Date: Sat, 19 May 2018 23:09:32 -0700
From: christopher <breakingthroughstory@gmail.com>
Subject: Breaking Through 21

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Chapter 21

Chris raised his eyebrow, watching Armie across the dining room table. He
held Armie's phone in one hand and the other was sitting on top of his
laptop. There was no way Armie would be able to access the
outside--online--world. "This is cruel and unusual punishment," Armie said,
his bright blue eyes darkening with a combination of annoyance and anger.

"Prepare yourself," Chris said.

"I've read bad reviews before. A lot, actually," Armie said.

"This is different. I need you to understand this was your very first time
directing a movie and that everyone is expecting a lot and maybe there will
be an unfair lean to all of this."

"Okay," Armie said. "Got all of that. Now let me see what they wrote."
Armie's movie was set to air Friday night, but the press embargo was being
lifted on Thursday morning. All the critics that got a chance to pre-screen
the movie would be posting reviews throughout the day. They'd just finished
breakfast and Armie was set to scour the internet for any mention of
"Resurrection."

"It's too soon, anyway," Chris said. He set Armie's iPhone down on top of
his laptop and slid it across the table. "It's up to you. If you want to
torture yourself right now, I won't stop you."

Armie sighed. They'd both been through it before, but Chris was
right. Armie had grown so accustomed to mixed and downright bad reviews
that he had steeled himself for the worst-case scenario every time. He
doubted that anyone would cut him any slack knowing it was his first turn
behind the camera.

"In what could have easily been seen as a vanity project, actor-director
Armie Hammer takes on a story that's part 'Of Mice and Men' and part 'I Am
Sam,'" Chris read from his own phone screen. He didn't look up at Armie,
but he could sense the tension without having to see Armie's face. "In what
could have been a parody of mental illness and a sentimental slog, he
succeeds in avoiding cliche as both director and supporting
actor. 'Resurrection' is concise, clever, and offers a view of
schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression that's often
overlooked: the story of the caretakers and family. And the armadillo is
cute, too."

"That fucking armadillo," Armie said. "Of course you weren't on set those
days. Who wrote that?"

"James Poniewozik at the 'New York Times,'" Chris said. "Happy?"

"Relieved." He sat back in his chair, "If the 'Times' liked it, it means
not everyone hated it."

"Armie," Chris said, setting his phone facedown on the table. "Why are you
being so hard on yourself right now? You weren't this worried about the
three movies you've put out since we've been together--and one of those was
my movie, you could have shown a little more concern there."

"Because people never take me seriously," Armie said. "If this bombed, I
wouldn't ever be able to even try it again. I probably wouldn't get any
roles, either. The scent of failure lingers."

Chris didn't want to bring up the fact that a few of Armie's movies had, in
fact, bombed. He didn't really have trouble finding work after those
missteps. "One in the positive column," Chris said. "Just a million more
reviews to go."

"I'm sorry," Armie said. "You know this temperamental artist stuff isn't
me. That's more your department. I'm just worried."

"Understandable," Chris said, getting up out of his chair. He kissed
Armie's forehead on the way to the kitchen. "Let me know when you're sane
again." Chris hadn't been able to sleep well the night before. The tossing
and turning seemed to stem from being nervous and anxious for Armie's sake,
but the vivid dreams that nearly bordered on nightmares didn't have an
explanation. Chris thought about bringing them up, but the details seemed
to fade as the morning progressed and he didn't want to offload any more
issues to the present situation. Instead, he'd let the dreams fade and hope
that they'd disappear into the ether of his mind as he read more takes on
the movie.

"So, this is super awkward," Sebastian said. He'd walked over just after
lunchtime, an artful arrangement of succulents in his arms. Chris had
opened the door and greeted him with a hug, but aside from a few
pleasantries, Armie and Chris were both glued to their phones.

"We're deep into the reviews now," Chris said. "Sorry. Can I get you
something to drink?"

"Maybe a tour? This is the first time I've been over here. These cacti are
a housewarming gift."

"I'm really sorry," Armie said, mentally tracking exactly how many times
he'd apologized today. "Let me show you around."

"I get it," Sebastian said as Armie got up. "If this is a bad time, I can
go."

"Please don't go," Chris said. "Check out the house and I'll make coffee."

