Page 78 of Out on a Limb

2. Go back home, pick up grandpa’s beat-up Suburu.

3. Sell the rest of my furniture or give it away

4. Put up posting for subletter

5. Say goodbye to friends

There was one glaring omission from his list.

Walker.

Cameron hated how he left things between them, but he knew eventually they would all get over it. The wounds were fresh, but they would heal. That’s what Cameron told himself about good-byes. He remembered saying good-bye to friends in high school and his mom when he left for Browerton. It was so tough. So many memories to look back on. Everything was so final and momentous.This is the last lunch we’ll ever have together. This is the last time I’ll ever enter the front doors of high school. This is the final time Mom and I will eat breakfast together before school.But once Cameron left, he didn’t remember those times. He didn’t look back fondly on the last this or last that. He remembered the normal, everyday times. As he began going through his closet to throw out things, he’d find a T-shirt he remembered wearing to a party once, or a wristband from a bar. Those were the times he would cherish. Not a crying hug. Goodbyes forced things to get serious, but they never withstood the test of time. Weren’t the final episodes of most TV shows the worst anyway?

He had on an episode ofModern Family, the early seasons, in the background as he continued going through his stuff. He took pictures of things with sentimental value but no actual value, like a menu of Carmine’s Pizza, which he and his freshmen roommates used to order from all the time. Two large trash bags were almost full, packed with old notebooks and papers and clothes that he wouldn’t need in LA. A bag of bulky sweaters and jackets were heading to Goodwill.

The doorbell rang. Before he could stand up, the person pounded at the door. Cameron was dealing with one determined Craigslist buyer.

“Hi—”

But it wasn’t a buyer for his dresser.

“I don’t want us to do a clean break.” Walker closed the door and marched into the living room, pacing around the coffee table. “I know it’s going to be hard, but I need more time. I can’t just pretend like I never met you.”

Cameron’s heart surged just getting to be in the same room again with Walker.

“I know it’s abrupt,” Cameron said. “But good-byes suck.”

“Then let’s not think of it like a good-bye. Let’s not spend two weeks sending you off on a farewell tour.”

“Good. Because I don’t want that.”

“I know. Those are so awkward. And you’re going to do that with all of your other friends whether you want to or not.”

“Henry wants us to do one last pub trivia.” Cameron tried to talk him out of it.We’re roommates! We’ll see each plenty of other times.He was busy packing and getting ready for his trip. He didn’t want to take a whole night for this when they had plenty of pub trivia memories already.

“Let’s not do that to each other. I know you, Cameron. You hate good-byes. So let’s just have this be two normal weeks. Normalish. I want us to go out on a high note.” Walker pulled Cameron into a kiss. It would take Cameron some time to get over not being kissed like that again.

“Are you sure about this?” Cameron asked before kissing Walker again.

“Not entirely.” Walker pecked his lips. “But I can’t spend these next two weeks driving past Browerton, going to work, knowing that you’re in the same town as me and I can’t see you.”

“What about Hobie? I keep picturing him running after my car, screaming my name, tears running down his puffy face.”

“Are you picturing the scene fromHope Floats?”

“Maybe a little.” Cameron kissed his nose.

“I’ll have a talk with him.”

“He’ll probably forget all about me by the fall,” Cameron said as a relief but really, the thought chilled him. “I’m still leaving in two weeks.”

“I know.”

“And we probably aren’t going to do long distance. I mean, it’s just not feasible.”

“I know.”

“This is still going to be tough in two weeks.”