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

heart, Karl,” I murmur, my voice soft.

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

me tonight.”

moment, his brown eyes filled with a mix of admiration

shadows on his face,

choosing his words carefully. “It’s not about

sometimes, you need to step back and take care of

beeping of machines and

I feel a pang of nostalgia.

one another. Now, it feels like a tangle,

all mussed together.

keeps me going. When

now, even for a night, what message am

myself? To my staff?”

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

It scared the hell

pang through my chest. Without thinking, I reach

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

is to understand.”

moment, absorbing my words. The m uffled sounds of footsteps and

he looks up, a determined glint in his

condition.”

an

going back to that restaurant, I’m staying by

tugs at my

us, a stark contrast to the sterile environment inside.

alive, lights glittering in the distance, the gentle hum

door open for me, ever the

he asks, one

reply with newfound

drive back to the restaurant is filled with comfortable silence, the kind

window blurs into a cascade of lights and

corner

into view,

a testament to my team’s

gaze fixed on the

reply with a

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

wafts through the air. I can see Jake

tension in his shoulders.

I enter, relief

I?” I reply with

an amused smile on his

given up, you push

chuckle. “That’s what happens when you find something that really matters

in wonder. “You never cease