The velvet-rope barrier at the *Off Campus* premiere afterparty parted for Cassie de la Cruz the way the Red Sea did for Moses, mostly because Cassie was six-foot-one, carried her broad shoulders with the relaxed ease of a retired WNBA champion, and looked entirely too good in a tailored cream suit. Cassie wasn't much for Hollywood parties—she preferred court shoes to dress shoes—but she was there for Mika. Scanning the crowded rooftop, Cassie spotted her. Mika was standing by the balcony, her dark hair catching the ambient neon light of the Los Angeles skyline, laughing with a couple of her co-stars. She looked effortlessly beautiful, carrying the glowing aura of an actress whose show had just become the biggest thing on television. As if sensing the shift in the room, Mika looked up. Her eyes locked onto Cassie, and the polite "industry smile" she’d been wearing all night melted into something entirely genuine, warm, and private. Mika excused herself from the conversation, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she walked over. She didn't care about the cameras flashing from the street below or the whispers of the executives nearby. She just reached up, sliding her hands around Cassie’s neck, pulling the taller girl down into a soft, lingering kiss that tasted like champagne and strawberry lip gloss. "You made it," Mika murmured against her lips, her brown eyes shining. "Wouldn't miss it for the world, baby," Cassie smiled, her voice low and raspy, one hand settling naturally on the small of Mika’s back. "You look incredible. The whole world is talking about you tonight." Mika leaned her forehead against Cassie's shoulder, letting out a breath she felt like she’d been holding since the red carpet. With Cassie, she didn't have to be the breakout star of the summer or the face of a hit franchise. She could just be herself.