Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 104

Abby

The morning sun is barely peeking over the horizon, casting a soft glow on the deserted streets as I race toward the restaurant.

Despite my exhaustion, I couldn’t sleep, and am currently running off of several cups of coffee. My mind races, replaying last night's accidental revelation like a broken record.

I need to find Karl. Now. And even though it’s early, something tells me that he’s already in the kitchen.

I burst into the restaurant, my eyes scanning the empty tables, the bar, and finally landing on the kitchen door, where a dim light is shining through the small window. Pushing it open, I find Karl, knife in hand, chopping vegetables with a newfound kind of precision brought about by his apprenticeship under John.

“Karl, we need to talk. Now.”

He looks up, his eyes meeting mine, widening for a moment before narrowing with concern. “Abby, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I wish it was that simple,” I mutter, brushing a stray strand of hair out of my eyes from my mad dash across the city. “We need to find those truffles. The competition—”

“I told you, it’s not happening,” he interrupts, his voice taking on a stern tone. “That place is dangerous. I’m not going back, and I’m certainly not taking you there.”

“Karl, you don't understand. I got an email last night.”

He pauses, placing his knife down on the counter. “An email?”

I nod, my heart pounding so hard I think it might pound right out of my chest. “From the cook-off judges. I wasn’t supposed to see it, but I did. They’re picking the truffle dish for the main course. If I don’t nail that recipe, I’m screwed.”

His eyes search my face, as if trying to decipher whether I’m lying or not before he finally sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Abby, as much as I want to help you, I can’t. That place is the headquarters of some dangerous people. They have guards, cameras...”

His voice trails off, lost in memories from last night that I can only imagine.

“Do you think I don’t know that? I know the risks, but I also know what's at stake here.”

He leans against the counter, his eyes shadowed. “You might know, Abby, but you don’t understand. I nearly got caught. I had to jump into water just to escape. Whatever they’re hiding there, they don’t take kindly to people poking around.”

My mind conjures up a terrifying image of Karl, drenched and running, evading all kinds of danger. My stomach churns at the thought, but I can’t let that stop me. Not now, not when I’m so close.

“I get it, okay? I get that it’s a life and death situation,” I say. “But I have to do this. Winning this competition is…”

Karl’s face tightens in annoyance. “I know how important it is to you, Abby. But it’s dangerous. You could get killed.”

I lean against the counter across from him, my fingers gripping the edge till they turn white. “So what? We just give up? Let go of this whole competition? I’d basically be accepting failure at that point.”

He looks up, his eyes meeting mine. I can see a sense of regret in their brown depths, but there’s something else there, too. A warning. “Abby, I know it sucks. But I just can’t let you throw your life away over a mushroom.”

“A mushroom that could help me win this competition,” I whisper, my voice filled with a bitterness that surprises even me.

Karl sighs. “You think I don’t know that? You think it doesn’t kill me to say no to you?”

My heart clenches at his words. I can see the sincerity in his eyes, feel it in the tremble of his voice. But alongside it, I also feel the overwhelming sensation of this victory slipping through my fingers.

“So that's it, then? We just let this opportunity slip away? Pretend like we never got close?”

His eyes are intense, unwavering as they lock onto mine. “If getting close means putting you in danger, then yes. We have to let it go. I’m sorry, Abby.”

I exhale, a shuddering breath that does nothing to quell the turmoil inside me.

The tension between us could be sliced with a knife. Part of me considers letting Karl win this round. But I can’t let this go. I just can’t.

Instead, I reach into my bag and pull out a crumpled piece of paper, holding it up in front of him. It's water-stained and a little tattered, but clearly a hand-drawn map.

“Recognize this?” I ask, my voice filled with a challenge.

Karl’s eyes widen, and for a moment, he’s the one who looks like he’s seen a ghost. “You pickpocketed me? Last night, when I came in here soaking wet?”

I smirk, my heart pounding with a blend of victory and trepidation. Memories of last night flood back in: of hugging him, of noticing the slip of paper sticking out of his pocket with suspicious writing on it, of taking it and slipping it into my own pocket, just in case.

“Of course I did. I saw this map sticking out of your pocket, soaking wet. Thought it might come in handy.”

He exhales, half in disbelief, half in amusement. “Some things never change, do they?”

“Nope,” I grin, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Especially not my knack for mischief.”

He shakes his head, staring at the map then back at me, realizing there’s no way he’s going to change my mind. “You’re going to go, aren’t you? No matter what I say?”

“You know me too well,” I reply, my eyes not leaving his. “I have to try, Karl. I can’t let this slip away.”

He gazes at me for a long, excruciating moment, and I can almost see the gears turning in his head. He’s weighing the risks, weighing the importance of my dreams against the dangers ahead of us.

Then, he takes a deep breath, as though mustering the courage he needs for what he’s about to do.

“Alright,” he says, finally. His eyes search mine one last time, as if making sure this is what I want, what we both want. “If you’re going, I’m going with you. There’s no way I’m letting you go into this alone.”

My heart surges with relief and newfound courage. For a moment, I feel like we’re a team again. “You’re sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of a bad decision in my life,” he quips, but his eyes are serious. “Let’s do this.”

My heart is doing somersaults in my chest as I watch him grab his coat from the hook by the door. He pauses for a moment, then snatches his car keys from the counter.

“Alright,” he says, looking at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. “It’s early. Let's go before the restaurant opens. The less people who know about this, the better.”

I nod, folding up the map and tucking it back into my pocket. “Agreed. Less explaining to do if things go south.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” he says, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, breaking the heavy mood that’s been settling over us.

I step closer, my eyes meeting his, wanting him to understand how much this means to me. “Thank you, Karl. For believing in me.”

He looks down at me, his eyes softening. For a moment, there’s just silence between us, both heavy and light at the same time; heavy with the weight of what we’re about to do, of the danger we’re about to put ourselves in, but light with the realization that as a team, we can accomplish anything.

“Well?” he says, his soft voice breaking the silence. “Ready?”