Chasing His Kickass Luna Back by Jane Above Story

#Chapter 75: Come Home
Karl

Abby’s face looks apprehensive, which was exactly what I feared.

When my secretary called me last week to come home for a pack meeting, my original plan was to slip

back home on the day of the meeting and come back to the city without uttering a word. I wanted to just

get my duties over with and return to my task of trying to win Abby back, but plans have changed.

After everything that’s happened recently, I want her by my side. And although I won’t admit it, in a

selfish way, I want her to see our old home and remember what we had together. Maybe then we can

move things forward.

“Well?” she asks, narrowing her eyes. “Tell me. What’s the catch?”

I pause, choosing my words carefully. “I have to go back to my pack this weekend for a meeting. It’s

family stuff, council discussions, you know. The usual.” I hesitate, reading her face, which now shows a

mix of curiosity and guardedness.

“And…?”

“And… I’d like you to come with me.”

The sudden stillness in her eyes, the subtle twitch of her lips, tells me this isn’t what she expected.

“Karl, you know I have responsibilities here, right? There’s the restaurant first and foremost, and

beyond that, I have to practice for the cook-off.”

“Yeah, I know. But look, it’s a weekend. We’d be back first thing Sunday morning. The restaurant can

manage without you for two days, and as for the cook-off…” I grin, trying to channel some semblance

of charm into my plea, “you can practice in my kitchen. I’ve got it all set up—really, anything you’d

need.”

Her eyes narrow, but not dismissively. She’s considering it, I can tell. I can still remember how much

she loved our old kitchen; she was the one who designed it, after all.

two ovens, an industrial grade dishwasher, a

and an entire pantry full of

used to spend hours in there every day, cooking up some new concoction

put on weight while she was

some goodie

it started collecting dust. I’ve hardly used it since I

more or less. And recently, I’ve had the

case she decides

head decisively. “It’s not a good idea. Karl, we talked about this. The

us being there again…”

voice trails off, but I know what she was about to say: that the two of us being there

more complicated than they already are. Duh. That was kind of

that

trying to sound casual. “I had the guest room all set

Your own

moments as recognition flashes through her

showing it off whenever we had

when we had a fight or when she wasn’t feeling well, she

trying to butter me up.” Abby’s words are terse, and she ends the sentence by finishing off

drink.

guard by her intuition, I chuckle, still trying to sound casual. “Okay. Maybe a

do

oddly empty and sad. Just like always,

And before I can say anything, she

“Karl, we can’t…”

about it,” I interrupt, taking a sip of my whiskey

“I’m not trying to get anything out of you. I just wanted you

it would be

not my home

Ouch. Her words sting.

our eyes locked in a sort of silent negotiation. The air around

is it that I’m really asking of her? A journey back

of my life that’s been so far from her for so

that—a desire to show her off to my pack,

again.”

right now,

the very least.”

hide the flicker of disappointment that

I’ll be leaving on

of her whiskey, Abby slides off her stool and puts on

equal parts warmth and