Page 9

Chapter Eight

For third night that week, Priest sat before Britain allowing her to delve into the depths of his life.The way he told his story was almost as if he were narrating someone else's life. He was just so disconnected from his past. Britain was taken aback by how many trials and tribulations he faced during his upbringing.

Priest found her animated facial expressions amusing.When she didn't agree with one of his choices, she would scrunch her face up. If she found awe in a moment, her eyes would glisten. If she was angered by something, her brows would scrunch together.

This time around, Britain was studying Priest. His gesticulations, the way his face contorted when he got to tell her things that disturbed his peace, and his tone. She took note of it all in her journal.

Priest let a sigh escape his lips as he took a glance around the diner. They were the only two left in the restaurant, which had become a usual occurrence for them since Priest always set the time to meet up at eight in the evening. Britain was no longer late since she was much more comfortable. However, she had been losing a lot more sleep due to her nightly outings with Priest.

"I think they're closing, Britain," Priest stated as he watched their usual waitress stack the chairs on top of the tables.

Britain jerked her head up from jotting things down in her journal to take a look around as well. She hadn't even noticed they were the last two in the diner. Her cheeks heated sheepishly as she faced Priest, who had a light smile on his face.

"I didn't even notice," she told him before sliding out of the booth. This time around, the two strayed away from ordering any food. Instead, they both satiated their sweets cravings by ordering milkshakes. Priest had a classic vanilla shake, while Britain had birthday cake.

"Same time tomorrow?" Priest raised a brow as he pulled money from his pocket, leaving an outstanding tip for the waitress like he'd been doing for the past two days.

Britain looked up at him. "Actually, I was hoping to hear more."

"The diner is closing," he reminded her with a light laugh before holding the door open for her to exit the restaurant before him.

Britain shrugged. "C'mon, it's New York. There are tons of places that are open until the next day," Britain attempted to convince him to stay out late as she glanced down at her watch. It was only eleven in the evening.

The night winds picked up rather quickly, causing Priest to shove his hands into the pocket of his Nike hoodie. "Weren't you the one complaining that you've barely gotten any sleep in the past three days?" He peered down at her with a comical smirk playing on his face. Britain rolled her eyes dramatically with a wave of her hand as if she were dismissing him.

"Let me worry about my fucked-up sleep schedule."

Priest nodded. "Alright then. Where to?"

"Just follow me." She laughed lightly while getting into her vehicle.

Priest stood at the curb where both he and Britain's cars were parked. He eyed her as she started her vehicle, waiting for him to get into his and do the same. A short chortle escaped his lips while he simply shook his head at her. Lightly, she tapped the center of her steering wheel, producing a light honk of her horn. Her tinted window descended, and she craned her head out of it.

"You stuck or something?" she asked.

Priest shook his head. "Nah. Where you taking me?"

"For you to be the one packing here," she pointed to the concealed weapon in the waistband of his jeans. "You sure do seem wary."

Priest chuckled. "I ain't wary of nothing. I’m just making sure you ain't tryna knock me off," Priest said as he began making his way to his car parked behind Britain's.

Britain found him comical. She accelerated her vehicle with a small laugh. Britain, who was never one to stay out too late, truly had nowhere else to go aside from home. She knew she was taking a risk by bringing Priest to her apartment, especially since he wasn't trusting of anyone, but she was going to push the envelope with this one. Her apartment was only a few minutes away, and they arrived in no time. Britain parked her car, and Priest did the same. Priest rolled his window down slightly, sticking his head out of it.

"This your place?” he asked while Britain got out of her car. She now had a backpack hanging from her shoulders while her keys were in her hands.

"Sure is. It's safe. No need to take your piece of safety," Britain jested while making her way to her apartment door. She could hear Priest close his door and lock up his car before his footsteps tracked behind her. Her breath hitched once Priest's left hand fell gently upon the left side of her waist. She was distracted from finding her apartment key to get in, and Priest noticed. Amused by her sudden timidness, he pushed his luck and placed both hands on her waist.

