*I sort of had a back-up plan for this story to go the clarmy way but I've decided to stay true to my karmy plan so that started a few chapters back and I'm gonna do that now and just stop thinking about it.*

*if I feel like doing it I might write an alternate ending that ends up with clarmy. Both endings could be good but I'm gonna root for karmy since this is a faking it fanfic after all*

*this isn't the end, it's just a crucial point in the story*

Chapter Thirteen

So This Is Karma

Part I

Karma ran from the cave, tears rushing her instantly. The ledge wasn't hard for her, it was a baby of a thing, nothing to really be scared about.

"KARMA?" Liam called after her but she kept running and running and running.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" She yelled back at him, losing herself in the pain of what she had just seen.

She wept and ran, hoping he would stop chasing her.

"Karma, at least let me drive you home."

"Stop!" She yelled. "I need to be alone right now!" He approached her and saw the tears.

"Karma? What's a-matter?"

"I can't talk to you about this." She wept, turning from him.

"Karma, its fine. Whatever it is, you can tell me." She looked so sad just there.

"I've been having dreams about her," Karma spat out.

"Dreams about? About Amy?"

"Yes!" Karma yelled, walking away quickly towards the car.

"Karma! That's normal!" He tried to say.

"Is it?!" She said, turning around and walking towards him aggressively and upset. "Is it Liam?! Is it normal to be this upset about something that shouldn't affect you?!" He looked at her and saw, she was shaking and a weeping mess of barely breathing.

"I-"

"Right." Karma said. "That's exactly what I thought." It wasn't normal at all. It meant something.

She hated that she was mad at him right now. He was the one who was going to get hurt.

"Karma, what kind of dreams?" Liam asked, following her softly.

"First it was just kissing but now it's just everything."

"And… I mean, Karma, what do they mean?" He asked, trying to think of the dreams. How bad could they be?

"You've seen me Liam! You've seen how broken I've been. I'm like a crazy person. I follow her around and tell her what to do. I can't watch her be with another person. Seeing her in that cave naked like that with Clara, uh, Liam!" She didn't want to have to say it.

"You… You have feelings for her," it was so obvious to him now. All the symptoms. She wasn't a controlling best friend, she was jealous.

"I- Yeah!" She said, finally speaking the things she had felt.

"Karma, wh-why now?!"

"Why now?! Why here?! Why with this?!" She motioned frantically between her and Liam and he walked towards her and clutched at her arms.

"Karma, it's okay. I want you to be happy." He reacted knowing it was the best thing to do. He said the right thing but it wasn't okay, he wanted her, he really did. Karma was the first girl in a long time who had gotten him to stay.

"Yeah," Karma scoffed. "And I was happy! I was!" She wiped her eyes, feeling the tears rush her hard. "Before the wedding…"

It had been the thing that ruined it all.

"The wedding…" Liam remembered. The lies had come out then. He had done that unforgivable thing, the thing she actually forgave him for. They had been almost blissful last month. He knew it was too good to be true. Repercussions were always expected. He had forgotten though, for a little while. "I didn't mean-"

"It wasn't you!" Karma said, pushing him away hard. She didn't want to be near him because she was hurting him. She turned away and took her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed her mom.

"Wh-who are you calling?" He asked nervously.

"Shhh," she shouted back.

"Ha-hi mom, I was wondering if it'd be okay if I used your credit card to book a hotel room in Sedona."

"Is everything okay sweetie?"

"Yeah, its fine. I just wanted to have an alone day," she lied.

"That's very good. Being alone is helpful for your soul," her mother concurred.

"Yeah, I know," Karma said, trying to hide her intermittent sobs. "You're always telling me that."

"You go ahead, honey. Take what you need."

"Thanks mom."

"Sweetie, are you sure you're okay? I know that things have been rough this year with Amy and-"

"Mom, I'm fine. Just tired." She didn't want to hear it.

"Alright, call me if you need me."

"I will."

"Love you."

"Bye."

Liam had watched.

"You're staying somewhere else?"

"Liam, I have to. I'm hurting you."

"Are we broken up now? Is that it? Are we over?!"

"No! I don't know!" She was frustrated. "Can you just take me to a hotel? I need to sleep and be alone. I can't think like this."

"Fine…" Liam said, wishing her decisions could be different. There was no need for her to rent a hotel room. The villas were huge. He could easily stay with Clara and leave Karma all alone.

The closest hotel was a chain that looked average. She walked inside and rented a room with a single bed and a mini fridge.

"You sure you want me to just leave you here?"

"I need this," she said, still crying and wanting to die.

"I'll bring some stuff for you later or send someone else if you want."

"Do what you want. I don't need anything." She wasn't planning on eating or changing. All she was planning on was crying.

"Karma, you're scaring me."

"I'm sorry, Liam." She said, tears rushing hard as she turned from him with the key in her hand.

He watched her go and wondered how long it had been, this secret, this time.

Back in the car he started the engine but idled for several minutes, wondering what he should do. Nothing felt right. Eventually he put the car in reverse and sped off. He wanted to be angry but it made sense, it really did. Amy and Karma had always been much too close.

Part II

"Are you asleep?" Clara asked. It had been so quiet for so long and the light from outside the cave was growing dim. She held Amy and never wanted to let go.

"No," Amy said, tears still lightly fell but she was done with the sobs and the feeling. The thing had happened and she had remembered once again that no matter how lovely Clara was she was in love with her best friend. Hopelessly, relentlessly, in love with the girl she'd never have.

