Page 32

Chosyn Gravehart

" Y ou've been calling me what?" I blacked, pushing in front of Wolfe. I looked toward River's fake ass who mouthed I'm sorry .

"Four, tell your friend it's not that deep." Crown didn't have to worry about my husband shooting his ignorant ass because I had no problems doing it myself.

"First of all I was your friend before she was your Four so no, she's not gonna tell me a damn thing. Why don't you tell me, Cortez?" I snipped, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Chill with the name-calling. Four always thinks I'm playing when I call her my wife.

To make sure she understood where I was coming from, I said something about you being the fake Mrs. Gravehart and her being the real one.

" Crown stepped forward like he was about to walk his goofy ass in my house after he said that dumb shit.

"Listen, what you consider a joke, me and mine don't play about.

Ain't shit fake about our marriage. Address and respect me as the first Mrs. Gravehart, or don't come around me or my family.

Wolfe might be your brother, but he's my life, and I'll kill behind that.

" I smirked, flashing a blade between my teeth.

"Four you gon' let your friend talk to me like that?"

"I told you to stop playing with her." River gave me a quick hug, then took Phoenix from Wolfe and brought her into the house.

"Oh, so we not gon' stand united on this shit?" Crown shouted after her. "Cool. Anytime I say it Four be cackling and shit. Kick her ass out the crib Chosyn. She's fake as fuck."

"Nope. Now, apologize."

"You gon' stand there like a proud husband while your wife threatens me with a fucking blade?"

Wolfe shrugged, knowing my domesticated ass needed a little action.

Being a mother was cool. I loved my daughter, but I also missed having some excitement in my life.

I was so bored one day that I reached out to Dreka from Wolfe's phone, thinking she might take the bait, but her ass wasn't with it.

I guess the whole threatening to burn her ass alive taught her a valuable lesson.

"Y'all annoying as fuck," Crown groaned.

"That doesn't sound like an apology." I smiled.

"Ight, my bad 'bout disrespecting y'all marriage. I ain't mean no harm. If your friend wasn't so fucking hardheaded, I wouldn't have to say off the wall shit for her to take me seriously."

"Is he forgiven, Wolfie?" I cooed, looking toward my husband.

His fine ass smothered me in his arms, as he kissed the top of my head.

"All that shit you talked, standing up for your husband, got my dick hard as fuck. You trying to go upstairs and make baby number two?"

Wolfe's horny self, grabbed my ass lifting me off my toes. I spun around to kiss him before slipping past him.

"Crown, come in, so this man won't get any ideas about pinning me to a mattress," I tossed over my shoulder.

"I'll pack Phoenix's bag, then y'all can be on your way.

The rest of the ladies will be here soon, and the people at the spa asked me to make sure that you wanted to keep your card on file for our retreat next month. "

"Tell 'em yeah. Why you packing a bag? Phoenix's not staying with y'all?" Crown asked.

"Nope." I snickered. Thank your brother for that."

I caught the look Crown gave Wolfe and wondered what they were about to get into.

I didn't question it, though. Wolfe didn't play about our child, so whatever he was about to get into I knew she would be safe.

I quickly finished packing her bag, adding in an extra outfit in case she got dirty and all the other baby essentials.

When I was done, I tossed the bag to Crown, bundled my baby up, and smothered her in kisses, then sent her, her father, and uncle out the door.

Flopping on the couch, I let out a heavy breath that had River giggling.

"What?" I frowned.

"Nothing." She giggled some more.

"River, I will kick you out of my house right along with the men."

"And that's what's funny. You kicked them niggas out before I could even say bye."

"Bye is forever. You'll see Crown's ugly ass before the day is over."

"My man is not ugly," she smacked.

"Your man?" I quizzed, biting back my smile.

"Yes, my man."

"When did this happen? Because Crown's been your man, but I haven't heard you say it with so much vigor before."

"How did I used to say it?"

"Like... he's my man." I did my best impression of River's melancholy voice whenever she spoke about Crown.

"I did not sound like that," she gasped.

"Yes, you?—"

The doorbell ringing stopped me mid-sentence.

I stood up smiling, then said, "Let's ask the girls."

River shrugged as I went to get the door. As soon as it opened Navy, Honey, Kyree, and Kysre all shouted "Ayeee!" while holding bottles of liquor, bags of food, and a few other things we needed to set this girls' day off since Crown ruined our original plan of a spa day.

"Y'all please tell River that when she talked about Crown, she sounded bored as fuck."

