Loving Carter (BWWM/INTERRACIAL)

Chapter Seven

"Thanks again for taking me to get my bag." I smiled to Nina, pointing towards the bag in the backseat with my bag.

"Oh, it was no problem, really." She waved me off. "Glad I could help."

"Now the hardest part, is getting out of the car with my crutches." I chuckled.

"I can help you if you want." She gestured towards the crutches that was also in the back along with my bag.

"Oh no, you've done too much. Thanks, though." I shook my head.

"Carter, come on." She started to unbuckle her seatbelt. "I'll hand you your crutches and I'll get your bag. Simple as that." She took her keys out of the ignition, put them in her purse, then placed her purse on her shoulder and exited the car.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I said to her as she opened the door to the backseat. "I said I was fine."

"We both know you're gonna take all night getting into your dorm room, if you try to carry your heavy bag and walk on crutches at the same time. I don't know how you were gonna do it by yourself in the first place." She chuckled.

"Are you questioning my masculinity?" I joked with her, as she handed me the crutches.

"What does masculinity have anything to do with it?" She laughed, grabbing my bag and closing the door. She waited for me to get out of her car, before locking her car doors and walking towards the dorm building.

"I just realized how long of a walk this is to the building from the parking lot." I said. "I hate these crutches, they hurt my armpits."

"See, that's why I told you you needed my help." She chuckled, nodding her head.

We headed inside my dorm building and I signed in with my student ID. I thought she was going to hand me my bag and be on her way because I was waiting for the elevator to open, but she stood still beside me.

"Thanks for your help. But I think I've got it from here." I nodded my head. "Don't you have some work to do or something?"

"You must really not like people helping you." She said in a brisk manner. 

I looked at her for a few seconds, wondering if she was talking to me like that. "No, I like help, but like I said, I can take it from here."

"Wow, and you're honest. We've got a winner here, ladies and gentlemen." She clapped her hands, yet she still didn't hand me the bag. I kept looking at her with a serious face expression, but the woman would not budge.

I could tell I was making her mad by the way her jaw was clenching. Something in me wanted to keep firing her up just to look at the undeniably attractive sight. The way she grinded her teeth together to make her jaw bone stand out was very sexy to me. The first time I saw Nina, I always thought she had a nice face structure. I wondered what it would be like kissing up her neck; she wasn't a bad looking woman, so I was sure guys found her attractive all the time. She was pretty, but she didn't look better than Aniya. Aniya would always be the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but I wouldn't let her or Hunter know that—not if I wanted to live to see another day.

The elevator opened and there was possibly no way Nina was going to hand me the bag, so I said, "ladies first."

It didn't take us long to get to my dorm room, and when we did get there, I didn't even bother asking her to hand me the bag. I opened the door wide for her and she stepped into my small dorm room. Carlos and I didn't have plenty of space, but we got along just fine, so space wasn't an issue. Although, when his dirty boxers ended up on my side of the room, we had a problem. Carlos wasn't the tidiest roommate at times, and that was one thing I loathed about him.

"So, this is where you live, huh?" She said, gazing around the room.

"Yep." I sighed as I sat down on my bed, putting the crutches against the wall. She placed the bag on the edge of my bed and awkwardly stood in the middle of the room.

"So, um, thanks for helping again." I said after a moment of silence. "I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, as you can see."

"It's no problem." She nodded her head. "I'm used to clients like you."

"Clients like me?" I snickered. "And what are they like?"

"The ones who don't care to ask for help or want it, when they know they need it. I don't mind putting up with stubbornness, it's apart of my job. I've met some pretty crabby people while helping my dad." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, you're not wrong about me not wanting to ask for help." I chuckled. "I'm sorry, if I was being rude earlier."

"Carter, it's fine." She waved me off. "Well, I guess I should get going. Oh—and before I forget to ask you, have you been massaging your ankle?"

"Yes." I stated, but it sounded like more of a question.

"Carter, that's very important." She pointed a finger at me.

"I'm sorry." I laughed, raising my hands in defense.

"Let me make it up to you." I didn't know where my ounce of confidence came from, but I was inviting Nina to stay a while with me. "How about I buy dinner? We can watch some movies on my laptop and order pizza."

"This sounds like a date to me." Nina narrowed her eyes, tilting her head to the side.

"I promise it's not a date. I just want to properly thank you for helping me and putting up with my bad attitude." I tried again.

"Fine." She smiled. "I'll stay a while, but only if you let me pick what toppings are on the pizza."

"Of course." I nodded my head.