"This is the kitchen," Armie said, smoothing his shirt over his
chest. "Those doors all open up and we can have this huge patio-dining room
situation." He said as he motioned to the floor-to-ceiling glass doors
facing towards the canal.

"Yeah, because you guys are always having people over," Sebastian said
sarcastically.

"Hey," Chris said from the kitchen. "Nobody asked for snark."

"This house is huge," Sebastian said.

"Compared to the old house, yeah, but it's not that big," Armie said. "Our
old place was a sliver of a house. This is a whole one."

They walked upstairs together, Sebastian keeping himself a few paces behind
Armie. "Did you read any of that stuff that came up after your wedding
announcement?"

"Deb told me there was some fluffy coverage, but she said it wasn't that
bad," Armie said as he walked Sebastian through the guest bedroom and the
office. There was a room they didn't know what to do with, too, along with
the master suite. The tour was quick.

"The Oscars basically buried it," Sebastian added. "But I saw that Chris
cut a deal for his book. Do you know about that?"

"He told me he didn't want to make it into a movie," Armie said. "I think
he'll change his mind, but I don't know. We've been juggling a lot with the
party, the Oscars, the move, Santa Barbara and the movie. Do you think he
told me and I forgot? Maybe I was distracted?" Simply listing out all of
the things that had just happened was enough to give him whiplash.

"I think you'd remember," Sebastian said, taking in the view from the
master bedroom. Two of the walls were floor-to-ceiling windows, giving them
a pretty spectacular panoramic vista right from bed. "This is worth it
right here. You guys are lucky to have gotten this house."

"We got it before it went on the market," Armie explained. His mind was
racing now. Not only did he have reviews to digest, he had to think about
Chris either keeping something major from him or his own apparently lax
listening skills. "Maybe it's still being worked out."

Sebastian pulled out his phone, looking up the story again. "Yeah,
nothing's final yet. His agent would know. 'Variety' reported it." Armie
was out on the balcony, which wrapped around two sides of the
room. Sebastian noticed a pair of chairs and a telescope out there.

"I must have been really out of it," Armie said. "I'll ask him. He hasn't
started working on the script, so things probably aren't even that far
along."

"You guys did good with this house," Sebastian said, arms outstretched. "I
have to walk further to get here, but it's worth the trip."

"Yeah, it's great," Armie said. He let out a long, slow breath. "Man, I
wish I could actually enjoy it for a minute. My brain is overloaded."

"Only good things," Sebastian said. "I haven't read anything bad yet."

The two walked back downstairs, where there was coffee waiting for them and
all of the back doors were open, just like Armie had described. Two of the
walls had basically disappeared, leaving a huge swathe of the house open to
the cool, coastal air and the faint scent of eucalyptus.

"Rotten Tomatoes aggregated it to 82%. I would say that's a success," Chris
said from the patio. "Sebs, we have a fire pit. We don't have to use yours
anymore."

Armie ran his hands over his face, feeling a huge wave of relief wash over
him. "I have to call my parents," he said, a smile spreading across his
lips. He rushed over towards Chris and kissed him full on, Armie's hands
pressing at Chris' lower back to pull their bodies together. "I couldn't
have done it without you. You're incredible. You told me to go for it and
now it's out there."

"Go tell your parents," Chris said. "You're not a failure, after all."

"I love you, even when you're an ass," Armie said. He took a sip of his
coffee and held the mug up to both of them in a mock salute. "I'll be right
back."

"HBO is throwing us a party tonight at the Chateau Marmont, because what
else would they do?" Chris said. "Everyone thinks it's where we started our
whirlwind romance. You should come."

"Isn't it where you met?"

"Yeah, but from what happened that night, you wouldn't think we'd be
married and living in this amazing house. Did you see that we have an
actual dock? We could have a tiny boat."

"That's for paddle boarding and kayaks," Sebastian said.

"We could have those things," Chris said, shrugging.

Chris rubbed his nose against Armie's cheek, feeling the scratchy softness
of his beard. Armie chuckled, rubbing Chris' back. "Good reviews. Good
party," he said, eyes looking up at the night sky. The two of them were
snuggled together on the patio, the fire pit was sending waves of warmth
across their bodies and there was plenty to be happy about.

