Chapter 15
Fifteen
Chosyn Gravehart
Turning away from Wolfe's heavy breathing, I reached across the nightstand to grab my ringing phone. Eyes barely open, I swiped across the screen, yawning. "Hello."
"Honor didn't come home last night." Navy's voice came through the phone somberly.
"Give me a second," I told her, wiggling out from under Wolfe's arm and creeping out of the room.
"Now, what did you say?"
I descended the staircase and headed into the kitchen, plugging in my electric kettle and filling it with water.
"I said Honor didn't come home last night," she repeated.
"That's because he's here," I lied.
"Oh."
"Oh?" I frowned, leaning against the counter
"Yeah. Oh," she said after a moment. "What more do you want me to say?"
"I don't know. I'm literally just waking up, so all my thoughts aren't there, but I expected more than oh."
"It's all I have," Navy muttered.
"It's not. You can be upset because he didn't come home, Navy."
"Can I really?" Her tone was filled with so much doubt.
"Yes," I said firmly. "He's still your man."
"Yeah, but I—"
"Don't," I groused, cutting her off. "If you're gonna take it to the grave, then don't bring it up and stop thinking about it."
"That would be easier if I didn't know he knew I deleted footage. Chosyn, he's walking around like it doesn't bother him."
"Maybe it doesn't." I shrugged, moving toward the fridge to grab my citron marmalade tea.
"I doubt it." She sighed. "He didn't even call me after his first therapy session. I offered to go with him, and he said no."
"Why would you want to go?" I asked, plopping a spoonful of the marmalade into my cup before pouring hot water over it.
"Why wouldn't he want me there?"
"Therapy is personal. Which I shouldn't have to tell you because you already know."
"Okay, but—"
"But nothing," I lightly snapped while stirring my tea. "You can't tell that man you don't want to be his reason, then get mad when he puts up a firm boundary."
"It's not a boundary," she argued, her voice thinning. "It feels like punishment."
"Because you don't like it," I told her. "Honor is trying to give you the space you asked for. You said you wanted to feel wanted by him and not needed. This is him doing that."
"Good to know he's talking to someone if he's not talking to me," she mumbled.
"I didn't talk to Honor about this. It's just my observation."
"I guess. Did he say anything when he got there?"
"Not much other than what Choyce told him about her time living with Lucian."
"He went to see Choyce?" Her tone dried, coming out scratchier than I'd ever heard her talk.
"Uh, yeah, but Wolfe went with him," I quickly lied. "I just wanted to know what happened with my sister."
"Then why didn't you ask me?" she pressed.
"Why would I?" I frowned. "Y'all don't like each other. The same way I wouldn't discuss you with her, I'm not bringing her up to you."
"This is different," Navy insisted.
"Maybe so, but you weren't around enough to know everything. I needed to know from Choyce—"
"And Honor is the only person she'll talk to."
Navy didn't have to tell me she felt a way because I heard the bitterness in her tone. Unsure of what to say, I sipped from my cup, giving her the floor to air out whatever grievances she was holding in.
"Maybe we just need to end things."
"Who? You and Honor?"
"Yeah."
"What would be the reason? And don't say Choyce because you know Honor would never cross that line."
I didn't know if it was because I was on the outside looking in, but to me, Navy and Honor were the perfect couple going through regular couple stuff.
"How do we know that for certain? I mean, until recently, I would've said the same thing about me."
She stumped me there.
"I guess we won't know for sure, but you have to trust him. If y'all don't have trust, then what do y'all have?" I asked, thinking I'd made my point.
"Nothing," she whimpered.
"Oh, Navy," I cooed, understanding her pain all too well.
"I'm fine, Chosyn," she sniffled. "Just tell Honor to call me when he wakes up."
"Okay." I sighed. "If you need anything, let me know."
"Mhm."
The call ended, and regret washed over me instantly, not just for lying but because I had asked Honor to talk to Choyce.
Sipping my tea, I scrolled through my phone and hit call on Honor's contact. The phone rang, and I swear it felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest.
"Yo," he answered, voice thick with sleep
"Nigga, where are you? Navy just called me, and—"
"You must've lost your mind in this pussy." My stomach dropped at the sound of Choyce's groggy voice. "Don't disrespect me by talking to your bitch while lying in my bed."
"Honor, don't you leave that house! I'm on my way."
I hung up, leaving my tea on the counter, and rushed upstairs. My heart thudded louder with every step. As I moved through the bedroom toward the closet, Wolfe stirred in his sleep.
"My heart," he grumbled, reaching for me where I normally laid.
