Chapter 319

Author's POV The bartender handed Aria something vibrant and colorful in a tall, elegant glass. "What is this?" she asked, her voice barely audible over the thumping music. "House special," Ryan said, his grin wide. "Just fruit and sparkles, mostly." Aria took a tentative sip. It was sweet and incredibly refreshing, with just a hint of something stronger, an undercurrent of fire beneath the fruity flavor. "It's good," she admitted, taking another, more confident sip. Before she could say more, Aiden tossed a set of keys to Ryan. "Happy birthday." Ryan caught them and glanced down, his eyes widening in recognition when he realized they belonged to the sports car in Aiden's garage that he'd been eyeing for months. He raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "For this gift, I'll put on my robe." As he slipped on his bathrobe, Ryan finally looked at Aria standing beside Aiden and suddenly understood why Aiden had said he was "offensive to the eyes" earlier. He smirked knowingly. The friendshi