Avery quickly looked around, avoiding Silas's intense gaze like it carried too much weight for her to handle in that moment. Her fingers clutched her dress as if grounding herself, and then, in a quick breath, she took a quiet step back to place some distance between them.
"You can help by getting me the ingredients from the fridge," she said, trying to steady her voice and focus on the task at hand. Her eyes dropped to the half-chopped onions on the board at least those wouldn't look at her like he just did.
Silas, still blinking through the last remnants of onion tears, gave her a small smile and nodded obediently. "What are we making?" he asked, heading toward the fridge.
Avery tapped her fingers lightly on the countertop, pretending to be more composed than she felt. "I think grilled chicken wraps and a quick garden salad should be fine," she replied, keeping her tone casual.
