It's been exactly forty-two days since I asked Blossom to be my girlfriend.

I still have no clue why the hell she would ever agree to it, but I'm certainly not complaining.

One thousand and eight minutes. Sixty thousand, four hundred and eighty seconds.

The absolute best forty-two days of my whole fucking life.

I knew that when she was finally mine, I would feel happy beyond measure, but yet could never have prepared for the waves of love and affection that she sends me every day, even from something as simple as holding my hand in public or playing with my hair.

Every touch from her always means something. She's always so gentle with me, making sure to let me know how much I mean to her.

I've never had a girl be so caring around me, and I never before knew how much I craved this kind of affection.

Whenever I've hooked up with girls, I never cared about the emotions, which was easy as I never had any feelings for them.

I've always loved Blossom, even when we were just kids, and although I'm not sure when I realized it, I know that the feelings were always there.

She's perfect in my eyes.

"Bryce? Are you all right? I'm worried about you," Blossom says, resting her hand on my forearm.

"Sorry. Just stressed," I answer her shortly. I don't mean too, but saying that I'm only 'stressed' is the biggest fucking understatement of the year.

I glance to the clock again. 4:42. Eighteen minutes left.

I've been checking the time all day like a damn idiot, even when I was at school. Decisions come out at five o'clock so I really don't understand how I was helping myself at all.

My genius dad decided to throw a dinner party tonight, conveniently. He claims that he forgot today is Ivy Day, but I really don't believe that bullshit; he's been waiting all my life for this day, and there's absolutely no way that he could simply just forget about it.

Him, my psychotic grandfather, and my actually psychotic mother have been focused on making sure I work my ass off to get into Columbia all my life. Sometimes it was frustrating, and I often felt like they were neglecting the present because of my future, but after my mom went haywire, Dad's turned a new page over.

I think he finally realized that our time is limited, and that we should make the best of it while we still can.

Needless to say, the pressure to be accepted into Columbia has always been there. But, now I have the best girlfriend in the world who's also hoping that I get in so that we can live in the same city and spend as much time together as possible.

Fucking shit.

It's now only 4:44. Fantastic.

"Do you need help with anything, Leo?" Blossom asks, and my dad stops stirring whatever shit he's cooking on the stove right now to turn and look at her.

He has a genuine smile on his face, surprisingly. He apologized for pissing me off the morning after my birthday, saying that he was sorry for joking around about my relationship with Blossom.

I think he's picked up on the fact that she means too much to me for me to be able to sit through people talking shit about us.

"I'm good, Lexi. Thank you, dear," he replies to her, and she nods, playing with her hair.

She's looks stunning tonight. She's wearing a fitted black dress that clings to her body perfectly, and she tied her hair up into a ponytail when I asked her to.

I'm thrilled that my dad agreed to let me invite her tonight, but I suppose he didn't have a choice seeing as I threatened to not show up tonight if she wasn't here with me.

Whoops.

She turns to me with a caring look in her eyes, giving my arm a squeeze. She leans forward, pressing a kiss to my cheek, and I momentarily worry that her dark red lipstick may have left a mark on my skin.

She giggles at the face that I must've made, brushing her thumb across the stubble of my jaw.

I should have shaved this morning, but I was too busy trying to stop myself from vomiting.

I've been on the border of having a panic attack all day, and it didn't help that I couldn't take anything for it because I had to drive myself and Blossom too and from school.

She's done her best to keep me cool and collected, but she unfortunately can only do so much for me.

"It's liquid lipstick. It won't come off," she explains to me, and I recognize that I've drifted off for the millionth time today.

"So that means I can kiss you with no worries?" I question, trying to distract myself.

She nods, giggling some more, and I bend down to press my lips to hers.

I can't let this escalate too much because my dad is right there, but it's still something nice to bring me away from my worries for a moment.

When I pull away from her, her cheeks are tinted pink and she has a giddy smile on her face. I press another kiss to her forehead, making her smile grow wider.

And then the damned doorbell rings.

I check the time. 4:53.

"Bryce? Can you get the door?" my dad asks, and I groan, pressing my head against Blossom's bare shoulder.

She carefully strokes the top of my head, wrapping her other arm around me for a moment before I have to pull away.

"No one is supposed to be here until five. Who the fuck came this early?" I ask, pissed off as I stand up from the barstool I'm seated on.

I'm on my way out of the room when my dad answers me, saying, "It must be Caroline and Felix. They're usually early."

My head snaps around to look at him. "You're kidding. Is Holden coming? You know that I can't fucking stand that kid," I spit, and he continues to causally dice up some onion.

"Yes, of course he is. Now go get the door," he repeats, and I want to scream.

Storming away, I head towards the front door. I'm not gentle when I unlock the lock, and I honestly don't think I've been this annoyed in awhile as I tug open the door.

"Bryce! You've grown so much since I've seen you last! It's so nice to see you!" Caroline exclaims, pulling me into a tight hug.

