Chasing His Kickass Luna Back
Chapter 0314

Abby

"Hey, Abby."

There he is: Karl, standing in front of me, looking as handsome as ever in his all-black suit. He's got his hands in his pockets in that way that just screams Karl, and for a moment, I feel my chest tighten at the thought of the fact that he has a different date who isn't me.

“Um... Hey," I reply.

There's a brief silence, slightly awkward, before he responds. “I didn't expect to see you here tonight. Not like...” He pauses, pulling one hand out of his pocket to gesture to my dress and my hair. *...This.”

For a moment, I feel as though I'm about to throw up. I feel like he doesn't like the dress, and I'm suddenly back in the past, back when he used to police what I wore.

I bashfully look down at the gown and touch the fabric. “I know it's silly,” I stammer, although I don't entirely know why. “I just... I saw it in the store window, and—"

"Abby," he cuts in, shaking his head with an almost amused look on his face. “You look stunning.” Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I suddenly feel flustered, excruciatingly embarrassed, and surprised all at once. “Th-Thank you, Karl,” I manage.

There's another silence, just as awkward as the last. My heart is practically pounding out of my chest now, and in order to ease some of that tension, I speak again. “Are you enjoying the food tonight?” “It's perfect,” he says with a grin. “I'm so proud of you. You've really outdone yourself. Honestly, this might be some of the best food I've had at an Alpha gathering in a long time.”

I scoff, punching his arm lightly. For a moment, it's as though nothing has changed; we're already falling back into that easy dialogue between us. “Oh, stop. The food is fantastic every year.”

Karl simply shrugs, shooting me a sheepish grin. “It is, that's true. But it's especially good this year.” Before I can say anything else, a voice from behind Karl interrupts our conversation. “Hi there.” Surprise, both of us turn to see a woman with striking red hair extending her hand toward me. It's the woman that Karl was dancing with, and she’s even more beautiful up close. Her hair falls in gentle waves over her shoulders, and her nose is dotted with delicate freckles. She's slender, but also curvy in all of the right places, and there's an understated sort of elegance about her.

With a gentle smile, she extends a hand. “I'm Shana.”

I take her hand and shake it, trying to hide the pain in my chest. “Nice to meet you, Shana. I'm Abby.”

Karl steps in suddenly, looping his arm around the woman's waist. “Shana is my date tonight, Abby.” "I see.” The words come out faster than I intended, but I can’t stop myself. It feels like my chest is on fire, or like I was kicked in the gut. Maybe both.

Shana doesn’t seem to have much to say about the revelation, and instead, she looks around the room. There's something that's slightly detached about her mannerisms, like her heart is somewhere else. I can't help but wonder if I offended her by talking to Karl, but when she turns back to look at me, there's a kind smile on her face.

“You cooked everything tonight, right?” she asks.

I nod. “Yes,” I reply. “Well, me and my team.”

Her smile widens ever so slightly. “Well, it's delicious. Really.”

I nod, a bit taken aback by her kind demeanor. “Thank you, Shana,” I manage. “That means a lot.” As I'm about to say something more, the other Lunas suddenly appear around us, their smiles sickeningly sweet. My heart sinks as I realize they've come to play their usual games

“Well, well,” Emily, the ringleader of her little troupe, says as she approaches with that god awful diamond tennis bracelet dangling around her wrist. “If it isn't the chef. I've been wondering when we'd see you tonight, darling.”

A chorus of giggles and snide remarks follows her statement, and I can feel anger and frustration bubbling up inside me. But before I can respond, Karl steps forward, a protective look in his eyes. “Emily, if you're here to cause trouble, you should know that we were just in the middle of a conversation,” he says. “Abby may be my ex-wife, but she’s still my friend. And I saw what you did to the cakes.”

I'm stunned by his words, not expecting him to reveal our past relationship so openly in front of Shana. But Shana doesn’t seem to react at all, which makes me wonder if she already knew or if she simply doesn't care.

Emily, always quick with a cutting remark, smirks in response. “I'm not sure if I know what you're talking about, Karl. I haven't touched any cakes tonight. Everyone knows I don't eat sugar.” She leans a little closer, eyeing my waist in my dress. “I like to watch my waistline, you know.”

Before Karl can retort, I take a deep breath, deciding it's time to stand up for myself. “You know, it's really sad how we all used to be friends,” I say, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest. “But it turns out that some people can be so nasty.”

A few of the Lunas exchange uncomfortable glances, and I continue, my tone unwavering. “I used to think we were true friends, but now I see how wrong I was. So, enjoy the food, and if you ever have a problem, come to me. I know what you said about Daisy, and I won't stand for the abuse of my staff.”

When I'm finished, Emily and her little posse just stare at me for a moment, their eyes wide. “Well then,” Emily finally says with a huff, “I think this conversation has run its course. Let's go, girls.” With that, Emily and her troupe leave. Karl, Shana, and I watch them go, and a silence falls over us. I feel just as stunned as Karl, although a quick glance at Shana makes me wonder what she’s thinking. Finally, Shana tugs on Karl's arm, pulling his attention away from me. “Come on, let's dance,” she says, leading him away to the dance floor. “It was nice meeting you, Abby.”

“Yeah,” I say, averting my gaze away from Karl, who's still looking at me with a shocked expression on his face. “You too.”

And then, without another word, they're gone.

As I watch them go, a pang of jealousy courses through me. I see how Karl delicately places his hand on Shana'’s waist, how she leans on him ever so slightly.

I may have won the battle with Emily and her friends, but I'm still standing here, watching from the sidelines as my ex-husband dances with another woman right in front of me. And what a fool I was for thinking, for even a moment, that it could be different.

I wish it were me dancing with Karl, not her. It should be us.

But it's not, and I don't think it ever will be. I can see the chemistry between them, and I know that whatever occurred between us is in the past now. That ship has sailed.

And I need to move on.

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