Chapter 11 Navy Achebe #2
"Can you, though?" she quizzed. "Our hard time steadied us and helped us to build a foundation that we can look back on and remind ourselves of a place that we never want to be again.
I know nothing about you and Honor outside of how deeply y'all love each other, and if I'm overstepping, I apologize.
However, whatever's happening between y'all right now will either bring your relationship to steady ground or—"
River's gaze flew from mine. I swallowed hard, nervous about what was to follow that or.
"Or what?" I posed.
"Does the or matter when the goal is steady ground?" she hesitantly asked.
"It matters," I murmured, squeezing my eyes shut and exhaling a hefty breath. "It matters, and I need you to say it because I can’t. So please, River, just say it."
"When the ground beneath the two of you settles, one of two things will happen. Either the two of you will find solid footing and your love will grow, or the world you two fought to build will crumble, in a way where nothing can piece it back together.
"River!" I cried out.
"I'm sorry, Navy, I didn't mean to—"
"Who's crying?" Crown's gravelly voice came through the phone full of urgency.
"I'm fine, Crown," I sniffled, gathering myself before he could stick his face in the screen.
"Nah, who did it? I've been praying for a reason to put hands on Honor—"
"Will you stop?" River quipped. "You and your brother need to make amends before our engagement party."
"He's not invited." Crown shrugged, and River popped him on the chest. "Four, keep your hands to yourself."
"Or what? I still owe you for choking me in Gigi's kitchen." She frowned.
"Please don't start arguing because of me. Honor didn't make me cry. He's not even here. River was giving me advice, and I just started crying."
"What advice you give her?"
"Boy, don't look at me like I don't give great advice," she sassed.
"Shit, I got to. You almost let the best nigga for you walk out of your life." Crown smirked, pecking River's lips before she mushed him away.
"Cortez, please leave me alone. Nothing was going to stop us from being together."
"Say that shit louder for the dead nigga you used to love so he can hear you all the way in the ocean, where I left his bitch ass." Crown let out a hearty chuckle, but River didn't find it funny at all.
"You dumped his bones in the fucking ocean?"
"Fuck you care where I dumped him? That nigga ain't for you. He's never been for you. Be happy it's me who dumped him and not the other way around… since you wanna be whipping cars, for that nigga to shoot up blocks," Crown scoffed.
"It wasn't even like that." She pouted. "Had I known the target was my future baby daddy, my soon-to-be husband… I would've lined Sincere up myself."
"I fucking love you, yo'," Crown gushed like River had recited a beautiful soliloquy.
Shaking my head, I went back to eating my snack while they shared a moment. I was happy the two of them could joke about their connection to Sincere because, while in the thick of it, neither found it funny.
"I love you too, Crown. Now leave so I can finish talking to Navy." Lovingly, River swiped her thumb across Crown's mouth, wiping away whatever transferred from her lips to his.
"Cool, but when you're done, come downstairs. I gotta surprise for you."
"Oouu!" she squealed, getting excited. "What kind of surprise? I hope flowers because the ones from last week are dying." She pouted, and like the man he was, Crown turned that frown upside down.
"Stop fucking with me, Four. Flowers will never be a surprise. That's bare minimum shit. I got some else for you, but to answer your question, yes, I got you a fresh bouquet."
They shared another kiss before Crown left the room. Blushing River cooed, "I love that man real muthafuckin' bad."
River was fully in her my man, my man, my man era, and I loved that for her.
I felt the same about Chosyn and Wolfe, only they've been about each other from the moment they met.
Everyone around me seemed to be getting their fairy tale ending.
In my heart, I believed I'd be getting mine soon.
We had been through too much for it not to happen.
"Are you okay?" River asked, pulling my attention to her.
"Yeah, just in my head."
"Free some of those thoughts. Is that not that what friends are for?"
"Okay," I hummed. "This is probably gonna sound crazy, but what if Honor's cheating on me?"
"You think he's cheating because he wasn't home when you got there?"
"No… I mean, yeah, but not in that way. Just hear me out," I stammered desperately needing to talk out my thoughts.
"For as long as I've known Honor, he's always kept his word.
When we were younger, I had a craving for a Payday candy bar right…
This man went all the way to Crimson Falls just to get it, and you know how far that is. "
"It's west bubble fuck," she joked.
