On The Edge Chapter 8: The Only Exception, a zombies fanfic

Chapter 8

THE ONLY EXCEPTION

"You've officially ruined Missy Donnelly movies for me forever," Bonzo said grabbing the bottle of Jack from the table and pouring himself another shot.

"You have no idea...that woman is the devil incarnate." He shook his head in anger. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't picture her more than a few times while we were in active combat." He leaned back against the wall and looked up towards the ceiling, attempting to control the rage running through his veins. A few moments passed before he took the bottle back from Bonzo and took a large sip.

"The next weekend was my party. Missy and Paul couldn't make it...we were really torn up about that fact..." he muttered sarcastically. "But everyone else was there. Mason, Owen, and Bree...My parents...even Zoey..." he smiled at the memory. "She was only seven, cute as a button...I'll never forget how big her eyes got when she met Addie..."

"Zed!"

Zed and Addison turned around just in time to see a small blonde hair girl fly through the air. Zed caught her and hugged her close.

"I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, munchkin!"

Addison looked at them and couldn't help the large smile that crossed her face.

"Hey, I want you to meet someone..." He said turning so that his little sister was facing her. "This is my girlfriend, Addison."

"You must be Zoey! Your brother talks about you all the time!"

"It's very nice to meet you, Addison."

"It's very nice to meet you as well! I heard that you like cheerleading."

"I do! Cheering makes me happy."

"Me too!"

"You're a cheerleader?"

"She's not just a cheerleader, Zo...she's the captain of the squad," Zed said smiling over to Addison.

"Really?" Zoey's eyes grew impossibly large.

"Really! Maybe if it's okay with your parents we could work on some stunts down on the beach before dinner."

Zoey couldn't wriggle out of Zed's arms fast enough. The second her feet touched the ground, she ran across the patio to her mom.

"Do I get to come watch?" Zed whispered as he wrapped his arms around Addison from behind and kissed behind her ear. "I adore you."

She giggled and pulled his face up to hers to kiss him. "I adore you, too."

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them. Zed's back straightened and he held her a little tighter. Slowly he turned them around. "Hi, Pops."

"Zed..."

"Adds, this is my Dad, Zevon Jacobs...Pops...this is my girlfriend, Addison Donnelly."

Addison held out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Jacobs. I'm so glad you could make it down from Seattle."

"It's nice to meet you too. And thank you for hosting tonight, I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

Addison smiled sweetly. "It's no trouble at all. My Uncle Bobby is one of the owners. When he heard the party was for Zed...he insisted we have it here. I really didn't have to do much!"

Zed gave her a questioning look. "You have an Uncle Bobby? Have I met him?"

"Not a real uncle…Just a really close family friend. And no...but if you ever do meet him, don't call him Bobby. He hates it...I'm literally the only one who can get away with that," she smiled. "The perks of being a cute kid!"

"What do I call him then?" he laughed.

"Rob? Robert? Mr. De Niro?...I'm sure any of those would work."

Zevon suddenly had a coughing fit. "Robert De Niro?"

Addison looked back over to him and nodded. "Yes, sir."

"You know De Niro?"

She smiled and nodded again. "He and my grandfather were good friends and golf buddies. He lives right down the street."

"Addison! My mommy said yes!"

Addison turned around to see Zoey running back over to them. "Great!" She turned back towards Zed's father. "I promised your daughter we could work on some cheer stunts down on the beach. Feel free to order whatever you like from the bar. It's on the house. It was very nice to meet you, sir."

"A pleasure to meet you too, Addison. Have fun, Zoey!"

"I will Daddy!"

Zed squeezed Addison's hand. "I'll be right down."

"See you in a few then," she kissed his cheek and walked off to stunt with Zoey.

Zed smiled as he watched her walk off.

"Well, you've certainly done well for yourself."

He turned to look back at his father. "What?"

"I didn't stutter, and I don't repeat myself."

Zed closed his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry. I'm not sure how I should respond to your comment."

"She's very pretty. I'm guessing wealthy as well?"

"Pops..."

"What game are you playing here, son."

"I'm not playing any game."

His father scoffed.

"Seriously, I don't care what her family does for a living or how much money they have. Addie is amazing all on her own."

"And what is it exactly that her family does?"

Zed ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Not that it matters, but her Dad is a music producer and her mom is an actress."

Zevon let out a laugh. "So you just happen to be dating the daughter of a producer, after splitting our family apart to attend a ridiculous, pompous, arts school… Please, I don't buy it for a second… You never were happy with what we could give you, always looking for something better... wait...Donnelly? Any relation to Missy Donnelly?"

