Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
Navy Achebe
"Honor showing up to the funeral is a good thing," Honey noted, taking a seat after popping us some popcorn.
Her, River, Chosyn, and I were all seated on the floor of her penthouse apartment, shooting the shit and complaining about the men in our lives.
Honey was lonely and was thinking about entertaining a relationship, but after Lynx, she just didn't think she could be open about her lifestyle with someone else.
River was annoyed by Crown being overbearingly protective, and we all looked at her like she was crazy.
Crown was up her ass before them babies.
I don't know why she thought it would be any different now that she was his pregnant fiancée.
Chosyn didn't do much complaining, but she mentioned being a little overwhelmed by Wolfe wanting another baby.
His wanting more kids didn't surprise me because of the way he was with Nix and Mekhi.
Chosyn on the other hand, just wasn't ready because she felt her life was already on restriction with Nix.
Now it was my turn, and the best I could do was bring up how weird it was that Honor showed up to Talon's service unexpectedly.
"Good, if his intentions were in the right place," I muttered, grabbing a handful of popcorn.
River frowned. "You don't think they were?"
"I don't know. Something is going on with him, and I can't put my finger on it."
"You think it's Choyce again?" Honey smacked. "After the way you bugged out on her, I doubt she'll touch Honor in any kind of way."
"I think he fucked her."
"What?" Honey gasped.
"You lying," River added, but she didn't look shocked.
Honey looked from me to Chosyn, who was eating popcorn.
"You knew?" Honey asked her.
"I don't know anything other than how Navy feels," Chosyn carefully answered, lifting her glass of wine. Her eyes flickered toward River, who quickly grabbed her glass of juice.
The exchange felt weird, but I didn't care enough to question it.
"Well, somebody tell me something," Honey whined. "I feel like I missed so much."
I grabbed my empty glass and poured more wine.
"That's right, friend, drink enough for the both of us." River giggled as I finished the glass I just topped off.
"I'm like ninety percent sure Honor fucked Choyce," I flatly stated. "And I don't even know if I have the right to be mad because I let some random nigga named Solace eat my pussy, and it was the best head of my life."
"Wow!" Honey blinked.
"I know you lying!" River's eyes nearly popped out of her head.
They both turned to Chosyn this time.
"You knew?"
"About Solace… yes."
River pouted. "I'm starting to feel like we're not friends forreal. I get Honey not knowing because we didn't like her."
"Excuse me?" Honey frowned.
"We didn't." River shrugged. "I mean, they liked you, but I was cool on you until you explained what happened."
Honey rolled her eyes. "I guess."
"You'll be alright. You know who won't be… me. Is it because I'm pregnant? Y'all can tell me. I know I'm not fun River anymore because I let Crown's ass trap me with twins, but—"
"Aht-aht, don't do my brother!" Chosyn snapped. "Crown did not trap you."
"Whatever. That's not the point. Why am I being left out?"
"No one is leaving you out." I sighed. "Chosyn knows everything because we talk more. Crown always has you doing stuff. And Honey, we never had that kind of relationship."
"I'm not mad." Honey shrugged.
"But if you want to know everything, that's it," I said, grabbing a wing.
Then another thought came to mind. "I also think Honor used me to make killing my brother look like he was saving me.
And I think… I want to end things with him.
" I bit into my wing while their faces shifted from shock, concern, and confusion. "Now y'all know everything."
"I don't even know where to begin," Honey whispered.
"Well, y'all figure it out. I'm going to smoke."
"Want me to come with you?" Chosyn asked.
"No, just pass me one of your sunflower pre-rolls."
"Here." Chosyn reached for her purse from the couch and handed me one with a lighter. "Don't smoke the whole thing. They're potent."
"The more it takes me out of my head, the better."
I got up off the floor and headed to the balcony that wrapped around Honey's living room.
The jobs she must've been taking on had to be lucrative because she was living nicely in a muthafuckin' penthouse.
