I Memorized you, Four. Every Sound, Every Look, Every Fucking Habit.

River

“Now, when we get in this office, I don’t wanna hear a fuss out of you unless you’re expressing excitement about these babies. Go in there, find a seat, and sit your ass down, Cortez, and don’t make me tell you twice,” I warned just as Crown pulled into a parking spot.

During my little speech, I made sure to angle my body towards him and wag my finger in his direction so he knew I wasn’t playing with him.  He shifted the car in park, unbuckled himself, then turned so he was facing me and let the biggest smile grace his handsome. I tried to hold back a smile of my own because I was serious about what I’d said, but it was a losing battle once his tongue teased my finger, then took it into his mouth. Crown’s teeth grazed down, just hard enough to make me squeal.

“Four who you think you’re talking to?”

“Nigga you!” I barked back, snatching my finger away and silently wishing his lips graced a different part of my body.

Since Crown disappeared for two months, I’ve been attending my appointments alone or with Chosyn. I didn’t put much thought into whether Crown cared if my doctor was a male or a female because to me, it didn’t matter much. It wasn’t until we were on our way here and Crown kept referring to my doctor as a woman that I felt my OB being a man would be a problem.

“Man, you think ‘cause you pregnant I won’t finger that pussy until you cry again?” He asked like he wasn’t threatening me with a good fucking time. “I’ll drive somewhere in the cut and bend your grouchy ass over. Matter of fact, since we’re handing out rules and shit, fix your fucking attitude or I’m putting your ass on dick-bation.”

“Dick-bation,” I repeated, frowning as I tried to follow his logic.

“Dick probation. You gotta earn this dick if you wanna hit that big O.”

“There’s other ways for me to get there,” I shrugged, with thoughts of riding his face flooding my mind. I clamped my thighs together, hoping that stopped the ghost of his tongue from whispering against my clit.

“You’re not hearing me. I called it dick-bation, but all of me is off limits. You gotta be on your best behavior to earn every orgasm back. Keep going with this funky ass attitude and I’ma show your ass a thing or two.”

“How do you go from fucking the attitude out of me to withholding orgasms?” I smacked, mushing his face away from mine.

“Cause I can. Fuck, Four, wassup with you?” He asked, softening his tone but deepening his gaze. “All I’m tryna do is see about my mini Fours and your ass talking to me like I’m a lil nigga who popped out your coochie and not the nigga with intentions on making you a wife.”

My heart swooned, but that was nothing new because Crown always made me feel like the luckiest, most beautiful woman in the world.

“I’m not grouchy,” I sighed. “I just know how overprotective you can be, and I don’t want to be embarrassed. This OBGYN office is prestigious and—"

“I’m an embarrassment to you now?” He asked but didn’t give me time to answer. Crown leaned over, bringing his face to my stomach, and lifted my hoodie so he could kiss my small baby bump. “I need y’all to hurry up and get out here. Y’all blind ass momma trying to war with daddy when all I’ve done is love on her moody ass from the moment I met her. I need my two blind mice, daddy not gonna make it out here alone.”

“Nigga!” I blurted, mushing his ass away from my stomach. “Did you just call my babies mice?”

“And I called you blind, what’s the issue?”

Unable to take him seriously, I opened the car door, ready to get the fuck on. Crown reached his long arms across me, pulling it closed.

“Crown, we’re going to be late,” I sighed, not wanting to fuss too crazy before going inside.

“If we’re late, then fuck it we’re late, but we’re not going in until you tell me what got you fussing with me,” he said unrelentingly.

Rolling my eyes, I sucked my teeth to give myself time to think of an excuse. This wasn’t a conversation I wanted to have right now because the moment Crown found out my doctor was a man, the appointment might as well have been cancelled, and I really wanted him to hear the babies’ heartbeats.

“River,” he spoke sternly, then grabbed the front of my neck.

His fingers flexed against my skin as he searched to find the right amount of pressure to make me give in.

“Crown,” I groaned.