He nodded. "Her mom."

"Of course..." Zevon shook his head and walked off.

Zed let out a frustrated sigh and turned around, almost running into Dale on the steps down to the beach. "Oh, sorry, sir..."

Dale let out a chuckle. "For the hundredth time, son. Call me Dale."

"Sorry, Dale."

"It's fine, Zed. Happy birthday."

"Thank you."

"You alright? You seem to be lacking the typical swagger I've come to expect..."

Zed nodded his head. "Yeah...just trying to recover from an always pleasant father/son chat."

"Ah..."

"Yeah..."

"Listen, Zed… I know things haven't been easy with you and your dad, especially since you moved down here."

Zed gave him a surprised look.

"What? Your mom and I have to talk about something when you and Addie run off together..."

Zed just rolled his eyes and smiled. "I swear you two gossip more than the cheer squad at school."

"Hey! I've heard some of that gossip...be lucky I choose to ignore it."

Zed swallowed loudly as Dale chuckled.

"Look...It's not always easy for us Dads to accept the fact that our kids are capable of making decisions for themselves. You made a pretty big decision to come down here for school."

"We had issues before the move…it's nothing new... but now he thinks I'm only with Addie because of you."

Dale let out a laugh. "I'm flattered."

"It's the same thing her mother thinks too," he shook his head sadly.

"Zed...you've been over to my house every other week since you and my daughter started dating. Not once have I ever gotten that impression."

"I swear, I'm not using her. I lo…." he stopped himself. "I adore her."

"She has you on L word lock-down, doesn't she?"

Zed couldn't help but laugh. "Maybe… She's only let me say it a couple of times."

"Addie can be a bit...stubborn. Give her time," he smiled, patting him on the back. "But in the meantime, don't listen to the critics. Just because your dad couldn't cut it as a musician, doesn't mean you won't."

"How did you..."

Dale shrugged. "Like I said, your mom and I talk."

"The party was fucking lit. If we have enough money by the time the tour pulls into LA, we're definitely hitting up NOBU. Best sushi of my life. The one in New York has nothing on the Malibu location."

Bonzo laughed. "Like we're going to have that kind of money."

"Start saving now," he teased. "But yeah...I spent the entire evening avoiding my Dad. And he spent the entire evening taking advantage of the free drinks. I don't think anyone even noticed until Addison gave me my birthday present."

Zed smiled and blushed as everyone around him sang Happy Birthday. He took a large breath and blew out the candles.

"So, birthday boy...what did you wish for?" Addison whispered in his ear as their families and friends cheered.

He turned and threw her a wink. "I'll have to show you later."

Addison mouthed the word "trouble," as she stood up. She held up her glass and tapped it to get everyone's attention. "Thank you so much for coming out tonight." She turned to face Zed. "I know you said 'No presents, Adds...seriously, you're throwing me a party. That's way too much..." she said doing a poor impression of him and making everyone around the table laugh. "But you only turn eighteen once, and I wanted to get you something special...so get over it!" She reached under the table and pulled out a long, heavy box wrapped in sparkly green paper.

"Adds..." he protested.

"Oh just open it," she pushed him playfully.

Zed rolled his eyes and started to undo the paper. When the paper was finally off, he took off the top of the gift box. His jaw dropped open and he turned to face her.

She motioned for him to keep opening.

He turned back towards the box and flipped open the latches on the case. "Holy shit!"

"Zed! Language!" Zyla scolded, covering Zoey's ears.

"Sorry, mom...but..." he opened the lid wider for everyone to see. "Come on!"

"Do you like it?" Addison asked anxiously.

"Like it? Are you serious?" he stood up and picked her up, swinging her around. "You got me the Les Paul Green Ocean Burst I was drooling over! I more than like it! I love it! It's literally my dream guitar, woman! How did you know?"

Addison giggled as Zed set her back down on her feet and smacked a loud kiss on her cheek. "Really? I've seen the way you eye up mine! And your favorite color is green. I took a chance and went with the burst over the fade, but Mason assured me it was the right choice."

"Told you so," Mason called out.

"I can't believe I own a Les Paul..."

"You can't be the best if you don't play on the best...and Julliard only

takes the best."

"Must be nice...being able to just buy something like that on a whim," Zevon practically sneered. "Tell me, Addison, are you applying for Julliard as well or will you be attending a real college?"

Everyone around the table was silent.

