Elizabeth slides a napkin across the table at me and averts her eyes.

“College, I guess,” Becs answers with a noticeable pout.

“You aren’t sure?” Elizabeth asks as I wipe sour cream off my forehead. How’d it even get there?

Becs lets out a defeated sigh. “I’m sure I’m going, I guess. Just don’t know where.”

“What’s your top choice?” I ask.

Becs’ eyes go wide, a spark lighting inside her. “Notre Dame. And I got in!”

“That’s awesome,” Elizabeth and I coo in unison.

The spark dies quick as lightning.

“Spit it out. What’s the problem?” I nudge her on the bench seat next to me.

“My brother is the problem. Can you imagine how his head would explode if I told him I wanted to go to college across the country?”

“He loves you. If it makes you happy, I’m sure he’d be okay with it,” Elizabeth says, ever the optimist.

“Have you met Devin?” I tease. “He likes change about as much as he’d like a public proctology exam.”

We all laugh, but Becs’ is half-hearted.

“First our mom took off, then his ex ghosted him right after high school. It’s fair to say he’s got a thing about the people he loves skipping town.”

My ears perk up and my heart does laps in my chest. Becs already dropped the disappearing mom bombshell on me earlier, but now there’s an ex-girlfriend too? “Ex?” I try—and fail—to sound casual.

“Yeah, Shawna. They were high school sweethearts. She left the day after they graduated. Tried to get him to go with her, but with our dad being a piece of shit and our mom being non-existent, that wasn’t an option.”

Jealousy burns deep in my veins. I hate Shawna. How dare she try to get Devin to leave his family? His home? Tramp. Holy crap, where did that come from?

Becs sips her horchata and pouts. “He stayed for me, so I guess I owe it to him to stay too.”

The sadness in her young eyes breaks my heart. I grab her hand and squeeze it.

“Staying was his choice and I’m sure he doesn’t regret it.” Good riddance, Shawna. “And now leaving is your choice. He may be a grumpy jerk about it, but it’s your life.”

She squeezes my hand in turn. “Thanks.”

There’s an awkward silence, filled by the chomping of tortilla chips.

“You both graduate this year?” Becs asks after a few minutes.

“Yep,” Elizabeth answers with a smile.

“Only a couple more months and I’ll have a shiny new diploma with my name on it,” I add.

“Then what?”

Elizabeth lights up like a freaking Christmas tree. “Med school at USF for me. Austin got into their social work master’s program with a full scholarship.” She beams while bragging about her boyfriend. It’s too sweet for words.

“Grad school for me too. I’m getting my MBA.”

“Where?” Elizabeth asks.

I shift in my seat. “Haven’t quite decided that part yet.” I’ve got a pile of acceptance letters in my drawer for schools across the country, but haven’t picked one. It feels too final. As soon as I say yes, the rest of my life is set, stretching out in front of me in a boring, predictable, safe path.