36: I am going to Avery.

Elias burst out laughing the moment he carefully saw the expression Avery wore—scrunched nose, narrowed eyes, and puffed cheeks like an offended cartoon character. His chest heaved with amusement, completely unapologetic. Watching her get this riled up was his favorite sport.

"Stop laughing, you absolute menace!" Avery growled, pulling a cushion to hug against her knees. "I won't talk to you now!"

With a dramatic huff, she turned the TV on and pulled her legs up onto the sofa, curling into a ball. Her chin rested on the patella of her knees, eyes fixed on the screen as she flicked through channels at lightning speed.

Elias raised a brow, still grinning. "You kicked me across the room and you're the one refusing to talk? That's a strange kind of justice."