"I can't believe you got drunk with my alcoholic father. You're supposed to be a doctor, you shouldn't be encouraging him!"

"I know, I know," Zoe said, cringing in embarrassment. She didn't need Wade to tell her what mess she'd made of herself last night. "I'm sorry. I don't even know how that happened."

"Why the hell did you drink so much in the first place?"

"Ugh," Zoe shook her head. She didn't want to talk about her mother, or the tension between her and Joel, especially not with Wade Kinsella. She was saved by Lavon who interrupted at that moment.

"Zoe, is this yours?" Lavon dangled a handbag from his finger with an eyebrow raised curiously, "It was in my pantry."

"So that's where I put it!" Zoe grabbed the bag and gratefully accepted the painkillers Lavon held out to her.

"Thank-you so much Lavon, you're an angel."

She swallowed them down with water Lavon held out to her, then dug through her bag for her phone.

"Oh, crap!" Zoe exclaimed at the screen, which informed her she had fourteen missed calls and six new text messages. "Joel!"

She immediately tapped call and put the phone to her ear. As soon as she heard the other end was picked up, she started blurting an apology.

"I'm so sorry about last night, I had a little too much to drink and I kind of passed out at Lavon's and I must have slept-"

Zoe stopped short as Joel interrupted her.

"What do you mean why am I calling?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"I did? I don't remember that…"

There was a much longer pause then as Zoe's brow drew into a deeper frown as Joel spoke again. Wade and Lavon exchanged significant looks, trying to guess what was happening on the other line.

"Stock photo what?!" Zoe exclaimed, looking completely lost, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means I'm out. I'm done being your second choice. Find someone else to spend your birthday with your mother."

Zoe's jaw fell slack.

"Are you breaking up with me?!" she asked in disbelief, completely forgetting that Lavon and Wade were in the room.

"We already did, you were obviously just too drunk to remember it."

"Joel, I'm sorry, I don't… I didn't mean it, whatever I said. I'm sorry!"
Lavon and Wade were feeling mighty uncomfortable with eavesdropping now, and they silently agreed to quietly and quickly head for the exit.

"I'm pretty sure you meant it, Miss 'mind-altering substances only lower conscious inhibition'."

"I said that?"

"It was a little more slurred and long winded. Included a long-winded soliloquy about truth, beauty, freedom and love that I'm pretty sure was inspired by Moulin Rouge. I paraphrased. Now if you will excuse me, I have a bus to catch."

"Joel…" she tried again, her voice low and sad, and tinged with the futility she was feeling.

She really didn't know what to say to this point. She was too shocked by this turn of events, and still far too hung over to know how to fix it. He was angry and hurt and more determined than he'd been in quite a while, about anything.

"Zoe," He spoke again, his voice a little less harsh. "You were right about us. We've been a little off for a while now. I know you felt it too. There's no sense pushing on with something that isn't really ever going to work just because we want it to work. Really, I should thank you for saving me the trouble."

"I'm sorry," she whispered again, knowing there was no fixing this.

"I know. Have a good life Zoe."

"Bye Joel," she let the words out like a sigh, and winced when the dial tone blared in her ear.

She let her hand fall to her lap and hung up. Zoe stared at the dead screen in silence until Lavon cautiously stuck his head through the door.

"Zoe? You okay?"

Zoe sedately shook her head, and then surprised even herself by bursting into tears.