The bar was glowing warm under strings of golden lights, candles flickering in glass jars scattered across tables. Music thumped low through the speakers, laughter spilling from every corner where friends clustered with drinks in hand.

You’d been planning this for weeks — the texts, the cover stories, the excuses to keep him away just long enough. And now everything was set: the cake stacked in the corner, the banner stretched across the wall, the crowd buzzing with anticipation.

The door creaked open, voices dipping instantly into silence. For a moment, only the bass line filled the room.

Then Danny Ramirez stepped through, grin half-formed, eyes narrowing in confusion as he took in the crowd. He froze just long enough for the room to erupt.

“Surprise!”

The cheer rolled like thunder, glasses lifted, laughter breaking open as Danny laughed too — head tipping back, eyes shining with disbelief before locking onto you.