Karma Always Comes Due

I fell in love with Beckett from the varsity swim team at first sight.

My roommate encouraged me to go after him, eagerly offering to act as my wingman. She coached me on how to be sweet, how to flirt, and insisted that I call him handsome every time we crossed paths. She even went so far as to buy me a form-fitting swimsuit, telling me to wear it to ask Beckett for private swimming lessons.

But despite chasing him relentlessly for two months, to the point where even his teammates were starting to root for me, he remained completely indifferent.

It wasn't until today that my roommate giggled, stuck her tongue out, and finally confessed.

"To be honest, that online boyfriend I told you about? It's actually Beckett. I only had you pursue him to test his loyalty. But I never expected him to be so strong. He managed to reject a total catch like you. I'm sorry, sweetie, but I guess I can't let you have him after all."

The dormitory fan buzzed overhead, cutting through the heavy afternoon heat.

I sat frozen in my desk chair, my mind completely blank as I tried to process Siennas words.

"What do you mean, your online boyfriend is Beckett?"

"Oh, Sweetie, you aren't actually mad, are you?"

Seeing my lack of response, Sienna set down her vanity mirror and stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Honestly, it's because you're just so gorgeous."

"Think of it as vetting him for your best friend. You were the one who kept saying you were worried I'd get scammed online, so now you know his character is absolutely solid."

I clenched my fists, my fingernails biting into my palms as the sharp sting of betrayal began to spread.

Sienna had started dating a guy online over the summer. She had told me he was a sports major at Kensington University, our own school. Halfway through the summer, she had been desperate to cut her vacation short and fly back to meet him in person.

Afraid she would get taken advantage of, I had spent days convincing her to wait until the semester started.

I had no idea the guy was Beckett.

"Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?"

When I finally spoke, my voice was incredibly hoarse.

Sienna offered a breezy, dismissive laugh.

"I was insecure, okay? Beckett is handsome, wealthy, and you are so dazzling. When you told me you fell for him at first sight, I genuinely wanted to help you. I just had no idea he was already so deeply in love with me."

I stared at her face, a wave of intense humiliation washing over me.

For the last two months, Sienna had eagerly acted as my wingman. She knew every text I sent him, every conversation we had, and every time we crossed paths. She had analyzed his favorite foods, his hobbies, and his ideal type for me. She had urged me to leave breakfast outside his dorm, to arrange "accidental" meetings at the gym.

She had even purchased a form-fitting swimsuit for me, insisting I wear it to ask him for swimming tips.

And all the while, she was dating him behind my back.

I was nothing but a puppet to her. A clown in her private show.

"Iris, seriously, don't be like this," Sienna said, crossing her arms and sighing as if my silence were completely unreasonable.

I had always valued our friendship. Whenever she adopted that wounded expression, I would back down to keep the peace.

But not today.

"So what do you want? Should I just hand him over to you?"

I looked up at her. "Fine. He's yours."

Sienna blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Are you joking?" Before I could answer, she quickly added, "Oh, come on. My best friend would never try to steal my boyfriend. Besides, they say best friends and partners never get along. Once you see him again, you'll probably realize you can't stand him."

I watched her in silence, refusing to offer her the comfort of an argument.

Suddenly, the dormitory door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Our roommate, Valerie, burst into the room, panting.

"Ladies! The swim finals are about to start! Why are you two still sitting in the dorm?"

I blinked, momentarily disoriented.

I had almost forgotten. This afternoon was the university swim championship. Last night, Valerie and our other roommate, Tessa, had spent hours planning a grand post-race confession for me to deliver to Beckett.

I looked over at Sienna, who was wearing a flawless face of makeup.

No wonder she had remained so uncharacteristically quiet during our brainstorming session last night.

"I'm not going," I said flatly.

"What? Why?" Valerie asked, pausing as she searched her bag.

Siennas expression shifted instantly. She grabbed my hand, her eyes pleading. "Iris, please. I want to surprise him today. You promised you'd be there when I finally met my online boyfriend. I'll be too nervous without you. Please come with me."

