Jax stood up from the picnic table, brushing his hands against his jeans, the weight of Bobby's words settling deep in his chest. He watched Avery approach, her gaze sharp and unwavering, her movements radiating the kind of fierce energy he'd only ever seen in her—half fire, half grace. She hadn't even opened her mouth, and he could already tell this wasn't going to be a casual conversation.

"Hey," he offered, tone low, tentative, like he wasn't sure how close he was to a punch in the face or a kiss on the mouth.

Avery stopped just shy of him, her jaw tight, arms crossed in that way that signaled she was holding herself back—for now.

"Hey?" she echoed, her voice cool but layered with emotion. "That's all I get?"

Jax scratched the back of his neck. "I was going to come see you. I swear. Things got—"

"Yeah, I figured," she interrupted, glancing around at the buzzing party. "Church and a club party... sounds like the perfect chance for you to 'forget your past' for the night to me. Did nothing you said to me earlier mean anything?"

Jax sighed. "Vee–"

Before Jax could argue further, Avery continued. "If you want a warm body for the night, I'm right here, claiming what's mine" she said, spreading her arms wide

Jax blinked, caught between the gut-punch of her accusation and the raw vulnerability behind her defiance. The sight of Avery—arms out, heart practically exposed, standing in the middle of a crowd like she gave a damn who saw—rattled him more than any threat he'd faced in months.

"You're not just some warm body to me," he said quietly, stepping in closer until there was barely any space between them. "You never were. And yeah, maybe I got caught up with the club tonight—but don't twist that into me not caring."

Avery scoffed, eyes flashing. "Then show me, Jax. Because words? They're cheap. With the exception of a few, you've got a hundred people here who would line up to lie to my face with a smile and a shot of whiskey. Don't be one of them."

There was a beat of silence. The music from inside the clubhouse thumped like a distant heartbeat, the echo of laughter and shouting carrying on while the two of them stood in their own storm.

"I said I loved you," Jax murmured. "I didn't say that to get you in bed. I said it because I meant it. And yeah, maybe I didn't keep my promise of stopping by tonight but you know how things go with the club. When the president of another charter demands a sit-down, we have to be there, especially now that I'm VP."

Avery's jaw flexed, her eyes scanning his face for cracks, for dishonesty—anything that would give her a reason to turn on her heel and leave. But there was only sincerity staring back at her. Exhausted, tangled sincerity.

"I walked away once already," she said, her voice quieter now. "And it damn near killed me. But I need to know that if I stay this time... it won't be me always showing up first. It can't just be me fighting for this."

Jax didn't hesitate. He reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers, firm but gentle. "Then let's stop fighting against each other and start fighting for each other. I'm not perfect, Vee. Hell, I'm a mess most days. But I'm yours. Always have been."

Avery studied their joined hands, then his face. Slowly, she nodded—once. "Then you better keep up," she said, squeezing his hand. "Because I'm not slowing down."

Jax grinned despite himself. "Wouldn't dream of it."

From the porch, Bobby took another hit and exhaled, watching them with the weary fondness of a man who'd seen too many people screw it up and was finally seeing someone try to get it right.

"About damn time," he muttered, just loud enough for himself and the stars to hear.

*****

Returning to her childhood home past 2 AM, she nonetheless fell asleep quickly, though only for a few hours. Surprisingly, she awoke not with the usual fatigue but with a rush of energy, a lively feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. This unexpected invigoration stemmed from a profound sense of hope, the exhilarating promise that her future was no longer shrouded in uncertainty. The possibility of a fresh start with Jax, a chance to rebuild what had been lost and forge a brighter path together, filled her with an optimism she hadn't dared to dream of in recent times. The weight that had been pressing down on her chest seemed to have lifted, replaced by a lightness that propelled her into the new day with an eagerness she hadn't felt in years. This wasn't just a fleeting moment of positivity; it felt like a fundamental shift, a turning of the page towards a chapter filled with renewed possibilities and the comforting prospect of shared happiness.