"We better go, it'll be dark soon," Clara said, moving Amy's hair out of her face and looking down at her tenderly, noticing how she had calmed and relaxed.

"You're probably right," Amy said, not wanting to leave.

"Come on," Clara said, letting go of her slowly and moving to dress herself.

Amy followed and dressed wordlessly, feeling done with life and heavy. They both grabbed for the sheet at the same time and laughed.

"Lets get you home," Clara said, wishing she could take away all the pain. She bundled the sheet into her bag and took the candle up off the ground.

"It was a good idea," Amy said, taking Clara's hand.

"I'm so sorry…" Clara confessed, shaking her head. She hadn't thought about Liam.

"It wasn't your fault. I was angry." Amy never should've blamed her like she did.

The hike down was slow and wordless. They were so comfortable with each other, they didn't need words at all. Instead they walked hand in hand and clung to each other mournfully from time to time.

When they reached the car the sun had already disappeared.

To their surprise Liam was waiting outside of his rental, leaning on his driver's side door. Amy noticed right away, he was all alone.

Her heart jumped.

"Wh-where's Karma?!" Amy asked, nervously.

"Quality Inn." Liam confessed, not meeting Amy's eyes. He had tears in his own but he hadn't been weeping, not fully.

"She got a hotel room?!" Amy was pissed. "Liam that's insane!"

"Yeah, I know," he wanted to not be talking but he had to tell her and he knew that much.

"You have to go to her," Clara said. "I'll take you, come on."

"But…" Amy wanted to say, but what about us? The look on her face said it plainly to Clara.

"You love her," Clara said sadly, still holding on to Amy's hand.

"I don't know what to do."

"You'll go to her," Clara decided for her. "At least for tonight."

"What if she hates me?"

"She won't."

"You can't know that."

"She loves you Amy," Liam butt in. "She told me."

"What?" Amy asked, letting go of Clara's hand to face him.

"She said it's been different since the wedding. Since we, you know…" He sniffled to keep from tearing up.

"She told you that?" It seemed unreal, it had to be a lie. Karma had always just seemed only half-way truthful about her feelings. Why would she hold back so much and hide it if she was attracted?

"She said she's been having dreams."

"She said that? To you?" Amy had heard it before but for Karma to tell Liam it meant something. Something big.

"Mmm hmm…" He said calmly, feeling done with it, completely rejected.

Clara listened on and felt her heart drop in her chest with the knowledge of all the baggage that came between Karma and Amy. She laughed and wept a little, collecting herself.

"Why are you laughing?!" Amy asked, startled.

"I've only known you a few days," Clara said, tears rushing her smiling face. "You've just about ruined me Raudenfeld." She wiped her eyes, smiling, remembering that it had only been three days.

"Clara," Amy said, watching her cry lightly and feeling so helpless because she had caused it partly. She had let Clara think it could happen.

"Don't worry, come on," Clara said.

She got into the car and started it.

"I'm sorry," Amy said, to Liam who was now actually crying, not ashamed.

"Don't be sorry," he said, looking at her now. "You're better than me."

"That's not true," Amy knew.

"No, you are. You wouldn't have fallen for her the way I did. The truth matters to you."

"You're a good guy Liam… Sometimes," she added on with a smirk.

"Yeah," he chuckled. "What are you waiting for?" He wanted to push her or carry her there. It felt somehow right that his relationship end like this after how it had begun. It was such a mess of a year. A beautiful mess.

As they drove away he started to laugh, doubling over and holding himself up with his hands on both of his knees.

He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and dialed for Shane.

Part III

In the hotel room, Karma was crying heavily. She shut her eyes and saw Amy holding Clara and kissing her soft, with eyes closed and a wanting expression.

"Shit!" She cursed, clutching her stomach and curling herself up into a little ball. She hugged a pillow and buried her face in it.

Her dream last night had been almost like what she saw in that cave. It was her in Amy's arms, with Amy's lips and Amy's love. She wailed all alone. No one could hear. Her pain took over her. She hated that she was so fucking slow.

Outside Clara idled. "You gotta go sweetie."

"I'm so sorry," Amy cried, looking too Clara and noticing her soft smile.

"It's okay, I'll be fine," Clara leaned into her and kissed her gently on the lips. Tears escaped amy's eyes and Clara wiped one away with her thumb. "If it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

"And if it's not?"

"Call me," Clara smiled. "I would love to pick up the pieces."

Amy laughed but wanted to cry. "You've been..." She searched for a word but there wasn't a word for Clara, there was only that feeling.

"Likewise," Clara said, pulling Amy in again and kissing her forehead, breathing her in for maybe the last time.

She got out of the car and walked around to Amy's door, opening it. "Come on," Clara ushered, holding out her hands. Amy took them and got out. She couldn't' help it, she fell into Clara's arms and hugged her tight.

"Go," Clara said, once it had been long enough. She moved Amy's arms and pushed her lightly off toward Karma's room. "Call me when you're ready."

"I will," Amy agreed, looking back.

As she walked down the corridor she felt her heart pound hard in her chest. It was like venturing into a gauntlet. She wasn't sure what was going to happen but she knew it would be intense and messy and different than anything she had ever done before.

Her voice was shaky and her hands shook too. She arrived at room number 32 and hesitated, looking back at Clara who had already gone.

She cleared her throat and knocked.

"Karma?!" She called, not as confident as she wished she could've been.