Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 43: True Passion
Abby

The antiseptic smell of the hospital surrounds me, a cold, clinical scent that seems to hang in the air. I

glance down at my arm, now wrapped in white gauze, the skin beneath it red and angry. The pain

pulses with every heartbeat, but it’s a dull, manageable ache for now.

“Abby, you should be heading home to rest,” the doctor’s firm voice breaks through my thoughts. He’s

an older man, silver hair and a gentle, fatherly demeanor. “That burn needs time to heal, and you need

time to recover.”

“I understand, doctor,” I reply, doing my best to sound appreciative. “Thank you.”

Karl waits just outside the small cubicle, flipping through a magazine. The fluorescent lights highlight

the worry lines on his forehead. He looks up as I emerge, magazine forgotten.

“All set?”

I nod, reaching for my jacket with my uninjured arm. Karl moves quickly to help, his fingers brushing

against mine. The touch is unintentional, but it sends a rush of warmth through me.

“Thanks,” I murmur, avoiding his gaze.

He just nods, his expression serious. “I’ll drive you home.”

But as I step into the corridor, the weight of unfinished business pulls at me. “Not home. Back to the

restaurant.”

He stops in his tracks, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Are you serious, Abby? After what you’ve just

been through?”

“The night isn’t over,” I reply firmly, pain making my voice sharper than intended. “The restaurant needs

me.”

Karl shakes his head, clearly struggling to comprehend my determination. “Let’s sit for a moment,” he

suggests, guiding me towards a set of chairs in the waiting area. It’s relatively quiet here, a few people

sca ttered about, absorbed in their own world of worry and waiting.

He waits for me to get settled before taking the seat next to me. “Abby, talk to me. Why do you feel the

need to go back there tonight? It’s just one night.”

I turn to face him, biting my lip. “You weren’t there when I opened up the restaurant.”

turning a

murmur, my voice soft. “It’s a culmination of every dream

I’ve faced. One disaster isn’t going to keep me away. And my

me tonight.”

eyes filled with a mix of

shadows on his face, making

his words carefully. “It’s not about your determination or passion.

sometimes, you need to step

of the hospital, the beeping

of nostalgia. It reminds me of

one

all mussed together.

me going. When I face challenges, when things

I back down now, even for a night, what message am

myself? To my staff?”

hair. “It’s just that… when I saw that fire, when I saw

scared the hell out

a pang through my chest. Without

And I’m grateful for your concern, truly. But the best way you can support

is to understand.”

moment, absorbing my words. The m uffled

determined glint in

condition.”

an

going back to that restaurant, I’m

at

the night air greets us, a stark contrast to the

lights glittering in the distance, the

he holds the door open for me, ever

asks,

I reply with newfound

the restaurant is filled with comfortable silence, the kind that

the window blurs into a cascade

corner holding

comes into view, I feel a mixture of

testament to my team’s

front, his gaze

reply with a

electric. Servers move with purpose, the kitchen hums

wafts through the air. I

tension in his shoulders.

relief flooding his features. “Boss! You’re

I reply

smile on his lips. “You truly are something

up, you push

when you

shakes his head in wonder. “You never