Page 55

With a bit of reluctance, Britain nodded. "It's not entirely your fault, P. I should've told Frankie the truth from the start," she said, taking some of the blame.

Priest sighed as he rested his head back against her couch stressed. "Aight, so what we about to do?" He ran his hand down his face.

A heavy feeling of guilt weighed on him. If he knew Frankie had come over to fire Britain, he definitely would have been less of an asshole. Britain leaned down, pecking his lips gently. "You do nothing. I'll figure it out," she assured him.

Priest smacked his lips. "Listen. This is our problem now," he took responsibility. "Stop trying to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone. I got you."

Britain gazed down at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "Okay," she agreed.

"I know someone who’s plugged in with a few media outlets. I'm not sure what exactly you're interested in, but I can get you writing for someone," Priest said to her. "You don't need The Times . They didn't appreciate you enough anyway.”

A shrug rolled off Britain’s shoulders. “I kind of want to do my own thing. It’s always been a dream of mine.”

Priest nodded his head, liking the idea of her branching out on her own. “Whatever you need, Gioia, I got you. I’m backing you 110 percent.”

Britain cupped his face in her tender hands. "You make life so much easier," she praised him before kissing his lips repeatedly.

Priest chuckled, basking in her kisses. "Really? Even though I just got you fired?" He hiked his brow up, contradicting her statement.

"It just wasn't meant for me," she smiled. "But you are, though, so it all works out."

Priest gripped her waist as he gazed into her soft brown eyes. His bottom lip was tucked between his perfectly aligned white teeth, causing Britain to feel a swarm of butterflies fill her insides.

"I love you, playa." He snapped out of his trance with a smirk while extending his fist to her.

Britain laughed lightly before pounding his fist. "I love you too, playa." Priest held her in his arms for a while, content with just being in her presence.

"I visited my mom today."

"Word? How that go?" Priest asked.

Britain let out a sigh. The conversation she had with Seven weighed on her mind heavily. Seven was clearly hurting from her situation with Jeremy, but she just wouldn't let anyone in to help her sort things out. "We ended up talking about Rem, and she shut down."

"Sounds like someone I know." Priest side eyed Britain, hinting that she acted the same exact way.

Britain gasped dramatically. "I do not." She hit his chest lightly.

Priest smacked his lips. "Let's be realistic, Gioia. You act just like that. I just know how to navigate around it," he shrugged his shoulders.

With her arms folded across her chest, she hiked her brow up. “How?”

Priest sat up, his hands now gripping her rear. "I get you comfortable. In your own space. At your time. At your own will." He applied light kisses along her jawline before proceeding to flutter kisses down her neck.

Britain basked in his soft touch, slowly losing herself in the process. "Ugh," she groaned in an infantile manner. "Stop trying to seduce me when I'm asking for advice."

Priest lifted his head from the crook of her neck with a laugh. "I wasn't trying to seduce you, but is it working?"

Britain’s eyes seared into his, laughter flowing out of her. "P, I'm serious." She hit his chest lightly again.

"Alright, just go over to her spot and let her vent to you. She's gonna be defensive at first, but you can't argue with her. Learn to understand her. Everything she says won't be easy for you to receive, but that's her truth. Let her get it out," he explained to Britain, hoping he could offer some sort of help.

Britain let out a sigh, taking note of what Priest had just told her. "Thank you." She wrapped her arms around him for an embrace.

"It's nothing." He waved her off.

"My pops invited you over for dinner," Britain smiled lightly.

"Stepdad?" Priest raised a brow before Britain nodded in confirmation.

"He's really nice. A lot less intimidating than Rem," she chuckled. "I won't pressure you into going. It's whenever you’re ready."

"Nah, it's cool," Priest assured her. "Set something up, and I’ll be there," he told her, causing the smile on Britain’s face to widen.

She was very family oriented, but her family operated differently. They didn't like smothering each other. Most of the time, she and her siblings went months without talking, not because they had bad blood, but because they understood everyone lived their lives separately. What she loved about her family was that no matter how long they went without speaking, they never made it awkward if the other called for help. Things were just organic and genuine between them.

