Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 124

Abby

My cheeks flush a deep shade of scarlet as Karl’s question hangs in the air, an unspoken tension filling the room.

I suddenly feel very aware of every minute detail: the way the soft glow from the desk lamp casts a shadow on his face, the almost-empty wine glasses on the edge of my cluttered desk, the nervous drumming of my own fingers against my thigh.

“Um… Wow,” I stammer with a wry chuckle, my tongue suddenly feeling thick in my mouth. “That’s quite a loaded question, Karl. I’ll admit I haven’t even thought about it. I’m sorry.”

I half expect him to get upset again like he did the last time, but much to my surprise, Karl’s lips curl into a slight grin, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes. “Oh, come on, Abby. I was just teasing you. You know, putting you on the spot. That’s what interviewers do, isn’t it?”

He picks up his wine glass and takes a casual sip, as though he hadn’t just completely thrown me off balance.

“I know, I know,” I murmur, reaching for my own glass. The wine feels warm as it trickles down my throat, loosening a knot of tension I didn’t even realize was there. “But you know what? It’s not just any date we’re talking about. I did promise you, after all. I lost the bet, remember?”

His eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, the playful mask he wears slips, replaced by genuine surprise. “Did you just—?”

“Yes.” I cut him off, a sudden burst of courage—perhaps fueled by the Merlot—filling me. “Look, if by some miracle I win this competition and have to cater the Alpha party, and that keeps me from being your date…”

I hesitate, weighing my words carefully before letting them spill out. “So, I’ll go on a real date with you. A full, real date, Karl. Anywhere you want.”

The room falls silent, save for the ticking of the wall clock and the distant hum of the city outside, still lively as ever.

Karl looks genuinely taken aback, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second before his ever-present composure settles back in. But it’s enough for me to know that my words have had an impact, and for the first time tonight, I feel like I’m the one who has managed to catch him off guard.

“Abby, you don't have to—”

“No,” I interrupt, placing my glass back on the desk with more force than necessary. “I made a promise, Karl. And maybe it’s the wine talking or maybe it’s the fact that my life is one big ball of chaos right now and I just need something stable to hold onto. But I want to keep that promise.”

I look him square in the eye, my gaze unwavering. “So, there it is. A real date, anywhere you want. If I win the cook-off.”

Karl shakes his head. “Abby, listen—”

“No, you listen,” I say, feeling invigorated by the wine or maybe by the electricity running through my veins. “I made a promise. I plan on sticking to it.”

But the look on Karl’s face gives me pause. There’s a long silence before he finally speaks, and when he does, I feel my heart wrench in ways that I never expected in a million years.

“Abby, I…”

Another silence falls over the room. This time, I feel like I’m turning upside down; I know this look. It’s a look I’ve seen a thousand times. A look that comes right before he’s about to drop a bomb.

“Actually, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” he starts, setting his empty wine glass on the cluttered desk. He looks at me intently, and I can tell that whatever he’s about to say is serious.

“Alright, lay it on me,” I say, forcing a smile and trying to lighten the mood. He doesn’t return the grin. In fact, his expression grows more somber.

He takes a deep breath. “Listen, um… After the Alpha party, I have to go back. To my pack,” he says, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. “I’ve been away too long. There’s a sense of dissatisfaction growing among my pack members. I can’t ignore it anymore. I have responsibilities, Abby.”

I feel my mouth open in shock, then quickly close it again. I know Karl’s first and foremost responsibility is to be an Alpha, that his pack needs him, but I guess in all of my selfishness over the cook-off, I never really considered the implications. That he’d have to leave. That he wouldn’t always be here, in this restaurant, with his sleeves rolled up and his eyes ablaze with the fire of the kitchen.

“You’re leaving?” The words escape before I can stop them, tinged with a sadness I wasn’t expecting to feel.

He nods, his eyes apologetic but resolute. “I’m sorry, but I have to. I can’t be an absentee Alpha. It’s starting to affect how my pack sees me, and that’s not something I can afford. Plus, I miss it. I miss the responsibilities, the connection, the sense of community.”

“But what about the restaurant? What about helping me?” My voice sounds needy even to my own ears, and I cringe, but I can’t help it. The idea of navigating this chaos without Karl suddenly feels more overwhelming than I ever thought it would be. God, how did I let it get to this point?

He leans a little closer, placing his hands on my shoulders. “I think you’re ready, Abby. You’ve always been ready. You just needed a little push, that’s all.”

My eyes meet his, searching for any sign of insincerity, but all I see is genuine feelings. And it both warms and breaks my heart.

“Is it so wrong to want a bigger push? A longer push? Or just you, sticking around?” I hear my voice waver, and I hate how vulnerable I sound. “The restaurant is finally starting to feel like it could be something great, and a huge part of that is because of you over these past few months.”

His grip tightens slightly, a physical response to my emotional words. “I won't lie. Being here, helping you...it’s given me a sense of fulfillment I didn’t expect to find outside of my pack. But I can’t ignore my responsibilities any longer.”

“And I can’t ask you to,” I say softly, accepting the gravity of his words. “It’s just that you've become...important, you know? Important to me. To the restaurant.”

Karl’s eyes soften, and for a moment, I see a flicker of what might be regret. “And you’ve always been important to me,” he says gently. “And, although I can’t believe I’m admitting this, I’ve… grown to love this restaurant. I’ve grown to love the silly, crazy people here. But I have to go home.”

I nod and take a shuddering breath, pulling back slightly. My eyes are brimming with tears, and to hide them, I quickly turn away and grab my wine glass, downing the last of what’s left.

“Alright,” I say quietly, my back still turned to Karl. “So, after the Alpha party, you’ll go home.”