BOOK II—FALLIN'

Piper hadn't gone with her family to drop Alex off at the airport for her life-altering modeling adventure. It would've gotten messy, and the blonde was afraid she would have planted a kiss squarely on Alex's lips for the world to see. They weren't at a point in their relationship for that to happen, nor did Piper want to come out, so she said her sad goodbyes to her somewhat-lover the night before her flight.

Alex had promised to send e-mails every week and to call every other week. If she could figure out how to use Skype, they could video chat on occasion. Alex also vowed to send postcards from her travels, but she wouldn't be able to make them private. "I hope you can read between the lines," she'd whispered before she left.

The fall of Piper's senior year was even busier than she could've imagined. She'd applied early decision to Smith College, but she decided to have her applications, essays and supplements done for regular decision before winter break as well. In addition to college apps, Piper was still Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper, participated in cross country, and decided to run for Student Government President. (She'd won by a landslide.)

She didn't have time for anything else in her life, including Larry's attempts at getting back together. Piper had been excited about the possibility of visiting Alex in Milan that Christmas, but her father foiled those plans by announcing that the family was going to visit Danny, who was studying abroad in Sydney.

Alex did as she'd promised and wrote the occasional e-mail, but it was all very surface-level stuff, like where she'd traveled recently, how the food differed from American attempts at Italian cuisine, and the pangs of having roommates. She always ended the e-mails asking about Piper, and signed them with two X's and O's. The blonde tried to reply to Alex's e-mails within 48 hours, but she wasn't always that speedy. The spring, she figured, would be far less crazy, and she could spend more time composing e-mails and sending letters to Alex.

They only had the opportunity to speak on the phone six times that semester, and only one of those was private and lasted a mere 10 minutes. (The other ones, she had to wrangle the phone away from Diane.)

Since Piper was unable to visit Alex over Winter Break, she was determined to make the European trek over Spring Break. She'd e-mailed specific dates to Alex, and the brunette seemed eager to host her and promised to take her to Florence, Venice and possibly Rome. Piper was over the moon at the chance to see Alex and travel across Italy with her. She missed the brunette more than she thought she would and was desperate to see Alex as soon as possible.

By some unlucky twist of fate, Piper was in the running for a $20,000 scholarship that required her to be in Providence for two days in the middle of her Spring Break, preventing her from traveling to Europe. For days, she sulked about the lost opportunity and even told her father she wasn't competing for "that stupid award." Bill, of course, demanded that she go to Providence to vie for the scholarship, and under no circumstances was he going to fork over $1,300 for a plane ticket to Italy in lieu of sending her to the oratory competition. Piper considered using all of her savings to pay for the ticket, but she feared if she went against her father's wishes, the consequences would be grave.

So she waited.

She waited for Alex's postcards, e-mails and phone calls. Piper hung on every word in any form of communication, hoping that there was an inkling of desire in Alex's correspondence. There was little to be found, and by the end of Piper's senior year, she'd lost all hope that the two of them would ride off into the sunset together.

Truth be told, the first four months in Milan were brutal. In all her life, Alex hadn't lived with roommates other than the Chapman kids, and she quickly realized that sharing a space with five other hopeful models was akin to six puppies trying to suck on two nipples. There was literally a sign-up sheet for their one bathroom for shower time, and each of them had to put on their makeup elsewhere half of the time. The other girls ate salads and drank lemon water—period. Alex had a difficult time adjusting to a model's diet and didn't take it as far as the other girls. She enjoyed authentic Italian cuisine far too much to give it up completely.

She'd done three runway shows that fall, but it wasn't until just before Christmas when she'd scored a contract for an Italian hand glove company. Although only her hands were featured in the ad, it came with a nice paycheck.

Alex had been looking forward to Piper's Christmas visit more than she cared to admit, and when she found out that the Chapmans and her mom were going to Australia, the wind in her sail died. She missed Piper and her mom terribly, but she couldn't let them know it—she needed to prove that she was strong and had made the right decision by going to Milan.

