Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

#Chapter 47: Remember

Abby

In the dimly lit café, surrounded by the soft murmur of conversations and the aroma of fresh coffee, I sit

with my friends, watching their eyes widen in disbelief as I relay the events of the past few days.

“You broke up with Adam?” Leah, with her ever-present surprise, always finds a way to make her eyes

bulge out in an almost comical manner.

“Sort of,” I reply, stirring my iced coffee absentmindedly. I don’t want to ‘out’ Adam for his orientation, so

I decide to leave that part out. Around the restaurant, the clinking of the ice cubes and the soft sound of

voices meld together to create a soft jingle that feels oddly comforting when I need it the most. “It

was… more of a mutual thing.”

Chloe gives me a sharp glance, her red lipstick making her pouty lips seem even more pronounced.

“Mutual?” she asks. “Mutual how?”

I shake my head. “I don’t wanna get too into it,” I reply. “But I’ll just say this: it was never gonna work

out. Not in a million years.”

Both Chloe and Leah shoot me a sideways glance. Even though I’m staring down at the frothy

cappuccino sitting in front of me, I can see them look at each other in my peripherals and mouth some

silent words to each other. I pretend not to notice.

“You don’t seem too heartbroken, Abby,” Chloe finally says.

Shrugging, I admit, “I’m sad, yes, but not heartbroken. More like... hopeful.”

It’s the truth, too. Adam’s confession did make me sad; I spent the first three nights crying and cursing

the Moon Goddess. But it’s been a week now, and I feel surprisingly good. I feel free. Like a weight has

been lifted off of my shoulders. Like a whole host of opportunities lay before me, waiting to be plucked.

“Hopeful?” Rebecca repeats, arching an eyebrow. “For what?”

“For the future,” I say, smiling softly. “For new opportunities, new beginnings.”

Chloe snorts, reading my wistful expression instantly. She’s always been good at that. “Don't tell me

you’re considering Karl as one of those ‘new beginnings’?”

My cheeks burn. How can I explain the complex web of feelings I have for Karl without sounding naive?

“Of course not,” I lie, knowing that I’ll absolutely never, ever, not in a million years, admit that I have

thought about it. “But he was there for me, Chloe. When Adam wasn’t. There’s no denying that.”

She rolls her eyes. “I know, I know. He played the knight in shining armor, jumped in front of the flames,

stood by you during the hospital visit. I’ve heard the tales of his heroics.”

“But it’s true,” I insist. “He showed me a side of him that I had forgotten existed. And honestly, I think

he’s changed, too. For the better.”

Leah, ever the mediator, finally speaks up. “Both of you have a history together. It’s natural to feel

something when you see a familiar face during difficult times.”

“Yeah,” Chloe chimes in, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “especially when the ‘familiar face’ was a

perfectly sweet gentleman before the wedding bells rang. And then turned into a totally different person

after.”

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of Chloe’s words. She’s not completely wrong. Something

about the wedding changed Karl all those years ago; that was when he started getting jealous and

controlling.

But somehow, I’d like to give him the benefit of the doubt. That was years ago, and we were too young

for marriage. We weren’t prepared for the emotional toll that such a commitment can take on a young

mind.

“You’re right. But I’d like to think that Karl has changed, Chloe,” I murmur. “At least a little.”

“Has he, though?” She looks me dead in the eye. “Remember last week? That little altercation he had

with the waitress about her shirt being ‘too revealing’? Or the way he still speaks about confident

women, like they’re sluts who need to be kept in their place? Some deep-rooted perceptions don’t just Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

change overnight, Abby.”

My heart sinks. I remember that incident. The way he had commented about poor Daisy’s shirt being

too revealing, his face all scrunched up in disdain when I confronted him about it. His old habits. Old

perceptions.

Before I can answer, Leah reaches across the table, placing a comforting hand on mine.

“You deserve the best, Abby. If Karl is truly different now, he should prove it, not just with grand

gestures, but in everyday life. And from what I’ve seen and heard, he hasn’t quite done that. Not yet, at

least.”

I sigh, wrapping my fingers around Leah’s. “I know. I know you’re both right. And even if he does

change completely, I’m not sure if I can ever trust him again.”

Chloe nods. “That’s the spirit. And hey, who’s to say you need a man right now? After all, you’ve got

your restaurant. It’s about time you finally start focusing on you and what makes you happy.”

A laugh bubbles up from my chest. “And since when did Miss Chloe become the voice of reason when

it comes to men?” I tease, implying her history with men. She’s never had a long-term relationship, and

seems to be entertaining a different man every week.

“Since always,” Chloe retorts, her smirk in place. “You just didn’t notice because you were too busy

with all the drama.”

Leah chuckles. “Chloe’s right, though. Abby, you need some ‘you’ time. Rediscover yourself, your

passions. Don’t rush into anything. Like you did with…” Her voice trails off, but I know what she’s about

to say.

“I know,” I retort, breaking off a piece of my croissant and dipping it into my cappuccino. “Like I did with

Adam.”

“At least you realize that,” Chloe says with a chuckle. “You two moved so fast, especially for someone

who was fresh out of a marriage and had her heart broken.”

“Yeah,” I answer, narrowing my gaze, “and let’s not forget exactly who talked me into getting back into

dating.”

Chloe opens her mouth to retort, but her lips turn upward in a smile. Leah steps in with a chuckle. I

can’t help but laugh a little, too.

“Alright, alright,” Leah says, raising her mug to her lips. “Everyone’s to blame here. Let’s not point

fingers. What really matters, Abby, is that you’ve grown and moved on from the way things were back

then. And it shows, too.”

I lean back in my chair, letting their words wash over me. The idea of being single, of having time for

myself, is tempting. For so long, my life revolved around men, relationships, trying to mend broken

things.

But now, with my restaurant and my dreams, there’s so much I want to achieve. Opening the restaurant

was only the beginning of my journey. Perhaps this is the universe’s way of telling me to pause and

refocus.

“You guys,” I begin, my voice thick with emotion, “thank you. You always have my back. Even when I

don’t really deserve it.”

Chloe reaches across the table to squeeze my hand. “Always. And remember, no man is worth your

peace.”

“Oh, I’ll remember,” I say, taking a long sip of my cappuccino. “Trust me. I’ll remember.”