Alex didn't get home from work until midnight, and Piper was already asleep with her bedroom door wide open. She didn't plan to wake the girl, but a smile crept on the brunette's face when she saw her lying in bed, looking so incredibly peaceful. Alex quietly shut Piper's door and proceeded to her own bedroom, too exhausted to even shower that night.

The next morning, Alex planned to take a shower before even having a cup of coffee (a rarity in her world.) With a pile of clean clothes in hand, she opened the bathroom door and busted in on Piper, who had just put on her red lifeguarding Speedo.

"Oh, Alex. Hi," the blonde sounded startled.

"Sorry, I didn't think anyone was in here. I'll come back." Alex took a step in the other direction and began closing the door, but Piper grabbed her forearm.

She tugged the brunette inside, and before Alex even had time to react, Piper's fingers had already found purchase on her waist. Alex dropped the clothes she was carrying, and their hands were all over each other in a matter of seconds. The brunette delighted in the slippery feeling of the swimsuit over Piper's breasts. Feeling the blonde's taut nipples through the fabric turned Alex on even more. Their tongues continued the dance they'd begun the night before, and Piper's little moans weren't lost on Alex.

The blonde put one hand on Alex's stomach, and it slowly progressed up her t-shirt. She felt Piper grin against her mouth as her hand finally hit one breast, and it was like the blonde had discovered gold. Once again, Piper moaned into the other girl's mouth.

"I like the way you feel," Piper said, dipping her head lower to kiss Alex's neck.

Alex swirled her hands through blonde hair. "I like the way you touch me."

The door swung open, and there stood a stunned Cal. "What the…"

"Cal!" Piper removed her hand from Alex's breast. "We can explain."

"Uh…" He covered his eyes. "You two are, like, sisters."

"We're not related, dumbass," Alex offered, feeling Piper's glare.

She and Cal had developed a playful, sincere relationship that was far more sibling-like than Piper and Alex.

"I'm just going to..." He jutted his thumb backwards and walked down the hallway.

"Go talk to him!" Piper demanded in a loud whisper.

She held up a hand. "Alright, alright!"

Alex walked into the boy's bedroom. "That probably wasn't fun for you to see."

"So, are you and Piper, like, lesbians?" Ignoring the brunette's statement, Cal sat on the edge of his bed and stared at nothing in particular.

"I'm gay." She sat next to him. "But Piper's still figuring that out. She might like guys and girls. Sexuality doesn't have to be defined, you know. A person can be fluid."

Cal looked up at her. "Fluid?"

"Yeah, wherever the heart leads—that sort of thing." She brushed her hair behind her ear. "It doesn't always have to be guys and it doesn't always have to be girls. That might be where your sister is right now."

"Mmm." He looked deep in thought. "So, are you two a…couple?"

Alex sighed. "I don't know if I'd go that far, but we're…exploring."

He nodded slowly, as if everything was sinking in.

She nudged his shoulder. "You know, most boys would love to see two girls making out."

"Yeah, probably," Cal replied. "But not my own sister. That's kind of gross."

"You have to admit though, she's kind of cute." Alex smirked.

He shook his head. "I don't think that, but some of my friends do."

Alex chuckled as Piper marched in wearing a tank top and gray sweatpants over her Speedo. "Cal, you cannot tell dad about this!"

He stood. "Dude, chill. I wasn't planning on it."

"We just had a nice talk." Alex stood and folded her arms. "We won't kiss in this house again."

Piper looked at her like she was nuts.

Cal tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. "Whatever. It's your house too, I guess."

Alex hit him on the shoulder as sort of a you're alright, kid tap. "Now go do…whatever boys do in the bathroom."

Cal left his bedroom, and Piper creased her eyebrows as she faced the brunette. "What was that about? I'm not making a promise not to kiss you in my own home!" She whispered in a louder voice than she probably should have.

"It's his home too." Alex shrugged. "I don't care if anyone catches us, but I'm assuming you do."

"Of course, I do!" Piper huffed.

"Then we need to keep our hands…and mouths…to ourselves when we're here." She crossed her arms. "At least we can respect your brother."

Piper shook her head, clearly not pleased with this new development. She glanced at the digital alarm clock. "Crap, I have to go to work. I'll see you later."

