"Where is it you seem so intent on taking me?" Aria asked, when they exited the large ballroom, the hum of the party fading behind them.
“You’ll see,” Finn replied cheekily, leading her through a set of French doors that opened onto an expansive poolside terrace.
She took a deep relaxing breath, her eyes roaming beyond the pool where a lush garden lay, vibrant with the colors of blooming flowers and the scent of jasmine hanging heavy in the warm evening air. Lanterns hung from tree branches, casting a soft, golden light over the scene. A group of young people around their age was gathered by the edge of the garden, drinking and laughing, their voices carrying on the breeze. The occasional smoker stood apart, the glow of their cigarettes punctuating the darkness.
Aria paused to take in t
