Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 158

Abby

The door to the restaurant swings open with a familiar creak, and the scent of fresh coffee and bread reaches my nostrils.

It’s been two days since Karl left town. Things are finally back in full swing after the competition, but I took the weekend off to recover—not just from the cook-off, but from everything else, too. Now, though, I feel a little more prepared to take on my work.

“Morning, Abby,” Ethan greets, his eyes meeting mine over the bar. He’s neck-deep in paperwork; we’re all playing catch-up, considering how everyone was sick with food poisoning. I still wonder where that came from in my impeccably clean kitchen, but I suppose that accidents happen.

But then again, after the fire, the ingredient sabotage on the cooking competition, and the food poisoning, I’m beginning to wonder whether anything really was an accident.

I muster a smile. “Morning. Feeling better?”

Ethan nods. “Much. Although, Karl isn’t here yet. Have you heard from him?”

That’s when my facade starts to crack. Of course I knew that everyone would have to find out eventually, but I guess I just wasn’t expecting to have to talk about it right now. But there’s no time like the present, right?

“He’s…” I pause, clearing my throat, as though that will somehow hide the tremor in my voice. “Karl is gone. He’s no longer working with us.”

Ethan raises an eyebrow. Chloe, who just walked into the room with a cup of coffee in her hand, freezes on the spot.

“Karl’s gone?” she asks.

I nod. “Yep. The plan was for him to head back home once the cooking competition was over. Well, it’s over.”

Ethan and Chloe exchange glances. I know what they’re thinking, or at least what Chloe’s thinking: that something else happened. And in a way, I guess it did. But Karl was going home regardless; he has Alpha duties to attend to, and despite everything, I’m wholly grateful for the time he spent here these past few months just to help me.

“Well, that’s a shame,” Ethan says, flipping to another page in his notebook. “I kind of liked Karl. He was a huge help, too.”

“Yeah,” I say, starting to move again toward my office, where I know I can hide at least for a few minutes. “I’m sure we’ll all miss his help.”

But as I walk past Chloe, her eyes meet mine, and I know she knows. Something happened between Karl and me, something that I’m not telling her. And I know, without a doubt, that she’ll pry it out of me sooner or later.

It seems as though she chooses sooner, because she follows me to my office without a word. When I reach the door, she grabs my shoulder, turning me to face her.

“Abby, can we talk?” she asks, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

I nod, bracing myself for whatever lecture I’m about to receive. We slip into my office and shut the door behind us. A moment later, I flick on the lamp on my desk, casting the room in a warm orange glow.

Chloe takes a deep breath, her eyes searching mine. “You can fool them, but not me. I saw how you were with Karl. You have feelings for him, don’t you?”

I can feel the blood drain from my face as my brain scrambles to come up with a solid answer. “Chloe, I—”

“No, don’t try to deny it,” she interrupts, her gaze steady. “I know you, Abby. I saw the way you looked at him. The way you two were around each other. It wasn’t just because of the competition.”

“Well, you were seeing things wrong,” I lie, turning and walking over to my desk. I sink down onto the chair, hoping that my movements won’t bely the fact that my heart is racing a mile a minute. “There’s nothing between me and Karl. Nothing.”

Chloe narrows her eyes, her grip tightening around her mug of coffee. She closes the distance between us and sets her coffee down, then leans her palms on my desk, leaning closer to me as she speaks.

“Abby, don’t you dare lie to me. You promised.”

The air is still for what feels like an eternity. I feel like I’m locked in a silent battle with my best friend, who always seems to read my every expression like I’m an open book. Finally, I sigh, passing my hand over my face.

“Okay, fine,” I finally admit. “I miss Karl. I miss what we had. I always have and I probably always will. Happy?”

Chloe stares at me for a moment longer, still leaning on my desk. Her eyes search my face, and I can see something softening there; a subtle shift from her overwhelming scrutiny to something a little more tender.

