Closing my eyes, I tried to make myself fall asleep. I laid there for at least an hour and finally got up. Without overthinking it, I grabbed my phone and hit send.
“Hello?” a very sleepy voice said on the other end.
“Hey Bodie,” I said quietly.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, sounding totally awake now.
“Yeah.”
“Then why are you calling me at one in the morning?”
“I can’t sleep,” I told him.
“Okay.” I could tell he was confused.
“The truth is, I think I’m afraid to fall asleep. I don’t want to have another nightmare.”
“Karma, I …” he started to say then stopped.
“I know this is weird, me calling you in the middle of the night while my boyfriend is asleep in the bedroom, but for some reason I feel like I can talk to you about things. I know Kayleigh is my best friend and I can always talk to her, but since she was kidnapped by Wes, she has her own issues to deal with. I don’t want to put more on her.”
“I can understand that,” he said. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Actually, I want to tell you about my nightmare. But not over the phone and not at night. Can I meet you somewhere tomorrow?”
“Of course. Name the time and place and I’ll be there,” he told me.
I felt a little tension release from my shoulders. “Thank you. So, what did you do tonight? Party? Night with the boys? Bang a hot chick?”
I heard him chuckle. “No, nothing that exciting. Tiffany needed to get out of her apartment, so I picked her up and we went to The Pizza Fix. We made some pizzas, ate them then drove around for a couple of hours.”
“There are several things wrong with what you just said. First of all, you made pizzas at our pizza place?”
“Yep.”
“How and why?”
“I’ve known the owner my whole life. He’s like part of the family,” he told me
“And why wasn’t this mentioned before?”
“I don’t know. I guess it just didn’t come up in conversation.”
“Why did you make pizzas?” I asked.
“It’s something I used to do as a kid and Tiffany needed a distraction, so I thought it was a good idea,” he said.
“That was really sweet of you,” I told him.
He laughed. “I don’t think anyone has ever called me sweet before. It’s usually, asshole.”
I laughed back. “You certainly can be an asshole but I’m seeing a completely different side of you lately. I like it.”
“Well don’t tell anyone else. I have a reputation to maintain.”
“Whatever,” I said. “But your secret is safe with me. Well mostly, I’ll probably tell Kayleigh.”
He chuckled again. “I know. Do you think you can sleep now?”
“I think so. Thanks, Bodie.”
“Anytime. Good night.”
“Good night.”
I pressed end and stared at my phone. I thought back to the Bodie we’d met on the beach a few months ago. He seemed like a totally different person lately. It made me wonder what was going on with him. I was going to ask Major the next time I saw him.
I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sleep or not and I didn’t want to disturb Anthony, so I turned on the TV and pulled the blanket over me. I smiled when I saw one of the Twilight movies was on. I secretly loved them but would never tell anyone, after all, I had a reputation to maintain as well. I snuggled under the blanket and focused on the movie.
****
Bodie
After hanging up with Karma, I laid there awake for a while thinking about what she said. I was equal parts curious and apprehensive about what she was going to tell me. I was actually amazed she wanted to tell me anything at all.
I was itching to go to my computer and see what I could find out for myself, but I resisted. If Karma was going to trust me with her truth, then I wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize that.
I closed my eyes and forced myself to go back to sleep.
When my alarm went off Sunday morning, I was tired, but I wanted muffins more than I wanted to sleep. I showered, got dressed and went to More Than Just Beans to see Tiffany.
She was busy when I got there, so I sat at my usual table. I laughed to myself when I thought that. This was only the third Sunday I’d come here, but it felt like I’d known Tiffany for years. As soon as the customer was done at the counter, she came over with a muffin and a coffee.
“Good morning,” she said, setting the items down in front of me.
“Morning. I hope there’s more of these hiding in this place somewhere,” I said, gesturing to my muffin.
“There’s a whole box for you, Bodie,” she said, with a smile.
“Cool. What kind are they today?” I asked.
“Take a bite and find out,” she teased.
I smiled but took a big bite. It took me a minute to figure out the flavor. “Strawberry coconut?”
“Yep,” she grinned. “What do you think?”
“This might be my favorite so far. I wouldn’t have thought to put those two together, but it’s really good. How many are in the box?”
“A dozen,” she said.
“I guess that’ll be enough,” I pouted.
“I don’t know where you put all the food you eat,” she said. “Do you work out?”
“Not as much as I should,” I admitted.
“Then how do you have such a great body?”
That made me laugh. “I guess it’s all the years of surfing.”
“Better be careful or those abs are going to turn into flab.”
I just about spit out the coffee I had in my mouth. I managed to swallow then started laughing.
“Holy hell, Tiffany, I never know what’s going to come out of your mouth.”
She smiled and shrugged. “Something tells me you need to be kept on your toes.”
“I know a few people who would agree with you,” I told her.
We talked for a few minutes, before she had to go help a customer. I finished my coffee and waited for her to be done. After the lady had her coffee, I got my box of muffins. I handed her a fifty and left before she could protest.