Before I could shake her off, Valerie grabbed my other arm. "Exactly! Let's go! Tessa has been saving a prime seat for you since early morning, making sure you're the very first person Beckett sees when he climbs out of the pool!"

The refusal died in my throat when I caught the smug, triumphant glint in Siennas eyes.

I had done nothing wrong.

If she wasn't afraid of a confrontation, why should I be?

Valerie was always impatient. Without waiting to see if Sienna could keep up in her platform heels, she dragged me out of the dorm and sprinted toward the natatorium.

By the time we arrived at the pool, we had left Sienna far behind.

Tess immediately stood up, waving us over to the front-row seat she had secured. "I came straight here after my morning lecture. Pretty impressive, right?"

I forced a tight smile. "Thank you, Tess."

Valerie shrugged, settling into the seat beside me. "Of course. Though, there's a senior from the law department competing today. He's incredibly popular, and I hear his times are insane. I'm not sure Beckett can pull off a win. Iris, if he loses, are you still going to confess?"

I looked down at the staging area where Beckett was standing. He was staring at his phone, looking thoroughly distracted.

One of his teammates spotted me and nudged his shoulder, pointing in our direction. Beckett glanced up, his brow furrowing as he saw me.

I let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh.

During my months of pursuing him, I had been too blinded by my crush to realize his cool indifference was actually irritation. Even the sight of me was enough to make him frown.

Before he could catch me staring, I turned back to Valerie.

"No. I won't be confessing."

Valerie nodded understandingly. "That makes sense. It's probably awkward to confess right after a loss. We can always wait for the next meet."

I shook my head. "Whether he wins or loses, I am never confessing to him again."

Valerie and Tess stared at me in absolute shock.

"Actually," I began, my voice tight, "Beckett is"

"Why didn't you guys wait for me?"

Siennas complaining voice cut me off as she finally caught up, her face flushed from running.

Valerie squeezed closer to Tess, gesturing to the small space beside her. "I was worried Iris would miss the warm-ups. Sit down, the introductions are starting."

Sienna didn't sit. Instead, she stood directly in front of me, pouty-lipped. "Iris, do you mind letting me have your seat?"

Val and Tess looked at her as if she had lost her mind.

"The race is about to start, stop joking around," Valerie said, grabbing Siennas arm and pulling her firmly into the empty seat.

Over the loudspeaker, the announcer began introducing the swimmers.

Sienna bit her lip, shooting me a sharp glare before reluctantly settling into her seat.

It was almost amusing. She was the one who had insisted I come to witness her grand reveal, yet now she was furious that I was sitting in the front row.

Beckett was assigned to lane two.

The student broadcaster happened to be Becketts roommate, and when his name was called, the camera on the jumbotron panned directly to my face.

Thanks to Siennas constant encouragement, my pursuit of Beckett was public knowledge. She had always told me that a bold chase was the most romantic, which led to my confessions being shared on the campus forum.

"Ooh!" Valerie and Tess led the crowd in a playful cheer.

Normally, I would have smiled and waved for the camera. Today, I simply looked away, my expression completely blank.

As I turned my head, I noticed Siennas hand tightening around her plastic water bottle until it bent out of shape.

The announcer continued down the lanes. When the final swimmer was introduced, a sudden, loud murmur swept through the spectator stands.

"Oh my god, it's Sebastian Kingsley!" Tess gasped, jumping to her feet.

I looked down at the tall, broad-shouldered senior stepping up to lane eight.

In that instant, a realization washed over me. I hadn't actually been in love with Beckett. I had simply been attracted to tall, athletic, good-looking guys.

And Sebastian was all of those things, and more.

Even with his hair tucked beneath a plain black swim cap, his sharp features and effortless grace were undeniable.

Tess nudged me, her eyes sparkling. "Well? Sebastian is easily on par with Beckett, right?"

"Better," I murmured, watching him step onto the block. "Much better."

Sienna let out a sharp, cold scoff from beside us. Tess shot her a glare. "Do you have a problem?"