Britain was sure he was getting a kick out of this, so she focused less on the fact that this was the closest Priest had ever been to her and more on unlocking her front door. The tumbler of the locks sounded off before Britain pushed the door open so they could enter.

"Welcome to my lovely abode." Britain smiled while gesturing her arms in a welcoming manner.

Priest laughed at her welcome as he stepped into the apartment completely, shutting and locking the door behind him. "It's nice. You have a good eye for design," he complimented her decor that was much brighter than he would have gone for with the different shades of taupe, yellow, and brown.

"Thank you. I like my place to be vibrant," she said to him as she slipped out of her Nike Dunks. "Feel free to take a seat wherever you like except my favorite spot." She pointed at the single-seated sofa that was big enough for her to lay in comfortably and angled perfectly for the television.

"Is it cool if I go take a shower? The air conditioning in my mom's clinic went out today, so I feel icky," she explained with a revolting expression etched on her face.

Priest nodded as he defiantly took a seat in her favorite spot, earning an evil eye from Britain. "Go ahead."

Britain folded her arms across her chest while peering down at him as he reclined in her favorite spot. She wanted to let out something witty, but she refrained from doing so since he was allowing her to take up some of his time with a shower.

"Remote is next to the lamp. Help yourself to whatever is in my kitchen, Except for my candy. I will go to war with you about my sweets," she warned. Britain was letting him slide with sitting in her spot, but her candy was a whole different topic.

Priest let out an amused snicker, finding her infantile ways amusing. "You don't have to trip. My sweet tooth is gone for the rest of the day," he assured her.

"Mhm," she hummed out while side eyeing him. "That's what they all say."

While Britain went ahead to freshen up from the hell-like heat that encapsulated her mother's office, Priest simply sat back and relaxed. He enjoyed the silence, especially since lately, he hadn't been getting much of it. His phone was constantly going off with people giving him heads ups about what the media put out about him, not to mention the number of times his lawyer called him in a day to keep him updated on his trial. Priest definitely wasn't buckling under pressure, but he sure as hell needed a vacation, which he wouldn't be getting since the courts deemed him a flight risk. His fatigue began getting the best of him, and his head slowly drifted back as his eyelids shuttered down. In the distance, he could hear the water running in Britain's shower.

As soon as he felt himself drift off into a slumber, he opened his eyes, adjusting his slouched posture. There was no way he could fall vulnerable and get lost in sleep while he was at Britain's apartment. Although she was unfolding the deepest and darkest portions of his life, Priest still didn't trust her, and it would take more than a while for him to do so.

Running his calloused hands down his handsomely constructed face, he woke himself. Priest took Britain up on her offer to her kitchen. Navigating through the fairly small apartment, he found the kitchen with ease. A clean kitchen was always a joy for him, and Britain seemed to find joy in it as well. Her counters were spotless, along with her appliances. The floors were so polished and tidy, Priest could slightly see his reflection within the tiles. Absolutely nothing littered her counter tops or her sink. Everything was picture-perfect.

Reaching his hand out, Priest opened the fridge and couldn't help but to chuckle at the fact that everything was stocked as if it were in a grocery store, and it was color coded. Britain had some serious OCD, which Priest picked up on whenever they went out because Britain made it a requirement to stack their empty plates neatly to make the clean-up process less of a hassle for the waitress. If one thing was out of place, she would let out a bothered sigh and stack the plates up all over again.

Scanning his eyes over the inventory of the fridge, Priest helped himself to a bottle of water. Standing at one of her counters, he chugged down the bottle of water in one go.

"Thirsty much?" Britain teased while shuffling into view. Priest hadn't noticed she had wrapped up her shower. With a light laugh, Priest gazed down at her. She had changed into a pair of oversized sweats and a basic graphic tee shirt that she chose at random. Since coming across her at Remy's place, Priest hadn't seen her dressed up and glammed up since. He honestly preferred it that way. Britain was constantly busy throughout the week, so she leaned toward her minimalist style, causing her raw beauty to speak for itself. Priest had to admit that out of all the time he'd spent with Britain, right now she looked the best. She was comfortable and effortlessly gorgeous. Her hair was out of the bun and damp, causing it to hang at her shoulders. Britain had ridded her face of any make up, causing her complexion to glow and a natural highlight to be visible.

