Page 23 of Tangled Hearts

Her mind pondered over what she should say next—or if she should say anything at all.

“Your eyes light up when he mentions her name… hell, when anyone mentions her, and Lord forbid she walks up on you.” She rolled her eyes at the reminder of how his body language changed whenever Knycole came around.

“Who?” Hov asked, knowing damn well who she was talking about.

“Play stupid if you want to,” she said after kissing her teeth. No matter how much he curved her, she was unwilling to give up on him. “So, what have you been up to lately?”

With skeptical eyes, he tried hard to understand what she saw in him.

If he was being honest, he wasn’t the nicest person to her, nor did he pay her much attention.

So, the mere thought of her constantly being readily available to him was foreign and didn’t make sense.

She was one of the baddest girls in the hood, and all the boys wanted to get down with her just off the fact that she hadn’t been passed around.

Her head was on straight, and from what he could tell, she wasn’t a sack chaser.

“What you want from me?” he asked, his voice void of humor. Hov presented himself as a confident ass nigga but when it came to others’ feelings towards him, uncertainty clouded his judgement. He had mommy issues and fear of abandonment.

Briana looked at him with squinted eyes. “Huh? I’m not understanding what you mean,” she said.

“I’m saying, what you want from a nigga? Like, why you keep coming back?” His hand gripped the steering wheel, nerves on edge. Hov was aware of how a vulnerable moment could derail his whole day but he needed to understand her reasoning.

“I really don’t know. I was just over here asking myself the same shit,” she replied honestly, in hopes that he would understand the message deeply buried in her words.

A message she wasn’t sure of. Briana had plagued her brain with the same question and never came up with a good enough reason.

There was just something about the broken boy from the hood that held her by her throat.

Hov only nodded, appreciative of her honesty.

The chemistry changed, so they rode the rest of the way quietly.

Briana pondered over what he asked and why, while Hov beat himself up for feeling vulnerable.

That side of him was usually reserved for one person.

He felt like he was betraying what they had by being open with another woman.

“Let’s go.” He jumped out the car in a hurry.

The mall was packed since it was the weekend. She didn’t care too much for crowded places but didn’t mind people seeing her with Hov. “What store you want to go in first?” she asked, bouncing on her heels.

His cheeks dimpled. “It doesn’t matter to me. I know you said you had some bread, so what you come in here to get?”

“An outfit for tonight. Let’s go in Forever 21,” she suggested with a smile.

“Hell nah. You can go in there by yourself,” he denied.

She wrapped her arms around him and looked up into his eyes. “Come on, Hov,” she whined.

She was such a cutie, but he didn’t care because he wasn’t going into the store with her. “I’ll be out here waiting for you.” He refused.

Holding onto him a little longer, she savored his scent. “Okay,” she mumbled before going into the store.

Hov took a seat on one of the benches and pulled his phone out to text Knycole.

Hov: What you doing, birthday girl?

Knycole: Oh, so you did remember?

Hov: Yea, so what you want to do today, kid?

Knycole: Feel special.

The last text did something to his soul.

He could feel the emotions behind the simple request. Sure, they’d celebrated her birthday before, but back then, money was limited.

Nevertheless, he, Rock, and Noir always tried to make the best of the situation.

Ms. Nakorea would always buy her a cake with her food stamps, and they’d do their thing.

But this year was different. She was turning seventeen, and he had a little money now, so he was going to go all out.

Knowing he wanted to do something unexpected for her, he went over to the Gucci store, forgetting about Briana. Hov had tunnel vision, and in that moment, nothing or no one else mattered besides Knycole. Even though he felt a way about admitting it.

“Can we help you, sir?” a young, black sales associate asked as soon as he walked in the door.

Scratching his head, his eyes scanned the women’s section. “Aye, what y’all girls be liking?”

The girl giggled. “All of it,” she responded. “The main question is, what does she like?”

“She’s really simple, you know what I’m saying? And she looks good in everything,” he told her while thinking long and hard about what Knycole would like. “Her favorite color is yellow, so let me get some shit in that color.”

“Well, we have quite a few yellow things, so step this way and I’ll show you everything. Do you know her sizes?” she asked as she led him to a chair.

