Karma - Forbidden Hearts Seri...

By shaylamariam

403K 17.4K 2.5K

Completed | They say karma can come back to bite you in the ass. As a retired Special Forces Sergeant, Nate J... More

Introduction (Read Me!)
C A S T
1| Seeing Ghosts
2| Teddy Bear Dates
3| Friend With Benefits
4| Lanie Knows All
5| Danger Zone!
6| The Other Karma
7| Girl's Night
8| Failed Experiments
9| Cat & Mouse
10| Missed Opportunities
11| Emotional Pinball
12| It Comes In Waves
13| Cupid's Bow
14| Mama Knows Best
15| Timing Is Everything
17| What Could Have Been
18| Twisting the Knife
19| Apology Not Accepted
20| Inevitable
21| Just Like Old Times
22| Ramifications
23| Playing With Fire
24| Dream A Little Dream
25| Second Chances
26| Welcome to the Club
27| Five Hours
28| Birthday Exception
29| Edge of a Cliff
30| Curious Karma
31| Baby Mama Drama
32| History Repeating
33| Jealous Jules
34| Restrained
ATTN: #NARMA Fans
35| Nurse Karma
36| Bon Appetite
37| Ruined
38| Bad Idea, Good Intentions
39| Grand Gestures
40| No More Secrets: Part 1
41| No More Secrets: Part 2
42| A Little Skin
43| One for the Books
44| Reminiscing
45| Good Karma...Or Bad Karma?
Epilogue
One Night (Book 1)
Writing Lanie (Book 2)
Tryst (Book 4)
Falling Into Place (Book 5)
Heartstrings (Prequel)

16| Resistance

7.3K 374 41
By shaylamariam

"You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you, Karma?" 

I always got overwhelmed when he talked to me like that. His eyes told me he was being sincere, and I trusted him; but I still couldn't believe that he felt that way about me. I've known Nathan since forever. I knew him. He was known as a ladies man through high school. He had a different woman on his arm every week. 

I was skeptical at first when he wanted to date me. I didn't want to become another notch on his belt or another conquest that he boasted about to his friends. But I knew that wasn't what was happening. Not with me. When we were together, he never looked at other girls. When I would see girls approach him at school, he would brush them off. He didn't know that I was watching from across the courtyard. He did it on his own. 

His parents and Lanie were out to dinner tonight and he snuck me in. We made love in his bed and I was now laying beside him. I fiddled with the silver chain around his neck. I bought it for him for our three month anniversary. He's never taken it off. 

"You didn't answer my question," he said quietly. 

My eyes met his. "I don't know how to answer it." I always considered myself pretty; but beautiful? No one has ever really called me that except Nathan. When he said it, I believed it. 

"Feel that?" Nathan asked me, placing my hand on his chest. He smiled as he looked deep into my eyes. "That's what you do to me, Karma. You make my heart race. You haunt my dreams and my thoughts. It's you. Only you." 

He brushed my hair out of my face and rubbed his nose against mine playfully. I laughed when it tickled me and pushed him away a little. 

He rolled me over so I was underneath him. He held his body up with his outstretched arms. When he looked at me this time, I could tell there was something he wanted to say to me; but he seemed to have trouble getting the words out. 

He leaned forward and gave me a deep kiss. When he pulled back, he ran his thumb over my bottom lip. "I love you, Karma." 

My eyes widened. "You—what?" 

"I love you. Only you."

My eyes watered and I choked back a sob. I don't think I have ever smiled so big in my life. 

"I love you, too, Nathan." 

"Ms. Fitzgerald? You can go back now." 

I looked up from the picture of Nathan and I that I had stashed in my purse. I had been looking for my Chapstick when I saw the picture. All I could think of after that was the moment he told me he loved me. Then I heard the nurse call me. She was standing right in front of me. Shit. How long had she been calling me? I slipped the picture back inside my purse before I got up from the chair. 

"Thank you," I said to her before I headed to my dad's room. 

When I got the text from my mom that he was awake, I got out of the pool, changed, and left my parents' house. Nathan offered to come with me, but I told him it was probably better if  I went alone. My father just woke up and was going to be a little groggy. I got here fifteen minutes ago and had been waiting in the ICU waiting room. 

I pushed the door open to his room. "Knock, knock." 

My mother wasn't in the room, which was surprising. My dad was in the bed watching TV. His eyes fell on me and he held his arms up. 

"Karma! What are you doing here?" 

I ran to his bedside and gave him a hug. "I wanted to be here for you. I heard what happened and I flew right down." 

"Did your mother put you up to this? Did she make you fly down here?" 

"No, daddy. I came on my own. How are you feeling?" 

My father sighed and shrugged. "I'm okay. Better now that my chest doesn't feel like a horse kicked it. They said I should be able to get discharged sooner rather than later." 

I raised a suspicious brow. "I'm not taking you out of here unless a nurse tells me themselves that you can leave."

