Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 62: Too Much To Ask
The door to Abby’s office swings shut behind me, and my mind races as I walk back into the kitchen.

First, she asks me to make nice with Chloe, and now this? Apprenticing under John, of all people? A

guy I can’t even stand to be in the same room with?

“Karl, grab the veal from the fridge. Now.” John’s voice snaps me back to reality, jarring and grating as

ever.

I grab the veal and set it on the counter, taking a moment to steel myself. I’m doing this for Abby, I

remind myself. As if sensing my inner turmoil, Abby glances over at me from across the kitchen.

Our eyes meet for just a second, but it’s enough. I nod subtly. I can do this.

The dinner rush starts, and the kitchen turns into a whirlwind of flying knives and sizzling pans. John

wastes no time in laying into me.

“Come on, Karl, chop those onions faster! We don’t have all day!”

My knuckles whiten around the knife handle, but I force a smile. “Sure, John, whatever you say.”

Dinner service rushes on like a torrential river, and I’m just trying to keep my head above water. Each

critique from John feels like another weight pulling me down, but I keep reminding myself why I’m here,

who I’m here for.

The clock ticks past nine, and the last orders are finally up. John looks at me, a satisfied smirk

spreading across his face. “Not a complete disaster, I suppose.”

My jaw clenches, my fists curl, but I refuse to let the torrent out. Abby’s eyes catch mine again, her

gaze searching. I look away. I can’t let her see how much this is getting to me.

And that’s when it happens. One small, insignificant straw that breaks the proverbial camel’s back.

“Karl, you idiot! These steaks are overcooked! Do you even know what medium-rare looks like?” John

spits the words out, his

inside me snaps. All the pent-up frustration, the hours of biting my

of swallowing my pride—it all comes rushing to the

That’s it.

my hands shaking with barely contained

realize that she’s gone. Where her beautiful face

bit, I’m now met

I throw my apron down onto

to myself than

into the alley, my chest heaving.

it. I pull out a cigarette and light it, drawing the smoke deep into my lungs

fill the gaping void

reeling. What the hell am I doing? All

all for her. For Abby. Because despite the

I

exhaling slowly as I stare up at the sliver of night sky visible between

stark reminder of how confined I feel, boxed in by my own

John

as it galls me to admit it,

prove that

of

A deep growl resonates from within, not from my

shares my consciousness.

it now?” I murmur under my breath, trying

in my head, clear

You just have to push through it for a

I know,” I reply silently, a conversation taking place entirely within the confines

can be part of her world. But I f ucking

It’ll just be for a while

ask. “It feels like she’ll never

myself ever since I walked out of

out, be the bigger man and tolerate John

I’m trying, really trying, to be the man

if reading my thoughts. “She’ll realize you’re making

that you’re putting her

way into my mind despite

mistakes? What if I’m forever labeled the

who broke her heart?