"It's lovely to see you as well, Caroline," I say to her, switching my persona to the one my dad likes me to put on whenever we have guests.

She smiles at me, beginning to take off her coat which I then take from her to hang up.

"Bryce. Pleasure to see you again," Felix then greets me, and I shake his hand.

"Same to you," I say, before turning to fucking Holden.

"Hey," he says to me, stepping into the house.

He holds out a hand for me to shake, and I stare at it for a moment before reluctantly shaking.

"Hi," is the only thing I say to him before closing the door behind him and his parents.

"You all are welcome to head into the kitchen. My father is still cooking," I say, and they all nod to me before heading down the hallway.

I hang up Caroline's jacket in the coat closet before walking after them.

I step into the kitchen to find Holden standing right in front of Blossom.

"Hey, I'm Holden. Nice to meet you," he says, taking Blossom's hand in his.

I expect him to shake it, but instead, he raises it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her palm.

Oh fuck no.

Her eyes go wide at this gesture, and she quickly retrieves her hand, setting it down in her lap. I notice that her shoulders are suddenly stiff as she folds her hands together, giving him a small nod of her head.

I can't watch this any longer. No one makes my girl uncomfortable, especially not on my watch.

"I'm Lexi," she responds meekly, looking past Holden towards me.

When our eyes meet, I notice her silent plea for help, and I make my way back towards her in a rush.

She stands up as I approach her, and I wrap my arm around her waist. She looks st me for a moment before reaching up to adjust the collar of the stupid white dress shirt my dad made me wear, and I thank her with a squeeze of her hip.

When I look to everyone else in the room, I see that my dad is watching everything unfold, thoroughly entertained. Caroline, Holden, and Felix are all looking at Lexi in confusion, and I would absolutely love to slap all three of them in the face.

"This is my girlfriend, Lexi," I tell them, and they all look confused, needless to say.

My dad manages to distract them, asking Caroline and Felix if they'd like anything to drink. I have nothing against either of them, and I understand that my dad has to be nice to them for business purposes, but Holden has always driven me insane for some reason.

He's standing a couple feet away from Blossom and I now, and it's hilarious how much shorter he is than me. I have a solid seven inches on him, and he's around the same height as Blossom in her heels right now.

"Bryce?" Blossom asks quietly, as if she's afraid to interrupt something.

"Yeah, baby girl?" I ask, and Holden's eyebrows raise from where he's standing at my use of the nickname for her.

"It's 5:01," she tells me, and my eyes shoot straight to hers.

Both of us then look towards the computer, and I log in, opening up Chrome.

"Which school should I check first?" I ask Blossom, who's practically pacing back and forth in anticipation for me.

"Columbia. You already got into MIT and Columbia is the only school that comes above that," my dad answers even though I wasn't speaking to him.

Nonetheless, I do as he requests, opening up the Columbia portal.

"It's Ivy Day, is it?" Caroline asks, to which my dad responds, "Yes, indeed."

I'm not paying attention to what anyone else says next as I type in my login, Blossom rubbing circles against my back to try and soothe me.

My dad is continuing to mix drinks, Holden now taking a seat at one of the barstools. Blossom is the only think grounded as the words I've been waiting for all year pop up on my screen.

Blossom and I make eye contact, and she suddenly reaches for both of my hands.

"Whatever happens, it'll be okay. We're going to be okay," she says, sounding like she's trying to convince both me and herself.

"Bryce. Please just open it," my dad says sternly, and I'm suddenly aware of how he sounds just as nervous as I feel.

I never even considered that he may be freaking out inside about this situation too.

Pulling my hands out of Blossom's grip, I press the button.

And before I even see what the letter says, I pull my eyes away from the screen.

"I can't fucking do it, Blossom," I say to her, and I hear my dad clearing his throat.

Language. Right.

Blossom's eyes suddenly shift, and she bends down to read what's on the computer screen.

"Congratulations! I am delighted to inform you that the Board of Admissions has voted to admit you to Columbia University's Class of—" she begins to read out loud, but I cut her off by grabbing her hand.

Bending down to read my letter myself, just to be sure that she isn't messing with me, I read the words on the screen twice.

Holy shit.

When I turn to Blossom, her hands are now clamped across her mouth. I slowly reach for her wrists, pulling them away so that I can see her full expression.

"You did it, Bryce," she breathes, and all I can do is nod at her before scoop pick her up in my arms.

She wraps her legs around my waist as I spin her around, making her laugh before I set her back down on the ground, holding her as she regains her balance.

I press a hard kiss to her mouth, not caring about anyone else in the room anymore.

When I pull away, she smiling like an idiot, and I know that I'm doing the same.

When I finally look away from her, I find my dad leaning down to read what's on the screen. When he turns to me, I could swear that there's a tear in his eye.

"Eamal jayid," is all he says to me, before pulling me into a tight hug.

"Chokran," I respond, pulling away from him and looking him in the eye.

He nods. "Tekram," he tells me, before the doorbell rings, signalling that another guest is here.

