Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

Chapter 0214

“Thank you,” I finally manage to say, my voice so low it’s almost a whisper. “I… I think I needed to hear

that.”

“We all do, from time to time,” she says, her eyes softening as she reaches out to squeeze my arm.

“So, whenever you find yourself doubting your worth or questioning your place in this world, remember

this: You belong here, just as much as anyone else. And no amount of criticism, sabotage, or petty Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

rivalry can take that away from you.”

I nod. “I’ll try to remember.”

Vanessa’s eyes then flit between me and Karl. “And, I must say, it’s a wonderful thing to have a

boyfriend who stands up for you like that,” she says.

Both Karl and I sputter almost in unison. “Oh, we’re not—”

“—together. We’re not together,” Karl finishes, his eyes darting nervously over to me. I’m aware of how

red my cheeks are, and I quickly look away.

Vanessa’s mouth twitches into a knowing smile, her eyes glinting with a kind of playful mischief. “My

apologies, then. It’s not my place to make assumptions.”

“Still, it’s pretty awesome to have such a good friend,” she continues, looking squarely at Karl.

“Someone like that is hard to come by. Hold onto him.” She winks at me, her eyes twinkling.

As Vanessa starts to drift away, I find myself looking up at Karl. He’s staring back, and there’s a

softness in his eyes that makes my heart melt even though I was on the verge of scolding him for

causing a scene like that.

“I’m sorry, Karl,” I find myself saying for reasons unknown to me.

He tilts his head, his eyes searching mine. “Why are you apologizing? You did an amazing job today,

Abby. You were professional, articulate, and honest. Everyone at the restaurant was watching, and

they’re just dying to see you.”

His words help to soothe away my unease. But still, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve inconvenienced

him—and everyone in this studio, for that matter.

“You didn’t have to confront Daniel. I didn’t want to drag you into my petty drama.”

“It’s not ‘petty drama,’” he says. “And besides, I wanted to. You think I’d just stand around and let some

dollar-store chef bad mouth you?”

“Thanks,” I say with a soft chuckle. “But you really don’t need to do stuff like that. I’ll try to handle my

own emotions in the future.”

Karl rolls his eyes, a playful gesture that sends an unexpected ripple of warmth through me. “Well, too

bad. I’ll do it anyway. Until the day I die.”

His words send a pleasant shiver down my spin, and I find myself looking away again to hide the blush

in my cheeks. From across the room, Vanessa’s eyes meet mine, and I almost think I see her wink.

“C’mon,” Karl says, gesturing for me to follow. “Let’s head back to the restaurant. There’s a surprise

waiting for you.”

I nod, and begin to follow him toward the door. But then, I freeze, remembering something.

“Wait here,” I murmur, turning on my heel. Suddenly I’m running, running down the hall, back toward

the greenroom. I burst in through the door, and there they are.

The flowers, still on the floor, right where we left them.

A smile comes over my face as I pick them up. An array of vibrant sunflowers, daisies, and baby’s

breath seems to warm up the room, and although a few petals have come loose, it doesn’t mean that

the whole bouquet is ruined.

And as I walk back to meet Karl, the bouquet serves as a reminder:

Even when life feels like it’s missing a few petals, there’s always something—or rather, someone—

there to brighten up your day.