"I don't know if you will, actually." She pushed her glasses to rest on top of her head. "I have work from 4 until midnight, and then tomorrow, I'm leaving for Manhattan through the weekend."

"Fine." The blonde turned to exit, but Alex caught her by the shoulder.

She spun Piper around. "Hey, don't be like that."

The blonde looked at her feet and didn't reply.

"I get that this is complicated right now." She put her hands on Piper's arms. "And it probably will be for as long as we live in the same house."

"Yeah," she said in a sad tone, looking up at Alex.

"Let me take you out when I get back from Manhattan," the dark haired girl offered, taking a step closer. "It'll be our first date."

A small grin formed on Piper's face. "A date?"

She raised a singular eyebrow. "Now, go tease little rich boys at the pool with that red Speedo."

Piper giggled. "Gross."

Alex went back to her room and thought about the possibility of moving to Italy. On one hand, it was an exciting, potentially lucrative adventure, but on the other, it would surely put an end to the blossoming relationship that the two were embarking upon.

Alex spent the weekend in Manhattan, and Piper didn't expect to be as sad as she was without her. When had Alex come to be an important part of her life? At first, she thought that it was just the physical connection that made her long for Alex, but by Sunday afternoon, Piper was struck by the idea that maybe Alex meant more to her than she'd realized.

She sat at her desk with Journey's Send Her My Love playing on repeat in the background, took out her journal, and began writing the pros and cons of Alex Vause.

Pros

Smart

Well-read

Risk taker

Brave

Confident

Passionate

Works hard

Mature

Hot, hot, hot and hot

Cons

Somewhat of an ego

Unwillingness to compromise

Doesn't want to go to college – no clear career goals

Doesn't seem to be into relationships

Dad's girlfriend's daughter

She tapped her pencil against the paper as her phone chimed next to her. Piper noticed it was a text from Alex: Can't go home before my shift at Salvatore's but can sneak away for an hour in borrowed car. Wanna go on that date?

It wasn't the best invitation for a date she'd ever received, but Piper was so desperate to see Alex that she replied affirmatively right away. Sure. Want me to meet you somewhere?

There's a grassy hill just past the Shell Station on Lincoln Ave at the south end of Westchester Airport - meet at 6:30.

Looking forward to it. Piper smiled and hit send. It might not be the most romantic date of all times, but she was sure there would be kissing involved. She very much looked forward to that. Now, all she needed to do was kill three hours, and she figured the best way to do that was by reading. Piper looked at her pros and cons list and added one to the cons, but put a question mark behind it: Might not be into romance?

Alex convinced Brandon to switch nights with her to borrow a car from Salvatore's—she needed to talk to Piper about the modeling offer that she'd gotten on Friday. She spent the weekend on Cloud 9, thinking about the international experience, and the money she'd surely earn. There was no way she could pass up the opportunity, but she knew it would make Piper sad.

Like clockwork, at 6:20 the Harding couple showed up as they did every Sunday night. Alex had borrowed their maroon Acura MDX on two other occasions and felt quite comfortable behind the wheel. She pretended to valet the car, but sped off to meet Piper and hoped that 10 minutes was all she needed to get there on time.

The blonde's BMW was already there, parked facing the runway behind the grassy hill. A regional jet roared above Alex's car, and she could see Piper through the window, watching the plane with amazement. She parked next to the other car and smiled at the blonde, jutting her head to the side to invite her into the borrowed Acura.

"Hi." Piper climbed in and shut the door. "Nice ride."

Alex's lips tugged up, but one could hardly call it a smile. "It is."

Piper reached over the armrest and grabbed the brunette's face, kissing her in one surprising motion. Alex hadn't expected the urgency of the kiss, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.

After a few seconds, Alex pulled back. "What was that for?"

"I missed you." She wiped the brunette's mouth with her thumb.

Alex blinked rapidly and averted her eyes, face turning somber. "Piper, there's something I need to tell you."

Piper leaned back and removed her left hand from the brunette's arm.

She shoved a chunk of dark hair over her shoulder. "Remember I told you that I might get a job in New York?"

Piper nodded.

"Well, I got the offer." She couldn't stop the smile from forming, but she didn't let it hang around for long.

The blonde raised her brows. "Alex, that's great news! Why would you be afraid to tell me that?"

