She wouldn’t just leave without saying anything.
Would she?
I sat down again, uneasy now. My fingers fiddled with a napkin on the table. A few minutes passed, maybe longer before Alan returned.
His face was unreadable.
“Hey,” I said quickly, standing up. “What did they say? Are they okay?”
“They’re fine,” he said, brushing it off with a nod. “David just told me they left.”
“They left?” I blinked. “No, Danna wouldn’t... she wouldn’t just leave like that. Not without a word.”
Alan gave me a small shrug.
“You don’t know Danna.”
The way he said it made me pause. Like there was something there... something I didn’t know. But before I could push further or ask what he meant, he tilted his head and changed the subject.
“So, like... do you want to bounce or stay?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “Because, to tell you the truth, I’ve been on a flight all day. Got here, prepared lunch for you guys, made it to this birthday thing and now.... I feel like my bones are humming. I could really use a soft pillow.”
I laughed softly. “That’s okay with me. We can just go home.”
“Great,” he said with a relieved smile.
He offered me his hand, and I took it. His fingers closed gently around mine as he helped me up from the booth. He didn’t let go. Instead, he moved close beside me, his hand shifting to rest on the small of my back, steady, guiding, familiar.
As we made our way toward the club’s exit, something tugged at me, an unfinished thread.
“Wait,” I said, slowing down. “What about the car? We came with the same one. You do have the keys, right?”
Alan didn’t even blink. “Yeah, I gave them to the valet.”

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