Page 71 of Broken Dreams
“Inever needed anyone...” I sing along to the woman who speaks of broken hearts like no one else. It’s ten o’clock at night, Elodie is sleeping over at her friend’s house for a birthday party, and I’m alone—drunk and singing.
Because that’s what a girl does.
She sings drunk in the bathtub with wine.
Speaking of wine.
I move the many layers of my dress, trying to find the bottle I put down, and then giggle when I see it on the ledge above my head.
“Oopsies. Silly, Addy,” I chide myself.
Today is my wedding anniversary. Or it would’ve been. Three years of anniversaries have passed, all alone. However, this one is especially strange.
Celine belts out another round of heartbreaking lyrics and I drain the bottle with a hiccup. “I thought I would be happy!” I yell out to no one. “I was supposed to be happy again. You were supposed to send me a new man so I wouldn’t be all by myseeeeeelf.”
Then I belch.
Oh, that burns.
My phone rings and I find it tucked in my boob. Convenient that. “Hello?” I answer as the music blares behind me. “Can you turn that down? I can’t hear myself talk.”
Some people are so rude. Calling me with their music blasting.
“Addison? Are you okay?” the deep, smooth voice of my fake boyfriend comes through.
“Of course I’m okay,” I say, taking another drink. “Who isn’t okay? Everyone is okay.”
“That’s good,” he chuckles.
“My life is perfect and I’m all by myself, at least that’s what Celine and I are commiserating about.” I sing another line of the song as I move my head back and forth. It’s nice to have a friend in the bathtub with me. “She’s my bestie.”
“Uhh. Where are you?”
“I’m in the tub. Where are you? It’s loud there. I didn’t think you liked Celine. Good song. I was listening to it too. Oh! Is it on the radio? That would be just like today. Kismetic. Is that a word? Maybe it’s Kismetetic? Kismosis? Kiiiiiismet.”
Grady chuckles and I grin. I like his laugh. I like his lips too. Which I shouldn’t.
“I like your laugh as well.”
“Can you read minds?” I ask, sitting up a little but my legs don’t let me go far. “I said that in my head.”
“No, you said that out loud. Are you drunk?”
I shrug, not caring what I said because...what does it matter anyway? I’m going to be all by myself forever. “I’m drunk. I like drunk. Drunk is good. Drunk takes away all the feelings and feelings are stupid. Do you know why feelings are stupid?”
“I can assume.”
“You shouldn’t do that. Assume. It makes an ass out of you and me. Get it?” I snort, laughing at the stupid saying that my mother said all the time.
Damn. I’m becoming my mother.
“Where’s Elodie?”
“At a friend’s house.”
“So you got drunk alone?” There is a lot of worry in that voice. I don’t like it.
“Well, Grady, I can’t get drunk with my kid. That would be irresponsible and illegal.” I would think he’d know that, but...alas, I have informed him.
