AUTHOR'S NOTE: This chapter is rated M.
Chapter 26
APOCALYPSE
December 23rd
Addison was sitting in the middle of the den surrounded by piles of mail and boxes when Bonzo trudged down the stairs.
"Morning..." he muttered groggily.
"Afternoon," she smirked as she cut open one of the larger boxes.
Bonzo plopped down on the large white sofa behind her. "What the hell are you doing?"
She sighed and set down the box cutter. "I haven't been here in years. All this shit has been piling up..." She opened the box and pulled out a large plaque.
"Holy shit..."
"What?" Addison asked turning to look at him.
"That's a fucking platinum record."
She nodded her head. "Yes…"
"How are you that chill about this! That's a fucking Coldplay Platinum Record!"
Addison smiled. "Sorry, Bonz. Did you notice the décor in this place?"
"No… I was too busy trying to lug Z upstairs when we got here, and I don't think my eyes fully opened until about thirty seconds ago when you pulled that thing out… Speaking of Zed..."
"He's okay. He's been out of it, but his breathing is fine. You can tell he's in some pretty serious pain, though. He was tossing and turning and completely drenched in sweat..."
Bonzo rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes and then ran his hands through his hair. "If I didn't know he's going through hell, I'd beat the shit out of him…" he sighed. "Did you sleep at all?"
"No… I came down about twenty minutes ago when Bree called. She's on her way over with groceries."
Bonzo smiled at the sound of her name.
"Oh, you have got it bad," Addison teased, throwing a handful of packing peanuts at him.
He laughed and brushed them off. "You're one to talk."
"That's..." she sighed heavily. "… that's different."
"Shit, Adds..." he slid off the couch and joined her on the floor. "I didn't mean to upset you."
She waved him off. "It's fine…" she shrugged her shoulders and gave him a sad smile before returning her attention to the package she had just opened. She cursed under her breath.
"What?"
"They're going to think I'm an asshole for not sending a fucking thank-you note when this thing arrived."
"I doubt anyone expects you to personally acknowledge every artist your dad worked with."
"You're right. But this one was sent to me. Not my dad… Read the inscription."
"To our muse, Addison. This song would have never been without you." He looked back to her with a confused look.
"I was on a bender in London. I decided to stop by the studio and visit my Uncle Chris, fell asleep on the couch… When I woke up they had written and recorded 'Paradise'," she shrugged.
His jaw dropped open. "Uncle Chris? As in Chris Martin?"
She nodded her head. "Yup. He's not actually my uncle… but he was married to my Godmother."
"Gwyneth Paltrow?"
She nodded her head again.
"Your fucking Godparents are Gwyneth Paltrow and Slash?!"
"Yes, they are. One picked by my mother and the other by my father."
Bonzo shook his head in amazement. "You know, hearing Z tell stories of your insane life is one thing… Hearing them from the source is way more mind-blowing."
I kissed a girl and I liked it
Addison rolled her eyes. "I hate that fucking ringtone."
The taste of her cherr…
"Hey, are you here?…" She rolled her eyes. "I swear you'd forget your birthday if it wasn't written down." She stood up and walked over to the control panel on the wall. "See you in a sec." She hung up the phone and laughed silently. "Bree's pulling up now."
Zed yawned and stretched his arms as he sat up in bed. His muscles still felt tight, but after a few days rest, his cold symptoms seemed to finally be gone. He glanced at the clock on the nightstand, it was already well into the afternoon. He silently let out a string of curses. Addison would be in play rehearsals by now. He started to reach for his phone to send her an apology text, but the sounds of giggling coming from somewhere in the apartment caught his attention.
"Now this is where most people mess up," his mother said. "You cannot mix the noodles and sauce over heat."
"No heat?"
Zed smiled to himself as the voices grew louder the closer he got to the kitchen. Addison must have skipped rehearsals to check on him.
"Nope. Don't do it. The residual heat from the noodles is what sets the eggs to create the perfect velvety texture."
"So do I just... turn off the heat then?"
"No. Completely take it off the burner before you mix in the egg and cheese."
He peeked around the corner to find his girlfriend pouring in the contents of a mixing bowl into a large pot while his mother looked on.
"Slowly… You want to keep the pasta moving…"
"Like this?" Addison asked, not taking her eyes off of the pot.
"Perfect. As soon as the pasta is evenly coated, it's ready to go."
Addison put the tongs down and smiled. "I can't believe I just cooked!"
Zyla wrapped her up in a tight hug. "You sure did, sweet girl!"
Zed's jaw dropped open. In just a month, Addison had managed what none of his former girlfriends ever had. She had won over his mother.
"I can't wait for Zed to try it!" She suddenly looked nervous. "I hope he likes it..."
Zyla softly laughed. "If there's one thing I know, it's that my son loves Pasta Carbonara. Trust me. He'll love it."
Zed cleared his throat, letting his presence be known.
They both turned towards him and laughed.
"And just how long have you been standing there, Zeddy?" his mom teased.
"Long enough to know that my amazing mom just taught my amazing girlfriend how to cook my favorite meal!" He walked over to the stove and hugged them both. "By the way, it smells like heaven in here."
Zyla jumped a little as her phone vibrated in her pocket. "Shoot..." she said pulling it out. "I'm on call… I've got to take this." She ruffled her son's hair and smiled at him as she walked out of the room.
"You seem to be feeling better," Addison whispered, wrapping her arms around his waist as he leaned down to kiss her.
"How could I not be? I've got kisses and Carbonara." He smacked a loud kiss on her lips, making her giggle.
"Wanna try it?" she asked in a shy voice. Very off-brand for the confident force of nature she usually was.
"Baby," he said softly, running his fingers through her long golden hair. "You skipped play rehearsals, came over while I'm sick and hung out with my mom, and learned to cook my favorite dish on the planet… Of course, I want to try it!"
She giggled as he pulled away from her and grabbed a fork, twirling it in the pot and scooping up a heap of noodles, shoving it into his mouth.
His eyes rolled back as he moaned around the fork. "MMMmmmm…."
Addison bit her lip at the sound.
He swallowed and licked his lips.
"Sooo…."
He pulled her to him and kissed her. "Don't you dare repeat this, but I think that was better than when my mom makes it… God, I adore you," he breathed against her lips.
She rolled her eyes playfully and pushed him away just as Zyla walked back into the kitchen.
"I have to go into the hospital… are you going to be okay, Zeddy?"
"Mom, I'll be fine. I'm feeling much better."
"Okay," she said skeptically as she felt his forehead. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Addison, I had such a great afternoon with you. Don't be a stranger, dear."
"I had a great afternoon too. Thank you so much for the cooking lesson, Mrs. Jacobs."
Zyla wrapped her in a hug and smiled. "It was my pleasure… and please, call me Zyla." She pulled away and looked back at her son. "Walk me out?"
"Sure thing." He threw Addison a wink and walked out of the kitchen with his Mom.
"I like her. She's such a nice girl. Well mannered, and polite, and just an absolute delight… So much better than the last girl you dated… So be on your best behavior."Zyla said quietly as she picked up her purse and keys.
