Page 85 of Tangled Hearts
“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.Igot 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.
CHAPTER 22
PART III: UNRAVELED LOVE
“You knowhow to hurt me so good!” Noir sung at the top of her lungs while sitting with her legs crossed in the middle of one of Hov’s guest beds.
She was beyond hurt and no matter how much she tried to downplay it, it kept leaking from her eyes in a never-ending trail of grief.
Shaking her head, Knycole inhaled the blunt, letting it seep out slowly. She felt her friend and wanted to make it better but she kept replaying Hov’s words about her not wanting his heart. Knycole wanted his heart more than anything in the world but she also wanted Rock’s—at least to fix his since she felt responsible for fucking it up.
“I need therapy,” Knycole mumbled between Summer Walker’s Session 38 that Noir was now singing off key.
Rolling her eyes, Noir held her hand out for the weed. “How is this about you?”
“I never said it was about me but damn I can’t have some self-reflection?”
“Not in this moment. My heart is hurting,” Noir’s voice came out muffled from the smoke.
Knycole sat up. “How when you’re over there texting Cash? How are you hurting?”
