Page 16 of Tangled Hearts

Hov made eye contact with Christian. He didn’t care who the nigga was. When it came to those two, he was waging war on any and everybody. “Let’s go,” he said to Knycole, who didn’t hesitate to grab his hand and follow him out the house.

As they walked out, her stride halted causing Hov to bump into her from the back.

The feeling of his thick manhood on her back was more than she’d bargained for.

A drunk girl stumbled past them and his thick hands gripped her midsection.

She prayed he didn’t feel the million butterflies fluttering in her belly.

Once he was sure the path was clear, he continued their stride, never removing his hands.

On edge, Knycole slid into the car with Hov following closely behind her. The night air had cooled, leaving a small patch of goosebumps on her skin. That along with being so close to him.

“Can you turn the heat on? I’m cold as hell,” she requested with her arms wrapped around her body.

“Hell nah. Your hot ass should’ve put some damn clothes on,” he fired back, starting the car up.

Kissing her teeth, she looked in the back seat for a jacket. “You’re a real life hater, and red doesn’t look good on you.”

His eyes followed her movements as he came to a red light. “You that damn cold for real?” Hov didn’t wait for her to respond as he pulled his Shirt from his body and passed it to her.

It had been a while since she’d really seen him shirtless, and the sight of him was better than she remembered. Even at a young age, tattoos covered his chest and right arm. But that thick one across his neck made him too fine, even for her.

“Wouldn’t it have been better to just turn the heat on?” Knycole sassed, pretending not to like looking at his bare chest.

His broad shoulders shrugged. “I’m rolling, so I’m hot, and that heat ain’t gon’ do shit for me. Either you want the shirt, or you want to be cold. Either way, I ain’t turning the heat on.”

Kicking her feet childlike, she settled on his shirt.

The ride over to her house was quiet and calm like the night air.

With her mind on her father and Rock, she wondered how long five thousand would last her, realistically .

Currently, Nick was paying the bills, but she wasn’t sure how long that would last. She needed a plan B, and quick, because regardless of what was going on in her life, she wasn’t going to fold.

Too many people were already betting on her crumbling.

“What was you celebrating?” She looked over at Hov with wide eyes. Naturally, she was nosey, plus, she hated the silence.

“Still trying to be nosey, huh?” His deep voice heightened with amusement. “I didn’t want to say because too many ears was around. But, um, I’m about to move some real weight and get to this real money.”

Knycole’s eyes grew while the wheels turned in her head. “That’s why you were over there with Christian,” she mumbled.

“Huh?”

“I was talking to myself.”

Hov pulled in front of her building. Her demeanor was different. “Aye, you good, Knyc?”

Still in deep thought, she mumbled incoherently to herself. Knycole shifted her body to face him. For what she needed to say, she needed to look him in the eyes. “I’m happy for you. I really am, but I need to get down with whatever you’re doing.”

“Hell nah, man.” Hov ran his tatted hand down his face. Rapidly, she was blowing his high. “You know I’m gonna make sure you’re good.”

“That’s the problem! I don’t want anyone to take care of me. I need to learn to do this shit on my own!” she yelled while clapping angrily.

“This ain’t like getting a job. This shit is dangerous, and I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you, Knycole. You’re one of the only people on this earth that I love. So, like I said, I got you.”

“And like I said, I don’t want to be had. I want to get this shit out the mud just like you. Look,” she sighed, praying that he understood her. “I got the money Rock left me. Consider me your business partner.” She pulled a wad of money out her crossbody purse.

Hov sat still, unsure of his next move. He knew how the game could get, especially when a female was one of the players. On the other hand, he knew how it felt to only eat scraps. For that reason alone, he was giving in.

Pushing her hand back, he sighed before finally giving in. “Alright! But you do everything I tell you to do.”

With a wide smile plastered on her face, she shoved the money into his chest. “Cool, but don’t give me a handout. I’m your partner, and as your partner, I need to buy my way into the business.”

All he could do was smile. He was proud and knew right then he’d made a good decision. “I respect it.”

“You better, nigga.” Knycole opened the door before looking back at him. “You want to come in?”

“I know your hard body ass ain’t scared of the dark,” he teased with his gold teeth dancing under the street light.

Her face became serious. “I don’t like being alone.”

“The fuck Nick ass at?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I think in rehab.”

“Bullshit!” Hov was amused.

“Boy.” She playfully hit him. Then it got serious again. “Are you coming?”

His stone face turned to look out the windshield.

The desperation in her voice always did something to him.

Hell, if he was being honest, her voice in general did something to him, and telling her no was always a hard feat.

“A’ight... I’ll come up until you fall asleep, then I’m leaving cause that shit don’t look right. ”

Knycole only nodded because she was never one to give a fuck about what other people thought. Living the life she’d lived, you’d learn to not give a fuck too. Besides, giving a fuck didn’t pay her bills.

They walked up the steps in silence.

Hov kept one hand in his pocket and the other around her shoulder. Not because he was trying to be fresh, but because she was shivering and he knew damn well she wasn’t gon’ ask for more warmth twice.

Inside her building, the hallway was dim and walls cracked near the molding.

It didn’t smell bad, but it didn’t smell like home either.

She fumbled with her keys, her hands still shaking slightly from the cool air and the weight of everything on her mind.

He stood behind her, close enough that she felt the heat coming off him.

