Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

#Chapter 12 - Feel Jealous

Abby

A cool breeze drifts in through the kitchen window, and I cross the room to peer outside. I live on the

top floor of my building, and I’ve got a great view of a nearby park. Standing at the window, I can hear

the whoosh of the wind, and shouts down on the street.

I’ve been waiting to hear from Karl, but he hasn’t called yet. I need to know if my restaurant can open

tonight, so I can get started on everything. The more time that passes, the more tense I become. I

spent the past fifteen minutes staring at the phone, but like a watched pot, staring at it just made it less

likely to ever ring.

My door buzzes, shocking me from my stupor. I cross the bright space and down a narrow hall to the

door.

I press the button and lean in close. “Hello?”

“Abby, it’s Karl. Mind if I come up?”

I don’t answer for a moment. I didn’t exactly tell him where I live, but I guess I didn’t have to. With all

those investigators working for him, I’m sure he knows everything about my life here. As much as I

want to refuse, I don’t think it will deter him.

“Sure.”

Of course, he couldn’t just call.

I press the button to let him in and open my front door. There are only five floors, and it doesn’t take

long before I hear his footsteps on the stairs. He rounds the corner and smiles when he sees me

standing in the doorway. He’s holding a man by the collar, and he shoves him ahead.

“What are you doing here?” I turn to eye the man with him. “Who’s your friend?”

“Oh him?” Karl shoves the man to his knees in front of me. He looks up at Karl with wide eyes, then

turns to me with a pleading look.

“Go on,” Karl says.

“I’m very sorry Abby.” He looks up at me, and I have a hard time meeting his gaze. “I own The Crystal

Palace. I’m the one who made a complaint against your restaurant.”

“Oh.”

Karl snarls at him.

“I’m going to make it right, and it won’t ever happen again.”

He gives Karl a terrified look. Karl just looks at me, waiting for my response.

“Alright, I appreciate the apology.” I turn to Karl. “I think you can let him go.”

Karl shrugs, and the man jumps to his feet. “Sorry again,” he says, then he scrambles away, his

shoulders curled in. Karl watches him jog down the stairs, a smug look on his face.

“Was that really necessary?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest.

Karl turns back to me. “He owed you an apology.”

“You don’t think you might have taken it a bit too far?” It’s just like him to blow things out of proportion.

He just shakes his head. “Can I come in?” he asks, looking past me into the apartment. “You promised

me a talk.”

I sigh but step out of the way. He wanders down the hall to the living room and I trail after him.

“Feel free to sit,” I say, gesturing to the green couch and the brown leather armchairs. He perches on

the edge of one of the chairs and I take the couch.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” I ask. “I don’t think it’s really a good idea to contact your ex-

wife after a divorce.”

He looks over at me, his expression unreadable. “I’m here on behalf of the pack for the Alpha party.”

My eyebrows go up. “Is that so?”

He nods. “How have you been the past few years?” The sudden change of subject makes me feel like

I’ve got whiplash. So much for discussing the Alpha party.

He looks around the apartment, taking it in for the first time. It’s not very large, but it’s a nice place. The

walls are white, and a few large windows look out at the street. The living room opens directly into the

kitchen, and last winter I painted the cabinets a soft yellow to make the room cheerier. Cookbooks sit in

neat rows on the marble counter.

I’ve got paintings on the wall and soft Persian carpets on the floor. My kitchen is fully stocked, and an

exposed shelf shows off my best pots and pans. It’s not much, not compared to our old villa, but it’s

mine and I love how cozy it is.

“I’ve been fine,” I say. “Good.”

He nods. “Nice place.”

I can’t tell if he really means it, but I don’t have the nerve to ask. “Yeah, I like it.”

He nods again, turning back to me. “And you’ve got a restaurant.”

“Yeah, I’ve got a restaurant.” I force a smile. “It’s doing really well.”

Of course, it’s never that simple. A lot of things haven’t gone well, but that’s just the nature of working

in the food business. Opening a new restaurant and being successful at it is incredibly hard, and many

people can’t make it work. I’ve had to put all of myself into it to get the results I’ve gotten. But there’s no

reason for Karl to know all that.

“Good, that’s good.”

The awkwardness makes the air set heavy around us. I almost wish he’d get straight to the point,

rather than making polite chit-chat with me. We were never ones for small talk even when we were

together, and it feels especially forced now.

“Aren’t you curious about how I’m doing?” he asks after a stretch of silence.

I can’t help but cringe a little. I’ve avoided any mention of him since the divorce. If he’s on the TV, I

don’t watch. If he’s attending a social event, I stay away from the media. I’ve had no interest in

watching him live his perfect life without me.

“It doesn’t make sense for me to care about you,” I say, deciding that I should just be honest. “I just

need to get on with my life. And come on, you’re the Alpha. You can have anything you want.”

He frowns. “I wish I could move on like you have, but it’s not so easy. Especially when I regret the novelbin

decision I made three years ago.”

Seriously, he’s going to come in here and talk about regret after everything? Has he forgotten that he’s

the one who moved on without a thought? Without even an explanation.

“Regret?” I can’t help but roll my eyes. “After you brought your new wife to my restaurant? What exactly

do you regret?”

He stares at me for a moment, then laughs. “Oh, Abby.” He leans toward me, his knees mere inches

from mine. “Are you jealous?”

I can’t help it. His scent scrambles my mind. The aggression in it makes me a little dizzy, and I force

myself to lean away from him.

“No, not at all,” I say, trying to get a handle on myself.

He leans back in the chair and smiles a grim smile. “Tiffany’s my cousin, not my wife.”

His cousin? Last I heard, she was studying abroad somewhere. We never met when I was married to

Karl. “Oh.”

“So, no new wives for me.”

I nod, looking away from him. Not for the first time I wish he would just leave me alone. I hate how my

heart speeds up at his words, that a small part of me feels glee at the fact that he isn’t married, that the

beautiful, perfect woman he’s been going around with is just a member of his family. I need to get him

out of here before I do something I’ll regret.

“I’m not really interested in reminiscing,” I say, forcing myself to look at him again. His brows pull

together. “I have a restaurant to run, and I’m very busy.” I stand up and gesture toward the door. “I need

to leave, and you should, too.”

He stands up and adjusts the creases in his suit. “I’m not having a good time,” he says, taking a step

toward me. I know it shouldn’t, but the low note in his voice tugs on my heartstrings a little. “Is it

possible for us to start over?”

I shake my head, surprised at my sudden desire to cry. Where was this guy three years ago? Doesn’t

he understand that it’s too late now? He broke my heart.

“No, it’s not possible.”

I pull my necklace out from around my neck and show it to him. He takes an involuntary step back, and

I can practically see him shutting down his emotions, one by one, as he stares at the diamond ring.

“I’m engaged.”