Smoke and Mirrors (DE)

24. Pay in tears

" You not ready for marriage nigga,"

Joseph kissed his teeth sinking down in his seat with his arms folded across his chest like a scolded teen as he sat across from Rico in an empty visitation room. Rico let out a little chuckle at Joseph's sudden change of posture.

" You not, not actin like that you ain't," He shrugged, his voice deep, gruff and aged.

" I was just mad, she know I ain't mean that shit," Joseph defended irritatedly.

" If she know you ain't mean it then how come she hasn't gone home yet? Why you sittin in front of me cryin like a bitch if she know you ain't mean it?" Rico questioned folding his arms across the cool metal table that was bolted into the ground along with the chairs they were sitting on. " You interrupted my chess game for this shit and you won't even listen, that's yo problem I been told you that shit years ago. You think you know everything,"

Joseph clenched his jaw staring at one of the random motivational posters tapped to the white painted brick wall with cheap scotch tape. Funny thing is, the jail put those posters up to 'motivate' the inmates but the only thing they did for Joseph when he saw them was make him more mad. They made him want to rip all of them off the wall— how could you be positive in a place like this?

Joseph hated when people spoke to him how Rico was, like he was a child. The only reason Joseph was tolerating it right now was because he respected Rico.

Rico stared at Joseph with his sulking like attitude waiting for a response but Joseph didn't have one to give because he was right.

" What did she do wrong, you tell me," Rico asked.

" She was takin up for that nigga!" Joseph exclaimed sitting up straight almost as if the thought of it got him re-fired back up. " She tryna protect that nigga cause she know what I'm gone do to his ass," Joseph said through clenched teeth balling up both his fists in his lap.

" You finna kill a police officer?" Rico asked with an unamused expression. " Be real wit yo self nigga,"

" He—,"

" I don't give a fuck what he did Jo! He is an active member of the police department, they will cook yo ass I don't care how many muthafuckas you done smoked befo! And then what happens to Grace when you get locked back up cause it's gone happen," Rico chuckled hastily. " Don't think cause you beat them four bodies they won't nail yo ass to the cross for this on," He spat.

" Then they probably gone wrap her up into the murder, figure out that she's the common denominator between the two of you and put her in the predicament to either snitch and fold on you or lock her up as an accessory for inciting the murder. What you gone do then?"

" I would never let that happen," Joseph defended.

" Can't protect her from behind bars, use yo fuckin head. That's how you got hemmed up last time murkin muthafuckas off emotion,"

Joseph ground his teeth irritatedly. Malik being apart of the police department just made Joseph want to do something to him even more because he thinks untouchable. No man has ever tried Joseph and lived to tell about it and Malik wasn't going to be an exception just because he wears a badge.

" Yo ego so fuckin big you think she tryna protect that nigga when she really lookin out for yo hot head ass," Rico scoffed. " And you got the nerve to ask for her ring back, that ain't no real nigga shit. That's bitch shit,"

" I'm going to give it back," Joseph mumbled.

Hearing Rico put it into perspective for Joseph made him finally understand and it made him feel bad— it made him feel bad for taking his anger out on her, it made him feel bad for taking her ring away, and it made him feel bad for questioning her loyalty. Joseph has a self admitted anger problem, he can't help it— after all they did meet in an anger management class. When he gets angry it's like an outer body experience, his rage gets so impulsive he can't control himself and all he sees is red.