Twilight paints the dusty road as Charlie's older brother, Marcus, drops us off at the outskirts of Forever Falls. We get out of the car at the foot of Juliet Hill and he leans out of the open window.
"You sure you can find it from here?" he asks.
I look down at the address that Cupid wrote down for me on the scrap of paper.
"Yeah," I nod. "It's just over the hill I think. Thanks, Marcus."
He nods.
"Be good," he says.
Charlie rolls her eyes as Marcus winks and drives away down the road.
We set off through the sparse trees which line the the dry footpath.
Charlie beams at me excitedly, pulling down her short black dress as we walk upwards. I look down at my own outfit. She gave me an all access pass to her wardrobe before we set off but I still decided to go with the skinny jeans, boots, and the black camisole top I had worn to school.
"I'm sure someone famous used to live around here," she says. "I wonder if Cupid lives in the same house - there can't be many places on the hill."
I shrug - but I too am curious about where Cupid has decided to live.
I think back to Cal's extravagant car.
Being a cupid has its perks he'd said.
"You're quiet today," Charlie observes, slightly breathless from the uphill incline. "Everything OK?"
I nod, though it's not; my stomach is clenching nervously at the thought of seeing Cupid.
"Yeah, I'm fine," I reply. "Just been a weird day, with what happened to Jack and everything."
She nods as my mind wanders back to the golden arrow, and Cal's warning not to attend the party.
He thinks something is going to happen tonight.
I shrug off the bad feeling and find myself wondering whether the matchmaking agent will show up.
As we reach the top of the hill the skeletal trees lean closer together, and I can't help but smirk as Charlie attempts to walk gracefully over the dry twigs in her high heels. Music now fills the air along with the scent of fallen leaves.
My friend gasps when she reaches the summit. I hurry up beside her to see why.
Ahead, the hill gently slopes down into a flat, green clearing lit up by old fashioned street lanterns. It is surrounded by plants and trees that are blossoming despite of the season. In the centre is a large house with an open, glass front.
Cupid's house I think to myself, taking a deep breath.
"Oh. My. God." whispers Charlie. "It's amazing."
Silently I agree - my eyes drinking in the beauty before us.
The grounds are already full of people. Many of them are congregated around the pool which is located to the side of the building, whilst others sit on English looking park benches within the gardens, or linger around stone statues which are dotted about the grounds.
As I'm looking around something draws my gaze away from the activity, and I notice the large, unlit terrace gracefully extended from the first storey. It reaches out over the pool area.
On it a solitary male figure stands. He leans against the black patterned fence which runs along the outside of it as though he is surveying the scene below.
My stomach squirms.
Even though his face is part hidden in shadow, I know immediately who it is.
It's Cupid.
As I watch he slowly turns his gaze away from the pool and up to the top of the hill.
I feel his eyes settle on me.
He jerks his head backwards as I look up at him. It's a subtle movement; anyone else watching may just have thought it a trick of the light.
But I know what he is silently communicating to me.
He wants me to come to the terrace.
He wants to speak with me.
My stomach somersaults as Charlie turns to me; a wicked grin on her face.
"Well, let's get going then!" she says.