“Shit, I know her shoe size and the rest, I’ll pray about,” he joked, ready to blow a bag on his favorite girl.

The sales lady went to town showing him all kinds of stuff she thought his special lady would like. They made small talk and laughed, not keeping up with the time.

“Damn, I was looking for you,” Briana walked up with an attitude.

The sales lady tried to hide some of the pieces he said he was getting, thinking Briana was the recipient. “Hello,” she said pleasantly.

Briana only threw her hand up while she stood over Hov. If looks could kill, he would’ve been dead right there. “Why didn’t you answer your fuckin’ phone?”

Hov was so unbothered. “My bad, I was in here and didn’t hear that shit ringing. I’m ’bout to leave in a minute, you found everything you needed?” His eyes went back over to the woman. “Aye, let me just get all that shit, and the stuff for me too.”

The woman nodded brightly before heading over to ring him up and bag it all up.

Smoke came from her ears. “What is your fuckin’ problem? Like, we came here together, and you left me in the store when you said you was going to wait for me?”

“I said, my bad. The fuck else you want me to do? Get on my knees and beg for your forgiveness?” He looked her upside the head. His patience was running thin.

“No, I want you to act like you’re a decent human being,” she snapped back.

“Who said I was one, though? Look, Briana, I don’t know what you want from me.

I ain't looking for what you’re looking for.

You cool and shit, and that’s all it is right now.

I ain't saying in the future it can't be more, but right now, it can't be much of anything. I was coming to the mall, you asked to ride. That’s it.” Even as nonchalant as he was, he was still the sexiest man to her.

Finally looking around the store, she asked, “what you buy?”

“Too fuckin’ much.” He chuckled at how calm she’d become so quickly. She was submitting to him when he wasn’t worthy of her submission. Women often did that, even when they knew the man wasn’t shit.

“Quameek,” the sales associate called Hov by his government name, which gained her a nasty look from Briana.

Standing up, he pulled his jeans up and swaggered his way over to the counter to pay for everything. The woman had boxed it up so nicely, and he was extremely appreciative. For the first time in his life, he’d spent a bag and wasn’t fazed by it.

“Do you know her?” Briana asked, her face scrunched up, looking at the young woman like she smelled bad.

She extended her hand out. “Yes, I am his luxury personal shopper, Jae, and you are?” She’d already put two and two together and realized Briana was not the special lady.

Briana whipped her neck towards Hov. “You ready?”

Putting extra sauce on her voice, Jae smiled wide. “Let me know if you need anything else. She is going to love this.”

Hov was no fool and knew exactly what Jae was doing. He rocked with it, though. “I really appreciate it. Write your number on the receipt so I can hit you up when I need to get some new shit.”

Jae gladly obliged his request, knowing she was getting up under Briana’s skin. One thing she didn’t play about was being disrespected. She couldn’t go off like she wanted too because she was at work. Plus, her job paid too well for her to potentially lose it. “You two have a nice day.”

Briana scoffed and stomped out the store behind Hov. She was livid and couldn’t wait to get to the car. “Who did you buy that stuff for?”

“Why?” he asked, not paying her much attention.

“Because I asked.”

“Just because you asked doesn’t mean I have to answer you.”

She stopped walking and grabbed his arm. “What is your problem?” Her tenor was starting to gain unwanted attention from onlookers.

Rage poisoned his veins. “What the fuck is your problem? Don’t put your damn hands on me.

If I was a fucked up ass nigga, I’d make you find another way home because I don’t play these kinds of games.

You are someone I know and deal with on a level below friendship, so I’m not understanding what you want from me, Briana. ”

Hot tears clouded her eyes. “Below friends? You’re trying to play in my face, because we’re at least on a friendship level, or I wouldn’t be here with you. We’ve kicked it and even talk on the phone from time to time, so I know we’re at least friendly.”

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just come on because I don’t have time to try to explain this to your simple thinking ass.”

He was so unbothered, and it did nothing to calm the hurt and anger running through her body.

She hated how he never opened up to her, but she wasn’t ready to stop trying.

Briana felt she could get him to love her.

She was the total package, and if she stayed consistent, he’d come around. Or so she hoped.