"Bryce? What made you do this? Was there a direct cause? The scars look pretty old, so it wasn't your parents, was it?" I ask him, tracing the tattoos on his arm.

We've been laying on the couch for nearly two hours now, and I'm pretty sure I napped through half of it out of sheer exhaustion.

Charlie and my parents still aren't home, meaning that we're balled up together on the sofa still as we watch TV.

Bryce flinches a little as my finger grazes over one of the long scars.

When I look up at his face, he looks miserable, and it makes me immediately stop.

I open my mouth, ready to apologize, but he gives me a small shake of his head. "It's okay," he starts. "I'm just trying to figure out if there was a direct cause. I can't recall one," he then finishes answering, but by the way that he's now avoiding eye contact, I have a feeling that he may be lying to me.

"It's fine. We don't have to talk about it right now," I say quietly, and he gets a small smile on his face.

"Thanks. You really are the best," he tells me, and I strain up to kiss him gently on the top of his nose.

"Hey kiddos. How've you been?" Charlie asks Bryce and I as he strolls into the living room as if he owns the place.

I somehow hadn't even heard him come inside, but he's making his presence very clear as he flops backwards onto the couch, kicking his feet up on the arm rest.

"You're in an awfully good mood right now," I observe, shifting out of Bryce lap and instead sitting on the couch beside him.

He tries to pull me back, but I grab his arm instead, letting it wrap around my shoulder.

"That's because he just got laid," Bryce says with a smirk on my face, talking to me even as he stares at Charlie.

Charlie doesn't look over in our direction, but I know Bryce is right by the way that he crosses his arms tight, his cheeks deepening into a dark shade of pink.

"See? I told you," Bryce breathes, lowering his face down so that his lips are hovering right by my ear.

I push him away, rolling my eyes before picking up my phone to check the time, which reads 5:46, fairly late for me to get my letter from Juilliard at, and I begin to lose hope that I'll even receive anything today.

I start to freak out, wondering if my application and audition didn't go through somehow even though that makes very little sense.

Nonetheless I open up my email, refreshing my inbox for the hundredth time today alone.

An email from Juilliard is at the top of the page.

My hand flies to Bryce's thigh, and his head quickly shoots around so that he can look at me.

My eyes are wide, hands shaking as I open the email up.

"Bryce. I think I got my letter," I say quietly, and he's suddenly holding me closer to

him, head peeking over my shoulder so that he can view the phone screen as well.

My hands are shaking like crazy as I click the link, bringing me to a login page. I notice that my teeth are gnawing into my bottom lip to the point that it's going to draw blood, and nerves are thrumming through me like mad, which is probably why I don't think about it much as I hear the front door open in the distance.

I can barely type in my login because of how badly I'm shaking, and if it wasn't for the way that Bryce's thumb is gently stroking my arm, his chin resting on my shoulder, I probably would be a quivering mess sobbing on the floor right now.

Finishing typing in all of my information, I pause before submitting.

"Bryce . . . I can't do it. I can't. What if I don't get in. I'm going to bawl my eyes out when that happens. Just a warning in advance," I then say, pressing my thumb down on the 'enter' button.

Bryce doesn't say anything, just giving me another squeeze. When I look to see his face, his eyes are tired and worried, but he's trying hard not to show it as he continues to stare blankly at the phone in my hand.

"Baby . . ." he starts, before trailing off as if he's unable to figure out what he needs to say.

"C'mon, Lex. Just open it and get it over with," my brother then encourages, and I glance to him before directing myself back to the Juilliard website in front of me.

Raising a weak finger to my screen, I press the final button, my letter appearing.

This right here is everything. It determines my whole future, with both my career and with my boyfriend.

If I don't get in, everything is suddenly going to be so much more complicated for Bryce and I, and I don't know if there's any way that I can lose him.

I don't read the letter yet, glancing back up towards Charlie.

Bryce looks like he wants so badly to read the text on the screen in my hand, but he keeps quiet, allowing me to be the first one to find out my results.

"Read it out loud, Lex," Charlie cuts in, and I nod towards him, taking in a massive breath before looking down at the screen.

I hear footsteps approaching us, growing louder and louder as they come nearer.

"Congratulations! It gives me tremendous pleasure to inform you that the Juilliard Music faculty and the Admissions Committee have granted you admission to the Bachelor of Music program at the Juilliard School," I read out loud, and when the words sink in I shoot up from my seat and onto my feet.

Bryce does the same, and he quickly scoops me up into his arms.

