Page 117 of Second Chance Mates

“Sure. I’ll show you.” Jaxon’s voice is low.

I jump off of my stool faster than lightning. “No. I’ll show you.”

There is no guarantee what would happen if I leave Jax and Danny alone, but I can imagine it won’t be pretty. I catch Jaxon’s eyes on the way out and raise my brows at him.

I show Danny down the hall to the bathroom, and then as I’m about to turn, he takes my wrist. “Ava, wait,” he pleads.

My eyes meet his, and I pull back at the devastated expression on his face. Those eyes don’t lie. He’s hurting right now. “Are you sure this is what you want?” he asks. “Do you remember what we had? That we loved each oth–”

I pull away from his grip, shaking my head vigorously. “Danny, stop. Stop.” I hold up my hands. “I’m sorry this is how you had to find out about us, but it’s been two and a half years. I’m not the girl I was in school. I don’t mean to hurt you. Things have changed. I have changed.”

“What you and this guy have had for God knows how long was better than what we had in two years?”

I release a tight breath. “We were kids, Danny. I’m sorry. I never want to hurt you.”

“I still have feelings for you, Ava.”

My eyes close in defeat, and I chew on the inside of my lip. “Please, don’t do this. Please respect that I've moved on and I’m trying to let go of my past. I need it for my recovery. I’m sorry for being selfish, but it’s what I need.”

He lowers his head, covering the look in his eyes. “Right,” he rasps. “Sure. I can respect that. I can respect whatever you need. I’m just hurt.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

When I make it back to the kitchen, Kayleigh and Jaxon are laughing away as they crowd around Kayleigh’s phone. “What are you guys doing?” I ask suspiciously.

Kayleigh turns to me with a wide grin. “I’m showing Jaxon videos and pictures of you from school from our cheerleading days when you face-planted the floor at Lydia’s party.”

I laugh hesitantly, my face on fire. Jaxon’s eyes glitter with amusement. “O-Kay, I think that’s enough,” I say, reaching forward to take her phone.

“Fine, fine.” She swats me away gently. “I thought Jaxon would like to see.”

“I did.” He nods in agreement.

Danny makes it back to the kitchen, where he sits in silence. Jaxon quirks a brow in my direction.

I’ll tell you later, I shoot down our mindlink.

They stay for another hour before they head off, and I give Kayleigh a much-needed hug goodbye—one I couldn’t give her before. But this won’t be our last.

She pauses by the door as Danny starts the car. “Oh, I’m sorry I brought him unexpectedly. We’re both at the same university, and I got excited. I had to tell someone. If I knew you were with Jaxon, I never would have done that. I’m sorry if I pushed any boundaries. I assumed you might have liked to see him, too.”

I shake my head. “It’s okay. I still saw you. It doesn’t matter.”

“Bye.” She waves with a beaming smile. “It was super nice to meet you, Jaxon.”

“You, too. Drive safe.”

I return to the kitchen when they leave, and within seconds, I sense Jaxon’s eyes on me. “What did he say?”

I sigh and fill the dishwasher. “He still has feelings for me and doesn’t understand how this happened so quickly between us.”

Jaxon leans against the counter with a firm nod. “How did you feel when you saw him?”

“Surprised,” I admit. “But I didn’t feel anything—not a single thing.”

He holds out his hand for me, and I take it, and then I’m tugged to his side. “Not even a sliver of something?”

“No. I felt nothing. But when I’m with you, I feel everything. This is right. I’m still getting my head around it all, but I couldn’t imagine being anywhere but here. Does that make sense?”

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