Karma

41| No More Secrets: Part 2

This was my chance. Right here, right now. I needed to make things right with Karma.

I climbed into the tub and sat across from her -- just like the day of my accident. This time she didn't hesitate to slide forward and straddle my thighs. She grabbed the sponge and added soap and water before she started running it over my chest.

When I couldn't stand the silence anymore, I said, "I want to tell you about. . . that night."

She continued to run the sponge over my body; not even stopping to look at me. "You seemed pretty adamant about not telling me. What's changed?"

My shoulders rose and fell as I exhaled a heavy breath. "I love you, Karma. More than anything. I made the mistake of leaving you --- well, I was going to say once but it was twice -- and I want to fix it. I don't want to live without you. I can't live without you." I squeezed her thigh gently. "I knew there might be more issues when I tell you the truth, but you're more than worth it."

When I took a deep breath and opened my mouth to finally tell her the truth, she put her fingers to my lips.

"Don't," She whispered. "I already know."

My brows formed a deep V. "You -- you know? How do you know? When did you. . ." I rolled my eyes. "It was Lanie, wasn't it?"

She smoothed her fingers across my brow. "One question at a time, baby."

The endearment caught me off-guard. She hasn't called me anything other than Nathan since we first split. She was probably avoiding it to protect herself from getting hurt. Great job, Nate, you fucking asshole.

"Yes," she breathed. "I know that my mother told you about my scholarships. I know that she forced you to break up with me." Her eyes fell to the silver chain I had around my neck. Ever since she gave it back to me, I refused to take it off. "It wasn't Lanie who told me, Nathan." Her eyes flickered to mine. "It was my mom."

My eyes went wide with surprise. I never in a million years expected Mrs. M to tell her the truth. "She told you? When?"

"Today, actually." Her mouth quickened into a sad smile. "I was bawling over ice cream and The Notebook when she called me. She could tell I was upset and insisted that I tell her what was wrong." She exhaled a deep breath. "And I did. I told her that you and I've been trying to make it work and that, even though we still loved each other, you couldn't be with me if you couldn't tell me the truth."

"And then?"

"Then," she continued. "She told me everything. She told me she came by your place and that she basically forced you to end it. She told me how she and my father just wanted the best for me." Her voice dropped lower and her bottom lip quivered a little. "She said that you rather I hated you. . . then them. Did you really say that?"

This is what I was trying to avoid. "Yes. I knew how close you were to them." I closed my eyes tight before I said next part. "It was the way I was with my parents before they died. But yours were still here. That's why I kept it a secret. I didn't want to give you a reason to hate them, Karma."

She shook her head. "That's the problem, Nathan. I am so angry about what happened. But it was my parents who decided to make adult decisions for me and try to control me. Not you."

"But I--"

"Let me finish." I nodded and she continued. "I'm angry with you, too. Because you chose to do what they said and broke my heart. You gave up on us. Then you never told me. All this time. . . and you never told me the truth." She licked her lips nervously. "I can't help but think that if you told me sooner, we could have gotten back together sooner."