The two of them exchange a glance, and I stay silent, walking behind. Their shared history, as Alexis reminded me, is extensive. Maybe she knows something about getting them back together that I don’t.
We wait for Alexis where Rainer waited for me just a few days ago, and she comes bounding down the stairs ten minutes later, the first one off the plane.
She leaps into Jordan’s arms first. “Wilder,” she says. “I missed you.”
“Missed you, too,” he tells her.
She looks radiant in ripped jeans, a loose white V-neck, and straw hat.
Alexis keeps an arm over Jordan and then slings one over Rainer. She draws them in so the three of them are in a huddle.
“Guys,” she says. “I’ve invited you both to my homecoming to inform you that this rift of yours is over. I’m calling it.”
Rainer leans back and raises an eyebrow at her.
“This is not up for discussion,” Alexis says. “This is just a fact of life. I’m bored with this tension. Plus, neither one of you ever fought over me like this, and frankly I find it kind of insulting.”
“Clearly that would have been a lost cause,” Rainer says.
“True,” Alexis says. She squeezes Jordan’s shoulder with her open palm. “Drop it,” she says. “Now. Life is too short to not let in the ones you love.”
I see Jordan nod. “You’re impossible,” he tells her.
“Nothing is impossible,” she says, untangling herself from them. “That’s the point.”
I see Rainer and Jordan exchange a conspiratorial glance.
“Now go get my bags,” she says. “I have to talk to Paige.”
Jordan laughs and starts walking toward the carousel with Rainer. “Good to have you back, A,” Jordan says.
“Don’t forget it.”
I’m marveling at them standing together waiting for Alexis’s suitcases. They aretalking. They appear to belaughing.
“How did you do that?” I ask Alexis. “Are you a witch?”
“Kind of,” she says. “Paige.” She loops her arm through mine. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you the truth. You were dealing with so much already, and it wasn’t the right time.”
I take her hand in mine. “You don’t have anything to apologize for. You didn’t owe me an explanation, and you still don’t.”
She shakes her head. “I was worried about the wrong things—what it would do to my image and career.”
“Hey, I’m straight,” I say. “And I still managed to massively screw up my image.” She jabs me in the side, and we both laugh.
“It’s just time to come clean,” she says. She keeps her eyes steady on me.
“I know,” I say.
She nods. “Good.”
The boys are waving to us from the carousel. “I’m assuming these giant Vuitton trunks are yours?” Rainer calls.
Alexis gives him a thumbs-up.
They work together to lug the suitcases off the conveyor belt, and each wheels one over to us. “Unless you have a small country coming down, I think we’re good.”
Alexis checks the bags. “Let’s go.”
