Page 41 of The Love of Priest 2

"Another thing! How do you expect me to nurse you back to health from this when you're all the way in Italy?! You think I trust you to be able to take care of yourself?! You don't even know how many painkillers to take when you have a damn headache! You call me for everything!"

"Is that what you really wanna fuss about or are you just spiraling?" Priest questioned with a weak smirk. Britain halted her pacing, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Priest, I don't think you understand the severity of this situation. I don't think you ever understand the severity of any situation," she fumed.

"Britain, I'm alive," he reminded her as he motioned toward his wounds. "Our biggest concern was either of us dying."

"And what about that?" Britain pointed at the ring once more.

Priest reached over, grabbing the velvet box. She watched as he shut the box, only for him to toss it aside carelessly. "Fuck the ring, Britain. It's clear that you're not ready for it."

"Don't put words in my mouth. I never said that," Britain corrected him.

Priest screwed up his face questioningly."Then what's the issue, Britain?"

"Italy," Britain blurted out. "That's the issue."

"Fine, Britain. I'll stay. Problem solved?" he decided, causing Britain to contort her face into a dissatisfied expression.

She shook her head, disapproving of his resolution to their issue.

"No, you don't get to do that. I'm not about to be that person who held you back from doing something for yourself," Britain told him.

"Then I'll have to live with your passive aggressiveness about you sacrificing the first thing you wanted to do for yourself to keep me happy. "

Priest sighed. "But you aren't that person, Britain. I'm not leaving because of you. I want you to come with me," he explained to her. "This ring, it isn't an incentive or something to pressure you. The only reason I haven’t proposed yet is because I wanted to do it right."

Britain glanced down at the velvet box before shifting her soft brown eyes over to him. Priest reached out for her, making sure to be cautious of his injuries. She huffed before placing her hand in his.

"I ruined your well-deserved proposal," Priest muttered, causing a chuckle to slip out of her.

Her laughter digressed once she locked eyes with Priest. "P, are you serious about this because this is a big step? We have a lot going on with Italy and now this." She gestured toward his bandaged gunshot wound that had just gotten stitched up.

Priest seemed to disregard Britain's second guessing as he grabbed the box.

He managed to open it, revealing her ring.

She tried her best to contain her smile as she watched Priest take the ring out of the box.

"I'm serious about this, Britain," he asserted as he took ahold of her left hand.

"We can make it all work. You just have to try with me. "

Britain gazed at Priest. This was a big step to take, and his confidence made her feel secure, but she still had her own reservations.

Her worries all came down to how they could uphold their relationship with Italy being such a prominent aspect of Priest's next stages of life.

Britain inhaled a deep breath before nodding her head.

"We compromise. I’ll have to be back and forth," she bargained.

"For how long?" Priest asked.

"Until I'm ready to leave New York for good.”

Priest wasn't too fond of the idea of Britain juggling two different lives and not being on one accord with him, but this was what compromise was all about. He nodded his head, agreeing with her suggestion. "And we don't tell anyone that I'm going to Italy with you until I’m ready," Britain added.

Priest furrowed his brows as a questioning expression etched his face. "You ashamed of me now?"

"Never. It's just—" She huffed out some air, trying her best to find the words to explain.

"I've done this before. Concede to a man I love because of his promises.

I've worked hard to prove to everyone that I don't fit that narrative anymore.

Don't make this a repeat." She shook her head with pleading eyes.

He pulled her closer, applying a light kiss on her head. "Gioia, you aren't conceding to me. This is a decision that we've come to terms with together. You do as you wish, G. I'll never allow you to become that girl again."

"Alright. I trust you," Britain told him, a light smile gracing her face that Priest mirrored.

He took ahold of her left hand, gliding the ring onto her ring finger. Britain leaned in, pressing her soft lips onto his. "I'm gonna make this up to you. You've got my word," he promised her.

Britain nodded as they pulled away from the kiss. There was a knock at the door. "We got a problem," Remy's voice sounded from the other side of the door.

"Come in," Priest told him.

"What’s the problem?" Britain asked with a worrisome tone. Jeremy grabbed the nearby remote, turning on the television mounted on the wall.

They watched Remy in confusion as he clicked through the channels before stopping on the news channel. Jeremy stepped aside, allowing them to view the television.

Their eyes scanned the screen, widening at the headline that streamed across the lower part of it.

PRIEST JUSTICE DEAD AT 28

"W-what? They can't report that!" Britain jolted up to her feet. "That's fake!" She then shifted her eyes between Priest and her father.

"Are you two gonna say anything?!" she snapped. Neither seemed to be as riled up about the news report as she was. It was clear to her that Priest wasn't actually dead, but news like that was tarnishing.

She watched as Priest carelessly shrugged his shoulders. "Let them think I'm dead," he concluded.

She gazed at him in shock. She couldn't believe he was actually going to go along with the false news. From her time spent with Priest, she knew he did some crazy things and brewed up crazy schemes, but this crossed the line.

"Well, then it's settled," Jeremy shrugged as he eyed Priest. "You're dead." He began his gait out of the bedroom, figuring that Priest and Britain needed some time alone to recuperate from the news.

As he was making his way out the door, he halted, fixing his attention on Britain. "And congratulations." He smiled faintly as he pointed to the huge diamond ring that was perched on her finger.

Britain glanced down at the ring before averting her eyes back to her father. With a smooth chuckle and shake of his head, Jeremy exited the room completely.

With a stressed sigh drifting out of her,Britain turned around to face Priest. He had his eyes already set on her, assessing her actions.

He could see Britain wasn't ready to showcase the big step they had just taken within their relationship.

He just wasn't sure if he should’ve taken it as her wanting to tell her family and friends the right way or her not wanting to tell anyone at all.

"This is crazy, Priest. So, what now?"

Priest averted his dark eyes from her and set them back in the television. The news was currently screening a live report of what the reporter claimed to have happened right before her eyes.

"We have to leave for Italy earlier than we thought."