Chasing His Kickass Luna Back

I have savings, of course, but not enough to last forever. And with my restaurant being closed lately, I've been dipping into those savings. Buying a luxury gown and Venetian mask isn't the wisest decision right now, but I just try to have faith that my restaurant will reopen soon and everything will be okay.

I swipe my card, trying to push away the worry about finances. It's a small price to pay for the opportunity of what feels like a lifetime.

“Thank you so much,” I say to the sales attendant as she wraps up my purchases. “You've been incredibly helpful.”

She smiles warmly and hands me my bag over the counter. “It was my pleasure, Miss. You're going to look absolutely stunning at the masquerade.”

Leaving the store with my bags in hand, I head back to the car, excitement still coursing through me. The anticipation of the masquerade party fills my thoughts, and I can't help but smile as I drive home.

To distract myself on the journey home, I decide to crank up the radio and listen to some music. Before I know it, I'm dancing and singing along to some old pop song that I used to love, and everything feels okay. I feel free, alive, and happy in that moment, like nothing can bring me down. I know I shouldn't be feeling this good. It feels as though I'm going against everything I said I would, slipping all too easily back into my old lifestyle. And yet, at the same time, I can't help but wonder if it's really all that similar after all this time. After all, Karl has changed immensely, and so have I. Is it really so wrong to feel like a Luna when I'm around him?

Do I really need to be lying to my friends about what's blossoming between us? Or is it problematic on my part that I'm hiding it rather than just being open and happy that maybe, just maybe, we're moving onto a new chapter in our lives—one filled with forgiveness, stolen kisses, and masquerades?

But then, as I'm driving, the first few snowflakes start to fall, gentle and innocent at first. It pulls me out of my reverie, and I glance up at the sky, hoping it's just a passing flurry. But the snowfall intensifies more quickly than I could have predicted, and soon, the road ahead becomes a hazy white blur.

I grip the steering wheel, my heart starting to race. The car's tires skid on the slippery road, and panic begins to bubble up inside of me as I focus on keeping myself on the road.

But in what feels like a matter of seconds, the snowstorm turns into a full-blown blizzard, and visibility drops to almost nothing. I can barely see the road in front of me, and my heart pounds in my chest even harder than before.

I try to keep calm, reminding myself to drive slowly and carefully.

"Breathe, Abby, breathe,” I murmur, my knuckles turning white around the steering wheel.

It seems, however, as though the snow-covered road has other plans. The car starts to slide, and I struggle to regain control. I've hit black ice hidden beneath the snow.

Panic sets in as I realize I'm losing the battle with the icy pavement.

In one heart-stopping moment, the car spins out of control, doing a full circle on the road before coming to a stop in a deep ditch at the side of the highway.

My hands are trembling on the steering wheel as I sit there, breathless and shaken. The blizzard rages on outside, and I'm trapped in the ditch, my car surrounded by snow and darkness.