Page 30 of Tangled Hearts
PART II: KNOTS FORMED
“What color?” The nail tech asked before Knycole, Noir, and Rocky could take their seats.
“Let me get white,” Knycole answered while the other girls did the same.
Once they were settled, the gossip began.
“So, bitch, tell me everything about what happened with you and Christian?” Knycole turned to Noir, ready to get an ear full.
She sighed. “Girl, so much. Like, I can’t believe he did what he did. Now, you know I never put anything past any man, but I didn’t get those vibes from him at all.”
Nodding, Knycole agreed. “Yea, me either. If anything, I thought you would be the one to cheat.”
“Hoe, please.” She rolled her eyes. “You over there judging me when you’re about to pull the greatest nigga swap of all time. Teach me your ways.” Noir rested her head on her hands blinking bashfully.
Knycole looked over to Rocky, Rock’s baby sister. Over the years Rock’s baby had grown into a young lady. She was easy on the eyes and had a good head on her shoulders. Knycole couldn’t get enough of her pretty brown skin.
“Don’t look at me. You’re the master.” Rocky pursed her lips together, hands in mock surrender.
Knycole was grateful for the genuine relationship she and Rocky had developed outside of Rock.
When money got good for her, she also made sure Mae Lou and Rocky were more than good.
“I just need to see if it’s still there between me and Rock.
Don’t forget that nigga was my everything before Nick did that to him.
I can’t lie and say Hov doesn’t do something different for me though.
Still, I gotta see what Rock is on,” she tried her best to explain.
“Is it that, or the fact that Hov ain’t willing to lie for you when it comes to Qua? It seems that Hov didn’t give you much of an option on trading him in for your old thang,” Rocky chimed in.
“Facts, sis!” Noir agreed.
It was true in a way. Throughout the past four years, she and Hov butted heads on them telling Rock she was Qua’s mama.
Rock and Hov kept in touch throughout his whole bid, and Rock was very familiar with his nephew but not privy to the reality of his girl being with his best friend.
The situation was sticky. Hov looked out for her in certain aspects of the hidden truth, but he would never lie about it, and truthfully, Rock never asked.
“Regardless, I still wanted to know what me and Rock could’ve been.” Knycole adjusted in her seat. The questioning made her slightly uncomfortable.
Rocky flipped her Brazilian hair over her shoulder. “I love my brother, and I’m so happy he’s about to come home, but Knyc, it ain’t rocket science that Hov is the better man.”
“Y’all just looking at it from a wealth standpoint. I have my own money, so that’s not an issue.” She reminded them that her money was just as good as Hov’s.
“Trust, we know that, but on paper, it just doesn’t make sense. Bestie, you were... are in love with Quameek. Y’all have a son together and everything, but who am I to judge? I support whatever hoe ass decision you decide to make,” Noir said, shaking her head.
Knycole couldn’t lie and say they hadn’t put things to consider on her mind.
Still, she was determined to see where things could lead for her and Rock.
Plus, a little guilt rested in her heart knowing his bid was the result of her daddy.
Nick was in a better place, but that reality still hung over his head.
And to make things right, she was going to love on Rock.
Had he allowed her to talk to him and go see him, she was certain they’d be together.
He wasn’t perfect, but perfection scared the shit out of her, anyway.
Hov was the single most scariest thing she’d encountered.
He was perfection. Maybe that was another reason she was so drawn to Rock—loving him was easier.
“Hey, Hov,” Briana announced loud enough for Knycole to hear. She’d just taken the seat across from the trio. “At the nail shop.”
Noir looked from Rocky to Knycole. She knew shit could go left quick because contrary to what came out of Knycole’s mouth, she still didn’t play about Hov.
“Oh, tell him I said hey.” Knycole smirked, playing right into what Briana had for her.
“Let me call you back.” Briana’s eyes locked in on Knycole. She had to admit, the girl was beautiful. Confidence allowed her to rock a fire red blunt cut bob that drew you into her bedroom eyes. All the reasons why she hated her guts. “Do you have to be so rude?” Her nose went up in disgust.
“No. But I do like to play games from time to time and that’s exactly what your basic ass wants to do, so let’s play boo.” Knycole sat back in her seat ready for whatever Briana was ready for.
“I’m just saying, y’all not together anymore so I don’t understand what your issue is with me.” Briana had thrown a rock and was now trying to hide her hands.