What had Britain really excited was the fact that she was going to be introducing Priest to a family atmosphere. He had spoken to her a multitude of times about not having that while he was growing up. He sort of had to make his own family, and that saddened Britain a bit.

They spent the rest of the day in each other's presence, just like they enjoyed it.

"We still on for dinner tonight?" Britain asked Priest as his eyes scanned his phone momentarily. Priest shook his head, causing a small frown to embed itself on Britain's face. "Don't trip. I have something else planned. J'Ru got this bright idea," Priest chuckled while handing his phone over to Britain.

Britain’s eyes gazed down at the device and read the text that had just come in.

J'Ru : Let’s bring the hood out for Jamari and Tasha .

Received 5:48 PM

Britain furrowed her brows. "I'm sorry. I don't speak hood nigga," she said as she handed the phone back to Priest.

Priest laughed. "Just go get dressed in something casual," he instructed her as he lightly tapped to her rear.

With Britain’s help, Priest had been slowly building his wardrobe in her closet. He kept a few looks stashed away just in case he wasn't feeling up to heading over to the penthouse to get dressed. It was convenient. Plus, Britain kept his side color coordinated and sorted just like she kept her side. By seven that evening, both Priest and Britain were ready to head out. Priest stood in front of Britain, giving her a once over and taking in the look she considered to be casual. She was clothed in an all-white two-piece set which she complimented with a striking bold red lip that made Priest bite down on his bottom lip lustfully.

Britain let out a light chortle as Priest stepped closer to her. "You can't kiss me. I'm wearing red lipstick," she warned him while holding her hand up to his face.

Priest scoffed, disregarding her warnings. "Britain, tell that to a motherfucka who gives a fuck," he scoffed as he wrapped his hand loosely around her neck, pulling her closer to meet her lips for a kiss.

Britain laughed in the midst of the kiss as Priest draped his arms around her waistline and palmed her plump rear.When they pulled away from each other, Britain was pleased to see that her lipstick hadn't transferred onto his lips, nor had it smudged.

They made their way out of the apartment, Priest locking up behind them. "Where exactly are we going?" Britain asked as he assisted her with getting into the front seat of his i8.

Britain couldn't help but fawn at the look of excitement etched on his face as he leaned back in his seat while he drove. "It'll be fun. You just have to trust me with your life."

Britain screwed up her face, giving him a crazed look. "P, did you just say my life ?" she asked him.

Priest nodded with a laugh. "I got you. You'll enjoy it." Britain rolled her eyes and decided to not question Priest any further. Although he had her second-guessing tonight, she truly did trust him with her life. She just liked giving him a hard time.

Eventually, Priest stopped the car in a familiar area. Britain recalled pulling up to these exact projects to hang out with Priest for the block party he invited her to. That night, they had a great time. A smile masked her face as she looked around. Great vibes were all over. Music was playing, drinks and good weed were being passed around, and there was food. One thing about Priest was that he knew how to party, and Britain had grown to love hanging out with him and his people.

"If you wanted me to throw this ass back at you tonight, you could have just said that," Britain teased Priest, causing him to laugh loudly.

"You're wild." He shook his head in amusement as he made his way around to assist Britain out. The door glided up in the air, emulating wings of a butterfly, and Priest gave her his hand, aiding her out the vehicle. "I'm fucking with this all white," he complimented her.

Britain smiled up at Priest. "Thank you. I'm cute, ain't I?" She posed momentarily so Priest could take in her full look.

“Sexy as fuck,” he added with a smirk.

Although Britain was acting as though she was perfectly fine, Priest knew the matter of her cutting ties with The New York Times was still weighing heavily on her mind. If she wanted to have a good time tonight to keep from overthinking, Priest wasn't going to stop her.

Hand in hand, Priest and Britain made their way toward the crowd. Priest was able to locate J'Ru and Kaymen with ease. His eyes drifted to the right of Kaymen, noticing that Jadey was accompanying him. "You cool with being around her?" Priest asked Britain as they continued making their way toward the group.

Britain nodded. "I'm learning to forgive." She peered up at him with a light smile.

