Ava was annoyed and crossed her arms, showing her fiery temper with her intense gaze. "Hate is a strong word," she replied, her voice filled with frustration. "I just... find him insufferable sometimes."
Alex raised an eyebrow, as he teased her, "Insufferable, huh? Sounds like there's more to it than that."
Ava's jaw tightened a bit as she held back from yelling back. Instead, she took a deep breath and calmed down a little. "Okay, maybe there's a bit of history there," she admitted, her tone more subdued. "But that doesn't mean I expected him to knock me out cold."
Alex's grin widened, enjoying Ava's rare display of vulnerability. "Well, look on the bright side," he quipped. "At least now you know what you're up against."
Ava sighed with a hint of frustration and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, lucky me," she muttered under her breath.