"I meannnn..." Navy shrugged. I laughed because Navy was the momma hen of the group. She didn't hang with us much but always made sure to check in weekly.

"If Navy won't say it, I will," Honey smacked, giving River a quick hug. "Sometimes it came off like you were tired of him. You had me thinking that man had you at home doing nothing but cooking and cleaning."

"Stop because I was not like that." River tried to defend herself, but there was no point. My girl was walking around like she had the lamest niggas on earth when Crown was anything but. He wasn't up there with my husband, but he was a cool second.

"I don't think she acted like she was bored or didn't like him," Kysre added after grabbing everyone's glasses from the kitchen.

"I just feel like she was too scared to let herself fully love, so she did what she does best and shut down.

I'm sure how she was with us when speaking about him wasn't how she was around him. "

"Kysre, what your young ass know about being scared of love?" Honey asked.

Kysre just shrugged and took a seat.

"Not too much on my twin, but she's right. We clicked with River because we see pieces of ourselves in her," Kyree said, taking a seat next to Kysre. The two girls were beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. I felt bad for whatever nigga found himself caught up with either of them.

"Okay, y'all can stop trying to analyze me," River spoke up. "However, whatever was happening had more to do with me than it did with him. We were in the part of our relationship where I usually end things. Crown wasn't letting that happen, so I was kind of in a weird space.

The night of the race, I was a mess. Sincere was on my mind, and that brought on guilt.

Then Crown didn't show and I couldn't think straight.

My head and my heart weren't in it. I was scared to race, but I pushed myself because I needed that sense of freedom racing gives me.

Kysre found some old contacts in the car and my dumbass took that as a sign from Sincere.

He hated it when I wore my glasses. For whatever reason, I thought popping them in would make me feel closer to him.

Everything that night clouded my judgment.

I didn't even notice my steering wheel until it was too late.

Waking up in the hospital the way I did and then taking some time for myself put a lot in perspective for me.

Whenever I saw Crown again, I planned on breaking up with him.

As much as I love that man, I felt he deserved better than me.

The way he needs to be loved, I didn't think I could give.

Then he told me he's been sleeping on my momma's couch just to be close to me, and I realized there was no escaping him.

I laid eyes on him and everything in my life started to make sense.

The sadness I felt from my accident faded.

He asked me what I needed him to be, and I told him.

I let him know I was ready to share River with him and y'all I felt so damn safe. I told him I love him."

The room broke out in gasps because we all thought this day would never come. Sincere's hold on River's heart was deadly even from the grave, but it was nice to hear she was moving on.

"Oh, I just know that nigga fucked you silly. Don't nothing make a nigga's dick harder than his woman saying I love you for the first time," Honey cheesed.

"I'm still healing and bleeding so no we didn't fuck. I told him I love him in the car when we first got here. I hadn't given him his anniversary gift yet. As I was explaining the gift, it kind of just came out."

"Is that why y'all were in the car for so long?"

"Not you watching us from the window like a creep, Chosyn." She laughed.

"And was. This is my property." I shrugged.

"Anyway, before we got here, Crown finger popped me so fucking good that I started crying."

"Wait, you cried off a couple of funky ass fingers?" I frowned. "Wolfe never played in my pussy that damn good."

"It was three fingers with his thumb on my clit. I don't know what it was, but that man had me grinding and crying."

"That's what I need in my life minus the tears." Kyree chuckled.

"Someone needs to make your thug ass cry. Maybe then you'll soften up," Kysre sniped, rolling her eyes.

"Don't do me." Kyree frowned.

"Okay, that's enough. God damn y'all back and forth is worst then my daughter and me."

"Wait, what?" River quizzed.

"Y'all don't have kids. Phoenix non-talking ass calls herself getting loud with me over her damn daddy."

"Chosyn, she's only what... six months." Honey laughed.

"My point exactly. Her funky butt thinks my husband is hers and we don't have to share. I went to kiss him, and her little ass slapped me."

"So much for being her favorite." River snickered.

"No forreal."

We all laughed except for Navy. She gave a soft chuckle, but she seemed so damn distant.

"Navy, you okay?" I asked.

"Uh, yeah." She shrugged, not saying much but saying a whole lot at the same time.

"Mhmm." We all looked toward Navy, and she rolled her eyes, knowing she wasn't about to get off that easily.

"Let's unpack the food and then I'll share," she stated, getting up.

We all moved around the living room, pulling out the Chinese food, getting drinks situated, and for those who wanted to smoke, they went out front to burn one.