"Yeah, it is. Thanks." Alex took her hand, and brought it to her lips before releasing it. "The thing is, the job isn't in Manhattan; it's in Milan."

She wrinkled her forehead. "Milan? As in Italy?"

She nodded and felt her cheeks redden. "It's a one-year modeling contract, of all things."

"You're going to be a model…in Italy?" Piper's face knotted. "Alex, that's…I'm…I mean, it doesn't surprise me that you could be a model, but in Italy?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's…so far away."

"I can't help where they send me, Piper," she half-laughed. "It's a job, and I'd get to travel and meet new people and make a life of my own. You understand that I have to take it, right?"

"Yeah." She looked down. "I get it."

Alex tipped her chin up with an index finger. "I know you and I are experimenting or whatever, but I have to look out for my future."

Piper glanced out the window and took a deep breath. "I haven't said this to you before, and I just started realizing it this weekend, but what we're doing…it's more than just experimenting to me." She swallowed hard and returned her gaze to the girl next to her. "That's sort of how it began, but…" Piper's shoulders sagged. "…I think I have feelings for you. Feelings that I haven't had for anyone before this."

The confession sent a prickle to Alex's eyes, and she had to turn away.

"And now you're leaving, and…"

The brunette yanked her companion towards her, kissing her more urgently than before. Her tongue tangled with Piper's for a few seconds before she drew back and rested her forehead against the other girl's; hand still firm on the back of the blonde's head. Alex closed her eyes and whispered, "I know."

She didn't know what else to say—she could've admitted that her feelings for Piper had grown exponentially over time or that she thought that maybe they had a future together, but none of that surfaced. She didn't want to make this any harder than it already was.

"So where does that leave us?" Piper asked, desperation in her voice.

Alex opened her eyes to see a tear trickle down the girl's face. She wiped it away with her fingertip. "In different worlds, I guess."

The blonde looked defeated. "Yeah, I guess."

"I know part of this sucks, Piper, but it would really mean a lot to me if you could celebrate this opportunity with me," she tried.

"I'll come around eventually," she looked Alex in the eye. "But for now, I get to be sad."

"Yeah." She kissed Piper's forehead, letting her lips linger. "We both do."

The blonde wiped her runny nose. "When do you leave?"

"In a week," she sighed.

Piper pushed off Alex's chest. "A week?"

She nodded.

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity until Alex started the car. She didn't know what else to say, and just sitting there wasn't helping the situation. "I need to get going."

Piper raised her eyebrows. "So this was our date?"

"I couldn't take you out to some fancy dinner and pretend nothing was going on," Alex explained. "Now that you know, let me make it up to you on Wednesday night when I don't have to work."

She pouted.

Alex leaned over and kissed her on the cheek as a plane flew right over them and landed on the runway. "I have to go, babe."

Piper took her hand and placed a string of kisses on her wrist, her forearm, and the crease of her elbow. She looked up at the other girl with dejected eyes. Alex couldn't stand that look, so she put a hand on the back of Piper's head and pulled her in for a hug, kissing her on top of her blonde head.

Unfortunately, the chaste kiss didn't alter Piper's expression, so Alex kissed her more properly on the lips. It was a leisurely kiss as if they had all the time in the world, and the brunette hoped that Piper understood that if she did have all the time in the world, she'd want to spend it with her.

"Thank you," Piper whispered, leaving Alex to wonder if the blonde could read her mind.

Alex's lips tugged up, but she didn't produce a full-blown smile. There was a definite sadness to leaving Piper, and she couldn't very well pretend that wasn't true.

The blonde opened the car door, and twisted her head around before exiting. "See you later."

She watched Piper get into her car then drive away. Alex leaned her head back against the seat and looked up at the sky through the sunroof. Leaving Piper wasn't going to be easy, but she needed to look out for herself.

Wednesday night had arrived, and Piper was one part excited about their first official date and one part sad that it also happened to be their last before Alex's move. She hadn't had enough time to fully come around to the dark haired girl being thousands of miles away, but she could at least muster a smile knowing she'd scored an amazing opportunity.

As soon as that summer was over, Piper would have enough to keep her busy senior year with school, cross country, newspaper and college applications. She was also considering a run for Student Government President, but that was still in the works. Truth be told, it was Diane who she was more worried about missing Alex than herself. Alex was all the older Vause had for many years, and seeing her daughter leave was going to be painful. Of course, Diane was able to put things into perspective much better than Piper—Diane's little bird was ready to spread her wings and leave the nest, but for Piper, her time hadn't expired yet.