I wrap my legs around his waist, whispering. "I did it. I really did it."

He grins at me. "Hell yeah, you did," he replies, a bright light in his eyes as he presses his mouth to mine, drawing me in for a kiss.

We're going to be okay. We're going to be together, in New York City, for the next four years. I don't have to worry about being away from Bryce anymore, because now I'll be able to see him whenever I want.

"We aren't going to have to be apart, baby. I'm so proud of you," Bryce says holding my face between his hands, a few inches away from his own.

I get a ridiculous smile on my face as he sets me down on the ground, nodding at him like an absolute maniac.

"Except that you're a jerk, and you're leaving me for the summer," I pout, and he laughs, nudging me in the arm before pressing another kiss to the top of my head.

Tears are streaming down my face, happy tears of course, and Bryce tries his best to wipe them away but it doesn't work at all. His lousy attempts just make us both laugh, and I don't think I'm ever going to be able to stop.

A throat is then cleared from the doorway to the living room, and I feel both Bryce and I's eyes go wide with horror when we look to the side, seeing both of my parents there with amused expressions on their face.

Oh no.

I immediately expect them to start freaking out.

That's how I always thought this moment would go; they freak out at me, I apologize profusely and promise that I'll cut things off between Bryce and I, all while knowing that I'd never break up with him.

"You owe me fifty dollars. Pay up," my mom says, but then Charlie cuts her off with a shake of his head.

"No. Dad wins. They've been together since Valentine's Day," Charlie tells her, to which my dad lets out a hoot.

"Ha! I'm a psychic," he says, sticking his tongue out at my mom, who shoves him hard in the side.

I don't think I've ever been more confused before in my whole entire life.

Sure, I had thought that they had all ben acting suspicious lately, but even now, I have absolutely no clue what's going on.

"So you've known the exact date all this time but you didn't say anything to us, Charlie? Traitor," my mom then huffs, leaning against my dad.

"Yeah, but she asked me not to tell and I'm not a snitch," Charlie responds flatly.

Both my parents narrow their eyes at him, but then they turn their eyes to Bryce and I in unison.

"What the heck is happening? What am I missing?" I ask, concern growing in my tone.

I had thought that I would be celebrating getting accepted into my dream school right this moment, but I'm instead confused by my family's weird actions.

And then Bryce bursts out laughing.

I look at him, totally confused, but he clearly finds something hilarious seeing as he's cackling so hard that he has to sit down on the couch to stable himself.

Does he know something too?

I'm officially annoyed. The four of them are taking away from one of the happiest moments of my life because of some sick joke that everyone except me seems to be in on.

"Bryce? What's happening?" I ask him.

It takes him a few seconds to catch his breath, but when he does, he answers me straight away.

"I'm not entirely certain, but I'm pretty sure that they've been betting on us getting together, darling. This is the funniest shit I've seen in awhile. When did you guys start this?" he replies, but asking the final question to my parents.

My dad shrugs at him. "Ever since you moved back, kid. The first round we thought for sure that it was only going to be a week or two, but I guess it took four months," he answers.

My mom chimes in too, saying, "But, we all thought it would be when you two were still really young kids. I definitely expected Lexi to come home one day from school saying that you were her boyfriend when she was six years old or so. That somehow didn't happen."

My first thought is that this must all be one sick joke for April Fools Day.

But based on the way that the three of them are staring at Bryce and I, I know that that assumption is completely wrong; they're dead serious.

I feel my cheeks burning red with both anger and humiliation. "Seriously, you guys? I've been terrified the past month and a half that if you two found out, you'd be mad at me. And now I just learn that this has been a game to the three of you the whole time? I just want to celebrate getting into Juilliard, and you guys are ruining that moment for me."

I'm well aware that I'm whining like a small child right now, but I can't help it. I couldn't try and hide how upset I am right not even if I wanted to, and so it's not until my dad gestures for me to walk over to him and my mom that I actually calm down.

The two of them pull me into a group hug, and when we separate, I feel a little better.

"You have no clue how proud of you we are, sweetheart," my dad tells me, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze.

I feel tears in my eyes again, and my mom is quick to brush them away with the pad of her thumb.

Charlie suddenly pops up behind me, pulling me into our own brief embrace.

"I'm super proud of you, Lex. You're going to do great things. I'm sure of it," he tells me when we break apart, and I give him a smile.

Looking last him, I find Bryce still seated on the couch, hands crossed in his lap. He looks unsure as of to what he should do next, but my dad asks him a question instead.

