Against my better judgement, I read the damn note again. 

I put you in your bed early this morning. I know you didn't want Lanie or anyone else to see you in mine. I hope you slept okay.

Nathan

By the way, gorgeous, you can keep my shirt. It looks better on you.

Thanks to that last day in Florida, I knew exactly what it felt like to be held by Nathan Jenkins. But I still wished I could remember that night specifically. Oh well. There was nothing I could do about it now. 

I had more important things to focus on anyway. Now that I officially applied to USF, my mom had me looking at dorm room and meal plan options. Then she started going on and on about which sorority I should join.

It was enough to make me go crazy. Not only did I not want to join a sorority, but I really didn't want to share a dorm room with anyone other than my best friends. I rather look for an apartment off campus if it were possible. Knowing my luck, that wouldn't be the case. A lot of colleges require first-year students to live on campus.

Figures. It was just my luck. I thought that since I finally applied to the school and did the online tour, it would get my mom off my back. But now she's more obsessed with it than ever.

She and I used to have such a healthy and fun relationship. And we were so close and could talk about anything. Now it was college, college, college. I swear if she didn't stop this by the beginning of the school year, I was going to have to have an intervention.

A random tapping sound at my window startled me. It was most likely one of the branches from the large oak tree that was next to my window. Probably broken again and was scratching against it. Scared me to death the last time it happened. I rolled off my bed to go and move it. Otherwise it would keep me up all night.

When I raised the blinds and pulled the curtain aside, that's when I realized it wasn't a branch scratching my window. It was him. 

I opened it. "Nathan?" I glanced over my shoulder to make sure my parents weren't around. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in? Please?"

As much as that little voice in my head screamed at me to let him come in so I could be around him again, I knew it was a bad idea. Anything concerning Nathan Jenkins was a bad idea. 

"Please," he begged softly. "We need to talk."

Cursing under my breath, I stepped aside. "Come in."

While he climbed through my window, I walked over to my bedroom door and shut it. Last thing I needed was for my mom to hear that there was a boy in my room.  It would be ten times worse once she saw who it was, too. 

With the way my dad was questioning me before about having a boyfriend, he might actually be okay with it. But right now I wasn't willing to risk it with either of them.

When I walked back over to Nathan, I didn't miss the way his eyes roamed over my body. I wanted to get my robe and be a little more clothed, but it was in the bathroom. If I walked out into the hall, there was a chance of getting my mom's attention. With no other option, I looked him in the eye and crossed my arms over my chest. 

"You said you wanted to talk," I said to him. "So talk."

He didn't say anything right away. He just looked at me. The hidden messages in his eyes made my chest ache. 

"I'm sorry to show up like this. I didn't think your mom would let me see you." 

"She probably wouldn't." 

His eyes fell to the floor before he reached into his pocket and pulled something shiny out. "I brought this for you. Lanie told me it accidentally ended up in her bag in Florida." 

Once he held up the bracelet, I recognized it immediately. 

"Thank you." I reached out and took it from him. "If Lanie found it, then why are you the one bringing it to me?" 

He shifted nervously on his feet. "She was going to. At first. She asked to borrow my car to bring it to you." 

"Clearly, you said no to that because she isn't here."  

"I told her I had a date so she couldn't borrow the car. I told her I would drop it off to you on the way." 

A date. So believable because it was Nathan. For all I knew, he did have a date. Some Happy Meal waiting to be seduced and pleasured by the person in front of me. I knew how talented he was at kissing. I could only imagine how good he was at everything else. 

Turning towards my bed I said, "Well I don't want you to be late for your date. You better get going. Thanks for bringing it by."  

I saw the note on my bed and started to panic. If he knew that I've been reading it incessantly, he might go back on our deal and try to start something again. And that was the last thing I needed.

"I don't really have a date, Karma. I made that up." 

Subtly walking towards the bed, I grabbed a pillow and laid it on top of the note. Hidden, thank God.

I turned back towards him and cleared my throat. "Whether it's a real date or not, it's none of my business. Nor do I care." 

That last part seemed to pissed him off. His expression changed from soft and gentle to hard and angry. I preferred the later. The former confused me.

"You. Don't. Care," he said slowly. "Okay, Karma. Maybe I will go on a date tonight. Trish has been blowing up my phone all day. I think I'll call her back and see if she wants to, I don't know, hang out." 

He was trying to get a rise out of me. And it was working. But I couldn't let him know that. The last thing I wanted him to do was go hookup with Trampy Trish. Yuck! She was just so...so...so trampy!

"Go ahead," I said flatly. "Makes no difference to me." 

He turned his head away from me, his shoulders falling a little. "This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here." 

"You're right. You shouldn't have." I glanced away from him and dropped my eyes to the floor. Looking at him only made me want him more. "I think you should leave."

Without a word he started walking towards the window. Since it was still open, I thought he would climb right through it and leave. But he hesitated instead.

He looked back at me and our eyes met. That's when I saw it—and it played out before me like a vision.

I saw Nathan walking back over to me, pulling my body against his before kissing me deep and long. My knees went weak at the thought.

The taste of him was something I would never forget. Rich, earthy male that made me crave more and more. God, I wanted to kiss him again.

I wanted to feel his tongue dance with mine in a way that felt like he was staking his claim on me. Because that's how it felt with Nathan. Like I was his. And if we ended up in a relationship, I would be. Completely. But would he be mine?

His eyes suddenly darkened and I knew he was thinking about the same things I was. His lips parted a little and he wetted them.

He's thinking about the kiss, I thought. Did he honestly enjoy it as much as I did? Or was he too used to more experienced girls?

I guess I wouldn't know the answer to that question. Or whether or not we might actually work as a couple. Or the question I was most curious about.

What would it be like to fall in love with Nathan Jenkins?

Would it be the wild and passionate love that I hoped for? Knowing Nathan and I, there would probably be a lot of arguing.

But that's how it was supposed to be. And of course...makeup sex. Or sex in general.

That was something else I couldn't help but think about in regards to the way Nathan has been making me feel. Alive. He made me feel alive and I wanted more.

Is this why people jumped into bed with each other so much? Is this why he did it? To feel alive? If so, it made sense. Who wouldn't want to feel alive? Wanted?

But as I stood here and stared into his eyes, I couldn't stop the doubtful thoughts that whispered in my mind.

He may have been telling the truth about not having a date, but he was also telling the truth about Trampy Trish blowing up his phone. He wasn't lying. I could hear it in his voice. And that wouldn't stop if he had a girlfriend. They wouldn't stop.

Nathan's eyes were resigned when he finally said, "Goodbye, Karma."

"Goodbye, Nathan."

As he climbed through my window and left, I couldn't stop all those questions from looping through my mind again.

So many unanswered questions. And they were going to remain unanswered. It was for the best.

🖤