"Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. I should have done this in the first place, that day I came to see you at the picnic spot. Never contact me again, Roman. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to know. I just want my old life back." She turned and walked towards the door, stopping suddenly. She turned back and came up to me. She took my hand and placed my key in it. Then she left.
I ran to the door after her, only to watch her slam her car door and back out of the driveway. She was gone.
I closed the door and looked at the key she had put in my hand. I had given her the key because she had given me one of hers, to be able to get in her place just in case she was out. I still had it. I thought for a second that I needed to return it, but stopped myself. She didn't want me to contact her.
I didn't know what to do. I had heard her, but her words didn't make sense. They hadn't sunk in all the way yet. I walked into the kitchen and picked up my phone. I scrolled down to her number but she wasn't going to pick up, she was driving. Who the hell was I going to call? Don? Tiffany? My dad? My thumb hovered over the number till I shut my eyes and let it fall, holding it to my ear. I listened to the dial tone for a few seconds before he picked up.
"Hello?" His gruff voice issued over the line. I hoped that meant I wasn’t calling him too late.
"Coach Hayes? This is Roman Blake," I said.
"Roman, I've been expecting to hear from you."
"Sorry I kept you waiting."
"So, what do you say?"
"Yes. I'll do it. I want to do it."
"You sure you don't need more time, son?" he asked. He was ribbing me. "Nobody's ever made us wait on them the way you have. You better make sure you're worth the time we could have spent looking for another QB."
"Of course. I'm ready."
"Well, the soonest we can start processing everything is tomorrow morning. You don't change your mind, you'll be here in Miami within a month." I swallowed.
"I'm looking forward to it, sir."
"Welcome to the Hurricanes, Roman."
"Thanks," I said, through gritted teeth. We hung up, and I dropped my phone on the kitchen counter. I went to the kitchen and turned the stove off. The food was ready by now, but I wasn't hungry anymore.
I thought it would feel better taking the deal. I had just prepared myself to be losing it, not to be losing Ron, so it didn't feel like a victory. I looked down at my phone almost wondering why I had done it.
I'd be gone within a month? She had said she didn't want to talk to me... A month was too fucking long.
Chapter Thirty
Veronica
I thought I heard a knock at the door, but I wasn't sure. I stayed put just to see if it would happen again. It did.
I got up and walked over to get it. My body unclenched, I had been sitting in one spot too long. It was Friday night. I had gone into hibernation mode the minute I'd gotten home from school. At some point, outside the sun must have set.
Unlocking the door, I stopped. What if it was Roman? I hadn't touched my phone since I had sat down on my couch. Would he have called before coming over? I didn't know. If he had and I had missed it, he had taken that as a sign not to come over. I balked, not really wanting to open it anymore. The knock came again.
"Vee? Open up" the voice on the other side called. I sighed – relieved and disappointed in equal parts. I opened the door.
"It's about time. I was starting to think you had died in here."
"Sorry. I wasn't expecting anyone," I said, walking back to the couch.
The television was only on for the noise. I had put an old episode of Sex and the City on, something frivolous that would make enough noise to drown my thoughts out. It was sort of working, but not that well. I turned it off. Tiff came up and stood over me, arms crossed.
"If I missed your call I'm sorry. I haven't looked at my phone-"
"Vee, cut it out," she said.
"Cut what out? What is it?"