Daddy's Princess {Book One}

Chapter Twelve: The Old Life

It's been two weeks since Logan showed up at Daddy's office. How he even made his way to California is beyond me. I haven't been in any contact with Leia for 3 months, and I feel horrible about it. Is it that bad, though? I've been so overwhelmed with all this new stuff, that I haven't even thought about Ohio. That sounds terrible. I sound terrible. I should reach out to her, I decide.
I slip my phone out of my pocket and tap her icon.
"Lei 🤍" is all it says.

uh, hi. i know that i've been a horrible friend, and i know that it's been months since we talked, and i'm so sorry. i totally understand if you're mad at me. but i miss you, lei. i miss you so much. we have to talk.

It feels like an eternity before she responds.

it's 10:00 at night, gigi. i just got home from work, is something wrong ?

Typical of Leia. It's been months since we talked, but she couldn't be mad at me.

it's about logan.

Incoming call from Lei 🤍

"Hello?"
"Hey there, Gigi. What's happening now?"
"It's too complicated to explain. What does your work schedule look like?"
"Uh, pretty empty right about now, to be honest. My manager has been royally fucking me because he knows I'm trying to go someplace else."
"Great, pack a bag."
"What?"
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"Grace, come on baby, let's go." I pick her up off the couch and push her close to my chest.
It's 11 o'clock at night, but this was the only way we could manage to get Leia out here. She squirms gently in my grasp, pushing herself closer to my chest. Like a sweet angel, she opens her eyes slowly.
"Dada?" she mumbles softly, wrapping her arms around my neck snugly.
"Yes, baby?"
"Wha we doin?" she's so sleepy.
"We're going to get Leia now, remember?"
It was all her idea. "Leia can help to fix this, she has before" she said, pleading with me. Obviously I'm skeptical. I want to be the one to fix it, not some random femme domme from Ohio. I have a group of people, of friends, who are more than willing to see this through with me.
But Jason and Ed?
Shit, they do feel completely comfortable letting him in. Even Kelly feels fine with bringing him into our home. All this aside, I still feel as though it should be me.
"You're jealous, Dada."
I glance over abruptly. "Jealous of what?"
"You're jealous that Leia is caring and protective of me." She grins slyly.
"I am not." I can feel my face getting hot, despite my best efforts to remain dominant in the situation.
She leans closer into me, wrapping herself gently around me as she sits in my lap. The airport chairs aren't the most comfortable or appropriately fitted for this, but I don't very much care in this instant.
"It's okay, Daddy. You're better at it."
My chest puffs a bit, as I sit there pridefully. She's my little girl, and everyone knows it.
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I land, unsure of exactly what to expect. I've spoken to David before, and I've seen him on video calls and pictures a few times, but obviously we've never met in person. I look down at my phone to check the time, smiling at the picture of Grace and I on my lock screen. She looks so beautiful in her brightly colored sun dress and soft, flowing hair. I've missed her so much.
"Lei!" she shouts, running toward me with David approaching slowly behind her.
"Hey Gi," I start, rubbing her hair. "Hope you didn't miss me too much now."
I shed my coat, unfamiliar with the California weather.
"Shit, it's hot."
David glares, and Grace puts her hands over her mouth.
"Ooooooo, Lee is gonna get in trouble!" she giggles. So cute.
"I would really appreciate if you kept the foul mouth to a minimum around her." David states, professionally.
"Aye aye." I reply, cynically.
David is a prick. He pulls Grace to his side as we walk from the airport, keeping her close. She doesn't seem to mind, but it pisses me off how controlling he is with her. It's clear that he's the reason she hadn't reached out to me for months. He must take up all her free time.
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I can't stand the way she looks at her. She is mine, not the property of some hot-headed and feisty mid-sized woman from Ohio. I don't very much give a fuck what Leia thinks about me. I care about what my sweet angel thinks and how she feels. If I have to deal with Leia to make her happy, I will.
Putting great care into making Gracie comfortable in her car seat, I shut the back door gently before taking my place as driver. Instead of taking the passenger position, as I assumed she would, Leia opted to sit in the back with Grace.
"Dada?" Gracie said, looking for my face in the rearview mirror.
I meet her gaze in the mirror. "Yes baby?"
I hope she wants to sit up front next to her Daddy. I'm eager for her to tell me that she would like to hold onto me if that's alright with me. But she says none of this.
"Can I watch a big girl movie with Leia when we get home?"
I tense up. She's clearly regressed, even if only a little bit. I can't let her watch something if she's too little. Despite not caring about Leia's opinion, I don't want her telling Gracie negative and biased things.
"What movie, baby?" I ask as gently as possible.
"The Conjuring." Leia interjects.
"Baby, The Conjuring is a very scary movie, you know that, right?"
"Dada I big girl," she pouts, "I tan watch."
"Absolutely not, angel. You are much too small for something like that. I'm sorry baby, but I don't want you to be scared and have nightmares tonight. Plus, sweetheart, it's so late now. Daddy has to put you right to bed."
She pouts, and I watch Leia whisper something to her.
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I make my way into the house with a sleeping Grace in my arms. Leia follows behind as I unlock the door and step inside. It feels as though she's breathing down my neck, scrutinizing my every move. I start up the stairs, carrying Grace to her room, Leia follows.
As I'm putting Grace down and changing her clothes, Leia puts her hand against my shoulder.
"What the fuck are you doing, man?" She asks, trying to pry my arm away from the button on Gracie's shorts.
"I'm getting her ready for bed. Is there an issue?"
"Did she ask you to change her? No? Then take your hands off her, because I never heard her give you permission for this."
I'm even more tense now, and beginning to fill with slight anger. I don't need Grace's verbal permission, as she has made it very clear that I may take care of her as I see fit, unless she tells me otherwise. For Leia to make assumptions without even seeing our dynamic is appalling, and frankly, very disgusting of her.
"I don't need her permission to place her into something more comfortable. Who do you think put her into it this morning?"
She looks down to my hands laying gently on Grace as she sleeps, and then back up to me with a nauseous expression.
"You dressed her this morning?"
"As I do every morning. Grace has allowed me fo dress and undress her as I see fit for her care. If she at some point does not want me to, I will respect that. What you need to do is respect the dynamic that myself and Grace have set in place, and please kindly stay out of our personal affairs."
She stares at me, dumbfounded, before exiting the room in a hurry. I turn back to my sweet girl, laid gently on her bed, and begin to very softly and carefully undress and redress her. Grace stirs gently as I pull a soft shirt over her head.
"Da?" she mumbles quietly, squinting her eyes from the light in her bedroom.
"Daddy's right here, baby, what's wrong?"
She leans against me as I put her arms through each sleeve on my big shirt.
"Da mad at Lei?"
My heart breaks. I want to keep her happy, but it's so hard to be civil with Leia.
"No, baby. Daddy isn't mad at Leia. She's just not used to it here yet, so tensions are a little high."
"Da pease nuh be mad at Lei. I wan Da like Lei." she pouts, grasping my shirt and looking up at me.
"I'm not mad at Leia, baby. Daddy pinky promises you that. We're just gonna have to show her how we work together, okay?"
She nods and begins to drift off to sleep against me once more.