Karma

32| History Repeating

"Wait, so his ex-girlfriend showed up and said he got her pregnant?"

I slurped the rest of my margarita through my straw. After the 'incident' this morning, I hauled ass home in a cab, changed clothes, then met Abby for lunch. And drinks. Lots of drinks.

"Yeah."

"What did she look like?"

A fucking hag. "She was tall, blonde, and gorgeous." I scrunched my nose as I thought about my first impression of Jules. "She was super. . . I don't know. Fake. She's clearly had work done. She talks to you like you're worth less than the gum on her shoe.

"Wow," Abby replied with a shake of her head. "What a bitch. Do you think it's his?"

Dear God, I hope not. If that baby was his, I didn't know what I was going to do. Could I say with him if he had a child with another woman? With that woman? Ugh, what am I thinking. . . we aren't even together and I'm considering 'staying' with him.

"I have no idea, Abby. Whether or not she's lying, why wait so long to tell him?" I believed him when he said he hadn't been with anyone for over eight months. Maybe she really was lying.

Abby sat up in her chair and had a solemn look on her face. "Karma, what if it is his and he did know?"

I was already shaking my head before she finished her sentence. "No. No, absolutely not. He wouldn't hide something like that from me."

The Nathan Jenkins I knew wouldn't lie to me. Not about something as important as a child.

"I know you want to believe that, but, sweetie, he left you alone in a hotel room without an explanation. Then you haven't seen each other in over a decade. People change. You have. Maybe he has, too.

It pained me to admit that she might be right. We both have changed over the past thirteen years. We weren't the same people we used to be. Even so, deep down I knew that I wasn't wrong about this.

"No, Abby. It doesn't matter how long it's been. I know Nathan. He didn't know."

Her expression told me she didn't share the same belief. "I hope so, Karma."

I pulled my phone out of my purse and turned it on. When I left Nathan's house this morning in a rush, I turned it off. I knew he was going to call me, but I needed time to think.

Once my phone rebooted, I winced. I had seven missed calls. ALl from Nathan.

I got up from my seat. "I'll be right back Abby."

I walked to the front of the restaurant and stepped outside for a little privacy. I pushed one to call my voicemail and waited anxiously.

"Karma, if you get this, please call me back. I'm on my way to your place right now. Look, baby, I know what you must be thinking right now, but it's not true. I haven't been with anyone but you in almost a year. Please. We need to talk about this. I --- fuck. Look, we have a lot to talk about. Call me. Or I'll see you in a few minutes."

According to the message details, this was over two hours old. Shit. I listened to the second message.

"Karma, I'm at your place but your car isn't here. Please tell me you didn't. . . leave." He sighed heavily through the receiver. I could picture him pacing on my porch while running a hand through his hair when he left this message. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to wait here for you. I don't care how long it takes."

There was an odd note in his voice when he was pleading for me to tell him that I haven't let. A feeling deep inside told me he meant that he was praying I didn't leave him the same way he left me. I could understand why he would think that. This time It was him leaving the voicemails on my phone. It was him driving to my house looking for me. Funny, even though the circumstances are upside down and backwards, it was almost like history was repeating itself.