13. Brittish Abernathy
Nyle hadn’t been himself lately, but he’d pushed his emotions to the side and planned a surprise date night for us.
Earlier in the day, he sent me a text, telling me to be ready at five because he was taking me somewhere.
I was nervous and excited. Nervous because I wasn’t sure what type of headspace he was in, and excited to just be with him.
Regardless of his mental state, Nyle still gave me reasons to love him. Despite that one time, he continued to give me the reassurance I needed. He listened when I said I needed him to let me know how he was. His efforts were there, and for that, I was grateful.
Nyle told me to dress comfortably. Since it was still hot outside, I wore a comfortable, matching short set with my wig pulled up into a high ponytail.
I wasn’t sure what we’d be doing, so I wore minimal makeup in case it involved sweat.
Hopefully, my night would end with Nyle’s sweat dripping onto my body.
We hadn’t been intimate in over a week, because I was on my period, but Mother Nature was gone, and I was craving my man.
When my doorbell rang, I grabbed my things and headed to open the door for him.
My lips stretched into a smile upon seeing us sporting the same colors.
The nude and black paired well with his complexion.
I gave him a nod of approval before taking the roses from him. He stepped in and lightly kissed me.
I thumbed my lip gloss from his lips and said, “Hey, handsome.”
“Hey, Pretty Lady. I see you’re trying to copy me.”
“Never that. I can bet you I had my outfit picked out before you even thought about it.”
He laughed, a good, genuine laugh that showed his teeth. It was one I’d missed. One I hadn’t heard since he’d been in a bad mental space, and it was like music to my ears.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “I picked this out when I got out the shower.”
“And I had mine picked out when you texted me, so I won.” I winked at him and went to put my roses in water before we headed out.
Hand in hand, we rode through the city. I was proud of Nyle, but I wouldn’t speak on it. He had become comfortable touching me without permission, and I loved how easy it seemed for him now.
The song I’d sung to him the other night filled the space around us. I hummed along, feeling the words in my soul. Nyle smoothly bobbed his head to it, and I caught him mouthing some of the words.
“Let me find out you like my taste in music,” I teased.
“I can’t front like I don’t. I’ve secretly added some of the songs I’ve heard with you to my playlist. You have me on my love stint, and I’m not mad at it.”
“I’m not either. You give me a reason to resonate with these songs, so I love listening to them.”
“It’s the same for me.” He leaned over and turned the music down. “I want to do something for AJ, but I want to make sure I’m not overstepping.”
“And what’s that?”
“Banks Callahan is having an event at the stadium, and I want to take him. AJ will be able to meet all the Cougar players, get autographs, and do some drills with them. I wanted to do it for the team, but I figured it would be a good event for us to take AJ to as a couple. One on one time with him will be good.”
“Oh, Nyle. He’ll absolutely love that. When is it?”
“Next month, I think. I gotta double-check. A part of me feels bad for only wanting to take him, so I’m going to reach out to the head coach and see if I can organize something at the facility for everyone who’s a member there.”
“That’s an amazing idea, honestly. I could see it being beneficial for your business as well because I can bet that you’ll gain new members.”
Nyle chuckled. “I thought that, too, but I don’t want it to be a thing where they only want to join for that month and leave. I want it to be useful to everyone who signs up beyond that.”
“Well, make that clear from the jump. You can’t control what people do, but you can encourage them to think about the future benefits.”
“You’re right, Brittish. I’m going to talk with my team about it and see how it goes.”
“Good.”
The rest of the ride was filled with silence. We made it to our destination, and I was excited to see the Maven Falls waterfall up close. It had been a while since I’d been there. While the distant view was beautiful, it didn’t have anything on the up-close view.
The waterfall rushed down against beautiful gray stone that surrounded most of the area, along with tall trees that were full of green leaves in the summer and red, orange, and purple in the fall.
I’d never seen such clear, blue water. The body it fell into was miles long, separating the park and hiking areas.