Priest leaned against the counter with his arms folded across his chest. "Always talking shit, yo," he chuckled, causing Britain to shrug. Priest and Britain went back and forth a few times since they were both witty at the mouth and always wanted the last word, but it was all fun and games.

Britain trudged into the kitchen, bypassing him with a chortle. She reached up, opening one of her cupboards and revealing her sacred stash of sweets. "Ouu, a man of your word. You really didn't touch my sweets." She nodded in satisfaction.

Priest nodded confidently. "Maybe some other time. That milkshake did it for me." Britain, who could binge on sweets forever, went ahead and grabbed herself a snack-sized pack of watermelon flavored Sour Patch Kids.

"You're missing out, buddy," she shamed Priest while opening the candy.

"I bet I am." He let a smirk play out on his lips. Britain exited the kitchen, and he followed. She ended up claiming her favorite spot as her own, but that didn't stop Priest from reclaiming his spot on the sofa as well. Britain stale-faced him before she ended up in laughter. "What you laughing for?" Priest asked with his head leaned back against one of the pillows that decorated the sofa.

"The fact that you find it okay to be in my favorite spot, all up in my personal space," Britain told him with a fraudulent attitude that she played out well with a roll of her eyes. He gazed around the apartment, his eyes landing on the other couch that was adjacent to the one they were both seated on. He definitely wasn’t giving up his spot next to her to go sit all the way over there.

"I ain't in your personal space." Priest reached out and placed his hands on her sides. "Now I'm in your personal space." He licked his lips as Britain gazed into his hooded eyes. In one swift movement, Priest secured Britain's body in his strong arms and moved her onto his lap so she was now straddling him.

Britain blinked at him as if she were trying to figure out what she should do next. Just like before they entered the apartment, Priest found Britain's rare silence and timidness comical. "Finally got you to shut the fuck up, huh?" He smirked.

Britain rolled her eyes. "Shut don't go up," she retorted childishly.

Priest laughed. "Your heart rate going up." She jumped at the feeling of Priest's palm being gently planted against her chest. Her body defied her mind’s instruction as a content expression etched his face at the feeling of her heart pounding against her chest in nervousness.

"I don't sugarcoat things," Britain shakily let out. "Yes, I am nervous sitting on your lap, but I'm somewhat intrigued to find out what your next move is," she admitted truthfully as she tried to contain herself. Priest was making it harder than she expected. Lust blistered through his dark orbs as he tucked his bottom lip between his perfectly aligned teeth that were white like porcelain.

The intense eye he had on her was slowly causing Britain to fold up. Priest was more than just handsome. After the three days the two spent together just talking, she was pleased to discover that he held a lot of substance, and his intelligence did not fall short. He was generous, thoughtful, and considerate, but that only made Britain wonder how he could be those things after being screwed over by the world so much.

Priest could tell Britain was in deep thought by the way her eyes seared into his without a sense of nervousness. Her small, cold hands had now found their way from his shoulders to cup the sides of his face.

"You're stronger than you think, you know that?" Britain's voice was low and soothing to his ears. Priest felt a sense of ease wash over him after Britain's encouraging words resonated with him. He was so used to everyone just expecting him to be aware of his strength. He battled the courts day to day, along with the media, and it didn't stop there since he knew a lot of people out in the streets wanted his head. It was just nice to get some reassurance because honestly, he sometimes doubted himself.

Priest had yet to let Britain into his current dealings. They were still traveling through his childhood and upbringing. He knew when he fully opened up about the things he had done and had to do, she would be a little taken aback, but that was truly his story. Whether or not she was accepting of it would determine if he would pursue her. He didn't want any skeletons to be hidden in the closet for her to discover unexpectedly. Just like he would like to know what he was getting himself into, he was sure Britain would appreciate the same.