He smirked down at her, proud to hear that she was taking a step in the right direction. Priest slapped hands with both J'Ru and Kaymen before politely greeting Jadey, and Britain did the same. There was some slight tension, partially because no one expected Britain to speak to Jadey.

Britain definitely wasn't going to act as if everything was normal between the two because it wasn't. She no longer trusted Jadey, and quite frankly, a friendship was nothing without trust.

"You ready to ride out, Britain?" J'Ru smirked.

Britain’s brow rose. "I have no idea what that means," she laughed lightly.

J'Ru, Kaymen and Priest all laughed for a second. Kaymen then reached behind him, grabbing a helmet and handing it off to Britain. "You gonna need this, Brit," he teased.

"Wait a damn minute." Britain shot them all a crazed look as she held the helmet in her hands. "You're trying to kill me?" She snapped her head in Priest's direction.

They all laughed, including Jadey. She had truly missed her best friend's personality, but after talking with Kaymen, she realized she had to give Britain time. What she had done was traumatic to Britain, so it wouldn't turn out good if she kept pressuring a conversation.

"It ain't fun if it ain't dangerous." Priest hooked his arms around Britain's shoulders, leading her off toward a trailer that was hooked to a pick-up truck. Priest lifted the door of the trailer, revealing various dirt bikes and four wheelers. Over the years, Priest, J'Ru and Kaymen had picked up on the hobby of bike riding and did it as often as they could. What they usually did was just show up in the hood ready to ride, and people would join them. It was definitely a sight to see. Plus, it gave everyone a rush of adrenaline, even those who weren't the ones riding the bikes.

Tonight would be different, though. J'Ru had sole intentions for the whole hood to pay respect to Jamari. Everyone agreed to ride a route that went through the projects to the park where Jamari was fatally shot and then ended at Tasha's house, where they would send her condolences and pay respect.

Priest loved the idea and was glad J'Ru was able to make something happen on such short notice. Tasha and Jamari's little brothers, King and Jaden, definitely needed something to uplift their spirits. Britain and Jadey stepped aside, allowing the men to unload the trailer with their respective bikes.

"Don't be scared. You aren't gonna get hurt. They do this all the time," Jadey leaned over and whispered to Britain, assuring her of her safety. She had joined Kaymen a few times, and she was skeptical at first, but now, she found it exhilarating.

Britain smiled lightly while nodding her head. For some odd reason, she couldn't find it within herself to speak to Jadey like normal. She just didn't know what to say. Britain didn't want to lead Jadey into thinking that everything was fine, but she also wanted to take that steppingstone in the direction of forgiveness.

The smile on Jadey's face diminished once she realized Britain wouldn't be serving her a verbal response. Her attempt to alleviate the awkwardness wasn't accepted well, and it slightly embarrassed her. Jadey knew she deserved it, but she also felt like Britain needed to give her some sort of sign. Would they ever be friends again, or should she just let things go?

Jadey let out a deep sigh of frustration. "Britain, I'm sorry," she blurted out, repositioning herself right in front of Britain so she couldn’t avoid her. "I've been apologizing for months, and I haven't gotten a response yet. Tell me something, Brit," Jadey pleaded with Britain.

Britain pursed her lips sheepishly. Jadey's outburst was drawing eyes to her, and she hated the feeling. "Can I even get the chance to explain myself? All you've been doing is killing me with the silent treatment, and I can't take it anymore."

"Jadey, this isn't the time." A sympathetic look flashed across Britain's face, as she hoped Jadey would let things die down.

Jadey huffed out a heavy breath with impatience and frustration embedded within it. "Then when is, Britain?" she snapped.

"You don't get to choose," Britain retorted in an indignant tone before brushing past her to head toward Priest.

Priest was seated on his four-wheeler, his eyes observing Britain's body language and the look of annoyance that was visibly etched on her face. "You good?" he asked her, placing his hands on her waist as she stood before him.

Britain nodded. "It's not about me right now. It's about Jamari," she reminded him, not wanting to be grilled by his intense eyes.