"Good food," Chris interrupted. He ran his hand over Armie's stomach,
grinning as he pressed their bodies closer together. His fingers slipped
between Armie's shirt buttons, feeling warm skin. "And everyone was so
happy for you."

"For us."

"It was your night," Chris said. "Enjoy it."

"I did," Armie said. "Because I was with you."

"Yeah, except we were separated the entire time."

"We're together now. I'm celebrating exactly how I want to."

Chris could smell cigars and Armie's cologne, mixing with the tiniest hint
of scotch and sweat. He reached over and undid a few more buttons on
Armie's shirt, freely feeling at his hairy chest. "There's no place better
than where I am right now."

"I'm the happiest guy on the planet," Armie said. With Chris in his arms,
he couldn't think of anything that would have made that moment
better. Chris kissed at his throat and chest, chuckling when he felt
Armie's fingers tangling in his hair. "Nothing could make this better."

"I can make you feel a little happier," Chris assured him, pressing his
body even closer. "Can I ask you something serious?"

"No. Not tonight."

"How does Christopher Hammer sound? Can I?"

"You don't have to ask me that."

"But I did."

"And now I'm even happier. Didn't think it could happen, but it did."

"I can do one more thing," Chris said, his hand moving down Armie's body.

"Not out here. As much as I like where this is going, we should head
upstairs."

"Whatever you say," Chris said, pulling himself from Armie's embrace and
straddling his lap. He unbuttoned his own shirt and shrugged it off,
tossing it onto one of the chairs beside the two of them. Armie reached up
to feel the newly exposed skin and Chris shivered at the touch, feeling
warmth spread through his body from Armie's hands, joining the waves of
heat coming from the fire pit.

Armie sat up and kissed Chris' lips, pulling their bodies together and
licking at Chris' tongue. "Upstairs. Now."

Chris pushed Armie's shirt off, ignoring the demand as he deepened the
kiss, both of them hungrier, needier than they were just a second
ago. Chris got up and pulled Armie along with him, reaching down to shut
off the gas-powered fire pit before Armie led the both of them through the
house.

Feeling a yank back, Chris turned around, but couldn't react as he felt
himself pushed down to the couch. Armie's mouth was on him immediately,
nipping and sucking at his neck. It wasn't their bed and it wasn't
upstairs, but Armie didn't care. He yanked off Chris' pants and licked at
his balls, stroking his dick as he heard gasps and moans coming from Chris'
mouth. Fingers tangled in Armie's hair and he could feel Chris' entire body
tensing up. He groaned around Chris' dick, taking it into his mouth and
bobbing slowly, feeling the length slide against his tongue and watching
the rise and fall of Chris' chest. One of Armie's hand went lower, pulling
and rolling Chris' balls, and the other holding him steady, pressing down
on his hip to keep the bucking under control.

Armie quickened his pace, moving up and down Chris' dick, keeping his lips
tight as he went. He loved watching Chris' reactions, soaking in the image
of Chris with his head thrown back and noticing each hitched breath and
unexpected groan. Chris bit down on his lip, trying to keep in a whimper
when he felt Armie's lips on the base of his cock. Armie gulped and pulled
off, his tongue paying more attention to Chri's slit and his head. Chris'
toes curled and he bore down with his muscles, working to keep his orgasm
at bay through Armie's enthusiasm. Pulling Armie up, he kissed him hard,
their mouths crashing together as Chris' hands ran over Armie's skin,
desperate for any contact, moving from his arms and shoulders to his back.

"Tell me we have lube down here somewhere," Chris said, his voice
breathy. Armie didn't answer, instead latching onto Chris' collarbone,
biting down before getting rewarded with a breathy gasp. Armie pulled
himself away, a smirk coming to his lips as he took in Chris' kiss-swollen
lips, the red marks already forming on his neck, and the faint purple on
his collarbone. He reached down and stroked at Chris' leaking cock,
catching his breath as he tried to get his bearings. "Armie, get inside
me. Fuck me."

Armie shucked his jeans and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of
his hand before he pushed his underwear off. His hard dick slapped up
against his abs and Chris groaned just seeing it. Stroking himself, he took
a few steps towards the built-in bookcase, Chris watching the muscles in
Armie's back and shoulders as he dug around in the various boxes before
finding a bottle of lube. He slicked himself and got back between Chris'
legs, putting one up on his shoulder before sliding two fingers inside
Chris' hole.

