Maya blinked, her breath hitching as she pulled back slightly, breaking the spell. A soft blush crept up her neck.
"It's late," she whispered. "And I actually have an 8:00 AM lecture. You need to go, Cole."
I stood up, feeling the cold air rush in where her hand had been. "Right. Duty calls."
"Goodbye, Cole," she said, her voice soft.
She helped me back out to the balcony. I began the descent, feeling like I was leaving a sanctuary. I was halfway down when the trellis groaned. A piece of the wood snapped, and I tumbled the remaining few feet, landing with a muffled oomph in the damp mulch.
I looked up, and Maya was leaning over the railing, her hand pressed against her mouth to stifle a fit of giggles. The sight of her—disheveled, laughing, and safe—made me laugh, a real one tha