Priest glanced at Jadey, who was now wrapped in a conversation with Kaymen. He was sure Kaymen was helping her regain her composure. "Heard'ju." He nodded.Britain leaned down with a sly smile, pecking his lips with a kiss.

"Hop on." He smirked while moving up to make enough space for her to get onto the bike behind him.

Britain released a sigh, encouraging herself to get onto the bike. Priest turned around, assisting Britain with putting on her helmet. "Where's yours?" Britain asked Priest once her helmet was secured.

Priest chuckled with a shake of his head. "I don't need one." He winked at her.

"P, don't kill me," she whined as she locked her arms around his torso.

"Love you too much to ever do that," he told her before revving the engine of the bike. Kaymen pulled off with Jadey before J'Ru followed. The revving of the bikes caused Britain to jump a little, and her heart completely fell to her stomach once Priest took off at full speed.

Behind them was a rally of bike riders who were going just as fast as they were. After being petrified for a second, Britain couldn't deny the fact that riding on the bike was thrilling and fun. She could barely hear anything past the wind brushing against them.

Seeing Priest in his element of pure joy was so astonishing and honestly arousing to Britain. Priest went shirtless as he rode the bike. His diamond chains and flooded watch glistened against the illumination of the streetlights that towered above them. Whenever he passed anyone who was riding slower than him, he would laugh arrogantly and tell them to catch up.

Everything he did, he did with some sort of finesse and a whole lot of fucking style. He was irresistible. Kaymen, J'Ru and Priest rushed through the streets, leading a great abundance of bike riders through the route of remembrance for Jamari. Britain clung to Priest for dear life whenever his inner daredevil was triggered and he hit a sharp turn or pushed his luck by standing up while riding. The sight of the line of bikes and four wheelers brought smiles to the faces of the many people they passed. It was just an overall great energy surrounding everyone.

As they approached the park where Jamari's life was taken, the sadness was trumped with jubilation and excitement. Despite the reason for this whole occasion, they were making the best of it. "Son, hit that shit!" J'Ru urged Priest with a wide smile on his face.

Priest did as he was told, hiking the front half of his four-wheeler up into the air in a wheelie. Britain screamed in fear of falling, which caused Priest to laugh. He decided not to torture her any longer, bringing the bike back down and leveling it on the road.

"You good back there?!" Priest shouted over the wind so Britain could hear him.

She gave him a shaky thumbs up, evoking some more laughter out of him. With her confirmation that she was okay, Priest brought the bike up into the air once more, this time going higher and lowering Britain closer to the ground. Britain could hear the excitement and shouting from everyone as they praised Priest for the risky trick. Britain decided not to be so afraid and simply enjoyed the ride. Priest leveled them back onto the ground once more, allowing her to let out a sigh of relief.

While riding through the park, everyone shouted prayers and well wishes up to Jamari who was now looking down from Heaven.

"I hope you banging up there in heaven, little homie! I love you always!" Priest called out to Jamari, which put a smile on Britain's face. Priest truly loved Jamari like he was his own. Britain was happy that Priest was coping with the traumatic loss of Jamari in a much more positive way, rather than channeling his anger out into the streets.

They drifted through the streets, heading toward Jamari's house. The heavy feeling that weighed on Priest's heart was beginning to alleviate itself. He had prayed hard for some type of relief, and Jamari listened.

"You're a real gem, P." Britain rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to hang onto him.

"‘Preciate it, Gioia," he thanked her.

Eventually, they arrived at Jamari's house. The neighborhood was fairly quiet, and the intrusion caused multiple homeowners to peek out their windows and step out of their homes.

"Yo Tash!” J’Ru cupped his hands around his mouth, calling for Tasha to come out.

Their bikes could be heard a block down. Tasha didn't think they would be stopping at her house. With her sons, Jaden and King, Tasha peeked out the window. Her eyes scorched with tears at the sight of so many people gathering outside for her son. Jamari really had that effect on everyone. She had taught him to be kind, loving, and open. His charm and smooth talk were attained as he grew up, and Priest, J'Ru and Remy had played a huge role in that.