He lifted his right hand from Britain's side and lightly caressed her face. Her chestnut shaded eyes were full of sincerity, causing Priest to feel compelled to delve into the risky waters of Britain. He inched closer to her, and their lips brushed over each other's. Her hands pulled themselves from the sides of his face before reclaiming their place on his broad and built shoulders. Priest leaned in, applying his lips to Britain's, and they immediate melted into the feeling of affection from one another. Britain wrapped her arms around his neck while he secured his massive right hand behind her neck so he could lead the kiss in dominance.

Their tongues slipped into each other's mouths slowly and euphorically. Britain felt a shiver slither up her spine as Priest controlled the pace of the kiss. It was mild and wasn't messy at all. Nothing felt rushed since they were both taking their time and getting acquainted with each other on a much more personal level. Britain felt her heart palpitating against the surface of her chest while thoughts rushed her mind one after the next. She wasn't sure how they managed to get themselves into this position, but from the jolt of exhilaration that sparked within her from the collision of their lips, she couldn't say she cared to figure it out.

A sudden vibration coursed its way through from his phone that was in his front pocket. As much as they didn't want to put an end to the delightful feeling of having their lips against each other's, they pulled away. Timid as ever, Britain got off his lap so she could think about what had just occurred. She was willing to give him some privacy for the phone call, so she opted to get up, but Priest stopped her from doing so with the grip of her waist.

"Yo," Priest answered the call.From the caller ID, he was aware that it was J'Ru calling.

"Yo, check the news now," J'Ru told him with a sense of urgency and annoyance sounding off in his tone. Whatever story the news was airing had him pissed.

Retrieving Britain's remote from next to the lamp, he aimed it at the television, turning it on. Priest turned the channel to the news station that seemed to be running laps around him. Britain tried her best to focus her attention elsewhere, but once she heard his name on the news, her eyes were drawn to the television.

J'Ru, who was still on the line, heard the background noise of the television airing the news. "Yo, I thought you said this was handled."

"I did," Priest confirmed. "Somebody dropped the ball." Priest set his eyes on the news that was giving details on the merciless slayings of five police officers and a male who was deemed to be in witness protection for the trial that surrounded Priest. The details of the senseless act weren’t gruesome to Priest since it was exactly what he wanted, but he only wanted Tony dead, not the fucking cops who were babysitting him. Now six families were grieving as opposed to the one Priest didn’t give a fuck about after Tony crossed him.

"We need to figure this shit out now!" J'Ru stressed, unsure how they were going to wiggle out of the disaster they now had at hand.

Priest detached his eyes from the television that seemed to captivate all of Britain's attention. She was now feasting her eyes upon the countless photos of Priest that appeared on the screen while the anchor discussed how he could potentially be involved in the invasion of the safe house and the six murders that happened within it. Priest stared at her, hoping to get some sort of reaction. She didn't show signs of anything, not even fear.

"Look, meet me out in Harlem around ten in the morning," he instructed before ending the phone call with J'Ru.

Priest rose from Britain's couch, putting his phone back into his front pocket. When he came in, he had taken off his Nike hoodie, so he went ahead and put it back on. Britain was too focused on the television to even notice him doing so.

"I gotta head out." His baritone voice rattled her ears, causing her to shift her eyes from the television and onto him.She nodded her head, pursing her lips in a light smile.

"Meet me at the diner later today?" He peered down at her as she remained seated.

Britain shook her head. "Just meet me here."

"No longer want to be in public with me, huh?" Priest questioned her.

Britain glanced up at him, not understanding why he chose to assume rather than ask her why she was opposed to meeting at the diner. "You aren't some secret of mine. I could care less how people perceive me when I'm out with you," she let out truthfully.

Priest nodded his head in a satisfied manner. That was the sign he was looking for. "I'll stop by later.” He extended his hand to her, and she took it without any hesitation. Hand in hand, they made their way to the door. Priest opened the door to exit, but before he stepped outside, he and Britain shared a hug. Being wrapped in his arms made Britain feel invincible. He gave her a sense of security no man had ever given her before, not even Cameron. She and Priest shared goodbyes with a light kiss on the lips, which caused Britain’s smile to spread from ear to ear. Priest made his way to his car with the same prideful and confident gait she loved so much.

He is a man!