Page 36 of Tangled Hearts

Knycole moved around the house in a tizzy.

Hov was on his way to get their son and it had been a few weeks since she’d last seen him.

She missed him and thought about him often.

Since everything had hit the fan and she chose Rock, her heart didn’t beat the same.

Still, Knycole was determined to fall back in love with Rock.

“Ma! You got my iPad?” Qua yelled from the kitchen where he was making himself a peanut butter and banana sandwich. His Old Nick had put him on to the hood classic and now her baby was addicted.

Rolling her eyes, her bare feet padded to where her son was. “First, stop yelling. And second, you got an iPad at your daddy house.”

“I know but I need both of them.”

“Why, Qua?” Her hands rested on her hips.

Placing the bananas on the bread, he smushed the two pieces together; concentrating hard with his tongue pinched between his lips. “Ma, I need to play on one and keep up with the news on the other one.”

Knycole snickered at her old soul of a son. Her heart swelled thinking about all the beautiful mannerisms he’d inherited from his father. Every day with Qua reminded her of the beaten and battered boy she saved when she was only eight.

Her eyes grew wet knowing she had made a huge mistake yet her pride wouldn’t let her rectify it. As soon as she heard a knock at her door, she wiped her face.

Looking around her spacious three-bedroom house, she made sure it was decent and nothing was out of place. She loved her house but couldn’t lie and say it didn’t feel different without Hov.

They’d made the house a home and filled it with so many memories. If the walls could talk they would tell stories of petty arguments and passionate sex. The greige walls would also give away their secrets and expose their fears. Now, it didn’t feel the same.

Qua rushed to the door knowing it was his father since he’d seen it on the security camera. Hov had taught him long ago about stranger danger and never opening the door unless it was him.

“Dad!” Qua exclaimed pounding his fist with Hov.

Hov scooped him into his arms and placed kisses over his son’s face. “What’s up, son?”

Knycole watched them with pure adoration in her eyes. She couldn’t have asked for a better father for her son. Qua was blessed and it went beyond the materialistic things. She and Hov loved on their son in the way they wanted to be loved as kids.

“That’s all you see?” She stood leaning against the wall with a smirk on her face.

Hov examined her from head to toe. He loved when she was on her loungewear shit. Which was how she usually dressed when she had class.

Over the years Knycole had thickened up in all the right places. Her waist was invisible and her ass could be seen from the front. Her brown skin was still blemish free, making her look even younger than she was.

Hov swaggered over to her and placed his son on his feet while staring into Knycole’s eyes. Every time he looked into her eyes he saw their future. A knowing smile creased his lips. “I always see you.”

Knycole swallowed hard as her skin heated from his lips being so close to hers.

“You’re always on my mind.”

Butterflies attacked her belly.

“I’ll always love you.”

Her pussy juiced.

“And I’m not coming up off you.” Hov declared with his whole chest.

Knycole couldn’t stand him being so close and not touching her. She pulled him into her crashing her lips into his.

Hov’s tongue explored her mouth while his hands gripped her juicy ass. “Did you hear me?” He asked between pecking her lips.

Knycole nodded with tears in her eyes. “I love you Quameek.”

“Then choose me… I ain’t never begged for nothing in my life but I’m begging you, kid.”

Qua took a seat on the couch already knowing how his parents were. They never shied away from being affectionate around him. They wanted him to understand that he was created from pure love.

Hov pulled away. Brown eyes pierced into her wet ones, begging for her to choose him. He gripped her hand and placed it over his heart. “You feel that Knyc? This muthafucka was made for you. When God created you, it was with me in mind.”

His words had Knycole sobbing. “I don’t know what to do.” Her chest shook as she tried to contain her emotions.

Hov’s eyes squeezed shut and a sigh escaped his lips. “If you don’t know what to do, I won’t try to force your hand. Just know it’s nothing but love this way.” He turned to get his son and leave.

