Page 23

Stopping the car in the parking space next to Britain's vehicle, Priest let out a sigh. He and Britain had finally made their way back to Harlem, and that little ounce of vibrancy and thrill he had back in the Hamptons disappeared rather quickly."Wow! I miss the Hamptons," Britain sighed longingly as she stared through the windshield at her apartment building.

Priest chuckled. "Word? Next time we go, we'll stay longer."

Britain nodded. "Or maybe forever," she hinted, and Priest took note of it.

With a light smile, Priest nodded. "I can make that happen." Removing the key from the ignition, Priest got out, planting his Jordans on the gravel of the parking lot. He made his way around the car and opened Britain’s door, assisting her out of the car. It was nearly noon, so they still had a full day ahead of them, especially Priest.

As Britain made her way toward the door, Priest grabbed all her bags for her. After locking the car, he followed her into the apartment where she let out a deep dreading sigh which Priest found amusing. "I missed it here. It's real homey," Priest laughed.

"Is that you trying to be nice about how small my apartment is?" Britain turned on her heels to eye him.

Priest shrugged. "If I was fucked up, I would ask where's the rest of it, but you know I'm respectful," he teased her, causing her to lightly punch him in his chest with a laugh of her own.

"You're so stupid," she laughed as she navigated her way through the apartment to get to her bedroom with Priest following her. He sat her bags in her bedroom closet before returning to her bed. He plopped down on it dramatically, drained from the three-hour drive he committed himself to earlier that day.

"You hungry?" Britain asked Priest as she ridded herself of her jacket.

Priest nodded. He was not turning down food, especially if she was cooking. "Starving," he exaggerated as he lifted his shirt to rub his stomach.

Britain chuckled. "I guess I'll get started on cooking while you?—"

"Sleep," Priest mumbled as he grabbed a pillow and put it over his face.

"Yeah, while you sleep." She lifted the pillow from his face, hovering over him with a smile. Priest kept his eyes shuttered closed, but he could feel her presence nearby. Licking his lips the way he knew Britain couldn’t resist, he smirked once he felt her lips against his. "Okay, now you can sleep, Sleeping Beauty."

"I think you got the story wrong,Gioia." His eyes fluttered open, captivating her with their long lashes and deep soul plunging orbs.

Britain let out a sigh. "Just let me be funny, Priest. Jeez," she stressed.

Priest nodded with a light smile. "Heard’ju.” After one more kiss, Britain left Priest to sleep while she went to figure out what she could utilize in her fridge to make a full meal to feed a man with his appetite.

Her eyes scanned the shelves of her fridge and freezer, coming up with absolutely nothing to cook. She let out a deep huff of frustration before shutting the doors. As she trudged back to her bedroom, Priest's light snores slithered into her ears.

"Priest." She ran her fingers through his hair, trying to wake him up gently so he’d be able to go back to sleep.

With his eyes still closed, Priest responded. "Yeah."

"I have to go buy things to cook," she informed him.Priest’s eyes fluttered open as a yawn escaped his lips.

"I'm up." He stretched his limbs, preparing to get out of bed.

"No, you stay here, and I'll go get the things," Britain assured him, pushing him back into the bed. Britain stood up, putting her jacket back on. Priest was skeptical about letting her take the trip alone, but he knew how much Britain enjoyed being independent, so he was going to sit this one out.

He nodded before laying back down. "A’ight. Stay safe.”

“Always,” Britain assured him before picking up her keys so she could make her out.

Locking the apartment up behind her, she made her way to her car. She played light music through the radio as she drove to the nearest grocery store.

The drive to Whole Foods took a total of fifteen minutes. A few incidents in traffic had her attitude on ten. Roaming the parking garage, she finally pulled into an empty space and placed the car in park. Already having an idea of what she wanted to cook, she sauntered toward the elevator with the motivation of easing her and Priest’s hunger.

