think Babygirl? I came to pay my condolences, maybe get some grief sex." He said with a wink.
"You're so disgusting. I would never do that, that ship sailed over three years ago."
"Oh yeah, the new arm candy you brought with you. May I ask why he was holding my daughter?" He did not just go there.
"Your daughter? Your daughter!? No! Uh-uh, you lost all rights to calling her 'your daughter' the day you threw me off your porch because I told you. I have raised her by myself for nearly three years now, you will never be her father, and she will never be your daughter. Chris is her dad, wether it's biological or not, he's her father. So you can fuck yourself all the way to hell if you think you are coming anywhere near any of us." Chris stepped out of the car and scowled at Cason, grabbing my purse and her diaper bag while I got her. "Goodbye Cason, if I ever see you again it'll be too soon."
"Have it your way Kit Kat, but she's my daughter. You all better watch your backs."