Lost But Found | ✔️ - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Something Like Trust
Ava
She shouldn't have told him.
She never told anyone.
But standing on that porch, with Jaxon Reed looking at her like he actually saw her, the words had slipped out before she could stop them.
And the scariest part?
He hadn't run.
He hadn't looked at her with pity or asked a thousand questions. He had just listened.
And somehow, that made her feel more exposed than if he had pried.
Ava swallowed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He was still standing next to her, hands resting against the railing, his usual cocky smirk nowhere to be found.
For once, Jaxon Reed wasn't trying to push her buttons.
He was just there.
And she didn't hate it.
Ava sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You're not gonna ask me anything?"
Jaxon shook his head. "Not unless you want me to."
She frowned. "Why?"
"Because I know what it's like when people want answers you're not ready to give."
That surprised her.
Jaxon Reed—the guy who never shut up, who always had something to say—understood that?
She wasn't sure what to do with that information.
Ava studied him for a moment, searching for any sign that this was some kind of game, but there was nothing in his expression except quiet understanding.
She exhaled. "It wasn't always bad," she said, her voice lower now. "My dad, I mean."
Jaxon didn't move, just let her talk at her own pace.
"For a while, he was just... normal," she continued. "Worked long hours, came home tired, but he tried—until he didn't."
Jaxon's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't interrupt.
Ava swallowed, forcing herself to keep going. "And then one day, he just—snapped. It started small. Yelling. Doors slamming. But then..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "I learned fast. When to disappear. When to keep my mouth shut. And when it got worse, I learned how to fight."
Jaxon let out a slow breath. "That's why you box."
Ava nodded. "It made me feel like I had some kind of control. Like I wasn't just waiting for the next time."
Jaxon's hands curled into fists against the railing. Not in anger at her, but at something else—something bigger.
Ava braced herself for the usual responses. I'm sorry. That's awful. No one should have to go through that.
But Jaxon just looked at her and said, "You got out."
She blinked.
Not poor you. Not you're broken.
Just... you made it.
A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down, forcing herself to shrug. "Yeah."
Jaxon exhaled, his hand lifting slightly like he wanted to reach for her but thought better of it. "Where is he now?"
Ava looked away. "Gone."
That was all she said.
And that was all Jaxon needed.
He nodded, his expression unreadable. Then, after a pause, he nudged her arm lightly. "For the record, I'd take you in a fight over half my team."
Ava let out a startled laugh, and for a second, the tension broke.
Jaxon grinned. "Seriously. Remind me never to piss you off."
Ava rolled her eyes. "Too late for that."
He laughed, and it was easy. Too easy.
And maybe that was what scared her the most.
Because for the first time, she wasn't just tolerating Jaxon Reed.
She was letting him in.
And if she wasn't careful, she wouldn't want him to leave.