Catching Feelings | Bwwm

26 | Carsen

I had two goals going into tonight. The first, making up for lost time. One week without Nala was like a week in purgatory and I never wanted to go back to that place again. Second, was to make sure Nala had the best time ever.

It's a Tuesday night, just after eight when I pull up to her apartment. I kill the ignition of my Porsche before I call her. It rings twice before I hear her voice on the other line.

"Hi Carsen."

"Come outside." I tell her.

"Why?"

"We're going out."

"The last time we went out at night I was worried I was going to go jail and see my face all over TMZ." She reminds me.

"But didn't you have fun?" I challenge.

"Maybe."

"So let's make it a two for two." I tell her before I hear shuffling which tells me she's moving.

"I'll be out in five minutes." Nala tells me before hanging up.

Five minutes later I see her walking out the building dressed in a jeans and a green turtleneck top. She walks over to my car but doesn't make any movement to get inside.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Am I going to need a lawyer after tonight?"

"No," I shake my head laughing. "But if we do, I know a lot of great ones."

"That's not reassuring." She replies.

"Just get in the car Curls."

Nala grumbles under her breath what I think is a prayer before she opens the door and climbs inside.

"Where are we going?"

"Just wait and see."

"I don't like surprises." Nala reminds me.

"You'll like this one." I promise her before driving off.

"You're in a different car every time I see you." Nala comments.

"I gotta keep you on your toes."

"This has to be my favorite though. It's sexy." She admits.

"Oh really? You want me to pull over so you can drive?" I ask her.

"I don't know how to drive." Nala confesses, shocking the hell out of me.

"What?" I whip my head towards her.

Nala shrugs. "No ones ever taught me."

"What about your brother?"

"He tried once but he doesn't have the most patience so we never tried again."

"Oh we're definitely changing that." I tell her.
Within twenty minutes we're pulling up to my garage. I kill the ignition and we both climb out.

"This is the big surprise?" Nala doesn't look impressed.

"Give me a little more credit than that, Curls." I tell her before entwining our fingers and lead back to the main house. We walk until we reach the screen door that would lead us to the backyard. "Close your eyes."

Nala does as she's told before I walk ahead and unlock the screen door before I go to stand behind her. "Do you trust me?"

I sure as hell hope she does after what the hell I did.

"I do."

"Keep your eyes close until I tell you to." I whisper in her ear before I guide her closer to the screen door carefully and slowly until we're standing in the backyard. "You can open it in 1...2... 3."

I can tell the moment Nala opens her eyes the second I hear her gasp. I put in a lot of work making tonight special and I hope this was a sign that she liked it.

There's fairy lights strung up in the air, a picnic set up for two which include a soft blanket on the ground, champagne, strawberries, popcorn and assorted candies and set up before us was a projector waiting for us to press play on the movie Never Been Kissed.

"Wh-what is this?" Nala asks, as she continues to take everything in.

"It's date night." I tell her while coming to stand beside her so I can take her hand.

     "Carsen, you did all of this for me?" She looks at me with her big brown eyes.

"All for you."

Wordlessly, Nala grips the front of my shirt and kisses me long and hard until we're both breathless.
I guide her over to the blanket and she carefully sits down as if she's afraid she'll crush the red rose petals sprinkled all over it.

     "So are you going to join me on this beautiful soft blanket?" Nala asks me and I take that as my cue to squat down behind her which she wastes no time in laying her back against my chest and I wrap my arms around her. "What are we watching?"

Instead of answering, I pick up the remote and press play and the movie Never Been Kissed begins to play. Nala squeals excitedly before tilting her head back enough to sprinkle kisses all over my lips and cheeks.

She's so fucking adorable.

"So what do you say? Did I do a good job girlfriend?" I ask.

"Definitely boyfriend." She grins. Seeing her smile like that made something in me stir to life and I just knew I had to capture this moment forever.

"Take a picture with me."

The smile instantly slips. "Why?"

"Because you're beautiful and I want to show the world who I get to call mine."

"Aww that's sweet Carsen, but you don't need to post me on your social media."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. So can we please take a picture together?"

Nala chews on her bottom lip for a moment before giving me a little head nod. "I guess since you want to show me off so badly." She gives a little exaggerated puff for show and I nip at her neck in response.

Nala yelps and playfully slap my shoulder, almost causing me to drop my phone. "Can you be serious for a second?"

"Fine, fine," She takes a moment to compose herself before settling back against my body and look towards the camera on my phone. I lean my chin ontop of her head and Nala smiles softly and I take the picture. We do another one of Nala kissing my cheek and another of us kissing before I decide that's enough and we should probably watch the movie.

For the third time that night, Nala settles down between my legs and I wrap my arms around her.

"Carsen?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" I look down at her with a knot between my brow, a little confused as to what she's thanking me for.

"For tonight. For everything. For being you." Nala tells me. "For being my compass."

I kiss the anchor just above her wrist. "Thank you for being my anchor."

     Nala smiles and in that moment I knew what it was that Nala stirred within me.

     It's love.