Page 66 of Wasted Oil

Melanie

You and your toxic family is what's wrong.

You and your toxic family is what's wrong.

You and your toxic family is what's wrong.

I keep replaying those words that were spat at me. Andres just had to ruin everything. Just when I thought everything with Rhett and I would be okay incomes Andres and his bullshit.

"Hey Claire, can we get dos más Jose’s for her and 5 for me so I can catch up?” Alex says as she pulls the vacant barstool out next to me.;

"You got it.” Claire whips her bar towel over her shoulder as she reaches for the bottle. I trace the rim of the shot glass with my fingertips as the rest of tonight's good mood is sponsored by tequila.

"Did you get my distressed signal?” I whisper to Alex as I down the shot placed in front of me.

"No need to send it when it’s been beaming since this morning.” She replies while downing her first shot then immediately picking up the next and downing that too.

"Cheers to poor decisions,”I say while lifting my last shot as she lifts her third and we cheer, knocking them back and find that the limes and salt have been placed in front of us.

"Alex, I’m sorry how the party ended. I didn't think my father would care to show up.”

Inside I feel defeated, I have no clue why my father showed up at the book release and still no idea what exactly brought Rhett to say what he said. But he’s right.

"He’s right, you know? Rhett. My family is toxic.” I’m here drowning away in liquor for what is probably the third time this week in shameful despair. Ever since coming back here it’s been nothing but drinking, fighting, reliving old memories and creating new ones.

Oh, that is a good song title, Drinking Memories.

"Hey Claire, can I borrow your pen really fast?” She hands it to me and I grab my bar napkin jotting that title then filing it away in my jacket. I know my ass would forget, alcohol or not and I’ve learned that if you find something that really piques interest then write it down or else it's lost forever.

"Babes, you okay? You just downed two tequila shots without even making a face and I know that you hate the taste. So, tell mama what’s goin on in that purdy mind of yours.” She lays the Texan accent on thick, reminding me of a young Sam Elliot.

Sighing, I lay my head on her shoulder.

"I should’ve stayed in Tennessee, Goose.” You could leave now. I think to myself.

"Why do you say that?” With my head still on her shoulder I begin to tear up but quickly wipe them away, I’ve been secretly crying all damn day.

There’s another good line for a song. I grab the napkin back out from my jacket pocket scribbling down the last thought and stuff it back in.

"I left here to get away from the drama and it seems like I’m right back to where I was before I left, only it’s worse.” Alex shifts quickly, turning in her seat to face me completely with a slap of her hand coming down on the bar top.

"Andres is hitting you again!?” She yells out above the noisy bar.

“Jesus Christ, Al, scream it louder I don’t think the people in Corpus Christi heard you.” She shuts her mouth with a quick sorry. “And to answer your question, no, he ain’t hitting me. He’s a story all on his own that I wish to close the door to. What is happening is that my emotions are dragging me down. I thought I was over him and that maybe I could just have some fun, which we have been and not get attached—"I pause.

“But?” Alex leans in.

“—But I fell in love with him all over again and I don’t think I can stop it anymore. For years I had tried to fill that void with everyone else but in the end, I was still in love with him. It never stopped. Then just before I came here, I finally felt like I could be okay with hearing his name. When he took me home the first night I knew right then and there I was doomed, but I wasn’t sure if I should let the love cloud my brain. I finally see the change in him going back to my cowboy you know, the one that would pick up dandelions and hand them to me and call me his best girl. Goose I am deeply and madly in love with him.”

Alex doesn’t say anything but just sits there with a shit eating grin on her face.

"Why are you grinning like a psycho?”

She turns grabbing another shot then looks me in the eye bringing up the glass to her lips but before downing it says,

"Because you told me everything I already knew.”

My eyebrows raise with shock. I think to my drunk self if I’ve already had this conversation with her. I know I’ve been giving her play-by-plays of the times I’ve spent with Rhett but I’ve averted from deeper conversations between him and myself.

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