The couch in the den pulled out into a sofa bed, which meant that the den was Zed's new room while he had his cast. He couldn't get upstairs to his bedroom, so if he needed anything, he had to call for Zoey to get it. Luckily, Addison went over just about everyday during winter break and plays doctor with Zoey.
On the Thursday before they have to go back to school, Eliza and Bonzo went over to hang out with Zed. They were hanging out in the den, watching a time travel movie. Addison's phone started ringing and she frowned at her screen.
"Why is my mom calling me in the middle of the day?" she muttered to herself.
Zed glanced at Addison. She answered her phone and got up, leaving the den. Zoey turned back and looked at her brother. "Pause the movie?" she asked.
"Yeah," Zed said.
Zoey hit pause and crawled up onto the couch, taking Addison's spot. Wherever she went, she was completely out of earshot, so they couldn't eavesdrop on her conversation.
"What do you think that's about?" Eliza asked.
Zed shrugged. "Dunno," he said, "Missy's been trying a lot to be, like, a new mom with Addison. It's nice but really weird."
Eliza raised an eyebrow. "Missy? You call the mayor by her first name?"
"She insisted," Zed said. "Everything I try, I get a lecture from both of them."
"Huh."
"Humans are a little weird."
Addison came back in the room. She looked shocked, to say the least, but before Zed could ask Addison said, "My grandpa died."
Zed's mouth opened a little in surprise. "I-Are you talking about your mom's dad or your dad's dad?"
"Pops," she said. "My—he had a stroke. This morning. I-I think I'm gonna go home."
"Addy," Zed said softly.
"Zed, I'll call you tomorrow," she said, turning and leaving.
Zed heard the front door close and he sighed. "Zoey, go lock the door," he instructed.
She got up and ran out of the room. Eliza and Bonzo look at him, slightly concerned, but he had nothing to say to them. He wanted to go with Addison and make sure she was okay, but because of his stupid cast he can't go anywhere. His car is back in service and he can't drive anywhere and it's getting on his nerves. He wanted to be there for Addison and he couldn't.
"This sucks," he grumbled.
"Guess we aren't finishing the movie," Eliza muttered.
Zoey came back in, and, after hearing only the end of the conversation, asked, "Aw, why not?"
"We have to discuss whatever is going through Zed's head," Eliza complained.
Zed rolled his eyes at Eliza. "No, we're going to Addison's house."
Eliza snorted. "How? You can't walk. You can't even put on winter pants! There's no way you can walk in this weather."
"Za."
Zed got to his feet, grabbed his crutches from where they leaned against the couch, and started hobbling over to his dresser. "We can take my truck. Pick up Addison if we pass her."
"You can't drive!"
Zed pulled a pair of sweatpants out of the drawer. He turned and headed back to the couch, dropping down. "You can, E," he said, "you may not have a license but you know how to drive a truck. Just don't get pulled over."
Eliza glared at him. He just tilted his head, giving her pleading eyes. "C'mon, it's Addison," he said. "She's our friend."
"Ugh, fine," she complained.
Zed grinned and started pulling on his sweatpants because he may have been laying around in his boxers and a sweater since he's been home. It's a struggle to get the sweatpants over the cast, but luckily they're wide legged so they actually fit.
"Didn't Daddy say you weren't supposed to leave?" Zoey asked a little knowingly.
"He didn't," Zed pointed out. "He told me to rest up, which I can't do knowing that I should be with Addison."
Then, for good measure, he added, "You have to stay though because you can't leave."
"That's not fair!"
Zed ignored her and asked Bonzo, "Can you stay with her and Puppy?"
And Bonzo, being the saint he is, nodded. Zed grinned and grabbed his boots and socks from beside the couch, pulling them on his one good foot. He pulls the other sock over his cast, then another and another, all of them going over the cast. It's cold out and he has to protect his toes.
He got up and Eliza followed. "We'll be back later," Zed said.
"Yeah whatever," Zoey grumbled.
