"Cherish, mommy's going to step outside to talk to a friend. Your father is upstairs, so if you need anything, ask him, okay?"
"Okay, mommy. Is it Kage?" she asked, still focused on her LEGOs.
"No… uh, it's Honor."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "Can I show him my LEGOs?"
"No, sweetheart. Maybe next time."
"Okay," she quietly pouted.
I kissed her forehead and bolted from the living room toward the front door. Kicking off my house slippers, I slipped on the Crocs I hated but Cherish loved. Phone in hand, I typed a quick message, telling Honor Talon was inside.
The second I sent it, a car pulled up. The engine cut, but he didn't get out. The windows didn't even roll down. Honor gave zero indication he wanted me to come to him. Still, my feet moved toward the car like I'd been summoned. I reached the passenger door and yanked at the handle, but it was locked.
"Honor," I spoke, fighting to keep my voice steady.
The window cracked just enough for me to see his eyes and nothing more.
"Where that nigga at?"
"In the house. Unlock the door. He might be watching from the window."
I pressed my hand to the passenger door, waiting. A click echoed from the handle, and my pulse jumped. Opening the door, I felt the pull of him before he was fully in view. I quietly slid into the passenger seat. The air was thick and scented with him. Mint probably from his breath mixed with intoxicating notes that made up his cologne. It filled the space around me, settling in my chest.
"Have you heard from Lucian?"
"Uh, yeah… I… I've heard from him," I stammered.
Honor's head tilted toward me, eyes narrowing slightly with confusion.
"You straight?"
I shifted in my seat, unsure of my answer. Being around Honor used to mean nothing more than a quick rush in my chest, heat pooling between my legs, juices I silently prayed forhim to taste. My body merely reacting to his presence, I was used to. I played into it, welcoming the sexual tension. But this… this haze wasn't just lust. It stripped me of my confidence and left me stumbling over simple words.
"Choyce."
"I'm fine, Honor." I half smiled as I turned toward him.
My gaze lingered on the tension carved into his forehead. That was new. From what I knew, Honor never paraded his feelings on his face. Today, I saw worry, stress, and the flicker of absence in his eyes. It was a hollow look, that I knew all too well. I carried the same since what I've done to Chosyn. I didn't regret it, but I missed her. Family meant a lot to me, believe it or not. I've been doing my best to piece mine back together, but it only worked if Chosyn was willing, and from our last conversation, it was clear she wasn't.
"Are you okay?" I nervously asked.
"Why, Choyce?"
"I don't know," I admitted. He had no reason to confide in me, but I couldn't ignore the hurt written across his handsome face.
"It's just… I see it. The same emptiness I carry because of my fallout with Chosyn."
Honor leaned back, then pinned his gaze on me. "You wanted that shit, though. You orchestrated that fallout because you wanted power."
I tried to hold his gaze, but what he'd said dragged mine down, feeding the hurt I already carried.
"Contrary to what you all think, I didn't want to fall out with my sister. I did what I had to do. You don't know what it was like in that house."
"I don't know," he muttered. A dry, hurt laugh followed behind, making me regret my words. "Before you got there, I was the nigga locked in the basement. I?—"
Whatever he was about to say died on his lips. His fingers curled around the steering wheel tightly as he looked straight ahead.
