Page 91 of The Love of Priest 2
A heavy breath drifted out of her before she returned to resting her head on his chest, breaking their eye contact. Just when he was feeling like the suspense was suffocating and his patience was running thin, she finally spoke. "Why'd you go through my memory card?"
Hearing the question caused a tightness to surface within his chest. He definitely planned on having the conversation with Britain, but he didn't expect her to be the one bringing it up. He was sure she wouldn’t have been aware of him going through the memory card until he brought it up.
It finally clicked that he managed to be absentminded enough to leave the memory card still connected to the computer in the study.
With Britain surprising him with her return home, he wouldn't have known to return the memory card to its rightful place.
With guilt, he ran his hand down his face. "Don't lie to me," Britain advised him, her voice remaining calm and gentle.
"I didn't plan to," he asserted.
She rose from his chest, slipping herself from beneath the duvet that was covering them both. His dark hooded eyes hawked her, watching as she grabbed her robe, wrapping her body within it. "Then explain," she ordered as she folded her arms across her chest.
"I had it ever since the day you started reporting on my case for The Times ," he cut straight to the truth.
Britain’s eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah. I took it as collateral because I felt like you snaked me when you started reporting on the trial.”
Britain frustratedly ran her fingers through her hair. "Was that before or after I proved to you that I wasn't playing you?"
"It was before,Gioia," he clarified. "It just never crossed my mind for me to put it back.”
Britain eyed him, searching for a sign of dishonesty, and she couldn't pick up on any. Priest never lied to her. "That's fair," she stated. "But why'd you go through it after I spent the entire duration of this relationship and now engagement showing you that my loyalty is with you?"
"I don't know,Gioia. Just curiosity," he admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.
She stood there eying him, unable to find his explanation valid enough. Noticing the look on her face, he let out a deep sigh as he leaned his head back, becoming stressed. "I apologize for overstepping.”
"No, you can't apologize before I tell you why it's wrong," she shook her head. "You going through the memory card was you basically airing out my dirty laundry before I got the chance to talk to you about it. I don't appreciate it at all.”
"Gioia, I don't want you looking at it like that. What I saw doesn't define who you are to me or change my perception of you," Priest tried his best to reassure her.
"That's not the point, Priest. I've always given you the option to tell me about certain things that have happened in your past. You took that away from me the moment you went through those pictures and videos.
If I wanted you to know the full extent of that relationship and my pregnancy, I would have told you when I was ready," she concluded with a shake of her head, shaming him.
Priest couldn’t find it within himself to offer her a response.
She was right, and he couldn't do anything more besides agree with her.
After seeing what was on the memory card, Britain feeling as though he had overstepped and invaded her privacy was his biggest fear.
Unfortunately, it happened to come true.
"Say something," Britain urged him, tired of waiting for his response.
Priest sighed once more. "You're right, I shouldn't have gone through it. It was unfair to you and to the dynamic we have in our relationship.”
Britain pursed her lips as she nodded her head.
She didn't want to make this an issue. For the sake of being back home with him, she let it go.
"I'm not that woman anymore," she clarified while referring to the woman she once was on the pictures and videos he saw.
Britain nervously gazed down at her hands, hoping she had made herself clear.
Priest nodded his head as he rose from the bed. He wrapped a fresh towel around his waist as he made his way over to her. He lifted her head up, redirecting her gaze. "I know that, and I never thought otherwise." He smiled down at her before applying a kiss to her forehead.
Britain wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his chest. She feared his perception of her may have been altered.
Seeing all the horrible and bare minimum actions she used to accept would have caused any other guy to look at her differently.
Priest wasn't about to let her confusion about what love should feel like dictate how he would treat her.
He respected her completely, and if anything, seeing the way she took charge of her life after enduring such low moments made him respect and cherish her more.
"Remember what I told you. I'm here to build and strengthen you, be your backbone, not strip you of it," he refreshed her memory of the promise he made to her. "That'll never change."