“Either way, it doesn’t matter,” I mutter, standing and walking over to the window. “He’s gone now, and probably for the best. He’ll be returning for the Alpha party, but that’s it. After that, he’s gone for good.”

There’s another long silence. But then, suddenly, Chloe blurts out a question that I never would have expected.

“Do you think you should… I don’t know, try to stop him from leaving?”

Her question catches me off guard. I whirl around to face her, my mouth agape.

“Stop him?” I repeat, the absurdity of the notion almost making me laugh. But the laugh doesn't come. Instead, there's a hollow ache, a space where part of me wonders if maybe, just maybe, I wish I could.

“I couldn’t,” I finally say, shaking my head as if to dislodge the thought. “Why would you even ask that?”

Chloe’s expression softens a little more. “Because I saw the show, Abby. The way he looked at you, the way he was... with you. Hell, maybe I’ve softened a little, seeing that. He seemed to really care, not just for the cameras, you know?”

“That’s sweet of you,” I reply, the corners of my mouth twitching upwards into a half-hearted smile. “But it’s unnecessary. Karl and I…” I trail off as a lump forms in my throat. “We’re never getting back together. That’s not in the cards for us.”

“I guess you two just seemed so close during the cook-off,” she says with a wry chuckle. “And by the way, people are freaking out about him on social media. Along with #justiceforabby, there’s also #mysterychef. People are eating it up.”

I make a confused face. With a sigh, Chloe slips her phone out of her pocket, taps on her screen for a few moments, then holds it out for me.

On the screen is a screenshot from the show of Karl and I, standing beside one another, our hands touching. The picture has been zoomed in to the point of blurriness, but I can see it. And the caption reads: “Dear Abby, please reveal your #mysterychef! We’re rooting for you… both of you!”

I can’t help but laugh a little. “You’re kidding.”

Chloe shakes her head and slips her phone back into her pocket. “Nope. And that’s just one post of hundreds, maybe even thousands by now. You two had some real chemistry onstage, so I thought…”

“Chloe,” I say, steadying my voice, “trust me, there’s nothing between me and Karl. Whatever we used to have is gone. He’s just a friend now.”

“If he’s just a friend, then why are there tears in your eyes?”

Her words make me pause. I slowly lift a shaking finger to my eye, and when I pull it away, it’s damp. I’m crying, and I didn’t even realize it. All I can do is turn away, busying myself with a stack of papers on my desk.

“Look,” she says, “I’m not trying to accuse you of anything. But I saw what I saw. And I hope you know that, although I’m a bit more open to Karl now, I’m still worried about you. About the heartache I know he gives you.”

I keep my back to her, my fingers tracing the edge of a piece of paper. “I know you worry. And I appreciate it, more than you can imagine. But I’ve got the restaurant to think about, my staff... I have responsibilities, Chloe. To all of you, to myself.”

She’s quiet for a moment, and I know she’s considering her next words carefully.

“I’m proud of you, Abby. For standing strong. For not getting swept away by the possibility of him.” There’s a hint of pride in her voice, a sisterly kind of approval that makes me feel a little bit warmer.

“But you know,” she continues, a playful lilt entering her tone, “just because you’re not getting back with Karl doesn’t mean you have to swear off love entirely. There’s a world of people out there who would love to be with a woman who’s as passionate and dedicated as you are.”

I can’t help the genuine smile that spreads across my face. “I’m not swearing off anything, Chloe. Just... making sure that next time, it’s the right time. And the right person. Not another ‘Adam’ situation all over again.”

Chloe nods, apparently satisfied with my answer. “Good. Because, between you and me, I think you deserve someone who knows exactly how lucky they are to have you.”

I face her again, a real smile breaking through my facade. “Thanks, Chloe. That means a lot, especially coming from you.”

She grins back at me, but her eyes are serious. “Anytime, Abby. And remember, you are your own person. With or without a man.”

I laugh, a sound that finally feels genuine for the first time this morning. “I’ll remember that. Trust me.”