Once the elevator stopped inside the Whole Foods supermarket, a slight smile graced her face. One thing Britain loved was trips to the grocery store. Something about the white buffered tiles, stocked shelves, and fresh produce reminded her of her childhood. She could remember her mother making her, Brixton, and Brea walk hand in hand with each other as she roamed the aisles, picking the finest produce and the most organic products. Occasionally, they would be treated with sweets if their behavior for the week was up to par. Her mother’s constant monitoring of their sugar intake was one of the reasons Britain had such an insatiable sweet tooth as an adult. As kids, they were only allowed to have the slightest amount.

Gliding the cart along the smooth tile floors, Britain embarked on her journey up and down the aisles. She decided to commit herself to doing her monthly big shopping trip at that moment instead of only buying enough to cook. Skimming the wine section, Britain decided to grab her favorite wine, Meiomi Rosé, from the shelf. "Oh, what the hell," Britain shrugged as she grabbed a second bottle and placed it in the basket of the cart.

As Britain continued to push the cart down the aisle, she halted abruptly at the sound of her name being called. The voice shook her ears and rattled her heart, disturbing her peace immediately. "Britain, that's you?" The voice continued to ask as if the sight of her was the most joyous thing they'd seen in a while.

Turning around with a tight-lipped smile, Britain's orbs were met with the person her cycle all began with. He kept his handsomeness. He still had his sharp jawline, long, seducing and irresistible lashes, and tempting pouty lips, and his smooth mocha skin radiated underneath the great lighting Whole Foods had to offer.

Cameron Combs . He was there in the flesh, having the same effects he had on her years before. Still suave, still possessing that style and flavor that kept her wrapped around his finger. He still made her heart race and skip beats. He still made her mouth salivate. He still made her knees want to buckle. He still held so much fucking power.

She cleared her throat before subconsciously adjusting her posture since Cameron hated slouching. Quickly, she adjusted her hair and tucked it behind her ears since he also hated when hair cupped her face too much to hide her beauty. Britain made sure not to smile too wide since he didn't enjoy the sight of her gap, but she also made sure not to smile too weakly since she knew if Cameron could tell her smile was forced, he would call her out on it.

"Yeah, it's me." Britain nodded her head, keeping her response as brief as possible.

"Man, how long as it been?" He reached over, giving her a hug to her dismay and against her preference to keep a foot of distance between them. "Last time I seen you, you weren't this big. You look… how can I say this?" He thought to himself momentarily, unaware that he was already breaking Britain down piece by piece. "Healthy." He snapped his finger with an accomplished smile since he thought he found the word that best described Britain’s appearance.

Again, Britain cleared her throat. The weakness within her just wanted to burst out and cry, but remembering all she'd learned in the years of being away from him, she kept face and remained strong. "Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself." She waved a hand over his appearance.

Cameron never left the house unless he was dressed to perfection. His jewelry was always right, and his outfit always looked like he pealed it straight off the front cover of a GQ magazine. This time, he was wearing a black turtleneck that accentuated his toned midriff. He paired it with a storm gray overcoat. His charcoal black chino slacks were secured around his waist by a designer belt with a medium-sized gold face buckle. A pair of Alexander McQueen sneakers adorned his feet. Accessorizing his attire were his gold chains, gold Movado watch, and his solid gold wedding band.

The sight of the ring on his ring finger caused Britain’s stomach to churn and twist into knots. He’d moved on from her so easily, while she was still battling all the baggage and damage he left her with. "So, what's happening with you? Anything change over the years?" Cameron asked with his beguiling smile prancing his face. She noticed he had enhanced his appearance with a set of pearly white veneers that only made him even more irresistible.

Britain shook her head. "Not much. Just been relaxing a whole lot more and not overdoing it with work." As much as she tried to make her life seem more interesting, she couldn't. Her life really hadn't changed much. She wasn't married yet. She hadn't signed off on her dream house or her dream car. She wasn't expecting her first child. She hadn't opened her own magazine company like she dreamed of. Nothing had changed .

Cameron chuckled. For some reason, Britain felt like he was belittling her. "That's good to hear. I was sad to see you didn't show up for the wedding. I would have loved to have you there, Brit."

