Chapter 4
HANDS DOWN
"Bullshit!" Bonzo called out, yanking Zed back into the present.
"What?"
"I'm calling bullshit on the entire thing. There's no way the girl that I just met on our bus is the daughter of an Oscar-winning actress and a music mogul!"
"It's the truth."
"Why the hell is she on this tour then?"
"Didn't I already ask that question? I'm pretty sure you answered 'to play bass'."
Bonzo shook his head. "And another thing…you mean to tell me, that you, of all people, stopped because of a girlfriend? One that was hundreds of miles away?"
Zed ran his hand through his hair and laughed. "Believe it or not, I wasn't always a complete asshole...but don't let anyone else know that."
"This is un-fucking-believable."
"Try living it."
Bonzo poured another shot. "Alright, I'm all in. Continue..."
"Where was I?"
"First day of school, house party in Beverly Hills…."
Zed lit another cigarette. "Oh yeah… That first month of school was torture. We had every single afternoon class together, and don't even get me started on the days when she'd wear her cheer uniform..." He took a deep drag. "We always ended up talking for hours every time we were together outside of school and we talked on the phone almost every night. I even started skipping my trips back home."
"When did you two finally get together, then?" Bonzo asked, stealing Zed's cigarette and taking a drag.
Zed poured another shot and smiled. "We may have kissed again the night of her birthday, but the Lakers season opener was when things really started…"
Zed looked up from the latest issue of Guitar Magazine when he heard the bell sound as the front door of the record store was open. The second he saw her face, he broke into a large smile.
"Adds!" Mason hollered, jumping down from the step ladder he was using to change out a display. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at play rehearsals?"
Addison shrugged, "I got bored and skipped out early, shhh...don't tell anyone." She searched around the room, when she locked eyes with Zed her face broke out in a large smile. "What are you two doing after work?"
Zed walked from behind the counter to meet them. "Nothing."
"Well we've all got plans now," she announced as she pulled out four tickets from behind her back.
"Are those…."
"YES!" Mason exclaimed hugging her. "LAKERS TICKETS!"
Addison giggled and swatted him with the tickets until he set her back down. "Daddy can't make it back from New York until Monday night, so I have the seats all to myself…" she handed them each a ticket. "Bree's coming too. It's the season opener so it should be fun."
"Holy shit," Zed whispered as he examined the ticket closer. "These are floor seats. Addison...I can't accept this."
"Oh, please. Yes, you can. If you don't then the seats are literally going to sit there empty. Besides, they're only second row. You have to peer around Jack's head to even see anything. Although, you'll probably be able to see over him...lucky."
"Wait...Jack? As in Jack Nicholson?!"
"Yeah...and he leans back in his chair, All. The. Time," she said shaking her head in frustration. "Anyway...tip-off is at seven. I'm driving. Meet me at my Dad's when you guys get off."
"Um...Adds, we're not all going to fit in your car."
"No, but Daddy said I could drive the Maybach as long as I, and I quote, 'don't let Mason anywhere near the front seat.'"
"You drive into the gate one time..." he laughed shaking his head. "Don't worry, you can tell Daddy Dale that I will be quite happy in the backseat."
"He also said to smack you if you called him 'Daddy Dale'," she giggled, reaching out to hit him.
"He loves me, he's just in denial."
Addison rolled her eyes. "I'll see you guys later." She gave them both a hug and waved before she walked out the door.
A few hours later Mason and Zed pulled up to the gate of Addison's father's house on the beach in Malibu. Mason hit the call button.
"Let me guess, you forgot the code again?" Addison's voice said over the speaker.
"No, I just like making you buzz me in," Mason laughed.
"You're such an ass," she giggled as the gate began to open.
Addison was standing by the front door when they pulled up. Zed couldn't help but check her out. She was wearing a pair of short, tight, denim shorts and a purple Lakers t-shirt knotted above her waist. Her long blonde hair was down and blowing in the light breeze.
"Zed...Zed...Z!"
"Yeah?" He asked turning to face Mason.
"Are you going to sit there checking her out or are we getting out the car?"
"I wasn't…."
Mason rolled his eyes. "Yeah...keep telling yourself that," he said as he opened the car door and walked over to Addison, scooping her up in a bear hug.
Zed opened his door and walked over to them just as Mason set her down.
