Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

#Chapter 71: Turning Back

Abby

Chloe leaving sends me into a spiral.

Hot tears begin to p rick at the backs of my eyes as I watch her fading form. Some of my other

employees are starting to trickle in, with Daisy at the helm, who nearly ran face-first into the slamming

door as Chloe brushed past her without so much as a greeting.

“Geez,” Daisy says, swinging the door open with a confused look on her face. Her ankle is all wrapped

up in an Ace bandage, but she seems much better after she rolled it. Ethan comes in behind her. I’ve

noticed recently that the two of them seem thick as thieves, but I pretend not to notice. It’s sweet, but

it’s not my business.

Daisy jerks her head toward Chloe as she approaches the bar. “What’s her problem?”

I shake my head and try to steady myself over my coffee. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Daisy, picking up what I’m implying, scurries past to the back room without a word. Ethan, however,

doesn’t take the hint. Typical men.

“You good, Abby?” he asks, limping behind the bar and pouring himself a cup of coffee from the

machine. “You look like—”

“Just… Don’t,” I interrupt, unable to hide my annoyance any longer. Ethan shoots me a confused look,

but I don’t care at this point.

Still reeling from my argument with my best friend, I storm into my office, my heels clicking angrily

against the floor. The door slams behind me before anyone can so much as utter a word, leaving me

alone at last.

I’m overwhelmed, hurt, and furious all at once. Chloe was supposed to be my rock, my confidante, my

ride-or-die. How could she just turn her back on me like that? All because I wasn’t willing to just throw

Karl out on the street when he’s clearly trying to be better?

Maybe she’s right about Karl. Maybe I should be staying away from him. Maybe this will end in disaster

again. But if it does, I want it to be my decision. Not anyone else’s.

I sink into my chair, my hands shaking as I grip the edge of my desk. I hear the distant chatter of my

staff outside the door, no doubt gossiping about the spectacle that just unfolded. What’s worse is that

I’ve never been the kind to air my d*rty laundry in public, and especially not in my own restaurant.

I press my palms against my eyes, trying to hold back the tears. But it’s a losing battle; one rebellious

tear escapes, then another, trickling down my cheeks as I let out a choked s ob.

It’s not long before there’s a hesitant knock at the door.

“Go away!” I snap, my voice breaking. I’m in no mood to deal with anyone right now, even if it’s Chloe

coming back to apologize.

But the door creaks open anyway, and I look up, fully prepared to unload my frustration on whoever’s

intruding. It’s Karl. The epicenter of all of this, in a way.

“What do you want?” I hiss, narrowing my eyes. “I said to go away.”

“Abby, we need to talk.” His voice is soft as he lingers in the doorway. I don’t know what to say; all I can

do is stare unblinkingly up at him, praying that no more tears will spill.

“Talk about what?”

He steps inside and closes the door gently behind him. For a moment, he just stands there, locking

eyes with me. There’s a genuine warmth in his gaze, an unspoken understanding.

My walls start to crumble a little. It’s just like when we were together, and he always knew when

something was wrong. He never gave up whenever I refused to talk about what was bothering me.

Even if it drove me insane, he always pushed me to tell him what was going on. Now is bound to be

one of those times.

“Is it Chloe?” he murmurs.

I nod. A silent so b quakes my b*dy, my l*ps pressing into a quivering line. And before I know it, he’s

crossed the room and enveloped me in a hug before I’ve had the chance to even react.

I should be setting boundaries, I should push him away, but I don’t. I can’t. I just let myself sink into his

arms, relishing the warmth and comfort they offer. Karl doesn’t speak, doesn’t question. He just holds

me, as if understanding that sometimes silence speaks volumes.

Finally, I pull away slightly, my eyes still damp. “Why did Chloe turn on me? She was supposed to be

my friend, my best friend. It’s just not fair, Karl.”

“She’ll come around,” Karl says gently. “You two have fought before.”

“I know, but…” I take a deep breath and turn away, wiping my damp eyes with the back of my hand.

“Not like this. Not over something this serious. Not over…” My voice trails off, the implication too clear.

Not over you, Karl, is what I almost say. But I don’t need to.

He looks at me, his eyes full of genuine concern and understanding. “I’ll make it right, Abby, I promise.”

“What?” I blink up at him, caught off guard. “Why would you say that? This isn’t your mess to clean up.”

“But it is, Abby,” he insists, his voice earnest. “I shouldn’t have put myself between you two. I realize

that now.”

“You think you came between me and Chloe?” I ask incredulously. “Karl, she made her own choices.

She chose to treat me like a petulant teenager who can’t make her own decisions. It’s not your fault.”

“But she’s right, in a way,” he counters. “She told me to stay away from you, to give you space and let

you succeed without interfering. I couldn’t even do that for one night. And after everything I did to

you…”

Now, Karl’s voice is the one that trails off. He shoves his hands in his pockets and crosses the room,

his head hanging slightly with regret.

I shake my head, trying to process his words. “Are you saying you regret helping me last night? Is that

it?”

“No, no, not at all!” He spins back around to face me and rushes to clarify, his eyes widening. “I don’t

regret helping you, Abby. I regret causing tension between you and Chloe. There’s a difference.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” I ask, my eyes searching his. “About making this right?”

“Absolutely,” Karl replies without missing a beat. “You both mean a lot to me, in different ways, and if

there’s a chance I can fix this, I will.”

A smile flits across my l*ps before I can stop it. “You’re really changing, Karl. I can see it. You’re not the

same man you were, and it’s…it’s nice. You’d better not be playing me right now.”

He grins back at me, visibly relieved. “I am trying, Abby. I promise. I’m not playing you. Trust me?”

“I believe you,” I say softly, and for the first time, I realize I mean it. I actually believe that Karl is

capable of change, of growth, of being the man I once thought he could be.

Karl sighs, taking a step back. “Alright, I’m going to find Chloe. It’s high time we had a conversation.”