Lies You Tell (DE)

10 pt. 2

Joseph had always been a very private person with his personal life. He was the type to share only what he wanted you to know. His home was his sanctuary to him. The only person that knew where he lived was Dre, not even the people that raised him, so this was a big deal letting Grace into the place where he laid his head at night and she knew it.

Joseph had never divulged his personal life to Grace. She didn't even know when his birthday was, but she found his mysterious-ness somewhat attractive. He approached her taking the picture out of her hand and looking at it.

" These my parents, they died when I was six," He said softly.

Her attitude instantly melted as she looked up at him seeing a side of him she'd yet to see. The real him.

" You played basketball," She giggled looking at a trophy with a photo next to it.

He smiled.

" Yea that pic was from my senior year of highschool. We was playing one of the top prep schools in the state, I brought the game home wit a buzzer beater," He reminisced. " I used to want to be in the NBA,"

" Why didn't you?" She asked.

He shrugged. " Life," He said simply.

Joseph had lived a double life his whole life. Star athlete, academic scholar, but behind closed doors he was being bred to be a ruthless weapon of destruction by the man that swore to protect and love him and raise Joseph to be a good man. He didn't see the truth in the matter until he was strung up and left to dry in prison.

Joseph's Uncle used Joseph's lack of empathy and emotion to turn him into a stronghold that terrorized that streets and earned him respect and power. Nobody would cross Max because everyone feared Joseph and what he was capable of. His name rung bells, they still do.

" You graduated college?" Grace asked a little shocked seeing both his high school and college diplomas framed.

It was as if his whole life story was on display on this one table.

" I did, in prison," He confirmed. " Business management,"

" I wanna show you something," He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hall to a bedroom and out onto a balcony that over looked the New York sky line.

It was chilly and there was a slight breeze but Grace didn't mind because the view was beautiful. It sure beat the view from her second story balcony.

" You see that building right there?" Joseph asked pointing to the tallest building in the horizon. " That's the Empire State Building,"

It was dark out and the city was lit up.

" Why did you bring me here?" She asked after a brief moment of silence.

He cleared his throat scratching the back of his neck as he looked at the buildings.

" I ain't the greatest with my words or showing how I feel but I just wanted to say sorry about how I left you the other night. I do care about you Grace," He spoke truthfully. " I just don't know how to show that shit. I ain't never cared for nobody before, I told you that,"

" So why did you say you made a mistake if you do care about me?" She chuckled still confused by everything.

" Because I didn't want to cross that line wit you and risk ruining our friendship. I didn't want to get you so wrapped up in me that I disappointed you,"

" Why do you think you would disappoint me though?" She asked furrowing her brows.

" I'm not a good man Grace.." He said lowly.