Chasing His Kickass Luna Back novel Chapter 274

Abby

The sun is barely up when I begin to stir, but I can’t sleep any longer. Today is the day. My second chance. My redemption.

I stretch, feeling a blend of excitement and nerves course through my body. My second chance with the judges, a redemption—or another fail, depending on how things go. I’m hoping for the former.

But despite everything, my heart dips as I roll over and check my phone. No new messages; I guess, in my own naive sort of way, I thought that Karl would have answered my voicemail with at least a “good luck” text, but he hasn’t. Maybe my fears weren’t unfounded. Maybe he really doesn’t want to hear from me.

Either way, there’s no time to wallow over it, no matter how much it pains me. I’ve got a restaurant to run, meals to cook, and judges to impress.

Leah waits for me downstairs. We fall into step alongside each other on our way to our respective workplaces, coffees in hand.

“Someone looks like she’s ready to conquer the world,” she says, a smile playing on her lips.

“I think I might be,” I admit, trying to let the excitement of the day overshadow the pang in my chest. “But it also stings a little bit. Karl never answered my voicemail.”

She heaves a sigh, a lock of hair falling across her face as she shakes her head. “If Karl doesn’t want to talk, that’s on him, Abby. Don’t let him crawl under your skin. He’s just being a sore loser because he couldn’t win you back.”

I mull over her words, watching as a little bird hops along the pavement. “You’re right,” I say, taking a sip of my coffee. “I won’t let it rattle me.”

Leah nods. “That’s the spirit. Remember, today is about you: your talent, your hard work. Nothing else.”

Her words make me smile. We walk in companionable silence for a little while longer before another confession bubbles up, this time more excited than the last.

“I bought a dress.”

“A dress?” Leah’s eyebrow quirks.

“Yeah, for the Alpha party,” I continue, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks. “Just in case I get a chance to leave the kitchen and... you know, mill around a bit. It’s a really sexy one, too.”

Her response is an instant brightness. “Abby! That’s fantastic! You’re going to kill it.”

A laugh escapes my lips. “Yeah, I hope so.”

But then Leah’s smile softens, a knowing look in her eyes. “Are you doing this for yourself, or to show Karl what he’s missing?”

I freeze mid-step, the question striking a chord. Did I? The thought has crossed my mind, more than once, the image of his reaction. I look away, fixing my gaze on a blooming flower display in a shop window.

“I just... wanted to buy myself a pretty dress,” I say finally, although the words sound hollow even to me.

Leah reaches out, her hand gently squeezing my arm. “Good,” she says simply. “Because you deserve it, Abby. For you.”

As we approach the restaurant, Leah veers off toward her own job. “Knock ‘em dead, Chef,” she says with a wink.

We wave goodbye and I head inside. The kitchen doesn’t feel so much like a battleground anymore as I grab my chef’s jacket and get to work.

But Leah’s question lingers in my mind as the morning stretches on. The dress, hanging in my closet, is stunning—it makes me feel like a princess.

But did I really buy the dress just for me?