She had a tough time writing e-mails to her mom, Piper and even Nicky without giving away the fact that she was homesick. She was seen as the tough girl, and wasn't prepared to let her façade down. So she focused on work and making the most out of her time in one of the world's most beautiful countries.

By spring, Alex was once again enthusiastic about Piper's impending visit. She'd landed two more print ads—one for an Italian hotel chain and one for a frame company. Both gigs paid quite well, and Alex was tempted to move out of the crowded apartment with one other model with whom she'd become friends. When she heard that Piper's trip was cancelled due to a fucking scholarship competition, she composed an e-mail, telling Piper she'd buy the plane ticket even if it she could only visit for three nights.

Alex never sent that e-mail. She stared at it in her Drafts folder for two days, and ultimately hit delete.

Her feelings for Piper were complicated, but one thing she knew for certain was that she wouldn't miss the girl that fucking much if there weren't genuine feelings involved. As the months went on, Alex felt more worldly and successful, which made her question why she'd still be so hung up on a high school senior. She had her pick of women in Milan and had slept with two of them, but both were one night stands. Each time, Alex was drunk and lonely and tried desperately to think of the woman she was with rather than the blonde headed girl back home.

She failed miserably.

Every touch, every kiss and both orgasms were all about Piper. The third time she hooked up with a blonde model from London, she didn't fight it any longer. The moment she closed her eyes, she saw Piper and pretended it was her she was having sex with instead of the six-foot-tall model.

By June, Alex had earned enough money to move out. She and her roommate, Janae, were both from New York and got along exceedingly well. They had similar upbringings and talked about missing home so much sometimes that it hurt. Janae had been in Milan six months earlier than Alex, so she was able to show the brunette around and teach her the ins and outs of modeling that Elite simply didn't want them to know. Janae also liked to eat more than just greens, so she and Alex made a pact to try a new restaurant every couple of weeks and make a decent meal that reminded them of home every Tuesday night.

What kept Alex going was her future trip home the second week of July. She and Piper were still exchanging e-mails, but Alex didn't know where things stood between them. All she knew was that Piper was going to Smith that fall and had been overwhelmed with school until the day she finally graduated. She had hoped that Piper would've read between the lines of her e-mails, especially the ones later in the year, and recognized that she cared deeply for the blonde.

The night before her flight to the US, Alex received a brief e-mail from Piper:

I won't be able to sleep tonight. Can't wait to see you.

Love,

Piper

Neither of them had signed postcards or e-mails with that word. Alex reached out to touch the screen, fingertip dancing over love as a smile gently formed on her face. She reflected on that word, wondering if that was what she felt for Piper. It wasn't a familiar feeling; in fact, Alex hadn't been in love before, so she had nothing to compare it to. Reading the word made her feel warm and full and adored. Maybe Piper hadn't meant it as a romantic gesture; maybe it was just a friendly way to close a letter, but now LOVE was like a flashing neon sign in Alex's head, taking up all the real estate she had.

Piper wasn't exactly sure what time she fell asleep the night before Alex was set to arrive back in the States, but she knew it was after 2 a.m. That morning, she woke up at 7 o'clock and bounced out of bed. This was the day Alex was coming home. She showered, tugged on a flowery sundress, brushed her now longer, blonde hair, and acted as casually as she could as she entered the living room.

Diane had spent the morning cleaning the house and telling whoever was in the room how excited she was to see her baby girl. Piper admitted that she was eager too, and Diane gave her a look that made the blonde wonder if she'd said too much.

The entire clan piled into Bill's Mercedes and drove the 30 miles to LaGuardia. Piper and Cal both listened to their iPods in the backseat, and the blonde hoped she looked relaxed. Truth be told, she was anything but—her hands were sweaty and her pulse amplified the closer they got to the airport. She tried concentrating on the music blaring in her ears, but when Bob Marley's Is this Love came on, she ran an unsteady hand through her hair and couldn't stop bouncing her leg with anticipation.

Cal gave her a look, followed by a mumbled, "Chill out, Pipes."

