“Who knows?” he replied, changing the subject. “Shall we?”

“I’m going to wait for Bee,” Dev said, accepting a fresh pilsner from one of the crew. “I’ll catch up.”

Narrow, tall, and surrounded by weedy greenery on all sides, the ancient stone stairs made for a treacherous walk. And, as much as Alex hated to admit it, Sophie was right: Positano was absolutely choked with tourists, so dense at points that it was difficult to walk along the single road snaking its way up the cliff. Sophie and Danial led the group, powering through the crowds with a commanding ease, while Paul trailed behind with Alex, eager to talk about the day’s drama.

“He always fucking does this,” he said, expertly dodging a family as they posed with a selfie stick. “He just can’t help himself.”

“What were you going to wear?”

“That’s the thing, nothing crazy! I had this beautiful silk jacket I got in Vietnam.” He outlined the shape of the jacket with his hands as he spoke. “And I was going to wear it open with nothing underneath. But it’s not like I was in a dress!”

She inhaled slowly, exhausted by their dynamic. “He just gets like that,” she said. “He’s weird about clothes.”

“He’s weird about everything,” Paul replied.

Alex had learned a long time ago that she could only validate Paul’s complaints so much before it backfired on her. Any time she said what she truly felt—that they were ill-matched, that they probably shouldn’t be together, that Guy was an asshole—it did more damage to her friendship than it did their relationship. Now, she mostly just echoed his thoughts like an extension of his internal monologue until they inevitably reconciled.

“Anyway,” he continued, “He’ll probably just show up late to dinner, once he’s done feeling sorry for himself.”

“Hopefully not too late.”

“They’ll wait for us.”

They had arrived at the restaurant, where an incredibly glamorous hostess dressed like she was going to a nightclub stood just inside the door. Paul stepped aside to allow Alex to enter, and she snaked her way past the interior tables with confidence—she knew Paul would have only reserved a table on the terrace. Behind her, she heard him charming the hostess as he walked, complimenting her perfect outfit.