"Maybe half an hour ago? I had a book overdue, and I didn't want to get lazy and not return it later." We started heading towards our classes. They were being held in the same building today.
"Half an hour ago, I was contemplating not even showing up."
"Yeah? Why? Are you sick?"
"See, now that would be a perfectly reasonable excuse to cut class. No, I'm not sick. I left Roman at my apartment."
"If you're about to tell me that you were going to cut class to have sex with my brother, stop. I don't want to hear it."
"Okay. I won't," I laughed.
"You were really going to cut class for him?"
"No," I sighed, "I know I can't do that. I'm not that girl. I'd hate myself if I did. Let's just say he can be really persuasive when he wants something." Tiffany made exaggerated fake throw up sounds, making me laugh. It had to be hard having your best friend date your brother. My sex life was his and as my best friend, she got to hear all the lurid details.
"Guess it's safe to say the two of you are doing well?"
"Better than well, Tiff. I never thought I'd be this happy with him again. After last year, I couldn't imagine even facing him. Now, it's like all that happened just to bring us here."
"As a person who's been rooting for you guys from the start, I have to say it's about time."
I sipped my coffee. "It took a little while but in the end, it was worth it."
"It's good that the two of you are stable now, you know, because of the Miami thing." I stopped walking.
"The what?"
Tiff turned and looked at me. "You know, the Miami thing. He got a call the other day...from these..." she trailed off. "Oh my God. He didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"I only brought it up because I thought that he had told you already."
"Told me what, Tiff?" She hesitated before finally talking again.
"Earlier this week? He got a call from a team in Miami that's looking to sign him. He's been in contact with them since the combine, but they only confirmed that he was their pick a couple days ago."
"When was he going to tell me?"
"He's going to turn them down. That's probably why he didn't say anything."
"Wait, what? Why would he do something like that?" I asked. Tiff looked at me like pointedly.
"C
ome on, Vee. You know why." I had an idea why, but I didn't want it to be true.
"He wouldn't do that."
"Turn down the offer so he can stay here with you? Oh yes, Veronica. He would."
"But he can't." We started walking again.
"He’s made his decision."
"You didn't try to tell him anything?"
"Like what? I think he knew he'd have to make a decision like this at some point and he's made it. It doesn't matter what I think or tell him. He knows what he wants."