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.

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

isn’t going to keep me away. And my employees

me tonight.”

a long moment, his brown eyes filled with a mix of admiration and

shadows on his face, making him look older, more

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

sometimes, you need to step

hum of the hospital, the beeping of machines

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

paths were neatly wound around one another. Now,

all mussed together.

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

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

myself? To my staff?”

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

hell

chest. Without

“I know. And I’m grateful for your concern, truly. But the best

is to understand.”

absorbing my words. The m uffled sounds

Finally, he looks up, a determined

condition.”

raise an eyebrow. “Which

you’re going back to that restaurant, I’m staying by your

smile tugs at my

night air greets us, a stark contrast to the sterile

alive, lights glittering in the distance, the gentle hum of traffic a

parked nearby, and he holds the door open for me, ever the gentleman.

he asks, one

reply with newfound

restaurant is filled with comfortable

the window blurs into

street corner holding a

familiar outline of my restaurant comes into view, I

testament to my team’s

his gaze

reply with a

the atmosphere is electric. Servers move with purpose, the kitchen hums with activity, and

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

tension in his shoulders.

enter, relief flooding

I reply with

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

up,

when you find something that really matters to

in wonder. “You never cease