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.”

his face turning a slight shade of red.

my voice soft. “It’s a

every challenge I’ve faced. One disaster isn’t going to

me tonight.”

a long moment, his brown eyes filled with

shadows on his face, making him

words carefully. “It’s

sometimes, you need to step back and take

the hospital, the beeping of machines

nostalgia.

wound around one

all mussed together.

keeps me going. When I

that pulls me through. If I back down now, even for a night, what message

myself? To my staff?”

sighs, running a hand through his hair. “It’s just that… when I saw that fire,

It scared the hell out of me,

kind words send a pang through my chest. Without thinking, I reach out,

your concern, truly. But the

is to understand.”

for a moment, absorbing my words. The m

us. Finally, he looks up, a determined glint

condition.”

raise an eyebrow.

you’re going back to that restaurant, I’m

smile tugs at

hospital, the night air greets us, a stark contrast to

the distance, the gentle hum of

he holds the door open for me, ever the

asks,

reply with newfound

with comfortable silence, the

the window blurs into a cascade of lights and shadows,

street corner holding

of my restaurant comes into view, I feel

a testament to

parks out front, his gaze

reply with a

Servers move with

of delicious food wafts through the air. I can see Jake

tension in his shoulders.

relief flooding his features.

I?” I reply with

watches the exchange, an amused smile on his lips. “You truly

up, you

what happens when you find something that really matters to

wonder. “You never