I jump, jerking my head behind me to where Xander stands. “Jesus, Xan. Don’t sneak up on people like that, you psycho.”

“Need any help?”

“Nah, I’m almost done. Thank you, though.”

“No prob. I was about to order some dinner. Want some?”

“Where you ordering from?”

“Cal’s, of course.” He laughs.

Cal’s is this authentic Italian restaurant that’s down the block from our house. It’s dirt cheap, but delicious as hell. I can’t even begin to count how many late nights we ordered from there while we were studying for exams.

“Sure. I’ll just get my usual, but can you get double? Kylie should be here soon. I’ll Venmo you.” Kylie is my PhD best friend. We went through the entire program together. She’s heading off to California soon, while I go to Texas.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about it, though, it’s on me.” He walks out as Kylie walks in. She’s here so much, she doesn’t bother knocking anymore.

“Hi, bye, Xan,” she says with a wave before turning her attention toward me. “’Sup, Cash. Hey, Housty boy.”

“Xan is getting us Cal’s for dinner.”

“Aww, our very last dinner together as a family.” She pokes her bottom lip out into a pout, throwing me her best puppy dog eyes, and I can’t help but laugh.

“You’re a dork. But I know. It’s surreal. I can’t believe I’m fucking moving to Texas.”

“How’s Xan handling it?”

“Fine.” I shrug. “We already ended it a few days ago.”

“Like ended it… or ended it, ended it?” She waggles her brows at me suggestively.

“I don’t know what you mean by either of those, Ky. But it’s over. Done.”

“Yeah, but are you still boinking?”

“Kylie Ann. You are the only person in their late twenties that I have ever met that says ‘boinking.’ And no, we broke up.”

“Not even one last time before you go?”

“No, girl. Damn.” I throw the shirt I’m folding at her head, laughing at her ridiculousness.

She brings Houston in her lap, petting him, while he purrs loudly. “Seriously, though. I’m going to miss you guys.”

“We’ll still talk. We’re just actual adults now, getting actual adult jobs.”

“I know. Who are we?”

She helps me fold the rest of my clothes and load the remainder of the boxes, and when Xander returns with our food, we all eat together in my room. It’s surreal that this is the last time the three of us will be together in this house. They’ve become like family to me over the past five years.

All my hometown friends have long since graduated and started their own lives.