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

out, his face flushed

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

my pride—it all comes rushing

That’s it.

hands shaking with barely

realize that she’s gone. Where her beautiful

now met with

I throw my apron down

some air,” I growl, more to myself than anyone else,

push through the back door into the alley, my chest heaving. The cold night air stings

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

gaping void

brick wall, my mind reeling. What the

her. For Abby. Because despite the chaos, the

it all, I want her back in my

as I stare up at the sliver of night

I feel, boxed in

yet, as much as I want to break free, to tell John to shove it, to tell Abby that this

me to admit it, I know

that I’m not the same guy I used to

the cold, unforgiving wall of the alley, still wrestling with the storm of

resonates from within, not from my human side, but from

shares my consciousness.

under my breath, trying to soothe

echoes in my head, clear as day.

purpose. You just have to push through it for a

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

to do this, to prove I can be part of her world. But I f ucking hate

do. It’ll just be for a while

“It feels like she’ll

myself ever since I walked out of Abby’s

neck out, be the bigger man and tolerate John for Abby’s

I’m trying, really trying, to

my wolf reassures me, as if reading my thoughts. “She’ll realize you’re making

her

its way into my mind despite my wolf’s reassurance. What if

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

who broke her heart?