I sparked the pre-roll, inhaled deeply, held it, then exhaled slowly.
Chosyn wasn't lying about it being potent.
The high hit quickly, leaving me warm and floaty.
I took three more pulls, then ashed the spliff.
"I wanna talk to Solace." I grinned, rushing back inside.
They all stared at me.
"Chosyn, what the hell did you give her?" Honey laughed.
"Navy might be on to something," River said. "I want to hear what Solace sounds like because I thought you and Honor were locked in for life."
"Maybe some things aren't meant to be forever." I shrugged, waiting for the guilt to creep in, but it didn't. "Chosyn, do you still have his number?"
"I saved it before throwing the card away."
"Oh, bitch," River gasped. "You really about to help her cheat."
"A conversation isn't cheating," I interjected.
"Tell Crown that." River rolled her eyes. "That man came to my job's banquet and made sure I didn't say more than, 'Hey, this is my husband Cortez', to my male coworkers?"
"Crown is crazy." Honey laughed.
"Aht! Not too much on my man. I can call him crazy. Y'all can't."
"Bye, River." Honey waved her off.
"So whose phone are we using?" Chosyn asked.
"Not mine," River quickly blurted.
"Call from my landline," Honey suggested.
"You still have a house phone?"
"Be grateful I do, or talking to Solace would stay a fantasy."
"You're right." I giggled, still floating.
Honey got up and headed toward the kitchen to grab her phone. When she came back, she tossed it to Chosyn.
"Call before I change my mind," I instructed, pacing.
Chosyn dialed the number and hit call, then put it on speaker. The phone rang once, and I felt butterflies in my stomach. On the fourth ring, his voice came through the phone.
"Yo!"
Nobody spoke. We all just stared at the phone.
"Aye, someone better say some in the next five seconds."
"Hi," I forced out.
A second passed before his voice came through again. "Navy?"
Solace spoke my name slowly, like he was testing the shape of it. He rolled it off his tongue the same way he rolled it on my clit.
"Navy," he repeated, softer this time, and I hated how easy it was for him to make my stomach dip.
"Yeah," I answered, trying to sound unbothered.
"Wassup? I thought you said I had to leave you alone?"
River covered her mouth to keep from squealing. Honey leaned closer, and Chosyn watched me.
"So, you don't wanna hear from me," I teased.
"I always wanna hear from you, but I didn't think I would."
"Me neither," I admitted.
"Ight, what changed?"
Even though he couldn't see me, I shrugged.
"I… I was thinking about you."
Silence hung between us.
"Yeah?" His voice curved like he was smiling. "What do you miss, love?"
I leaned against the wall, letting the high settle in my limbs and control the conversation.
"Your voice," I told him honestly. "I couldn't remember what you sounded like, and for whatever reason, that bothered me."
River's eyes widened, and Honey mouthed, "Okayy, Navy."
Solace let out a low chuckle.
"You called to fact-check a nigga's voice?"
"Some like that." I grinned.
"You alone?"
My eyes flicked to the girls. They all nodded their heads wildly.
"Not really," I replied.
"Mhm." I heard the grin again. "I'm starting to feel like you can only talk to a nigga if you got an audience."
"No, it's not that I just—"
"I'm playing with you."
"Oh."
"You gotta ease up," he said. "I missed your voice, too. I didn't forget how you sounded, but I missed it."
"Tell me anything," I popped, clicking my tongue.
"Nah, forreal. I'm keeping it a buck."
"How am I supposed to believe that?" I shot back.
"'Cause I can tell some is up with you. You sound different."
"How?"
"Lighter but like you got a million and one things floating through that big ass head of yours."
"My head is not big."
"It might not be," he said thoughtfully. "I'm having a hard time remembering."
"Oh, so you can remember my voice but not what I look like?"
"I'ma kinda visual nigga, love. I gotta see you to make sure I sketched you right in my mind."