“What’s the problem, Four?” Bringing our faces together, Crown swallowed my exhale, giving me his own to devour.

“Nothing,” I murmured, feeling my skin start to heat.

“Bullshit. I dipped for two months, but I didn’t forget a damn thing about you. I memorized you, Four. Every sound, every look, every fucking habit. The way a preacher knows his bible, the way a cop knows his Miranda rights…I know you.” His minty breath brushed my lips, a slow zephyr that made my pulse hiccup. The rush that followed spilled ecstasy into my panties.

“Something’s off with you, and I can’t fix it unless you tell me.”

“Nothing is off, it’s just my hormones,” I panted, lying. True to his words, Crown caught the lie. He squeezed my neck a little tighter, not to hurt me but to make sure I was fully listening.

“Wrong answer. Maybe I’m not expressing myself well enough. Your hormones don’t have shit to do with you feeling a way about how protective I am of you. Since when has me wanting to keep you safe been an issue?”

“It’s not I just—"

“Shh!” He hummed, cutting me off. “You had your chance to state your issues, now you gotta listen, and if you don’t want to, then try me, Four. As much as I want to hear our twins’ heartbeats, I’ll put that on hold to fuck the attitude outta you. So wassup? You gon’ listen or do I gotta drop this dick off in you!”

“Mhmm,” I moaned, feeling his lips pressed against mine. “That’s what I fucking thought.”

Pulling back, the nigga wore the sexiest smirk I’ve ever seen. I licked my lips just to savor the taste of him in some way.

“I’ve been Looney Toons about you since the night I met you. The way your pussy gripped my dick made it hard to forget you, but it was your heart I fell in love with. Understand, I’ll go insane behind you, Four, but you knew that already because you love that shit. Don’t you?” His teeth sank into my bottom lip, stopping me from answering. Without thinking, my legs spread, inviting Crown’s fingers to splish splash in the puddle soaking the middle of my leggings.

“You want me to make your pussy cry?” He fed me the question in a moan. My lips encased his tongue, answering him without having to speak.

“Lift up.”

I lifted my bottom half, giving him enough room to pull my leggings and panties to my ankles. Breathing heavily, our tongues twirled, spittle dripped from our mouths, and his fingers plunged deep. So deep my jaw slacked, and my back arched.

“Ride ‘em,” he growled, licking along my neck.

My hips bucked.

My hips wound.

My hips made figure eights riding the fuck out of his three fingers.

“Feed me them pretty titties, Four.”

“Okay,” I breathed, lifting my hoodie and bra. My breasts popped out, and Crown latched.

Sucking and nibbling.

Nibbling and sucking.

Smacking sounds swirled into my moans, thickening the air between us.

“You done with that attitude shit?”

“Yess!” I hissed, feeling his teeth graze my nipple.

“What we about to go do, Four?”

“Hear our twins’ heartbeats,” I panted.

Heat pooled in my stomach, curling and tightening with each twirl of his fingers.

“Open them eyes, I wanna see all four of ‘em.”

A laugh slipped from me, and Crown claimed it with a stolen kiss. His eyes burned into mine with a possessive heat I couldn’t deny.

“I fucking love you, Four. I love us and our growing family.”

I met his gaze through ragged breaths, every movement a confession. What I couldn’t voice, my body screamed. Pleasure coiled and twisted inside me, a storm only Crown could ignite and soothe. Our mouths met again, hungry and demanding, the taste of him dizzying enough to make my pulse skip. His thumb found its way to my clit, and I momentarily forgot how to breathe. He moved his thumb slow, spinning little rounds.

“I wanna see this pretty pussy cry, Four, show me some,” he groaned against my neck.

My world blurred.

Heat.

Movement.

The rasp of his voice echoing in my chest.

Tears slipped free, slicking his fingers, and every part of me surrendered, unspooling in his love…our love.