"God," Chris groaned, his head back again. He gritted his teeth, jaw tight
as Armie worked his hole. Chris gasped when he felt Armie's mouth on his
dick again, not even bothering to keep the sounds in anymore. Armie's hot,
wet mouth and long fingers had reduced him to a writhing mess. His body was
covered with a sheen of sweat and he didn't care if the entire South Bay,
the entire city of Los Angeles could hear him.

"Armie," Chris said, surprised at the dry, raspy sound of his own voice. He
couldn't get another word out as Armie added a third finger, twisting and
scissoring inside Chris' hole, Armie's fingertips tapping at Chris'
prostate. He clamped down on Armie's fingers, which elicited a soft chuckle
from Armie's throat.

Armie's fingers prodded and stretched, but his lips were back on Chris'
jaw, his scratchy beard bringing more pink in its wake and his teeth
leaving a trail of soft bites and nips. "You're so sexy," Armie said, the
sound muffled by Chris' skin. Though he barely heard the words, Chris could
definitely feel them. The deep baritone sent a wave straight down his
spine, right to where Armie's fingers were still working him open.

When the fingers were replaced by the blunt head of Armie's dick, which
slid deep in one deft stroke, Chris swore out loud, stars dancing on the
inside of his eyelids and his whole body tightening and loosening all at
once. His hands dug into Armie's forearms and he almost came at the initial
penetration. He caught Armie's mouth with his own and held tight as Armie
rolled his hips, fucking with slow, languid motions even though Chris was a
mess under him, trembling with need and whimpering every time Armie's
cockhead pressed past his prostate.

Thrusting faster, Armie pulled Chris into each one, his thighs pressed to
Armie's chest. Rocking in hard and pulling out, Armie's body moved both of
them together, barreling them towards orgasm. Overwhelmed by everything,
having his entire body under Armie's, his ears filled with the sound of
heavy breathing and grunts, and his entire field of vision flooded with
Armie and only Armie, Chris fell over the edge, his body stiffening as he
shot across his own stomach, his cries muffled into Armie's neck. The
thrusts didn't stop, didn't slow down. Armie kept up his motions, fucking
Chris through his orgasm, knowing that each and every move was pushing
Chris further, driving him over the edge of control. Armie felt hands on
his shoulders, up his neck, felt Chris cling to him and ride out his
climax.

Armie went harder, his hips drilling in fast and deep. He held Chris tight
to him. By now, Chris' legs had fallen off Armie's shoulders and wrapped
around his waist, every part of him wanting, needing contact, seeking as
much skin-on-skin contact as possible. Armie pounded in, gasping as the
edges of his vision went blurry, his own orgasm hitting him suddenly as he
ground his hips into Chris' ass, getting as deep as he possibly could,
shooting hard as his body was racked with the waves of his orgasm.

"Should we go upstairs?" Armie asked, kissing right below Chris' ear.

Chris rocked up, pushing Armie down onto his back and settling his ass down
on Armie's lap. He shook his head, "I'm okay right here." As he rocked his
hips, his hands grabbed at Armie's and held tight. Chris leaned down to
kiss Armie again, making sure to quell any objection. They had reason to
celebrate and Chris was going to take full advantage of it.

The new house had plenty of room, but the congratulatory flowers still
filled up just about every open space. It was almost comical that they were
doing it all over again, but Chris and Armie were looking at each other
over bouquets of roses and hydrangeas, the air almost heavy with the scent
of lilies and freesia. The sheer volume of it all showed just how
over-eager everyone was to send their regards, but Armie loved each and
every delivery. He kept a list of who to send cards to, wondering just how
much time he'd have to get stationery that read "The Hammers." It seemed
like the perfect way to let everyone in on the big news.

"Do you want to take any of these upstairs?"

"I'll put some in the bathroom and our room," Chris said, looking for
something small enough. "And maybe the office. I guess we should spread it
out."

Armie leaned against the counter, not even trying to wipe the smile that
had been plastered on his face for the last 24 hours. In the back of his
mind, he knew he should ask Chris about what Sebastian had mentioned. But
for now, he could keep it tucked away. There was no reason to worry.

"Mr. Hammer," Armie said, still grinning from ear to ear, "two successes in
a row. Books, movies, TV. What can't you do?"