Zed just rolled his eyes and made his way out of the den. Eliza helped him into his winter coat, put her own on, then opened the front door for him. His car keys were on the same hook as their coats which Eliza grabbed before they stepped out, only to find Addison sitting on the steps. She turned quickly and wiped her cheeks furiously, trying and failing to hide the fact that she had been crying.
"Zed what're you doing out here?" Addison asked, her voice thick and strained.
"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "I thought you left?"
"I…" Addison looked around, thinking of an answer, then asked, "I thought you weren't supposed to be up?"
"We were going to go check on you," Zed explained and Eliza held up the keys to verify his point. "And give you a ride if we ran into you. But you're out here."
"I…" It's clear she had no excuse and just looked to the ground. Addison started taking in sharp and short breaths and just as Zed's about to ask her what's wrong, she broke out into tears.
Zed dropped his crutches and thrust them into Eliza's hands, then embraced Addison in his arms. Eliza grumbled behind him but Zed ignored it. Addison sniffled and looked up at Zed. "You're putting a lot of weight on me," she told him.
"Ssh," he said. "Just cry it all out."
And she did.
Addison left on Friday for the funeral in Colorado. She came back early Monday morning and Zed met up with her in the student parking lot, because Eliza drove his truck so they wouldn't have to walk to school.
Addison jogged up to Zed as he and Eliza got out of the car and grabbed his backpack from the trunk, then slipped her arm around his back. "I've missed you," she said into his side.
Zed kissed the top of her head. "I've missed you too," he said, "but I can't walk like this. I'm gonna fall over."
"I know," Addison said. She moved around until she was in front of him, tilting her head up at him. "But I…I want to hold you. I've missed you. And holding you and…" she trailed off and Zed raised an eyebrow at her. She blushed and Zed gave her a confused look.
Addison stood on her toes and whispered to him, "The bed was so cold without you there." And she kissed him on his neck, soft and slow.
Zed stiffened and blushed. Addison was implying that, while she was in Colorado for her grandfather's funeral, she was thinking about all the very inappropriate things they had done for the few days they were both there.
"Addison," he whispered harshly. "We're going to school."
"Or," she said suggestively, "we could go to the Safe Room for homeroom. Getting marked late isn't that bad."
Eliza came around the front of the car and said, "Save it for when you're at home. We come to school to learn not fuck."
Addison stepped away from Zed and frowned. "You're a party pooper," she complained.
Eliza just rolled her eyes. "Class, now."
"We'll catch up," Addison told her.
"Sure you will."
Eliza headed toward the school and Addison smiled up at Zed. "There's thirteen whole minutes until the first bell," she told him.
She nodded toward his car and Zed nodded in agreement. Addison dropped his bag and hers in the bed of the truck, then opened the door, climbing in first with Zed following behind her.
What followed was a very intense make-out session. Addison was half in his lap with her hands roaming all over him, starting in his hair and working their way down until they worked under his winter coat and then his sweater and then his under shirt until they're on his bare stomach. They were cold and sent shivers through his whole body. She trailed kisses from his lips down his jaw until she was biting and sucking at his neck.
"Addison," Zed moaned out. Regretfully, he pushed on her shoulders and she moved back, frowning at him.
"What?"
"You need to talk to me," he said. She just looked at him and he sighed. "Baby, this is great and everything, really, but you gotta talk to me."
"About?"
He just tilted his head. "Addison."
She sighed and moved off of him. Her focus shifted to out the windshield so she wouldn't have to look at him and it hurt just a little.
"Pops died thinking that I hated him," she said, her voice quivering. "And now there's nothing I can do to change that and I'll never get him back. He thought I didn't care about him. That I cared more about my stupid boyfriend than my aging grandfather."
Zed made a disgruntled face and Addison glanced at him. "You asked for this," she warned, which was fair. She was being emotional and hopefully didn't mean what she had said.
"Okay go on."
