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

me snaps. All the pent-up frustration, the

my pride—it all comes rushing

That’s it.

apron off, my hands shaking with barely

only to realize that she’s

bit, I’m now met with nothing

breath, I throw my apron down onto

than anyone else, and storm out of

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

cigarette and light it,

fill the gaping void inside

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

cr ap—it’s all for her. For

frustration of it all, I want her back in my

I stare up at the sliver of night sky visible

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

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

it galls me to

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

lean back against the cold, unforgiving wall of the alley,

growl resonates from within, not from my human

shares my consciousness.

is it now?” I murmur under my breath, trying to soothe the restless animal inside

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

buttons on purpose. You just have to push through

I reply silently, a conversation taking place entirely

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

“I know you do. It’ll just be for a while longer,

“It feels

since I walked out of

tolerate John

trying, really trying, to be the

wolf reassures me, as if

putting her needs

its way into

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

who broke her heart?