Halfway through summer break, Tim and I flew out to Florida for a quick weekend visit to Full Sail University. I was nervous to look at a college so close to the next school year, but it was the only time both of us were available to go. I insisted that I could visit by myself, but Tim wanted to come along so we could look at housing out there.

The campus was cute. Everything was new and artistic looking. The buildings were modern to fit in with the rest of the city's style. I was excited to start exploring. I would have rushed to take everything in, but I didn't want to let. go of Tim's hand. There was something about having a part of Dillon in constant contact with me that eased my anxiety.

We went to the admissions office as my email told me. Sitting at a desk was a kind-looking, middle-aged woman. She smiled as soon as we came in.

She stood to shake my hand, then Tim's. "My name is Hannah. You must be Miss Barton."

"Yes, ma'am. This is my boyfriend, Tim." He nodded once and uttered a quiet "ma'am."

"Are you both looking into FSU?"

Tim shook his head. "I'm here for moral support."

Hannah smiled. "Well, looking for the right college is a scary process. It's a good thing you're here."

Hannah proceeded to ask me a few questions about why I chose FSU, what I'm looking for in a college, what plans I had for the future, and what major I was hoping to go into. I satisfied her questions and then she took us on a tour of the campus.

It was pretty humid outside, but summers in Texas were also miserable. Thankfully, I wasn't suffering too badly. My palm kept getting sweaty in Tim's hand, though I was more nervous than hot.

"We do have some apartments nearby for students," Hannah said. "It's walking distance, but you can drive over if you'd prefer. Of course, you do have the option of staying on campus."

I nodded. I didn't want to tell her that Tim was coming with me and staying on campus would probably not work out. "Can you tell me a little more about online courses?"

"I'd love to."

Tim squeezed my hand as Hannah rolled smoothly into FSU's online options. The soft look in his eyes made the whole situation feel bittersweet. Leaving Dillon, leaving Texas was going to be a lot harder than I originally thought. I wasn't sure I was ready for that.

I sat on the end of the hotel bed while studying more information on Full Sail's online options. There were plenty of majors I had an interest in that were online. The longer I did research, the better online sounded. I knew Tim and I discussed me having the college experience for a year, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to do that anymore.

It went beyond pulling Tim out of Dillon. I just wasn't ready to leave. I loved my town, the obsession over football, the rural areas. Sure, the city was nice and I felt great among the buildings. But I'd miss driving out to the middle of nowhere, a place I knew well, to find solace or take some photos. I'd miss the farm animals and the people I'd known since I was a baby. I just couldn't leave Dillon.

My thought process halted when Tim walked in with lunch. "Miss me?"

"Always." I set my computer off to the side and took the bag from Tim after I kissed him. "Where'd ya go?"

"There was a taco place down the street. I got a little of everything." He set a six-pack of beer on the dresser. "They didn't card me out here. I thought for sure they would in a fancy place like this."

"I don't know if you know this, Tim Riggins, but you look a lot older than 17. I mean, middle-age women are attracted to you. They're willin' to sleep with you no matter how illegal it is because you look more adult than some of Dillon High's teachers." My mind slipped over to his old neighbor, Jackie. "You have an adult's face."

Tim opened a bottle and took a swig. "That only happened once."

"It doesn't mean moms avoid checkin' you out when you walk into a room." I took a bite out of a chicken taco. It was so good I closed my eyes for a moment to savor it.

"It's a good thing I'm not interested."

I nodded, standing on my toes to kiss him after swallowing my food. "I don't think I tell you enough how much it means to me to have you stick by what I asked of you in Mexico. I know it can't be easy."

"It's a lot easier than you think." Tim dug into a taco. "You don't look at me like I'm going to cheat on you or leave you for someone else. You trust me and I don't wanna screw it up. I haven't had a problem with it because I'm head over heels for you."

My face reddened and I took a timid bite of my food. It made Tim chuckle. He handed me his beer for me to take a sip from. Seeing his eyes bright with mirth solidified my choice to stay in Dillon. I was afraid I wouldn't see him so happy if he came with me to Florida.

"I'm not gonna leave Dillon," I said. "Dillon is a huge part of my life and I don't want to leave it behind for a college experience I don't care enough about. And since FSU offers all of their courses online, I can still get a degree and live in Dillon." I took a deep breath and looked at my taco. "Part of my choice is because I really don't want you to be away from Dillon. You belong there, ya know? I felt so much comfort today holding your hand because you are a part of Dillon. Dillon makes me feel happy and I'd miss it too much. I just think everything will be better if both of us stay in Texas."

Tim finished his taco, crumbling the wrapper and tossing it into the trash. He ran his hands through my hair and studied my gaze. "You sure? I'm still willin' to move out here with you even if it's not going to be easy."

"Yes. I'm so sure about this. We can find a place together back home. You can work with Billy and I'll work on college papers. I'll find a part-time job if I have to. I've never been more sure about stayin' in Dillon with you."

Tim's hands sandwiched my face as he molded our lips together in a slow yet heated kiss. "Texas forever," he whispered, our lips brushing against each other.

I laughed as I kissed him again.

Texas forever sounded perfect.