Zed had his cast on for about four months, then had another two months with a brace he could walk on. A week after school ended in June, Zed was scheduled to get the brace off and to get cleared completely. Addison drove Zed's truck to Zombie Containment and waited outside while he hung with the doctor. Zed relayed the news to her: he got completely cleared and even did some physical therapy with the doctor. To celebrate the occasion, they got pizza with steamed cauliflower and pepperoni (Zed's choice).
Addison woke up to the smell of fresh waffles, steaming eggs and bacon, and sweet kisses from Zed. They were lazing around because for the next few days, they had no plans but to be with each other until Zed had to go to summer practice and Addison had to work at Zombeans.
However, their lazy morning kissing was interrupted by the sound of Addison's door slowly opening. Zed rolled off of Addison and pulled the cover up to their shoulders. Missy walked into the room still in her pajamas with her hand over her eyes.
"Is everyone in here decent?" she teased.
"We're under the cover, Mom," Addison told her. In the corner of her eye, she saw Zed turn and wipe his face on the pillow.
Missy uncovered her eyes and gave them her typical early morning smile. "I just wanted to make sure you both woke up, considering we're going out today."
"We are?" Zed asked, an eyebrow raised at Addison who just rolled her eyes.
"Not you, we. We as in Mom and me," she explained.
"You can come if you'd like," Missy said.
Addison shook her head. "I love you, but you can't," she told him. "Nothing personal, it's a mother-daughter day."
Zed just smiled and kissed her cheek lovingly. "I get it."
"Breakfast is waiting for you guys," Missy said. "You don't want it to be cold so you'd better skip the early morning sex session and get downstairs."
"Mom!"
Missy didn't answer and just left, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone, Addison turned to face Zed. "Morning cutie," she said.
Zed got right down to business. "Last night you told me we'd have the whole week to just cuddle and be together before we had to start doing actual work."
"I forgot," Addison shrugged. "What's a few hours?"
"Don't get me wrong," Zed said, "I love that you and your mom have bonded and are hanging out all the time. But we're gonna be seniors in August. We're gonna get busy with college applications and last minute testing, not to mention cheer and football. We aren't even gonna get this summer to be together. I just wanna spend as much time with you as possible."
"Aw," Addison said, softening up. "You're so sweet. How about we make a deal, huh?"
"What kind of deal?"
"Next summer, no matter what, we'll spend every day together," Addison said. "We could go on a vacation or something. The details can be figured out later. But the point is that it'll be Zed and Addison time. All summer."
"What about Zombeans?"
"I can get Bucky or someone to take over for the summer. Details to be figured out later." Addison said. "Does that settle for clinginess? Can I go hang out with my mom?"
Zed pouted. "No way. I was in the middle of kissing my girlfriend senseless."
Addison giggled and let Zed roll them over and resume making out with her.
Eliza had spent the first two weeks of summer with Eva and her family on vacation in California. She was only allowed to go because Eva's mom was a Zombie doctor and had Zombie training, but it did show that the Zombie Patrol was becoming much more lenient with Zombies and their boundaries.
They got back the Saturday before Zombeans would start. Eva and Eliza, Bree and Bonzo, and Zed and Addison all went on a triple date at North Seabrook Beach, which was the same as the regular beach except there were more hotels and restaurants along it, as well as six different beach houses. One of which Addison inherited. Of course, Addison didn't even remember this house until she told her parents her beach plans for the day and they reminded her. After Zed picked her up, they drove to her grandfather's lawyer's office to grab the key to the beach house.
Addison sent the new meet point to their friends and they all waited outside for her and Zed to show up. "What exactly are we doing at this house?" Eliza asked.
"I own it," Addison said. "We can leave our stuff here while we beach it up."
"Wait," Eva said, "what do you mean you own it?"
"Baby keep up," Eliza said. "Addison's rich and inherited a whole bunch of houses."
Addison gaped. "I'm not rich."
Eliza hummed and Addison wanted to say more, but Zed put his hand on the small of her back and rubbed her bare skin with his thumb. "Don't worry about her," he said, "she's ridiculous. Let's get inside."
Addison nodded and led the way up to the front door. She unlocked it and went in first, trusting whoever was at the back to lock the door.
"Holy shit," Zed breathed from beside her. He stopped walking and Addison looked to see him gauging in the expanse of the foyer and what he could see of the living room.
She looked at all her friends who each had surprised and awestruck looks on their faces, and started to get uncomfortable again. She hated the inheritance and how the minute Zed found out about it, he got insecure and thought that Addison would think so poorly of him because he didn't have money. If it had happened during the first year of their relationship, she knew it would have been a huge strain on their relationship. Worse than the lying had been.
"It is an old house," she said. "This is the house my mom and aunt grew up in. I didn't even remember it."
No one was listening to her talk because they were all marveling at the large beach house. It was filled with wide open spaces and perfectly clear, marble floors. Everything was pristine and perfect, nothing like any of them had ever seen.
"I bet there are some really cool cars in the garage too," Addison offered. They all turned and looked at her, blinking disbelievingly.
"Let me guess, you own those too?" Eva joked.
"Uh, yeah," Addison said. "When my grandpa was young, having all the cool cars was a thing. Literally every property he owned had at least five cars. Which are all mine now. But it's not like I need all them. I didn't even remember this place, I obviously don't need—"
"Addy," Zed interrupted. "You don't have to explain yourself."
Addison blushed and shuffled her feet. "I just—I don't want you to think—"
"That you're the coolest person ever?" Bree finished. "Too late. We already think that. Now is it beach time or what?"
