Page 60

"You're scared, Britain," he continued.

"Okay, maybe just a little bit, but that's expected," she spilled quickly, her confession followed by a shrug.

"Britain, you don't want to go, and I don't want to force you to go.”

Britain had stopped wrapping the pictures and was now meeting his gaze. She seemed shocked that he managed to come to that conclusion. "I don't want you to live an unhappy life justto please me. I don't want you to feel like in order for you to have this?" he motioned his finger between them, "you have to sacrifice shit because you don't."

"Priest, I never said that.”

"You don't have to, Brit. I just know that's what you're thinking.”

Britain raked her hand through her hair, stressed. "This may sound crazy, but what if this is what I have to do in order to get my happy ending? I've been at this set of crossroads before. One decision makes up the rest of my life. This time, instead of being afraid of taking the risk, I'm just gonna take it," she explained to Priest.

"But that's the thing, Britain. I don't want you feeling like this is a gamble," he expressed his concerns.

Britain sighed in defeat before shuffling over to him. Priest always had her best interest at heart, even if it meant he would have to sacrifice his time with her. "This is what I want to do," she asserted as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck. "We're moving to Italy, getting married, and then I'll become a famous journalist with my own magazine company." She grinned widely as she tilted her head to look up at him.

Priest couldn't help but melt at the sound of her sweet voice and the sight of her captivating smile. "Word? What's gonna happen next?" He smirked down at her before meeting her for a kiss.

"Babies," Britain said against his tender lips.

At the mention of children, Priest pulled away from the kiss with an unsettled look etched on his face. Britain rolled her eyes at the instant apprehension that washed over him at the mention of children. "You're going to have to share me eventually, P," she laughed before pecking his lips once more.

Priest shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, but that will be a long time coming."

Like any other time Britain mentioned children, she decided not to press him on the topic. Priest was a calculated guy, so Britain was sure his worries were most likely about how he would fit a child into his already planned-out life.

"I love you," she professed as she beamed up at him.

Priest reflected her contagious smile as he responded. "I love you too.” He held his fist out to her, initiating a fist bump, which she granted.

For the rest of the day, the two busied themselves with the task of packing up the rest of her apartment. The process was a bit harder than she expected simply because she had grown attached to the tiny space. Despite it being small and not having much room for her imaginative décor ideas, it still gave her that sense of independence. It was her first place alone, where she was free to do as she pleased whenever she wanted.

A fatigue-filled breath slipped out of Britain as she crawled into bed right beside Priest. Her soft brown orbs glanced around, examining the empty walls, a frown embedding on her face.

"I'm gonna miss this spot," Priest announced before she could.

"Really? You were always calling it tiny," she snickered.

Priest shrugged. "It is small, but I loved it nonetheless," he admitted. "It made me feel at home…youmake me feel at home."

A light smile graced her face before she sat a kiss on his cheek. "Now we're about to make our home… together," she sighed, almost as if it were surreal.

Priest shrugged lightly. "Any spot with you is a home.”

She eyed him, completely in awe at the way he cherished her. "I don't think I could ever handle losing you suddenly.”

She was still shaken up by the entire ordeal, but she had committed herself to hovering. Priest tried his hand at speakingto her about it a multitude of times, but she always managed to get around it. He had just been shot right in front of her two days ago. There was absolutely no way she had managed to get over it that quickly.

He pulled her close, disregarding the pain he was putting himself through. Holding her seemed to be the only way to indicate he was completely present and hadn't been taken away from her.

"I think about it constantly. Different scenarios play out in my head. Majority of them end with me losing you. I don't sleep often because you aren't here with me. It's like I'm stuck in this daze that reverts me back to that very moment," Britain vented as she rested her head on Priest's chest. "I know I said I'm fine earlier, but I'm not, and I don't know when I'll be completely fine."

"I'm here,Gioia.Ain't nothing or nobody gonna take me out and away from you. I deeply apologize to you for the fact that you had to witness that. If I could've avoided it, I would've. Britain, I'm forever indebted to you. You saved my life in more ways than one," he expressed as he caressed her cheek in a consoling manner. "I want you to heal from this,Gioia.Utilize me in whatever way you see fit. Take me through your cycle."

Britain could feel a rush of sadness wash over her as her eyes brimmed with tears. Even though she wasn’t physically hurt, she still felt that heart-clenching feeling of having her life flash before her eyes. Seeing him collapse instantly made her think of all the things they had yet to conquer together. The feeling was chilling and unshakable. She never really got the chance to fully cope because of how quickly she had to spring into action to save his life. She had pushed herself to do the unthinkable, unaware that she was only ruining herself in the process.

Her cries pained his heart as he kept his strong arms secured around her petite frame. "I got you," he assured her in a light voice before gracing her forehead with a gentle kiss.