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.”

a slight shade

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

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

me tonight.”

a long moment, his brown eyes filled with a mix

his face,

“It’s

need to step back and take

familiar hum of the hospital, the beeping of machines and hushed conversations, provides

nostalgia. It

around one another. Now, it

all mussed together.

the restaurant is what keeps me going. When I face

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

myself? To my staff?”

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

the hell

through my chest. Without

your concern, truly. But the best

is to understand.”

a moment, absorbing my words. The m uffled sounds

looks up, a determined glint in

condition.”

an eyebrow.

back to that restaurant, I’m staying by your

at my

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

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

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

asks,

I reply with newfound

is filled with comfortable

the window blurs into

street corner holding a

outline of my restaurant comes into view, I feel

bustling, a testament

parks out front, his gaze fixed on the

reply with a

Servers move with purpose, the kitchen hums with activity, and

wafts through the air. I can

tension in his shoulders.

I enter, relief flooding his features. “Boss! You’re

I reply with

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

would’ve given up,

chuckle. “That’s what happens when you find

his head in wonder. “You never cease to