"Aww, fuck." River sighed. "Look, we're better than this. Don't let egos be the reason we fall out again. We just got the gang back together."
"And we'll stay together," I affirmed, "as long as Navy does what Honey already did and explains herself."
When Honey got to Mellow & Munch, River was already there, and the tension was thick enough to choke on. I stopped Honey before she could bring up Choyce and asked her to explain what happened with Honor and Lynx. She told us she thought she was doing the right thing by protecting us. Once I had the full picture, I didn't feel a way. I understood. No matter how close we were, some things just couldn't be shared. River was still in her feelings, but she was letting it go. We weren't back to how it used to be, but it was a start.
"What kind of explanation are you looking for?" Navy asked.
"Whatever will make sense of what you did."
"You don't even like her, Chosyn. Why is this such a big deal to you?"
"She's my fucking sister!" My open palms slammed against the desk, startling everyone but Navy. "You're my friend," I continued, softer now. "You could have come to me."
"And I did," she shot back. "I told you Honor lied to me. I told you I thought he might've been cheating. I told you I didn't trust Choyce around him. I told you Chosyn in all the ways I knew how, but yesterday…"
A rigid breath escaped Navy as she stood and walked over to her bay window.
"Yesterday I kind of snapped. Honor and I have been beefing since the day we went to lunch, and someone started shooting."
"What the fuck?" Honey gasped.
"I still need to know what happened with that," River added, since she wasn't there when it happened.
"I thought Choyce did it as a warning," she said. "Like she was trying to scare me away from Honor. I told him, and he defended her."
Navy laughed sharply and disbelievingly.
"He let her kiss him," Navy continued. "Then looked me in my face and said it wasn't her who shot at us. I wasn't just pissed.I was beyond that. I went to her house with Honey, carrying a ball of emotions. I didn't plan to hurt her, but then she started talking. Choyce called me insecure, said she was Honor's equal."
Her voice dipped.
"I snapped. Every pent-up feeling, every suppressed emotion, came pouring out when I straddled her lap and cut."
Navy stared out the window while the rest of us watched her. Her confession left too much unsaid, too many questions, but now wasn't the time.
"And you wanna know the worst part of what I did?" she asked, not waiting for an answer. "I told her about the abortions."
"Abortion?" River and I blurted.
"Abortions," Navy corrected. "Plural. I told Choyce, and now she has the power to make or break my relationship."
"Honor doesn't know?" I asked even though the answer was obvious.
"Nope. I couldn't tell him."
"Why?" River asked.
"Because of what Lucian might've done if he found out."
"Lucian, as in your father?" Honey questioned brows knitting.
"I don't think we need to talk about this right now," I interjected.
"If I don't get this out now, it's going to eat me alive," Navy murmured. "I was twenty when I got pregnant the first time. Honor was hustling, and I was in school working on my degree. I went to the doctor to get my birth control shot, and that's when I found out. I remember being so scared. I scheduled an ultrasound for the following day but didn't say anything to Honor. I went to the appointment, laid back on the table, and my child's heartbeat filled the room. The sweetest melody I'd ever heard. The doctor said I was twenty-four weeks, which soundedcrazy because I wasn't even showing. After that, I went straight home. I cooked dinner, set the table, and lit a few candles. I even had our favorite song playing in the background."
For a moment, it was like Navy was back there, caught in the memory. Her eyes were closed, head swaying to a melody only she could hear.
"I found a love for me," Navy's voice broke. Tears toppled her lashes as she looked at me. "Oh, I never knew you were the someone waiting for me."