"Hi..." she said sweetly hugging him and kissing his cheek. "Come on in...Bree's still not here." She turned around and opened the door, walking into the house.
As they walked into the foyer, Mason's phone rang. "Oh...right..." he whispered looking at the screen. "Um...it's my mom, I'll be right in..." he said to them before stepping back outside.
"What is he up to?" Addison asked more to herself than to Zed.
"What?"
"Oh...sorry...that's not his mom's ringtone… who's he sneaking off to talk to?" She suddenly gasped. "Does he have a girlfriend he's hiding from me?!"
Zed let out a soft laugh. "Not that I know of."
Addison scrunched up her nose and frowned. "Damn...I was really looking forward to giving him a hard time for once." She shrugged. "Oh, well….I was just watching tv...wanna watch with me while Mason is talking to his 'mom'," she asked with a smile.
"Sure, whatcha watching?"
"Spongebob..." she giggled walking into the main room and sitting down on the large leather couch.
Zed smiled and sat down beside her. "I'm warning you, I have a bad habit of quoting entire episodes."
Addison looked over to him and laughed. "Don't worry, I'm the same way."
As they sat on the couch next to one another, his eyes kept drifting away from the television and over to her. He couldn't help but watch her as she twirled her long hair in her fingers. His attention snapped back towards the show when Mason walked in.
"Hey, guys...HEY! You're watching Spongebob without me?"
Addison shrugged, "You were on the phone with your 'mom'," she said using air quotes. "What was I supposed to do? Not finish watching? It's the Sea Bears episode!"
"I love that one…." he shook his head to focus, remembering what he was going to say. "I forgot my wallet at the house. I'm going to go run back home and grab it."
Addison looked over at the clock. "You better haul ass, traffic is going to be rough."
"I know, I know...I'll call you when I'm on my way back," he said before quickly turning around and rushing out the house.
"Lies, lies, lies..." Addison whispered, sharing a look with Zed. "Oh this is the best part!" she called out jumping to her feet. "C-A-M-P-F-I-R-E-S-O-N-G Song!"
Zed laughed and started to sing along. "And if you don't think that we can sing it faster than you're wrong, but it'll help if you just sing aloooong!"
"Bum, bum, bum," she sang before gasping. "What are you wearing?!"
"What?" Zed looked down, checking out his outfit.
"A Sonics shirt? Really?"
"I'm from Seattle," he shrugged.
Addison turned off Spongebob. "You can not wear that!" she giggled. "Come on, I'm pretty sure Bartholomew has a Lakers shirt that will fit you. He's a Knicks fan, but even he knows to wear Lakers gear to a Lakers game," she said leading him upstairs to the third floor. She walked into one of the rooms on the right side of the hall. "This would be my step-brother's room."
"He won't mind if I borrow his shirt?"
"Not at all. As I said, he's a Knicks fan anyway." She opened the closet and flipped through the hangers. "Jersey or t-shirt?"
"T-shirt," Zed said walking up behind her.
"T-shirt it is" she smiled, pulling it out of the closet. Zed pulled his Sonics shirt over his head.
Addison bit her lip as she watched his muscles flex, resisting every urge to run her hands along his well-defined abs and chest.
"See something you like, Gorgeous?" he teased throwing her a wink.
"In your dreams, Jacobs," she smirked tossing the yellow shirt at him.
"Every night...over and over again..."
"Zed!" she smacked him and rolled her eyes. "You, sir, are trouble...I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate that."
"I'm just fucking with you, Adds...sorry, it's just too easy."
She smiled and rolled her eyes again. "I'm going to go call Bree and see where the hell she is. Can you call Mase and figure out how long he's going to be?"
"Sure thing."
"My room is just across the hall. Meet me in there when you're done," she said walking out the room.
A couple minutes later Zed walked across the hall and into her room. It couldn't have been more different from her pastel pink room at her mother's house. The walls were dark gray and a large dark cherry California King bed covered in plush white linens and pillows filled the center of the room. It definitely felt more like her. He spotted Addison standing on the balcony with her back towards him.
"Well...Bree's out. Her brother came in town and she's meeting his fiance," she turned around to look at him.
She took his breath away. The way the setting sun surrounded her and the light ocean air blew her hair...Zed couldn't look away.
