Chapter 30.
The final chapter

As I packed up my dorm room from my freshman year of college, I had to admit, the past five months had been some of the best times of my life. My new roommate, April, had been incredibly nice. She was as different from Avery as you could possibly get, and we had ended up becoming close friends. Between actually having friends on campus, and spending time with my new boyfriend, I had made some amazing memories and started to realize why so many people said college is the best time of your life. When you spent it with the right people, it actually was.

After Dylan and I had officially become a couple, we received a lot of I told you so's. Apparently, a lot of people had suspected that Dylan and I liked each other. When we told my dad we were dating, he had just grinned and said, "Finally." Dylan's mom had been thrilled as well. I'd known her for years, since I had babysat for her occasionally, but it was still nice to know that she approved of the relationship.

Dylan's dad wasn't completely thrilled, mostly because he didn't want Dylan getting serious about any girl yet. He was still putting a lot of pressure on Dylan to make it to the NFL. Mr. Olson was strict, and he wouldn't be happy unless Dylan followed in his footsteps and played pro football. Needless to say, Dylan and I avoided his father as much as possible. Fortunately, since his parents were divorced, it was easy enough to limit our visits to him and spend most of our time with his mother, who made it very clear that she approved of the relationship and hoped we stayed together.

My personal life still wasn't perfect. I still wasn't completely sure what I wanted to do. I didn't think journalism was my thing, so for right now, I was still an undecided major. I had another year before I really had to decide what I wanted to do and start taking classes towards a major. My family life was a bit complicated too. Dad really liked Dylan and was our strongest supporter, but things were still strained between me and Mom, especially after what had happened with Avery.

Mom was pushing me to be the bigger person and forgive Avery for making my life miserable and trying to sabotage all of my relationships. I would be civil to Avery for our parents sake, but I would never be friends with her. Avery's mom was now in rehab for her drinking problem, which meant that Avery was living with my mom and step-dad. They had settled in Florida and constantly begged Dylan and I to come visit, but we politely declined. As long as Avery lived there, we didn't really want to stay with them. I didn't blame my mom for wanting Avery and I to make peace, but Avery needed to make an effort in order for that to happen.

I took a deep breath, packing the last of my belongings into the box sitting on my bed. It was surreal to think that I was already done with my first year of college. Where had the time gone?

"Lilly, Dylan wants to know if you're almost done packing?" April asked, popping her head into the room. "He sent me to come check on you. He wants to get on the road soon so you can avoid rush hour traffic."

I smiled up at her. "Yeah, I'm just about done here," I said, rising to my feet and pulling my friend into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."

April grinned. "Don't worry, you're not getting rid of me that easily. We'll still talk all the time, and I want to come visit you at some point his summer."

"Plus we're still rooming together next year, right?" I asked.

"Of course," April agreed. "Unless you decide you want to move in with Dylan."

I shook my head. "I don't think we're quite ready for that yet," I said. "We've only been dating a few months, and that's a pretty big step."

"Well, we can be roommates as long as you want to," April assured me.

I picked up the last box, glancing around one last time to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. The dorm room looked bare and prison-like now that it lacked any of our personal touches or decor. Together, April and I headed downstairs, where Dylan was waiting for me by the door.

"Are you ready?" Dylan asked, taking the box from me. I nodded.

Turning back to April, I gave her one last hug. "I'll see you soon," I pmrised. "Stay in touch."

April waved. "See you guys later," she said. "Be good. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Dylan smirked. "Aww, that's no fun," he complained. "You're a goody goody. You wouldn't do anything."

April winked at him. "Have fun, and take good care of Lilly."

Dylan nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, I will."

"Umm, guys?" I protested. "I'm standing right here. And I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I don't need you guys to transfer custody of me."

They both laughed, and despite my protests, I was glad that my friends cared about me so much.

Dylan smirked at me. "Aww, don't feel bad, Faye. April just knows you well enough to realize you have a talent for finding drama. As your boyfriend, it's my job to keep you from making trouble. Don't feel too bad for me, though. You're totally worth the trouble you cause."

I stuck my tongue out at him, grabbing the box away from him. I was a strong, independent woman, and I could carry my own boxes. Unfortunately, I tripped over the edge as I walked out the door, almost falling on my face. Dylan's arm snaked around my waist, keeping me on my feet.

