“I’m in!” Noah cheers, high-fiving her. Francis and Jamie nod with equal enthusiasm, and then all eyes turn to me.
Without a word, I grab a tray from a passing waiter, snatch a flute of champagne, raise it to the group, and laugh.
“To your plan, Anne, which I fully support, and to all of you, because you’re slightly unhinged… but also the best friends anyone could ask for.”
We clink glasses with a chorus of laughter, locking eyes like any proper toast demands. But when my gaze meets Francis’s, something shifts. It’s not the usual light-hearted sparkle. There’s something more measured in his eyes.
He knows something’s up. He always does.
But he doesn’t say anything. Not yet.
Instead, he leans toward Anne and whispers something in her ear. I turn away, my eyes drawn back to Sebastian across the room.
May is dragging him from one guest to the next, like a trophy she’s determined to parade. He looks exhausted. I know his face well enough by now to see through that polite smile. He’s barely holding it together.
He glances in our direction, and for a moment, our eyes meet. His look is almost pleading.
Anne, still chewing a canapé, places a firm hand on my arm. The others are chatting and grazing at the buffet, but I can’t even stomach a tartlet.
All I can see,allI can think about, is Sebastian. I know my growing obsession with him is starting to show, maybe even becoming a concern, but right now, none of that matters. All I care about is getting him away from her.
“Patience, Remi…” Anne murmurs, stroking my arm gently. “Just a few more minutes. Let the boys devour the buffet like wolves, then we’ll extract him. I promise.”
“How though?” I hiss, the frustration spilling out. “How are we supposed to get him out of here without anyone noticing? May’s stuck to him like an octopus!”
I throw my hands up, overwhelmed, not just by the situation, but by the rising panic clawing at my chest. I’m genuinely afraid he might have a panic attack, right here, in front of everyone. And that would be a disaster.
Finally, the others return, hands piled high with food, and Anne grabs Francis’s hand. As we huddle closer, she leans in and whispers, conspiratorial as ever, “I’ve got a plan.”
We all lean in instinctively.
“To get our Seb away from that leech, we need a distraction…”
We hold our breath.
“…and I’ll handle that part.”
“What do you mean?” Noah asks, already intrigued.
“I mean,” she says sweetly, “I’ll casually stroll over, and then, oops!” She mimes twisting her ankle and stumbling, herhand flying up in exaggerated slow motion. “My champagne just happens to spill down Miss Morris’s plunging neckline.”
Anne is an evil genius.
She gives us her best look of innocent remorse, then continues, “While everyone’s busy dealing with that disaster, Noah and Jamie will rush in to help and escort May to the ladies’ room. And in the chaos, our dear Remi will swoop in and whisk Seb away.”
We burst out laughing, high-fiving like a pack of misbehaving teenagers. Francis beams at her and, without a care in the world, pulls her in for a deep, unashamed kiss, utterly oblivious to anyone watching.
Once they finally break apart, we all put our hands together, a silent pact forming between us, ready for action.
Jamie nods toward the side exit, neatly tucked behind a heavy velvet curtain. It’s close. A few seconds’ walk from where Seb is standing.
“Ready?” Anne asks, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Born ready,” I reply, and the others nod in unison.
We move as one, glasses in hand, drifting through the crowd with rehearsed nonchalance toward May and Seb, who are currently locked in conversation with what looks like a pair of royals.
From this distance, I can see it clearly, the weariness etched into Sebastian’s face. That beautiful face, so full of light when he plays, is now drawn with tension and exhaustion. The sight of it punches a hole right through my chest.
