Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 49: Up Late
Abby

The morning sun bathes my office in a gentle glow as I dial Leah’s number, eager to discuss Chloe’s

upcoming birthday.

The phone rings a few times before Leah’s raspy voice picks up on the other end.

“Abby? That you?”

“Leah, hey,” I greet, trying to hide my concern. “You sound terrible. What’s up?”

She lets out a congested laugh. “Caught a nasty cold. I’m in bed, sipping on some horrid chicken soup.

Can’t believe I’m missing all the action.”

“That’s terrible,” I answer. “I was hoping you could help with Chloe’s party prep.”

A pause ensues, and I hear Leah sigh. “I wish I could, Abby. I had so many ideas, but right now I can

barely lift my head off the pillow.”

I let out a quiet chuckle, trying to keep the mood light. “Don’t worry about it. Just rest up and get better,

okay? We’ll need you at the party in top form.”

“What about the cake? I know you were keen on baking Chloe’s favorite, the red velvet one.”

“I’ve got it covered,” I assure her. “And the party details too. It’s a lot, but I can handle it.”

“You sure?” Leah sounds skeptical.

“It’s no big deal,” I reply, although a nagging feeling at the back of my mind suggests otherwise.

“Alright, if you say so. Just promise you won’t burn out.”

“I promise,” I say, although the weight of responsibility is already settling in my chest. “Oh, and I’ll be

over later to bring you some chicken soup that’s not horrid, okay?”

After ending the call, I immediately switch tasks, reaching for my phone again to book a karaoke place

for the party.

The man on the other end, Mr. Lin, sounds elderly, his voice raspy but jovial.

“Lin’s Karaoke. How can I help you?”

“Hello, Mr. Lin, I’d like to rent one of your rooms for a private party,” I begin, but before I can finish, the

door to my office swings open, revealing Chloe, looking puzzled.

“Abby, do you have a minute?” she asks, her eyes darting to the various party notes strewn across my

desk.

“Um,” I falter, my attention divided between Chloe and Mr. Lin. “Just a sec,” I tell him and turn my

attention to Chloe. “What’s up?”

her gaze fixed on my flustered expression. “I

busy—”

suspicions further, I quickly interrupt

up without

narrows her eyes, her

a casual shrug, trying to push down the guilt. “Oh,

you need?”

unconvinced, but she proceeds with her query about the bar. As we

various notes and

of papers—the design for her

that?” she asks,

into my pocket. “Oh, just some doodles. You

get when I’m brainstorming.”

squints, clearly skeptical but doesn’t press further. “Alright. Well, I’ll

retreating from my

shuts behind her, I sink into my chair, heart

perfecting. The close calls

grows with

out a deep sigh, I consider my options. There’s no way I can

around. Every single

I grab my bag and start stowing away the various party-planning materials.

surprise, I’ll have to stay late, work in the quiet hours when there’s

walking in on me.

myself for the long night ahead. The task

on her birthday, it’ll be worth

…

I sit hunched over a

and a half-finished

of the overhead light is the only sound accompanying my scribbles. The large

me that it’s past midnight, but sleep is a distant luxury, and Chloe’s

on

with patrons and staff, feels eerily quiet now, save

clatter from the kitchen.

picture of Chloe and me rests beside my

festival. The warmth and laughter from that day feels a world apart from

atmosphere of my

to reality when a paperclip

floor. I retrieve it, my fingers

from Chloe after one of her overseas trips. Everything

gaze away, I refocus on the list of party essentials. String

Every detail

becomes a tangible weight on

celebrated together, the surprise was

birthday, so it’s a bit of a milestone. I

clang echoes from the kitchen, followed by

protesting from hours of inactivity. As I step into

cleaner wafts toward

a shine, reflect the ambient lighting from overhead

I call out as I approach the kitchen, spotting a silhouette moving

his

to see me. The stainless-steel backdrop of the

tanned skin and dark hair stand