Chapter 0280


    Abby


    I shuffle from one foot to the other, still shocked by Karl’s sudden appearance. But the flowers in my


    hand are grounding, like a lifeline.


    “Are you sure about this?” I find myself asking. “Your Alpha duties… You’ve already given up so much


    to help me. I don’t want to jeopardize your status or anything.”


    He sighs and shakes his head. “Abby, I told you, it was just an event. Besides, I think you could use the


    help, even if you don’t want to admit it.”


    I suck in a breath. He’s right; I do need help and I don’t want to admit it, but it still feels wrong to make


    him be the one to help me yet again. “But if you’re here, you need to be here because you want to be,


    not because you feel like you owe me something,” I finally say.


    His smile is genuine. “I’m here because I want to be. Enough said.”


    I exhale slowly, the tension in my shoulders easing ever so slightly. “Okay, but I have to make this up to


    you somehow. I can cater an event for you, for free,” I offer, hoping it’s enough to make this all


    worthwhile for him in one way or another.


    He shakes his head, and there’s a softness in his eyes that makes me pause. “Abby, that’s nice of you,


    but you don’t have to do that. I’m here as your friend. That’s it.”


    The word friend lodges itself in my throat. It both soothes and stings. I nod, unable to voice the


    gratitude and the myriad of other tangled emotions.


    Together, we start to tackle the apartment, picking up scattered cookbooks, aligning shoes by the door,


    fluffing cushions and folding nkets.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.


    I grab the vacuum out of the closet and get to work on the carpets. Meanwhile, Karl picks up a stack of


    unopened mail, a frown momentarily creasing his brow. “You haven’t opened these.”


    I shrug, not meeting his gaze. “Bills and junk. It’s not like they’re love letters.”


    “Could be a check in there,” he teases, but there’s a note of concern.


    “It’s fine, Karl. Just... stuff I didn’t have the energy for.”


    He nods. I can tell that there’s more he wants to say, questions he wants to ask, but he’s clearly chosen


    to let it go. And I’m grateful for that. I don’t want to admit to my depression, my wallowing, my fear of


    setting foot into my own kitchen.


    We work for a while longer, eventually moving to the more tedious task: cleaning the kitchen.


    “You know,” Karl starts, breaking ourfortable silence as he wipes down the counter, “I always


    thought you had a nice ce here.”


    Iugh, feeling a bit surprised. “You really thought that? You sure you’re not just pitying me for not living


    in your mansion with you anymore?”


    But I can’t spend long admiring. The judges will be here soon, and my pulse quickens at the thought. “I


    should probably shower and get dressed,” I mutter, more to myself than to him. New chapter avаble


    o? Dram?nоvels.cом


    “Yeah,” Karl agrees, “but you’ve done good here, Abby. The ce looks great. Really.”


    I nce around, the apartment now a far cry from the disarray he walked into. “Thanks. It’s… better.


    Thank you for helping.”


    He nods. “Of course. I said I would, wouldn’t I?”