Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 311

Abby

Waking up to the soft morning light filtering through the curtains, I feel an unfamiliar warmth surrounding me.

It takes a moment for the fog of sleep to clear from my mind, and then I remember him—Karl. He’s still here, beside me. We went to sleep last night with a respectable distance between us, but it’s clear that it made no difference; because now, his arm is draped protectively over my waist.

It’s both strange and comforting at the same time, a feeling that I can’t decide right now if I want to welcome or not. Right now, I think I want to welcome it. His scent is almost overpowering, and maybe it’s just that that’s making me soften, but in my current sleepy state, I don’t care/

I carefully turn to face him, not wanting to wake him up.

His features are relaxed in sleep, a rare sight that softens the usual stern lines of his face. His dark hair is a bit tousled, giving him a boyish appearance that makes my heart flutter.

In this quiet moment, I’m reminded of the man I once fell in love with—the man who is still capable of stirring emotions deep inside of me, even if I don’t always want to admit it.

I watch him for a few moments, drinking in the sight of him. His chest rises and falls gently, a rhythm that’s both soothing and hypnotic. I feel a smile tug at the corner of my lips, a mixture of fondness and bittersweet nostalgia.

As I lay here, looking at him, his eyes slowly flutter open. I feel my face turn a bright shade of red, and I go to pull away, but he’s too quick; he strengthens his grip around my waist. He’s not letting me go anywhere.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he murmurs, a lazy smile spreading across his sleepy face.

I swallow, opening my mouth to respond.

But then, as if on cue, there’s a sudden knock at the door. It’s abrupt, shattering the peaceful morning silence. I can’t quite decide if I’m glad for the interruption or if I’m disappointed.

“Who is it?” I call out.

“Chloe and Leah.” Their voices call through the door, causing my heart to jump. They can’t see me—us—like this. Even though they both know about the situation between me and Karl, a part of me still doesn’t want them to see it firsthand.

Karl glances at the door and then at me, a look of understanding passing over his features. He releases his iron grip on my waist and sits up.

“I should hide,” he whispers, his voice husky from sleep. “Don’t want to cause any trouble for you.”

I nod, reluctantly letting go of him as he quickly gets up and slips into the bathroom. The door closes silently behind him, and I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself before calling out, “Come in.”

The door opens and Chloe and Leah step inside, their expressions a little sadder than I expected. They’re leaving soon, and the reality of it hits me like a ton of bricks.

“We just wanted to say goodbye,” Chloe says, already blinking away tears. “We’re packing up the cars now.”

I sit up, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. Tears of my own are threatening to come. “I’ll meet you guys downstairs,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady.

As they turn to leave, I notice their eyes briefly flick to the other side of the bed, the sheets and pillow slightly rumpled, a clear indication that someone else has been here. But they say nothing and simply leave, and for that, I’m grateful.

Once they’re gone, I slip out of the bed and walk over to the bathroom door.

“You can come out now.”

The door creaks open, and Karl stands in the doorway. Neither of us says anything for a moment; he just presses his hand against the door frame and leans slightly, peering down at me with those brown eyes of his that seem to turn a caramel shade in the morning sunlight.

“No intruders,” he whispers, a slight smirk crossing his features. “I guess I did my job last night.”

I can’t help but let out a small laugh. “Yeah. I guess so.”

There’s another moment of silence. I stare up at Karl, taking in the dark circles beneath his eyes; he’s probably got one hell of a hangover.

“How are you feeling?” I find myself asking.

He shrugs. “About as well as one could, after drinking half a bottle of whiskey all by myself.”

“I can make you a nice breakfast,” I blurt out without even really meaning to. “Something to absorb the alcohol.”

Karl pauses, and it’s as if I can see the gears turning behind his eyes. But then, finally, he shakes his head.

“I was hoping to take you out.”

I knit my eyebrows together. “You were?”

He nods. “Yeah. After my behavior last night, it’s the least I could do.”

“Karl, you don’t—”

“Too bad,” Karl says, pushing away from the door frame in a way that admittedly makes my knees feel a little weak. “I’m taking you out.”

…

A few minutes later, I find myself standing at the door, watching as my friends pile into their cars. I feel a lump forming in my throat as I watch them, the realization that I’m staying here, while they return to the city, weighing heavily on me.

Chloe and Leah are the first to approach. Both of their faces are etched with sadness. I hold my arms out, and we pile into a tearful group hug.

“You’ll come back soon, right?” Chloe murmurs, her face muffled by my hair. “We miss you.”

I blink my tears away. “I hope so.”

“Keep us updated on the restaurant case.” Leah pulls away, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “If you need anything, please, Abby… call us. No more secrets.”

I nod, giving both of their hands a tight squeeze. “No more secrets.”

As I watch my friends climb into their cars, the situation only feels all the more final. The truth is, I don’t know how long I’ll be staying here; it could be days, weeks, maybe even months.

I feel so torn between these two worlds, too, as if there’s a part of me that’s pulling me toward this sweet little town, toward the life I used to know and love so well, with another part of me that’s pulling me back to the city, back to excitement and independence and… my friends.

“Take care, Abby,” John calls out from his car as they all begin to pull out of the driveway one-by-one. “We’ll visit again soon!”

I muster a smile, waving back. “You’d better!” I call out, trying to sound cheerful despite how I really feel.

As the cars pull away, I’m left standing here, a sense of loneliness instantly enveloping me. I know I shouldn’t feel this lonely, not when I’ve got Karl and Elsie here, but I can’t help it. With a soft sigh, I turn to head back inside, my mind a whirlwind of emotions.

Karl is waiting for me in the hallway when I return. His expression is somber, and I can tell he’s been listening to the teary farewells.

“You okay?” he asks softly, stepping closer.

I nod, though I’m not entirely sure if I am. “It’s just... hard to see them go,” I admit. “I wish I could go back with them, but I know I need to be here.”

Karl reaches out, his hand gently brushing my arm. The sensation makes me shiver. But then he pulls away, reaching past me for my coat that’s on the hook behind me. He hands it to me.

“Put this on,” he says. “I promised you breakfast.”