As soon as the door opened, she kicked her shoes off. He followed suit, locking it behind them without having to be asked.

Her place wasn’t messy, just lived in. A few dishes in the sink. Clean laundry folded on the couch. Mail tossed on the table. And it was quiet. Too quiet for a girl her age.

“You want some water or something?” she asked, heading toward the kitchen.

“Nah, I’m good. Sit down.” Hov tapped the spot beside him once he was settled on the worn couch.

Slowly, Knycole turned around, her wine cooler buzz wearing off but not gone. She sat on the couch.

“You been sleeping okay?” he asked.

She blinked. “Why you always ask me that?”

“‘Cause you lie every time.”

He wasn’t wrong.

“I sleep,” she mumbled.

“You dream?”

“Yea, nigga.”

“Good ones or bad?”

“Oh, my God, Quameek,” she laughed at him and his words. She swallowed hard but answered, “both.”

He nodded slowly, his eyes still on her, looking for a crack in her armor. “Rock in ‘em?”

“Sometimes.” She licked her lips, staring off at the dingy walls. “You?”

Hov looked at her, then away. “I don’t really dream.”

She didn’t believe that, but she let it go. “Why you came up?”

He tilted his head and stretched his legs out. “You know why.”

“No, I really don’t.”

“Knyc…” he leaned in a little, voice lower—sexier. “You ever look at somebody and just know they tryna hold it together, even when they smiling?”

She looked at him, blinking fast.

“I see that shit on you. You be doing all this strong girl shit, but I see it.”

Her eyes glossed, but she didn’t let the tears fall. “So you gon’ save me, Hov?”

He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he reached over and tugged at a curly baby hair that frizzed out of place. “Nah. I ain’t your savior. But I’m gon’ sit with you ‘til the weight don’t feel so heavy.”

Her chest rose, like she was finally breathing for the first time that night. “Why you always like this with me?”

“Like what?”

“Real. Wordy. Wise.”

His smile was slow to rise but beautiful like the perfect morning. “‘Cause you the only girl I never had to lie to.”

She looked at him then. His face was lit by the shadow from the idle glow of the TV that she kept on all day every day. His lips were parted slightly. His eyes, bloodshot from the smoke, looked heavy but clear. Intentional.

He reached out like he was giving her time to stop him.

She didn’t.

His fingers grazed her knee, then slid up to rest on her thigh. Warm, wide palm. Firm, not rough. He leaned in until their foreheads touched, his breath hitting her lips.

“You good now?” he asked, ignoring everything else that she wanted him to explain swarming around in her mind.

Like why they were always so synched, in tune, flames that burned so strong that they always seemed to get hot whenever they were around each other—even when they tried to pretend it wasn’t burning at all.

She didn’t nod. Didn’t speak.

Just leaned in and kissed him.

It was slow. Careful. Gentle. Asking for permission. His hand stayed on her thigh while his other cupped the side of her face before making its way down to her neck. She tasted like wine cooler and vulnerability, and for once, he let himself feel it all knowing he shouldn’t.

She pulled back first, eyes wide, breath unsteady. “I’m sorry?—”

“Don’t be,” he cut her off hand still on her neck making her middle thump wildly.

She searched his face. “You staying?”

He didn’t move. “You want me to?”

Her silence was louder than any answer.

Hov stood up just long enough to take off his chain. Then he pulled her hand, guiding her to the bedroom without another word.

He didn’t touch her like she was up for grabs. He didn’t ask for anything. He just laid back, let her crawl in beside him, and pulled the blanket over them both. Her head rested on his chest. His arm locked tight around her waist.

They didn’t speak again.

But the silence between them wasn’t empty.

It was safe.

It was theirs .

Always theirs.

It didn’t take long for her light snores to play a melody against his ears.

Head on his chest. Her hand curled near his ribs like she knew exactly where she fit. Like her body remembered something her mind tried to forget.

Hov couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to. He just stared at the ceiling, eyes heavy and mind racing.

He’d been in love with Knycole since they were ten.

Long before he knew what love really was.

Back when it was just laughs and secrets, fights at the bus stop, and splitting Honey Buns at lunch.

They’d both lost parents in different ways—hers emotionally, his physically. That kind of bond don’t dissolve.

They were each other’s first everything. First kiss. First time. First heartbreak.

First person he ever prayed for.

But he was hungry back then. Hungry in a way people with mamas and heat in their homes didn’t understand.

While she was going through shit, he was out stealing food and trying not to get caught up in the system.

Trying to dodge CPS while figuring out which house had enough soap for him to wash up before school.

He ain’t have time to dream. He had to survive.

So he let her slip away.

Rock stepped in.

And even though Rock was his boy—his brother, he watched from the background. Silent. Chest tight. Telling himself she was safer with someone who could give her something solid.

But damn if it didn’t still sting.

Now here she was back under his arm, sharing her bed, breathing evenly, trusting him with her sleep.

Hov didn’t know what this meant. If it meant anything. But he knew how it felt.

And it felt like coming home.

Some strings don’t break, even when you try to cut them. They tangle. Tighten. Wrap around your ribs until you can’t tell the difference between pain and love.

That was Knyc.

She was his string.

The one he kept trying to ignore but kept tripping over anyway.

He kissed her hair.

Then he closed his eyes and thanked God for one more night of being next to her.

Even if it wasn’t forever, tonight it was enough.