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.”

turning a slight shade of red. “No. I

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

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

me tonight.”

eyes filled with a

shadows on his face, making him

he starts, choosing his words carefully. “It’s

that. But sometimes, you need to step back and take care

of the hospital, the beeping

nostalgia. It

one another. Now,

all mussed together.

what keeps me going. When I face challenges, when things get tough,

now, even for

myself? To my staff?”

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

the hell out of me,

chest. Without

for your concern, truly. But the best way you

is to understand.”

a moment, absorbing my words. The m uffled sounds of

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

condition.”

an eyebrow. “Which

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

smile tugs at

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

distance,

door open for me, ever the gentleman. “You sure

he asks, one last

I reply with newfound

is filled with

blurs into a cascade

street corner holding

my restaurant comes into view, I feel a mixture of anxiety and excitement.

testament to my

gaze fixed

reply

with purpose, the kitchen

wafts through the air. I can see Jake orchestrating the dance, but

tension in his shoulders.

I enter, relief flooding his features. “Boss!

I reply with a

his lips. “You truly are something else,

would’ve given up, you

when you find something that really

head in wonder. “You never