The end of September had approached, which meant Casey had been in law school for a month already, but that month was a blur for her. Between spending time with Alex and all of the reading her professors were assigning she didn't even have time to notice a month had passed since she started at Harvard. That single month had changed Casey's life forever. Before she attended Harvard, she had friends but none of them were like Serena. Serena was the first person she felt as if she could ever call her best friend. They may not have come from the same background, but they still had so much in common and they were able to confide in each other, especially when it came to women, which is why Casey was unnerved by Serena's constant crying. Casey knew it had to be about a woman, but she hadn't seen Serena with anyone recently. She hoped it wasn't about Abbie, but who else could make her cry the way Abbie could?

"Rena, are you okay?" Casey asked her crying best friend.

"I'm fine," Serena insisted.

"No, you're not," Casey told her. "If you were fine, you wouldn't spend most of your time crying in this room."

"It's Abbie."

"I knew it was Abbie. Are you two still seeing each other?"

"I don't know," Serena shrugged. "She sneaks over here every now and then or I sneak over to her apartment, but I feel like she's using me. Sometimes she wants to cuddle, but she usually just calls me when she wants to have sex. I should be grateful that she just wants to have sex with me and no other woman, right?"

"No, Serena," Casey said as she held her hand. "You shouldn't just settle. You deserve more than that and you need to tell her you're not going to allow her to use you whenever she wants to have sex or whenever she wants affection."

"I know," Serena sighed. "And she doesn't call me to ask how I'm doing. I know we have to hide the fact that we're seeing each other, but in class she acts as if I don't even exist." Serena wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "I should call her right now."

Before Serena could call Abbie, the two of them heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it," she told Casey. Serena was surprised to find Abbie and Alex standing on the other side holding a cake. She didn't know how to feel when she saw Abbie. Serena was torn between wanting to kiss her and just plain wanting to slap her. Not wanting to cause a scene, she let them in and smiled when Alex went straight over to kiss Casey.

"What's this for?" Casey asked playfully.

"Your birthday," Alex told her. "Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday."

"I can honestly say I did," Casey said as she looked at the cake Alex was holding. "How did you even know?"

"I took a peak at your license last time we went out for drinks," Alex informed her. "I've had this planned for a week now."

"She even made the cake herself," Abbie cut in. "I was her guinea pig, which shows how great of a friend I am. This is her third cake today and she finally got it right. She wanted to write 'happy birthday' on it, but neither of us know how to write with icing, so she just drew a heart. She said her heart is yours or something lame like that."

"I did not say that," Alex scoffed.

"She did," Abbie told Casey. "She really did. I did everything I could not to roll my eyes at her."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Casey asked Abbie.

"Like what?" Abbie responded.

"Like you're about to rob a bank. You have everything but the ski mask."

"Because she's not supposed to be here," Alex answered for her. "If someone catches her here, she could lose her job."

"But I had to see Serena," Abbie said and Casey could see Serena smile for the first time that day.

"Can I talk to you?" Serena asked Abbie.

"Yeah, but only for a little while," Abbie insisted. "I can't be outside your room for very long."

"Don't risk it," Alex cut in. "Casey and I will go outside."

"The cake can wait," Casey teased. "Besides, I want time alone with Alex."

Once Abbie and Serena were alone, Abbie pulled Serena on the bed with her. The first girl she ever felt anything for was crying and Abbie wanted to find out exactly why. She knew it had something to do with their arrangement, but she was too afraid to budge.

"Tell me why you're crying," Abbie insisted.

"No," Serena said as she tried to get away, but it was no use. Abbie wrapped her arms around her even tighter and wouldn't let her get away.

"It's me, isn't it?"

"You're so full of yourself," Serena said, trying one more time to get away, but Abbie was so much stronger than her.

"Is it?"

"Yes!" Serena nearly yelled.

"I'm scared, okay?" Abbie admitted.

"Of someone finding out?" Serena asked.

"Of you," Abbie told her. "As much as I hate my job, I'd rather not lose it, but even if I lost it, I know I could find something else eventually even if I'm working at a coffee shop. That wouldn't look as good on my resume as being an assistant, but if it came down to that, I'd do it. What scares me is what I'm feeling about you. I've never been with the same woman more than once and here I am seeing you twice a week outside of class. I'm not used to this, Serena. I'm not used to cuddling and being affectionate, but I'm willing to try all of this with you if we just go at my pace."

"Your pace is practically snail-like," Serena said seriously. "Do you promise you're not using me until you find some other woman?"