***

Waiting to be called into one of the exam rooms was killing me. Granted, we were late thanks to Crown’s mannish behavior, but we were also the only people in the waiting area. That made the wait feel even more pointless. I bounced my leg to keep my anxiousness at bay, but it wasn’t needed. Like always, Crown knew exactly what I needed and didn’t hesitate to settle what’s been knocking on my chest.

“Be easy, Four,” he whispered, as his hand found my thigh and squeezed, settling my nerves with a single touch.

My body obeyed before my mental had a chance to catch up. My worries about how Crown would act once he saw the male physician settled.

“I’m as relaxed as I can be. I just don’t see what’s taking so—"

“Mrs. Gravehart!” The nurse behind the desk called out.

“Uh…I guess that’s us,” I frowned, my brows drawing together.

“Fix your pretty face,” Crown smirked, clipping my chin between his fingers. “You know your last name when you hear it.”

He kissed me, then stood and extended his hand toward me to help me up.

“I know, but the other times I’ve been here she’s always called me Ms. Bocelli.”

“That’s when you were coming alone like you made our babies with a deadbeat ass nigga.” His face hardened into a stony expression as we reached the door leading to the exam rooms.

“Is that what you think I did?” I questioned, one brow lifting.

“We can talk about it later, come on.” Slipping his hand toward my waist, he nudged me through the door.

“Crown—” I started, quieting once I saw a nurse approaching us from the other end of the hall.

She was all smiles until her eyes landed on Crown. Subtly, she devoured my man with a glint of lust in her eyes.

“This way,” she chirped, turning to lead us down the hall.

“Of course,” I mouthed, rolling my eyes.

She made sure to walk dead center in Crown’s line of sight. Her donkey-like booty tried its best to bounce in those too tight scrubs, but it barely moved. The sexy saunter she thought she was giving was really a stank twitch. The kind a nigga does when his balls stick to his leg.

“Do you see this shit?” I muttered just loud enough for Crown to hear.

“See what?” He asked calmly.

“I turned to look at him because I knew he had to have noticed. But nope, his gaze was locked on me, so intently I doubted he saw anything that wasn’t me.

“The nurse thinks you’re handsome,” I scoffed, jealousy blooming in my chest.

“I’m a handsome ass married nigga,” he smirked.

“You’re not married, and you’re not even handsome. Cute at best,” I tossed out as I stepped into the exam room.

Crown caught me around the waist and pulled me back into the hallway.

“We need a minute,” he called out to the nurse, then looked down at me as he backed me against a wall.

“What is going on with you, and don’t play on my intelligence by saying nothing,” he mocked.

“I sound nothing like that.”

“I sound nothing like that,” he mimicked again.

“Stop!”

“Then tell me what got you acting like this?”

“Acting like what?” I gritted out instead of just telling him the truth.

“Anxious, jealous, or like you forgot who the fuck you’re dealing with. Take your pick, Four.”

His eyes burned with an intensity that I hadn’t met coming from him, yet it was a feeling I knew because I felt the same.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Crown,” I huffed, dropping my gaze from his.

“Nah, don’t do that, River.” His fingers found my chin and brought my eyes back to his. “You look me in the eye when we talk. Stand on how you feel, always, even if it hurts a muthafucka’s feelings. Mine included. Now tell me what’s up with you.”

“I missed you,” I breathed out, as the weight of everything I felt clamped around my heart.

“I missed you, too.” His voice softened, but that wasn’t what I wanted from Crown. I didn’t want him coddling me; I needed him to listen.

“Don’t do that, Crown.”

“Do what?”

“Coddle me. We’re in an argument, don’t soften your voice like I’m yours to soothe.”

“But you are mine,” he barked. “Or did some shit change that? Let me know ‘cause I swear—"

“Nothing nor no one changed anything. I am yours, but you left me Crown. I put my heart on the line, and you fucking left me. Left me where we first met. Left my fucking heart on the pavement for two fucking months, Crown.”

“Four—"

“No!” I snipped. “You don’t get to sweet-talk me, not right now. You’re going to listen because holding it in will break us. Maybe not now, but in the long run.”