Patting me on the back, he turns towards the door. He begins to walk away to answer it, and I find myself having to turn back towards our guests.

"Esef hawl—" I start, before catching myself as I remember that my dad and I are the only two people who understand Arabic.

Mentally switching back to English, I turn to Holden and his parents, saying, "My apologies. As I'm sure you can understand, the three of us are just really excited."

"No worries, son," Felix says to me, and I give him a smile and a nod.

Turning to my girl, I reach for her hand, linking our fingers together. When she looks up at me, she has a huge smile on her face, but not just a happy smile; it's a cocky, playful sort of grin.

"What's up?" I ask her, and her smile grows even wider. I pull out her seat, gesturing for her to sit down before taking a seat on the stool beside her. She bites her lip, as she continues to stare at me, and I tilt my head to the side, confused by her suddenly strange attitude.

"Am I missing something here?" I ask her, and she bursts out into a fit of giggles.

She clamps her hand over her mouth to try and stop herself, but her eyes are still twinkling when she looks back at me.

I cross my arms against my chest, raising my eyebrows at her, and she finally explains.

"Your accent. It's, like, three times stronger now," she chuckles, and I roll my eyes at her.

"Now, may I ask you, how many languages do you speak? Fluently," I ask her, and her eyes go wide.

"One," she says.

I grin at her. "And how many do I speak."

She blinks a couple times. "Three," she answers, and I smile even wider.

"Exactly. So let's avoid mocking my accent, shall we?" I ask, and she purses her lips together.

"I'm not making fun of you. I just think it's cute," she tells me, a slight blush rising to her cheeks.

Her eyes dart away from mine, but I reach for her face, holding her close to me.

"You're cute," I respond, and she laughs.

My dad appears with more guests all of a sudden, and I step away from my girl to go shake their hands. I have no clue who they are, but I still pretend that I do to avoid being drawn into a conversation that takes away from my time with Blossom.

When I head back over to where she is, I find her seated, reading my acceptance letter again.

I sit down beside her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder.

"I guess I should probably check from the other Ivies too, huh?" I ask her, and she nods, leaning against me.

I press a kiss to the top of her head, and we go through all my other responses, even though my dad is probably pissed at how inhospitable I'm being right now.

Taking Blossom's hand and closing my laptop, I tuck the computer under my free arms before standing up, taking Blossom with me. My dad's eyes suddenly fall to us, and I see that he's holding a question there.

"I got in everywhere," I answer him, and he nods, before turning back to speak to Felix and some other man.

I'm a little saddened by how he doesn't really congratulate me much on the manner seeing as it's a pretty damn big deal, but whatever.

Blossom and I head upstairs to my bedroom, and when we step inside I close the door right away. I place the laptop down on my desk before turning back to face my girl, who's still standing nervous in the doorway.

Her arms are stiff at her sides, and she's taken her bottom lip between her teeth.

And then I feel tears in my eyes as it all suddenly hits me.

I got in to Columbia. After all these years, I somehow managed to pull it off. I'm going to finally live in New York City, hopefully with my loving girlfriend, and it's just all so surreal to me.

"I'm so damn proud of you, Bryce. You have no clue how happy I am for you," Blossom tells me, and I can't resist the urge to grab her by the waist, pulling her into my chest for a hug.

She wraps her arms around me, nuzzling her cheek against my shoulder. I press my face to the top of her head, inhaling the vanilla and coconut scent of her hair as I let myself cry happy tears, clinging on to her for dear life.

"You really are proud of me?" I ask her, trying to stop the tears, and she pulls away from me, resting her chin on my chest as she nods up at me.

"Of course I am, Bryce. So, so proud," she says, and I feel more tears at how overwhelmed with emotion I am right now.

Her being proud of me means so much to me, and her approval is everything.

She tightens her arms around me, trying to comfort me, but I'm not even sad or anything of the sorts; I'm just beyond happy.

"We should probably go back downstairs," Blossom suggests, reaching up to use her tiny fingers to brush my tears away.

I nod to her, taking her hand in mine once again and guiding her back downstairs to the kitchen.

"Are all rich people just obscenely attractive?" she asks me as we pause in the kitchen doorway.

She's looking around at all the guests with worry in her eyes, and I find her gaze lingering on Holden for a moment too long.

"You think Holden is attractive?" I ask her, and her head snaps around to look at me.

"No. It was just a general statement. I definitely don't belong here," she says to me, and I shake my head at her.

"Don't think that way. You don't need to have a ton of money. I don't care about any of that shit," I tell her, and she blinks a few times at me before moving forward to press her cheek to my chest once again.

Everyone else in the room is occupied right now, and so I don't have any worries as I hold her to my chest for a minute.

I find my dad still mixing drinks, but he pauses, thinking for a minute. I know that he's contemplating drinking himself, but he promised that he would completely quit drinking when we moved here.

So, when our eyes meet, I give him a curt shake of my head.

He stares at me for a minute before nodding, going back to cooking.