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“Alexis?” Ted’s voice broke through Alexis’s thoughts of ’Oh my god! did he just invite me to visit him and I said yes?’ that consumed her thoughts. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice was full of concern, and she realized that she definitely needed to respond to him soon, the silence was getting a little weird.
Okay, it was getting a lot weird.
Minutes before they had been catching up, discussing their various holiday plans , then wham! Ted threw out an invite to visit him in the Galapagos over New Year’s and Alexis had blurted out a ‘yes! of course,!’ before her brain had caught up to her mouth and reminded her that New Year’s Eve with her ex might be very awkward.
He had that look on his face. The one that was all puppy dog eyes and hopefulness, so how could Alexis back out?
“Of course! Sorry, I was just thinking about all the arrangements I need to make to visit you. Which will be so fun, by the way,” Alexis replied, her smile bright, if a little strained around the edges. “Can’t wait!” she added, her voice a little higher than normal. She hoped that Ted didn’t notice that.
“Alexis, you don’t need to come if it’ll be too hard to figure out your schedule,” Ted offered. Of course he would give her an opening to back out, because he was Ted, the nicest, most understanding guy she knew. “You can visit another time,” he told her with a thoughtful smile. The kind she knew he used when he didn’t want someone to know he was a little sad, but didn’t want to make anyone feel bad.
“No, no, of course I’m coming!” Alexis told him, and waved off the out he’d given her.
“Somewhere tropical for New Year’s sounds really, really great,” she stated. “Besides, you’re there so it'll be even better!” Maybe the last part was overkill. She was definitely overcompensating and trying to ignore the way her anxiety was literally screaming at her right now.
“Great, it’s a date!” Ted exclaimed. “I mean, not really a date, because you know, we’re not dat-”
“Ted,” Alexis broke in, “I know what you meant.”
“Good,” Ted replied with a grateful smile. “I guess I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
“I guess you will,” Alexis agreed, and returned a smile hesitantly. “Talk to you soon!” She waved, then ended their FaceTime call.
Great, she had two weeks to figure out how to stay in the Galapagos with Ted without freaking out. Everything was going to be fine.
Two hours later her mind had literally run through every scenario to figure out how she was going to spend an awkward week in the Galapagos with Ted or more aptly, how she was going to survive the week.
Who agreed to a holiday with an ex?
She did, apparently.
Her mind was still preoccupied when her phone rang, Twyla’s name and face prominently displayed on the screen.
Good! If anyone could talk her off the ledge it would be Twyla.
“Hi Twy,” Alexis greeted, she even heard the slightly panicked tone in her voice when she answered.
“Alexis, are you okay?” Twyla asked, concern evident with every word.
“Yes! No! I mean, maybe?” Alexis blurted out. “Ted called a couple hours ago, and somehow I agreed to visit him, and now I can’t figure out if that was a good idea or a bad idea, or how I’m even going to spend a week with him without things being weird!” she word vomited, bombarding Twyla with her current issue before she had even asked how Twyla was doing. “Oh my god! this is not your problem, it’s mine. Don’t even worry about it!”
“I asked if you were okay,” Twyla pointed out. “Which you obviously aren’t. So, how can I help?” Twyla asked in her honest and good-hearted way.
Alexis flopped back onto her bed, phone still held to her ear, and sighed. “You could come with me,” she threw out, selfishly aware that whenever Twyla was around she felt calmer and more centered.
The line was quiet for a moment, and Alexis was starting to understand how Ted had felt on their call earlier. Just when she was going to ask how Twyla was doing, her voice came over the line.
“Sure! it’s probably time I took a break and spent New Year’s somewhere else,”Twyla said brightly. “Going somewhere tropical might be nice, instead of a cafe with a tropical theme.”
“Great!” Alexis said, and even she heard the relief in her voice. “I’ll send you all the info.”
“Great!” Twyla echoed her friend.
After that was settled, their conversation veered away from tropical trips and Alexis actually forgot to be nervous about it anymore.
Whatever relief Alexis had felt when she had asked Twyla to join her on the trip had fled the minute they boarded their last flight. The relief had been replaced with a giant ball of nerves, settled squarely in her stomach.
“Earth to Alexis,” Twyla murmured, breaking through the loop of nervous thoughts Alexis had been playing since they sat down on the plane; the one that would land in the Galapagos and bring her face to face with Ted.
“Oh my god! Sorry, did I miss something?” Alexis asked in an apologetic tone.
“No. I mean yes, the pilot says we’ll be landing soon,” Twyla told her. “But you just seemed like you were lost in your thoughts and needed to be rescued.”
“I’m just thinking about seeing Ted,” Alexis admitted. She wasn’t looking at Twyla, so she didn’t catch the way Twyla’s smile faltered, and when she did turn her attention to her friend, she was met with a bright smile and the realization that the universe had really blessed her.
“Everything will be totally fine. You’re Alexis Rose, you’ve faced way more terrifying things” Twyla pointed out encouragingly. “An ex-boyfriend that you’re still on good terms with is totally nothing.” As far as pep talks went, Alexis didn’t think it was half bad.
