Piper's alarm sounds at 6:30 a.m. and I can't believe I slept this late, needing an alarm clock to wake me—that never happens. Of course, we didn't fall asleep until almost three in the morning, so my body probably needed the rest. I thought I was the horny one, but Piper proved me wrong. She was insatiable.

We shower in the same stall, which leads to a quick fuck under the warm water, and then we head to her first of two classes today.

Piper straps her book bag over a shoulder. "Is a granola bar enough to sustain you for an hour and fifteen minutes?"

"Yeah, that's fine." I put on my dark denim jeans and one of the new blouses.

"Is this one of the outfits you bought during your shopping spree?" She touches my sleeve.

"It is." I grin.

She holds both of my hands and takes a step back, eyeing me up and down. "I love it, Al."

"I figured I should wear something other than ripped jeans and a faded t-shirt to my first college class." I eye myself in the mirror. "One more thing since it's not even 60 degrees outside." I grab the leather jacket out of my duffle bag and shrug into it.

Piper's hand is on the doorknob, but when she twists her neck around, her hand falls to the side. "A leather jacket?"

"Yeah." I tug at the bottom. "It was either buy a new one or wear my thick, winter coat or my paint-splattered khaki jacket. It had a rip in the lining, but I sew—"

I can't even get the rest of the sentence out before Piper's lips crash against mine. I thought she'd appreciate my new jacket, but I didn't expect this reaction.

"You are so fucking hot," she mumbles between kisses.

I chuckle against her mouth.

She pulls away and stares at me, eyes becoming dark like the sea.

I zip it halfway. "We don't want to be late for your first class of the day."

Piper sighs and shuts her eyes as if trying to reign in her desire. "Right."

I can't help smirking, but I try to wipe it off my face when she opens her eyes. "Ready?"

She runs her hands down the front of my jacket. "Will you wear this later?"

"I plan to wear it as long as it's cool outside," I reply.

"I mean only this." Her look tells me precisely what she means—Piper wants me naked except for this leather jacket.

If I'd known what affect it would have on her, I would've forked over the full price for this thing over the summer despite the 80 plus degree temperatures.

"Yeah." I grin and walk towards the door. I really don't want her to be late for class. "Let's go, babe."

We head out the door with two granola bars in hand, and Piper snags a banana from the bowl in the study room.

She takes in several deep breaths of cool morning air, then looks up at me. Her eyes are back to their normal shade of blue. "My first class is Marketing Strategy & Brand Positioning, which is pretty much an intro to business class," she says. "It's my one elective this semester."

I follow her down the sidewalk. "I could probably learn a thing or two about marketing since I'm opening my own business."

"True." She enters the third building on our left. "I told my professor you were coming, so he's either going to want to meet you or totally ignore your presence."

I jog up the stairs while ripping my Kind bar packaging open. "Ok."

Piper's professor doesn't seem interested in meeting me, which is perfectly fine. He just gives me a nod, then dives right into today's lesson, which is about developing a recognizable brand.

I figured college classes would be remarkably similar to high school ones, but the only thing that's the same is the somewhat musty smell of the classroom. If books had a scent, it would smell like this. Unlike at Branford High School, where rooms are set up lecture-style, this classroom has 25 students seated in an oval with the professor among them. He speaks for a few minutes, then a student chimes in. It's much more of a seminar than a lecture, which I find far more interesting than being talked at for a little more than an hour. The material itself is fascinating, and I hate when he announces that we've come to the end of our time together.

"What did you think?" Piper asks as we exit the building.

"I loved it, especially the part about customer loyalty," I respond. "It's not at all like high school."

"I know. People want to be here." She heads in the opposite direction across the quad. "No one has a choice about going to high school, so there's a different vibe in a collegiate setting when students choose to be here."

"Exactly." I follow her into what appears to be a student center. "Where are we?"

"This is the campus center. We'll grab some breakfast, then head to my next class." She walks into a modern-style café, and there are 20 or so students eating, drinking and chatting.

I've never seen anything like this—the only thing I could compare it to is the Branford High School cafeteria, but the only thing those two spaces have in common is that they each serve food. This is nothing like my school cafeteria.

"Pick whatever you want." Piper holds up an ID card. "I can just swipe this to cover the cost."

Once again, I'm amazed by the little things. I grab a yogurt parfait from the refrigerated section. "You sure this is ok?"

