"I did," she replied, her gaze dropping to his hand. He pulled it away quickly, but the damage was done. "Can we talk?"

Maya looked at him, really looked at him—the boy she’d shared her deepest secrets with under the Georgia stars. "And not making it real is breaking it anyway."

She turned to leave, but Caleb caught her wrist. The air between them felt charged, like the moment before a summer thunderstorm.

Inside, the living room was a blur of neon lights and bass that rattled the floorboards. Maya found him in the kitchen, but he wasn't alone. He was laughing with Sarah Miller, the girl who had been his "lab partner" all semester. The way Caleb’s hand lingered on Sarah’s arm sent a sharp sting through Maya’s chest. "Hey," Maya said, her voice barely audible over the music. Caleb looked up, his smile faltering. "Maya! You made it."

He leaned in, and when their lips met, the rest of the party—the music, the crowds, the gossip—disappeared. For the first time all summer, the heat felt like it belonged to them.

"I thought we were on the same page, Caleb," Maya began, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

"We are," he said, stepping closer. "Sarah’s just a friend. You know that."