Toxic For Me

Chapter 22: Connected Pasts

"Lavender, don't you think you're drinking too much? This isn't like you." Claire looked at her in concern. "It's fine, Claire. I just can't seem to get numb no matter how much I drink this." Lavender sniffled, drinking the wine left in her glass like a vodka shot. "I can go for more." She said, opening a new bottle.

"Three bottles are too much! You could barely ever finish one, now you're drinking another? Just what in the hell did Tristen do to you?"

"Stay out of it."

"But your elbow-"

"I fell, he didn't hurt me."

"Lavender, Jim will not tolerate this. You know your new book is due in less than one and half months. If he gets to know the slightest detail about this..."

"You'll tell him?" She shot up her blood red glare at her.

"N-No! Of course not." Claire stuttered.

"There's already enough drama in my life, and if he starts with his... God knows what I'll do."

"No, I've had enough. It's already past 10 in the night and you're not drinking any more." Claire snatched the bottle before Lavender could pour herself another glass. "Claire..." She rolled her eyes. "You've been continuing this since the past few days! Are you an alcoholic?" Claire scolded. "Alcoholics are those who drink out of addiction. I'm drinking in hopes of forgetting mine." Lavender said with a lump in her throat.

"Just talk to him, please." Claire whined. "I won't. I don't want to. If he comes again asking for me, tell him-"

"That you slept. I know, Lavender, for the millionth time. He comes every evening, can't you meet him just once?"

"I'll see about that. If there's nothing else, I'll go to sleep." Lavender stood up from the seat at kitchen counter. "Eat some more, for the sake of God. You like pasta, don't you?" Claire insisted, showing her the bowl filled with delicious looking red sauce pasta. "I'm full. You are a nice cook." She said gloomily. "You just ate five bites! You drank more than you ate! It's not good if you drink on an empty stomach." Claire scolded.

"It's really useless, I'm still sober." She wiped her mouth with a napkin, throwing it on the counter. Lavender left without looking back at her. "Please bring some sense into her, God." Claire sat down, holding her head. Lavender locked her room, deciding that she'd go to sleep right away. "This alcohol better get me sleepy." She mumbled, taking one look at her kitten, Creampuff. It was joyfully eating its food near it's bed. "Guess you're the only thing from Tristen that I'll ever raise." She sobbed, looking at her tummy and rubbing her hand on it.

Turning off the lights, she hid herself under the covers and watched the glowing galaxy in her room again. She recalled her favourite memories of her and Tristen to feel better, but those good memories somehow brought her more hurt. "Only if everything could be alright." She shut her eyes, letting a few tears fall.

She heard the ticking of her wall clock go on like a metronome. She tried to fall asleep to it.

Tick, Tock. Tick, Tock. Tick, Tock.

Lavender kept herself at it for the next few hours. That's when the clock dimed once. It was 1 am and she was still wide awake. She slept on her left side facing away from the window, thinking of how she could have avoided her mistake by simply doing nothing. She could have prevented their fight by staying put and letting the police car pass. She should have known that Tristen knew better and he could easily handle the situation. She should not have meddled in his business, because now it was not just her life, it was also Tristen's. She could prove to be Tristen's biggest weakness to his rivals, specially that Baldwin guy, J.C and those whoever Tristen named.