"I promise I will be the perfect gentleman."
She pinched his cheek. "I have a feeling about this one."
Zed rolled his eyes and laughed. "Not another mom-tuition."
"Laugh all you want, but when have I ever been wrong? You two…" she sighed as a smile lit up her face. "There's something there."
He sighed and opened the door. "Have a good shift, Mom."
"I love you, make sure you get some more rest."
"I will. Love you, too."
Addison was just finishing drying a mixing bowl when he walked back into the kitchen.
"You look so hot doing that."
She shook her head and placed it back in the cabinet. "Zed… I'm always hot."
"Too true..." he walked over to her and picked her up, sitting her on the counter. His hands running up the outside of her legs and under the hem of her pastel pink dress. "I missed you the last couple of days."
She ran her fingers through his hair. "I missed you too… I'm glad you're feeling better."
His nose skimmed down the side of her cheek. "Me too." His fingertips traced along the edge of her panties. He nipped her chin."You know, I just promised my mom that I'd be on my best behavior… but you're making me want to do very un-gentlemanly things to you."
"It would be very un-gentlemanly for you not to fuck me," she gasped out as his fingers brushed across her center.
He let out a soft laugh. "Such language..." He kissed her, biting her bottom lip, "And she thinks you're well-mannered… good thing you don't have to pretend anymore."
She reached for the drawstring of his gray joggers and pulled the tie undone. "If your mother knew all of the things that we do..."
He grasped the delicate lace covering her and ripped. "She'd keep me so far away from you…"
"God are you trouble."
"You know you love it." He picked her up, wrapping her legs around his waist, and carried her into his bedroom.
Addison sat on the edge of the bed and dabbed a cool washcloth across his forehead, hoping to alleviate some of his discomforts. He had been tossing and turning restlessly, mumbling in his sleep. As she moved the washcloth down to his cheek, his eyes started to blink open.
"Baby?" His voice was quiet but shaky.
"Hey," she whispered back with a soft smile.
"What did I do to deserve this?" He let out a breathy sigh, his eyes closing again. "Heaven."
She brushed his emerald hair away from his forehead. "What?"
"I'm back in your bed with you, the smell of Carbonara in the air… This has to be heaven..."
She let out a quiet giggle. "Malibu, yes. Heaven, no. But, I did make you pasta… If you think your stomach can handle it."
He sat up a little and looked around. "I'm not dead?… We're really here?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah. Bonz and I flew you out here early this morning… Nancy says hi..."
He could see the tears starting to form in her eyes. How many of her tears was he responsible for? Suddenly, his entire world came into sharp focus. She was and would always be the love of his life. He needed her like he needed oxygen. If he wasn't already nauseous from heroin withdrawals, the memory of the things he had said to her and the way he treated her would have made him sick. He let out a shaky breath and reached out to caress her cheek. "Adds… I'm so sorry."
She held his hand against her face and closed her eyes, cherishing his touch.
"The way I've been acting, the way I treated you, the things I said… For shooting up again. I'm sorry for all of it."
"You don't need to apologize Z. We've both done stupid shit. I'm just glad we found you in time… If anything ever happened to you..." She bit her lip to keep from crying.
"Come here, beautiful..." he whispered, pulling her down so that she was lying with him.
"I should be giving you space… I know you're in pain," she protested, trying to sit back up.
He shook his head and held her tighter. "My muscles might be screaming like I ran back to back marathons in the desert, but having you in my arms makes it better. Stay… Please?"
She nodded her head and nuzzled into the crook of his arm.
December 24th
Addison tossed the remote over to Bonzo. "I think I have officially reached my Christmas Special limit." She stood up from the couch and stretched.
"You literally watched only one," he teased.
"One more than normal," she shrugged. "I prefer the classics, like The Nightmare Before Christmas."
"That's a Halloween movie, you weirdo. Rudolph is a classic. "
"It's a Halloween/Christmas movie… and it's the greatest Holiday movie ever animated."
Bonzo rolled his eyes. "I swear you sound like Z..." he mumbled.
"Speaking of whom… I'm going to go check on him."
"I'll come with." He stood up and cracked his back. "I need to grab my charger from upstairs anyway."
Addison shrugged and started for the stairs.
When they cleared the landing for the second floor, Bonzo huffed out a sigh. "How did you deal with having to climb all these fucking steps every freakin' day. And how are you doing it now in those heels? Why are you even wearing heels, to begin with?!"
She laughed and rolled her eyes, looking down at the Loubiton's on her feet. "Cut me some slack, I missed my shoes… and climbing all these steps in heels gave me a great ass."
"True..."
"I'm sure Bree would love to know you've checked it out."
"Adds, your bunk is above mine. Seeing your ass on an almost daily basis is an occupational hazard," he teased. "Especially when you're sneaking in an out of it in the middle of the night."
She stopped and turned to look at him. "You knew?"
"Duh… Again, your bunk is immediately above mine. I knew when Zed was in there too."
She gave him an apologetic smile and giggled. "Ooops."
Bonzo shrugged. "Again, occupational hazard..." he said as they continued up to the third floor.
Addison turned the knob and opened the door as slowly and quietly as she could. The night before had been another rough one for Zed. He had alternated between shaking and sweating all night. Each temperature change bringing on a fresh wave of nausea. She had done her best to keep him comfortable, but neither of them had gotten much sleep. She tip-toed over to the bed. A light sheen of sweat covered his face. She very carefully pulled the gray comforter down to help cool him off. She stood there for a moment, watching him sleep. Despite the messy history and the heartache, she knew she'd do anything for him. She leaned down and brushed a soft kiss to the top of his head. "...Forever and after..."
"How's he doing?" Bonzo whispered from the doorway.
Addison stood back up and walked over to the door, ushering him into the hall. "Sleeping at least."
"Well, that's a good thing."
"Yeah..." She sighed, her eyes wandering, landing on the door to her music room. Suddenly all she wanted to do was play. Music had always been her salvation and at that moment, she desperately needed it. "Bonz..."
"Yeah?"
"Feel up for rehearsing?"
"Hell yeah!"
She smiled and walked to the door of her music room, opening it up. "Let's go then."
Bonzo's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he stepped in and looked around. "Holy fucking shit… This is like a wet dream come to life."
Addison giggled, running her fingers over the top of her black baby grand piano that stood in the center of the room. She walked over to the shutter doors and opened them wide, inhaling the cool salty air that wafted in. A strange sense of peace that she hadn't felt in a long time washing over her. She shook her head and smiled before turning around to pick up a bass guitar from the wall. Bonzo was still marveling at the various instruments around the room as she plugged into the amplifier cabinet. She closed her eyes and let the music flow through her. Her fingers struggling to keep up with the notes she was imagining.
"You are not a bassist."
She opened her eyes to see Bonzo standing in front of her with a large smile on his face.
"Pardon? I'm pretty sure I play bass, so..."
He chuckled and held up his hand. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?"
