Page 42 of Tangled Hearts

Noir mushed his head with an open palm. “Doing the most?! How? How am I doing the most when you ruined us?!” her voice cracked. “Huh? How am I doing the most when… when you cheated on me and made a whole human being?!”

“Um,” their waitress was back at their table, now sporting a nervous smile. “The manager is asking you all to leave.”

“And the fucked up part about it all, is you expect me to just move on like I don’t have to share you with a hoe and her bastard ass baby.”

Christian jumped up. Neither of them listening or paying attention to what the waitress just said. “I’m trying here but I don’t know how much I can try when you keep disrespecting a child. Do you hear yourself right now?”

Brushing the back of her hand over her face, Noir’s nose reddened. “I said what the fuck I said and I ain’t taking it back. If you have such a problem with it, then leave me alone! Go be with them because I ain’t never accepting this shit.”

“I—”

“They heard you,” Knycole cut the waitress off just as Hov pulled money from his wallet to cover their bill.

Christian kissed his teeth. “I hear you, Noir.”

“Nigga, I need you to feel me.”

A mischievous grin pulled the corners of his mouth up. “I can make that happen.” His large hand landed on the back of her neck, gripping it with just enough pressure to make her stomach flip.

Noir tried to slap his hand away. “Don’t touch me, bitch ass nigga.”

Knycole snickered.

“You really showing out… but if you need me to remind you who the fuck I am and how the fuck I give it up, I will.” Christian challenged Noir.

“I don’t need you to show me shit. But maybe I need to remind you who the fuck I am and how the fuck I give it up,” Noir snapped back, hating her pussy for thumping.

Hov slid from the booth, allowing Knycole to do the same. “I’m about to remind y’all that we need to get out these people’s establishment before the police show up… niggas too embarrassing.” He looked down at Knycole. “You drove?”

“No.”

“And she’s riding with me because Christian got life fucked up if he thinks I’m going with him… nigga please,” Noir rolled her eyes with Christian’s hand still gripping her neck. “And get the fuck off me, for real.”

“Just let her go,” Hov spoke up.

“Mind your business, nigga.”

“Noir is my business. How many times I gotta tell you that?”

Knycole pulled Hov’s hand into hers like old times. Times that hadn’t been that long ago. “Just let her handle this.”

Hov glared down at Knycole, easing the tension in his shoulders when her thumb created gentle circles against his hand.

Christian’s soft brown pleading eyes bore into Noir. He was begging—some would say simping. “Just come talk to me, Noir… after all we been through you can’t give a nigga that?”

That really set Noir off, causing an even bigger scene.

“Give you that?! Give you time to explain to me how you done broke my heart? Give you time to try to fuck your way back into my heart… time to hurt me again? Because one thing about niggas is when they hurt you once and you forgive them, that shit sits in the back of your mind while you waiting for him to do it again,” her voice cracked.

“Give you time to do what exactly, Christian? Huh?”

“Umm…” the waitress whispered.

Noir swung her neck towards the woman. “Bitch I heard you!” She stomped away praying her tears didn’t fall. But her wants were futile in a time like this because she loved Christian. Saw her life with him forever. Now that dream was shattered.

Knycole took off after her. “Noir, wait up hoe.” She was shorter than Noir so she had to damn near run to catch up with her.

As they stepped outside, Knycole almost ran into the back of Noir as she just stood there, mouth gaped, blinking slowly. Sucking in a deep breath, she twisted her body to head back into the restaurant but Christian and Hov were already walking out.

She was so angry. All Noir could see was red and her hands started flying wildly. “Look at what your community dick having ass did!” she yelled, hitting Christian in his face. Her licks weren’t just open-handed slaps. Noir was giving him full on punches.

Hov tried to pull her away but Knycole stepped in. “Un uh, let her beat that nigga’s ass… look at her car!”

It was like everything moved quickly. Hov and Christian walked out without even looking at Noir’s car.

“This is your fault, nigga! Look at my car!”

“Chill!” Christian tried to cross her up to get away but Noir was on his ass.

She popped him in the eye. When she went to throw another punch, Hov yanked her back.

“Noir, you gotta stop before the police come… calm down. You want another car? I’ll buy you one,” Hov was back in the middle of them, arms tightly around Noir.

“Can you buy me a new heart too? Huh? Since you make everything better, buy me a new heart,” Noir sobbed into Hov’s chest. “Do me a solid.”

Hov’s eyes pierced into Christian who’s own eyes were already misting. “You can have mine, Noir… Knyc don’t want it.”

“They’re both stupid,” Noir sniffled.

Knycole crossed her arms over her chest, looking everywhere but at them.

Christian’s heart thumped wildly. He could feel the pain he’d caused Noir, could see the pain he caused Chanta.

It was all too much. If he had a time machine, he’d go back and never pursue Noir because her heart was safer without him.

Still, he was a man. Stepping over, he removed Noir from Hov’s arms. “Come on man… I’m gon’ make it right.

I promise I am. Just let me get you home. ”

“I got her,” Hov said.

Christian shook his head. “Nah, nigga. I got her.”

Hov moved Noir behind him. “You want to do this? I said I got her, crowding her ain’t gon’ change what you did. Let her fuckin’ breathe nigga.”

“See that’s where we’re different. I ain’t letting my bitch go that easily. You can step aside and let the next nigga get close to yours but I ain’t that type of man. I’m all pressure, no fuckin’ breaks.”

Knycole could see the veins in Hov’s neck protrude. Shit was about to go left but she didn’t want that. Even if Christian was talking about her. “Just come on Quameek. Noir ready to go home.”

Chest to chest, Hov and Christian mugged each other. They were almost mirror images of each other. The only thing that separated them was their skin complexion.

Noir stepped up this time. “I’m going with Hov and Knyc… I’ll call you later. I need to think.”

“You can think at home.”

“I don’t want to. In the meantime, get my fuckin’ car fixed.” She threw her keys, hitting Christian in the chest, walking away.

Chanta had done a number on Noir’s car. The windows were busted and there were long scratches carved deep into the sides of the car. Glass littered the seats and the front bumper had a dent. It was clear Chanta was raging and reckless.

Hov’s face sat stoned waiting to see what Christian wanted to do. When he too walked away. Hov grabbed Knycole’s hand trekking right behind where Noir had gone. The parking lot had thinned out so finding his car wasn’t hard.

When they made it to his car, Noir climbed in the back, still in a daze. It was all too much for her and she knew she wasn’t going to the house she shared with Christian.

As if Hov could read her mind he whispered, “I’ll bring you to my house. That nigga ain’t wild enough to come that way making a scene.” He faced Knycole before he pulled off. “Where you going?”

Her chest tightened. “Um, I’ll go over there too. I don’t want Noir to be alone.”

He only nodded pulling into traffic.

They all rode in silence. No music played nor did anyone breathe too hard.

They were all in their own thoughts being consumed by love or love lost. This wasn’t what any of them envisioned when they thought about growing up.

Thoughts of friendships and relationships never played out like this in their heads.

Noir wasn’t supposed to be heartbroken and Knycole wasn’t supposed to be confused. Yet here they all were, tangled in a web of nonsense and shit that could’ve been avoided.