“Ma, you okay?” Qua asked, all in their business. He’d never seen his mama cry before the incident with Rock. In his young eyes, his daddy loved his mama so much that he’d never make her cry. Knycole and Hov never fought and any issues they had were figured out when Qua was asleep or with Nick.

Hov was proud of the way his seed checked in on his mother.

It was validation that everything he’d been teaching him was sticking.

Everything he’d never been taught he made sure to give to his son.

The day he found out Knycole was pregnant, he made a vow to never leave their side and be there for his son every step of the way.

Him having to move out, threw a wrench in his plans, but he was determined to raise his family in a two-parent household.

Mustering up a smile, Knycole squatted to hug her baby. “I’m okay, baby.”

Qua cut his cognac eyes to his father. “You sure, ma?”

Hov’s head fell forward as he laughed. “So, you trying to check me, son?”

“Mhm.” He nodded with a small pout on his face and his sandwich in his hands.

Knycole snickered at her baby. He was growing up right before her eyes.

Qua was the best thing that came from a fucked-up situation. Her love with Hov was messy but she’d never regret it. It had single-handedly been the greatest love she’d ever known and birthed the best parts of her.

The sound of her phone ringing jarred them from the peaceful family moment. Hov reached for it since he was closer to where it sat. Rock’s name flashed across the screen, removing the rose-colored glasses they’d all been wearing. His mood switched in the blink of an eye.

“We out,” he mumbled, grabbing Qua’s hand.

Knycole grew weaker the closer he got to the front door. “Hov?” She called out barely above a whisper. When she saw he’d stopped moving she reminded him of his words. “You said you ain’t coming up off me, remember?”

Hov nodded with his back still to her, showing how cold he was forcing himself to be.

After, he pulled the door open, leaving a piece of him behind.

He fought the urge to turn back around and make her be with him.

It reminded him too much of how he begged his mama to love and do right by him.

After that night eleven years ago, he told his self he’d never let another woman get in his head.

His mama did enough damage to last him a lifetime.

Knycole sat in class unable to give the teacher her attention.

She had one more year before she obtained her bachelor’s in nursing.

She was usually one of the most involved in class but today she had so much on her mind that she couldn’t even focus.

She knew she’d pay heavily when it was time for midterms. Still, she couldn’t get her head in the game today.

Sighing, she went to her text messages seeing Rock had hit her up talking about them going out to dinner. Knycole was excited to spend some time with him, but her heart was no longer all the way there.

“Ms. Howard, you with me today?” Her professor called out, putting the spotlight on her.

Mustering up a fake smile, Knycole nodded. “Yea, just a little distracted today. My bad.”

“No apologies necessary. I understand all of you are young adults and sometimes have days where your mind is everywhere but where it should be. I won’t get on you too much, but I will say, whatever it is, don’t bring it in here next week.” Professor Eisen winked going back to her lecture.

Young adult? Professor Eisen had no idea that Knycole had been carrying grown people problems on her shoulders since she was just a child.

Hadn’t even gotten her period yet. It wasn’t for her peers to know, either.

All they saw was a well to do young woman with the world at her fingertips.

They didn’t understand she was a hypocrite.

Or the fact that although she was in school for medicine, she was pushing illegal substances to her community on the daily.

None of them saw the broken child that lingered inside of her asking her why she hadn’t given up yet.

A piece of her wished she could go back and do things differently.

One thing being choosing Hov because he was who had her heart fully.

Life didn’t work that way though.

Knycole didn’t linger once the class was dismissed. Normally she would talk to a few classmates she was cool with but this time, she damn near ran to her car. With her eyes straight ahead, she stopped in her tracks when she saw a silhouette that was all too familiar.

Rock leaning up against her car looked good as hell.

His legs were parted, a clear indication of the big dick he toted.

Girls giggled and switched harder as they walked past him hoping to get chose.

He looked but didn’t acknowledge any of them.

