Page 106 of The Love of Priest 2

J'Ru shook his head, debunking Priest's theories.

"Nah, PJ. I just feel like you can't do both.

We know that; you know that. Hell, even your girl know that," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You all the way out here in Italy putting restrictions on what me and Kay got going on in The States.

That shit just don't make sense, especially when me and Kay are the ones busting our asses doing the day-to-day shit.

As a collective, when the three of us had the conversation about you relocating, we agreed on you being back and forth just so shit could function smoothly.

Now, this shit has snowballed into something bigger than any of us could have expected.

You can't step foot in the city, even if you fucking wanted to, my nigga.

You got us going on with this sick narrative that we laid you to rest, not thinking about how that shit impacts how we have to move as a unit.

I just feel like you should compromise when it comes to executive decisions being made by me or Kay. "

The truth really did cut Priest deep. He felt like he was getting shut out of something he created from the ground up. When it came to his business and how his money came in, he became territorial, and that came to light with his response to J'Ru.

"Ain't shit changing, Ru," Priest denied and shook his head.

"Don't shit move until the three of us is on one accord.

That's how it's always been, and that's how it’s fixing to fucking stay.

Ain't no executive decisions to be fucking made. I honor each of you niggas’ opinions and decisions when it come to this shit, so I expect y'all to do the same. "

Britain, Jazzy and Kaymen all fixed their eyes on J'Ru, waiting for his response to Priest. They watched as J'Ru bit down on his bottom lip for a moment, contemplating exactly what to say to him.

Eventually, he shook his head once more.

"I ain't going for that," he stated. "Whatever benefits the business is how I'm moving from now on.

You can either deal with it or meet Kay and I halfway by coming back to the city," J'Ru stated, presenting Priest with the ultimatum.

This caused Priest’s jaw to clench as he slit his eyes in J'Ru's direction. "You really want to do this?" he questioned in hopes of gaining clarification.

Sure enough, J'Ru offered him all the clarification he needed.

Upon seeing J'Ru nod his head, Priest felt the heat that was trapped within him from his anger begin to fester.

"Aight, bet," Priest concluded as he grabbed his coffee to exit the kitchen.

Everyone watched as he navigated toward the entry of the backyard of the home, isolating himself from them once more.

A silence fell over the ones who remained in the kitchen. Britain had it all planned out. She wanted breakfast to be the thing that made everyone come to their senses. Unfortunately for her, J'Ru and Priest always had to say exactly what was on their minds.

"Y'all niggas tripping." Kaymen shook his head with a light chuckle, ultimately ending the silence.

Kaymen never picked sides when it came to the feuds between J'Ru and Priest. He was the mediator who rode the fence most of the time.

Although he knew he played a role in Jazzy working alongside them and Priest was coming for him too, he was just going to stay out of it until J'Ru and Priest could work it out.

They were brothers at the end of the day, and they understood that, so things never got to the point of no return.

Britain glanced out of the tall paned windows that looked out to the backyard. Priest pressed his phone up to his ear, taking a phone call. She decided to serve the breakfast she made to Jazzy, Kaymen and J'Ru before making a plate to take out to Priest.

With his breakfast in hand, she excused herself from the kitchen and navigated to the backyard.

She made her way over to where he was seated just as he was finalizing his phone conversation.

She sat the breakfast down before him, and he thanked her.

His eyes trailed from the plate up to Britain's face.

She was looking down at him with a scolding look etched on her face, which prompted him to exhale in frustration.

"Listen, don't even give me that look,Gioia. I didn't start that shit back there." He shook his head, unwilling to take accountability for the start of the argument that he and J'Ru just had.

"Priest, I thought you said you were going to come down with good energy?" Britain sighed.

In return, he smacked his lips. "I ain't say nothing like that. I told you I'd see what I can do," he corrected her while shrugging his broad shoulders. Since he failed to make her laugh with his light-heartedness, he let out a deep sigh.