Minutes later the pilot informed them that they were on their final descent.
“So true,” Alexis agreed, even though she didn’t totally believe it yet.
“Alexis, Twyla, over here!” Ted called out, waving from the other end of baggage claim. If he was at all disappointed that Alexis hadn’t come alone it wasn’t obvious.
Alexis tried —and failed— to ignore the way her stomach flipped when she saw him. It was just nerves, totally nerves, she was absolutely over Ted.
“Ted, hi,” Twyla exclaimed as they reached him, and threw her arms around him in an enthusiastic hug. “It’s so great to see you! Thanks again for being okay with Alexis inviting me along.”
“Why wouldn’t I be? The more the merrier, right?” Ted replied as he stepped out of the hug, a wide smile on his face.
“Right!” Alexis agreed, then gingerly stepped towards Ted and gave him a hug. It was admittedly less enthusiastic than Twyla’s, something she was absolutely blaming on nerves. It had nothing to do with the way Ted looked or the way she realized that she missed him a lot more than she thought.
Four days into the trip —and a day before New Year’s Eve— Alexis admitted to herself that things weren’t as awkward as she thought they would be. Sure, there were a lot of animal activities, which she realized she should have expected. But overall they had been having a good time.
Then breakfast the morning before New Year’s Eve happened. Twyla walked into the room, gave Alexis a little smile and Alexis’s stomach had done the same flippy thing it had done when she saw Ted.
Like, what the hell?
Alexis had done her best to push the feeling aside for the rest of the day. She had ignored it when Twyla had convinced them all to take a boat ride and butterflies had attacked Alexis’s insides when she saw Ted and Twyla talking.
She ignored it when Twyla spotted some kind of animal and got so excited about it. She ignored it when she had tripped on the stupid boat dock and Ted wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her upright.
The whole day had basically turned into an act in ignoring the fact that her nerves weren’t about seeing Ted again, they were absolutely about how she wasn’t over Ted. Then to make matters even worse, Alexis was almost certain she had feelings for Twyla too, and not the ‘you’re my best friend and I love you’ kind of feelings’.
Nope, they absolutely occupied the same category her feelings for Ted did.
She was still in love with her ex-boyfriend, and totally also in love with her best friend.
Whatever relief she had felt about Twyla coming with to alleviate any nervous awkwardness on the trip had gone straight out the window when Alexis realized it.
New Year's Eve was probably going to be weird now. Totally because she wanted to kiss two people, not just one.
To Alexis’s surprise Ted’s research group actually kind of knew how to put on a pretty great party. For a group of people living on an island and studying turtles or whatever.
Still, the totally not terrible party hadn’t distracted her from the fact that at midnight she wanted to kiss two people. Two people who totally, absolutely, did not have any idea that she wanted to kiss them.
All the nervous and awkward feelings that Alexis had been trying to do her best to ignore? Yeah, they absolutely became her plus one to the party.
“Alexis,” Ted said, waving a hand in front of her face. She snapped out of the same cycling thoughts she’d been living in for the last day and half. “Twyla and I were going to go dance, want to join us?”
Alexis looked from Ted, to Twyla, and then back to Ted.
“Uh no, I’m fine! My feet are still recovering from yesterday,” Alexis lied. She really was still recovering from the nature hike that Ted and Twyla had convinced her would be so fun —it wasn’t, but she hadn’t the heart to tell them that—. Actually, it had been kind of cute watching them bond over bugs, animals, and other stuff, but also totally awkward because each little interaction between them made her stomach flip.
It had been murder to her conflicted romantic feelings.
“Do you want us to stay?” Twyla asked, genuinely concerned about leaving Alexis alone.
“Nope, go have fun and dance! I’ll be here when you tire yourselves out,” Alexis assured. If they were dancing it gave Alexis more time to think, without either noticing she had spaced out.
Ted and Twyla had matching looks on their faces that said they might argue with Alexis about leaving, but before either could have opened their mouths to say a word Alexis made a shooing motion. “Go, dance, meet me back here at midnight!” she told them.
With nearly identical smiles, that barely contained their concern, Twyla and Ted headed towards the makeshift dance floor.
Someone —although Alexis couldn’t say who— announced five minutes to midnight, which meant she had five minutes to figure out exactly how she was going to handle when the clock struck twelve. Thankfully, before she could get too lost in her thoughts again, Ted appeared and dropped into the chair next to her, then moments later Twyla joined them on her other side.
Both looked exhausted, but also happy, which made Alexis happy. Even if she couldn’t figure out her own feelings, she was pleased that the two people she cared about most were enjoying each other’s company so much.
“You look like you’ve been miles away all night,” Twyla remarked gently, bumping her shoulder against Alexis’.
“It’s true! Twyla and I had a whole talk about it,” Ted admitted sheepishly.
If they had been talking about her that meant they’d been keeping an eye on her all night. Alexis was both touched and slightly concerned about that. Touched because obviously they cared, but concerned because it meant they both figured out something was up with her. Did she ruin New Year’s Eve with her stupid feelings?