Addison smiled and said politely, "Neither, Mr. Jacobs. My dream is to play music, and I've been very fortunate to be surrounded by and learn from the best my entire life. If I went to Julliard I'd probably find myself being terribly bored and taking the place of someone who actually wanted to attend and would benefit from their amazing program...like Zed."

"That sounds awfully entitled..." he took a sip of his drink.

"Zevon!"

"Pops!"

"I can see why my son's with you...question is, why are you wasting your time with him."

Addison placed her hand on Zed's arm. "Sir...with all due respect, your son is incredible, and I am so grateful that I have him in my life. He's the sweetest most sincere person I've ever met. He's extremely talented and has a clear vision of his future. You should be very proud of him."

"I'd be proud of him if he lived up to his potential and took academics as seriously as he does music. It's not like he can actually make a living with it."

Dale stood up and walked behind Zed, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Actually, I've had the chance to hear Zed play on quite a few occasions while he and Addison were in my home studio. He's quite gifted. The music program at Seabrook is one of the most rigorous programs there is in the country, and both our kids are excelling. They work hard and it shows. If he continues his studies at Seabrook next year, I'm certain he'd be a shoo-in for Julliard. And if not, I'd be more than happy to help him explore other avenues in the industry. He has a lot of potential. He absolutely can make a living off of music."

"Let's be honest here, you're only saying that because he's dating your daughter."

"Quite the opposite. I didn't want to like him because he's dating my daughter. But...despite my initial feelings, Zed has proven on numerous occasions to be an upstanding young man who also happens to be incredibly talented."

"Wow…," Bonzo mumbled under his breath as he shook his head.

"Yeah...Lucky for me my mom was an excellent subject changer and quickly reminded everyone that there was cake," Zed smiled.

"So that's why you're so protective of your guitar."

"Yup, lost it once...never again..." He took another drag of his cigarette. "Pops and Zoey left for Seattle the next morning. Didn't see them again until the night of the Revue... That fucking night..." he shook his head and smiled. "Best fucking night ever…"

Addison stared up at the sky blowing smoke rings as she thought back to the night of the play and the Revue. Three small words declared for the first time, changing her world forever. There were days she wished she could take that night back, but deep down she knew she wouldn't have changed a thing.

Intermission. Halfway done. Addison sat in her dressing room and looked around at the bouquets of flowers that surrounded her. Light pink roses from her mom, reminding her to enunciate properly. A bouquet of sweet-pea flowers from her dad, telling her how proud he is of all that she does. Bright blue orchids from Bree, sending good vibes, and dark pink Gerber daisies from Mason, requesting that she not actually break her leg. Her favorite though was the small vase of Queen of the Night tulips. Before she even opened the card, she knew exactly who they were from. Of course, he would remember her favorite flowers. The note was simple. "I adore you." No name, nothing else. It was perfect. She held the card close to her heart and smiled. In less than six months he had managed to turn her world upside down. Love wasn't supposed to be real. But here she was, completely head over heels in love with him. The thought terrified her. She took a deep breath and dropped her head down on to the vanity.

"There's my future Oscar winner! Well...maybe not Oscar...but..."

Addison recoiled at the sound of her mother's voice. She sat up straight and looked at her in the mirror. "Mom, you're not supposed to be back here...Intermission isn't that long."

"Oh relax, darling. I just wanted to give you a few pointers before the second half begins...Ew...black flowers? Who would send those..."

"Missy, leave the girl alone. She's doing a great job all on her own."

Addison smiled up at her Dad as he walked in.

"She could always do better, Dale. It's that type of attitude that's going to keep her from living up to her potential. I think I know a bit more about what it takes to make it as an actress."

"Dad...it's fine..." Addison said, trying to prevent them from arguing.

Missy's face lit up. "Okay, now when Pip…."

Addison tuned her out. She nodded occasionally and responded when appropriate, but she didn't hear a single thing that was said. It wasn't until her mother walked out of the room and her dad placed a hand on her shoulder that she came back to herself.

"You okay there, sweet-pea?"

"Huh?"

He pulled up a seat next to her. "You seem a bit checked out….It's almost like you'd rather be somewhere else? Like maybe across campus on a different stage?"

"What does it matter? I'm here. Playing a role that Mom won an Oscar for...She's thrilled."

"But you're not."

"And?"

"And, I learned a long time ago that the only person that makes your mother happy is your mother...What makes you happy?"

"Playing music."

"Is that all?"

She shook her head no. "Zed..." she whispered, holding the card up. "Daddy...I love him, and I've never been more scared of anything."