"Do you have any plans for dinner tonight, Bryce? You're more than welcome to stay," he offers, and Bryce's eyes go wide with surprise.

"I don't want to intrude on your family time," he says worriedly, and my dad scoffs at him.

"You're practically family anyway. Leo is away this week, no? There's no point in going back to your empty house," my dad then continues to try and persuade.

I doubt that he's going to be able to convince Bryce, and so I turn to him instead, asking, "Please stay?"

That's all it takes for Bryce to nod.

I smile at him, skipping back over to the couch and grabbing his hands, pulling him up from his seat. My mom, dad, and brother are already seated talking in the kitchen, and so I drag Bryce out of the living room and towards where they are.

"I'm super sorry about this weird situation. I had no clue this was happening, I swear," I apologize to Bryce, who just gives me a small smile.

"No worries. I'm sorry that they ruined your moment. I'm beyond proud of you, baby girl. You deserve to be this happy," he responds, quietly as we've just approached the island.

We each take a seat at the bar stools to Charlie's left, and I feel my parents' eyes on us instantly.

"We're sorry for taking away from the Juilliard buzz. We really are proud of you, Lexi," my dad says with a big smile on his face.

All I can do is beam back at him, but that grin starts to fade when he then turns to Bryce.

"You're going to Columbia, aren't you Bryce? That means that you and my daughter will be living in the same city?" my dad asks Bryce, whose face is a little confused as I'm sure he's trying to figure out where this conversation is headed.

"Yes, sir," Bryce answers cautiously, and my dad leans down against the marble countertop from where he's standing across from us.

"You can call me Johnathan. Do you drink often, Bryce?" my dad asks, and I can't stop myself from groaning out loud.

"Can you maybe not interrogate him, Dad?" I ask, frustrated.

I reach down to hold Bryce's hand again under the table, and I give his fingers a squeeze. Looking towards him, he has a quizzical expression on his face, but it quickly disappears when he catches me watching.

Instead, he gives me a small smile as he turns back to my dad. "Not particularly. Why are you asking?" he responds calmly, and I see my dad's lips turn up into a smug smile.

"Do you smoke?" my dad continues to ask, and I bury my face into my free hand, letting out yet another groan.

"Well, not anymore," Bryce responds quietly, and my dad's eyebrows shoot up.

My mom looks confused as well, and some how Charlie is even more bewildered than both of them.

"You didn't ask if I was talking about cigarettes or marijuana," my dad then points out, and I can see Bryce's jaw clench a little even as he tries to hide the tension in his body.

"The same answer applies for both," Bryce responds solemnly, and my brother doesn't even attempt to muffle his gasp.

"You smoke weed?" What? Since when?" he asks, sounding completely surprised.

I ht him in the arm, not hard enough to actually hurt him but hard enough to suggest that he shuts up right this moment.

He glances to me, shutting his mouth and biting down on his bottom lip as he nods.

"So what other drugs do you do if you do cannabis? Acid? Heroin?" my dad asks bitterly, and Bryce furrows his eyebrows at him.

He tilts his head to the side for a moment, opening it to speak but then shutting it again straight away.

"With all do respect, I think you're misinterpreting my character. I'm not that bad of a guy, and I don't do drugs. I'm not interested in doing that sort of thing at all," Bryce eventually, seeming like he's trying really hard to remain calm.

He's doing a really good job, and I give his hand another squeeze.

I feel absolutely awful about dragging him into this mess. I'm probably going to end up apologising to him all night once my parents are out of earshot.

"So you're saying that you've never done any other drug? I don't believe you," my dad responds, and my eyes immediately shoot to his.

"Dad! Please stop! This isn't fair. You've never had any issues with Bryce before, so why now? It's immature," I snap, anger evident in my tone.

My words cause him to glance to me momentarily, but his attention is diverted back to Bryce when he answers the question.

"Not other than prescription drugs. I'm speaking the truth," he replies smoothly, and my dad stands up straight, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Prescription? For what?" my dad asks.

My eyes nearly pop out of my head at the intrusive question, and I'm holding on to every ounce of respect I have within me to not stroll across the island and clamp my hand over my dad's mouth.

"Panic attacks. No big deal," Bryce shockingly answers, his eyes glancing down to our intertwined fingers in shame.

There's total silence in the room for a moment.

"I see," my dad says to him, completely unaffected.

He then turns to me to say, "I approve," which causes my mom too snort.

I roll my eyes as the two of turn around to begin cooking dinner, and when they aren't looking, I reach up to kiss Bryce on the cheek.