Knycole stood up not caring about the woman trying to place a hot rag on her feet.
“Bitch don’t play with me because I will mop this floor with your nappy ass wig.
You know what it is this way and wanted to get a reaction out of me, so here the fuck you go.
If anything, you should be thanking me for allowing you to even smell his air since that’s all you’ll get from him and I can make that a bet if you want to keep thinking shit’s sweet with me. ”
Rolling her eyes, Briana couldn’t concede and needed to get under Knycole’s skin just as bad as Knycole had gotten under hers for the last five years. “Well thank you for getting off his dick to jump back on his best friend’s.”
Her words stabbed Knycole. She lunged at her but was grabbed back by Noir. “I will fucking kill you! Stay the fuck away from Hov, bitch!”
“When you do, I will,” Briana taunted sticking out her tongue.
“Bitch say one more thing and I’m letting her go.” Noir’s nostrils flared. “And I dare you to tell Hov about this shit... I fucking triple dog dare you and see how that goes for you.”
Blinking her eyes, Briana couldn’t wait for them to be gone.
She was annoyed because what Noir said was true.
She wouldn’t dare tell Hov about how she antagonized Knycole.
In order to get on his good side, she had to play nice with the bitch or she’d be out like last week’s trash.
Briana was no fool. Hov would kill her if he knew that she was even trying to start shit with Knycole.
She just couldn’t help it though. The hood had placed Knycole on a pedestal and Briana was ready to knock her off to claim the spot as her own.
Rock stepped onto the hot concrete that he hadn’t physically seen since he was nineteen years old.
It was a surreal feeling and as he stood in front of the place he’d been housed in for the past five years, he etched the image of freedom in his mind.
His time inside taught him a lot but being a young man, he wasn’t sure he was bringing it with him.
He didn’t want to bring much of anything from the legal plantation.
He couldn’t wait to lay eyes on Destiny, his daughter who he had to raise behind glass.
Five years away was far too long to miss out on his most prized possession growing up and she did it without him.
Rock didn’t know what his family had in store for him, but he knew he was going to fall into someone’s club and hopefully, something tight, warm, and wet.
His mind went to Shakeisha but she would have to wait.
Honk, honk!
The sound of Hov laying on the horn gained Rock’s attention. The smile started at his eyes and rested in his heart. His brother from another mother had pulled up in a black Audi with a red bow sitting on it.
“You gon’ stand your soft leg ass over there or come see what this whip hitting on?” Hov hollered joyfully.
Rock had heard about Hov taking over the streets up under Christian, but he didn’t expect the money to be like that. “My nigga.” Rock embraced him in a brotherly hug letting the hug simmer for a minute.
“Welcome back, baby,” Hov spoke sounding like a New York kingpin. He was excited to have his right-hand back. Less excited for the storm that brewed.
“I know this ain't what I think it is?” Rock walked around the car, eyeing it in disbelief and hope. Before he went in, he was driving am old school car that didn’t have adequate a/c. Now, he was getting out with more than he imagined.
Tossing him the keys, Hov went to the passenger’s side. “This all you, my nigga. I hope you still know how to drive.”
Rock chuckled. “Shit, you better put your seatbelt on.”
“I was gonna do that anyway,” Hov laughed as the two of them got inside.
Rock pulled off from the place he’d spent half a decade.
The feeling was better than he dreamt it would be.
Jail wasn’t challenging but he had no plans of going back.
The thought of why he was even in there, had him gripping the steering wheel.
Nick had done the unthinkable all because he couldn’t get drugs from him after he’d done his own flesh and blood wrong—once he’d disrespected the girl he loved, all bets were off.
“You good over there, nigga?” Hov asked seeing something was bothering Rock.
He lied. “Yea, just getting used to how smooth this bitch rides. How much this shit set you back?”
“Not much. It’s all yours. We always said the come up would be ours and I meant that shit.” Hov reminded him of the pledge they’d taken.
“And nothing will come between us.” Rock added the last part of their saying.
Swallowing hard, he only nodded because he wondered if Rock would feel the same when the truth came out. “Aye, I got some shit I need to release from my chest.” Hov knew the sooner he told Rock the truth, the better.
Waving his hand through the air, Rock dismissed Hov. “Leave the bad news out of the day. Tell me whatever in about a week. A nigga been living in bad news for the past five years… I just want to breathe today.”