Page 116 of River & Crown
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...Riverperfect 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."
