Page 55 of Tangled Hearts
“That nigga bout to shoot the block up” Rock said, talking about the smoke coming from Christian’s ears.
Noir shrugged, falling back into Cash.
“Tell, Knyc don’t be scared… that nigga can’t stop the love we still share,” Rock leaned back on his car. He was parked next to Cash and surrounded by a few security guards.
It felt weird at first but Rock realized this was the life Cash lived now and he was an asset to the record label.
Noir waved her best friend over but Knycole shook her head making Rock crack up before yelling, “Scary ass!”
Christian’s chest rose hard, eyes on Noir like he could burn a hole through her. “This bitch really out here playing with me?” His words carried, reaching Knycole, who froze.
Hov’s stare pinned him down. “You step in there, it’s gon’ be more than her feelings hurt. Chill out.”
Christian’s fists balled. His shooters hovered nearby, restless. The entire park shifted, whispers rippling through the crowd.
Knycole’s throat tightened. She moved quick, stepping toward the tension before it snapped. “Noir,” she called, but Noir ignored her, tilting her head back against Cash’s chest, smiling like the chaos fueled her.
Knycole rubbed her temples, her heart thudding. She knew her girl was playing with fire and this time the whole city was watching it burn.
She couldn’t even put her hand on Noir to snatch her away before Rock had his hand linked with hers. “Damn, you ain’t speaking? We just broke up a few days ago.”
Knycole smiled big. “Hey, Rock,” her voice softened pulling him into a hug.
Rock squeezed her. “That’s all I wanted. I’ll always love you, girl.”
“Rock, please,” Knycole blushed.
“Aye, kid!” Hov yelled from the other side as a car rode past blasting music.
Knycole slipped from Rock’s arms. She tasted guilt but didn’t know who it belonged to.
“Aww, man… I thought you was working on yourself. Don’t tell me you lied to me again?” Rock pressed his hand to his chest like he’d been shot.
“I am,” Knycole shot back. “Noir, come on.” She swung to face Noir, the reason she skipped her ass across the street.
Noir snatched away. “Christian ain’t Hov and Cash ain’t Rock.”
“The fuck that mean?” Rock cocked his head to the side, eyeing Noir hoping she wasn’t saying what he thought she was saying. That fueled his pettiness even more. “You know she’s good with me, nigga!” He yelled across the street.
“Rock!” Knycole put her hand on his chest.
“Kid!” Hov yelled again, this time taking a few steps forward.
His eyes were glued on Rock’s hand still a little too close.
His chest hammered against his chest. Not from jealousy but from the fear of losing control when Rock was his brother.
. would always be his brother but seeing them so close after everything? He wasn’t with it.
Knycole’s eyes jumped to Noir, bucking big. “Bitch, come on… let’s go get something to eat.”
Cash laughed. “Go’n with Knyc, pretty girl, I ain’t going nowhere.”
Noir kissed her teeth. “Come on, with yo’ scary ass.”
Knycole exhaled the breath she’d been holding.
“Aye, Knyc,” Rock called to her back.
Her and Noir hadn’t walked that far so she heard him. Turning around, she wanted to see what he wanted.
“You can only save one life, who you saving?”
“Noir,” she said like duh.
He laughed. “You know what I’m talking about.”
He wouldn’t say it out loud but needed to know. It was eating him up.
“Don’t make me choose.” She begged with her eyes, heart damn near beating out of her chest.
“You owe me this.” His hands went up, surrender and demand at once.
Knycole glanced across the street. She couldn’t hear Hov with all the music and noise, but she felt him. His stare was heavy, waiting for her to show her hand.
“Him.” The word was blunt with no hesitation in her eyes. She’d always tried to protect Rock’s feelings, but this time there was no room for it.
Rock’s tongue darted across his lips before he blew her a kiss. His chest ached so bad he thought it might split open, but his pride held him together.
“But Rock… don’t make me have to choose.”
He threw up a salute, turning his back on her. His ego was cut, but deeper than that, his heart was shattered. He walked toward Cash, every step heavier than the last.
Noir linked her arm with Knycole. “Damn, that was cold.”
“It was the truth.” Knycole shrugged.
“Therapy taught you that too?”
Knycole cackled. “This why I’m ‘bout to stop telling you my business.”
“Then who you gon’ tell it to? Bitch we’re sisters… personal secret keepers.” Noir locked their arms tighter.
“He shouldn’t have asked me. Rock knew what the answer was gonna be. He asked with a motive.”
