Page 26 of Tangled Hearts

“Girl, hurry your ass up,” Noir fussed while texting a mile a minute on her phone.

Knycole kissed her teeth. “Don’t be rushing me, heffa.”

“Titi No, don’t try my ma,” Hov’s look-alike fussed, drawing attention from both the women. “What?” He cocked his head to the side, looking at them like they were crazy. He was wise beyond his years, and at the age of four, he was advanced verbally and educationally.

Noir popped him upside his head. “Boy, forget you and your ma.”

“Don’t do my baby like that. Qua, you act just like your daddy.” Knycole shook her head.

It was true. Qua had all his father’s mannerisms. He was overprotective of his mother and a gentle giant with the people in his life. Hov had raised him well.

“That’s my daddy,” Qua reminded them, causing them to laugh.

“Boy,” Knycole said, rolling her eyes. “You ready to go over Nick’s house?”

“Why I can’t come with you?” He pouted with his medium brown eyes.

Noir felt weak. “See, he’d get me every time with those eyes.”

“Just like his fuckin’ daddy,” Knycole whispered. “Because I have to go to work,” she directed to her son.

Although she’d never disclose the nature of what she did for a living, she still always made it clear to him that she had to work.

The life she’d been able to create for her family went beyond anything she could’ve ever imagined.

After much convincing, Hov taught her everything he knew and allowed her to help him run the business.

In the streets, they were the Prince and Princess of the city with Christian still holding the title of King.

“Can I come with you, Titi No?” he asked, trying his luck on not going to his grandfather’s house. Being with his Old Nick, as he liked to call him, was fun, but for one reason or another, he was starting to wanna be in the streets with his mama. And when that didn’t work, he’d take his auntie.

Knycole’s face scrunched you. “What’s wrong with going to my daddy’s house?”

“Ma, he’s old.”

“Bring your ass on here. Your Titi has stuff to do too.”

“I didn’t say that, though,” Noir corrected her.

“You didn’t have to. I know you’re about to act a fool on Christian since that girl has been on social media popping her shit.

Let’s go, Qua, or do you want me to call Hov?

” Knycole wasn’t playing fair and knew Qua didn’t want to hear his daddy’s mouth.

Hov was fun but also didn’t play the radio with his son.

Qua drug his feet to the door. “Bye, Titi No.”

Giggling, Noir waved at him as she walked towards her car. As a baby, Qua couldn’t pronounce her name so he called her, No, and it’d stuck ever since. If he stopped calling her by the made-up name, she’d be devastated.

Knycole responded to a few text messages before she pulled off.

She had so much to do, including studying for a test. Running a drug empire while going to nursing school was hectic but well worth it.

When the money started to pile in, she had given up on following her dreams of becoming a nurse, but, of course, Hov wasn’t having that.

He was the driving force behind her finishing out high school as a teen mother, and for that, she was grateful.

Nick didn’t stay too far from her, so the ride over to his house was only fifteen minutes.

Every time she pulled up to his modest home, her heart swelled.

Nick stayed in rehab for a year and had thoughts of relapsing until he laid eyes on his grandson.

Qua was the highlight of his life, and for him, a redeeming chance to get it right the second time around.

Plus, Hov had threatened his life if he was ever caught around drugs.

Nick knew all too well that he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Hov’s anger.

“What I tell you about unbuckling that seatbelt?” Knycole fussed when she noticed Qua was making his way to the passenger seat of her matte black G Wagon.

Qua apologized. “I’m sorry.” His long lashes fluttered.

“Mhm. Don’t be sorry, just stop doing that. I don’t like you taking that seatbelt off because I don’t want you to do it at the wrong time,” she explained.

Having him so young was the scariest thing she’d done, and childbirth didn’t put it in the number one spot.

Knycole feared her lack of love would put her son at a disadvantage, but it’d done the complete opposite.

Qua taught her everything she needed to know about love, and he was her biggest accomplishment.

“Is that my big boy?” Nick walked out the door, still not looking a day over twenty-five. Getting off the drugs had brought life back into his appearance. At the young age of thirty-seven, he was just as handsome and turned heads wherever he went.

“Old Nick!” Qua hollered like a boy three times his age.

“I wish you would stop calling him that.” Knycole laughed.

Her son shrugged. “That’s his name.”

Nick pulled the door open before scooping him into his arms. “I was wondering when my main man was going to show up.”