"That riff was a lead guitarist pretending to play a bass line if I have ever heard one." He laughed almost nervously. "It was incredible… will you teach it to me?"
She smiled, nodding her head. "Grab a bass."
Within an hour they had worked out a bass line more complex and emotionally raw than either of them had ever heard. Bonzo sat on the edge of the piano seat in awe. "That was..." he shook his head at a loss for words.
"Think you can handle it by yourself?"
He looked up as she switched out her bass for a pink Les Paul guitar. He nodded and jumped to his feet, his fingers plucking out the start of the bass line. After the fourth eight count, Addison cut in with a loud wailing power cord slowly dragging out on the whammy bar before breaking out into a full-on assault of frenetic notes.
They were both lost in the music. It wasn't until the addition of a second guitar, that they even opened their eyes. They both stopped playing.
"Don't stop on my account."
Addison's mouth ran dry. Guitar sitting at waist level, his bare chest on full display. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, trying to keep it together. She let out a sharp exhale and opened her eyes. "… I didn't mean to wake you."
"Adds, it's fine. That was fucking amazing… And you…" he let out a breathy sigh. "Seeing you like that was well worth the wake-up."
She smiled almost shyly as she walked over to him. "How are you feeling?"
"Well enough to join in… if you'll let me."
The way he was looking at her set her insides on fire. She slowly nodded her head.
"Fuck yes!" Bonzo called out as he started again.
With Addison on lead and Zed on rhythm, the two guitarists engaged in a chaotic, sensual audio dance. Back and forth, the music flowed between them effortlessly. The sexual tension was palpable. When the last chord was finally struck. They were both panting and breathless. They stared into each other's eyes, their chests heaving for oxygen. Zed licked along the inside of his bottom lip, making her bite hers.
"Unholy fucking hell..." Bonzo exhaled as he collapsed into the chair by the window, effectively breaking the spell between them. "That was a goddamn religious fucking experience."
Zed exhaled slowly and nodded his head. "Yeah…" he caught Addison's eye again and smiled. "God, I've fucking missed playing with you."
"I swear if you weren't an Acey I'd be on my knees begging you to be in Zombies," Bonzo laughed. He let out a breath and ran his hands through his hair. "We have got to play that on the road. Can you imagine how unbelievable that would sound with Eliza thrown in the mix?!"
"Have at it," Addison laughed. "Lord knows we don't have enough testosterone in The Acey's to pull it off."
Zed's arms ached with the need to reach out and grab her, pull her to him and kiss her until they both ran out of oxygen. They had always had insane physical chemistry, but he had almost forgotten how much making music together amplified those feelings. The sight of her with her eyes closed, playing whatever melody that she imagined, executing it flawlessly… He didn't have the words. She was a rock goddess. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, trying to calm the torrent of emotions running through him.
"Z… you okay?"
He nodded his head slowly. "I just need a minute." The feel of her hands on his tense shoulders making him jump.
"We need to get you back in bed."
Bonzo let out a low whistle as Addison walked out of her closet decked out in an emerald green velvet dress.
She rolled her eyes and held her finger up to her lips, reminding him to be quiet.
"Hells bells..." Zed rasped out.
She sighed and walked over to the bed. "You, mister, are supposed to be asleep." She ran her hand down his cheek. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm going through heroin withdrawals."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, you're looking better," she whispered, her thumb gently tracing one of the dark circles under his eyes.
"And you look delicious…" his eyes followed the plunging neckline of her dress. "Gucci?"
She smiled and bit her lip, nodding her head.
"Delicious?" Bonzo chuckled from the chair in the corner. "I would have said hot."
"She's always hot..." Zed said, still not taking his eyes off her.
"Are you saying I'm not always delicious?" she teased playfully.
"You know you are."
She blushed from the heated look he gave her. "Trouble..." she whispered low enough for only him to hear.
He gave her a small smile. "Where are you heading, Gorgeous?"
"The Beverly Hills Hotel."
"You still do Christmas Eve dinner with your mom?"
She nodded her head. "Whether I want to or not." She ran her hand through his hair before standing up and straightening her dress. "I just texted Bree the gate code for the one-hundred-four-thousand-fortieth time. She should be here soon… try to stay out of trouble."
"Aww..." he said right before letting out a loud yawn. "But, that's my name."
She rolled her eyes and tried not to smile. "Boy do I know it..." She waved goodbye to Bonzo and walked out the door.
Bonzo waited until he heard the clicking of her heels on the stairway before he spoke. "Well, you two seem to be getting along quite nicely."
Zed sat up and pulled his right arm across his body, stretching. "I don't know if it's the near-death experience, or just being here surrounded by a thousand memories, but..." he shook his head and looked over to him. "Everything feels just so much more." He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "That probably doesn't even make sense..."
Bonzo stood up and walked over to the bed. "In some strange way, it does. I've definitely noticed a difference in her."
Zed's stomach growled loudly. "Any chance you left me any Carbonara?"
"Yeah," Bonzo said with a laugh. "Adds threatened me with bodily harm if I touched the leftovers… for someone so small, she sure can be scary."
Zed stood up, cracking his back. "She can back it up too. You don't want to be on the receiving end of a low kick, or a punch… Trust me."
Two hours later they both sat on the couch in the front room. Zed rubbing his full stomach while Bonzo flipped through the channels on the television.
"A Christmas Story?"
"Pass."
Bonzo rolled his eyes. "Dude, it's Christmas Eve… you can't pass on every fucking Christmas movie."
"I just prefer the classics," he shrugged. "Like Nightmare Before Chris..." A pillow to the face cut him off.
"I had the exact same argument with Addie this morning! It's a Halloween movie!"
Zed laughed. "Dude, Nightmare Before Christmas is the best Holiday movie ever animated."
"SHE SAID THAT TOO!"
"That's because she has great taste in movies."
Bonzo rolled his eyes. "Right… fucking weirdos… both of you."
Zed pushed him playfully and stood up, stretching his aching muscles once again. As he turned towards the windows overlooking the pool, he noticed all the boxes stacked up against them. "What the shit is all that?"
Bonzo followed his gaze. "Oh, mail and crap that's been piling up. Adds was going through it yesterday morning… speaking of which… Did you know that Coldplay's Paradise was written about her?"
Zed's shook his head and smiled. "That song always did make me think of her for some reason…" he shrugged his shoulders. "Not surprised it actually is about her."
"How are you not? We know someone who inspired a fucking Coldplay song!"
Zed laughed and patted his friend's head sympathetically. "I know buddy… It's a lot to process. But… it's not the first song she inspired."
"Dude, I'm not talking about the ones you write."
"Neither am I."
Bonzo sat up a little straighter. "Wait… What?"
"Yeah," he said as he continued to stretch. "Back in high school, there was actually this whole on-going thing where people would try to guess which songs were about her."
"Like what?"
"Hmm… let's see…" Zed mumbled, running his hands over his face. "Um…" he let out a soft laugh. "Well, the first one off the top of my head is 'I Kissed a Girl' by Katie Perry… Just don't ever bring that one up around her."
