Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

#Chapter 73: A Feeling

Abby

My hand freezes on the spreadsheet I’m working on when I hear a knock on my door. A soft, hesitant

one that’s almost drowned out by the evening chatter of the restaurant. My heart instantly jumps to my

throat. Is it Karl? Has he decided to make another appearance?

But when I open the door, it’s Chloe standing there, her eyes hesitant but earnest.

We’ve kept our distance today, partially because of the insane lunch and dinner rush, but I think also

partially to cool off. I’m not sure if Karl’s conversation with her was successful, but the knot in my chest

loosens when I see her.

“Hey,” I manage to say.

“Hey,” she replies softly.

Neither of us says anything for a moment. The silence is thick, full of the words we’d both hurled at

each other this morning. Finally, she breaks it. “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” I step aside, letting her enter.

The door clicks shut behind her, sealing us into this tiny bubble of a moment. I feel her arms wrap

around me, almost tentatively, as if she’s afraid I might pull away. But I don’t. I hug her back, tightly,

grateful for the chance to mend this fragile piece of our relationship.

“I’m sorry, Abby,” Chloe says into my shoulder. “I was out of line.”

“I’m sorry too,” I reply, feeling a twinge of guilt for the things I’d said earlier. “We both got carried away.”

We pull away and Chloe takes a seat, her eyes scanning my face as if searching for something— Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

perhaps a sign of residual anger or a lingering grudge. But she won’t find any. At the end of the day,

Chloe is like a sister to me, and that’s one thing you never turn your back on.

“So, you and Karl, huh?” Chloe finally says, her tone cautious.

I shake my head quickly, dispelling the thought before it even has a chance to settle. “No, Chloe,

there’s no ‘me and Karl.’ We’re just figuring things out, that’s all.”

“But you think he’s changed? Really changed?” She looks at me, her eyes almost pleading for an

answer that would make everything simple again.

“I don’t know,” I admit. “Maybe. He says he wants to be better. Shouldn’t everyone get a chance at

redemption?”

Chloe sighs, looking down at her hands. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ve been too hard on him.”

Chloe’s words warm me, but I know that there’s something lingering at the end of her sentence.

Something that she’s trying to leave unsaid. “...But?” I prod.

“But… I hope you’re not thinking of getting back together with him. You know you deserve better, Abby.”

The irony of her statement doesn’t escape me. “I promise, I’m not planning on it,” I reassure her.

“Honestly, I think I need to be single for a while. Figure myself out, you know?”

Chloe looks relieved. “Good. You have so much to offer, Abby. Don’t waste it on someone who doesn’t

deserve you. Especially not when you have so much going for you right now.”

I nod, my thoughts suddenly drifting to the kitchen scene with Karl—his proximity, his scent, the

undeniable chemistry that seemed to draw us together no matter how hard we tried to stay apart. My

wolf stirs inside me just at the thought, a low growl of yearning in the distance that’s quickly snuffed out

as soon as I brush the thoughts of Karl away.

“Thanks, Chloe,” I say, pulling myself back to the present. “Your friendship means the world to me.”

“Yours too, Abby,” she says, standing up. “Yours too.”

We hug one more time, the warmth of our friendship seeping through the cracks of our previous

animosity, sealing it, making it whole. Chloe leaves, and I’m left standing there, a strange blend of relief

and confusion swirling within me.

I close the door and lean against it, exhaling deeply. The night is still young; the restaurant is filled with

the hum of voices and the clatter of dishes. Life goes on, swirling around me in its constant, dizzying

dance. And yet, my mind keeps wandering back to Karl.

My phone buzzes on the table, snapping me out of my thoughts. It’s a text from Leah.

“Hey. Chloe mentioned that you two got in a fight earlier. Everything good now?”

I almost laugh. Leah’s knack for impeccable timing has always astounded me. But I’m glad to hear from

her whenever I can.

“Yeah,” I type back, a soft smile flickering across my lips. “Everything’s good now.”

“Good. You two aren’t allowed to be mad at each other. You know I don’t like it when mom and dad

fight.”

This time, a laugh actually escapes my lips. Slipping my phone into my pocket, I decide to head out

and make my rounds to check on my employees.

Just then, my eyes catch movement from across the room—Karl, stepping out from the bar, talking to

one of the servers. He glances up, and for a split second, our eyes meet. It’s brief, but it’s enough to

send a jolt through me, a spark that lights up the dark recesses of my heart, where feelings I thought I’d

buried long ago suddenly flare to life.

My wolf whines softly again, pushing against the barriers she’s set up since Karl and I broke up.

I can feel her, restless and yearning, drawn to the man who was once a part of our soul. And in that

instant, I realize just how hard this is going to be. Staying away from Karl, keeping this newfound

friendship platonic, it’s going to be a battle, one that I’m not entirely sure I’m equipped to fight.

As I watch Karl laugh at something the server says, his eyes crinkling in that familiar way that once

used to make my heart skip a beat, I wonder what I’m doing.

Am I making the biggest mistake of my life by pushing him away? Or am I saving myself from a world

of hurt that could potentially destroy me?

I don’t have the answers, and for the first time, that scares me. Because the path ahead is murky, filled

with the landmines of past mistakes and the shadows of future uncertainties.

Before I can slip away, Karl turns and heads toward me. His eyes look triumphant.

“Well?” he says, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Talk to Chloe?”

I toss a lock of hair over my shoulder and shoot him a look. “Maybe.”

“And?”

“And… Thank you,” I murmur, unable to contain my gratitude any longer. “I don’t know what you said,

but…”

Karl smirks and shakes his head, holding up a hand to stop me. “Don’t say anything else. My ego is

already too huge.”

There’s a beat of silence between us. My wolf still prods against the deeper recesses of my minds,

aroused by Karl’s closeness as we stand together in the dimly lit hallway. Maybe that’s why I spit out

the words that I was trying to hold in.

“Hey,” I call out, just as Karl starts to head back to the kitchen.

He stops, glancing over his shoulder. “Hm?”

“Tonight… Wanna show me how to make that souffle again?”