"Wolfie, I have to make a run really quick," I told him before rushing into the closet.
Without much thought, I grabbed a pair of leggings, one of Wolfe's hoodies, socks, and a pair of New Balance. I got dressed and stepped out of the closet to head into the bathroom when I bumped into Wolfe's chest.
"Okay, ninja," I joked, but not even a ghost of a smile touched his handsome grimace. "Please don't be mad," I cooed, batting my lashes.
"Today's 'posed to be family day, Chosyn." The shock I felt hearing Choyce's sleepy voice didn't compare to the way my heart dropped when Wolfe called me by my name.
Wolfe stepped forward, and I stepped back.
"You scared of me now?" His voice wasn't loud or even angry. If it was, it would've been easier to deal with. Wolfe being disappointed wasn't something I had to navigate often, so when it happened, I always felt lost.
"Why would you ask that?" I frowned.
"Why you move away from me?" he countered, and I didn't have an answer.
"I don't know," I admitted, hanging my head.
His hand came up, placing my chin perfectly between his index finger and thumb. He lifted my face until my eyes met his, giving my jaw a gentle squeeze.
"You moved away because your ass is tryna be sneaky."
"I'm not."
"Then where you going this early in the morning?" he asked
"I… Navy… Honor… I have to fix something I messed up."
"Navy and Honor's situation don't got shit to do with you."
"Yeah, but I asked him to talk to Choyce for me. He didn't want to, but he did it because I asked. And then Navy called because he didn't go home last night. I didn't know what to tell her, so I lied and told her he was here."
My words started tripping over each other.
"When I called him to find out where he was, I heard Choyce say something about him losing his mind in her pussy and Wolfie, I think they…"
The rest of the sentence tangled in my throat. My lungs felt like they suddenly forgot how to work.
"Breathe, my heart," Wolfe urged, gently squeezing my jaw between his fingers.
I dragged in a slow breath through my nose, held it, then forced it out.
"I fucked up, Wolfie. I finally found my place in this world, with you and your family, and I messed it all up." My voice trembled on the edge of tears.
"What am I supposed to do? Navy is going to hate me. What if she tries to hurt Choyce? She's already sliced her for kissing Honor. What if Navy—"
Tears burned behind my eyes until they spilled over.
"Emersyn was right. I have to make a choice." My head shook violently, like the decision was being forced on me right now. "I can't choose between my friend and sister, Wolfie. I won't!"
My breathing turned frantic, words running over each other until nothing made sense.
"My heart." Wolfe's gravelly tone cut through the chaos long enough for my eyes to latch onto his. "Calm down."
Still shaking my head, I told him, "I can't—"
"My heart," he gritted. "You gotta breathe for me. Breathe for Nix."
His hands rested on both sides of my face, grounding me in his love.
"Inhale."
I did.
"Exhale."
The air left me, coming out choppy, but it left.
"You spiraling isn't gon' do shit but have me going at people's necks for putting you in their shit."
"They didn't put me in anything. I made this mess." I sighed.
"You didn't make Honor sleep with Choyce the same way you didn't make Navy do whatever she did with a nigga named Solace."
"You know?" I gasped.
He nodded. "Navy slipped up when she was over here."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"'Cause I'm not a chatty patty ass nigga. None of that shit is my business, the same way it's none of yours."
"It's not, but Choyce is my sister, and Navy is my friend."
"Choyce is also an adult."
"What am I supposed to do? Just sit here and let everything blow up?"
Wolfe searched my face like he was looking for the safest way to handle me, then sighed.
"We're gonna go grab Honor and drop his ass at home with Navy. Whatever fallout comes of that, he can figure out on his own."
"You don't have to come. I can do it."
Wolfe's brows pulled tight, eyes sharpening as they narrowed.
"I'm your husband," he evenly stated, "I'm never gon' leave you to deal with shit alone, even when you're in the wrong."
Swallowing my pride, I pressed my lips to his. He let me kiss him for a second before pulling back.
"Ight," he muttered, scrunching his nose. "Your breath is hot as hell."
"Wolfie!" I gasped, slapping his chest.
He smirked. "Go handle that and wash your face. You got dry nut from last night on your chin."
My hand flew to my chin. "No, I don't."
"You'll see. I'ma go get Nix dressed. We can drop her off with Gigi before we scoop Honor."
Despite everything, a small laugh bubbled out of me.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Go," he repeated, giving my hip a light tap.
As I walked toward the bathroom, I smiled to myself. Wolfe wasn't just my husband. He was love made tangible. In a world where love came with fine print, Wolfie chose me freely, every single time, and that was something I planned to never take for granted.