Bonzo bit back a laugh. "Okay, so many questions."
"Do you remember me telling you about our graduation party?"
"Yeah."
"Well… I may have left out the part where Adds and KP made out in the pool."
"No fucking way."
"Way," he laughed. "Um, let's see… what else... Celebrity Skin by Hole. Courtney Love got the idea when her daughter and Adds were giving her a makeover while she was passed out."
"Addison knows Frances Bean? And more importantly, Courtney Fucking Love?!"
"Dude… simmer down."
Bonzo pulled at the ends of his hair. "How the fuck are you so chill about this?!"
"Wanna know something that will really blow your mind?"
"What could possibly be more mind-blowing?"
"Your ass is currently sitting on the same sofa that your favorite band sat on."
Bonzo quickly jumped to his feet and stared at the cushion. "Are you fucking serious? Green Day?!"
"Yeah, man. Great guys."
Bonzo dropped to his knees and kissed the couch. "This is the most amazing this ever..."
"I mean, I also screwed my girlfriend seven ways to Sunday on numerous occasions right there as well, but..."
Bonzo quickly brushed off his lips. "Not cool, Dude… Now I'm not even going to want to sit there."
Zed laughed and rolled his eyes. "We've crossed swords on the regular Bonz… I'd think you'd be cool with sitting on a couch where I've had sex."
"But this is different. It's Addison. She's like a sister."
"Well, if that's how you feel," he shrugged. "Good luck sitting anywhere in this house. Including her step-brothers bed your sleeping in."
"What is wrong with you two?" Bonzo laughed.
Zed shrugged again and walked over to the wall that housed the master recording player. "We were great together..." He flipped up the control panel.
"What are you doing?"
"This is where Dale used to preview his latest recordings… this one isn't labeled though, caught my eye..."
Bonzo walked over and looked at the machine. "That's some pulp fiction looking equipment right there. I thought everything was digital now?"
"He preferred to lay everything down old school and then transfer it. Sounds better." He pressed the playback button. A soft guitar melody filled the air.
Think of me when you're out, when you're out there
"Fuck me..." Zed whispered as Addison's voice registered.
I'll beg you nice from my knees
"Is this Adds?" Bonzo asked?
And when the world treats you way too fairly
Well it's a shame I'm a dream
Zed nodded his head, slowly backing away from the tape player.
All I wanted was you
A heavy guitar riff cut through just as his calves hit the couch. He sat down in shocked silence.
All I wanted was you…
"Damn, this is raw."
Zed shot Bonzo a glare.
"Shutting up, now..." he said locking his lips.
...I could follow you to the beginning
And just to relive the start
"What are you two doing?!" Bree asked as she rushed into the room, heading straight to the tape player and turning it off.
Zed growled.
"Bree, please?" Bonzo asked motioning over towards Zed.
She rolled her eyes. "Fine… Addie is going to be pissed..." She hit play.
And maybe then we'll remember to slow down
At all of our favorite parts
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
All I wanted was you
Bree pressed stop again and turned to look at him.
Zed had tears in his eyes. "I don't… I don't understand…" He wiped his nose. "The pain. The heartache..." he took a trembling breath and met her eyes. "She broke up with me. Why would she write something like that..."
Bree sighed and sat down on the couch next to him. "Z… the entire album was about you."
"There's more?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah, that was just the first track… God, I remember her and Mase arguing for days about putting that one first..."
"I need to hear the rest."
"Z..." She looked over his head to Bonzo for support. He shrugged his shoulders. With a heavy sigh, she stood back up and pressed play.
Forty-two minutes. That's how long he sat on the couch and listened to her pour her heart out through the most beautifully gut-wrenching songs he had ever heard. Each track cutting him deeper and deeper. He wiped his eyes and stood up. Without saying a word, he walked upstairs. He headed straight to the ensuite bathroom in Addison's room and started to throw up.
"Zed, man… you okay?" Bonzo called from the other side of the door.
"No, I'm not fucking okay!" he managed to get out between dry-heaves.
Bonzo opened the door and walked in, kneeling beside him. "Bree and I were talking… We think there's something you need to see."
Zed rested his head against the wall of the bathroom. "I don't think I can handle anything else..."
"With Adds out the house it might be the only time."
He let out a breath and stood up, walking over to the sink to rinse his mouth out. "Fine..."
They walked out to find Bree standing by Addison's closet.
"Zed… I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me…. Did you cheat on Addison the night of your going away party?"
He shook his head. "No… I didn't." He pulled out his phone and pulled something up before handing it to her.
She gasped, covering her mouth.
"Now do you believe me?"
She nodded her head. "Addie didn't break up with you..."
His head snapped up. "What? Bree, I got the fucking letter! Hell…" he stormed over to his bag and pulled out his dog tags. "She mailed me back her locket!"
"I know what it looks like. But I'd think you of all people would understand that things aren't always what they seem. Especially after what you just showed me on your phone."
"Bree… I'm hanging on by a very short thread right now."
"I know… that's why you need to see this." She opened Addison's closet door. "I started to piece everything together when I visited back in September," she said as she walked in and went to the back wall where Addison kept her safe. "0-3-0-9..." she said softly, punching in the code.
"Since when do you memorize numbers?" Zed asked, sitting down on the bench behind her.
"This one's a hard date to forget. Even for me..." she mumbled as she opened the safe and pulled out a stack of papers.
"What's all that?" Bonzo asked sitting down next to Zed.
Bree smiled and stood up, handing Zed a few pictures from the top. "Well, that's the mock-up of her album artwork… Not what I'm looking for, but I thought you'd enjoy it."
He looked at the pictures in his hand. "Holy, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph..." He held up the picture of Addison naked with only a guitar covering her. "How in the hell did she convince Dale to green-light this?"
"I'd buy it just for the cover..." Bonzo laughed.
Bree elbowed him and rolled her eyes. "It tested the best… obviously." She discreetly moved a few other pictures to the bottom of the stack before smiling victoriously. "Yes!" She handed over a worn-out envelope and sighed. "Here you go..."
"What is this?"
"You read it and tell me."
He carefully opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. From the softness and it's crinkled edges and smears, he could tell it had been handled quite a lot. He unfolded the sheet and started to read.
Bree and Bonzo watched as confusion and then anger crossed his face.
"I didn't send this..." he whispered with quiet rage. His hands shook as he held the paper.
"Everything in this is a goddamn lie! I never cared about her last name, or what I could get from her! All I ever wanted was her. She's the love of my fucking life!" He closed his eyes as more tears fell.
"If you didn't write the letter she got, then isn't it possible that Addison didn't write the one you got?"
"None of this makes sense."
"Obviously, someone was trying to keep you two apart."
Anger flashed across his eyes once more. "I know exactly who it fucking was!"
The sound of the front door opening caught all their attention.
"Shit! Give me that!" Bree said taking the envelope from him and putting it back in the safe. She shooed them out of the closet and had them sit around the room just as Addison opened the bedroom door.
