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 of red. “No.

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

isn’t going to keep

me tonight.”

his brown eyes filled with a mix

room’s harsh lighting casts shadows on his face, making him

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

sometimes, you need to step back

familiar hum of the hospital, the beeping of machines and

a pang of nostalgia. It reminds

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

all mussed together.

is what keeps me going. When I face challenges, when

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

myself? To my staff?”

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

hell out of

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

I’m grateful for your concern, truly. But

is to understand.”

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

surround us. Finally, he looks up, a determined glint in his eyes.

condition.”

an eyebrow.

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

tugs at my lips.

the hospital, the night air greets us,

alive, lights glittering in the distance, the gentle hum

the door open for me, ever the

he asks,

reply with

is filled with comfortable silence,

into a cascade of lights and shadows, each

corner

restaurant comes into view, I feel

bustling, a testament

front, his gaze fixed on the

I reply with

is electric. Servers move with purpose, the kitchen

the air. I can see Jake

tension in his shoulders.

me as I enter, relief flooding his

I?” I reply

his lips. “You truly are

up, you push

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

in wonder.