She and her brother hadn't talked about the day he'd walked in on her and Alex making out in the bathroom. Piper didn't think Cal was old enough to understand her feelings back then, not that she did either. In fact, she didn't even understand her feelings now.

Her anxiousness wasn't just about seeing Alex for the first time in a year; she had no clue where they stood romantically. For all she knew, Alex could be in a relationship with another woman. In that year, the brunette hadn't said or written anything remotely romantic other than the occasional, "Miss you."

Additionally, Piper had no idea how to navigate their situation at home. Diane would want to spend every minute with her daughter, and Piper didn't want to get in the way of that. They'd made a promise to Cal not to kiss in the house, and the blonde wondered if that was still valid since the circumstances were so vastly different than they were a year ago. Piper didn't even know if there would be kissing—maybe what they'd done a year ago was just Alex's way of introducing her to Lesbian 101.

"Here we are," her father announced, making the wide turn into the Arrivals area of the airport. "Do you want to go inside to greet her while we wait in the car?"

For a split second, Piper thought he was talking to her, but then she realized that wasn't her role.

Diane put a hand on his arm. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all." He smiled. "We'll be in the cell lot, so just text me when you're ready, and I'll pull around."

Piper had to admit that her father and Diane were a great couple. She didn't know what a happy marriage looked like when her parents were still together—they argued often and rarely exchanged romantic gestures. With her dad and Diane, everything they did seemed to be out of love.

Piper hadn't expected to be invited to greet Alex as she rode down the escalator into baggage claim, but a piece of her crumbled when that became reality. She considered asking Diane if she could join her, but decided against it so as not to expose her strong desire to reconnect with the brunette.

Diane stepped out of the car and closed the door, and Piper's heart sank. She told herself that in less than 30 minutes, she'd see Alex and all would be fine.

Ten seconds later, Diane knocked on the window, and Bill rolled it down. "I'm not very familiar with LaGuardia. Piper, would you mind coming with me?"

Piper's eyes widened, and if her heart could've beat any faster, it might've jumped right out of her chest. "Yes!" she replied, her voice hitching on the one syllable. She took a calming breath and smiled at the older Vause. "I mean, sure; I guess."

She practically jumped out of the car and met Diane on the other side. Piper hooked her arm through the crook of Diane's elbow and looked up at her.

The older woman winked. "I thought you might like that."

"Thank you," she whispered, pushing her body into Alex's mom in a sideways hug.

They waited in the baggage claim area for 10 minutes, Piper checking the Arrivals board twice, noticing that her plane had landed and wondering how long the Customs line was. She explained Customs to Diane as a way to pass time, and as Piper finished the explanation, she saw Alex 20 feet away riding on the escalator.

The blonde's face broke into a huge smile, and she felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. Alex walked down the last five steps of the escalator, a grin spreading wider on her face with every step.

Diane all but ran towards her daughter and wrapped her arms around her. Alex shut her eyes and squeezed her mother.

The brunette pulled back and smiled. "It's good to see you, mom."

"You, too, kid!"

Alex took four giant steps to where Piper was standing and threw her arms around her thin frame. Piper pressed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears of joy, but it was no use. One rolled down her cheek and fell onto Alex's shoulder.

"I missed you too fucking much," Alex whispered in her ear.

Piper leaned up, placing a small kiss on Alex's earlobe where no one could see. "Me, too."

They drew back, and Alex held the blonde's face in her hands for a moment longer than any two friends should. Piper hugged her again and didn't pull away until she felt the brunette's purse slip down her arm.

"Welcome home," Piper said with a big smile.

"Let me look at you!" Diane eyed her daughter up and down. "I was afraid you'd be too thin, being a model and all, but I'm happy to see there's still some meat on them bones."

Alex was wearing a pair of white linen pants and a black tank top with a red pashmina over her shoulders, and Piper thought she'd never looked so good. She involuntarily licked her lips as she took in the brunette's stunning physique.

Alex brushed her hair out of her face with one finger. "I think they'd like me to drop 10 pounds, but I'm still getting work, so they can suck it."

