Page 92 of Closer

“Call me your baby again, and I’ll castrate you,” Deb says.

I laugh. “Speaking of feisty ...”

“Call my sister your baby again and I’ll castrate you too.”

“Okay, you’re both way too cranky when you’re hangry, let’s go. There’s a cool Persian place down the road.” Zed jumps off stage. Ryan follows, but I stand, staring at my axe. “Levi, you in? Don’t leave me alone with these grumpy arseholes.”

“Actually,” I say, biting my bottom lip, “I have to go.”

Zed looks up from nuzzling Deb’s neck. “Go where?”

I grimace. “France.”

Cooper’s smile disappears—all business once more. “For how long?”

“However long it takes to get her back.”

“And if she doesn’t take you back?”

Shit. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Then I guess it’s just more fodder for the album. Worked out pretty well last time.”

“Are you sure you’re in a stable enough condition to go alone?”

“Go where alone?” Ali says, returning from outside.

“To find ’ze mademoiselle,” Zed says his arms wrapped around Deb from behind.

“Don’t do that. It makes you sound like an arsehole,” she says on a sigh.

He buries his head in her neck again, but not before he whispers, “When can we go home so I can play with your arsehole?”

Ryan grinds his teeth as he watches them. “Come on, man. Really? I’m standing right the fuck here!”

“I don’t mind if you watch,” Zed says, and both Ryan and Deb turn on him. Coop threatens to beat his head in, and Deb actually tries.

When I glance away, I notice Ali staring at me. “You’re going after Brie?”

“That’s the plan.” I jam my hands in my pockets, suddenly not so sure I want to fly across the world and declare my love for a woman who’s clearly washed her hands clean of me.

“Don’t fuck this up.”

I laugh without humour. “Think I already did, Red.”

“Yeah, well I know you, and—”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Would you let me speak, dumbarse?” I make a “take it away” gesture and she smiles. “What I was going to say was if there’s any man who can charm the fucking shit out of that woman—or any woman, for that matter—it’s you. So do it right, because I happen to like her.” Ali glances at Deb, who’s beating the shit out of Zed while her brother holds him down. “Besides, now that Deb has lost her damn mind and is fucking Zed, I have an opening for a new best friend.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m a little jealous.”

I scoff. “What?”

“I told you once that when you found the right girl, it would break my heart. Well, you found her, idiot. Now you just have to go get her back.”

“Here’s hoping that’s a possibility.”

“Oh, it’s a possibility. She’s fucking crazy about you.” She wraps her arms around me, and I breathe her in. I can’t remember a time when I held this woman and I wasn’t desperately in love with her. Guess times change. I let her go, and watch her walk back to her husband with tears in her eyes, and I slip out while they’re distracted.

I suck at telling people how I feel. Sharing was never my strong suit, but I’m even worse at goodbyes. I meant what I said about staying as long as I have to, as long as it takes to get her back. Even if that means we have to record in France. I’m not leaving Paris until Brie is mine.