“Ight, let’s go in the room and handle this.”

I nodded, unable to say anything other than how I was feeling right now. Crown grabbed my hand and pushed the door open, leading us inside like we were the picture-perfect couple.

“Glad to see the two of you are still with us. Don’t worry about the little tiff y’all were having. We get a lot of—"

“Get the fuck out,” I blacked, snatching my hand away from Crown. I rushed in her direction, feeling all the anger rush to my head. My hands shot out, fingers clamping around her wrists like a vice.

“Get the hell off me,” the nurse bellowed, as I dragged her ass out the door.

“Hit her or do anything I don’t like, and I’m on your ass. Just go with it and tell the doctor we’ll let y’all know when we’re ready,” Crown said, closing the door once I was back in the room.

“Ight, talk to me, Four.”

“I understand you left because you felt it was the right thing for you, but it hurts that you didn’t check on me. You had me questioning if I ever meant anything to you.”

“You mean the most to me,” he said quickly.

“How? Because if it was me who went away, I couldn’t have gone two months without seeing or hearing from you. I needed you, Cortez.” Tears puddled my lash line, but I refused to let them fall. Crown didn’t deserve my tears.

“Then to hear you say, I was going to my appointments alone, like you were a deadbeat, but what else was I supposed to do? You fucking left!” My chest heaved and burned with the feeling that glossed his eyes…disappointment.

“Stop, you could’ve gotten in contact with me. Navy knew where I—"

“Navy knew! Not the woman you claimed to love. Not the woman who had you so fucking jealous that you dug up my ex and brought his remains to dinner, but fucking Navy. Do you know how that made me feel? So yeah, I went to my appointments alone. I gave them my last name because you weren’t fucking here, and my doctor is a man! So, however you might feel about that, get the fuck over it!” I spat, the words every one of them drenched in frustration and disdain.

Crown let out a mirthless chuckle. “You think I was gonna walk in here and let a nigga with false qualifications play between your legs?”

“False qualifications? He has a degree, Crown.”

“He has a piece of paper that gives him the okay to play in women’s pussies but not mine.”

“Crown,” I sighed, coming down from my anger high.

“Nah, you talked now you fucking listen. Yea, I dipped for two months. The way I went about it might’ve been wrong, but I’m not apologizing for putting my mental health first. Regardless of you knowing where I was or not, you should’ve had Navy get in touch with me. These babies don’t just belong to you, Four. I should have fucking known!”

“So what, you’re mad at me now?”

“I’m not mad, Four. If anything, I love you more. You could’ve killed my seeds and gave away what’s mine.”

“My pussy does not belong to you.”

“It does, but I was talking about your heart. You held shit down while I got the help I needed. I appreciate that more than you. Come here, Four.”

“No Crown we’re—"

“Come the fuck here, River,” he gritted, and like a fool in love, I fell into him, my head on his chest letting his heartbeat simmer out my frustrations.

“I love you, Four. Our relationship isn’t perfect but know I’m gon’ do whatever to get us as close to perfection as possible.”

“I don’t need perfection. All I need is you and our babies.”

“Same, Four…same.”

We stayed in each other’s arms until a faint knock interrupted us.

“Come in,” Crown called out.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Holloway, and I’ll be your OBGYN moving forward,” an older woman announced, stepping into the room.

I glanced up at Crown, who just shrugged.

“Nice to meet you,” I smiled, hoping I didn’t look too crazy.

“Let’s get mommy undressed so daddy can hear the heartbeats of his two angels.”

I nodded, then grabbed the gown and headed towards the bathroom that was connected to the room. Before walking in, I turned towards Crown and mouthed, “I love you.”

“I love you more,” Crown said loudly, causing me to blush.

I walked into the bathroom feeling stupid for feeling like Crown didn’t love me. The two of us had a lot to figure out. In time, everything would fall into place. For now, I planned on focusing on the joys in my life and less on the traumas of our past.