Energized by her newfound happiness, Avery opted to run to her office since her dad was dropping the floor stain off later. It had been some time since her last run, but she believed it would be a good way to clear her mind. Running had become her coping mechanism for homesickness and a way to stop focusing on Charming and her past when she relocated to Durham for college. Furthermore, it acted as a release for her suppressed sexual energy, which she chose not to explore with casual partners.

She got out of bed, quickly put her hair up in a messy bun, dressed in her preferred pink and black Nike running attire. After she was dressed, she grabbed her keys, ID, and phone and locked up her parents house in the direction of her office.

Starting out slowly, Avery ran down her street and towards Main. It didn't take long before she hit her stride, her arms and legs pumping. As she ran, she saw a for sale sign on a small bungalow. It wasn't listed through a realtor, one that she wasn't familiar with.

Jogging up to the sign, Avery pulled her phone out of the arm band she used when running and stored the number to call later. Looking at the house on the outside, it wasn't anything special. In fact, it looked like it had been empty for quite some time if the out-of-control shrubbery was any indication.

Vowing to call the number later since it was just past 6:00 am, Avery took off on her run once more. Before she knew it, she found herself nearing the clubhouse. Coming to a stop but jogging in place, Avery took in the surroundings.

Since it was early in the morning, there wasn't any movement on the lot. Beer bottles littered the lot and the barrels that had been blazing the night before were barely smoking. There were still tons of bikes parked outside of the club and garage telling Avery that the party had gone on into the wee hours of the morning. Even as she'd left, there had been people passed out in whatever corner they could find.

But even as the scene before looked like it had been a wild night, she couldn't help but think about the good that came out of that party. Once more, that weightless feeling that she'd been feeling all morning intensified until the point that she felt as if there was sunshine coming from her ear.

*****

Since the moving company would arrive in Charming tomorrow with her office supplies and her remaining things from Durham, Avery wanted to get the ball rolling on finding some place to live. Plus, she didn't want to portray herself as a successful lawyer while living with her parents. So, at 10:00am, Avery took a break from staining the floors. Having finished what would be her office and about a third of the lobby, She grabbed her phone from its perch on the windowsill at the front of the store and dialed the number she stored earlier from the for sale sign she found on her run.

"Hello?" Said an elderly female voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello. My name is Avery Mitchell. I'm calling about the property on Redwood Street. I was wondering what you could tell me about it." Said Avery.

"Nice to meet you Avery. My name is Evelyn Morrow."

"Nice to meet you Mrs. Morrow."

"You too, young lady. Anyways, about the house. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath. It has a one car attached garage. But it does need some work." Said Mrs. Morrow.

"What kind of work?" Asked Avery.

"Nothing too bad dear. The home hasn't been updated since the 1960's. You sound pretty young so I'm going to guess that floral yellow wallpaper isn't going to suit your tastes." Said Mrs. Morrow laughing.

"No ma'am, I'm afraid it doesn't. Are there any structural issues?" Asked Avery.

"No. I had an inspector look it over about a month ago and he didn't find anything wrong with it."

"That's good. What is the asking price on it Mrs. Morrow?" Asked Avery.

"$45,000. While it's in good shape for its age, I just want to get rid of it as soon as possible." Said Mrs. Morrow.

"Please don't take this the wrong way but that seems pretty low for it to be in good shape ma'am."

"It's well below what the tax office values it at. I just want to get rid of it before the taxes come due. Living on fixed income, I can't afford unexpected expenses." Explained Mrs. Morrow.

"I can understand that ma'am. When will you be available to show it to me?" Asked Avery.

"I can do it today around lunch time if that works for you dear." Said Mrs. Morrow.

"That works for me. See you around 12:00 then?"

"Sure thing dear. Thank you for calling." Said Mrs. Morrow.

"No, thank you Mrs. Morrow. I'll see you at noon."