Addison smiled; Zed slipped his hand in hers and she led the way to the back of the house. They dropped their belongings in the living room and everyone who still had to change did so, then they went out the back door and down to the beach. Addison and Zed went first because they were both already in their bathing suits and dragged beach chairs from the deck down to the sand.
"I don't understand why your grandparents moved to Colorado," Zed said. "And how they got so much money."
"My grandpa started a business," she said. "It was kinda like how Nestle is. It was like a brand that did a bunch of shit. Bucky's dad runs it now, which is why they're loaded. Pops officially signed it over when I was five and bought a retirement house in Colorado."
"Why didn't they give this house to one of their kids? I would."
"Pops wasn't in the business of giving handouts to his kids," Addison explained. "The house in Colorado went to my grandma. My uncle had the business. I got all the properties and cars. Everything else went to some charity."
"Huh."
Addison nodded and stopped first. They were just below the hill that separated the houses from the beach and she laid her towel out on one of the chairs and sat at the end. Zed sat behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her back to him.
"You okay?" he asked. "You're very tense."
"I'm fine," Addison answered. "I just hate bringing up the inheritance. It makes me sound so…snotty."
He put his head on her shoulder and gave her an adorable pout. Addison gave him a small smile and bumped her cheek against his.
"Trust me Adds, they don't think you're snotty," Zed said. "You're the nicest, purest, most kind-hearted and generous person I know. Anyone who thinks you're snotty is blind."
"You're so sweet," she said. "I love you."
"I love you too," he said, kissing her cheek. He turned and looked back at the house, then said, "They're coming now."
Addison turned and looked to see their friends coming down the hill from the house. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "Bring the beach umbrellas!"
"Okay!" Bree called back.
Addison grinned and Zed let out a whine, one that had no preamble and caused her to look at him curiously. Zed twisted his hands on her stomach until she was facing him fully and smiled.
"I'm needy," he said as an explanation, "I want my Addy."
Addison giggled and put her hands on his shoulders, leaned forward and kissed him. She giggled between kisses, making Zed giggle until they weren't even kissing anymore.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," Addison breathed. She let out another giggle and shook her head.
Zed laughed because she was laughing. "What?" he asked.
"I just—you're being so clingy lately," she said. "And it's so cute. I love you. I mean, I know why you're being so clingy and I don't mind. But you're just so cute. I love you."
"I don't know if you remember but you imprinted on me and now I can't live my life without you."
"That's too bad," Addison said, "I was planning on finding a hot young pre-med stud once we go to college."
Zed laughed, his head falling back. Addison laughed too because he was laughing. She put her hand on his cheek again and pressed her thumb into his soft skin. "You're so cute, Zed," she said. "I love you."
His laughter turned to a soft smile. He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes. "You keep saying you love me," he said. "Should I be concerned?"
"No I just love you," she shrugged. "I don't think I say it enough."
"Mm, okay." He pecked her lips again, before their friends joined them.
"You guys have been making out the entire time we were in there," Eliza stated.
Addison rolled her eyes. "I'm allowed to kiss my boyfriend if I so chose," she said. "You wanna leave us alone so we can make out more?"
"Are you even going in the water?" Eliza asked, crossing her arms.
Eva pushes her girlfriend's arms down. "Stop being annoying," she said.
Eliza stuck her tongue out at Eva. Addison rolled her eyes and said, "We're gonna strip right here if you guys don't leave."
Bonzo dropped the umbrellas, picked up Bree, and bolted. "Look! You scared him," Eliza said in mock annoyance.
Eva chuckled and grabbed Eliza's arm, pulling her to the water. Once their friends were gone, Addison scooted closer to Zed and put her hands on his shoulders. "Now where were we?"
After sunset, Addison and Zed set up the fire pit for a bonfire. They went and picked up dinner for everyone, and when they returned they all gathered around the fire.
"You know earlier this week," Addison said, "Zed and I were talking about taking a super cool vacation next summer."
"We were?"
Addison giggled and pinched his cheek. "Yes, when my mom walked in on us," Addison explained, and he nodded once he remembered.
"A vacation next summer?" Bree asked.
"Yeah," Addison said. "It'll be our last summer where we're all together. Because we all know that Eliza's going to MIT."
"Oh my god," Eliza groaned, though she was blushing. "Their acceptance rate is like, eight percent."
"She knows that by heart," Zed pointed out.
"You're gonna be the first Zombie at MIT," Addison said, "which is insane!"
"I have to be accepted first," Eliza reminded them.
"You basically are," Eva said. "You went to two programs there in the past year. And you got like a 1540 on your SAT."
"It was a 1570," Zed corrected.
"Can we stop talking about me?" Eliza asked. "What were you saying about a vacation?"
"Oh," Addison said, "well it'd be cool if we all went on a vacation during the summer. We can do whatever, I'm down for anything."
"Well, Zombies can't leave the States," Eliza said. "Not yet anyway. So whatever we do has to be in the country."
Addison nodded in agreement. "I've got houses all over the country."
"I thought you had to be eighteen?" Eliza asked.
"That, my friend, was a personal choice, if it wasn't obvious," Addison said. "What do I need with all those houses now?"
Eliza nodded in understanding. Another issue came into her head and she asked, "Well then where would we go?"
"Zie nyze zigee doo?" Bonzo asked.
Bree gasped and nodded excitedly. "Yes that's perfect! We could rent a van and go all over the country!"
Addison glanced around, seeing her friends all nodding and agreeing to the idea of a road trip. She grinned because things were finally happening.
"So a road trip?" Addison asked. "Sounds like a plan."
"What about your job?" Eva asked.
Addison shrugged. "I can get someone to run it for the summer. It won't be too hard. Plus, I'd rather spend all summer with you guys."
Zed grinned and threw his arm around her shoulder. "It'll be the summer of us!" he declared.
