"What glitters isn't always gold," I muttered, tucking my feet under my butt.
"That's true, but I don't think you should throw away decades because of Choyce."
"Is that what you think I'm doing? Throwing away my relationship? I couldn't throw this relationship away if I wanted to. There's no life for me that doesn't consist of Honor being in it. He's all I know, and I'm all he knows. The only way I'll ever be without him is if he?—"
I choked on the word.
"I get it," Honey whispered.
"Do you? Because what Honor and I have isn't just love. It's deeper than that. Our souls are intertwined to the point that I feel him. On my skin…" Closing my eyes, I envisioned Honorlining my shoulder with kisses. My body shivered as I felt his teeth pierce my flesh.
"I feel him, Honey," I drawled. "Everywhere… on my skin, in my breath, in the way my body reacts before my mind does. I feel his happiness because I learned how to feed it. I feel his anger because I learned how to carry it. And when he's vulnerable, it's me who reminds him he's worth everything the world told him he wasn't."
I let out a quiet, humorless breath.
"That man is a part of me just as much as I'm a part of him. I know it's not healthy. I know it sounds like obsession dressed up as love, but it's the truth. They say women come from a man's rib, but they never say what part of the woman the man takes in return. Honor took something from me that I didn't realize was missing until today. He claimed it, Honey. He claimed me, and I let him. Because some broken part of me wanted to belong to someone in every way possible, even the ways that cost me myself."
Staring at me with wide eyes, I knew Honey was hanging on to my every word.
"What did he take?" she asked.
"My sense of?—"
The door beeped, announcing it had been opened. I looked at Honey and shook my head. Honor's heavy footsteps filled the space as he moved from the foyer into our living room.
"Navy."
My name fell from his lips crisp with worry. My stomach went against me, fluttering as I watched emotions collide across his face. His eyes swirled, his steps brought him closer until he was kneeling in front of me, his hands cradling my face.
"What fucking happened?" he demanded. "Whose blood is that?"
Honor was holding me so tight. I could feel the heat coming off him.
"I need to walk Honey to the door," I murmured, gently peeling his hands away from my face.
Honor stood up and glanced behind him.
"Hey." Honey waved.
"What happened?" he gritted in her direction.
"I'll tell youafterI walk her to the door," I firmly stated.
I moved around Honor, grabbed the wine bottle from the end table, and walked Honey out.
"Are you gonna be okay?" she asked, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I'll be fine." I softly smiled. "Text me when you get home."
"Okay. I love you, Navy."
"Love you too, Honey."
We hugged, then Honey left, and I closed the door. Before going back toward the livingroom, I lifted the wine bottle to my lips.
I didn't want to feel his presence. I didn't want to crave his touch. I didn't want to love how soft his voice got for me. I wanted to be empty. I wanted to be numb so his affection would taste as bitter as this wine.
"Navy, tell me something." His voice was raspy as usual. Honor rarely spoke to me with aggression. The outlier in his tone was a hint of panic.