"Sweet-Pea, look at me...I know your mother and I haven't been the best relationship examples. But, it's okay to let yourself fall in love. Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts you up where we belong...All you need is love!"

She cracked a smile. "Really, Daddy? You're quoting Moulin Rouge?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "It may have been on tv last night and the music is excellent….but the point remains." He spun her chair around. "The greatest thing you could ever learn is how to love and be loved in return."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome...And as far as the Revue goes...You know, I'm pretty sure there's a backstage exit...you could probably still make it in time..."

Addison looked up and smiled. "Really? What about Mom?"

"You let me worry about that...I'll hold off your mother as long as possible. Do what makes you happy. Play your heart out, kid."

She threw her arms around his neck. "Thanks, Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too. Now go!"

She didn't need to be told again. She unhooked her microphone pack and handed it to him, "Make sure my understudy gets that!" she said before running towards the exit. She ran as fast as she could across campus to the music building. When she reached the auditorium she stopped for the briefest of seconds to catch her breath. She opened the heavy door and walked in just in time to see Zed take the stage.

The sound of the door closing echoed through the auditorium causing him to look up. His face lit up the moment their eyes met. He stepped up to the microphone. "I wrote this song for a girl who inspires and surprises me more and more every day...I adore you..." He started to strum his guitar.

"I'm just gonna stand with my bag hanging off my left arm
I'm just gonna walk home kicking stones at parked cars
But I had a great night, 'cause you kept rubbing against my arm
I'm just gonna stand with my bag hanging off my left arm

Get me a drink, I get drunk off one sip, just so I can adore you
I want the entire street out of town just so I can be alone with you
Now go when you're ready
My head's getting heavy, pressed against your arm
I adore you

All of my money is spent on these nights, just so we can hang out
Spacing in and out of your dresses, I wanna be found by you
Found by you

She kicks the gutter in tight shorts, basketball courts
Watch me, watch her talk to boys
I'm known as a right-hand slugger
Anybody else wanna touch my lover?..." he threw her a wink and smirked, making her smile.

"Get me a drink, I get drunk off one sip, just so I can adore you
I want the entire street out of town just so I can be alone with you
Now go when you're ready
My head's getting heavy, pressed against your arm
I adore you."

Addison hadn't even realized that her feet had been carrying her down the center aisle. As the crowded auditorium applauded she ran the rest of the way down and jumped onto the stage, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Oh my god, you left?!" he said as he scooped her up in a tight hug.

"I did!" she giggled frantically. "I'm done with it. I'm all in."

He ran his hand down the side of her cheek and kissed her, not pulling away until catcalls and murmurs started from the audience. "Oops," he smiled. "I forgot we have an audience...literally," he whispered.

She smiled up to him. "Can I borrow your guitar?"

He nodded and pulled the strap over his head, handing it to her. She took it from him and quickly tuned it to where she needed it. Turning towards the audience, she could see her mother running in from the back door with her father and Bree right on her heels. She stepped up to the microphone.

"Hi, I'm Addison. I'm a junior here at Seabrook and I know I wasn't listed in the program tonight, but I hope you don't mind if I sing a song I wrote." She glanced over to Zed and smiled as she took a deep breath and began to sing.

"When I was younger
I saw my daddy cry
And curse at the wind
He broke his own heart
And I watched
As he tried to reassemble it

And my momma swore
That she would never let herself forget
And that was the day that I promised
I'd never sing of love
If it does not exist, but darlin'

You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception

Maybe I know, somewhere
Deep in my soul
That love never lasts
And we've got to find other ways
To make it alone
But keep a straight face

And I've always lived like this
Keeping a comfortable, distance
And up until now
I had sworn to myself that I'm content
With loneliness

Because none of it was ever worth the risk

But, you are, the only exception
You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception

I've got a tight grip on reality
But I can't let go of what's in front of me here
I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up
Leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream, oh

You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception
You are, the only exception

And I'm on my way to believing
Oh, and I'm on my way to believing." She looked back over to Zed as she strummed out the final chord. He had his hand over his heart and blew her a kiss.

She leaned back in towards the microphone. "I love you, Zed Milo Jacobs."

The auditorium burst in applause, with Mason and Bree cheering the loudest. Zed walked up to her as she took a step away from the microphone. Taking her hands in his, he looked her in the eyes.

"Say it again..."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Addison," he whispered closing the distance between them and kissing her.

"Go ahead and say it," she giggled against his lips. "I know you want to..."

He pulled back and smiled. "I told you so."

Addison couldn't help but laugh.

Zed smiled at the memory as Bonzo chuckled.

