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"Grab his left side and help me get him into my truck."

"Ahh shit, nigga, be easy!" I barked.

My left shoulder felt shattered, and the pieces were heavy as fuck. Feeling my body lift from the ground, I groaned in pain. My head dangled as those red and black streaks began to blend together.

Waking up to bright ass lights, faint beeps buzzing, and excruciating pain shooting from my left side wasn't how I saw my first encounter with the future Mrs. Gravehart.

At the least, I figured I'd get her number, wait a few days, then hit her up for a date or some shit.

Instead, a nigga was laid up, eager to get those good drugs to help with the fucking pain.

Still, I didn't see myself playing shit differently if I got a do-over.

Divine timing was a thing, and when shit happened, it was for a reason.

My moms was into all that affirmation, higher power, situations are signs type shit.

Either some of it rubbed off on me, or I was holding on to her beliefs to stay connected to her.

Whatever the reason, today played out how it was 'posed to, and I was gon' trust the reasoning to find me when the time was right.

"Aye, this nigga is awake," Wolfe called out behind him as he walked into my room.

Hearing his voice before anyone else was fitting.

Honor and I had the same three-year age difference as Wolfe and me, but I saw Honor as my equal.

In another lifetime, that nigga might've been my twin forreal.

Wolfe was the younger brother I never knew I wanted in life.

If niggas would've taken me out, it was Wolfe I'd watch out for in the afterlife.

He'll take my death the hardest. The three of us had been abandoned in one way or another, but how Wolfe's mom did him was dirty.

He's the youngest, but his heart is triple the size of Honor's and mine.

Without a doubt, he'd step in front of a bullet for us, walk into the fire, sit down, and do the time for us.

Wolfe didn't fuck 'round 'bout us, and I was coming the same behind my lil' nigga.

"Crown—"

I waved his ass off 'cause I wasn't trying to hear whatever pity bullshit he was 'bout to give me. Worry and relief masked his usual stoic demeanor, pissing me off even more.

"Man, don't come over here with that I thought you were dead energy."

"That's what we fucking thought, nigga," he barked. "Fuck happened?"

I did my best to shrug 'cause, honestly, I didn't know.

"One minute, I was talking to shawty, and then she screamed for me to get down. I let off a few shots as I fell on top of her and took a few."

Wolfe played with his baby-ass beard while in deep thought 'bout this shit.

"You think niggas mad we took their spot?" he tossed out.

Licking my dry ass lips, I thought about the possibility.

Before we took over the corner store, a nigga named Dre, who lived in the pj's around the corner, used to send his lil' niggas over there to make plays.

Dre wasn't the type of nigga to have forethought.

He was letting a premium operation slip between his fucking fingers.

Honor saw the potential, and we took that shit.

That winter was a cold one. We heated shit up, dropping bodies left and fucking right.

Shit got so active the city forced the owner to shut down until things cooled off.

Money was lost on both sides, forcing Honor and Dre to have a sit-down.

Dre, having more casualties than us, gave us the upper hand and the property.

Dre gave up the corner store, and we agreed to keep our business strictly at the store.

"Nah, we handled that. Why Dre gon' come gunning for us now?"

The question wasn't for Wolfe, but shit, if he had an answer, then the floor was his.

"Shit, if I know, but whoever tried you gon'—"

The hospital room door opened, and Honor and Navy walked in.

"Come on, Navy. Fix your face, or you gotta get out. I'm good." Like Wolfe, Navy's face was full of emotion that I couldn't stand to see.

"I told her to wash her face 'fore coming in here." Honor chuckled.

"Shut up!" Navy slapped Honor's chest and then came over to the bed to give me a quick hug. The hug was one-sided as fuck, with me not being able to move without causing pain to my left side.

"Never scare us like that again." Wagging her finger in my face, Navy really thought she was someone's momma.

"I don't plan to."

"The doctor said you're going to need physical therapy to help you gain full movement in your shoulder."

"That's cool. Did they say anything 'bout this pain?"

"Yeah, but um, I wanna talk to you 'bout that shit first."

Honor and I held each other's stare, having a silent conversation.

"Man, I'm not even on that shit like that."

"You used to be, and I want to make sure shit doesn't spiral out of control again."

"Honor, if Crown needs medication, then?—"

"Navy," Honor gritted, shutting her up.

"Chill on, Navy nigga," Wolfe spat toward Honor.

"Move with yo' high school crush having ass," Honor playfully pushed Wolfe, but I caught the sting Honor's words caused.

"I'ma speak to the doctor to see what you can have."

"Nigga, I just said?—"

"I'm doing this for you. While I'm speaking to the doctor, ole girl you was caking with is gon' come in. See if you can find out who the fuck hit you up."

"How she gon' know? Dre still might be mad 'bout us taking the corner store."

"It wasn't him. While you were in surgery, I met up with dude. He moved his whole operation. His people weren't over there when it happened."

"That's convenient as fuck, don't you think?"

"Shit, maybe, but I did my due diligence with Dre. Do yours with ole girl."

Honor nodded as I sucked my teeth. Navy gave me a quick kiss on the forehead, and Wolfe hit me with the GD salute. I attempted to hit that shit back but winced in pain when I went to salute my young nigga. Wolfe laughed it off, but it did nothing to mask the hurt in his eyes.