As they waited for her suitcase to arrive on the conveyor belt, Alex and her mom caught up, and Piper stood as close to the brunette as she could with a huge grin on her face. Twice during the 15 minute wait, Alex reached to her side to touch any part of Piper that she could reach. The blonde skimmed her fingers over Alex's knuckles at one point, and Alex clutched her hand briefly before releasing it.

It took all of Alex's strength not to plant a kiss on Piper the second she laid eyes on her. It also took an amazing amount of restraint on the car ride home not to hold the blonde's hand, but their thighs were pressed together, and they stole glances at each other on the entire ride.

Alex told stories of modeling and traveling, and everyone in the car seemed captivated by the brunette's experience. She made it sound better than it actually was, but no one wanted to hear about her battle with homesickness, so she kept that to herself.

When they arrived at the Chapman home, Alex didn't know how long she'd be able to wait before taking Piper in the other room and kissing her senseless. She got the feeling from Piper's glances that the blonde was just as eager to reconnect physically as she was. All that worry over the past year about Piper's feelings dissipating were likely for naught, but she had to be sure.

"I'm making your favorite meal for lunch, hon." Diane unlocked the door as Bill carried Alex's suitcase inside.

"Chicken pot pie?" Alex asked as she entered the once familiar home.

"You got it!"

Alex smiled at her mom. "Can't wait."

Diane hugged her daughter once again. "You probably want to take a shower after such a long flight."

"A shower would be great," she sighed, running a hand through her somewhat greasy hair.

"Your room is exactly how you left it," Bill commented.

"Thanks." She glanced at Piper. "Would you mind helping me with my bags?"

"Not at all," the blonde quickly responded.

"I can do that," Bill offered, taking a step closer.

Piper all but shoved him out of the way. "No, dad. I got it." She grabbed the handle and rolled the bag down the hallway towards Alex's room.

Both women were barely in the room and the door was not even fully shut before Alex tugged Piper by the upper arms and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. She spun the blonde around, pinning her to the door as it finally clicked shut. Piper's hands landed on Alex's chest, but she slowly lowered them to the brunette's waist. Alex's hands moved up Piper's arms, to her neck, cheeks, and ultimately tangled in her longer-than-she-remembered blonde hair.

Moans escaped from their mouths as tongues began to fight for purchase. The kiss was hard and deep, and Alex didn't think she'd be able to see straight if she opened her eyes. Piper's hands traveled around her waist to Alex's back, pulling her even closer. Their faces were smashed together and Alex had to change the angle because of the intense pressure of the kiss.

She tugged the blonde's lower lip before pulling back and breathing heavily.

Alex lowered her head and kissed a trail down Piper's cheek to her neck as she heard the blonde chuckle. "It's nice to be home," Alex breathed.

Piper put her palms on the brunette's shoulders, pushing her back until they looked each other in the eyes. "I didn't know if you'd want this," she admitted in a whisper.

Alex's eyebrows shot up. "Are you fucking kidding?" She captured Piper's lips once again in a far softer kiss and looked at her again. "I've been thinking about kissing you for an entire fucking year."

That was all it took for Piper to plant one on her lover again. The blonde pushed herself from the door and flopped Alex onto the bed. Piper looked down at her with hungry eyes, and Alex reached for her, pulling Piper on top. The brunette ran her hands down Piper's back, to her ass, and then to her bare thighs. It was Piper's turn to tangle her hands in Alex's thick, black locks as they kissed passionately once again.

A knock on the door startled them. "Stop making noises!" Cal demanded in a loud whisper.

Alex laughed against her lover's mouth. "Sorry, kid."

They heard him groan as he shuffled away.

Piper's grin widened. "Were we loud?"

"I guess." She laughed again, and pulled Piper into a full embrace. "I should take that shower."

The blonde sucked on her neck. "You should."

Alex ran her hands up and down Piper's thighs. "You don't seem to be letting me get up."

Piper looked at her, face sobering. She brushed a strand of hair out of Alex's face and took a deep breath. "I want you to make love to me."

She swallowed hard, placing a kiss on the side of Piper's mouth. "Tonight."

The blonde nodded. "Tonight."