"Zed...Zed..."
"Huh?"
Addison walked closer to him. "I asked if you had any luck with Mason?"
"Oh, um...yeah, he said he's going to have to help his mom with something...won't be able to make it..." he mumbled, not able to focus on anything other than her.
She rolled her eyes. "Of course they both bail. They beg and beg to go and then this..." she turned around and closed the balcony doors before facing Zed again. "If
you want to skip the game too, it's fine."
"What? Of course not...I mean, if you don't mind going with just me?"
"Will your girlfriend mind? I don't want to cause any problems between you two if she sees us on tv."
"It's fine, Addie. I'm allowed to have friends."
"Okay..." she said with a smile. "You can hang your shirt up in my closet if you want."
"Thanks." He turned around and walked towards what he assumed was her closet. When he flipped on the light, he turned back to look at her in confusion. "Um...where?"
"Oh, sorry. Not that one. The other closet. That one's just for my shoes."
Zed walked further into the shoe closet and looked around. "How many pairs of shoes do you own, woman?"
She walked up behind him and stood on her tip-toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. "Don't know. Shoes are my weakness. They're the only thing I'll willingly blow money on."
"Do you actually wear all these?"
"Sadly, no...But they are pretty to look at," she sighed, petting a pair of knee-high boots adoringly.
Zed shook his head and glanced in her direction. It took all of his willpower to not close the minuscule gap between their faces and kiss her. She was just too damn cute sometimes.
"But anyway," she said, taking a step back. "Hangers are in the other closet if you need one." She walked over to the other closet and opened it up.
"Well, would you look at that...You do own more than just pastels," he teased as he walked into her actual closet.
"Ha. Ha." She smacked his arm playfully. "I'm not wearing pastels right now, you know."
"I may have noticed," he whispered.
"I don't have the same restrictions over here that I have at my moms. I can actually be myself. My Dad is pretty awesome like that."
His hand brushed across a jacket. "I did not expect to see black leather in your closet...damn."
"What's wrong with my jacket? I'll have you know that it's my favorite."
"Nothing wrong with it at all. Just when you combine the jacket with those boots in your shoe closet, and you throw a guitar in the mix..." he turned to look at her and smirked. "It's kind of a rock 'n roll fantasy..."
Addison smacked him again. "Trouble...you know that right?" she giggled.
"Who me?" he asked sweetly, making her laugh more.
"Alright, enough feeling up my clothes. Let's get out of here so we can actually get there before tip-off." She walked out of the closet and grabbed her purse. "No need for the Maybach...guess we're taking mine….You wanna drive?" she asked jingling her keys in front of him.
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm...Do I want to drive a Ferrari from Malibu through LA to the Staples Center… Gee, Addison, I don't know…"
"It is pink..."
Zed smirked and snatched the car keys from her hand. "I don't give a shit what color it is, the answer is yes!"
Addison smiled sweetly and grabbed onto his arm, pulling him in close to her, her body pressed flush against his. "Wreck my car and I will wreck you, got it?"
"Yes, ma'am..." he smiled. "Don't take this the wrong way, but...you're kinda hot when you're threatening violence," he whispered.
Addison threw her head back and laughed. "Zed… I'm always hot."
"The first half was amazing," Zed said taking a drag from his cigarette. "We were literally sitting courtside at a Lakers game, behind Jack Nicholson...completely surreal…but, that's what life was like with her..." he shook his head and smiled wistfully. "Anyway...we didn't see the second half."
"You hooked up at the game?!"
Zed shook his head. "No, it took a few months before we were doing crazy shit like that...But the subject definitely came up that night… It was half time and I had to take a leak. By the way, drinks court-side are free. So I was in the bathroom..."
"Saw you and Addison together on the jumbotron," a voice called out from behind him as he washed his hands.
Zed turned around. "Oh, Pierce...right?" he asked, playing dumb. "Yeah, Adds invited me along."
"You get some of that yet?"
"What?"
"Addison. You hit that yet?"
"What is your deal? We're just friends, but even if we weren't..."
Pierce cut him off. "Oooh...friend-zoned. I would have thought for sure you had after her birthday party. Well, looks like I'm not the only one not getting a piece of that… Fucking tease. I put in four months of work. I even took her to prom. That bitch still didn't put out."
