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.”

looks away, his face turning a slight shade of red.

heart, Karl,” I murmur, my voice soft. “It’s a

One disaster isn’t going to keep me

me tonight.”

long moment, his brown eyes filled with a mix

his face, making him

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

need to step back

hum of the hospital, the beeping

our conversation. I feel a pang of nostalgia. It reminds me of the times when life

wound around one another. Now, it feels like a tangle, like

all mussed together.

When I face challenges, when things get tough, it’s

now, even for

myself? To my staff?”

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

the hell out of me,

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

grateful for your concern, truly. But the best

is to understand.”

for a moment, absorbing my words. The m

he looks up, a determined glint in his eyes. “Fine, but on

condition.”

an eyebrow. “Which

you. If you’re going back to that restaurant, I’m staying

tugs at

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

lights glittering in the distance, the gentle hum

nearby, and he holds the door open for

he asks, one last

reply

to the restaurant is filled with comfortable silence, the kind that comes

cityscape outside the window blurs into a cascade of lights and shadows,

corner holding a

view, I feel a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

testament to my

his gaze fixed

reply

the atmosphere is electric. Servers move with purpose, the

air. I

tension in his shoulders.

enter, relief flooding his features.

I?” I reply with

amused smile on his lips. “You truly

given up, you push

“That’s what happens when you find something

head in wonder. “You never cease