Don't look at her. Don't look at her. Do NOT look at her.

I couldn't help it. I looked at her.

Karma was over at the ring toss game, throwing and missing each time. When we ran into each other at the cotton candy stand, I was just as surprised as she was. I had no idea she was going to be here. Lanie never mentioned they were coming. Probably because I always cringed and said no when she invited me.

But here I was. And here Karma was—looking all beautiful and ready to turn down my invitation for a date.

What did I have to do to prove to her that I wasn't going to treat her like those other girls I dated? To be honest, I was a little offended she wasn't giving me a chance to do just that.

Just one. Fucking. Chance.

There was a part of me that told me I should just give up and forget about whatever I was feeling for her. Then there was a different part of me, the part that couldn't think about anything but her, that told me to fight for her.

But how? I thought as I watched Karma miss again when she tried to throw a ring around a bottle. She looked up at one of the black teddy bears that was hanging with the other prizes before pulling out more money from her wallet and handing it to the vendor.

An idea of how I could possibly convince her to go on a date with me suddenly came to mind. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to her.

"What are you doing? Trying to win that stuffed teddy bear?"

Karma kept her eyes on the ring toss game. "Yes."

I leaned against the post and crossed my arms over my chest. "Which one are you trying to win?"

Instead of answering me, she continued to throw the rings. And kept missing. I tried not to notice the way the yellow tank top she had on rode up as she leaned forward every time to throw them. I tried not to let my gaze run over her long legs. Why the fuck was she wearing shorts that short? Why the fuck did I care again?

Okay, maybe I did know. Here's a recap...

Everything changed over the past couple months. Ever since that beach trip to Florida with my family. I never used to see Karma this way. She's never been anything more than my little sister's best friend.

Now I saw her as this beautiful, tempting siren that consumed my thoughts and my dreams. I used to try to hook up with every hot girl that crossed my path. Now I wanted to know everything about Karma Fitzgerald. After what happened at the beach, I was hoping for more. For once, I wanted more.

"Shit," she breathed when she ran out of rings. She opened her wallet and frowned when she saw she was also out of cash.

Feeling kinda romantic—and a little desperate—I pulled out a ten-dollar bill and got another bucket of rings.

"What are you doing, Nathan?" Her tone was one I was familiar with. Annoyed and short. When I took her spot to throw the rings, she stepped aside, crossed her arms and started tapping her foot.

I could barely hide my smile as I pointed to her Converse covered foot. "Is that supposed to scare me?"

"Yes. I know what you're doing and it's not going to work."

I arched a brow. "Really? What am I doing?

She didn't answer me. She was either too nervous or embarrassed to say it. Or too pissed. Simple enough, I was trying to get her to go out with me. Again.

"How about this," I pointed to the teddy bear, "I win you that black teddy bear, you go on a date with me."

"Why would I do that?"

I held my hands out and shrugged. "Why not? I'm doing something for you, and if I win, you can do something for me."

"Tit for tat, then? I should have known you played that way."

I chuckled at that. Classic Karma. She always tended to beat around the bush. "Deal or not, gorgeous?"

She sighed and ran her fingers through her ponytail. "Fine. I doubt you'll win, anyway."

I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt. Little did she know that I was really good at this game. I rubbed my hands together in anticipation. When I won, I was going to take her on a real date. Of course, I've never been on a real date myself, but Karma didn't deserve anything less.

I felt Karma's eyes on me as I started throwing the rings. When I threw the fifth one and missed, I heard her musical little laugh. I hadn't heard that since we were in Treasure Island.

"This isn't looking good for you, Nathan."

"I'm just warming up. Be patient."

After the next two rings, I finally made it. "Yes!" I slammed my hand on the table.

"Congratulations, sir," the game worker stated, "which one would you like?"

"The black one."

He handed me the giant teddy bear and I turned towards her. She had a surprised expression on her face. She also looked like she wanted to take off running in the other direction.

I handed her the teddy bear. "Well, Karma, a deal's a deal."

She took it from me with a mischievous smirk. "Okay, Nathan. Fair is fair. Follow me."

I trailed behind her as she walked through the carnival. I glanced around looking for Lanie and Harper. I had no idea where they went, but if Lanie caught me hitting on Karma, I was a dead man. But I couldn't seem to help myself. There was something about Karma that drew me in.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously. I didn't really care. Anywhere she and I could talk and hang out was fine with me.

"Right here," she said when she stopped in front of a food vendor. "I'll have a chili dog, please," she said to the man before looking at me.

"What's this?"

"This is our date that you won." When I stared at her, she laughed. "Tell the man what you want to eat, Nathan. There's a line forming."

That little fucking minx. Okay, I'll play along. Never taking my eyes off of Karma, I said, "I'll have a chili dog, too."

Once our food was ready, we walked over to a secluded bench and took a seat. She barely made eye contact as she ate. She really thought this was going to be our date. Well, she thought wrong.

"How's your food?"

She wiped her mouth with a napkin. "It's good, thank you."

"What are you doing Saturday?"

"I'm busy."

I chewed another bite of my food. "Well, I'll pick you up at eight."

"Excuse me?"

I shrugged casually. "You know, for our date." My eyes met hers. "Our real date."

She was quiet for a while. No doubt she was remembering all the intimate moments and arguments between us over the past few weeks. She sat her food down and let out a deep breath before saying, "Okay, Nathan, humor me. I've known you for a long time. I know your dates usually consist of fast food and a romp in the sheets. Why do you think I'm that girl?"

She wasn't wrong; that was what I usually did with women. I never did the whole dating thing. Or the relationship thing. "I know you aren't that girl, Karma. Far from it."

She studied my expression. "So, out of curiosity, what would we do on this date?"

"I want to pick you up and go to dinner. A real dinner with candles and a dress code. I want to see you wearing a dress that shows off your beautiful body. Like the one you wore that night in the club. I want to share a meal with you and talk." My heart started beating faster in my chest. "Then when we're through, I'll take you home, walk you to your door, and kiss you goodnight."

Her chest rose and fell with each deep breath she took. "Why are you doing this to me, Nathan?"

"Doing what?"

"All this time, you never showed interest in me. Not once. What happened in Florida...happened. Now you want me to be your newest conquest? Why?"

"I meant everything I said and did in Florida. And I don't think of you as a conquest, Karma." She needed to understand that. I didn't look at her like I did other girls.

She briefly looked away from me. "Nathan, I know who you are, and that's fine. Be you. But I'm having a hard time believing what you're saying. And there's the whole Lanie thing. She's important to me."

I didn't blame her for that, either. She knew more about me than most people. "Then let me prove it to you, Karma. Let me take you to dinner Saturday night. And if it comes down to it, I'll take care of Lanie. Just please...give me a chance. One chance."

My gaze never wavered from hers. I wasn't going to rush her answer. I didn't question whether she had feelings for me or not. That was obvious after Florida. I just hoped my past didn't come back to bite me in the ass.

"Okay, Nathan. One chance."

***

One more chapter and then that is the end of part 1 of Heartstrings! I am so excited to write the next chapter and I can't wait for you guys to read it. It will be posted on Thursday.

🖤