Knycole knew Rock. Sometimes better than he knew himself.
He needed the confirmation, even if it hurt.
That was always his way… poking at wounds just to see how deep they ran.
He wasn’t dumb. He read her, the way she pulled from his arms, the way her eyes shifted when Hov’s voice cut through the noise. Rock knew, and still, he asked.
Her chest felt heavy. Guilt mixed with relief, a dangerous cocktail she’d been drinking for years when it came to him. She wanted to believe she’d let him down gently, but deep down, she knew the truth hit harder than anything else she could’ve done. She spared him nothing tonight.
Across the street, she could still feel Hov watching her even if he couldn’t hear what she and Rock said. That awareness burned through her like a warning. He was waiting, measuring every move, and she didn’t know how much longer she could stand in between them without splitting herself in half.
Rock walked away looking calm, but Knycole knew better.
His salute and blown kiss weren’t signs of peace.
They were a sign of armor. He was hurting, maybe worse than he’d ever admit.
She knew he’d go home tonight, lie in his bed, and stare at the ceiling with her name in his head like a curse and a prayer all at once.
And that was the part she hated most. Knowing she’d left him with a heart full of questions she never planned to answer.
Noir’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Crazy thing is, I believe he’ll choose Hov over you. He won’t admit it now and rightfully so, but I know his heart.”
“Yea,” Knycole sighed. “That’s what I wish I could change the most. They both lost each other in this whole thing.”
Noir hummed her agreement. Her eyes drifted across the street, across the crowd, and through the mess that felt normal to them now.
Noir thought back to when it was just them. No chains, no beef, no choices splitting them apart. Back when they were down like four flats, scraping money for gas and eating noodles out the same pot. When love was simple because all they had was each other and by the grace of God, Nakorea.
Now everything was louder. Cars, guns, egos, and pride. The ties that once held them together had turned into knots they couldn’t untangle. Noir missed the quiet loyalty of those days, even if they were broke, even if they were running the streets.
She blinked, pulling herself back to the present, to Knycole beside her. Some things you couldn’t get back, and maybe you weren’t supposed to.
Christian leaned against the hood of his Maybach, jaw clenched so hard a vein popped out his temple. “Nigga, you don’t hear me? She was in that nigga’s arms like I’m dead already. I should kill Cash right now.”
Hov kept his eyes across the street. He wasn’t even looking at Christian, too focused on Knycole.
She was fine as hell tonight—curvy, waist snatched, designer two-piece hugging every dip.
The cropped jacket hit just above her hips, and her skirt stopped mid-thigh.
It was trendy. The kind of trendy that only Knyc could pull off without trying too hard.
Her hair was laid, lashes long, skin glowing under the park lights.
He couldn’t look away even while Christian ranted.
“Nigga, you listening?” Christian’s voice cut through Hov’s daze.
“I hear you nigga,” Hov muttered, still watching Knyc. She laughed at something Noir did, head tilted back, smile wide. He soaked it in.
“Y’all good?” Briana slid up, swinging her braids over her shoulder. She leaned close to Hov, touching his arm.
He nodded politely. “Yea, we good.” He didn’t move away, but there was no spark in his tone. Briana lingered anyway, searching his face like she wanted an invite he wasn’t giving.
She showed up looking good as always. Her braids hung long down her back, edges slicked in swirls, and her lip gloss catching every headlight that flashed their way. The tube top hugged her chest, her jeans were just right. Anybody else would’ve stopped mid-sentence to stare.
Hov didn’t flinch though. He knew Briana was fine, always had been.
But her energy never matched what he needed.
She was flashy in a way that felt loud, always chasing attention instead of demanding respect.
He respected her hustle, respected that she stayed put together, but she never moved his spirit.
That was the difference.
Beauty wasn’t rare in the city. They were surrounded by it every night. What stuck was presence. Knyc had it, even when she didn’t try. Briana didn’t, and no matter how good she looked, Hov couldn’t force himself to feel something that wasn’t there.
Shakeisha walked by, her daughter at home with her mama. She spotted Hov and gave a warm grin. “Hey, Hov.”
His lips tugged into the closest thing to a smile. “What’s up, Kesh. Let me holler at you.”
He’d been meaning to check in on her since Rock’s been home but had so many other moving parts in his life that it slipped his mind.
They stepped to the side, Briana left standing with a pout.
“How’s my niece?” Hov asked, voice dropping low so no one could hear.