Zed closed his eyes and counted to ten, trying to calm his growing anger. "Wasn't she out of town for three of those months?... You were only actually together like, what, a month?"
"It shouldn't have even taken that long. It's not like she's a virgin."
Zed saw red. He grabbed him by the front of the shirt and slammed him up against the nearest wall. "That doesn't mean she owed you a damn thing! From now on...keep her name out of your mouth. Understood?" He didn't wait for a response before punching him as hard as he could in the mouth. He let go of his shirt and let him fall to the ground.
Zed quickly made his way back to the seats. "Addie...we need to go..." he said, taking her hand and pulling her away.
"Where are we going? The second half is about to start."
"Yeah...about that…" he chuckled nervously as he walked through the crowded corridor pulling her along. "We may not be making the second half." He saw a security guard up ahead and quickly changed directions, opening a random door.
Addison giggled as he pulled her in the tiniest closet she had ever seen. Zed barely fit in much less the both of them. They were completely smooshed and tangled together."Why are we in a closet?"
"Hiding from security..." he whispered, trying to ignore the feel of her smooth legs rubbing against him.
Addison let out a quiet laugh. "And why?"
"I may have punched your ex-boyfriend in the mouth."
Addison started to laugh more. "What?"
"Shhh..." he whispered, trying to hold in his own laughter.
"Did you really?"
"Yeah."
"You really are trying to live up to that bad boy persona you have at school after you supposedly punched him out last time," she whispered giggling more. "Guitars, motorcycles, cigarettes, fistfights...a girl can only handle so much!"
Zed let out a soft laugh.
"You're so telling me the whole story when we get out of this broom closet," she laughed louder.
"I'm pretty sure broom closets are bigger. And stop laughing! You're going to get us caught!"
"You do know there's a private exit we can use."
"Really?"
"This is LA, of course, there is," she smiled, cracking the door open and looking around. "The coast is clear, Rocky. Come on."
They raced through the emptying halls and down to the lower level where Addison showed their tickets to the guard.
They quickly got the car from the valet and drove out into the crowded LA streets.
"So..." Addison said smiling over at Zed. "Care to explain?"
"I was in the men's room, and apparently Pierce had seen us on the jumbotron together. He started running his mouth, and I didn't like the way he was talking about you..."
"So you punched him."
"I did owe him one."
Addison smiled and rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to defend me."
"Yes, I did. He shouldn't be saying those things about anyone, much less you."
"What did he say?"
"It's not important."
"It is to me."
"Maybe later. I wouldn't want to risk the dashboard of your ridiculously expensive car."
She shook her head and smiled again. "Fair enough….Have you ever been up to the Hollywood sign?"
"No."
She smiled over to him and made an illegal turn in the middle of the road.
"Ahh!" Zed screamed out, grabbing onto the dashboard as they changed directions illegally, narrowly missing oncoming traffic.
"Relax," she giggled. "I'm an excellent driver."
When they finally arrived, Addison parked the car and stepped out into the cool night air, walking towards the nearest observation lookout.
"Wow..." Zed said as he walked up behind her and looked out over the city. "It's beautiful...It all looks so small from up here."
"It is small….and petty... and everybody wants something from you just because of who you are," she whispered. She ran her hands through her long blonde hair and sighed. "So...spill it, slugger... What did Pierce say?"
"Addie, I…."
She turned around and looked up to him, her elbows resting on the metal guardrail behind her. "My dashboard is currently a safe distance away."
"You sure? It wasn't nice."
She nodded her head. "No bullshit."
"He was running his mouth about you being a tease and not putting out."
She sighed again. "Thought it would be something like that… It started out fun, and we sure did look good together...but I figured out pretty quickly that Pierce only asked me out for three reasons. One: I'm Missy Donnelly's daughter, Two: I'm HBIC, and Three: because he thought I'd be an easy lay."
"What a dick."
"Not really."
"I don't want details," Zed laughed holding his hands up in front of him.
"And of course we have to work together in the stupid play again this year. And I'm sure he's just loving the fact that I got the role of Estella… Did you know he has that movie poster with my mom on it hanging in his bedroom? Who does that?…. Everything with him was always about her." Addison groaned in frustration."Do you know how hard it is to date anyone in this town? Especially at our school?"
"No…."
