Page 44

Crown Gravehart

" F our."

Our lips brushed. She smiled and went to move out of my space.

Without much thought, I grabbed a handful of her curls and brought her back to me.

Stillness found us as our eyes locked. Time didn't stop.

It revealed. There was something different about her.

Usually, I could feel Four holding back from me, but she wasn't doing that now.

She was here, in the moment with me, leaving behind the guarded distance she carried.

I smirked, realizing I wasn't searching anymore.

What I've been looking for was found not only by me but by Four.

"Crown, say something, please," she cooed, biting into her bottom lip. Using my tongue, I plucked it from between her teeth, then sucked, tugging just enough for it to feel good.

"I love you," I rasped against her lips.

"I love you, too."

Feeling my dick brick up, I rolled on my back, bringing her sexy ass with me.

"Boy, we are not doing that again."

"Then why are your hips rolling?" Four was slow grinding along my dick, her pussy getting hotter each time she popped her ass back.

"They're not." She giggled, covering her face.

"Uncover your face, Four."

"No, my body betrayed me." She sulked some more.

Laughing, I tugged at her wrist until her hands slipped from her beautiful face. I brought them to my chest, then pinched her chin.

"You're so fucking perfect to me, River."

Her eyes widened at me calling her by her name instead of her usual moniker. A soft blush hit her cheeks, and the corners of her mouth rose into an involuntary smile. I chuckled. "Why are you acting like I never give you compliments?"

"It's not that. You rarely call me River. So, to hear you say... River perfect is... I don't know." She shrugged.

"Nah, don't shy away from me. Tell me what you're thinking in that big ass head of yours."

"My head is not big!" she smacked, then poked them juicy lips out. I leaned up to kiss 'em, then gave her the floor. "Ight now tell me."

"Remember the talk we had a while back about you calling me River?"

I nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about.

"You said you called me River because she was someone you didn't know. You called her insecure, guarded, someone who second-guesses everything you say. You asked me to let you heal her, and if you weren't holding on to me, I'm sure I would've run away from you in that moment."

"I believe it." I chuckled.

"Whatever! Anyway, I was scared and said you didn't have to heal me because you had your own healing to do. I thought Crown and Four were all we could be, that it didn't get any better than that. In my mind, we weren't ready to be River and Cortez, but I'm... I'm ready now if you are."

"What are you saying?" I asked, my brow lifting.

"I'm saying, I want to show you River if you're willing to show me Cortez."

Her fingers brushed against the raised keloids on my shoulder. I stiffened, not intentionally but out of habit. My eyes were on River, but everything around me started to blur. Memories of what caused my scars carried my mind elsewhere.

"We don't have to if you?—"

"Go put some clothes on and meet me in the living room."

River's gaze lingered on me until I tapped her leg.

She rolled off and swung her legs over her side of the bed.

I did the same, getting up and going into the bathroom.

I closed the door behind me, then went over to the sink.

Splashing water on my face, I watched the beads drip down my face.

The nigga looking back at me through the mirror wasn't the man I was today.

That nigga was broken-hearted and swore to never speak on Emily again.

"Crown, you don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to. Just because I'm ready doesn't mean you have to be," Four called out from the other side of the door.

"I said I'ma do this shit so I'ma do this it. Meet me in the living room, Four."

"Okay."

Looking back in the mirror, I chuckled a little. Four really had me about to eat my words in the name of love.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting." Sitting on the couch, I pulled Four into me. If I was gon' get through this shit, I needed her close.

"Forty minutes, but who's counting?" She laughed lightly. "I ordered us some wings."

"This late?"

After I shot off triplets inside Four, we showered then knocked the fuck out. Had her weird ass not been in my face like a creep, we'd probably still be sleep.

"It's only two in the morning. Flap & Fry stays open until four, but if you don't want any, I don't mind eating it all. I am eating for four now," she simpered.

"Glad to see you on board with the triplets."

"I'm always team you... delusional and all."

"Since when?" I frowned. "I had to lock rings on your finger 'cause you swore you weren't my wife."

"Can you blame me? I barely even knew you! We weren't together, but you acting like a lunatic."

"Just call me the grim reaper."

