Chasing His Kickass Luna Back Chapter 314

Abby

The mansion feels so much bigger and emptier now that my friends are gone. For the few days that they were here, everything felt so lively and maybe even a little chaotic. Now, though, it’s as if my own heartbeat is echoing off of these walls.

Normally, I wouldn’t mind; I did live here for years, after all. I did design the interior of this home. It should be comforting. But it’s different now.

I feel so cooped up here. I can’t leave without Karl or someone else by my side, as per Officer Martinez’s instructions. And with each night that passes, I find myself peering nervously out the windows, wondering if the strange black car is still out there.

Of course it isn’t, though. I haven’t seen it since the night that I found Karl drunk in his office. But I still feel like I’m being watched, in a strange way.

Maybe I’m just going crazy from being stuck inside, away from my friends, away from my apartment, away from my restaurant.

I do manage to find solace in the kitchen, though. Elsie and I spend plenty of time in there, preparing meals for everyone. I’m glad I have her here, at least, and the familiar sights, smells, and sounds of the kitchen keeps me from thinking too much about all of the other stuff.

And as we chop and stir, it’s nice to have a friend by my side. But Elsie has always been incredibly astute. Since she lived under the same roof as me for so long, I think she might even know me better than Chloe and Leah, as crazy as that sounds.

“You’re upset.”

Elsie’s eyes meet mine across the counter. She’s stirring a pot of stew, which is filling the kitchen with the fragrant scent of fresh mushrooms and beef. We just picked the mushrooms in the nearby woods this morning, so they smell even earthier and fresher.

That’s one thing I miss about living in the countryside: the mushrooms.

“How can you tell?” I ask.

She shrugs, tapping the wooden spoon on the side of the pot. “You’ve been chopping that same carrot for like five minutes now.”

I swallow as I look down at the carrot on the cutting board in front of me. I’ve practically minced it into mush now, even though I was only supposed to chop it roughly. I guess I was zoning out and didn’t realize.

“Alright,” I say, setting my knife down and wiping my hands on a nearby dishcloth. “I guess I’m a little… distracted.”

“Distracted?” she chuckles. “That’s putting it lightly. It’s about Karl, isn’t it?”

I let out a soft sigh. Elsie already knows about the agreement that Karl and I came to the other day, about easing off on our physical relationship. At the time, it seemed like it was for the best, but now I’m not so sure. I keep thinking about him, about the feeling of his fingers grazing my skin and the warmth of his breath on my neck. It’s like he’s haunting my mind.

“Yeah, it is,” I finally admit. “It’s complicated. I wish it wasn’t, though.”

Elsie pauses and folds her arms across her chest as she looks at me, thinking for a moment before she responds. “You know it’s okay to follow your heart, right?” she asks. “Like, Abby… you can be with him if not being with him has got you like this.”

I laugh, a hollow sound even to my own ears. “I wish it were that easy, Elsie. Following my heart got it broken once. I’m not sure I can risk that again.”

Elsie frowns. “Why do you think it would break again? Karl’s changed. He cares for you.”

Her words strike a chord deep inside of me. She’s right, and I know she’s right; I’ve been asking myself these same questions for what feels like forever now.

“I’m afraid,” I blurt out. “Plain and simple. Afraid of opening myself up, of potentially getting hurt again. Afraid that, even if he seems like he’s changed as of right now, that he hasn’t really changed all that much.”

There’s a long silence as Elsie processes my words. Finally, when she answers, her voice is soft.

“It’s okay to be afraid, Abby,” she says gently, resuming her stirring. “But don’t let fear rule your life.”

I nod stiffly, knowing she’s right; I can’t let fear dictate all of my decisions forever. I’ve taken leaps of faith before, and I could do it again.

But at the same time, I’m completely, utterly unable to shake the tendrils of doubt that have coiled themselves around my heart.

…

Even though Elsie has given me plenty to think about, I just can’t bring myself to do it. That’s why, after finishing up our pot of stew, I retreat to the living room with a book. I don’t want to think right now. I just want to escape.

Karl is in his office all day, just as he was yesterday and the day before that, too. As soon as we got home from the diner the other day, he had to rush off to meetings. It’s a little too reminiscent of the way things used to be, but I know he’s busy right now. This election is important, after all.

The longer I read on the couch, though, the heavier my eyelids grow. Soon, the sun begins to dip below the horizon. And before I know it, the pages are slipping from my fingers and I’m being pulled into a much-needed sleep.

I wake in the dead of night, disoriented, a blanket draped over me. I didn’t fall asleep with a blanket, did I?

Blinking in the dim light, I see a form asleep on the recliner; and when my eyes focus a little more, I can see that it’s Karl. I can’t make out much of his face in the darkness, but I can hear his soft, steady breathing.

A smile tugs at my lips. Did he cover me with the blanket? Did he fall asleep beside me while he was watching over me?

Silently, I rise and gently place the blanket over him, watching as he stirs ever so slightly before settling back into sleep. I watch him for a moment longer, taking in the way that his long eyelashes settle comfortably on his cheeks, his dark hair falling ever so slightly into his eyes.

He said he’s going to get a haircut tomorrow so he looks presentable for his press conference, but I like when his hair is a little long. He’s cute like this.

Watching him like this creates a pang in my chest, though. I take a step back, biting my lip for a moment before tearing my eyes away from him and making my way up to my bedroom.

But as I fall asleep, no matter how much I try to push it away, I’m accompanied by images of his sleeping face in the dim light of the living room.

…

Morning comes too soon; a sharp knock on my door jolts me awake. I sit up abruptly, confused and disoriented. The knock comes again.

Groggily, I call out, “Come in.”

A moment later, the door opens and Karl enters, already fully dressed, sunlight streaming in behind him. Without a word, he walks briskly over to the window and yanks the curtains open. I squint against the sudden light.

“What the—”

“Get dressed,” he says, crossing over to the other window and yanking that curtain open, too, so that the entire room is now bathed in blindingly bright light. “I have a surprise for you.”

I look over at the clock, rubbing my eyes. “Why? It’s so early.”

“Just trust me,” he urges, a hint of excitement in his voice. “Meet me downstairs in ten minutes.”