"Act. Sing. Cook," Chris said. "There's plenty this Hammer can't do. The
one I'm talking to, though, seems to be good at everything."

"We both know that's not true," Armie said. "But you can keep saying it."

Chris walked over and kissed Armie on the cheek, feeling down his arms, and
holding his hands. "Okay, I have to do some actual work upstairs, because
I'm starting to feel dizzy from all these flowers."

"Not everyone's as busy as you," Armie said. "So I guess I have to occupy
myself somehow?"

"You'll figure it out," Chris said. A quick kiss on the lips and Armie was
alone in the quiet solitude of the kitchen. Riding high on the movie, he'd
decided that even the most mundane, everyday errands could use a jolt of
positivity. Getting the care washed seemed like a chore any other
day. Today, it was almost something to celebrate. A grocery run became a
chance to wonder if there was anyone actually talking about the movie and
during the drive, he saw a few billboards promoting it.

"I won't tell him you said that," Armie said into his phone. He was at
Chris' favorite coffee shop, one with an ocean view and seats outside for
people-watching and optimal sun exposure alike. "But both of us wanted to
keep things low-key, mom. We only announced it because there'd be too much
gossip if we didn't.

Armie idly stirred at his coffee. His mom had suggested a proper reception,
something that involved a sit-down dinner and not a salsa bar. She was old
Texas through and through. She wanted things done a certain way and, even
though he knew better, Armie wasn't getting in step with any of it. The
divorce was one thing. Then, it was Chris -- someone getting a divorce
himself. Armie wasn't only defying convention. He was defying his mom's
master plan. Not that there was any going back now. He wondered what his
mom really wanted. Another divorce would give her a stroke.

"I like Chris," she said. "I love him, even. But I don't love that you're
happy to be with someone who can take attention from you."

"Wow, mom, way to be blunt," Armie said. For the first time in a while, he
felt the smile fade from his face. "What do you want me to say to that?"

"There's nothing to say. If you're happy, I can learn to be happy, too."

"I honestly thought you'd be impressed by him. He's one of the most popular
writers today. People actually read his books. He matters."

"The voice of a generation, I've heard."

"It's too late for you to be mean about this. What's going on?"

"I'm getting calls from the foundation. The museum. You may not take those
things seriously, but I do. Is Chris going to be on the board or just an
absentee member like you? He's not big in the charity world. He's only done
some things with children's literacy. I'm worried about how people will see
the future of the family name."

"I don't think he wants anything to do with all of that," Armie said. "I
don't, either. I only do it because you want me to."

"You should shave, too."

"Mom, is this really why you called?"

"Your life might feel like a fairy tale right now, but when the excitement
ends and you're settled down, you might look back and see it all in a
different light. It was exactly what happened with Elizabeth."

Armie sighed. "I love you, but you can't say things like that, mom;
especially not now. I'll see you soon." She barely got a goodbye in before
he hung up. He stared out at the ocean, watching the waves roll in. It was
very sudden, he thought. His mom wasn't processing it all. He had to admit
that it was happening quickly, but he also knew that this is what he wanted
from the very beginning. He spun his wedding band around with this thumb, a
nervous tick that he'd always had, whether it was with this ring or the one
he'd worn before. Once, twice, the ring went around three times before the
sound of someone sitting down at his table shook him from his daze.

"Is Chris inside?" It was Sebastian. He and Chris stopped at this
particular cafe after almost every one of their morning runs.

"He's at home," Armie said. "Just me this time."

"Figures. When I need to talk to him, he's not here. You know I still don't
have a copy of the book?"

"You were at the party."

"The wedding announcement was distracting," Sebastian said. "So was the
Corona. And the tacos. I was celebrating you two."

"Good to know," Armie said. "We have a box at the house. Just get one from
Chris. Do you want a coffee? I need another one."

"If you're buying, I'll take a croissant, too," Sebastian said as they went
inside. They were back outside a few minutes later, croissant flakes
sprinkled in Sebastian's facial hair and the ever-present ocean air
particularly salty. Sebastian could tell that Armie was distracted, but he
didn't want to press. He knew how forthcoming Armie usually was. It'd come
out when Armie wanted it to.

"When you're between projects, do you ever feel lost?" Armie asked.

"I feel lost all the time," Sebastian said, crossing his arms and sitting
back in his chair. "But you have to have a hobby. It can't always be all
about work."