"I don't want to think about how horrible of a human I've been," Addison said. "I just…I want to be with you right now. You make me feel like I haven't been the worst granddaughter ever, because you don't care about how mean I am to my family. Because that doesn't affect you the same way it affects me. When I'm a bitch to my family, it benefits you. And it makes me look like a bitch."
"Addy you're not a bitch."
"I chose my boyfriend over my family."
"Rightfully," Zed said. "What have they done for you?"
"Give me life."
Zed raised an eyebrow. "Let's be honest, anyone can technically make life. That's not 'giving.'"
"What about food and clothes? My nice house?"
"Basic necessities."
"Are you saying my family doesn't do anything for me?"
"I'm saying that your family has acted horribly to you for fourteen years and you realized it and you've pointed it out to them many times," Zed explained. "But now you think you've done something horrible because your grandfather died and you think it's your fault."
Addison looked at him with watery eyes. "You're not making me feel any better, Zed."
"I wasn't really trying," he admitted, making her snort. "Do you wanna go cry in the Safe Room for all of homeroom? Cuddle and cry?"
Addison looked hesitant at first, but eventually nodded. "That would be nice."
They didn't go to class until halfway through second period, but it was worth it because after a good cry and a short nap, Addison felt a little better, which is all Zed could ask for.
In February, Addison had to miss school to go to the will reading. Somehow, she convinced her parents to let her 'lawyer'—Eliza—miss school too and go with them. A day off is a day off. Zed was bitter that he didn't get chosen. But he was on crutches, so he couldn't go even if Addison picked him.
They both went over to Zed's after the reading, looking rather shocked. Zed looked at them curiously but they didn't say anything, just sat down on the couch next to him.
"What happened?" Zed asked.
"I got everything," Addison said in a chillingly stoic voice.
"What?"
"Everything. I got everything." she said. She turned to face him and started listing, "The properties in Hawaii, the property in the Hamptons, the one in the Florida Keys, the ones in Switzerland, France, and Japan. I got the cars, the houses, even the island in the Caribbean."
Zed's jaw dropped. He had no words to say, nothing coherent would come from his mouth even if he tried. Addison started grinning and said, "He didn't cut me out! I mean, he cut Bucky out, which makes me think Bucky and I are gonna split the estates, but—fuck! I own an island!"
"Everyone was hella pissed," Eliza added. "Her mom got the money, her grandma got the house in Colorado, and her aunt got his jewelry. But your girlfriend is now fucking loaded."
"I get control over them once I'm eighteen, as per his request," Addison explained. "But, like, we can still visit them. They're mine."
"That's…" Zed trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"It's insane," Addison said. "Do you wanna go to Hawaii this summer? I own a house there. And like, nine classic cars. In perfect condition."
"I-No."
Addison and Eliza looked shocked at his blunt rejection. Zed sighed because it came off a lot harsher than he had meant it to. He just—he knew Addison's family was rich. He'd seen Bucky's house, been to the giant house in the mountains of Colorado and it made him feel incredibly incompetent and just—he felt like he wasn't enough for Addison. Which was stupid because Addison clearly loves him because he's Zed but he can't help but think of the fact that someday, probably someday soon, Addison will have to give up her lavish life where she never had to worry about anything just to be with him: a Zombie with nothing but the clothes on his back and probably some crappy job where he can't even provide for her the way he wants.
And now she inherited all this property and luxuries things he never even dreamed of one person having ever. Things he'd never be able to give her in a million years no matter how hard he worked because he's a Zombie and it just didn't work that way. It got him thinking of how Addison would probably give him handouts like take him on vacations to her houses all over the world and give him her cars and she'd start thinking he's a leech and he could lose her because of their own kindness and—
He's spiraled. He's spiraled until he was too far gone to even know where it all started then he thinks 'the fucking will' and it all cycles through him again and within a minutes he's spiraled ten times over and they all end with him losing the love of his life over stupid cars.
