Fame and fortune

Two

I wake up surrounded my copious amounts of alcohol. I sit up pushing myself to lean against the refrigerator. What did I do? I have a horrible pounding headache, and my whole body aches religiously. I pull myself off of the ground, and manage to make it to the half bath nearby.

I press my palms into the counter, and force myself to look up and in the mirror. I don't even recognize the person that I see staring back at me. The only recollection I have of the whole day yesterday, is waiting up for Joe then forcing him to leave. Breaking up with him. My head collapses into my hands. What did I do? I just ruined the longest relationship I have ever had, and now I'm relying on alcohol and god knows what to fill the void that used to be him.

I hear my phone ring from somewhere in the house. I stumble out of the bathroom and almost trip over my feet trying to find it. "Hello?" I say wiping my mouth either the back of my wrist. "Hey Taylor are we still on for lunch today?" Keleigh says, and I look down at the time. 10:45. "Um uh sure." I say. "You okay? You sound drunk." She says. "I um am fine. Don't worry about me. I'll be there." I say. "Oh good! See you soon!" She says followed up by a quick goodbye.

I pull myself to walk around my house, grabbing things that are necessary for me to get ready. I mask my face with makeup, covering up my red cheeks, puffy face, and masking my eye bags with copious amounts of concealer. I put on my shoes, then call the drivers hoping they already know the location thanks to my calendar.

I arrive at the lunch, hoping Keleigh doesn't ask about Joe. "Taylor!" She says waving me over to the table. "Hi." I say quietly. "You sound devastated. What's wrong?" She says as we sit down. "I um- uh I-. I broke up with Joe last night." I say changed my gaze to just be looking at my palms in my lap. Avoiding looking in her eyes to see the pity she might put on for me. "Oh Taylor....." She says. "It's for the best you know? This gives you a chance to start over. A fresh page in your thirties." She says.

"What happened?" She asks quietly a little while later after the waiters deliver our food. "He had been coming home late. Smelling like perfume, having lipstick everywhere, his hair ruffed up. I'm not stupid you know?" I say and she nods. "He just would say he has been with friends, when I know that was a lie. I confronted him about it last night. Let's just say it didn't go well." I say.

"Did he hit you!?" She says with a gasp. "Oh no! Just he let his words riffle out of his mouth before thinking about the shit he was saying." I say. "He tried to fix it by kissing me, but I couldn't do it. I couldn't let him just waltz in and kiss me after being all over some girl." I say. "I'm glad you stayed strong. That's good for you Tay." She says. "Now you have time to just focus on tour, make sure you're doing alright." She says and I nod.

I arrive back at the apartment, sobered up enough to see the damage that I had done the night before. Bottle upon bottle scattered across the room. Red wine stains all over the couch. Broken glass on the white carpet in the living room. Looks like I've got some work to do.

I spend the night cleaning up the messes I had made. By the time I was finished I couldn't even make it to my bed, my legs felt like they were going to collapse underneath me. I practically fall onto the couch out of exhaustion, that is until I run as fast as I can to the bathroom before I throw up. What is happening?