Back at the dorm, I ate two more muffins and hid the rest from Major. I knew he’d eat them all if he found them.
While I waited to hear from Karma, I thought I’d actually get some homework done. Sometimes it seemed like school was secondary to everything else going on. But I knew if I didn’t do well in my classes, my mom would throttle me, no matter how old I was.
I was doing some research for my history paper when my phone dinged. I looked at the time, it was after four. I’d been at it for way longer than I thought. Checking my phone, I saw it was Karma.
Karma: Can you meet me at our coffee place in an hour?
Me: Sure
Karma: Thanks. See you then.
Forty-five minutes later, I closed my book and walked to the coffee place. I was there before Karma, so I ordered for both of us. The barista had just handed me our coffees when she walked in.
“Hey,” I said, getting her attention.
“Hey,” she said back.
I motioned my head for her to follow me and I went to a table in the back where we could be alone. I handed Karma her coffee and we sat down. She looked nervous.
“Hey,” I said softly, “we don’t have to do this.”
“I know, but I want to. I think it’ll help you understand what happened the other night.”
She took a sip of coffee and a few deep breaths. I waited. I’d wait all day if that’s what it took. This was obviously hard for her to say.
“When I was three-years-old, I was kidnapped and held for three days.”
“Holy fuck, Karma, that’s some crazy shit.”
“I know, but let me tell you the whole story.”
I nodded for her to continue.
“I was born in Houston. Mom an
d dad both had full time jobs, so during the day I was at daycare. While I was at daycare, I guess I wandered off while we were on a field trip to a museum. When I realized I couldn’t find someone I knew, I guess got scared and started crying. I don’t remember most of this, but it’s what my parents told me. They had the whole thing on the security cameras at the museum. A man in his late fifties approached me. It shows him talking to me for a few minutes, then I took his hand, and we left the museum.
“He took me to a place away from the city and kept me there. He kept me locked up in a dark room, but otherwise he didn’t touch me. That’s what my nightmares are about. I remember being terrified and wanting someone to save me. I wanted to go home.
“The guy that took me left no trace at the museum, but he parked where the cameras were able to see part of his licence plate. From that, police were able to track him down and rescue me. After that, we moved to Tulsa because mom and dad thought it was a safer place. So, you were right, the nightmare was a memory, not just a dream.”
I had no idea what to say to that. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Karma.”
“Thanks. It was a long time ago and I hardly even think about it anymore. Like I told you, I hadn’t dreamed about it for a few years.”
“Does Kayleigh know?” I asked.
“Yeah, she’s been there for a few nightmares, too.”
“Wow, Karma. I really don’t know what to say,” I told her.
“There’s not much to say. But now you know why it was hard to wake me up and why I didn’t want to be alone.”
“You are one amazing lady, Karma Webster,” I said, meaning every word.
She smiled at me. “Thank you, Bodie. And thank you again for helping me the other night.”
I nodded. “This will probably sound really bad after what you just told me, but you look like shit.”
A small laugh escaped her mouth. “I know I do. I was afraid to go to sleep at Anthony’s last night.”
I raised my eyebrows at that. “Why?”
“I didn’t want to have another nightmare there.”
“So, now you’re sleep deprived. That’s not very good, Karma. You need to go get some sleep. I’ll walk you to your dorm.”
She tried to argue, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer. I walked her all the way to the door to her dorm.
“Thanks for trusting me,” I told her, just before she opened the door. “See you in class tomorrow.”
She nodded and went into the dorm. I walked back to my building with a lot on my mind. It was hard to believe some of the things people had gone through in their lives and still turned out to be normal people. I was lucky to have the childhood I’d had, and something about Karma’s story made me feel like I needed to do something to help others. I shook my head at the thought, either I was maturing or being around Karma was turning me into a pussy.
Chapter 20
Karma
Kayleigh was sitting on the couch with a textbook when I walked into our dorm.
“Hey,” she said. “You look exhausted. Were you up partying all night?”
“No, but I was up all night.”
“Uh, okay. Is everything alright?”
“Yeah. I told Bodie about what happened to me when I was three.”
Kayleigh’s eyed got really big and her mouth dropped open.
“The reason Bodie slept with me Friday night was because I had my nightmare. And you know what I’m like after I have one. So, I convinced him to stay with me. He was a complete gentleman, but I could tell he was worried. He texted me Saturday and wanted to know if it was just a dream or a memory. I thought about it for a while and decided to tell him. That’s where I just came from.”
“Wow. I can’t believe you told Bodie. I mean, I think it’s great, but Bodie?”
“After what he saw and heard, I thought he deserved to know. And as often as he can be an asshole, there’s a soft side to him, too.”
Kayleigh nodded. “So, all of that doesn’t explain why you were up all night.”
“I was at Anthony’s and I was too scared to fall asleep. I didn’t want to have a nightmare there, so I watched TV all night.”