The second he saw her, the rage boiling inside of him calmed and clarity took hold. Everything keeping them apart wasn't real. The pain, the heartache, none of it was their doing. With that out of the way… his chest filled with a sudden burst of joy… they could be together again.
"Hey… what are yall up too?"
"I was just… uh..." Bree stammered.
"I just woke back up and Bonz and Bree were discussing their plans for tonight."
Addison didn't look convinced but nodded her head anyway, too emotionally exhausted to deal with whatever was really going on. "Whatever… I'm going to..." she pointed to her ensuite bathroom and shrugged, walking off.
Bree followed after her. "Hey..." she said softly. "You okay?"
Addison nodded, but a singular tear falling from her eye gave her away.
"Adds." Bree pulled her into a hug. "Jesus, you're freezing."
Loud full-body sobs escaped her as she hugged her best friend. "It's just dinner… with my mother..." she struggled to get out. "And then I went… to see… Penny..."
"Oh, Addie… Shhhh… I've got you."
A soft knock on the door pulled their attention. Zed opened the door. "Is everything..."
Addison pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I'll be fine..." she put on a fake smile. "I always am, right?"
Bree pulled her back in for another hug. "How about I stay tonight… we can watch whatever scary-ass Christmas themed horror movie you want, I'll bake brownies…."
Addison wiped her eyes again and gave her a small smile. "No. I'll be okay. You and Bonzo go and enjoy midnight mass with your family." Her voice cracked as a fresh round of tears started to fall.
"Girl, I will totally cancel on all of them. You know you're more important… NO OFFENSE BONZ!" she called out.
"NONE TAKEN."
"I'll take care of her," Zed said as he walked over to them. He pulled on Addison's shoulder until she let go of Bree and let him hold her. "Besides, the last time we all watched Black Christmas together, you didn't sleep for three days, B."
Addison laughed through her tears at her best friend's expense.
"Ha. Ha. Ha..." She stroked Addison's hair and looked up at Zed. "Are you even in any shape to be taking care of anyone?"
"I don't need anyone taking care of me, fuck you very much," Addison sniffled, still clinging to Zed, her mascara staining his shirt.
Bree rolled her eyes. "All right then…I guess I'm going to head out." She looked up and met Zed's eyes, mouthing Talk.
He nodded his head as he wrapped his arms tighter around Addison.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow."
Zed held her tight as she cried. He didn't know what had made her so upset, but he knew he'd do anything he could to take the pain away. Slowly he started to sway them side to side.
"I, I can't get these memories out of my mind..." he whispered, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head as they slowly started to dance to the music that flowed between them.
"Some kind of madness has started to evolve."
She smiled against his shoulder, melting into his embrace even further.
"I, I tried so hard to let you go
But some kind of madness is swallowing me whole
I have finally seen then light
And I have finally realized
What you mean..."
His hand traced down her arm. Their fingers joined as he slowly spun her under his arm and then pulled her back into him.
"And when I look back at all the crazy fights we had
Like some kind of madness was taking control
And now I have finally seen the light
And I have finally realized
What you need..."
Her eyes glistened in the soft lights as she looked up at him. His chest tightened and his breath caught. Their gentle swaying stopped.
"Come to me,
Trust in your dream
Come on and rescue me..."
He wiped away her tears, slowly leaning down, resting his forehead on hers.
"Yes I know, I can be wrong
Maybe I'm too headstrong..."
She smiled as his thumb ran down her cheek, pulling her face closer to his.
"Our love is
Madness..." he whispered as their lips brushed together.
A slow burn ignited in them both as their lips parted and their kiss deepened.
"Addison..." Her name fell from his lips like a soft prayer. He smiled and kissed her again. "Have you ever been up to the Hollywood sign?"
She pulled back, her eyes narrowing in silent question. The Hollywood sign was their special place. The place they'd go when they wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. A place where they could talk about anything and everything. A place where they could just be together.
He leaned back in and kissed the tip of her nose. "Let's go for a drive."
She nodded her head slowly. "Okay… Let me grab my keys."
"A Volvo? Well, that's surprising..."
She nodded her head as she clicked the button on the remote to start the car. "Yup… my brother picked it out. I believe the words he used were 'safer than a bank vault'."
Zed shrugged and nodded his head as he opened the passenger side door and got in.
Addison clicked her seat belt and looked over to him. "Are you sure you're up for an hour-long car ride?"
He took her hand and brought it to his mouth, placing a kiss on the top. "I'm sure…" he looked up and met her eyes. "I think it's time we talked."
An hour and twenty-two minutes later, Addison pulled over on a familiar path and put the car in park.
"Z..." she said softly, shaking his shoulder. "We're here."
His eyes blinked open. "Fuck..." he whispered groggily. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
She shook her head and smiled. "Z, it's fine. You should be in bed sleeping while you can before the insomnia kicks back in."
He stretched his aching arms and yawned. "Still… I feel like shit for falling asleep on you." He yawned again and looked around. "It's raining?"
"Yup. Started about twenty minutes ago," she sighed.
"Damn. I was hoping we could take a walk… maybe climb up the 'H'."
Addison rolled her eyes. "Oh, the memories..."
"We sure do have some great ones."
"Yes, we do..."
He reached out and rubbed his thumb across her hand. The air between them charged as their eyes met.
"We should talk..." he whispered leaning closer to her, licking his lower lip.
"Talk..." she nodded, pulling his mouth roughly to hers. "Definitely."
Teeth clashed and tongues slid together. Everything unfolded rather quickly after that. His hands were everywhere at once, cupping her and squeezing her, pulling her over the center console so she was in his lap. She hiked up her long dress and straddled him, pulling his shirt up and off, throwing it into the backseat. He shifted underneath her pushing his straining erection against her hot center. Her body was shaking, screaming for more contact as her dress came off.
Time seemed to suddenly standstill as the moonlight hit her alabaster skin. "Beautiful..." he whispered. He looked up and met her eyes. He wanted her. He needed her. But he knew they needed to talk more. He closed his eyes, taking a breath to try to clear his head. "Adds…"
"What's wrong?" she asked breathlessly.
"I… I didn't mail you that letter."
She pulled away. "What?"
"The letter, breaking up with you. I didn't write it. I would have never said those things."
"But… But... you cheated on me..." she whispered.
"No… I didn't."
"But I saw you!"
"Addison, I swear… It was a setup. All of it. The cheating, the letter. Everything."
"This doesn't make any sense… I saw you with that girl!… I have the fucking letter!" She yelled.
"And I got a letter from you saying that you were just using me to piss off your parents!"
"Bullshit!"
"It's the truth! How else would I have this?" He held up his dog tags, showing her the locket that hung beside them.
She slapped him across the face. "Of all the fucking lies you've told me…" She opened the passenger side door and took off.
"Where the fuck are you going?" he screamed after her, watching as she ran farther down the path. "It's storming and you're in your underwear!"
"It beats being in that car with you!" she yelled back. When she saw that he was following her she ran faster, but he overtook her easily as she started for the security fence.
