Just after he got home, Ava arrived with a bag of fresh fruit. "I heard you're having hotpot at home this weekend. Count me in."
Noah said, "Are on a diet? Hotpot is high in calories."
Ava smiled. "It's okay to indulge once in a while."
Looking back now, I realize I was naive. The way they looked at each other, every glance, was loaded with meaning.
She smiled, and I smiled too. "You're dating someone? Why didn't you tell me?"
Ava pulled her coat tighter to hide the hickey on her shoulder. "Who said I had a boyfriend? I'm still waiting for you and Noah to introduce me to someone."
"If I introduce someone, I can only find someone like him for you."
"Guys like Noah are hard to come by."
"Then should I let you have him?"
"What nonsense!" Noah's face changed.
I shrugged nonchalantly. "Just joking."
Noah came over and kissed me, affectionately ruffling my hair. "Don't joke about that. No matter how close you and Ava are, you can't make jokes like that."
This time, it was Ava's turn to look unhappy. She stared silently at Noah, but that's all she could do.
After Ava left, Noah suddenly asked, "Where's your ring?"