At the sight of Priest, J'Ru and Kaymen, King and Jaden rushed outside. Priest got off his bike, squatting down with open arms so he and the boys could share an embrace. "We're out here ‘cause Mari wouldn't want us to leave y'all hanging," he told them, ruffling their low curls.

Tasha had finally emerged from the house. She was still broken, and it was evident. Her long dreads were piled sloppily on top of her head, showcasing her drained face. She had visible bags underneath her eyes that had come from long nights of simply crying. Priest had managed to check in with Tasha earlier that week, and she still managed to be wearing the same set of black sweats paired with a regular oversized tee. She was depressed and going through the woes of losing someone who meant the world to her, someone who belonged to her. She had the right to not want to do anything. That was her grieving process, and everyone accepted it.

As she descended the short steps with her furry night slippers that Jamari would occasionally lounge in around the house, everyone cheered her on for encouragement. Even if she went back to feeling low, right now, they wanted her to feel as high as ever. Jamari's spirit was with them at that very moment, and they wanted to share that great feeling with her.

Overwhelmed by the amount of love she was receiving, she resorted to falling into J'Ru's arms and burying her head in his chest. For the first time, she wasn't crying because she missed her son dearly. She was crying because her son had been a blessing to everyone within his lifetime.

Britain took her helmet off, smoothing down her hair in the process. Her heart filled with warmth at the sight of Tasha receiving the comfort and support she needed. Britain wrapped her arms around Priest's waist, a smile etched on her face.

Tasha was eventually able to gather her emotions. She lifted her head from J'Ru's chest, wiping her tears. "Thank you," she croaked to everyone. "This really means so much to me, and I know it means the world to Mari. I'm so glad that each and every one of you got to experience his greatness. He made everyone smile, and that was what people loved about him most. With all of you being here, I now know I'm not alone in this grieving process. He was everybody's little man," she laughed lightly though her tears that were still cascading down her face.

Britain removed her arms from around Priest to allow him to comfort Tasha. Priest wrapped his arms around Tasha, consoling her through the pain.

"Jamari promised he was gonna take care of you when he got older. I'm gonna fulfill that promise," Priest spoke to her in a low tone. Jamari was his mother’s everything. He helped out with the kids, ran the household while she was at work, and most importantly, saved her the stress of constantly thinking about him getting into the wrong things. Jamari always bragged about how he was going to have his family living good when he got older. It was a shame that he wasn't here to fulfill that promise.

Priest always promised Jamari he would look out for him. This was the only way he knew how. As far as Priest was concerned, Tasha, King, and Jaden were going to be good with absolutely no worries at all.

Itwas three in the morning when Britain and Priest got back to the apartment. They drove in a comfortable silence, still basking in the love and unity they were able to experience for Tasha's sake.

Priest locked the doors behind them once they were inside. "I've been doing it all wrong," Britain murmured as she plopped down on the couch.

Priest furrowed his brows. "Doing what?" he asked her.

She glanced over at him. Her eyes were already beginning to glisten with the tears she was fighting hard to hold back. "P, I miss her every second of every day," she broke down in tears. "I never cried. I never grieved. I never openly said I missed her. I simply acted as if it never happened.” "That's not okay," she cried out.

Priest wrapped his toned arms around her. Britain had fixed herself up so well that even she forgot she was broken once upon a time. She dismissed every thought and feeling of pain, not even acknowledging the fact that she had been through some tough shit. Even Priest couldn't stomach some of the stuff she had been through.

Britain was tough, but she wasn't that tough.

"How you chose to cope doesn't make you less of a person or a mother. You did what was best for you and your stability. Now, you've come to a point in life where you're comfortable with peeling those layers back," Priest preached to her in his raspy voice as his hands gently stroked through her hair. "You're one of the strongest, most passionate and most loving women I know. Don't crucify yourself for how you handled things prior to learning the right thing to do. As long as you made it through, the rest doesn't matter"

Britain laid her head on Priest’s chest, letting his strong heartbeat bring her to ease. Tears continued to cascade down her face. She was finally confronting her own emotions.

"Don't run from shit anymore. Let your emotions take you wherever they need to. That's how you heal." Priest kissed the top of her head lightly.