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“Jeez, I didn’t tell you about him, so you’d kill him. It’s not his fault I got together with him. I used him too, y’know?”
“I don’t want to talk about him anymore. He hit you. Nova probably heard you fighting and saw the evidence on your face.”
She teared up, nodding. “She did. I made excuses for him and took the blame.”
“Dammit, Karma! How could you do that? She’ll think it’s okay for a man to hit her.”
“I know. I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want her to fear him.” Tears rolled down her face.
“Son of a bitch,” I hissed.
“I’m sorry, Abe. I was doing the best I could with what life had dealt me.”
“It’s okay, baby.” I wrapped my arms around her. “I’m sorry too. We’ll get through this together.”
“Okay.” She kissed my neck.
Her cell phone rang, making her pull back. “Oh my gosh, it’s Tara, Nova’s teacher.” She answered it. “Hey, everything okay with Nova?” She climbed off me and pointed at my pants on the floor.
I assumed she wanted us to get dressed.
“What do you mean her dad was at school?” Karma looked as if she was going to lose it. “Nova’s there with you, right?” She put on her bottoms. “Okay, I’ll be there as fast as I can.” She ended the call. “Stein was at the school.”
“Fuck. I’m going with you.”
“No, wait for us here.”
“No fuckin’ way, I’m letting you out of my sight.”
“Thank you.” She threw her arms around my neck and popped up on her tiptoes to kiss me.
“No need to thank me. This is how it should’ve always been.”
“I did love your overprotectiveness.”
“Good, because nothing’s changed when it comes to you.” I kissed her hard to show her how much I loved her and admired her.
I was furious with her parents for wanting her to get an abortion. Maybe she would have stayed in Fargo if they hadn’t pressured her.
I was also pissed with my brothers and myself for our part in Karma leaving. I couldn’t do a damn thing to change the past, but I could love this woman with everything in me from this day forward.
After hearing what she’d been through—and I was sure there was a helluva lot more I didn’t know—I felt raw. Completely, totally, fuckin’ skinned alive and bleeding out. But I needed to be Karma’s rock and take care of her.
“I missed you so much, Abe.”
My chest ached when she didn’t say she still loved me. I sensed that she did, but she wouldn’t let herself go there. She was guarding her heart, protecting herself from me. It hurt; it fuckin’ burned me to the bone.
I wanted the words,I love you,to leave her lips.
No, I needed them to, but she must’ve not felt I deserved to hear them.
I’d prove her wrong.
“Let’s go. Our daughter needs us.”
Kids and adults clogged the halls as I lagged behind Karma, jogging to Nova’s classroom. She’d told me to wait in the truck.
Of course, I didn’t listen.
