The confidence of a guy who has Bill Murray's message on his phone. He'd fucking hated Richie when he got back after - after, full of shit and in the way and a permanent reminder of Mikey in the absence beside him. But he's always known he was charismatic, magic, a little wowed by him. He's glad Ever brought some of that back. If it's a facade - so the fuck what? Maybe they need that.

Carmy lights two cigarettes in his own mouth, headrush, and kisses him again instead of passing one, dazzled and wanting to — impress, somehow. But then he passes it off. "Thanks," he says, one last thing before they split, an afterthought but no less meant: thanks for calming him down and for running the show. It's getting easier, to give the reins to Richie and trust he won't fuck up. In — all things, really.