"Well let me tell you, it's hell. Everyone wants something from you, especially when you have a last name like mine. I didn't choose this! I didn't ask to have my mother's looks or my father and grandfather's last name! I just want someone to like me for me! The same goes for my entire life! I want to make it because of MY talent. I want to earn it. Do you know how easy it would be for me to get a recording contract?"
"I..."
"All I'd have to do is say I wanted one! ….I don't want that...I don't want any of it… The houses, cars, jets...I don't care about it. Give me a guitar and a run-down studio apartment
on the strip any day," she whispered wiping a tear away as her anger ebbed.
"But where would you put your shoes?" Zed joked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Okay...maybe a one bedroom then," she smiled, leaning against his chest. "I've never told anyone any of this before," she whispered. "You probably think I'm crazy."
"No...I don't. I think it's commendable, and honestly, a little awe-inspiring."
"Really?"
He nodded his head. "I obviously can't relate to all of it, but...I do know what it feels like to want to be taken seriously for your art. You are incredible all on your own. Not just because you're an amazing musician and gorgeous. But because you're a great person, who can actually hold a conversation, and you're fun, and….and...and any guy who can't see that doesn't deserve you," he said softly as he took her hand and spun her around.
"Your girlfriend is a very lucky girl," she whispered.
Zed exhaled through his nose and slightly shook his head. "Why don't we go get into some trouble," he said with a wink.
"Running from security wasn't enough for you?" she giggled.
Zed brushed her comment off. "It's kinda my thing..." he joked.
Addison smiled wide. "Oh, why not. Carpe Noctum."
"What?"
"Seize the night...I like it a whole lot better than seize the day. Anyone can do that," she said.
"Addison Meghan Donnelly, you certainly have a way with words."
"Why thank you," she hip checked him. "So, Trouble...what kind of trouble are we going to get into?"
He looked around them. "Have you ever climbed up the letters?"
A spark gleamed in her eye. "No..."
"Well...let's seize the night!"
Addison laughed and grabbed his hand as they ran down the path. When they reached the fencing she turned to look at him. "We could get into so much trouble..."
"Apparently that's my name."
Addison bit her lip and smiled as she started to climb over the fence, ignoring the no trespassing signs.
They carefully made their way down the rugged terrain towards the base of the letters, before beginning to climb up the ladder on the side of the "H".
When she reached the top, Addison raised her hands up in the air as she threw her head back and screamed into the night air.
Zed couldn't take his eyes off her. "You're amazing..." he said looking up to her.
"What?"
He laughed and shouted, "You're wild!"
She smiled down to him. "Get your ass up here, Jacobs."
He climbed the rest of the way up, positioning himself behind her in case she fell. He wrapped an arm protectively around her waist and looked down at LA over her shoulder before turning his head towards her. "Beautiful..." he whispered.
"It is, isn't it…" she turned her face towards him, their noses brushing, "I guess I just needed a fresh perspective."
"I wasn't talking about LA..."
Addison's breath caught. They both started to lean in ever so slightly. Her eyes began to close as their lips softly touched. Suddenly a loud clap of thunder sounded and rain began to fall. They pulled away from each other and looked up to the sky.
"Really?" Addison called out. They both climbed down as carefully and quickly as they could and ran through the rain back to the car. When they finally made it in, they were both soaked and laughing.
"I'm pretty sure this is the first time it's rained since I moved here!" Zed laughed as he sat down in the passenger seat.
"Of course it would rain while we were up there," she giggled, turning on the heater in the car to help dry them out. She put her head back against the headrest and smiled. "That was a hell of a rush!"
"Yes, it was..." he whispered taking in the sight of her yet again. The soft glow from the car's control panel reflecting off of her wet skin, the serene smile across her face, the way she subconsciously moved along with the music coming from the stereo...she was the kind of girl that could inspire an entire lifetime of songs. Zed smiled to himself at the thought.
Addison reached out and turned up the radio. "I love this song," she whispered as she started singing along "Let's do some living after we die… Wild horses couldn't drag me away..."
Zed smiled over to her and started to sing as well. "Wild, wild horses, we'll ride them someday..."
They locked eyes and smiled.
