Lost But Found | ✔️ - Chapter 26: Chapter 26
You are reading Lost But Found | ✔️, Chapter 26: Chapter 26. Read more chapters of Lost But Found | ✔️.
Nowhere to Run
Ava
Ava Carter didn't hesitate.
That was one of her rules—always be in control, always have an exit, never let anyone get close enough to matter.
But right now?
Right now, she was hesitating.
She stood in the empty hallway, her back against the lockers, Jaxon Reed standing just a step too close, his blue eyes searching hers like he already knew what she was thinking.
And for once, she had no idea how to handle it.
She had spent so much time convincing herself that Jaxon was just a distraction, a fleeting annoyance she could ignore.
But she couldn't ignore him.
Not when he was here, solid and steady, watching her like she wasn't something complicated. Like she wasn't something to fix.
Like he actually wanted to be here.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to break the silence. "You always corner people like this, Reed?"
Jaxon smirked. "Only when they keep running."
Ava exhaled, shaking her head. "I didn't run."
"Not this time," he murmured.
Her pulse jumped.
Because he was right.
She hadn't run.
Not when he had stepped closer, not when his fingers had brushed against her wrist, not when he had looked at her like he meant it when he said he wasn't going anywhere.
She had stayed.
And that?
That scared her more than anything.
Jaxon leaned against the locker beside her, crossing his arms like he had all the time in the world. "So what happens now?"
Ava raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
Jaxon tilted his head. "I mean, you're still here, Carter. Which tells me maybe you don't hate me as much as you pretend to."
Ava scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."
Jaxon chuckled, but there was something behind it—something softer, something real.
"You can keep fighting me on this," he said, his voice low. "But we both know I'm not going anywhere."
Ava swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "And what if that's the problem?"
Jaxon's smirk faded slightly, something flickering in his eyes. "Then maybe you need to figure out why."
The air between them felt different now. He wasn't teasing. He wasn't pushing.
He was waiting.
Waiting for her to let him in.
Ava's fingers twitched at her side.
She had spent so long keeping people out, convincing herself that she was better off alone.
For the first time, she wasn't sure if she believed that anymore.
Ava
Ava Carter didn't hesitate.
That was one of her rules—always be in control, always have an exit, never let anyone get close enough to matter.
But right now?
Right now, she was hesitating.
She stood in the empty hallway, her back against the lockers, Jaxon Reed standing just a step too close, his blue eyes searching hers like he already knew what she was thinking.
And for once, she had no idea how to handle it.
She had spent so much time convincing herself that Jaxon was just a distraction, a fleeting annoyance she could ignore.
But she couldn't ignore him.
Not when he was here, solid and steady, watching her like she wasn't something complicated. Like she wasn't something to fix.
Like he actually wanted to be here.
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to break the silence. "You always corner people like this, Reed?"
Jaxon smirked. "Only when they keep running."
Ava exhaled, shaking her head. "I didn't run."
"Not this time," he murmured.
Her pulse jumped.
Because he was right.
She hadn't run.
Not when he had stepped closer, not when his fingers had brushed against her wrist, not when he had looked at her like he meant it when he said he wasn't going anywhere.
She had stayed.
And that?
That scared her more than anything.
Jaxon leaned against the locker beside her, crossing his arms like he had all the time in the world. "So what happens now?"
Ava raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
Jaxon tilted his head. "I mean, you're still here, Carter. Which tells me maybe you don't hate me as much as you pretend to."
Ava scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."
Jaxon chuckled, but there was something behind it—something softer, something real.
"You can keep fighting me on this," he said, his voice low. "But we both know I'm not going anywhere."
Ava swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "And what if that's the problem?"
Jaxon's smirk faded slightly, something flickering in his eyes. "Then maybe you need to figure out why."
The air between them felt different now. He wasn't teasing. He wasn't pushing.
He was waiting.
Waiting for her to let him in.
Ava's fingers twitched at her side.
She had spent so long keeping people out, convincing herself that she was better off alone.
For the first time, she wasn't sure if she believed that anymore.
End of Lost But Found | ✔️ Chapter 26. Continue reading Chapter 27 or return to Lost But Found | ✔️ book page.