Britain gulped at his shortening of her name. Luckily for her, it didn't cause any butterflies in her stomach anymore. In fact, it actually made her feel sick.Gioiawas the only nickname that now made her heart flutter.

Gioia.

That was what she needed to do at the moment. Channel her innerGioia!

"Well, for starters, congratulations." Britain smiled widely at him, showcasing the gap that Priest found so much beauty in. She ran her fingers through her hair, untucking the strands from behind her ears and letting her tresses cup her face beautifully. "I really couldn't make it. It clashed with my travel schedule with Jadey. I remember you had your wedding during my birthday week," Britain let out cattily.

She could tell he was bothered by the sight of her radiating smile and the leisurely placement of her hair. He even noticed her starting to slouch a little, which made him want to squirm. "Your birthday week?" Cameron asked for clarification, causing Britain to nod.

"It all worked out, though. I got my trip to Tulum, which you failed to take me on after planning to go year after year, and you got married, something you said you weren't interested in. I guess the stars aligned differently for the both of us." Britain continued to flash her smile. She felt liberated by her freedom to talk to Cameron in any manner she pleased. Now, she held the control and all the power. The cycle was in her hands. He no longer had the luxury of toying with her emotions and feelings.

Cameron’s brown eyes peered down at Britain. He wanted to be abrasive and correct her on the fact that he was interested in marriage, he just wasn't interested in marrying her, but he was going to let her have her moment of redemption. He knew exactly what to say to bring her back down to her empty levels of confidence so he could pity her. "I guess things did work out," he shrugged with a slight smirk. "You like wine, right?"

Britain nodded. "Well, I am on the wine aisle," she pointed out sarcastically.

"Right," Cameron chuckled. "My wife, she just closed on a huge account, and I want to celebrate with her. What was your favorite again? That one was delicious." He smiled, recalling the numerous times she cooked and served him with a hefty plate and a glass of wine.

Britain wanted to scream; however, she maintained her composure. Grabbing one of the wine bottles she had placed in her cart — one of the same bottles she wanted to crack Cameron over the head with— she held it up for him to read the label. "Meiomi Rosé," he read aloud with a smooth chuckle. "Hopefully, a bottle of this won't be a complete waste. She doesn't really drink much after having the baby."

Swallowing hard, Britain fought to keep herself together mentally and not allow Cameron to see her in shambles. "Baby? Congrats. I didn't know you were a kid type of guy," Britain eased out.

Cameron shrugged his built shoulders. "I mean, I wasn't—well, not at the time I was with you of course— but now, my baby girl Dreux is my pride and joy."

"You named her Dreux?" Britain asked with a hint of shock invading her tone.

"Yeah," Cameron eased out, acting as if he was embarrassed by it. "I hope you don't mind. It was a nice name. Didn't think it should go to waste."

Scorching in anger, Britain concealed her pain with another smile. Her smile was a bandage for all the rough shit she went through in life. "I guess there are two Dreux's now."

Cameron chuckled, agreeing with her before halting his light laughter. "Well, one," he corrected. "Our Dreux is no longer with us, but me and Avery's Dreux is still here blossoming." He had just twisted the knife he impaled into her heart with absolutely no remorse.

Britain cleared her throat. "Right." She nodded. "I should get going to prepare dinner for my boyfriend?—"

"Boyfriend? You're still dating?" Cameron asked.Britain nodded in confirmation, no longer wanting to continue the conversation with him. As much as channeling her inner Gioia was working at first, Cameron saw through all that bullshit and hit her where it hurt the most. She had failed miserably once more. "Really? Who is he? I may know him." Cameron was more than ready to downplay whoever Britain called herself moving on to. He knew there was no one who could captivate Britain the same way he captivated her.