"Hey," Emily nervously sang out.

I watched her every move as she came into the room. Nothing about her seemed off, other than her still being covered in my blood. The sight was a sore one. I winced, wishing she'd changed her clothes 'fore coming to see me.

"What you doing here?" I roughly asked.

"Oh... I... um... I wan... wanted to see if you were... uh okay." Emily's voice changed levels with each word she spoke, but her eyes stayed glued to mine.

I didn't know how to read her, but in my heart, I believed she wasn't the cause of this shit. "My brother thinks you set me up."

Her brows crinkled at my accusation, probably trying to figure out if I was joking or not. After a few seconds of silence, her brows shot upward in shock. Her lips bare of gloss parted, but her jaw clenched once the realization set in.

"Are you serious?"

"I'm not in the business of saying shit I'm unserious about."

"Wow! Here I am, scared out of my mind, thinking you might've died, and the first thing you ask is what you doing here, like me being here repulses you. Do I repulse you, Crown?"

"Em—"

"No, you had your chance to speak. You don't ask if I'm okay but tell me your brother thinks I set you up when I don't even fucking know you.

Tell me how I'ma set up a nigga who walked across the street to speak to me?

You didn't see me touch my phone once, so tell me how I set you up?

" Emotions I couldn't read laced her voice.

"Man, listen?—"

"No, you listen because I didn't ask for this, but since you think I fucked you over, let me get outta here." She turned to leave, and my pulse raced.

"Emily." Her hand grabbed the door handle, and my stomach churned.

"Emily!" I barked, irritating my dry ass throat. I coughed uncontrollably, jerking my body forward fucking my shoulder up even more.

"Ah, shit!"

"Cortez!" Emily wailed, rushing over to pat my back with her small hands. The pats didn't do much to soothe my cough, but it settled my pulse.

"You have to lie back and be careful with how you move your arm while it's in the sling."

"My bad, ight." She fluffed a few of my pillows and helped me to lie back.

"I'll call a nurse for you."

Catching her hand before she moved, I tugged gently, folding my fingers between hers.

"I don't want a fucking nurse."

"You need one Crown ."

"What I tell you 'bout that shit? A nigga risked his life to save yours, and you gon' keep disrespecting me?" I was hoping the latter of what I said caused her to smile. I was tired of muthafuckas looking at me like a nigga didn't make it out this shit alive.

"Why would you joke about that? You could have died, Cortez!" Her jaw clenched before she realized she was letting her emotions get the best of her.

"I'm not dead, tho'. I don't need those I care for acting remorseful and shit."

"You care about me?"

"Some like that."

"Yeah, okay, tell me anything," She giggled softly. "You literally accused me of setting you up less than ten minutes ago."

"I said my brother thinks you set me up."

"What do you think?"

Emily nervously had her bottom lip folded between her teeth. I smirked. I didn't think there was a single face she could muster that I wouldn't find cute.

"I think I wanna get to know you. For that to happen, I need you to answer a few questions honestly."

"Okay."

I paused to see what the silence did to Emily.

Silence always spoke louder than words, but when guilt hung in the air, the truth was inevitable.

People loved overlooking quiet moments, but not me.

I'd lost too much in life by doing that shit.

Now, I let silence suffocate those I needed answers from.

I waited for their words to falter, their eyes to shift, or for the discomfort to eat away at their mind. Silence never lied.

Emily stood tall, her pretty eyes gazing into mine. I searched her face for an omission of truth, but I found none. Dipping my gaze lower, I watched the pattern of her chest. It wasn't too fast or too slow. It was perfect.

"Could Boppy be the one who set me up? She went inside the building and never came back out."

"I don't think so. I mean, what reason does she have to set you up?"

"I don't know, maybe a nigga who she's fucking put her up to it," I tossed out.

"Alexis doesn't really fuck with anyone exclusively. Not since Dre stopped fucking with her after she got an abortion."

"Dre from the pj's over there?"

"Yeah. They messed around for a while."

"Can you go get my brother?"

"Uh yeah, but um, is Alexis going to be okay?"

"I'ma be honest with you, you'll probably never see Alexis again. You cool with that?"

Emily's brows hiked as her chest slowly caved in, then expanded after a heavy sigh fled her lips.

"If Alexis did this, then I get it. She could have killed us both."

Again, I let silence fill the space between us. My heart ached in fear that I'd find the subtlest hint of guilt. High and low, I searched for something that made Emily untrustworthy, yet the same calm, sorrowful demeanor she walked in with was still present.

"Ight. Go get Honor," I dryly stated.

"Okay."

Turning for the door, Emily walked over and yanked it open. Peering over her shoulder, she asked, "What about us?"

"I still wanna get to know you." I winked.

She simpered, deepening the colors in her cheeks. The door closed, and my eyes closed with it.

It's not your time.

The voice was whispery and sweet. I smiled, knowing exactly who it belonged to.

I love you, Ma.

Opening my eyes, I used my right hand to make the sign of the cross, kissed my fingers, and then silently prayed for strength and decrement.