Chasing His Kickass Luna Back novel Chapter 30

Abby

“I can’t. I’m busy here. I’ve told you a million times that I’m going to help Abby as long as she needs me.”

“Your pack needs you.”

I bite my lip and force myself to breathe quietly. I need to be ready to dash away if they make a move toward the door. Hopefully, I hear them before it’s too late. Even with the risk, I can’t help but lean a little closer to hear his response.

“Abby’s my priority.” My eyebrows fly up. No matter how many times he says it, it still shocks me.

“And I trust Christian. He’s a great Beta, and I know he has everything under control. I’ve been checking in with him every night. If he really needed me, he’d let me know.”

“Please, I’m desperate for you to come back to work.”

Karl is silent for a moment, and I take a half step back, expecting him to fling open the door any moment. But he doesn’t. “Look, I’m not going to argue with you about this,” he finally says. “Unless there’s an emergency, I’m here to stay. Christian is more than capable.”

I move back behind the counter when there’s another long silence. There’s no point in pushing it. I’ve heard all I needed to hear, anyway. Clearly, Karl wasn’t lying to me when he said he wanted to put me first for once. His secretary was practically begging for him to come back, and he still refused.

Unfortunately, it clears nothing up for me. Why the sudden dedication to my work? Why stay here when he’s the top-dog somewhere else? It doesn’t make sense when I compare him to the man I used to know.

Is it possible he’s actually made a change, and that’s it not all for show?

I know it’s foolish, but I can’t stop the sliver of hope from piercing my heart. What if he’s finally the man I remember? The man I married, before everything got so twisted up and broken. What if I can have my best friend back?

Maybe it’s too good to be true, but hope is like a leech. Once it’s latched on, it’s impossible to get off. Not without a little pain, at least.

——————

Adam picks me up from work and drives us back to my apartment.

The last thing I want to do is hurt his feelings. It’s not like there’s an easy way to tell someone you don’t think there’s enough passion in your relationship. What if he thinks I’m accusing him? Or saying that he’s bad in bed? Which he isn’t, he’s just not very spontaneous.

“How was work today?” he asks, handing me a glass. I take a sip.

“It was fine.”

“And Karl? How’s he been doing lately?”

I sigh and pull myself onto one of the kitchen stools.

“I don’t even want to get into it,” I say, thinking about the intimate moment I almost shared with Karl. I feel like I can still feel the sensation of his hand on mine, its warmth, the rough calluses on his palm.

He loosens his tie. “That good, huh?”

“Worse.” I take another sip of wine. Then another. I’m definitely in need of some liquid courage. “Somehow I’m not that surprised,” he says.