Page 64 of My Karmic Destiny

“K?” I say aloud and raise my eyebrows. If he’s pissed, then he can settle the fuck down.

Then I get a few odd and slight passive-aggressive texts from Evan and Dante.

EVAN: So when is it my turn again? Can’t have Kurtis winning all the points

Is he for real? If they are going to keep score like this, it isn’t going to work out.

DANTE: Hey babe. Do I need to put in a date request? Is there an app for scheduling an appointment???

I feel an undertone of snark there, not playfulness.

I worry again that this is a mistake. Maybe they just like fighting over a girl and it has nothing to do with me.

I take a deep breath. Am I spinning out? What if I’m reading into all of this the worst-case scenarios? Perhaps it is all in good fun and I’m overreacting.

I briefly wonder if this is the text hacker, but this reaction from them isn’t over the top or unexpected.

I toss my phone as far as I can without it tumbling to the floor and push the troubled thoughts aside and go to sleep.

I dream of Kurtis and Evan fighting with each other, then fighting with Dante. Which eventually spills over to me.

They end up breaking up with me after I’ve fallen in love with all of them…

I wake up only to remember that Iamfalling in love with them. Perhaps I’ve been falling in love with them the entire time I have known them.

I give my hair a quick finger brushing and slide my boots back on, and think about how odd it is that I’m in love.

Why did I even fall for one guy, and then two more? I don’t fall in love. I try my best to not give a shit about anyone. It’s been working to keep memostlysafe for years—my whole life, really.

Are these feelings I have real?

Damn, I don’t really know.

Instant paired me with them as a team. What if she knew just how fucked-up I would be once I had a taste of love and affection, and she planned to rip it all away from me?

My breathing comes in sharply and quickly. I’m panicking.

I try to rationalize that she didn’t plan this. Or that they wouldn’t still play out her scenario if she did.

But… what if?

My stupid luck only gets me so far, and usually my good luck is more of a setup for how far I can fall face first into a shit.

When I return home to the Karma mansion, I pop directly back into my room.

I send out my psychic feelers, sensing Dante isn’t in his room next to mine.

I can’t feel him or the other two at all. Then I expand my search and find the mansion empty.

“Carmen?” I catch myself. “Karma. May I have a moment of your time?”

After two long beats, she appears in front of me, looking motherly and gorgeous.

“What’s wrong, little one?”

“I, uh…” I hesitate, wondering if I’m just being paranoid and shouldn’t bother her. “It’s just that I’m sort of dating Dante, Evan, and Kurtis. And I’m starting to doubt if it’s real. Or if I should pursue any relationship right now.”

She studies me for a long moment. “You aren’t familiar with being happy. And the few times you had a glimpse of it—a moment of joy—it was ripped away from you.”

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