"Positive." She nods. "Want a coffee or something?"

"God, yes." I stare at the board above the cash register and have no idea what a Grande latte is. "I'll have whatever you're having."

She walks up to the cashier. "Can we also have two skinny, Grande caramel lattes?"

"Coming right up." The girl turns around to make our drinks and another employee takes Piper's card, swiping it through what looks like a credit card apparatus.

"My next class is my favorite: Youth Activism, New Media and Social Change." She steps to the side and grabs a handful of napkins. "It's my English class, and the professor is a published author."

"Sounds interesting." I pick up a plastic spoon. "How many classes do you have every week?"

"Five—two on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and three on Tuesday & Thursday." She hands one of the coffee drinks to me. "See if you like it."

I take a sip, and it's like drinking a liquid form of my mom's Thanksgiving dessert that she makes every year. "Fuck, that's good."

Piper giggles. "I'm glad." She sticks her ID back in her wallet. "I came to Smith with 15 AP credits, so if I take a full load every year, I can graduate a semester early."

I take another sip. "Is that something you want to do?"

She shrugs. "Maybe. It depends if I study abroad." She walks through the Campus Center, pointing out the shops along the way.

I swear, college is like its own little town with everything you need at your fingertips. There's a convenience store, the bookstore, a dry cleaning facility, a game room and a large cafeteria at the far end. She mentions that on the second and third floors are student organization offices and a few administrative offices as well. I can't fathom having all this so easily accessible. Of course, I've lived on an island my entire life where it takes 30 minutes just to get to the small town of Branford to go to the grocery store.

As we walk to her next class, I observe the girls walking across the quad. They all seem happy. I don't recall the same demeanor among the students at Branford High. Everyone seemed kind of miserable there. Piper's right—these are kids who want to be here, and I can see that in the way they smile and laugh as they walk across the pristine lawn.

"Hey, Piper." A girl with a purple backpack waves. "Nice job on that presentation yesterday."

She smiles. "Thanks, Monique."

"What did you present about yesterday?" I ask, noticing that Monique is a very attractive biracial girl.

"Bridal ceremonies in ancient Rome," she responds as we walk into a red-bricked building. "It was my first collegiate presentation."

"I take it it went well?"

"I guess." She nods and smiles. "I don't mind public speaking."

That comes as no surprise to me.

Piper's next class is fascinating in a totally different way than the first one. The topic is about the use of new media technologies and how it has impacted social change efforts across the country. I'm not the worldliest person on the planet, so some of the things that come up are foreign to me, but I know enough to follow along. It surprises me that this is an English class, but Piper explains that while the topics are often related to sociology and human behavior, there's a ton of reading and writing.

The thought of going to college has never crossed my mind, but after two classes, I'm hooked. I loved learning when I was younger, but I was surrounded by a bunch of unmotivated kids and a mom who barely graduated from high school. College wasn't even a remote possibility for me, but now I wonder if it could be this late in the game? I'm not foolish enough to think I could get into a place like Smith (nor could I afford it), but maybe there's an online option I could pursue.

"What did you think?"

I hold the door open for her. "It was fascinating."

"You can see why it's my favorite class." She heads towards the residence halls. "We have some time to kill before lunch. Maybe we can go back to my room." She touches the sleeve of my leather jacket, and I know what's on her mind. "My roommate has Calculus at this time."

"Ok." I grin. "Hey, is that girl who said you did a good job on your presentation a close friend?"

"Not really," she replies. "We have two classes together, but I don't know her well."

I nod.

Piper gives me a look. "Are you jealous?"

I shrug. "There are a lot of cute girls around here."

"There are." She jogs up the steps to her house. "But I'm not interested in them."

"If you were, I wouldn't stop you." I can't believe that just came out of my mouth. I don't want Piper to be with anyone but me.

"I'd stop you," she comments. "I thought we agreed to be exclusive?"

"There's no one to tempt me on Oyster Island." I follow her up the stairs. "So it's easy for me to be faithful."

She stops in front of her door. "If there were beautiful women on the island, would you be tempted to hook up with them?"

"No," I reply, wishing I would've kept my mouth shut about Monique. "I only want to be with you."

"Same." She opens the door, allowing me to enter first. "Just because there are cute girls at Smith doesn't mean I'm going to cheat on you, Alex. I need you to know that."