“Mama was talking to Titi No,” Qua revealed as if that was the reason he was late.

Playfully, she popped him on the arm. “Boy, you so fake. You didn’t even want to come,” she snitched.

Qua’s young eyes bucked. “Ma!”

“Don’t, Ma, me while you over here flexing to my daddy.”

Nick was amused. “It’s ok. I know you like to be in them streets.”

Qua stuck his tongue out at his mama.

“I’m not about to play with y’all. Hov will be by to get him a little later.” She rolled her eyes at Qua before kissing him and Nick and leaving.

“You didn’t want to come be with your old man?” Nick asked, feeling hurt.

“Old Nick, you know you’re my favorite grandpa.”

Knycole could only smile. Seeing her daddy show up for her son in ways she wanted for herself was a bittersweet moment to witness. She was thankful but there still lied a pang of jealousy. Pushing it to the back of mind, she kissed her son one last time and left.

Posted up on the hood of his brand-new Tesla, Hov half-listened to Briana. Ever since she heard he was single again, she’d been coming back to the hood more and more, hoping to finally gain his attention.

“Are you listening to me?” she asked. Her smile was still big, bright, and complimented her round ass.

He ran his hand down his handsome face. “I told your crazy ass I was listening.”

“Why I gotta be all that?” she flirted, placing her hand on his chest.

His attention went to her hand. Normally, he would remove it, but today, it didn’t bother him too much. So he let her make it. “Your ass is crazy because after all these years, you haven’t given up.”

“I think you’re worth trying for.”

“What makes you think that? Besides me being a decent nigga, what else have I shown you that makes me worth the effort?” Hov had always been a thinker, and it only intensified as he’d gotten older.

At twenty-four he was still a young man wise beyond his years.

The things he’d seen and done hardened him, making his walls more impenetrable.

Her lashes fluttered because she wasn’t expecting to be interviewed.

It threw her for a loop because, usually, she was the smartest one in the room, and men often fell to their knees because of her good girl persona and good looks.

Shrugging her shoulders, she removed her hand from his chest, taken aback. “It’s just something about you.”

“Sounds like some generic bullshit to me. Is it the money? Does that make me worthy of your heart, or is it my big dick?” He whispered the last part, subtly grinding his soft dick into her.

A lump formed in her throat as she asked the Lord to help her keep her composure to not suck his dick right there. “N—no,” Briana stuttered.

“Then what is it?”

“It’s just hard for me to explain.” She felt good about her response because it was the truth. She didn’t know why she was so enthralled with him. She just was.

“What’s up, Hov? You know your boy about to get out.” Shakeisha walked up, twisting her wide hips, not caring about them seeming to be having an intimate moment.

Briana rolled her eyes, but at the mention of Rock, she was all ears. She was well aware of the dangerous love triangle Hov was in with his best friend.

Hov’s nostrils flared. “What’s good, Kesh?”

“Ain’t nothing,” she smiled knowing her and Hov had a deep rooted connection.

He’d shown up for her and her daughter like Rock promised.

“I was just seeing if you knew the exact date since his ass don’t want to tell me like it’s a surprise or some shit.

” She stood diagonally from him, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.

The botched homemade body was weighing her down.

“You know how his ass is.”

Shakeisha kissed her teeth. “Nigga makes my ass itch.” She laughed before walking back down the street looking like it hurt to walk.

“They messed her body up,” Briana commented, unable to take her eyes off her.

“Nah, she messed her own shit up by letting Big Ma do that shit to her. Like, how the hell you gon’ let someone with a seventh-grade education do surgery on your body? That don’t even make sense,” Hov rationalized.

Briana nodded, trying to stifle her laugh. The look on his face was so serious to the point it was comical. “You are such an old man. But on the real, she was in school with me. She got a daughter and everything.”

His head turned, brows dipped. “I don’t gossip, Briana.” He didn’t speak on the kid situation because it wasn’t any of his business or new information.

Briana nodded with pursed lips. “She graduated too. I heard she’s doing pretty good for herself. Just can’t seem to leave the hood alone... or Rock.”

“Just like somebody else I know,” Hov looked down at her, clearly talking about her. It was no secret that Briana was a teacher but loved to post up in the hood like this was all she had to look forward to.

“Probably because there’s someone here that keeps me coming back,” she purred running her hand down his tatted forearm.