Page 146 of Tangled Hearts
“Nah.” He smiled, kissing her forehead. “I’ma make sure you do what you supposed to. Always been like that. Always will be.” His hand slid over her hip, squeezing gently. “I’ma push you to where you need to be. Same way I did last night… I’ma guide you.”
Knycole opened her eyes fully, and the softness in his nearly undid her. He wasn’t just talking sex. He was talking life. He’d always been the one to pull her back in line when she drifted. And he was still doing it, but gentler now, more sure.
Before she could answer, little footsteps padded down the hall and Qua’s voice cut through. “Mama?”
Her head whipped toward the door. Qua stood there, his pajama pants sliding low on his hips. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. “You spent the night?”
Hov let out a laugh, sitting up. “She did, lil’ man. You mad about it?”
Qua grinned wide. “No. I knew you was gon’ get back together.” He ran over, jumping onto the couch, landing right between them.
Knycole covered her face, embarrassed but laughing. “Boy, don’t you got cartoons to watch?”
“Cartoons can wait,” Qua shrugged, hugging her arm. “Old Nick told me daddy was your person.” He looked perplexed. “I don’t know what that means though.”
Hov ruffled his son’s hair. “Go brush your teeth, Qua. Get dressed before you’re late for school.”
Qua hopped down and ran off, humming to himself.
Knycole shook her head, smiling. “He too smart for his own good.”
“That’s my twin,” Hov smirked, standing and stretching. He disappeared down the hall to shower.
Knycole didn’t have any clothes at his house since he bought it after they split. She groaned knowing she was going to have to move quick to make it to class on time.
After about forty minutes of just sitting on the coach and texting Noir, Knycole looked up when Hov reappeared.
Black dress pants, a crisp button-down open at the collar, sneakers on his feet, and his gold chain catching the light.
Knycole’s mouth fell open. “What the hell? Who are you?”
He grinned, adjusting his watch. “This what boss moves look like. I got a meeting later. I’m about to buy the block. And it ain’t gon’ stop there.”
Her chest swelled, pride spilling over so thick she had to blink back tears. “You serious?”
“Dead ass.” He smiled, his perfect teeth a beautiful contrast against his brown skin.
She stood up, wrapping her arms around his waist, just looking at him. “I’m so proud of you. More than I can even say.”
He bent down to kiss her. “That’s all I ever wanted to hear from you.”
Qua came running back in, backpack swinging off his shoulder, shoes half-tied. “I’m ready, Daddy!”
Hov scooped him up with one arm, the chain glinting against his shirt. “Then let’s roll. Family moves only from here on out.”
Knycole smiled through her tears, grabbing her bag. For the first time in a long time, it felt right—just the three of them, moving as one. Tangled hearts finally unraveled into something whole.
CHAPTER 34
Christian satin his car for twenty minutes before knocking on Chanta’s door. He scrolled through Noir’s Instagram again, staring at her clips from Paris Fashion Week. Her smile looked real. Her clothes draped her body like she was made for the runway. He left comments under a few posts, little things only she would understand. She never liked them, never replied. It felt like screaming into a void. He shut his phone off before it broke him in half.
The silence in the car pressed against him, forcing thoughts he usually drowned out. He rubbed his palms together, thinking about the mess his life had become. His love for Noir felt like it had no end, no boundary. It was the only thing that gave him a high without powder or money attached. But as much as he wanted her back, another truth dug at him—he couldn’t keep being a ghost to his daughter.
He thought about his own father, how the man was there for him, never missing a beat, but left holes in his other kids’ lives. Kids that shared his blood. It never made sense. His daddy loved him because he loved his mama, but that love didn’t stretch far enough to cover the rest of his siblings. That twisted loyalty hadshaped Christian in ways he hated to admit. Now here he was, circling the same cycle.
He didn’t want to repeat it. Didn’t want Destiny growing up with stories about a daddy who picked the streets and women over her. Didn’t want his daughter to carry resentment the way he did. His heart was tangled between wanting Noir with everything in him and needing to be present for his kid. He knew what absence did—it carved holes you could never patch. And yet, he also knew what addiction to a woman’s love felt like.
Christian exhaled, staring at the door in front of him. His life was nothing but tangled hearts, and the knots were choking him. He couldn’t keep running from the truth. If he wanted his daughter to know him differently than he knew his own father, he had to show up. But a part of him still wanted to run, another part of him wanted to knock and find comfort in the chaos he’d created with Chanta, because at least it was something familiar.
