Birthday

Watching the affectionate pair not far away, Alex found the scene painfully glaring. Lowering his eyelids, he concealed the emotions swirling in his eyes. Silently gathering his belongings, Alex left without a word, and by the time Ava realized, he was already gone.

"When did Alex leave? I didn't even notice," Ava remarked, turning to Nathan with a confused look as she realized she was alone.

"He left while you were playfully complaining to me just now. He seemed a bit off, probably tired," Nathan commented casually, his eyes observing Ava's reaction.

Ava paused for a moment but quickly recovered. "Maybe. Let's head back then."