It's All Relative(131)

But first things first, they needed to talk to Grams. At the bare minimum, they needed to let her know that they were aware of Kai’s true parentage. They also wanted to confess to Grams that they were in love and that they were together. They figured that out of all of the family members directly involved with this, she would be the easiest one to tell.

Yawning, Jessie quietly slipped out of bed and put on some warm lounge pants and a loose, long-sleeved t-shirt. She didn’t bother with real clothes, or underwear, since she was pretty sure when Kai woke up she’d be undressing again, but it was chilly in her home and the comfort was nice.

Smiling at the sight of Kai’s slumbering body as she made her way to the door, Jessie noted the pile of his things sitting on a chair next to her dresser. He’d gone to his apartment a couple of times, to pick up things he needed. Used to small spaces, he’d carved out a nice little corner for himself in her room. Jessie loved it.

She was grinning as she opened the door. She’d have to do some laundry for him soon, to save him from making another trip to his place. She didn’t mind though. Jessie loved doing things for him, and laundry was a pretty simple way to show her affection. Besides, she wanted him to stay as long as possible. Clean clothes were a good incentive.

Nearly skipping down the hallway, she noticed the kitchen light was on. Knowing that not everyone had put everything on hold for an amazing rock-your-world love fest, Jessie figured it was Harmony, prepping for her day.

Laughing, she surprised her friend by slinging her arms around her shoulders. Harmony spilled some of the coffee she was pouring into her cup. “Oh, Jesus, Jessie. It’s way too early for you to scare me like that.”

The redhead twisted to look at her, and Jessie knew exactly what she would see—a woman grinning like an idiot from ear to ear. She couldn’t help it. For the first time it what felt like forever, she was finally happy. Perfectly and contently happy.

Harmony smiled softly and shook her head. She was all done up for work as a paralegal in a local law firm, and her hair was swept into an orderly bun at the nape of her neck. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you…glow like that.” Stepping back, she took a quick sip of her coffee. “I’m glad he makes you so happy. You deserve it, after that last creep.”

Leaning back against the counter, Jessie’s head swam with pleasant thoughts of the gorgeous boy asleep in her bed; she could barely even recall what that the “creep’s” name had been. “Yeah, he makes me very happy.”

Chuckling, Harmony took another sip of coffee. It was clear she was amused by her head-over-heels friend. Raising a pale eyebrow she said, “Are you two ever going to rejoin the real world, or am I going to feel like I’m back at my college dorm for eternity.” She laughed again as she lightly shook her head.

Jessie wanted to be embarrassed about her and Kai’s eagerness, but she was just too damn happy. Smiling, she shrugged. “Sorry. We’re just making up for lost time.”

With a smile, Harmony patted her shoulder. “I know. I guess we can put up with it for a little while longer.” Walking past Jessie to the living room, she put on her stern face. “But just a little while, Jessie.”

Her friend was smiling warmly as she turned away, so Jessie was pretty sure she was teasing…or mostly teasing. She probably was a little tired of the erotic noises continually drifting out of Jessie’s bedroom. Staying where she was against the counter, Jessie sighed and smiled to herself. She knew she was being overindulgent with her crazy-in-love feelings, but she didn’t care. She was crazy in love, and she wanted to relish in it for as long as she could.

Glancing over at the pot of coffee on the counter, she thought about pouring herself a cup when she swore she heard a noise at the front door. She switched her gaze to the clock on the microwave, sure she was hearing things. It was hardly a decent hour for someone to visit.

Furrowing her brow, Jessie walked into the living room where she could hear Harmony talking with someone. When she saw who it was, shock nearly froze her in place. She’d only seen the man once before, but Jessie would never forget those eyes, not when she was staring into their duplicate on such a frequent basis.

Mason Thomas, the reason Kai was alive, was standing in her doorway, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

Harmony twisted from the older man at the door to Jessie when she heard her approach. “Uh, Jess, this guy says he needs to talk to Kai?”

Harmony stepped back from the door when Jessie stepped up to it. “Mason? What are you doing here?” She glanced down the hallway at where Kai was still obliviously sleeping, then turned back to his reluctant father.

Mason swallowed uneasily as he rubbed his hands together in the frigid outdoor air. “I’m sorry for the intrusion, especially this early in the morning, but I was wondering…is Kai here?” His tropical eyes had a pleading quality to them that Jessie found confusing. Kai had never thought the man liked him, but he seemed…worried.

Jessie shrugged. “Yeah, he’s sleeping.” She tilted her head to indicate where he was. Mason briefly closed his eyes, relief visibly washing through him. Even more confused now, Jessie blurted out, “How did you find…him?”

Mason’s eyes opened and he looked past Jessie, to the point where his long lost child was. “It took a bit of investigating.” His eyes returned to hers. “I spoke with his mother earlier this morning.” Grimacing, he shrugged. “I explained to her that Kai had found out the truth a few days ago, and I hadn’t seen or heard from him since. Once she got past her panic attack, she mentioned his grandmother.”