Zed stood up suddenly and grabbed his crutches. "I have to go to the bathroom," he announced, hobbling toward the downstairs restroom.
Addison said something that he didn't hear because he was too obsessed with his own thoughts.
He's not enough for her. He's known it all along. Addison deserved some equally rich handsome human who can provide for her and give her everything she wants. He couldn't do that.
He closed the bathroom door and sat down on the closed toilet. His leg was hurting. He wanted pain pills. Dr. Tompkins said he was allowed any more pills though because they could cause a bad reaction for his Zombie. She said they'd have to do research on how certain drugs reacted with the mutation, which Zed thought was bullshit.
He can't even get drugs because he's a Zombie. If he were to get hurt again he'd be a moping mess and Addison would have to care for him and make him as comfortable as possible because he has to just deal with the pain and she wouldn't have to do that with a human. Humans got all the drugs they needed. They could take over the counter pain pills and buy cold and flu medicine but Zombies had to suffer through it and hope they didn't die. Addison's life would be so much easier if she just stopped being with him and was with a nice rich human who could take pain pills without worrying about going Zombie despite his Z-band.
If she were dating a human, she'd never have to worry about being eaten either. She got attacked by Ziryan because of Zed, she's always in so much more danger because of Zed. Zed himself bit her because he just couldn't stop himself. He's tasted her flesh and it was so good and he wanted more and it took everything in him at that point to not just devour her.
Zed looked at the door and watched the lock twist, before the door opened and Addison slipped into the tight space, closing the door behind her.
"Zed," she said. "You've been in here for a really long time and I know you haven't been using the toilet."
He just looked at her, his head swimming with too many thoughts to make a coherent sentence.
Addison's brows furrowed and she sat in his lap, straddling him. Her hand went to his face and cradled his cheek, encouraging him to look at her. "What's wrong, Z?" she asked. "Talk to me Baby."
He opened then closed his mouth. "I-I just—Do you remember when we broke up? Freshman year?"
"Uh yeah?"
"Do you remember why?"
"I was being very unfairly mean to you," she said.
"It was because of me," Zed said. He leaned into her hand and closed his eyes. "I'm a mess. You deserve someone better than me. A nice rich human who can give you the world. I can't do that. I can't even take pills without my doctor freaking about the possibility of me going full Zombie and not being able to turn back."
Addison stroked his cheek. "Zed," she said softly. "I think I know what this is about."
"You do?"
"You think that, because I got all these things in my inheritance, I'm gonna get all snobbish and shit," she said. "But I'm not. I've had money my whole life, and I honestly don't care about it."
He opened his eyes slowly. "You don't?"
"If I cared about money, I would make Zombeans a for-profit business," Addison said. "I honestly don't care about the money, Zed. I just think it's cool to have, like, an island. It's a really nice island, by the way. I think we could honeymoon there."
"Huh?"
"You know, after we get married," Addison said. "Only a few people live there. And I own it, which means we won't have to pay much money. Just travel costs. And there are cool cars there. All the houses have car collections. I think you'd like them."
Zed can't help but smile a little. Addison always knows what to say, how to keep him from losing his mind.
"Can't believe you actually wanna marry me," he said.
"You're kinda cute," she shrugged. "Now give me a kiss."
Zed kissed the inside of her wrist and she giggled, leaning down and kissing his lips. He put his hands on her waist and she moved hers to around his neck. They made out in the bathroom for several minutes until Eliza banged on the door.
"You better not be doing something gross in there!"
Addison giggled and pulled away from Zed. "We should get back there," she said. "And talk more about my inheritance, 'cause that shit is crazy."
"You own an island."
"I know! It's crazy!"
Eliza banged on the door again. "Out!"
Addison rolled her eyes but called back, "Yeah we're coming."
A/N: Totally didn't forget to add this but! The original idea of the amazing great inheritance of Addison came from the amazing quietlyscreaming! From fanfiction and Instagram! Amazing really! Stories are great! LOVE!
