Hard to Love

Chapter 17 - Tylenol

A buzz from my phone jolts me awake.

I'm temporarily blinded by the brightness of the screen. I squint as I rush to turn down the brightness. It's a message from Olivia. Text me when you're up!!!

I grumble and roll over. It's almost noon but I don't feel like moving at all. I slip back under covers, hiding my head underneath the pillow. My head is throbbing. It's the kind of nausea you get from a caffeine high after pulling an all-nighter, but ten times worse. It feels like pins and needles prickling on the insides of your brain.

I pull open my nightstand drawer with one hand and rummage around for a small round bottle, my secret to any hangover. Come on, come on, it has to be here somewhere. My hand grazes a box of tissues, the plastic wires of my spare phone charger, and myriad of other random items I never use. I forage around a bit more before finally giving up.

I shoot a quick text to Olivia. Do you have extra Tylenol by any chance?

She responds immediately. Coming.

I hear a knock moments later and Olivia breezes in. She's washed her face and changed her clothes, but her hair is still laminated in hair spray from last night. I guess I wasn't the only one with a late night. She passes me a tiny white bottle, along with a glass of water.

"Oh my god, thank you." I crack open the bottle and pop a pill into my mouth, swallowing it. "You are a lifesaver."

"I'm always here for you," she laughs. "Anyway, are you going to tell me about what happened last night?" She looks at me suggestively.

I groan loudly, squeezing my eyes shut for a few seconds.

"I'll take that as a no?"

I shake my head faintly.

"Aww girl," she says, looking at me with a sad expression and wraps me into a hug. "I'm just glad you're okay." I hug her back.

She pulls away to look me in the eye. "Were you safe though?"

"Yeah, don't worry, the guy was super respectful."

She softens. "Okay, that's good."

"Considering how drunk I was, I was lucky he didn't take advantage of me."

"For real."

"Yeah, it could have ended really badly."

I exhale dejectedly, thinking back to what had happened last night. I was this close to losing my virginity. If only I hadn't wasn't that drunk. If only I hadn't taken all those shots at Lavo.

But a part of me is also relieved. This felt so lewd in a way. Going home with some random guy from a club that I had just met? While I was drunk out of my mind? It wasn't just dumb, it was reckless. This wasn't me.

Olivia eyes me with concern. "So what happened last night?" she interrupts. "After you guys left the club?"

The words reluctantly slip out of my mouth as I catch Olivia up on the events of last night. I recount the night in bitter detail, everything from how I passed out on his bed to how I woke up in the middle of the night and puked all over his room. I watch as her expression goes from one of worry to one of amusement.

She's full on belly laughing by the time I tell her how he's given me a bucket to hold my puke. I smile sheepishly as I finish, shaking my head in embarrassment.

"Oh my god," she howls. "I can't believe you did that!"

"I never want to think about last night again, ever." I bury my face in my hands.