"Listen to me, Goddammit!" Zed yelled, grabbing her slippery shoulders and turning her around to face him. It was obvious she had been crying, but her tears were camouflaged by the steady stream of rain down her face. His own hair was falling in his eyes, and he shoved it back so that he could look at her. "I'm telling you the truth!"
"I don't believe you!" Addison shoved him and tried to turn back to climb the fence, but he held her tightly. When she realized that she wasn't going to get away, she began struggling in his arms, slapping at his soaking wet chest.
"Your mother set it all up!"He shook her then, wishing he could somehow rattle some sense into her. "She was trying to break us up!"
"Oh that's rich," she laughed, her cheeks glowing with anger in the moonlight. "My mother is to blame for a lot of things, but your inability to keep it in your pants and then rip my fucking heart out from across the country is not her fault!"
"Yes, it is!" Zed screamed, blinking through the rain to see her more clearly. "I was drugged or something! That girl was an actress! Your mom orchestrated the whole damn thing! Your mom sent us both those letters!"
"Liar!" She sobbed loudly and shoved at him again, slipping from his grasp. He pulled her back to him roughly until their chests were sliding together.
"It's the fucking truth! You know it deep down! I loved you then, and I love you now. I've never stopped!" He slammed his mouth down onto hers, possessing her lips with a ferocity that he didn't know he was capable of. Grabbing her by her soaked hair to look him in the eye. "I know you still love me too." Zed kissed her again fiercely, not understanding why his anger was turning into lust. He pulled her down onto the wet grass, ignoring her feeble protests. Once he had her hands pinned above her head so that she couldn't slap him again, he forced her to look at him.
"Admit it," he growled at her.
"I can't admit what's not true," she spat back at him. Addison's eyes were on fire, shooting daggers at him as if she were imagining his painful death, but it didn't stop her from wrapping her legs around his waist and shifting against his uncomfortably hard erection.
"Stop being a bitch. I'm not letting you up until you say it." Zed ground his hips into her for added effect, leaving absolutely no doubt in her mind that he needed her badly.
"God!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his back and digging her nails into his slick flesh. Sobbing into his neck before biting him roughly, she snapped, "Just shut up and fuck me!"
"No!" he gritted through his teeth. Everything she was doing was painful, but it was also exquisite. He felt alive, and like he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Zed thrust against her more firmly, digging into the hollow between her thighs. "Not until you say you still love me!"
He leaned down and pulled a tightly puckered nipple to his hungry mouth. Sucking on her chilled flesh and pulling at the cold metal bar, he continued his movements until he felt her grinding her hips back into his.
"Say it!" he snarled, feeling more possessive with every thrust.
"Oh, God!" she sobbed again, digging her nails in deeper. "I'm yours… Forever" she croaked.
"Louder!"
"Goddamn you, I still love you!" she screamed. "Now fuck me!"
Zed had reached his breaking point. Fumbling with the fly on his jeans, he tore them open just far enough to free his aching erection. He grabbed a condom from his back pocket and rolled it on before shoving his hand between her legs and yanking her thong to the side. Grunting and panting, he lined himself up at her entrance and slammed inside her, making them both cry out so loud that it echoed through the air.
Zed took note of the biting chill and the downpour of freezing water cascading over his bare back and onto her chest, but short of a lightning bolt striking two feet away from them, nothing was going to make him stop. He ground himself into her with one angry, possessive thrust after another, marveling at the scorching heat that was squeezing and milking every last ounce of sanity out of his cock.
"Yessss," she wailed as he pistoned his hips faster, her head thrown back into the sopping wet grass and her eyes squeezed tight.
"Look at me!" he commanded, refusing to let her do anything that would shut him out of her senses. When her fiery gaze shot to his, he somehow felt himself growing impossibly harder inside her.
"What?" Addison spat out, furious at him for barking more orders at her. "I already told you what you wanted to hear! Isn't that enough?"
"No!" he yelled back. "It will never be enough! I don't just want you to say it, I want you to believe it! I want you to look me in the eye...I want you to know damn well that I'm telling the truth! We were set up! I love you!" Zed grunted as he thrust even harder.
He could see her resolve crumbling in front of him. Zed didn't know if it was what he was saying to her or what he was doing to her, but something finally made her snap.
"Yes!" she sobbed, wrapping her arms around him even tighter, her body starting to shake under his. It looked like fresh tears pooling in her eyes but he couldn't be sure with the rain. "I believe you! I still love you! I fucking belong to you and I can't make it stop! I don't want to make it stop!" she began weeping freely into his neck before kissing the skin where she had bitten earlier. "Nothing else...nobody else...none of it means a thing to me when I'm with you! And sometimes I fucking hate you for it!"
"Well sometimes I hate you, too!" he gritted through his teeth, his body winding tighter, like a coil about to snap. It was true; there were times when Zed hated even the thought of her. He hated her every time she snuck out of his bunk. He hated her every time he saw her with another guy. He hated her every time he remembered that she was no longer his.
"It's not fair!" Addison sobbed biting down onto his ear.
Zed forced her to look at him again, holding her head in place while he wiped the rainy tear mixture out of her eyes.
"No, it's not," he said hoarsely. "But at least now we know." And with that he leaned in and covered her mouth with his own, swallowing her kisses along with her tears.
Both of their bodies began to spiral out of control after that, finally reaching the point of no return together. Zed sped up his thrusts as Addison bucked her hips wildly, and he was startled to feel her hands slide up and grab him by the back of the head. She yanked on his hair until he was staring down at her again before gasping. "Say it!"
"I love you, baby," he grunted barely holding on as they writhed together on the ground.
"Louder," she cried, her voice breaking with an involuntary whimper. He could feel her inner muscles clamping down on him as he bucked his hips and had no idea how he was able to form a coherent thought.
"I love you… I belong to you," Zed moaned. "You have always owned me…body and soul."
And with that Addison exploded in a fit of screams, shaking and bucking beneath him as he quickly followed, pumping deep inside her.
After a few minutes of frantic panting and attempting to regain composure, Zed realized just how freezing she was: her teeth were starting to chatter and she was beginning to shake violently from the cold. He refastened his now-soaked jeans and scooped her up in his arms, holding her close to him as he carried her back to the car.
Sitting down in the back seat with Addison on his lap, he reached forward into the front and turned on the engine, blasting the heat on high. After that, he grabbed his leather jacket and wrapped it around her tightly, tucking her against his chest as he rubbed her back, trying to generate more heat. Zed held her close like that for almost an hour, stroking her hair in silence and watching as her eyes slowly shut. When he tried to wake her up gently to help her get dressed before heading home, she surprised him by whispering against his skin.
"I'm sorry. I should have pieced it together a long time ago. She ruined everything."
"You have nothing to apologize for," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "I don't blame you for thinking what you did. It took me a long time to piece it together, myself. I'm sorry I lost my temper."
She smiled tiredly. "Me too… We always did have the best fights...too bad we didn't have a bed to break this time."