"I'm always dealing with this extra nervous energy, but with Chris around,
I didn't really feel that anymore. It's back, though. I can't stop thinking
about what you said. I read about it. He hasn't said a single thing."

"Did you ask him about it?"

"Of course not. That would be too easy. I'm waiting for him to bring it
up."

"But you said he's not working on it. He won't bring it up."

Armie groaned, his head falling back. "I can talk to him about anything --
anything but this. Separate work and life. Why can't we ever keep it
apart?"

"You two are definitely never separating work and life. You met because of
work. You just put out a movie together. I didn't think you were actually
trying."

"That's not funny," Armie said before he rubbed his eyes. "But I see your
point."

"He doesn't keep anything from you. I don't think you have anything to
worry about."

"He told me that he's taking my name," Armie said, wanting to toss
something positive into the conversation.

"That's a big deal," Sebastian said. "Congratulations. That must make you
feel really good."

"It's more than I could ever imagine. My ex never did it. And Chris...his
name is on everything he does. His books are going to say Christopher
Hammer. It's crazy."

"The Social Security Office must really hate him," Sebastian joked. "And
I'm guessing libraries and bookstores, too. I've never actually thought
about it. His books are in two places. Now, it'll be three."

"I'm not worrying about that. I'm sure Amazon makes it easy." Armie sipped
his coffee, watching as people milled around, tourists and locals walking
right past the both of them, heads down, eyes either locked on their phones
or the ocean.

"You know, when I met him, he said he was done with relationships. You did
something to change his mind."

"I was stuck in a place I didn't want to be. He gave me a chance. Good
things happened all around."

After a few more minutes, Armie said goodbye and drove back to the house,
grateful every day that there was no longer a gravel driveway to deal
with. Groceries in hand, he stepped into the quiet house, now filling with
the glow of the afternoon sunlight. After everything was put away and he'd
opened a few of the sliding doors, he headed upstairs, expecting to hear
the tapping of Chris' keyboard or at least some signal of activity. "Are
you home?" Armie said, peeking into the office. Chris had his headphones
on, which explained the silence, but he slipped them off as soon as he saw
Armie in the doorway.

"Quick question: how's your voice acting? Is 'Cars 3' a good example?"

"I don't follow. Did you get me an audition?"

"Audiobook just got green-lit. Can you offer your services for that? I'd
appreciate it."

"Wow," Armie said. He sat down on the loveseat, grinning as he looked over
at Chris. "Congratulations. I wondered why it didn't come out the same day
as the book."

"I was figuring out how to explain to David and Penguin that I wanted you
to do it. I don't ever want to come off as too demanding."

"Of course I'll do it," Armie said. "I'll clear my completely open
schedule."

Chris got up from behind the desk and sat down with Armie, leaning his head
on his shoulder. "Thank you for thinking of me," Armie said. He reached for
Chris' hand. "I heard you figured out what to do about the book and your
movie rights. I read it, actually."

"I just finalized that today," Chris said. "I don't think anyone's going to
write about it."

"There was speculation. They write about everything you do."

"It's not a story. Nothing's going to happen. It's too personal. I sold
it. The company promised not to make it."

"Okay. Either you are a master negotiator or David is. I won't ask what
this miraculous deal is about, but I'm glad you got what you wanted. I
think you're looking at it the wrong way, but I know you've got it figured
out."

"Maybe it is a mistake, but it feels like the right thing to do right
now. But you need to know that I sold it to Jake for safekeeping. His
production company won't make it unless I approve it."

"That's...something," Armie said, his body tensing. "But you know what
you're doing."

"I don't, actually. I just know that Jake won't go against his word. We
can't let everyone know. His company will keep it under wraps and the whole
story can just disappear."

"Are you sure you want to bury this book? If you write it, the script will
be exactly the way you want it."

"Some things are too special, even for that. This book means too much to
me," Chris said as he leaned in closer. He pressed his forehead to Armie's
temple and closed his eyes, "You showed me that I could get through
anything. I honestly thought I was broken in every way, but this proves
that I wasn't. It's perfect to me and that can't happen twice. Can't risk
it."

Armie pulled Chris tighter against him and let out a contented sigh. He'd
have a long time to figure out exactly how Chris' brain worked, but for
now, he'd let this go.

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