Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

“That's my plan for now,” I say softly. “But the truth is, Karl has his responsibilities here, and I have mine three hours away in the city. Neither of us can escape that. So I don't think it'll go anywhere, honestly.”

Elsie listens intently. “I know how difficult that is,” she says.

Just then, my phone vibrates with a text message, breaking the moment. I glance at the screen to see that it's from Karl.

“Can I talk to you?”

I furrow my brow and stand, pocketing my phone. Elsie shoots me a curious look. “You good, Abby?”

“Yeah,” I reply. “Karl just wants to talk to me. I'll be right back.”

Elsie nods and watches as I slip out of the room. I make my way to Karl's office, which is located on the other side of the house. I always felt like it was miles away when we were together, but now, it feels as though it's right next door.

I step inside and find Karl sitting behind his desk, a tired expression on his face. “Hey,” I greet him, shutting the door behind me. “What did you want to talk about?”

Karl looks up, his eyes meeting mine. “Hey. Sorry I had to text you. I've been... busy.” He then pauses, his gaze flickering over my red dress and black cardigan. “Is that new? You look nice.”

"Oh, um... Thanks. It is new," I say, feeling my cheeks flush ever so slightly. I settle into the chair opposite from him, waiting for him to continue. “What's on your mind?”

Karl takes a deep breath before he begins. “Ethan wants us to go on a double date tonight.”

I blink in surprise. The idea of going out with Karl's brother leading up to what could potentially be a brutal election catches me off guard. “A double date?”

Karl nods, his expression earnest. “Yeah. With Gianna.”

My initial reaction is to decline, to avoid any situation involving Gianna, although I can see the exhaustion in Karl's eyes.

I let out a reluctant sigh. “Karl, you know I can't go out with Gianna. And besides, we're not together in that sense,” I remind him.

Karl leans forward, his voice pleading. “Abby, just consider it. My brother really wants to see you, and...” He pauses. “I'd like to take you out regardless of what people think here.”

I waver for a moment, feeling my usual stubbornness beginning to rise inside of me. But as I look at Karl's tired eyes and hear the sincerity in his words, I realize that this means a lot to him, even if he won't fully admit it.

"Okay," I finally say, even though the very thought of going out with Gianna makes me want to rip my hair out. “I guess I could go.”

Karl's face lights up with gratitude, and he lets out a relieved breath. “Thank you, Abby. You won't regret it. We can just view it as a platonic date, no strings attached.”

I offer a small smile, my heart softening a bit. “Okay. That sounds good to me.”

“Be ready in an hour,” Karl says, his eyes sweeping over me one last time as I rise from my chair. "You could wear that. You look... perfect.”

My cheeks flush red, and no words will come. With a stiff nod, I turn on my heel and slip out of the room.

And the whole way back to my bedroom, despite everything, I can't help but smile just a little.