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

words out, his face flushed with

snaps. All the pent-up frustration, the hours

comes rushing to the surface like a tidal

That’s it.

my hands shaking with barely contained fury. I

to realize that she’s gone. Where

bit, I’m now met with nothing

my apron down onto the

to myself than anyone else, and storm out

chest heaving. The cold night air

pull out a cigarette and light it, drawing the smoke deep into

gaping

my mind reeling. What the hell am I doing? All

For Abby. Because despite the chaos,

all, I want her back in

exhaling slowly as I stare up

of how confined I feel, boxed in by my own choices, my

tell John

galls me to admit it, I know that this is

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

against the cold, unforgiving wall of the

growl resonates from within, not

shares my consciousness.

my breath, trying to soothe

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

buttons on purpose. You just have to push through it for a little

a conversation taking place entirely within the confines of

do this, to prove I can be part of

you do. It’ll just be for a

it, though?” I ask. “It feels like she’ll

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

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

trying, to be the

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

putting her needs

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

old mistakes? What if I’m forever labeled the screw-up, the

who broke her heart?