"It's getting late...I should probably drive you home," Addison whispered ignoring the screaming voice inside her head urging her to kiss him again. They drove in relative silence, occasionally stealing glances at one another. Neither of them giving in to the tension building between them. When she finally pulled up to the gate of Zed's apartment complex, Zed leaned over her to swipe his access card.
"Hmm..." he said swiping the card again. "Not working..." he tried once more before sitting back in his seat. Without saying anything he got out of the car and started climbing the gate.
Addison giggled and stuck her head out of the window. "What are you doing?!"
"Getting us in!" he said with a large smile as he jumped over the gate and hit the open button. The large metal security gate slowly opened and Zed got back into the car.
She was giggling almost uncontrollably.
"What?" he asked looking over to her and joining in on her infectious laugh.
She shook her head and drove through the gate towards his building. "I always have the best time with you," she said as she pulled into an empty spot in the lot.
"I always have the best time with you, too," he said softly, their laughter finally starting to die down.
"That was the most fun I've ever had going to a Lakers game," she smiled.
"We didn't even get to stay!"
"Even still..." she whispered, reaching out and holding his hand. "Thank you for coming with me."
"Well, thank you for inviting me. It was definitely a night I will never forget," he said inching closer to her, their faces only inches apart once more.
She inhaled sharply. "I...I'll see you later..."
Zed shook his head. "Yeah..." He reached for the door.
"Zed..."
He turned back to look at her. "Yeah?"
"Thank you, again," she smiled shyly.
"I'll see you later, Adds," he smiled, getting out the car.
When the passenger side door closed, she shut her eyes, whispering "Carpe Noctum..." to herself. She opened her eyes and the car door as she got out and called after him. "Zed!"
He turned around and sprinted back towards her. "Yeah?"
She reached out and put her hands on his waist, pulling him flush against her. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him.
Zed's head swam. All he could think about was the feel of her lips pressed against his. His hands went to her still wet hair, pulling her even closer to him as he deepened their kiss. All too soon she was pulling away.
"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have…I...I should go," she stammered out as she reached behind her for the car door.
"Addison..."
"Thanks for a great night," she whispered.
"Night, Adds," he said waving goodbye. He stood in the parking lot and watched her drive off into the night. With a heavy sigh, he turned around and walked towards his apartment.
"Hi, honey. How was the game?" His mom asked the moment he walked through the door.
"Good...great, actually…" he said quietly as a large smile spread across his face.
His mom looked up and gasped. "You're soaking wet!"
"Wha...oh yeah, got caught in that random downpour..."
She eyed him suspiciously. "Why are you smiling from ear to ear?"
"Just...the best night," he said shaking his head and smiling even more. "I'm going to go change."
She smiled and nodded. "Please...before you make a puddle on the floor."
When he got into his room he stripped off his wet clothes, tossing them onto the floor before slipping on a pair of pajama pants. He grabbed his acoustic guitar and plopped down onto his bed, strumming a tune that had been floating through his mind all night. When his phone rang a minute later, he smiled and grabbed it, hoping Addison was calling him already. His smile fell when he saw his girlfriend's name flash across the display instead. He ran his hand anxiously through his hair and watched it ring before sending the call to voicemail. As he stared at the now blank screen he ran his thumb across his lips and smiled, suddenly knowing exactly what he wanted to do. He jumped out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, grabbing his keys and his guitar before running out of his room.
"Mom! I'm going over to Mason's for the night!" he called out as he ran through the apartment towards the front door.
"Be careful on that thing. The roads are wet!"
"I will," he said running back to kiss her cheek. He took off down the stairs and hopped onto his black motorcycle, kicking it started.
As Addison slowly climbed the stairs to her bedroom she dialed Bree's number.
"Hey, girl!"
"Hey...how'd dinner go with your brother and his fiance'?"
"Oh, he's not coming in until tomorrow."
Addison stopped walking as realization dawned on her. "Wait...You bitch! You so set this whole thing up, didn't you? You're the one that called Mase!"
"Well, duh… It's painfully obvious that you two have this crazy chemistry together."
Addison was furious. She hung up and stormed up the rest of the steps to her room, slamming the door behind her. Bree called her right back.
"You should be thanking me, not hanging up on me. Do you know what I had to do to convince Mason not to go tonight? I had to give him my USC tickets for next weekends game and I had to watch Clueless...again! That boy seriously has an unhealthy obsession with that movie."
