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“My hangover cure. Bloody Mary mix with extra Tabasco. The heat makes you focus on something else besides your headache. Fixes the hangover and clears the sinuses. Drink up.”
I shook my head very slowly this time. “No.”
“It’s either that, I turn up the stereo to full volume.” He moved toward the audio system.
“Okay.” I gulped down the awful liquid. “This is vile.”
“That’s probably the raw egg I added.” He held his hand out for the glass, and I handed it over. “Now, tell me why Alexa isn’t here.”
“She left me.” I wiped my dripping nose on my sleeve. Clear out the sinuses was right.
“You should send her flowers and practice your groveling.”
“That won’t fix it.”
“Then throw those clothes out and get in the shower. I need to hear all the gory details of your stupidity.”
I stood slowly. My stomach roiled, but it was the hole in my chest that hurt the worst. I was a terrible human being and deserved how bad I felt. I’d gotten really drunk, which had been the objective last night. I’d wanted to lose the memory of Alexa leaving me, but it hadn’t worked. I should have tried the mezcal, because that had sure wiped my memory of the fountain night.
New plan: kick Noah out and guzzle that bottle in my office. Would it work without the worm?
“Did you pee in your pants?” Noah asked.
“No.” I looked down. The stain said yes. I guess I’d gotten really, really drunk. And it hadn’t been enough.
* * *
Alexa
“Hey, wake up,”my sister said, jostling me. “Your shift started two hours ago.”
“No.” I pulled the covers over my head and moaned. I should’ve taken more aspirin. I also shouldn’t have given my sister a key.
She jostled me again. “You never miss a shift at the deli. What’s up?”
“I can’t.”
She pulled down the covers and put her hand on my forehead. “You don’t have a fever, so what’s going on?” She lifted the mostly empty tequila bottle by the bed. “Is this what you’ve been up to?”
I rolled over and hid under the sheets again. “Can you get me some aspirin?”
“I’ll take that as a yes, and you can have some aspirin as soon as you tell me why.”
“Why are you being mean?”
She didn’t budge. “Why are you not talking to me?”
I wasn’t getting her out of here without an explanation. “We broke up.”
“Oh… Shit,” she said slowly. “Why?”
“I’ll get it myself.” I started to sit up, but my sister’s hand stopped me.
“Where do you keep it?” she asked.
I relaxed against the pillow again. “Top right drawer in the bathroom.”
She disappeared for a moment. “Here.”