"So damn extra." She giggled, rolling her eyes.

"Nah, extra is taking your glasses whenever you're not with me so you're Ray Charles to these niggas."

"Crown!"

"Love at first sight is a thing. I gotta keep your ass blind."

"I'm already in love so these other niggas don't matter." She cupped my face and looked me square in the eye when she said it.

"Damn Four you got my heart stuttering and shit. Keep talking like that and I'ma upgrade your cane to a seeing-eye dog."

"Bye, Crown!" she mushed me.

"No forreal. I appreciate you wanting to talk things out. This shit is hard for me 'cause I know you're gonna look at me differently. But know I would never do no shit like this to you. I'll have Honor ship you off to a hidden island before I do to you what I did to Em... I mean Emily."

"Okay," she finally said.

I swallowed hard, rubbed my hand along my jaw, then shrugged and told her the truth.

"Back in the day, I met Emily when chilling on the block.

I was talking to her when some dumbass sprayed the block.

I covered her, taking a few in my shoulder.

My mom used to tell me that things happen for a reason.

She didn't believe in coincidences. I took that logic and applied it to Emily and me.

I swore what happened that day bonded us on some forever type shit.

I think I might've even said something about that situation being a crazy way to meet my wife. "

"Oh, so I'm not the first woman you met and called your wife." She playfully grimaced.

"Nah, you're not but you're the first I've ever opened up to about this shit."

"I'll take it."

"We dated for years. Shit was cool until it wasn't. Emily started acting and moving funny.

I brought it up a few times, but she played like I was crazy.

After a few arguments, I left the shit alone.

I was already falling out of love with her, so I let whatever she was out there doing come to me.

I was supposed to go out of town, but I doubled back to the crib because I forgot something.

Long story short, I caught Emily getting fucked by some nigga.

I killed him, then dragged her dumb ass from the bed.

I tossed her on the floor and then yelled for her to get on her knees.

She was crying and pleading with me, but all of it fell on deaf ears.

I ended up pulling my dick out and with my gun to her head, I forced her to suck my dick.

She kept crying and apologizing but I wasn't focused on none of that shit.

Her getting banged out by another nigga was all I saw.

I can't tell you much of how shit happened 'cause I was in a daze.

Her crying and pleas turned into gags. Her nails clawed at my fucking thighs.

I blacked out, and when I came to, she was on the floor, dead.

No bullet holes, no blood, just fucking dead. "

"You choked her with your dick?" Four's eyes widened, her mouth parted until a silent gasp slipped through.

"Yeah. I was fucked up behind that shit and started popping pills. I had an issue with 'em when I was younger at Gravehart Homes. Honor helped get me straight when I was younger. I felt like shit when he had to help me for a second time."

"Wow."

"Yeah." I sighed. "Honor's only three years older than me and six years older than Wolfe but that nigga has always been a father to us.

I was fucked up on them shits. He sent me away for a few months and when I came back he told me the nigga Emily was fucking had been her boyfriend for years.

Supposedly, she was only fucking with me to set me up. "

I finished talking and dropped my eyes from Four's. I couldn't stand to see how she felt about a nigga. Aside from that, I had no remorse for what I did to Emily.

"Then I guess she got what she deserved."

My head snapped in her direction. Four laughed hard as hell at my reaction.

"I'm just saying." She shrugged. "I don't agree with what you did, but I get it. Love is a rollercoaster. You fall in and out of it, but what Emily did wasn't just disrespectful, but it triggered something in you."

My face scrunched in confusion, brows pulling tight, and the bridge of my nose wrinkling.

"Just hear me out, and please don't get offended.

You told me about your father and his insecurities with your mom.

I think what Emily did triggered your insecurities, and that's why you moved around how you did before me.

You fucked your way through women and then you found me.

I was supposed to be more of the same. I don't know why I wasn't, but I also triggered something in you.

With me, you became smothering, overbearing, and needy.

You locked me down with rings, hyped me up with compliments, and kept all men away from me with threats. "

"Fuck you saying, Four? 'Cause it sounds like you're trying to call me my father and I'm nothing like that nigga." I glowered, regretting telling her this shit.