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?"

I was taken aback and instinctively touched my finger. Ever since Noah proposed, I'd worn that engagement ring every day. I was so used to it that I hadn't even noticed it was missing.

I must have left it upstairs.

Even with the courage from drinking, I was still a loser in front of Huston. I only remembered him laughing low in my ear, telling me not to bite him, but I had no idea when he took off my ring.

I calmly replied, "I went home in the afternoon, took it off while washing things, and forgot to put it back on."

Noah's phone rang, and his attention shifted away from me. He lit a cigarette and went to the balcony.

He chatted, and I tried to sleep, but I couldn't rest easy.

After thinking it over, I sent Huston a message, cautiously asking if the ring was at his place. He didn't reply, but he did post a status on Instagram—the only one on his feed.

If I wasn't already thinking about the ring, I probably wouldn't have understood the photo.

In the morning, as soon as Noah took the dog out for a walk, I rushed upstairs.

Huston was still yawning when he answered the door, shirtless. "If you'd slept here last night, I might've been a bit more interested."

"I'm not here for that," I thickened my skin. "Give me back the ring."

He played coy. "What ring?"

"The one you posted on your Instagram!"

"No one claimed it, so I threw it away."

"You threw it away?" I widened my eyes.

Huston was clearly in a much better mood now. "Yeah, why don't you shout a little louder so the neighbors can hear?"