"You're not supposed to start the trip without me," he teased. "Now come on, let's go home."

_______

"I think I might cry," Dad said, surreptitiously wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "My baby girl is all grown up and finished with her first year of college."

I giggled. "Knock it off, Dad," I teased as I unloaded yet another box from the car, crossing the driveway to stand beside him on the front steps. "I still have another three years. And I still have a lot of growing up left to do."

Dad watched as Dylan grabbed a few more of my boxes from the trunk of the car. "Yeah, but you've done so much growing up already. And I think you're starting to figure out who you are and what you want out of life. That makes me proud."

I followed his gaze over to Dylan. "Yeah, I hope you like Dylan, because I think he might be a permanent fixture in my life. It's too soon to tell for sure, but I can't imagine my life without him. He's the first person I want to talk to every morning when I wake up, and he's the last person I want to talk to every night before I fall asleep. He's my best friend and my biggest supporter. I haven't figured out exactly what that means for our future yet, but I think Dylan might be the one."

Dad winked at me. "Well, don't rush. You have plenty of time to decide those things. But, for what it's worth, I really like Dylan, and I wouldn't be disappointed if he stuck around."

I sighed softly. "Me either," I admitted. "I really hope he does."

Dylan approached the house, weighed down by an armload of boxes. "Are you two talking about me again?" he teased.

"Always," I said.

"I was just telling Lilly that I'm a little disappointed she chose you over Luke," Dad deadpanned. The rivalry between Dylan and Luke was so legendary, even my dad knew about it, even if he didn't know the details of Kelsey's matchmaking.

"I'm wounded," Dylan gasped playfully. "What makes Luke so great anyways?"

Dad smirked. "Well, he played on my team, of course. You were the rival quarterback. Naturally, Luke will always be my favorite football player. That boy is going straight to the NFL."

"Don't worry," I murmured to Dylan. "You happen to be my favorite football player."

The corner of Dylan's mouth pulled up into a half smile. "I guess that's what counts anyways." He adjusted his grip on the heavy boxes, then said. "I'm going to get these up to your room. As much as I love chatting with you and your father, some of us are actually working, so...yeah."

I followed Dylan up to my room, setting the box I was holding on the floor and turning to watch as Dylan set the boxes he was carrying down too. Crossing the room, I circled my arms around Dylan's neck, pressing my body against his. "You know my dad adores you, right?"

"Naturally," Dylan agreed. "I am pretty adorable. Everyone loves--"

I kissed the cocky grin right off his face, the spark between us flaring to life, stronger than ever. I ran my fingers through his hair, caressing the back of his head, and Dylan's hands trailed down to my waist, stroking the small of my back. After a few minutes, I pulled away, and we both panted slightly, struggling to catch our breath.

"Did you just kiss me to make me shut up?" Dylan laughed.

I smiled coyly at him. "Maybe," I admitted. "Don't pretend like you didn't enjoy it."

"Oh, I enjoyed it all right. In fact, you have my permission to shut me up with a kiss any time. In fact, I'm ready for round two whenever you are."

I laughed, squeezing him tightly in a hug. "How did I get so lucky?" I asked, looking up at him.

Dylan brushed my hair back from my face, his expression tender. "I ask myself that every day."

"What happens now?" I asked, studying his face carefully. "I just finished my first year of college, we're coming up on our six month anniversary, and we haven't really talked about where this is heading. What happens next?"

"Anything." Dylan brushed his lips against mine, whispering each word against my mouth. "We." Another soft kiss. "Want." He deepened the kiss, and our tongues intertwined. His kiss was confident and demanding, but gentle.

Dylan always took as much as I was willing to offer him, but he was also respectful. If I wasn't comfortable, he seemed to pick up on it, and he never asked me for more than I was ready for. He made me feel relaxed, and always seemed satisfied with anything I offered. Unlike Luke, who I had aleays felt like I needed to work to impress, Dylan made me feel like I was enough.

And, as Dylan cradled me in his arms, I believed that maybe, just maybe, he was right. The future could be whatever we made it. And, as long as I had Dylan with me, I was confident that I would be able to handle just about anything.

—
This was the final chapter to the Sequel, how are you guys feeling??
There will be an epilogue to tie everything up for the Coach's Daughter, so stay tuned!

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