Chapter 27
Chosyn Gravehart
"Who was that?" I asked, stepping further into Navy's office and occupying the chair the stranger had left. His cologne still lingered. Fresh, sweet, and woody, a mixture that felt tailor-made for him,
"Solace," Navy answered flatly, already reaching for her office phone. "Tamera, cancel the rest of my day and make sure you let my three o'clock know his services are no longer needed."
"Didn't you just sit down with your three o'clock?"
"No. The gentleman you allowed into my office played you. Stay off your phone. The next time something like this happens, I will have to let you go."
"I'm so sorry, Navy. It won't happen again."
"Thank you," Navy replied, ending the call.
She let out a frustrated sigh, then turned to Honey, River, and me. All of us were seated around her desk.
"What?" she frowned.
"So are we supposed to act like that fine, tall, light-skinned man with golds didn't just walk out of here?" River asked, leaning forward.
"He was not fine," Navy scoffed.
"Shhiiittt!" the three of us hissed in unison.
"If that man wasn't fine, then his ass was godly." Honey grinned. "I just know he got a big dick."
"How you know?" I asked, laughing.
"Y'all didn't see the bow in his legs? His knees were basically running from each other, and the tall skinny niggas always have big dicks." She winked, licking her lips.
"Can y'all not?" Navy frowned.
Navy was just as good as Honor when it came to hiding how she felt.
That was one reason we got along so well.
Honey and River were emotional. They wore their hearts on their sleeves.
Navy and I… we understood the concept of keeping our emotions in check until we were in private.
Letting someone see just how rattled or moved you were by their words or actions was the equivalent of getting caught slipping. Either one could have you jammed up.
"Spill it," I pressed.
"Spill what?" She played clueless.
"Whatever that was between you and Solace," I clarified.
"Why don't you tell me why the three of you are together in my office laughing like y'all are old friends," she fired back, "When y'all haven't talked in months."
River smiled. "You go first."
"There's nothing to tell. I thought he was the basketball coach I planned to interview. He ended up being the new owner of the supermarket over here," she explained, but I was still confused.
"Then why was he here?" I asked.
"He wanted to talk about what the community needs." Navy shrugged like she wasn't buying his reasoning.
"That actually doesn't sound too bad. If he's serious, link him with me," River offered.
Navy's brows dipped slightly before resting.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I do community work, and it sounds like he wants to help the community," River answered, like that should have been obvious.
"Oh yeah, cool. I only got his name, but if he comes back, I'll shoot him your info," she stated, then shifted her gaze to me.
We didn't speak, but a lot was said on both our ends. Whatever questions I had, Navy didn't want me to ask, so I didn't.
"Okay, I answered now y'all answer me," she pressed, leaning back in her chair. Then it hit her. " Honey, did you snitch on me?"
"Snitching is crazy. I would never," Honey replied. "But I am worried about you, so I went to talk to Chosyn because I figured you could use a friend right now."
"Honey didn't tell me anything I didn't already know," I chimed in, leaning forward until my forearms rested on Navy's desk.
My stare dragged over her face. Navy didn't blink or fidget. She just stared back, her eyes a mirror version of the man she loves.
"Choyce called me while I was at work," I continued, and Navy's jaw tightened.
"I didn't want to believe what she said, but—"
"I did it." Navy cut in lowly. "I didn't cut deep. There won't be too much of a scar if she takes care of the wound properly. She won't need stitches either…. I spared her."
"Spared," I repeated, laughing eerily.
"Aww, fuck." River sighed. "Look, we're better than this. Don't let egos be the reason we fall out again. We just got the gang back together."
"And we'll stay together," I affirmed, "as long as Navy does what Honey already did and explains herself."
When Honey got to Mellow & Munch, River was already there, and the tension was thick enough to choke on.
I stopped Honey before she could bring up Choyce and asked her to explain what happened with Honor and Lynx.
She told us she thought she was doing the right thing by protecting us.
Once I had the full picture, I didn't feel a way.
I understood. No matter how close we were, some things just couldn't be shared.
River was still in her feelings, but she was letting it go.