I was so engrossed in the scenery that I didn’t realize where Nyle was taking me until the strum of a guitar caught my attention.
My mouth hung open at the sight of a small band playing next to a closed-off picnic area. The R&B tunes they played immediately had me rocking to the beat and humming the words.
“Go head and let them hear you blow,” Nyle encouraged, grinning.
“I believe this is what you wanted all along.”
“Well, is it working?”
I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “It is. This is extremely thoughtful, Nyle. How long did it take you to pull this together?”
“Not long at all. When the idea came to me, I got on it right away. I have a few connections, so the process was smooth.” He stopped in his tracks and turned toward me.
“I just wanted to show you my appreciation. You deserved to be loved out loud, and what better way to do so than at the most beautiful place in the city.”
Nyle engulfed me in those strong arms, and we slow danced to the band.
I noticed other couples close by take advantage of it and do the same.
With my head resting on Nyle’s chest, I could feel my heart swelling more and more.
Amid his storm, Nyle showed me I was the sunshine through it.
I could only pray I continued to be that for him.
“I love you, Nyle.”
“And I love you, Brittish. If you can’t tell, today has been a good day for me. Surprising you with this has kept me going. It’s kept a smile on my face and pep in my step.”
“Mine too,” I admitted. “I couldn’t stop telling the girls today how anxious and excited I was to see what you had planned. I even told AJ about it. He told me to call him and tell him about it.”
“Make sure you do. How is he and Zaina doing?”
“They’re holding up. Her grandfather’s funeral was this past Saturday, so she’s been down. AJ said he and Asher have been doing what they can to make her feel better.”
“I’ve been praying for them.”
“I know they appreciate it.”
Once the song was over, Nyle and I sat on the fluffy blanket covered in a full spread. He poured each of us a glass of champagne, prayed over the food, and fixed our plates.
Taking my plate from him, I joked, “Now, I’ve never seen seafood at a picnic.”
“Well, you have now. It was Brielle’s idea. She said I should do something different outside of the normal finger foods.”
“Awww. You recruited your sister for help?”
“And Nannie. They gave me a few ideas and helped me find everything.”
“That was sweet of them.” I took a bite of my food and did a little dance from how good it was. “Whoever cooked this threw down, for real.”
Nyle agreed in between bites. “Hell yeah. It’s seasoned perfectly. I’m not big on seafood, but I could easily put this in rotation.”
“You and me both. So, my parents want to meet you.”
“I’m down. Just let me know when. It’s only right since you’ve met my family, and I already met your brothers.”
“Oh, Daddy wasn’t happy about that.” I playfully rolled my eyes and smirked. “He thought I set it up. I just knew he was ready to get into my ass about it.”
“I feel him. I don’t have kids yet, but if I have a daughter, I know she’s going to be my best friend. I’d want her to come to me before you or AJ, so I’d be salty if she had a boyfriend and I met him after y’all.”
Slowly, I put my plate down and stared at Nyle. “You can picture that with me?”
“And so much more. I’ve told you, Brittish. I see a life with you beyond what I’ve been able to comprehend for years. What? You can’t?”
“I can, Nyle. I see it all from now to the engagement to the wedding . . . I see life with you so vividly that sometimes it scares me.”
“Tell me. How would you want your proposal to go?”
That perked me up. I sat up on my knees with the biggest grin.
“First, nothing can happen without permission from Lucah Abernathy. We’re old school around here, and with me being the only girl, he wants to give his blessing.
As far as the actual engagement, I want all our family and friends around us to witness it.
It doesn’t even have to be anything extravagant, but I do want it to be a surprise.
It’s something I don’t want to see coming, something that’ll knock me off my feet. ”
Nyle smirked. “Noted.”
“How do you feel about women proposing to men?”
“You better not even think about that shit.”
We both laughed, but I knew he was serious. Trust me, he didn’t have that to worry about. I wasn’t on that type of time.
Everything was going well. Nyle and I were in our own little bubble, talking about love and life.
