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

frustration, the hours of biting

all comes rushing to the surface like a tidal

That’s it.

my apron off, my hands shaking with barely contained fury. I

to realize that she’s gone. Where her beautiful face would have

a bit, I’m now met with nothing but a blank

breath, I throw my apron down onto the counter. “Cook

more to myself than

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

it, drawing the smoke deep into my

fill the gaping void inside

the brick wall, my mind reeling. What the hell am I doing? All of this, swallowing

For Abby.

it all, I want her back in

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

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 this is my

make things right, to prove that I’m not the same guy I used

of

A deep growl resonates from within, not

shares my consciousness.

it now?” I murmur under my breath, trying to soothe

Karl,” my wolf’s voice echoes in my head, clear as day. “This

purpose. You just have to push

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

can be part of her world. But

know you do. It’ll just be for a

though?” I ask. “It feels like she’ll never

I walked out of Abby’s office earlier today. Sure, I

the bigger man and tolerate

trying, really trying, to be

will see,” my wolf reassures me, as if

her needs above your

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

past my old mistakes? What if I’m forever labeled the screw-up, the black sheep, the

who broke her heart?