I lift my shoulders. "I just don't want to hold you back."

"You're not holding me back." Piper steps closer. "The last thing I want is for you to go home, thinking I'm going to hook up with someone behind your back." She lifts my chin. "That's not going to happen."

I glance at my feet, feeling a little off kilter. I believe her—I do—but I don't understand why she loves me as much as she does. I don't hold a candle to the smarts and money that most of her classmates have.

She places a hand on my shoulder. "If words can't convince you, let me show you." Piper kisses me softly at first, then adds a little more pressure, tongue sneaking in and roving around my mouth in the most sensual kiss.

Slowly, she undresses me, and I suspect this is her show—she wants to take the lead. Other than helping her remove my bra, I allow her to do with me as she pleases. When I'm completely naked, she holds my jacket out for me to put on, and I grin. She takes her sweet time, massaging my breasts first with her hands, then with her mouth. One hand trails down my stomach to my center, and my hips come off the bed. Eventually, she hovers over my pussy with a look of pure desire in her eyes. She doesn't have to tell me she loves me—I can see it.

Even when I cum in her mouth, she never speeds up. Everything is slow and steady as if she's making a statement. There's nothing flashy about us as a couple; we're just two women in love and committed to a relationship that's going to take time. It's almost like she's showing me that she's in it for the long haul. Maybe I'm making too much out of this sexual encounter, but that's how it feels.

When I'm spent, Piper crawls up my body and lies next to me, placing tiny kisses on my clavicle.

"I trust you, babe," I whisper. "I'm sorry I questioned your commitment to me."

"Please don't question it again." She blinks slowly at me. "I love you so much, Alex. That's never going to change."

I feel the same, but how can she be so certain at the age of 18? The world is her oyster, yet she has fallen hard for my lesbian scallywag self. I guess I have to honor my words and trust that her feelings are real and from what it sounds like, forever.

Piper introduces me to her friends over lunch, and one of them pulls me aside as I load tater tots onto my plate.

"She talks about you all the time," Cindy says, bumping her shoulder against mine. "Ya girl's in love."

It's difficult to contain a smirk. "Good to know."

Generally speaking, her friends are as kind and smart as Piper, but none of them come close to her wit and beauty. I can tell she's a leader among this group, and I wouldn't put it past her to become student body president by the time she's a junior. From what I gather, she talks about me all the time, which makes me blush but also very happy to know that her friends know she's off the market.

After lunch, Piper takes me to the library where I spend an hour looking up marketing and branding techniques. I could stay in here all day, which reminds me that I have access to the Branford Public Library. It's not as big or as interesting as this one, but I should take advantage of it more often.

Following that we head to the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery. I'm far more interested in the historical relics than the art, but it's all captivating. Piper suggests having a snack in the park across the street, and I oblige.

"This is a beautiful town." I lie on my back after finishing a bag of trail mix. "I can see why you like living here."

She lies next to me, head resting on my upper arm. "It's not as pretty as Oyster Island."

"They're equally beautiful in different ways."

I close my eyes and imagine a life with Piper in Northampton. I know that's not in the cards for us, but I'd love it if I could be here with her for the next three and a half years. Hell, I'd love to be anywhere with her for the rest of our lives.

With my eyes still shut, I ask, "What do you think about me taking online classes?"

I feel her head twist in my direction. "I think it would be great."

I open my eyes and look at her. "I really enjoyed your classes this morning. Maybe I should look into cheap programs that could help me with running the hotel."

"I'm sure there are a ton of options." She turns on her side, facing me. "Have you heard of MOOCs?"

"What?" I chuckle.

"Massive Open Online Courses—MOOCs—are available for anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. They're a flexible way to learn new skills or take classes that interest you. Some of them cost a few hundred dollars, but many are free."

"Huh. I've never heard of that."

"We can look up some business classes later." Piper gets to her feet and extends her arm. "For now, we have to get our stuff out of my dorm room and head to the Camden Inn."

I take her hand and stand. "Is it already that time?"

She nods. "Check in is at four."

We quickly pack our things, and then head to the Camden Inn. The money from the secret investor wasn't earmarked solely for building purposes, so I figured if I can use maybe $1,000 of it to scope out small hotels; it'll be a good use of my time and money.

"Is that it?" Piper asks, looking out the window.