We hadn’t had a time like that in a while, and I was thoroughly enjoying it until his phone rang.
At first, he didn’t look at it. He ignored it and tried to continue with our conversation, but it immediately rang again.
“You should probably answer it, Nyle. It must be important if they’re calling back-to-back,” I encouraged.
“Thing is, I don’t know who it is. It’s an unknown number, and I don’t answer them or call back unless they leave a voicemail.”
Instantly, an overwhelming sense of agony washed over me.
It was as if my anxiety kicked into overdrive.
I couldn’t help but wonder if he thought it was who I thought it was.
Then again, maybe I was overthinking. Nyle was a busy man with a successful business.
It could’ve been anyone, but deep down, I believed it was the one person who had been haunting him for the last two weeks.
When his phone rang for the third time, I held my hand out. He handed it to me without hesitation. I blew through the circle my lips formed before swiping my finger across the screen and putting it on speakerphone.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hello? Who is this?” A woman’s voice came through the speaker, and Nyle’s expression dropped. His eyes widened as he slowly moved his head back.
“You called this phone, so who are you?”
“Is this not Nyle’s number?”
I glanced up at him, and he waved his hand in front of his neck.
“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure who that is. I think you have the wrong number.”
“Damnit. All right.”
Three beeps indicated the call had ended.
I tightly held Nyle’s phone while watching him.
His jaw was tight as he ran his hand over his beard.
Wrinkles lined his forehead along with tiny sweat beads that weren’t there before.
It was the confirmation I needed that it was her, but still, I had to ask to be sure.
“Was it her?”
He gave one simple nod before getting up and wiping his shorts off.
I assumed he was about to take a stroll by himself, but instead, he pulled me up with him.
Discretely, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I just knew he was about to pull away from me for the rest of the day, so I was grateful he kept me close.
Even in the silence, he let me know he needed me.
We didn’t speak one word as we took a lap around the park before going up under the waterfall.
It was a stunning sight, and it felt even better with the mist washing over us.
My arm was draped around his shoulder as I sat on his lap and massaged his scalp.
He seemed distant, but not too distant to where I couldn’t reach him.
“Are you okay, babe?” I inquired.
“Kind of. I have comfort in you. I’m learning to lean on that more, but I’m trying to figure out how in the hell she got my number. And the audacity of her to call me.”
“Do you have your personal number on your website or anything?”
Nyle snapped his fingers. “I bet you that’s exactly where she got it from. Brielle has been on me about getting a work number, but it keeps slipping my mind. I’ll get it handled first thing in the morning and change my number.”
“I understand.”
There was a pause before he asked, “Would I be crazy to call her back and demand answers?”
“That depends on if you’re mentally and emotionally ready for it.”
“I don’t think I ever will be, so I might as well get it over with.”
Gently, I tugged his chin so our eyes could meet. “Take a day and pray over it. Ask God what to do. Until then, put it to the back of your mind. I know it won’t be easy, but I’ll be right here with you.”
A sneaky smile graced his lips as his eyes got low. In one swift motion, he changed my position to where I was straddling him. Without warning, Nyle’s hand slipped into my shorts. I covered my mouth as a loud moan escaped when he started circling his fingers over my clit.
In a breathy tone, I managed to say, “Nyle. We are in public. Anyone can come around here.”
“Can you see the paths?” I whipped my head from side to side and nodded. He inserted a finger inside my opening and said, “Well, let me know if you see anyone. I need a distraction, and your body is the perfect one.”
That was all he had to tell me. I allowed him to finger me until he couldn’t take anymore.
Nyle’s dick was harder than the rock he sat on, so I freed it and eased down on it.
The pleasurable moan we released simultaneously caused us to pause and laugh before we got right back to it.
I’d never done anything so daring in my life, but watching my nectar coat his dick as I rode him was exhilarating.
I could only hope that the roaring of the waterfall drowned out my moans.
My man needed a mental distraction, and I needed him. It was a win-win for the both of us.