"I told you so?"

Zed shrugged. "I was eighteen...Maybe it wasn't the smoothest thing to say, but it got a good reaction out of her… The important thing is that she finally admitted that she loved me just as insanely as I loved her…and she shocked the hell out of me by admitting it in front of half the school and our friends and family...but, that was Addie...she never did anything small," he said with a large smile. "We were both so fucking happy that we didn't even care about the fallout that night would cause."

Zyla was the first person to reach the two of them as they walked off the stage. She wrapped them both up in her arms. "Those were two amazing performances!" she gushed as Zoey squeezed her way between them all to hug her brother. "And Addison, you dear sweet girl!" she said, kissing her cheek. "...Zevon isn't there something you'd like to add..."

"Oh, right...You did well tonight, son."

Zyla rolled her eyes at her husband. "Really, Zevon. That's the best you could do?"

Zed shook his head. "Mom, it's fine. Thanks, Pops...You know, I've been waiting for years to hear even the smallest bit of praise from you when it comes to my music...but I've realized something...I don't need your approval." He looked back to Addison and smiled.

Addison smiled, but before she could respond, Missy was grabbing her and pulling her away.

"What were you thinking?! I can't believe you just took off like that! You'll be lucky if you get a role as an understudy next year after this stunt!"

Addison dug her heels in, making her stop. "Mother, I'm done! I hate acting!"

"No you don't, you just don't like the hard work."

"I have no problem with hard work!"

"Missy! Enough! You don't master the number of instruments she has without hard work. Hard work has never been a problem for her. Will you listen to what she wants for once and not what you want?"

Addison looked over to her dad with wide eyes. He always avoided conflict with Missy. Dale met her eyes and smiled encouragingly.

"Mom...I'm focusing on music from now on. I know you're disappointed but I can't do it anymore." She looked over to Zed and smiled. "It's time I found my own voice and followed my heart."

Missy glared at her before turning to Zed. "You… This is all your fault!"

Addison walked over to him and held his hand.

"No, it's not Mother...I will not let you project your failures and mistakes on my relationship."

"He'll just break your heart, and you'll be left with nothing but regret...And now, you won't even have acting to fall back on!"

"I will never do that," Zed said as he squeezed Addison's hand reassuringly.

Addison pulled him down for a kiss, catching him off-guard. Before he could close his eyes he noticed Missy glaring at them. "We'll see about that..." she sneered walking off.

Everything in him felt the sudden urge to protect Addison from her. Addison loved him and trusted him despite having every reason in the world not to trust or love anyone. He wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes, cherishing her even more.

"Okay...enough of that. There is a small child present, not to mention your parents." Zyla laughed as she hoisted Zoey up.

"I'm not that small, Momma!"

"What do you say we go and celebrate?" Dale suggested clapping them both on the shoulder.

"That's a great idea!" Zyla said, hugging her son's side. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yes! Dinner on Daddy Dale!"

Dale rolled his eyes. "Aren't your parent's around, Mason?"

"Yup! But there was no way I was missing this!" He said hugging Addison. "I can't believe you finally stood up to the wicked witch!"

"Me either!" Bree smiled. "I'm so proud of you Adds!"

Dale just laughed. "Well, I guess we're all going out." He turned to look at Zevon. "Are you in?"

"I don't need your handouts… I can take my own family out."

"Zevon!" Zyla chastised.

"You know what...I have a long drive tomorrow," he said throwing up his hands and walking towards the exit.

Zyla looked over to Dale. "I'm sorry about him..."

Dale held his hands up and smiled. "It's fine… and my offer still stands."

She smiled and looked up to her son. "What do you say, Zeddy? In and Out Burgers? Caveman style?"

"Sounds perfect, Mom," he said hugging her back.

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's celebrate!" Dale exclaimed

As they all made their way towards the exit, Zed pulled Addison back into his arms. "I love you, Addison."

She looked up into his eyes, "I love you too, Zed… Forever."

"And after," he whispered as he bent down and captured her lips in a kiss.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Almost finished with the flashbacks, I promise! So….is anyone reading this? Just curious. I haven't gotten much feedback and I can't improve the story without it...so… if you love it, hate it, or have ideas or crazy theories about it, let me know! All feedback is appreciated!

In other news, I'm sorry I haven't update Watch Us Shine in a while. I'm kind of hating everything I write these days and I don't want to short change that story. Bear with me, I promise a new chapter is in the works.

MUSIC USED IN THIS CHAPTER:

Adore- Dean Lewis

The Only Exception- Paramore