"Must be." I pull into the long driveway and take in the pristine grounds and the cedar-shingled hotel at the end of the road. "Looks nice."

We gather our bags, then head into the lobby which looks like an antique store. It's not my style per se, but it's charming nonetheless. I grab a brochure off the counter, tucking it into my bag. My plan is to pick these up wherever I find them and use an amalgamation of text to form my own brochure about the Victorian house, which has yet to be named.

We check in and I pay close attention to the front desk clerk's mannerisms. From the little I've read, I know that hospitality is vital to the success of a hotel, and I intend to make that the priority at mine.

"Mind if we pop into the restaurant?" I ask.

Piper is happy to oblige. "This is the perfect size—15 or so tables and a bar that seats about 10 people."

"It's a little bigger than I had in mind." I walk towards the windows facing the lawn. "And a little more formal."

"Remember, we're not at the beach," she reminds me. "Your hotel should have that almost tropical, breezy feeling. I doubt you'll get any décor ideas from the inns where we'll stay, but at least you get a sense for the size, amenities and customer service."

"True." I pick up a paper menu and place it next to the brochure in my bag. "Want to have dinner down here later?"

She nods. "Sounds good."

Our room is on the tiny side, but it's not too small. I could see the rooms at my hotel being a similar size and layout. There's a clawfoot tub in the black and white tiled bathroom and a pedestal sink. Again, not my style, but I get an idea of what could fit in a tiny bathroom.

"Maybe you could have bath products made by the locals." Piper picks up the hand soap and sniffs it. "I know there are soaps and lotions for sale at the farmer's market."

"Trina's mom makes all of it," I say, touching the waffle-patterned shower curtain. I like how thick it feels. "I'm sure she'd love the extra business."

"It's little things like that that'll make a hotel feel special."

I pull out my iPad and begin furiously typing notes. I get five things written before Piper takes the device out of my hands.

She straddles my lap. "Maybe we can write notes after."

I smirk. "After what?"

She kisses me without answering, not that I needed an answer. I fuck her in the chair then move to the bed where Piper crawls between my legs and makes me shudder with a powerful orgasm. The nervousness I once had about being intimate with Piper has long since faded. Even on this trip, she's far more confident in bed, and I love it.

As she showers, I write down observations and ideas about my inn. I'm going to have to do a better job of organizing my notes, because the document is nearly 40 pages long and jumps from one topic to another.

"Are you showering before dinner?" Piper calls.

"Yeah." I jot down one more thing about soaps and lotions, and then take her place in the bathroom.

After drying my hair with a blow dryer for only about the fifth time in my life, I put on my new black, sleeveless dress hoping to impress her. I hook an earring in my left ear as I step out of the bathroom. "What do you think?"

"Damn." She straps one of her heels, then walks towards me. "What have you done with my scallywag lesbian girlfriend?"

I laugh. "Oh, she's still here, just with a different façade."

"Good." She strings her arms over my shoulders and leans in for a kiss. "I don't want you to go all high-end professional on me."

"I won't." I nip at her lower lip. "Ready for dinner?"

"Only if I get you for dessert."

I roll my eyes but can't help grinning. "I didn't think you were that cheesy."

We walk out the room hand in hand as I tease her endlessly about her comment.

The rest of our time together is equally enjoyable, and I dread that our little trip is coming to an end.

Saying goodbye to Piper will never be easy; in fact, I loathe it with every fiber of my being. At least this time I get to tell her a proper goodbye rather than a hasty one that leaves me with a heavy heart.

She kisses me in the middle of the parking lot. "I'll see you in two weeks."

During this trip, we agreed that whenever possible, we're going to see each other every two weeks. Eventually, this is going to get easier, so maybe we can spread it out to once a month, but until then, I can handle not being with her for 14 days. It's not like I have a choice.

"Two weeks." I squeeze her hands one last time. "I'll call when I'm on the ferry."

She nods as I climb into my Jeep. "I'm going to miss you, Al."

"Me, too, babe." I reach through the open window and touch her cheek. "Have a good week."

She bites her bottom lip and I know it's to prevent her from ugly crying.

I drive away, but after about a mile, I pull over and weep. I allow myself to experience the sadness of saying goodbye, but I refuse to let it consume me like it did the last time. I'm sure now more than ever that Piper wants to be with me, and that's all I need to get through the cold winter months ahead.