River fell back dramatically, clutching her chest.
"Smooth," I admitted.
"Honest."
"Stay that way. I have something I wanna ask you."
"Ask."
"Did you hesitate answering the phone?" I felt stupid saying it out loud, but I needed to know.
"No," he answered smoothly, "I let you decide if you really wanted to talk to me."
My stomach dipped.
"Do you?" he quietly asked, almost like the answer scared him.
"I don't know," I said truthfully. "I just… wanted to hear you."
"Now that you have," he said, voice lowering, "goodnight, love."
“I’m not your lov—"
The call ended, and the silence in the room exploded.
"Oh my god!" River screamed.
Honey grabbed a pillow and smacked River with it. "Will you relax?"
"No, because why does that man's voice sound like Pop Smoke mixed with Dave East. Them two niggas had a muthafuckin' voice, baby!"
I burst out laughing, despite how I felt about the way the conversation ended.
Chosyn leaned back against the couch, "That wasn't just head between y'all. There's chemistry there. What are you gonna do—"
Honey's intercom buzzed, cutting her off and causing all of us to turn toward it.
Honey frowned. "Did one of y'all invite y'all man over here?" she asked, already walking toward the door.
"No," River quickly stated.
"No," I echoed.
"I invited Choyce," Chosyn added, hopping up to buzz her sister in.
I looked at her. "Why?"
"She said she needed to talk, and it sounded urgent. She was supposed to call me when she was downstairs."
Honey unlocked the door and pulled it open. Choyce stepped in, looking like something had cracked her wide open. Her eyes were red and glossy, like she'd been crying but didn't want anyone to know. She stopped when she saw all of us sitting there, and for a second, she looked small.
"Oh… I didn't know y'all were—" her voice wobbled. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"It's fine," Honey cautiously said, stepping aside. "Come in."
Choyce walked in like she didn't have full control of her legs.
"Choyce, what's wrong?" Chosyn asked, rushing over to her.
Choyce didn't answer. She walked past Chosyn and came straight to me. My stomach tightened, unsure if she wanted to continue our spat from earlier or not. She stopped in front of me, looking vulnerable.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"For what?" I slowly asked.
"For… everything," she choked out. "For the tension between us. For kissing Honor, for trying to make you feel delusional. Flirting with Honor was—"
My hand moved before my brain processed all of what she said.
"Damn," River hissed.
"Shit," Honey winced.
I tensed up waiting for Choyce to swing back, but she didn't. She just stood there, cheek inflamed from my slap. I turned toward Chosyn, and she didn't look shocked.
"Navy," she sighed, stepping between Choyce and me, "that's enough."
"Enough?" I laughed bitterly.
"I deserved that," Choyce whispered. "I didn't come here to fight. I came here to apologize to my sister, but seeing you reminded me I owed you one too."
Chosyn's brows pulled together. "Apologize to me for what?"
"For using you to kill Chance," Choyce cried. "You didn't deserve that. If I could take it back, I would." Choyce sounded sincere, but it was vague and felt incomplete.
"What happened?" Chosyn asked.
"I just wanted to apologize. That's all. I'm going to leave so y'all can enjoy your night."
"I'll drive you home," Chosyn offered.
"No," Choyce shook her head quickly, "stay. I don't want to mess up your night. I shouldn't have come. It could've waited until tomorrow."
"It's fine. I didn't tell you we were having a girls' night, so you didn't know," Chosyn said.
"But—"
"But nothing. I'm not letting you drive home like this."
"I'm fine," Choyce insisted weakly.
"You're not," Chosyn told Choyce, then turned to us. "I'll call in the morning."
On the way out, Choyce avoided looking at me. The door shut, and an uneasy feeling came over me.
"What the hell was that?" River whispered.
Honey shook her head. "That wasn't guilt over a petty ass kiss."
And it wasn't. I had just told the girls I was sure Honor fucked Choyce, and now I damn near knew it was true.