I'm worth all the crap that I'm putting you through

 Lily felt too old to be in the dorm. She was certain she should be on antidepressants again. But she felt they would hold her back, too.  Yes, she felt an all-time low about Boone and Maddie's wedding. You know, the one that got away, or actually, she walked away.

It felt like such a fog when she thought about it now. She'd wanted to grow up so quickly back then. Perhaps do what was expected of her. But now, maybe she knew better. Maybe. Still, she felt lost.

"I bet you need ADHD meds," her roommate, Willow, said after living with her for the last couple of weeks.

"ADHD?" Lily practically snarled at her.

Willow smirked back as if she might have been teasing Lily, but Lily didn't think so. Willow left it at that. She was just out of high school and went to join some friends down the hall to hang out. She knew what Willow was trying to tell her. "Go hang out with your boyfriend."

But he was off either at basketball practice or studying. They usually met up at the library, but she felt as if she was spending hours there reading a book. Naturally, she was undecided on her courses. It did frighten her a little that she might remain undecided for the rest of her life. She didn't want to freak Brick out about it. Yet one thing they could decide on after the library was ice cream.

Of course, all that was left at the little shop in he commons was Pumpkin Spice. Instantly, she was angry about it.

"What are you so upset about, pumpkin spice?" Brick wanted to know. "You haven't even tried it."

She wanted to make a face with disgust. Perhaps nothing would move her to go on. She didn't even want fall to be here. He handed her the cone and said he'd eat it if she didn't want it. Of course, this made her want to taste it because she didn't want him to eat two ice cream cones.

She told him she wouldn't like it, but somehow the flavors of autumn had come together without it tasting awful. She liked it. Had she always been this way about everything?

"I remember how much you loved hayrides in the fall. You loved going to the pumpkin patch," he said to her on the walk back to the dorm as nightfall set in.

"But it costs so much money." She frowned. "Everything is horribly expensive." Even the ice cream at the University cost Brick ten bucks for two cones, and that was a steal.

"Well, Carson needs someone to help wrangle the kids next Saturday, and I said we would help his mom out. So we get in free, you know." Brick shrugged.

Lily pressed her lips tight, but gave in to another bite of the pumpkin spice ice cream. She decided to make the most of the moment. They held hands and she was happy to hold on to his gentle hand.