Addison threw herself onto her bed in frustration. "I made a complete idiot of myself tonight! I couldn't not kiss him. He's just so...UGH...What the hell is wrong with me? I am Addison Fucking Donnelly. I don't get bent out of shape over a guy! He has a girlfriend for Christ sake and this is the second time I've thrown myself at him!" She grabbed her pillow and screamed into it.
"Third," Bree corrected. "And, please! Did you know he's skipped every trip back home since he's met you?"
"What? When?"
"The first one was the weekend we all went to the movies. If I remember right, you two spent the next four hours discussing the subtle differences between psychological thrillers and horror...or something like that… honestly, I tuned you two out after we got into the hot tub at Mason's. The second one was the weekend of your birthday. Guess what you two did all night? Ignored everyone else and talked the entire time! Oh! And made out for like an hour only to pretend like neither of you remembered it the next day! You two were not THAT drunk! Don't even try to deny that one! And then the most recent time was just last weekend. He was packed and ready to go until Mason mentioned that you were going bowling with us. Once again, you two spent the entire night talking. And again, I started tuning you two out when you started droning on about the differences between fenders and Gibsons. Does that sound like someone who's pining away over his girlfriend back home? He literally passed on the chance to go see her so he could spend time with you talking about mundane shit that only the two of you could talk about for that amount of time!"
"What are you even talking abou…." the doorbell chimed, catching her off guard. Hold on Bree…." she sat back up and walked to the control panel on the wall. When she pressed the video button she let out a gasp.
"What?" Bree asked anxiously.
"It's Zed. He's at my door….I didn't buzz him at the gate..."
Bree started to laugh. "What are you doing still talking to me for? Go!"
Addison hung the phone up and tossed it on her bed. She quickly dried her eyes and ran down the staircase, pausing in the foyer to check her reflection in the large mirror. She took a deep calming breath and opened the door. Before she could say anything, he pulled her in close and kissed her with all the pent up desire and frustration that had been building between the two of them. Her hands laced through his thick dark hair as he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer to him.
"How did you..." she asked in between frantic kisses.
"I climbed the gate..." he said against her lips. "Seem to be doing that a lot tonight."
She giggled and pulled his lip in between her teeth. "But..."
He kissed her again, cutting her off. "I wrote you a song..."
"What?"
He pulled away and stared deeply into her eyes. "It's the only way I could think to tell you how I feel. Can I please sing it for you?"
Addison smiled and nodded. He ran over to his motorcycle and grabbed his guitar. "I literally started to write it in my head the second you drove off, so please...bear with me….
"Breath in for luck,
Breathe in so deep,
This air is blessed,
You share with me.
This night is wild,
So calm and dull,
These hearts they race,
From self-control.
Your legs are smooth,
As they graze mine,
We're doing fine,
We're doing nothing at all.
My hopes are so high,
That your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me,
So I die happy.
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
To break or bury,
Or wear as jewelry,
Whichever you prefer.
The words are hushed let's not get busted;
Just lay entwined here, undiscovered.
Safe from the hour and all the stupid questions
"Hey did you get some?"
Man, that is so dumb.
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close they can't hear
So we can get some.
My hopes are so high
That your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me,
So I die happy.
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
To break or bury,
Or wear as jewelry,
Whichever you prefer.
Hands down this is the best date I can ever remember,
Always remember, the sound of the stereo,
The dim of the soft lights,
The scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
And the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
And this walk that we shared together.
The streets were wet and the gate was locked, so I jumped it
And let you in.
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
And you kissed me like you meant it.
And I knew that you meant it, that you meant it,
That you meant it, and I knew,
That you meant it, that you meant it..." he smiled shyly up at her, waiting for her reaction.
"Get in here, Jacobs," she said with a large smile as she beckoned him inside with her finger.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Once again, I promise this whole story is not a giant flashback! Thank you so much for all the support this story has been getting, it means so much to me! If you're liking it so far, or have questions, or want to rant and rave that I'm ruining your image of Z&A (whatevs floats your boat), leave me a review and let me know!
Don't forget you can follow me on Instagram at By_QuietlyScreaming
MUSIC USED IN THIS CHAPTER:
The Campfire Song- Spongebob Square Pants
Wild Horses- The Rolling Stones
Hands Down- Dashboard Confessional