He extended his hand to her, and she took it after rolling her eyes.

With her hand cupped in his, Britain was whisked down to his lap.

He gently grabbed her chin, steering her head so her sight was fixed on him.

"I appreciate your kind gesture,Gioia, but it's too soon.

Ru's not ready to admit that he's in the wrong. "

Britain pursed her lips as her eyes strayed away from Priest. She opted out of rendering him a response, but the look on her face was enough for Priest question her. "What's up with that look?" He raised a brow at her.

Britain’s orbs slowly trailed back over to him and were met with his hard stare. "I mean," she began as she shrugged her shoulders. "He isn't wrong about everything.”

Priest continued to eye her. Most of the time, whenever he wasn't speaking, his face would tell Britain all she needed to know.

This time, she couldn't read his face even if she wanted to.

She had just opened a can of worms for herself.

"Word?" His deep, raspy voice sounded through her ears.

"What is he right about?" he questioned her.

In the spirit of being honest and transparent, Britain didn't hesitate to tell Priest what she thought. "I agree with him. You can't do both, at least I don't think so," she stated as if it were a clear concept he was having issues grasping.

"Why you say that?" He raised his brow. Truthfully, Priest felt another pain in his heart upon hearing his woman agree with J'Ru. He felt like if anyone would’ve backed him up in this mess, it would’ve been Britain.

"Priest," she let out in a deep breath. "What you're trying to do is impossible, especially when it requires two different versions of yourself.”

Priest pursed his lips as his orbs strayed away from her. Her words piled on top of him like a ton of bricks. "Heard'ju," he mumbled with a nod of his head.

"Do you really, though?" Britain tilted her head to the side. "Because it seems like every time we have this conversation, we stop at a set of crossroads." She folded her arms across her chest.

Priest ran his hand down his face. Just when he thought he was in the clear of any other heavy conversations, Britain managed to dump one onto him.

He was beginning to feel like he couldn't do right by anyone.

"Is this you gearing up to give me an ultimatum again?

" he mumbled as he massaged his temples.

A light scoff aired out of Britain as she was taken aback by his sly remark.

She rose from his lap, a scowl surfacing on her face as her orbs peered at him.

"I don't know if it's because you have a lot going on or what, but don't get any of this twisted," she motioned her hand between them, referring to their current issue within their relationship.

"I never gave you an ultimatum, Priest," she denied with a shake of her head.

"Then what was you leaving for New York? C'mon, Britain. That was an ultimatum," he rebutted as he slouched down in his seat. It was evident that he was ready for this conversation to be over, but she wanted otherwise.

Priest kept his sight off Britain. Instead, he fixed it on the landscape of the beautiful backyard. He felt her grab his face, steering his head in her direction so he was looking at her while they had their conversation.

"That was not an ultimatum," she remained firm in her stance of the conversation. "That was us at odds about something we couldn’t compromise on. If it was an ultimatum, it's evident you wouldn't have been able to make your decision."

Her response prompted Priest to stand up, towering over her with clenched jaws. "I can't believe you even fixing your mouth to say some shit like that to me. The choice will always be you. Haven't I been clear about that?"

"Then why'd you lie to me?" Britain questioned while looking at him.

Priest's face screwed up in confusion, unsure what Britain was even referring to. "What are you even talking about, Britain? Lying to you is something I never did and will never do."

"You told me you had everything handled, yet here we are, having a conversation about the same thing." Britain cut her eyes at him in deep frustration.

Completely depleted and ready to put an end to all the bickering, Priest ran his hand down his face and attempted to unwind his shoulders that had become tense.

He and Britain rarely had shouting matches, but the conversations they had without raising their voices were always the most intense.

"Hear me out, Britain. What exactly did I tell you when I asked you to move to Italy? "

"You swore you would give me the life you promised me. You said you needed peace, something you couldn't get from the city," Britain reminded not only him, but herself as well.