They took Piper's car to a small Greek restaurant in Westchester County, holding hands the whole way, Alex telling her about the four-week model training, the living arrangements (six women in a two bedroom apartment), and the travel opportunities all over Europe. The blonde was genuinely happy for her, but that didn't mean she couldn't feel the inevitable loss.

Dinner was fine, but by the time they got to dessert, Piper's mood had shifted considerably, knowing that their time together was coming to an end.

Alex put her hand on the blonde's knee under the table. "Wanna skip the baklava and head out?"

"Sounds good. I'm not hungry anyway."

The brunette paid the bill, and they drove to Lyon Park not far away. It was a lovely summer evening, so Alex suggested that they walk around a bit, and then sit on a bench near the fountain.

"Do you have any idea when you'll be able to come home?" Piper asked, eyes on the pavement.

"No." Alex squeezed her hand. "I think the first year is pretty brutal in terms of work. I know we get to go on weekend excursions, but that's like once a month."

The blonde creased her forehead. "The first year? I thought it was only a one-year contract?"

"It is." She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear with her free hand. "But I'm hoping to make it at least two if they can book consistent modeling gigs for me."

This was news to Piper, and it fouled her mood even more. She remained silent as they sat on a bench across from the fountain.

"You're going to be insanely busy this year, Piper," she tried. "And next year, you'll be in college. Hopefully I can come home over the summer, but you can also visit me, you know."

Piper glanced up at her. "Maybe for Christmas?"

She smiled and ran her fingertips down Piper's cheek. "That would be nice." Alex leaned down and kissed the blonde so tenderly, it was as if the girl was porcelain and would break with too much force.

Piper took matters into her own hands and grabbed the other girl's face, deepening the kiss. Before Alex knew it, Piper was crawling onto her lap, legs straddling her hips, like she'd done in the Salvatore's parking lot.

"Let's take this to the back seat," the brunette mumbled against her lips.

They jogged to the car, and dove into the back seat, picking up where they'd left off. Alex slid her hands up Piper's shirt and massaged her tiny breasts as they continued kissing. The blonde sat up, making Alex's hands fall to her waist. She shrugged out of her shirt and unhooked her bra, allowing Alex to stare up at her.

The brunette smoothed her hands across Piper's abdomen. "You're beautiful."

Piper blushed.

Alex's hands covered her breasts again, this time with no fabric between them. She sat up, the blonde's legs now wrapped around her waist, and kissed her again. It was another one of those indulgent, open-mouthed, no-tongue kisses.

"Sometimes you kiss me as if I'm going to break," Piper said between kisses.

Alex leaned her forehead against Piper's and whispered, "Sometimes I think I'm the one who'll break."

Piper devoured her lover's mouth, thrusting her tongue inside and trying desperately not to cry as she ran her hands up the brunette's shirt.

Alex smirked. "Need some help?" She removed her own shirt and bra, and Piper stared at her with her mouth agape.

She swallowed hard and looked Alex in the eye as she reached one hand out to tentatively touch the underside of one of her breasts. The blonde looked down at her companion's tits, marveling at their size and the way her nipples were already erect. She ran her fingertips over a taut nipple and felt wetness pool between her legs.

Alex allowed Piper to continue her fascination with her much larger tits, but after a minute, she dove in to capture Piper's nipple with her lips.

The move caused Piper's head to roll back as she moaned. "Oh, my God."

Alex bathed her right, and then her left nipple with her mouth. She looked up at the blonde with teary eyes. "I'm going to miss you."

Piper used both hands to clear the hair out of Alex's face. It was her turn to place a gentle kiss on the other girl's lips. "Me, too."

Another car pulled up next to them and judging from their loud, rambunctious antics, Alex assumed several rowdy teens exited their car. (She was glad that they'd fogged up the windows enough to at least make their images blurry.) The brunette announced that they should probably leave, so they quickly tugged their shirts back on, hopped into the front seats, and drove away holding on to each other's hands like it was the last time they'd ever see each other.

Note: Thanks for reading through Chapter 8. The second book begins next, and there will be a brief waiting period between books. Look for the next chapter in a couple of days.