"Don't believe your old man?" 

I laughed. "Not a chance." 

My father hated showing any signs of weakness. If he had the strength to do it, he would run out of this place this instant. There was no way in hell I was taking his word for it. 

"You aren't staying in a hotel are you?" 

I shook my head. "No, daddy. I'm staying at your house." I tucked my hair behind my ear. "Um, there's also one other thing." 

He looked up at me cusiourly and waited for me to continue. 

"Nathan is here, too." 

He frowned, trying to place the name. Two seconds later, recognition dawned on him. "Nathan Jenkins? He's here?" 

"Yes. Lanie asked him to fly down for support. You know, for you, mama, and me. He's been sleeping on the couch."

I knew my father was surprised, but I suspected him to be angry. He seemed more...anxious. Why? 

My dad looked up at me. "Are you and Nate..."

"No," I answered quickly. Too quickly. "He's just a friend. I ended up being his physical therapist and we're friends." 

"Good," my dad said with a nod. "That's good."

"Do you need anything?" 

"No, sweetheart. I'm okay. I just need to rest."

"Okay," I said before I sat on the chair in the corner. "I'm going to be here if you need anything." 

I flipped through a random magazine while my father slept. I tried to think about anything except the kiss with Nathan. It shouldn't have happened and I needed to make sure it definitely didn't happen again. I couldn't get back together with him. I couldn't risk opening my heart back up to him again. 

I needed to talk to him about the kiss. Either that or I could just ignore it. Pretend it never happened. Yeah, that seemed like a better idea. The kiss never happened. Kiss? What kiss? 

Chime—chime 

I pulled out my phone and opened the text message. 

Nathan: Hey. How is he? 

I quickly typed my reply. Me: He's okay. kind of out of it. 

Nathan: Yeah that's to be expected. 

Nathan: How are you?

I could almost hear the gorgeous at the end of that sentence. He used to always call me that. When he did less than an hour ago...that was the first time I heard it in over a decade. So was the kiss. I crossed my legs. It never happened, it never happened. 

Me: I'm okay. Thank you for asking. I'm going to stay here with my father tonight. I'll be home in the morning.

A few minutes went by before I got his reply. 

Nathan: Okay. Do you need anything? 

Me: I'm fine, Nathan.

I cursed under my breath when I sent that. I was frustrated and he knew it, too. I was frustrated that my father was in the hospital, frustrated being around Nathan, and for the kiss that shouldn't have happened. 

I waited and waited for a reply back from him. It never came. 

I left the hospital thirty minutes ago. I hadn't heard from Nathan since we texted last night. I thought about sending him a text or calling to let him know I left the hospital, but I decided not to. I'll just pick up some coffee and bagels as a 'sorry I was a bitch' gift. He was trying to be nice and offer support, and I took my issues out on him. 

After all, it wasn't like I didn't kiss him back. I remembered pulling his body close to mine in a silent plea for more. God, did I want more. I forgot how talented he was. My favorite thing when we used to date was when he kissed me. 

Think about something else. I saw a Starbucks up ahead and pulled into the drive-thru. After I ordered coffee and breakfast for the both of us, I pulled back into traffic and drove the last mile home. It was weird being back here in Florida. I remembered when I first moved here. It wasn't an easy adjustment. The weather here was no joke. Not to mention, hurricane season. After I finished getting my physical therapy certification, I knew it was time to go back. There was an opening at NYG and I got it. 

I would be lying if I said the thought of seeing Nathan hadn't crossed my mind. I knew there was a possibility—very big possibility—of seeing him again. I tried to think of how it would go and what I would say. I definitely didn't expect to see him in that bar and I didn't think I would throw a drink in his face. Maybe I should apologize again for that, too. 

I pulled into the driveway and grabbed my purse and our food from the passenger seat. I went through the garage instead of the front door since it was open. I walked through the laundry room to the kitchen and sat the food down on the counter. 

"Hey, I'm back!" I called out. 

"I'm in the living room." 

I started walking towards him. "Listen, I'm sorry if I seemed a little off last night." I turned the corner into the living room. "I think I was just feeling a little—"

I stopped where I was. Holy mother of...

Nathan was in the middle of the living room doing sit-ups with no shirt on. His arms were behind his head and he was using the couch as leverage to pull himself up. His back was to me and I could see his muscles flex. And flex. And flex again. 

I started fanning myself. Was it hot in here? Did he turn the AC off? 

He stopped doing sit ups and got to his feet. He grabbed a small towel and wiped his face as he turned to me. 

"You were feeling a little what?" he asked as he caught his breath. 

My eyes followed the droplets of sweat the dripped down his chest to his very ripped six-pack abs. I felt my teeth bite into my bottom lip. 

"Karma?" 

My eyes shot to his. "Huh?"

The corner of his mouth lifted in a teasing smile. 

Oh...shit.



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