Page 25 of My Karmic Destiny

My purse begins to buzz with text notifications. Weird. I thought I turned that off along with the sound. I didn’t want my phone disturbing me while I worked.

“Sounds like your boys are trying to get your attention,” Megan teases and waggles her perfect eyebrows.

“We’ve been over this.” I give her a dry look since I’ve tried to get her to hear me. Repeatedly. “Only Dante is myman.”

“You know… I have an extra power too.” She draws a heart with her finger on the worn wooden table. “I could have been a cupid if I wanted to be.”

“Seriously? They’re real?” Cool. Maybe we can change this subject, because thinking about what Evan and Kurtis said has my nerves fried.

“Oh, dude. Eros is real and a freaking smoke show.” Megan licks her lips. “But alas, he wasn’t hiring when my death date popped up.” When she notices I’ve not reached for my phone, she asks, “Is someone, or should I say someones, in the doghouse?”

I sigh and give in to her prodding. I wanted to make it through my first proper day of work without any boyfriend drama.

And I sense whatever texts I received are just that—drama.

Dante hadn’t been bugging me while I’ve been at work for the last few days. But he might be now considering his possessive behavior last night and his healing session with Karma. And with the guys being weird and professing their interest in me, I know it’s something I probably don’t want to deal with.

Pulling out my phone and unlocking it, I see several text alerts from Dante. My fears have been actualized.

I open Dante’s thread. There are three in a row that seemed to have come in quick succession.

DANTE: Hey, love. Miss you.

DANTE: Sorry about last night. My head is a bit bent over stuff. My past. Not you.

DANTE: Uh. I hope everything’s okay. You aren’t mad, are you?

What the fuck? Why is he being so needy?

DANTE: So… is there something going on with you, Evan, and Kurtis? Because they hinted that there is. If that’s the case, I wish you would have told me you were done with me before you acted on it… and did whatever happened between you three.

“Fuck,” I hiss, tempted to throw my phone out the front door of the restaurant.

Megan raises her manicured eyebrows with interest. “What’s up?”

“Just a misunderstanding.” I wave her off and text Dante back. I don’t want to leave that accusation hanging there all day.

TESSA: It wasn’t like that. They were just fucking with me last night. Like old times. They tried to make me believe they liked me as more than a friend, but nothing happened. Nothing.

DANTE: They DO like you. They told me before. And I know you think they’re hot too.

TESSA: Doesn’t matter if they’re attractive, because I’m with you. I’m not a cheater. It pisses me off that you’d think I would do something like that.

DANTE: Kurtis made it sound like something went down. You’re right, I know you aren’t like that. But I understand that I might not be what you need. Or ALL that you need. We technically never stated we were exclusive. So if you want to explore something with them, then I get it. I just don’t want to hear about it. I don’t think I could handle that part. So date them, or whatever you need, but don’t let me see it. And if you need to break it off completely with me, just tell me now.

TESSA: I’m not breaking it off with you. And if I did, it wouldn’t be because of them. Our relationship needs to survive or fall apart on its own merit.

DANTE: Good to hear. But maybe you should go on a date, or just fuck them. Get it out of your system if that’s all it is. You need to make sure I’m really the one you want.

I sigh, rubbing my face as a warm plate of spiced goodness slides in front of me. I thank the restaurant owner and toss my phone aside when she turns away.

“Trouble in Sausageville?” Megan asks with a smirk.

“Really?” I narrow my eyes at her and snatch up my fork and knife, holding them more like weapons than utensils.

“Whoa. Settle down, Xena Warrior Princess.” Megan glances around and pumps her hands like brakes. “What happened?”

I let out a long breath. Maybe I need a second opinion on all this crazy. “Dante is being a weird fucker. Honestly, it didn’t even sound like him. Maybe this healing Karma shit is fucking up his head instead of fixing it.”

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