It had been a week since the lunch with Scarlet's parents, and things had settled into a comfortable rhythm. One evening, while hanging out at the campus café, Chris casually dropped a bombshell.
"Did you know Scarlet's birthday is coming up?" he asked, stirring his coffee.
Max nearly choked on his drink. "What? When?"
"Next week," Evan chimed in, grinning. "She didn't tell you?"
Max's mind raced. Scarlet hadn't mentioned it at all. "No... she didn't say anything. Should I plan something?"
Chris rolled his eyes. "Dude, you're her boyfriend. Of course, you should!"
Evan nodded in agreement. "And it better be good. She's always the one doing things for others. It's about time someone does something special for her."
Max leaned back, deep in thought. He had to come up with something memorable but also genuine. "Maybe a surprise party? But it has to feel like it's just for her, not some big, chaotic event."
Chris smirked. "How about a rooftop setup? Candles, fairy lights, music... and maybe that guitar of yours?"
"That sounds... perfect," Max admitted, already picturing it.
Evan slapped his shoulder. "We'll help with the setup. You just focus on getting her there."
The next few days flew by as they gathered supplies. Chris borrowed fairy lights from a friend, while Evan hunted down candles and blankets. Max kept practicing a song he wanted to play for Scarlet. The plan was to lead her to the rooftop of their apartment building after a casual dinner.
But keeping the whole thing a secret was harder than he'd thought.
Scarlet had noticed his strange behavior. One evening after class, she approached him, eyes narrowed. "Are you avoiding me or something?"
Max froze, caught off guard. "What? No, of course not."
She folded her arms, looking both annoyed and hurt. "You've been weird lately. Is something going on?"
He hesitated, struggling to come up with a reasonable excuse. "Uh... just training stuff. My next match is coming up."
Her expression softened a little. "You'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"
"Yeah," he replied, giving a reassuring smile. "Promise."
Though she seemed somewhat convinced, Max knew he couldn't let his guard down. He had to make this surprise worth it.
The night of the surprise finally arrived. Scarlet had agreed to go out for dinner, still a bit suspicious. Max kept the conversation light, occasionally glancing at his phone to make sure Chris and Evan had everything ready.
After dinner, Max casually suggested a walk. "It's a nice night... wanna go up to the rooftop for a bit?"
Scarlet raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Sure."
As they reached the rooftop, Scarlet gasped. Soft golden lights hung from the railing, candles flickered in the breeze, and a picnic blanket was laid out, with a small cake in the center. Chris and Evan were at the far end, giving Max a thumbs-up before slipping away.
Max took her hand and led her closer. "Happy Birthday, Scarlet."
Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she looked around. "You... did all this?"
"With some help," Max admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "You never told me your birthday was coming up."
Scarlet laughed softly. "I didn't think it was a big deal."
Max pulled out his guitar and sat on the blanket. "Well, it is to me." He strummed a few chords and began singing the song he'd practiced all week. His voice was a little shaky at first, but as Scarlet's smile grew wider, his confidence followed.
When he finished, Scarlet wiped a tear away, laughing. "You're... incredible."
Max blushed. "It's nothing fancy, but I wanted to do something special."
Scarlet leaned closer, resting her head on his shoulder. "It's perfect. Thank you."
They sat in comfortable silence, watching the city lights. Max couldn't help but feel a warm glow in his chest, knowing he'd made her happy. In that moment, nothing else mattered.