The woman he was there to see had all of his attention.

“What are you doing here?” Knycole’s cheeks dimpled.

His situational awareness was sharp as he looked around before wrapping his chiseled arms around her. Jail had done his body good. “I’m here to see a fine ass girl.” He was still salty as hell about her having a baby with Hov but he loved her and that outweighed his anger. For now.

“How fine is she?”

“Shit, the finest girl I’ve ever seen. It’s been a minute since I saw her but I heard her ass is fatter. You seen her?”

Blushing hard, she giggled in his chest. “You smell good.”

“And you look good. Good enough to eat.” Rock gripped her ass pulling a moan from her.

Knycole couldn’t lie, it felt good being in Rock’s arms. Close proximity to him took her back to a time when shit was still fucked up but a little easier. “You still nasty as hell.”

“I’m still the same nigga, Knyc.”

The revelation turned her good memory dark. Took her to a place of fighting bitches and crying over him. Their bad days were bad but the good ones were great so she wouldn’t linger in that dark place for too long. “What’s up, though?” She put some distance between them to look him in his face.

He was clad in designer. Back like he never left. His diamonds were bright under the spring sun and his long hair flowed in the slight breeze. Rock had always been fine as hell but jail had amplified him into a whole other league. A league that he was dominating.

“I can’t come see you?” His left brow rose challenging her to tell him he couldn’t pop up on her.

Walking around him, she went to her truck to put her bag in the passenger seat. “I didn’t say all that.”

“It ain’t what you said, it’s how you said it. So, let me know?”

“I feel like you’re looking for a problem. All I did was ask you a simple question. All that talking in circles is uncalled for.”

“Talking in circles?” He tossed his head like she said a joke. “I’m just reading between the lines, Knyc.”

“Lines you creating. You know me and I ain’t never beat around the bush on some shit I had to say.” Knycole’s neck snaked.

His emotions flitted across his face. “Tell me something, Knycole. I feel like we ain’t on the same page.”

“And what page is that?”

“See!” His hands went up in the air gaining them a few looks. “Just spit this shit out. You ain’t fuckin’ with me like that?”

Knycole’s eyes bounced around, feeling a twinge of embarrassment from his loud voice. “I didn’t say that, Rock!”

“You ain’t said, shit!”

Palming her face with both hands, Knycole looked for the right words to say. She wanted to tell him she made a mistake. Wanted to confess her love for Hov. She also wanted to let him down easy. But none of those words came out. As her hands fell, they revealed her misty round eyes.

Rock sighed as his heart raced. “Look, just let me still take you out tonight. Give me that.” He wiped a lone tear form her round face. “Don’t cry, man.”

“I—”

He touched her lips with his finger afraid of what was about to come out her mouth. “Just come out with me. Will you do that?”

How could she say no to a man that once held her heart in his hands? Still held a piece. “Okay. What time?”

“Eight. Go home get sexy for me and I’ll scoop you.” His dark brown eyes were still begging her.

Knycole smiled showing her perfect smile. “Okay, Rock.”

His facial expression went from fearful to elated.

Rock’s slight gap gave her butterflies.

“And don’t be late, nigga.” Knycole pursed her lips knowing the old him was always late.

“I got you.” He opened her door and stepped to the side to let her get in. “I see life has been good to you,” he whistled getting a look at the inside of her truck.

The inside was custom with the queen chess piece embroidered in the seats. That hurt because he knew it was a testament to her and Hov’s love. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he kissed her lips before closing her car door and watching her pull out.

When he could no longer see her, he hopped in his own car needing to make a stop before he got ready for his date.

There was still so much he needed to handle and people he needed to address.

Rock could only take one day at a time. If he didn’t, he was going to spiral, and the streets wasn’t ready for the new ruthless Rock.

At least, not yet. He was losing the battle on letting shit be what it is but as the days passed by, he was reminded that he needed to get his lick back.