Britain let out a sigh. She prayed what she was about to say next wouldn't jeopardize how well things were going for her at the moment. "Priest- Priest Justice," she informed him. "Again, I should really get back. It was so nice seeing you." She quickly began pushing her cart out of the aisle. As she turned to the next aisle, she took a quick glance at Cameron. He looked absolutely stunned by the name that fell off her tongue. He stood there processing as if he couldn't even believe Britain in the first place. However, one thing he knew about Britain was that she never lied, especially about things pertaining to her life.

Still standing in the wine aisle, Cameron extracted his phone from the pocket of his overcoat, heading straight to the search tab. Still shaky from shock, his thumbs tapped against the screen, typing Priest Justice into the search engine, resulting in a numerous different articles and photos popping up on his screen.

A tightness surfaced in Britain's chest as she tried her best to keep her cool so she could finish her shopping. She decided to cut her shopping short and just grab the things she needed for a quick dinner for her and Priest. She scurried over to the checkout, hoping and praying to God above she didn't run into Cameron again. Once she was out of Whole Foods, she rushed to her car, practically tossing the groceries inside.

As she slid into the vehicle, the dam she constructed to prevent any tears from cascading down her face came crumbling down. Loud cries erupted from her as her shoulders slouched, and she buried her face in her hands.She didn’t mean for her cries to be so loud, but she couldn't help it. Since breaking up with Cameron, Britain vowed to never cry over him. Her entire healing process consisted of her acting like he didn’t even exist. That was the only way she knew how to cope without wanting to crawl back to him.

Ceasing her cries rather quickly, Britain desperately wiped her face, trying her best to leave no signs of her tears for Priest to pick up on. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled down the sun visor and flipped open the mirror, examining the look within her eyes and the trail of tears that stained her face. "Get it together, Britain," she mumbled to herself before flicking the sun visor back up.

On her way home, she tried her best not to let her thoughts drift off to Cameron, and they didn't. Instead, they began drifting off to a matter that was much heavier than Cameron: Dreux. The fact that he found it appropriate to name his daughter with another woman Dreux was just beyond Britain. She felt disrespected, like he had just hacked up the nastiest ball of spit he could brew and spewed it right into her face.

Britain's mind enslaved her in such a trance that she didn’t even realize she had made it home until she realized she was unable to park her car right next to Priest’s because another vehicle occupied the space. Her eyes widened in fear at the sight of her mother's car parked next to his. "Shit, shit, shit, shit," Britain panicked as she hurried out of the car after parking it.

She forgot all about the groceries in the car as she sprinted toward her apartment door. Twisting the doorknob, she was grateful to see that the door was left unlocked, making things quicker for her. Upon barging in, Britain blurted out, "Ma, what are you doing here?!"

Priest and Seven were sitting opposite of each other on the couch, enjoying some conversation which seemed to be happening effortlessly. Britain, who came barging in like a madwoman, threw a wrench into their conversation as they eyed her with their brows furrowed, wondering what the issue was. "Well, hello to you, too." Seven shook her head.

"This—" Britain stammered as she motioned her hand over to Priest, referring to him.

Seven and Priest both chuckled. "Well, Mocha, I'm sure the young man wouldn't like to be referred to as this ." Seven eyed her.

Britain let out a sigh before running her fingers through her hair. The fact that not only had she just endured one awkward run-in with Cameron, but now she was enduring another with her overly prying mother, was just far too much for one day.

"I actually wouldn't," Priest spoke up with a smirk, knowing how nervous Britain was at that very moment with her mother sitting right there before her.

Britain cut her eyes at Priest before averting them over to her mother who also had a toying smirk on her face. "What brings you by, Ma?" She shot her mother a forced smile.

"You know I drop in from time to time to do my wellness check on you, Brixton, and Brea—" She halted her conversation with Britain and averted her attention to Priest. "Those are her younger siblings," she explained to him.

Britain was sure her mother just wanted to drag out her stay to see how well she and Priest interacted with each other. From the conversation she had with Priest, it was evident that he liked her daughter. However, there was no established title for what the two shared.

"Ma, I get it. Wellness check. But usually, you call to let me know you may or may not pop up. Did you stop doing that?" Britain inquired.