“I was just thinking about this week,” Alexis admitted. It was a half truth, but she hoped it would appease them.
“And?” Ted questioned. Alexis cursed inwardly.
Before Alexis had to explain herself further, someone in the research group shouted, “it’s starting!” And everyone moved to crowd around the one television they had to watch the ball drop.
She didn’t know if she was relieved or annoyed that the countdown had started.
Possibly both?
Relieved because she didn’t have to say anything to Ted and Twyla, but annoyed because she had mere minutes to figure out who she was going to kiss. Or if she was going to kiss anyone at all.
“Five, four,” the group shouted. “Three, two,” they continued. Her time was dwindling! “One!” Everyone exclaimed in unison.
Before her brain had time to register that the ball had dropped Ted kissed her. Then, just as quickly as he had kissed her, he was gone, kissing Twyla instead. Alexis blinked owlishly. It was not the sort of kiss you gave a friend.
What was happening? Had the universe gone and figured out her emotional dilemma by removing both options for her? Grumpily, Alexis decided she was angry at the universe about that. She wanted to make the decision! Even if she ended up hurting herself, or someone else in the process, at least it would have been her decision!
Or, maybe she was grumpy because the two people she cared about most had chosen each other, and not her?
Ted and Twyla broke apart, before Alexis could head down that rabbit trail further, Twyla was kissing her.
And Ted had kissed her.
And they had kissed each other.
Had all the kisses been more than a ’we’re friends and it’s New Year’s Eve’ kind of thing or had they both kissed her to avoid her feeling left out? Alexis didn’t want to think about it too much, to avoid getting her hopes up.
“Alexis?” Ted broke the silence between the three of them. “Are you okay?”
It felt like the hundredth time she’d been asked that.
“I’m…not sure,” she admitted.“What just happened?”
“We kissed,” Twyla supplied as she studied Alexis curiously. Alexis figured she was trying to figure out what was going on in her head.
“Mm, yes. I know that,” Alexis replied. “What I mean is, what happened between you two.” She motioned between Ted and Twyla, who looked at each other and then back to Alexis.
“We also kissed,” Ted answered slowly, the look on his face clearly read ‘Are you okay?’ as he met her gaze.
“Again, I know that! But you also both kissed me, so like, what was that about?” Alexis responded, getting frustrated. Was she the only one left in the dark, or was she making too big of a deal out of something that wasn’t a big deal at all?
“I think it just means we both wanted to kiss you,” Twyla supplied gently, and reached for Alexis’s hand, then glanced in Ted’s direction. “And we both wanted to kiss each other,” she added.
When Twyla explained it, it seemed way less complicated than what Alexis’ brain was trying to make it out to be. Could it be that simple? She had spent all night stressed about who she was going to kiss, when in the end she hadn’t had a reason to stress at all.
Except, she still had feelings for both of them. Feelings that obviously were not going away.
“Well...” Alexis drew out the word. “I think for me, it’s, uhm, a little more complicated than that.” Oh god, was she doing this?
“Complicated?” Ted and Twyla asked in unison, identical confused creases on their faces.
Alexis reached for Ted’s hand, then moved them all off into a side room. She didn’t need an audience when she confessed her very confusing romantic feelings. Nope, she only wanted Twyla and Ted to bear witness to that.
“Yeah, it’s complicated,” she repeated.“Because, I, uhm, sort of realized I’m still in love with you,” she said to Ted. “But, I also realized that I’m in love with you,” Alexis continued, looking at Twyla. “So. Complicated,” Alexis finished, then held her breath while she waited for Ted or Twyla to respond.
“Maybe not,” Ted began. “I’ve never stopped loving you Alexis. But this last week I’ve come to realize Twyla is also great.” Alexis watched as he turned and gave Twyla a smile. One that in the past she’d only seen directed at her. “So, while you were very obviously stressing out about how you felt all night, Twyla and I have been talking, and we think we have a solution.”
“A solution?” Alexis asked hesitantly, still unsure exactly what was happening.
“A solution,” Twyla confirmed with a bright smile. “You like Ted and I like Ted,” she told Alexis. “ I also like you, and you like me. Ted likes both of us, so we think we should try a relationship.” Alexis watched Twyla make a triangle between the three of them.
“You’re okay with that?” Alexis had to be dreaming, romantic dilemmas were never solved that easily. There had to be some kind of hitch, right?
“We came up with it together, of course we’re okay with it,” Twyla assured honestly.
“If we weren’t, we wouldn’t have suggested it,” Ted continued. “But, we’ll only do it if you’re okay with it.”
Alexis pinched her arm just to confirm she wasn’t dreaming.
“Are you serious? Yes, I’m okay with it! Like, really okay with it,” Alexis gushed, then she threw her arms around both of them.
Sure, there were probably things to iron out and talk about, but Alexis was just relieved that despite her nerves, stress, and anxiety, somehow the universe had given her everything she wanted.
It was unreal, but also the best thing ever.
They could worry about all the detail-y things later. Tonight Alexis was going to bask in the fact that somehow, she was getting everything she wanted, even if she hadn't realized that she wanted it.