Ava crosses her arms. “We’ll figure it out.”
Violet nods, trusting her without question.
I turn away before I do something reckless.
In my room, I shut the door and pull out the phone I shouldn’t still have. The one tied to a life I buried.
I find the overdue invoice addressed to Ava Dawson.
I pay it.
Anonymous. Immediate.
The confirmation chime is soft.
It doesn’t fix the roof. It doesn’t fix the clinic. It doesn’t fix me.
But maybe it eases her load—just a little.
A knock at the door. “Jax?”
I shut off the phone.
“Yeah,” I say. “Just needed a minute.”
She doesn’t push.
That might be the worst part.
Because the less she pushes, the more I want to pull her closer.
And I can’t.
Not when everything she needs is something I’m still afraid to be.
Chapter Twenty
Ava
By the time Violet leaves for school, I’m telling myself today is fine. Totally fine. Absolutely no hot-spring-kiss-related emotions happening here.
I load dishes, tidy blankets, and pretend not to notice that Jax is keeping his distance this morning—or that I can still feel his mouth on mine every time I blink.
The phone buzzes on the counter.
Bank Notification
My stomach does its usual drop—overdue bills tend to do that—but this one… it isn’t a charge.
It’s green.
PAYMENT RECEIVED — $968.92
I frown. That’s not a paycheck amount, not a refund amount… it’s too specific. Too pointed.
I swipe the notification open.
SILVER RIDGE COMMUNITY CLINIC Invoice Paid Remaining Balance: $0.00