"Or a set of ridiculously expensive sheets to rip apart," he offered with a soft laugh.
They were silent for a few minutes before Addison looked up at him. "How did you figure it out?"
"The letters or the party?"
"All of it."
"Bree was the one who figured out the letters… don't be mad, but she showed me the one you got right before you came home."
"Now she remembers an access code..." she mumbled.
"But as far as my going away party… That happened in Iraq. I was walking through the rec room after dinner and they had a movie on. I looked up when I recognized a voice. It was your mother. I was about to storm off in the other direction when I noticed who your mom was sharing the scene with..." he ran his hand through his wet hair in frustration. "I had looked at that picture you took that night so many times trying to make sense of it all...I had her face memorized. A quick IMDB search confirmed it. It was the movie your mom had been filming that summer."
Addison wiped her eyes. "As if I needed any more reasons to hate her…"
"Fucking heroin..." Zed mumbled quietly to himself in the dark. Addison had fallen asleep in his arms shortly after they had returned to her dad's house, but thanks to withdrawal insomnia, sleep evaded him. He let out a sigh as he looked at the clock. It was nearly four in the morning. Very carefully, he slipped out of bed without disturbing her and walked into her music room next door.
He opened the shuttered balcony doors and drug a chair over. He was completely exhausted but filled with a peace that he hadn't felt in years. As he watched the moons reflection ripple in the water below, a melody floated through his mind. He got up and grabbed one of her acoustic guitars off the wall and sat back down, plucking out the chords.
"You leapt from crumbling bridges watching cityscapes turn to dust
Filming helicopters crashing in the ocean from way above
Got the music in you baby, tell me why
Got the music in you baby, tell me why
You've been locked in here forever and you just can't say goodbye
Kisses on the foreheads of the lovers wrapped in your arms
You've been hiding them in hollowed out pianos left in the dark...
Your lips, my lips, apocalypse
Your lips, my lips, apocalypse
Go and sneak us through the rivers flood is rising up on your knees, oh please
Come out and haunt me, I know you want me
Come out and haunt me
Sharing all your secrets with each other since you were kids
Sleeping soundly with the locket that she gave you clutched in your fist
Got the music in you baby, tell me why
Got the music in you baby, tell me why
You've been locked in here forever and you just can't say goodbye
You've been locked in here forever and you just can't say goodbye..."
"That's really beautiful..."
He smiled to himself at the sound of her voice.
"Oh, when you're all alone, I will reach for you
When you're feeling low, I will be there too."
He set the guitar down as her arms wrapped around him from behind and her lips found purchase on his neck.
"I woke up and you weren't there. Insomnia?"
"I didn't want to wake you."
She walked around him and sat in his lap, taking the blanket that she was wearing and wrapping it around them both. "You can always wake me up. I'll stay up all night with you if that's what you need."
He kissed her softly before resting his head against her forehead. "Adds… We've lost so much time together…"
"I know," she whispered sadly.
"I don't want to go back to how things were on tour. I want to be with you and only you in every way."
She smiled and ran her hand through his hair. "Does this mean I get to call you my boyfriend?"
His chest shook with silent laughter. Her words reflecting the very ones he spoke in this same room so many years ago. "I'd like that..." he smiled. Slowly, his smile turned into a confident smirk. "So...just what does the title of 'boyfriend' entail?" he challenged.
Addison giggled, thrilled that he was going along with her trip down memory lane. Her grin turned predatory. She leaned in and breathed her reply into his ear. "It's a very demanding role. During the days and evenings, you and I would have to do all the things touring rockstars do, like rehearsals, gigs, meet-and-greets..." She moved to press a light kiss under his ear. "But the nights...those would be spent pleasuring each other to new heights, experimenting with just how long and how hard we could go, and then push things further." Her voice was raspy as his hands cupped her breasts, his lips planting kisses along her jaw. She bit his earlobe, soothing it quickly with her tongue.
"I bet you say the same to all your boyfriends," he whispered playfully.
"Only you, baby..."
"God, I love you so fucking much..."
"Z…" she pulled away, her previous playfulness gone. "You know how I feel about you… I meant what I said earlier, but…" she sucked in a shaky breath and exhaled. "I just can't say it. Not yet… If this doesn't work out… I can't… I can't go through that pain again..."
He pushed her chin up with the back of his hand so that she was looking at him. "I know you've spent years thinking the worst of me, and it's going to take time before you trust me again… But, I..."
"I do trust you," she whispered, cutting him off. "None of this was either of our faults. There are just some things I'm not ready to talk about or say. I need some time..."
"Adds, I've waited for five years to be with you again… I think I can wait a little longer to hear you say the L-word."
"I adore you."
"I can live with that." He smiled as he brought her in for a kiss. "I love that I can kiss you whenever I want."
She bit his lip and giggled. "Is that all you want to do?"
"Not in the least..." He grabbed her around the waist, picking her up, and hiked her over his shoulder. She didn't fight as he trounced into her bedroom and to the ensuite bathroom, setting her down on the tile floor.
"What are we doing?" she asked with a hushed giggle.
He opened the medicine cabinet above the sink and grabbed a condom, ripping it open with his teeth and rolling it over his erection. He gave her wink and knelt down to turn the water on in the jacuzzi tub. "We're gonna get clean before we get very, very, dirty..."
She reached out and pulled him back up to her. "Speaking of clean..." Her fingers slid down his treasure trail to his eager cock. "We both have some serious notches in our bedposts… But… I have an IUD and I trust you..." She gripped the top of the condom, rolling it down and off with a snap. She grinned and licked her lower lip. "The question is… Do you trust me?"
"Abso-fucking-lutely, baby." He pulled her in and kissed her hungrily. When they pulled apart panting and gasping for air he flashed her a predatory smile. He picked her up and stepped into the tub, sitting them down in the warm water.
Addison moaned as she absorbed the warmth. Her wound-up muscles loosening under the jets. Her head rolled back resting on his shoulder. "Gods this is relaxing," she whispered.
His hands slipped under her ass as he lifted her to one of the nozzles. He gently urged her legs apart, wiggling under her to support her body from behind as the rushing water hit her clit. "Does that feel good?"
She nodded her head. "It's nice… but your cock would feel even better inside me."
"Not yet."
"Is that so?" She dipped a hand between his legs and stroked his hard-on. She pulled it up and squeezed her thighs around it as she started to ride.
"Game on..." he breathed into her ear, barely pumping his hips to her rhythm.
She smiled and turned in his arms to face him. She straddled his cock and shoved it in with a caterwaul. "If the neighbors haven't called the cops by the time I'm done with you, I'm doing you all wrong..."
He threw his head back in ecstasy. The feeling of being bare inside of her overwhelming his senses. "Goddamnit..." he panted out. "You feel so fucking good, baby..."
She leaned close to his lips and drank in the hot vapor hastening out of them. "You said you wanted me. Well, here I am, complete with baggage and risks, bells and whistles." She lifted her ass and plunged hard, making another gasp fall from his lips.
He pinched her nipples. "I love your bells and whistles."