We weren't back to how it used to be, but it was a start.
"What kind of explanation are you looking for?" Navy asked.
"Whatever will make sense of what you did."
"You don't even like her, Chosyn. Why is this such a big deal to you?"
"She's my fucking sister!" My open palms slammed against the desk, startling everyone but Navy. "You're my friend," I continued, softer now. "You could have come to me."
"And I did," she shot back. "I told you Honor lied to me. I told you I thought he might've been cheating. I told you I didn't trust Choyce around him. I told you Chosyn in all the ways I knew how, but yesterday…"
A rigid breath escaped Navy as she stood and walked over to her bay window.
"Yesterday I kind of snapped. Honor and I have been beefing since the day we went to lunch, and someone started shooting."
"What the fuck?" Honey gasped.
"I still need to know what happened with that," River added, since she wasn't there when it happened.
"I thought Choyce did it as a warning," she said. "Like she was trying to scare me away from Honor. I told him, and he defended her."
Navy laughed sharply and disbelievingly.
"He let her kiss him," Navy continued. "Then looked me in my face and said it wasn't her who shot at us.
I wasn't just pissed. I was beyond that.
I went to her house with Honey, carrying a ball of emotions.
I didn't plan to hurt her, but then she started talking.
Choyce called me insecure, said she was Honor's equal. "
Her voice dipped.
"I snapped. Every pent-up feeling, every suppressed emotion, came pouring out when I straddled her lap and cut."
Navy stared out the window while the rest of us watched her. Her confession left too much unsaid, too many questions, but now wasn't the time.
"And you wanna know the worst part of what I did?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "I told her about the abortions."
"Abortion?" River and I blurted.
"Abortions," Navy corrected. "Plural. I told Choyce, and now she has the power to make or break my relationship."
"Honor doesn't know?" I asked even though the answer was obvious.
"Nope. I couldn't tell him."
"Why?" River asked.
"Because of what Lucian might've done if he found out."
"Lucian, as in your father?" Honey questioned brows knitting.
"I don't think we need to talk about this right now," I interjected.
"If I don't get this out now, it's going to eat me alive," Navy murmured.
"I was twenty when I got pregnant the first time.
Honor was hustling, and I was in school working on my degree.
I went to the doctor to get my birth control shot, and that's when I found out.
I remember being so scared. I scheduled an ultrasound for the following day but didn't say anything to Honor.
I went to the appointment, laid back on the table, and my child's heartbeat filled the room.
The sweetest melody I'd ever heard. The doctor said I was twenty-four weeks, which sounded crazy because I wasn't even showing.
After that, I went straight home. I cooked dinner, set the table, and lit a few candles.
I even had our favorite song playing in the background. "
For a moment, it was like Navy was back there, caught in the memory. Her eyes were closed, head swaying to a melody only she could hear.
"I found a love for me," Navy's voice broke. Tears toppled her lashes as she looked at me. "Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me."
"Navy." Her name trembled out as I stood. She shook her head, telling me not to come closer. I looked at Honey and River as tears were slowly dancing down their cheeks, and before I knew it, the four of us were singing.
"I found a love to carry more than just my secrets.
To carry love, to carry children of our own.
We are still kids, but we're so in love, fighting against all odds. I know we'll be alright this time.
Darling, just hold my hand."
"I played it on a loop until Honor came home.
He looked perfect to me, but he was so broken.
He walked through our front door, shoulders slumped, head down, chin tucked.
A shadow of the man I knew. Then he called my name, and I rushed to him, cupping his face in my hands, but there was something in his eyes.
Something so haunting it made my skin crawl. "
"Wha… what was wrong?" River sniffled.
"He told me Lucian came to him about our relationship," Navy disclosed.
"Told him it was beautiful how Honor found love with the daughter of the man he hated.
Lucian called it poetic and said he couldn't wait for the day I birthed a child, because then he'd have an heir who was his blood and the blood of the son, he wished was his. "
Navy drew a deep breath, pausing before continuing.
"Honor told him he'd personally cut every baby out of my stomach before he ever let Lucian anywhere near his child."
"Damn," we all gasped.