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 face flushed with

snaps. All the pent-up frustration, the hours of

all comes rushing to the

That’s it.

off, my hands shaking with barely contained fury. I shoot one last

was standing before, only to realize that she’s gone. Where her beautiful face

I’m now met with nothing

I throw my apron down onto the

I growl, more to myself than anyone else, and storm out

the back door into the alley, my chest heaving. The

light it, drawing the smoke deep into my lungs as if

gaping void

reeling. What the hell

cr ap—it’s all for her. For Abby. Because despite the chaos, the

of it all, I want her

I stare up at the sliver of night sky visible between the

a stark reminder of how confined I feel, boxed in

as I want to break free, to tell John to shove it, to tell Abby

as it galls me to admit it, I

right, to prove that I’m not

of the alley, still

A deep growl resonates from within, not from my

shares my consciousness.

murmur under my breath, trying

just an a ss, Karl,” my wolf’s voice echoes in my head, clear as day. “This John guy, he’s

purpose. You just have to push through it for a

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

be

snorts. “I know you do. It’ll just be for a

“It feels like she’ll

question I’ve been asking myself ever since I

be the bigger man and tolerate John for Abby’s sake. But

sees that I’m trying, really trying, to be the man she wants me to

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

that you’re putting her needs above

the doubt creeps in, worming its way into my mind despite

see past my old mistakes? What if I’m forever labeled

who broke her heart?