"Exactly. Mad out the way, but he went because no stores out here or in Ember Hills had them. That's how committed Honor is about keeping his word."
"Okay, but maybe something came up. You know the things our men are into. Anything could've—"
"Then why is Crown at home with you and Wolfe with Chosyn?"
River nodded her head in agreeance. "You have a point. Crown and Honor aren't speaking, but if Wolfe called and said Honor needed him, he'd be out the door."
"Exactly. I just—” I let my words trail off to not seem like I was jumping the gun with how I felt. "My brother texted the day we were all together at Chosyn's house. He wanted me to call him because he had something to tell me about Honor."
"What did he say?" River asked.
"Nothing. We ended up going back and forth about something that happened when we were younger."
"Okay, so you think whatever he had to say might have something to do with Honor cheating?"
"I don't know, but I have this feeling because what’s there for Talon to tell me about Honor unless it has something to do with Cho—" Choking on her name, I took a deep breath, muttering it as I exhaled. "Choyce."
"What is this really about, Navy? Honor not being home, or the tension between you and Choyce?
Because if we're being honest, Talon was messy as fuck for texting you that bullshit.
As far as Honor and Choyce, it's not crazy for Talon to know something about them since he is Lucian's son, and Honor works with Lucian and Choyce. "
"Okay, so what are you saying?" I asked, hoping River could help me see this another way so I could stop feeling like I was prematurely losing my mind.
"Until Talon tells you whatever it is he knows, I don't think you should jump to conclusions. Choyce and Honor have to be around each other because of business, but that doesn't mean Honor is sleeping with her."
"I get that, I swear I do, but he lied to me, River. At the hospital, he lied, thinking I wouldn't know."
"What did he lie about?"
"He claimed he told Kage not to let anyone in his room except for me while he talked to Choyce, but that was a lie. He told Kage not to let anyone in the room, including me."
"I can see why his lying bothered you, but maybe he lied to protect you."
"And that makes it okay?" I spat, slightly annoyed River was taking his side.
"That's not what I said. If he lied, then you have every right to be upset, but let's not act like our men work regular jobs. Whatever Choyce and Honor were talking about could have easily been something that needed to stay between them as a way to keep you safe."
"I guess," I hummed, digging my spoon into half-melted ice cream.
"Listen, all you can go off of is what Honor tells you and your intuition. You know that man better than anyone, so if you feel a way about the shit he's doing, talk to him. Let him know you're feeling a way and take it from there."
"I will." I sighed just as the alarm system sent a notification to my phone about the front door being opened. "River, I gotta go, he's home."
"Okay, and stand your ground, Navy."
"I will," I smiled and hung up.
Taking a deep breath, I cleaned up the small mess I made, then stood in the entrance to our kitchen.
I tucked my hands under my chest and poked my hip out, feeling like I needed to do more than just stand there.
I didn't want to come off confrontational, but I wanted Honor to know that not communicating with me wasn't going to fly.
Honor's heavy footsteps, even without shoes, were easy to hear.
The louder they got, the closer I knew he was.
Then his cologne engulfed me, stealing my breath.
My heart raced in anticipation. As annoyed as I was, I didn't want to argue or swallow my anger either.
What I wanted was answers. They were necessary because my heart craved understanding.
Sucking in a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders back, bracing myself for however this was going to go.
Honor stepped into my line of sight, caving in my chest and tugging my shoulders forward.
"What happened?" I asked. The man I love stood before me, resembling the young boy I had saved all those years ago.
Choosing not to utter a word, Honor's body collapsed into mine. The weight of him sent us stumbling backward until the edge of our island kissed my back. I winced from the tender pain. Honor caught it, swiping his palms past my waist and settling them on the small of my back, calming the soreness.
"Thank you," I murmured once the pain was gone.
He nodded, then gripped my waist, lifting me onto the marble top. The width of his muscular frame knocked my legs apart, and like a woman in love, my body welcomed him. Honor molded into me. My face rested on his left shoulder; his head nestled into my neck.
"Honor."
Soft exhales painted across my skin as he murmured my name.
"Navy."
Kisses were sewn from my ear to my collarbone. My back arched, chest pushing forward, neck tilting even more, granting Honor access to his favorite spot.