“I’m sorry, Karma, that would totally suck. You should probably go to bed. I’ll wake you up in a while so you can eat. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Kayleigh.”
“Anytime.”
I went to my room and took off my shoes. I didn’t even change before crawling into bed. I was asleep in seconds.
I don’t know how long I slept before Kayleigh woke me up to eat, but I was already feeling better.
“Is that pizza I smell?” I asked, when I walked out of my room.
“Yep, and not just any pizza, The Pizza Fix pizza,” Kayleigh said with a grin.
“But they don’t deliver? How did you get it?”
“I didn’t,” she said, grinning bigger.
“Okay, so how did it get here?”
“Bodie dropped it off. He even got your favorite, chicken and spinach with Alfredo sauce.”
“Wow, that was nice of him,” I said.
“I think he likes you,” Kayleigh said, taking a slice out of the box.
“Yeah, we’re friends.”
“That’s not what I mean, Karma. I think he really cares about you and would like to date you.”
“You’re crazy, Bodie doesn’t date. He just feels sorry for me because I didn’t sleep last night. We’re just friends.”
She snorted. “Yeah, like Major and I were just friends.”
“That was completely different. And besides, I’m dating Anthony.”
“If it’s so different, then why did you tell Bodie about what happened and not Anthony?”
“Because Bodie was there for the nightmare. That’s the only reason.”
“Sure, you keep telling yourself that.”
“Whatever,” I said.
Bodie and I were just friends, anything more would ruin what we have. That’s why I lied to him about not remembering having sex with him. I wanted to maintain our friendship, not cause it to implode.
After I had a couple slices of pizza, I went back to bed. No matter how tired I was I still had to go to practice in the morning. Once again, it didn’t take me any time to fall asleep. At least this time I changed out of my clothes.
****
I was almost late for Psychology the next morning. Luckily, my normal seat next to Bodie was empty.
“Cutting it close this morning,” Bodie said.
“I couldn’t decide what to wear,” I told him.
He laughed. “Well, you look great.”
“Thanks.”
“You get some sleep yesterday?”
“Yeah, and thanks for the pizza. You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know, but I thought you could use it.”
I wanted to say more but the professor started talking. I wasn’t paying that much attention until I heard the word assignment.
“Fuck,” I whispered.
“What?” Bodie asked.
“With everything that happened this weekend, I forgot to do the assignment. I can’t let my grade slip. I guess I’ll have to ask for an extension.”
“Here,” Bodie said, and handed me a piece of paper.
I looked at it. It was the list of questions, complete with answers that we were supposed to turn in today. And at the top was my name and ID number.
“What the fuck, Bodie?” I said. “I can’t accept this.”
“Yes, you can, and you will. You do most of our Spanish homework, this is just a little payback.”
“But …” I protested.
“No but’s, Karma. I know it isn’t normal for you to not have an assignment done and after we talked, I figured you’d forgotten about it. I just wanted to help. Please, just this once.”
It was the please that got to me. “Fine. But next time I have a crazy weekend and you know I have an assignment due, remind me. Okay?”
“Yep, as l
ong as you do the same for me,” he said.
“Deal.”
The TA came and collected our assignment. I was glad to have something to turn in, but I felt really guilty for not doing it myself. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. Spending the weekend at Anthony’s had been a bad idea.
****
Bodie
It was Friday night, and we were getting ready to hit a frat party. The girls had already left for their swim meet at another college, so it was just the guys tonight. Major wasn’t thrilled to be going to a party without Kayleigh, but I told him to quit being a pussy and have some fun.
I was determined to get laid tonight. When I realized it had been three weeks since I fucked that chick that I’d knocked over after class, I just about shit. I’d never gone that long between women before. Since Karma wasn’t here to distract me, I was going to find a willing participant and fuck her senseless.
“Here,” Major said, handing me a drink.
“Thanks. I’m going to make the rounds,” I told him.
“Fine,” Major said.
I could tell he really didn’t want to be there, but he promised he’d stay for at least an hour and he was a man of his word.
Walking into the living room, I stood there for a minute and let my eyes wander the crowd. There were a lot of hot chicks here so my chances of getting laid were pretty good.
“Hey,” a female voice said in my ear.
I turned to see a short brunette with huge tits looking up at me.
“Hey yourself,” I said.
“Do you dance?” she asked.
“Sometimes.”
“Want to dance with me?” she asked, and started swaying her hips.
I liked the way that made her tits move so I said yes. We made our way through the throng of people and then she was practically glued to me. She certainly knew how to move her body. As she rubbed herself along my body, my dick started to take notice. A few minutes later, so did she.
“Mmmm,” she said in my ear. Then she put her hand on my dick. “I think this needs some attention. Come with me.”
She took my hand and led me to a room off the kitchen. I watched as she took her top off and pulled her bra up over her tits. Then she pulled her skirt up, so that it was bunched around her waist and then her panties were on the floor. She pinched her nipples and hopped on a counter. Spreading her legs, she crooked her finger at me.
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