All of us stood outside, our suitcases and bags with us while we waited for our cars to come to get us. Charlotte's mom came in first and picked her up and Oli was off after that too.

"I'm really tired," Ava sighed, leaning against a pillar. "That's my mom," she said, standing up straight and grabbing her bags.

"Bye," I waved at her.

"Bye," she waved. She walked over to the car and put her bags in the trunk before running back over and kissing Lucas quickly. We saw how he grinned and stood there, smiling sheepishly while her car drove off.

"Don't even think about saying anything," he said to Noah while grabbing his suitcase and heading to his car.

"Oh, not even how-" I smacked my hand over his mouth, laughing while his arms tightened around my waist when we noticed our cars pulling up, one behind the other.

"That's my dad," I sang, turning to face him.

"I don't see him," he mumbled. I smiled, pushing his hair back.

"I have to go," I whispered.

"No, you don't," he shook his head.

"I do," I argued.

"No," he whined while I pulled up the handle and adjusted it on my suitcase.

"Yes," I laughed. I grabbed my backpack which I put down on the floor and pulled it over my right shoulder. I turned around and saw my dad waving at me with the window rolled down. I waved back while walking but Noah grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. I didn't even get a second to spare a word, that's how quickly he pressed his lips to mine.

I kissed him back for a minute before slowly pulling away. "Don't do that," I whined, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"Can I just stay with you?" he asked.

"Noah, we just got home," I laughed, "You can see me tomorrow. Call it a date," I said.

"Where?" he questioned.

"Wherever you want. Text me."

"Give me your number."

"You don't have my number?" I asked in surprise.

"Mm-mm," he shook his head, already holding out his phone.

I quickly typed it in before turning around. I avoided looking at my dad and walked over to the back, pulling the trunk open. I put my backpack in there and my suitcase was put in there for me. I looked to my right and saw Noah standing there, his backpack on his shoulders, his suitcase by his side.

"Thank you," I smiled.

"No problem," he replied. He closed the trunk and I walked on over to the passenger side door. He opened the door for me, and at this point, there is no way he's not going to say hello to my dad. I slipped into the car and he shut the door, leaning down through the open window. "Hi, Mr. Miller," he grinned.

"Noah," my dad nodded, looking between me and him.

I looked at Noah, avoiding my dad's eyes while a blush crept up my face and a smile tugged at my lips. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said to me.

"Oh, we're seeing him tomorrow!" my dad sang.

"Dad!" I groaned.

Noah laughed, taking a step back. "Bye," he grinned.

"Bye," I smiled.

He leaned down quickly and kissed me.

"Oh, we're kissing!" my dad sang.

I laughed, pushing Noah back gently. "Bye, Mr. Miller," he smiled, saluting my dad with two fingers before waving me bye and leaving. I rolled up the window and begrudgingly turned to my dad.

"Boyfriend?" he asked. I nodded in response while he put the car in drive and started driving us home. "How'd you meet him in Vegas?" he chuckled.

"They were staying at the same hotel, boys trip, and uh- his room was right next to mine," I chuckled, deciding to skip the part about meeting him for the first time in a club.

"You leave for Vegas single and you're coming back with a boyfriend, look at that," he laughed.

"That's what I got for going to Vegas," I sighed, leaning my head back.

"It's like a magic trick."

"What?" I sputtered a laugh.

"Yeah, go to Vegas, abracadabra, boyfriend. Voila!" he exclaimed.

"Voila!" I said mockingly.

"You know what I'll tell you, I'll tell you that you got a real nice boy there," he nodded.

"Oh?" I grinned.

"He's a real sweet kid, Bella. He puts in his all when it's something he really wants to do, I'm glad you met him," he said.

"I'm glad I met him too," I mumbled, staring out the window.

"But does he know?"

I turned to him in confusion, "Does he know what?" I asked.

"That you're not planning to go to Berkley with him." I stared at him, dumbfounded. "I'm friends with his dad, Bella. I know he got in, and he told me himself, I got a call from Noah."

"You did?"

He nodded, "Mm-hmm. While you guys were in Vegas, he called me to tell me that he got into Berkley. He told me you were with him."

My jaw fell slightly in shock. "You knew?" I asked.

"He told me," he repeated, "He told me he really likes you but he said there was something he wanted to talk to me about. Now, I don't know if he's talking soccer or you. I guess we're waiting until tomorrow for that," he sighed, "Does he even know you got into Berkley as well?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I told him that. I just didn't tell him that I don't really wanna go," I mumbled.

"And why don't you wanna go?" he asked softly.

"It's just not for me, dad. I don't want to do the whole college thing, I have no interest in it, no desire for it, and I have no clue what I'm going to do with the degree, if I can get through it. Dad, it's really hard, and I hated high school, I can't imagine university. I just don't wanna do it, not right now, and I'm not gonna be able to handle it. I know that."

"So then what do you wanna do, honey?" he questioned.

"I don't really know," I mumbled, "I don't mind studying business, just not at Berkley. I'm willing to do courses and study it but I want to do that my way. I don't want the college experience, or the degree, or anything of that sort. If I'm doing it, then I'm doing it for knowledge, right?" I turned to him.

He stopped at a light and turned to me. "Have you thought this through, honey? Are you sure?" I hesitated. "I know you've got your savings, you have enough money to keep you up, that's not what I'm worried about. This isn't about wanting to do something other than business?" he asked.

I shook my head, "No. Business is something that you can study and apply to any career in life. If I'm studying anything, it's business," I explained.

"You just don't want the university part of it? The stressful part of it?" he asked knowingly.

"I don't want that stress," I chuckled, "I suck with stress, I don't think I could do it."

"You could do it, only if you wanted to. But you seem to have thought this through. If you don't want to go, you don't want to go. Case closed, hmm?"

"Really?" I asked him, shocked that he was so understanding and agreed with me.

"Just do one thing for me, will ya? Talk to Noah about it. Tell him. Everything and I mean everything. I'm not telling you to listen to what he says or take his opinion, I'm just telling you to do this because you both seem really invested in the relationship you've made. It would be heartbreaking for it to end over college or distance because distance can always be covered, honey. And no distance is great enough when you love somebody."

"Dad, it's been two weeks," I sighed.

"It'll be two years before you know it. If you do it right."

I stared at him, deciding to actually ask my new love-guru some questions. "You've been with mom since high school, how'd you two get through it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you studied in Boston, my dearest father, and mom studied courses from here at home."

He grinned, "We did the distance, sweetheart. We talked about it before I left. And we actually broke up," he shrugged.

"No!" I gasped.

"Yeah, we broke up. When I went off, we agreed that we didn't wanna tie each other down. And within weeks I knew that didn't feel right. So, I called her. We made a plan, she came to visit, I told her how I felt, we got back together, and then until my graduation, we did the distance. We would alternate visits, we would surprise each other, we didn't let the distance ruin it. Then I came back home. For good."

"And your marriage?" They got married at twenty-one.

"We got married over summer break. She came to Boston for a month after that and stayed with me. We were new to the husband-wife thing but we just winged it."

"Then how the hell did you have me at twenty-three?" I asked.

"We just did. Do the math. You're born early May, you're premature, do the math, hun. It was summer break," he scoffed.

"Jesus," I laughed, shaking my head.

"Point is, darlin' the distance is nothing if you love someone. You're not at love yet, that's okay. Get there, then handle uni, hmm?"

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