ANDREA
I walked into the room with Alex, expecting a normal evening, but instead, I was met with a loud "Surprise!" and a sea of familiar faces. My eyes widened as I took in the balloons, streamers, and cake with candles lit up like a mini inferno. It was a surprise birthday party, and I was the guest of honor.
At first, I thought it was Wayne's idea, my mind racing with thoughts of how sweet and thoughtful he was. But as I scanned the room, I didn't see him anywhere. Instead, Alex caught my eye, a sly grin spreading across his face. I felt a pang of confusion and hurt. Why wasn't Wayne here?
As the night went on, I tried to have fun, laughing and chatting with our friends, but my mind kept wandering back to Wayne. Where was he? Why didn't he show up? I felt a growing sense of hurt and