She moaned as he pushed up into her farther. The head of his dick twitching against the super-sensitive spot inside her that only he ever reached. "Yes, baby… Yes..."
Her spine slammed against the side of the tub, his body covering hers. Wild pounding, water sloshing everywhere, crashing over the lip of the tub and splattering on the floor. She clutched his shoulders and attacked him with her mouth. Body parts hit the Jacuzzi walls, and a full-on wrestling match ensues, both fighting for control. He tried to shove her arms behind her back, but she grappled for his wrists. Their hands in a deadlock, he used his chest to urge her against the side of the tub, but she dug in her heels and put all her strength into fighting him. The splashes they were making were sure to create huge puddles, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
He was stronger than her, but she played dirty. She clamped her thighs around him and squeezed his cock. Once he was distracted and resumed banging her, she bit his shoulder and shoved him. His arms wrapped around her back in a bear hug. She pushed against him, anxious to maintain the upper hand, but certainly willing to be taken down and thoroughly ravaged if she couldn't. She was straddling a fine line between desire and control. This was them. Both dominant. Both submissive. Both fighting for control but loving when they lost it.
"Why are you fighting me, Adds? You know I'm going to win." A hint of a smile tagged his words, making her fuck him harder just to spite him.
"You can't win a fight you already planned to throw." She lunged for his lips. Teeth bumped as she ripped into his mouth. Their bodily battle eased as the oral one took center stage.
His hands loosened their grip as she rode him harder, biting, pulling, dragging. She could feel the struggle bleeding out of him.
With a rough shove, she disengaged. His breath raged in her ears, competing with the loud swirling bubbles for attention. She fumbled around for the controls, switching off the jets, and loosening the drain plug. The vortex of spinning water suctions as she smashed her lips to his. His hips stopped thrusting as she absorbed his body into hers.
The water level was down to her ass, and aside from gasping, Zed was no longer moving, letting her lead. Working her thighs, she grinded up and down his dick, bouncing on his lap. Her wet hair slapping skin like a whip.
"Close?" She bucked and twisted her hips. His answering smile giving her all the reason she needed to let go, but she held on for a bit longer. "I want your cum on my ass."
"My fucking pleasure..." He pulled out as she flipped over to hands and knees, hiking up her ass.
He knelt behind her and spread her cheeks with one hand. She pushed her ass against his dick, moving in slow spirals, taunting him. In seconds, liquid heat hit her hole in a long series of spurts.
She giggled and looked at him over her shoulder, running her tongue over her lower lip before pulling it between her teeth.
He let out a breath and arched his brow in a silent question, swiping the head of his dick through the cream.
She smiled sweetly. "Are you trying to test my limits, Baby?"
"Maybe..."
She smirked. "Good luck… you know I don't have any..."
"My wild girl…"
Searing pain yanked her head back as he shoved his cock into her ass.
"Fuck!" she screamed. The mixture of agony and pleasure too much. Her knees wobbled and her chest dropped to the bottom of the almost empty tub. Ass up and getting the reaming of a lifetime, all she could do was moan. Pain-tinged tears gathered at the corners of her eyes and mingled with the last of the water.
He pressed his front into her back and lowered his lips next to her ear, placing gentle kissed against her skin. A pair of fingers spread her pussy and dove in while he continued to pound into her with vicious strokes. She was on the verge of begging for mercy when he slowed to a seductive swing that shifted the sensory tide from torment to heady lust. She swiveled her hips to the rhythm he created, dancing, rejoicing at re-connecting with the partner she'd missed for so long.
"God, I've missed fucking your ass."
"You hurt so fucking good..." She slid a hand behind her and alternated between fondling and squeezing his balls. With each new stroke, his breath hitched. They locked eyes. She could tell he was about to lose control. She shoved his fingers aside and concentrated on the cadence, wanting to time her orgasm just right. She readjusted her stance, pushing into him and spreading her ass cheeks to give him an all-access pass.
"God fucking damn it, Baby. I'm about to hose your asshole with a fucking gallon of cum," he moaned through clenched teeth.
She closed her eyes and focused on the rhythm. "Tell me when, and I'll come with you."
He squeezed her tits. His muscles tightened around his cock and then clenched like they were holding on for dear life. "Now!" The thrusts stopped, and his body froze as he released into her. With three brutal clit rubs, she free-fell with him. Roughing her pussy until it was covered in her own juices, she lost her vision. His hooked middle finger joined hers and hit a nuclear power button inside her.
Zed's heavy pants echoed off the tile, mirror, and walls, as he collapsed onto her back with a guttural battle cry. He was totally limp except for those fingers pumping away inside of her like they struck oil and wanted to stake their claim.
She was still orgasming.
With his free hand, he withdrew her fingers and licked them while the other continued to plunge her pussy, working it into a frenzy.
Still coming. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God..." It was like being stuck in an orgasmic merry-go-round featuring the most intense pleasure a human being could experience without drugs. Hell, it was even better than drugs.
A good thirty seconds later, the climax ebbed, and she fell into a heap beside him, thoroughly wasted.
A pair of arms wound around her body, enfolding her cold skin in delectable heat. Zed kicked a leg over hers and covered all her corresponding parts with his.
She felt like she'd been robbed of her senses.
"Fucking fuck."
"Understatement," she laughed. She curled her arm around his neck, and he leaned over her shoulder.
When she turned her head, his lips subsumed her in a tender, unexpected kiss. It was like a ray of sunshine in the middle of a downpour, slicing through sinfully alluring darkness and so full of light, it was almost blinding. When he broke away, his eyes looked different, softer even. The endorphin high kicked up anew, and the fluttery feeling she hadn't had since high-school muddled her stomach.
Zed pressed a sweet kiss to her sweaty shoulder and rested his cheek there. Submissive. "Let's go to bed."
Holding hands, leaning on each other, they headed for the bedroom and tumbled into the covers together. He moved in for a lingering, sweet kiss.
She snuck a peek at him while their lips played together. From under the half-lowered shades of his lids, he was staring at her. Heat seeped into her cheeks as she pulled away. "You're supposed to shut your eyes when you kiss a girl," her voice was soft, barely a whisper.
"I finally have you back. I don't want to miss a single second."
Her heart fluttered. It was the only reply she could give. He must have heard it, or felt it. He tightened his arms around her middle and softly kissed her forehead.
"I love you, Addison… forever."
"...and after."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: And breath… sorry, I know this was super long, but they finally know the TRUTH! Don't worry, just because they are back together doesn't mean the story is coming to an end anytime soon. There's still plenty of story to tell.
ADDITIONAL NOTE FROM LAST WEEK: WildFlowerChildGrace gets COMPLETE credit for the inclusion of Mad World from Riverdale! I can't believe after months and months of harassment (I mean that in the most loving way possible) that I forgot to give her a shout-out when I finally used it!
MUSIC USED IN THIS CHAPTER:
Apocalypse- Sex After Cigarettes
Madness- Muse
All I Wanted Was You- Paramore
If Your Mother Knew- Charlie Puth