Lost But Found | ✔️ - Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Too Close, Not Close Enough
Ava
Ava's heartbeat was a traitor.
Loud. Fast. Impossible to ignore.
Jaxon Reed was standing too close again, but this time, she wasn't pushing him away.
And that? That was dangerous.
She could feel the warmth radiating from him, the way his arms were still crossed but his body leaned ever so slightly toward hers, like he was waiting for her to close the space.
Like he knew she wanted to.
Ava swallowed, her throat dry. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?"
Jaxon smirked, his voice lower than before. "Not when something's worth fighting for."
Her stomach flipped.
She hated that answer.
Hated it because it wasn't just some cocky line.
Hated it because she believed him.
Jaxon wasn't looking at her like she was a challenge he wanted to win. He wasn't just playing a game.
He was looking at her like he was all in.
And that scared her more than anything.
Ava exhaled, shifting just slightly, but Jaxon noticed. He always noticed.
His smirk faded, replaced by something heavier. Something that made the air between them too thick, too charged, too real.
"Tell me to leave."
The words were simple, but they sent a shiver down her spine.
Jaxon was giving her an out.
All she had to do was say it.
Tell him to walk away.
Tell him to stop looking at her like she was something more than guarded walls and sharp edges.
But the words never came.
Instead, she just looked at him.
And that? That was enough.
Jaxon shifted closer, his hand brushing against the edge of her sleeve, not quite touching but so close.
Ava sucked in a breath.
She should move.
She needed to move.
But she didn't.
Because the truth was, she wanted this.
She wanted the way he was watching her, the way he had stopped smirking and started waiting.
She wanted the way her skin burned under his gaze, the way her pulse betrayed her every time he got too close.
And for the first time, she didn't care if it was dangerous.
Jaxon's eyes flickered to her lips, just for a second, before meeting her gaze again.
Ava's breath caught.
He wanted to kiss her.
She wanted him to.
But neither of them moved.
The tension between them stretched, tight and electric, until Jaxon exhaled sharply and took half a step back, running a hand through his hair.
"Not like this," he muttered.
Ava blinked, her stomach twisting. "What?"
Jaxon exhaled, his voice rough. "Not when you're still scared of letting me in."
Ava's chest ached, because he was right.
And the worst part?
Jaxon Reed wasn't just waiting for her to let him in.
He was waiting for her to want to.
That was something she wasn't sure how to handle.