"Serena, Serena," Abbie said and kissed her hand. "If I was after one thing, wouldn't I find some other woman to get it from? Some woman I could remain anonymous with?"

"Yes, but you could get be getting some from me and another woman on the side," Serena pointed out. "How do I know I'm your only one?"

"Ask Alex," Abbie insisted.

"She's your best friend. She'd probably lie for you."

"Then what can I do?" Abbie asked.

"Nothing," Serena told her. "I'd just feel more secure if I could actually be seen with you. I hate all of this sneaking around. It's like we're having an affair. It feels so wrong."

"Just two and a half more months and I'll take you everywhere," Abbie promised. "You'll be so sick of me."

"Are you saying you'll make me your girlfriend?"

"I didn't say that," Abbie responded even if meant breaking Serena's heart. "You know I'm not ready for this whole girlfriend thing. Serena, it's been a month. Not even Alex and Casey are girlfriend and girlfriend yet. You're not an undergraduate anymore, Serena. Relationships are different when you're an adult. I'm graduating in May and I need to focus on my future. I don't have time for a serious relationship."

"So, I'm what—a plaything?" Serena asked angrily.

"I didn't say that," Abbie insisted. "You know you're more than that."

"Get out, Abbie."

"But Serena—"

"Get out!" Serena shouted.

"This is the last time I'm coming over here, Serena," Abbie insisted. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" Serena said as she pointed at the door.

Not wanting to argue with her, Abbie left Serena's dorm. She was going to tell Alex she was going home, but Alex and Casey were nowhere in sight. It was Casey's birthday and she felt bad about not having a celebration as a foursome, but she wasn't in the mood to explain that to Serena.

"Happy birthday, beautiful," Alex said as she held on to Casey. They were cuddling on a nearby bench and Alex couldn't believe her luck. She was holding onto the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and she was learning what it was like to fall for someone for the first time.

"The big twenty-two," Casey said and started kissing her. "I'm so glad I get to spend it with you. This is the best birthday I've ever had."

The more she looked at Casey, the more she felt as if she was ready to give herself to her in every possible way. She knew she shouldn't rush into having a sexual relationship, but she wanted to give Casey something special for her birthday.

"Case?"

"Yes, my darling?"

"I have something special for you," Alex whispered into her ear.

"Birthday cake?" Casey teased.

"I'm hoping it's better than birthday cake," Alex said flirtatiously. "I want to do what we tried doing the other day. Since Abbie is with Serena, we'll have my apartment all to ourselves."

Before Alex could get an answer from Casey, they noticed Abbie storm out of the building and walk right past them.

"If she looks distraught, I can imagine how Serena feels," Casey told Alex. "Maybe I should go inside."

"But your birthday celebration," Alex pointed out. "What are we going to do?"

"Serena is my best friend," Casey told her. "I have to make sure she's okay. I can't just flaunt my happiness in front of her. We'll do something tomorrow. Besides, you should check on Abbie. If she's showing any emotion at all, that must mean something bad happened."

"You're such a good friend," Alex said before kissing Casey.

Casey stole one more kiss from her. "If a woman is a good friend, that usually means she'd make a good girlfriend. Just thought I'd throw that out there."

"Who told you that?" Alex asked playfully. "Come to my place tomorrow night. I'll have a surprise for you."

"I'm going to spend the next twenty-four hours thinking about that surprise," Casey said and stole one final kiss from Alex.

"See you tomorrow then," Alex said even though she was still holding on to Casey.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Casey agreed.

"Casey, we're stalling."

"We are."

"I don't want to leave you, but since I have to you can enjoy your birthday cake with Serena."

"I had completely forgotten about eating any birthday cake. I just want time with you. I don't want to leave you either."

"I wish we could spend the whole night together," Alex told her. "You, me, my bed, and an entire night to do whatever we wanted."

"What's come over you?" Casey asked playfully.

"You," Alex confessed. "I've never felt this before."

"I don't want to rush anything, Alex, but someday when I know you're ready I'll be more than happy to spend the night with you."

Hearing just how patient and understanding Casey was made Alex smile uncontrollably. "I should go. Abbie needs me and I know Serena needs you."

"Come here," Casey said and kissed her more passionately than she ever had before. Alex slightly parted her lips, which Casey took as an invitation to explore her mouth with her tongue.

"Casey!" Alex said and started blushing. "Did I just feel your tongue in my mouth?"

"Yeah, is that okay?" Casey asked worriedly.

"I loved it. Do it again."

"Tomorrow," Casey promised.

Alex knew she was in for a long talk with Abbie when she got home, but during that walk back to her apartment, she felt like everything was right with the world.