Stupid, Love • shameless uk

023. Kelly Marie Ball is back!

KODI'S PHONE,  vibrated incessantly, Veronica's voice on the other end urging her to come to her aid.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Veronica exclaimed, "Kelly's here, and I'm about to deck her."
Kodi's heart sank. Kelly, had always been a thorn in her side. Her lies and abandonments had left deep wounds that time had failed to heal.

"I couldn't care less about the cow," Kodi muttered, "I don't want to see her"

"You can't leave me to do this on my own," Veronica protested. "She's driving me nuts." Kodi hesitated for a moment. She had been putting off confronting Kelly for far too long.

With a sigh, she agreed to come over after Malakai returned from work.

AS KODI ROCKED,  little Mikayla to sleep, her phone buzzed again. It was Veronica, growing impatient.

Malakai had come home. Kodi was pacing around the kitchen, stressed.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Veronica wants me to go over to Kev's. Kelly's here"

Malakai paused, his face etched with concern. "Kodi, I don't want you near that woman, or her near our child"

"I know," she whispered, "But I need to do this."

Malakai nodded reluctantly. "I'll come with you if you want.?"

'No," Kodi said, "You need to stay here. I've got this."

KODI KNOCKED ON HER FATHER'S DOOR, Kelly been the one to open the door, she locked eyes on Kodi's. A surge of anger coursed through Kodi's veins. She had come to confront this woman, not to be confronted by her.
Kelly smiled sweetly. "Kodi, congratulations, on your little girl, Kev told me"

"You don't care of"  Kodi snapped. "You've only come back for a quick money fix and you'll be off on your next adventure"

Kelly's expression faltered. "That's not true. I do care about you, Kodi."

"Then why did you leave me alone all those years?" Kodi demanded. "Why did you make me think I was nothing to you? Mother or not, I trusted you"

Kelly looked away, unable to meet her niece's gaze. "I was young. I made mistakes."

"And now you expect me to forgive you?" Kodi asked incredulously.
"Just like that?"

"No," Kelly said, "I don't expect you to forgive me. But I hope you can understand that I'm not the same person I was when I left."

Kodi was silent for a moment, her emotions swirling within her.
"No your not, when you left you were my mother. Now, you're just a a lying bitch, who I want nothing to do with"

"Kodi, please" Kelly pleaded
"I want nothing to do with you, and for your sake, I'd leave my father's house or it'll be your head on a stick"

Veronica smiles at Kodis words, and Kevin looks at her with disapproval
"Kodi" he says with slight snare to his voice and glares at her

"You're only still alive, because of my father be thankful, someone still cares about your junkie ass" ignoring her father Kev's plead to stop, leaving Kelly to shed a little tear... Kodi may not be her daughter, but she had been there and cared for her.

Kodi walked away before, Kelly wanted speak, but she couldn't she  was speechless.. Standing there with a blank expression on her what just happened. As Kodi left Kev's house, she felt a strange mix of sadness and relief...  Kodi couldn't care less about Kelly Marie Ball, she abandoned her, she left her and she lied to her..