AUTHOR'S NOTE: And now for part 2. This chapter is rated M.
On The Edge
Chapter 42
ROOTS
- PART 2 -
"So. Fucking. Tired…" Zed mumbled as they stumbled into their hotel room. "But I need you more than sleep right now."
Addison yawned and tossed her overnight bag onto the table. "It's after midnight..." She turned around and walked into his waiting arms, giving him a tired smile, "Who am I to deny the birthday boy?" she asked, running her hands down the soft flannel covering his hard chest.
He smiled and pulled her in for a soft and longing kiss. Her hands moved up to the back of his neck and into his hair. He moaned and pulled her head back, his lips trailing kisses along the length of her neck.
"Please know that I had every intention of having hot, dirty, birthday sex with you…" she whispered. "I even packed new lingerie and a pair of handcuffs… but I really don't think I have the energy."
"I just want you. Here. Now. We can pull out all the bells and whistles tomorrow. Right now, I just want to make love to you," he said softly as he slowly slid her jacket past her shoulders. Her loose black blouse followed as he kissed her freshly exposed skin along the way.
She did the same in return, sliding his leather jacket down and tossing it behind him onto the nearby armchair.
He momentarily stepped out of their embrace to pull his flannel over his head, without undoing any of the buttons.
"I wanted to do that," she pouted.
Zed chuckled. "You and your flannel fetish."
She reached out and traced the tattoos running down his arms. "Have I mentioned how much I love that you've started wearing them again?"
"Maybe a time or two…" He pushed himself up against her, feeling the heat from her bare skin against his. "Have I mentioned how much I love you?" he asked as his fingers undid her pants and gave them a subtle tug, dropping them to the floor.
"Maybe a time or two…" she smiled, kissing him as she undid his pants and cupped her hands around his hard length. "I love you, too."
He sucked gently on her lower lip as he stepped out of the crumpled clothing around his feet. Their breathing intensifying at the feeling of their skin brushing against one another as he slowly walked them back towards the bed. Their lips refused to part. His strong arms securely held her around the nape of her neck and around her lower back as he lowered her onto the mattress.
Zed began to kiss down her neck to the black lace of her bra. His finger hooked under the lace, and gently pulled down, exposing her breasts. His tongue lightly rolled around her nipple and he pulled at the silver bar with his teeth. Not allowing her other breast to miss out, he slowly made his way over to the other side and repeated.
He sat back on his knees and slowly pulled the top of her matching black lace underwear. Addison lifted her legs up vertically, allowing him to slide them off her extended legs. His hands ran down the length of them before slowly pushing his entire body up against her upstretched legs. He kept her legs suspended in the air as he placed them on either side of his shoulders and then parted them farther as he pulled her against him.
She wrapped both her legs around his torso and held him tightly as he knelt over her. Her arms still stretched up behind her, submitting herself to him.
Zed gripped behind her arched back, and slowly sank himself inside.
Her eyes automatically closed, the stunning sensation flooding her entire body, feeling the incredible fullness deep inside. She moaned each time he pulled her body back into his, wrapping her legs around him tighter as their rhythm increased.
He rolled himself forward and stretched his legs out behind him so that he was hovering above her. Both their bodies rubbing against one another with blazing friction.
She curled her hips forward to meet his strokes. Sliding her hands along his back, she could feel the ripple of his muscles as she made her way down to his ass.
He let out a low growl as her nails dug into his skin. His hand slid under her back and unclasped her bra, sliding it off her arms and throwing it across the room. He cupped her breast, pinching her nipple between his thumb and index finger.
Addison moaned at the feeling building up like fire inside of her. Their motion began to quicken in pace. Both of their hands feverishly feeling around each other's bodies as the tension continued to rise.
Zed rested his forehead against hers and cupped the side of her face. Rubbing her lower lip with his thumb, he whispered, "You're so beautiful…"
Her legs pulled him deeper inside, constricting his movement. She could feel him start to expand inside of her.
"Fuck, Addison… Come with me, Baby," he beckoned with his sexy low voice, sending her over the edge. The feel of her climax squeezing and tensing around him making his stokes deeper and harsher as he released into her.
As she tried to catch her breath, Addison watched his sweat glistened chest rise and fall with every inhale. She couldn't help but think back to the last time they celebrated a birthday in a hotel. She bit back a giggle and smiled.
Zed caught her eye and laughed. "You're thinking the same thing, aren't you…" he whispered, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close.
She smiled and placed a kiss on his pec. "If you're thinking that this was a surprising, yet highly enjoyable deviation from our usual rough, wild, and out of control, and a complete 180 from the night of my birthday? Then yes."
He laughed again and pulled her chin up so he could kiss her softly. "I love you, so fucking much."
"I love you, too. Forever."
"And after."
"Happy Birthday."
"Thank you, Baby…" he yawned. "Let's get some sleep."
"Are you sure you don't want to go?" Tracey asked as he sat down next to Lacey on her bunk and hugged her. She had been acting weird all day during rehearsals at the old power plant they were playing at, and even more so since they had gotten back on the bus. He had been trying his hardest to keep her from flying off the handle.
"Why the hell would I want to go anywhere to celebrate that asshole?" she snapped. "I don't understand why you guys would want to either! I mean, I expect it out of that one…" she sneered, pointing over to Addison, "But you two?" she shook her head and tsked.
Addison rolled her eyes and continued to do her best to ignore her as she finished gathering her things from her bunk to bring back up to her hotel room.
"Come on Lace…" Jacey said in a low voice. "Everyone else is going to be there… And we have to eat anyway. Why not?"
"I'd rather starve. Besides, how the hell are any of them going to be able to afford that place?"
"Someone in Wynter and Wyatt's family owns the restaurant," Addison said as she climbed back out of her bunk. "I'm going to go get ready with Bree. You wanna come with me, Trace?" she asked over her shoulder.
He hopped up from Lacey's bunk and clapped excitedly. "Yes! Think she'll let me use that hairspray again? It made my hair look amazing! Oh! And can I borrow your studded Loubiton booties?"
"Seriously, Tracey?!" Lacey yelled.
"Yeah, they would look FAB with my Dolce and Gabanna jacket."
"That's not what I meant."
The ice in her voice made him stop dead in his tracks. "What?"
"You're really going to go?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because I don't want you to! You're in MY band! Are you really going to do this to me?!"
Tracey's eyes went wide. "Do what? Spend an evening with my friends celebrating my friend's birthday?"
"YES!"
"Are you even listening to yourself?" he asked, his voice full of shock. "Zombies and The Pack get along like family! Why do you insist on making us the outcasts!"
"Because we're better than them!" she screamed standing up and walking towards him "You know what… Do what you want… I thought I could trust you. I guess I was wrong."
"Why are you making me choose?"
"I shouldn't have to," she replied angrily before turning around and walking towards the back of the bus.
"I should probably stay with her…" Jacey whispered. "Maybe go sight-seeing or something..."
Tracey stood there dumbfounded as he watched them walk off.
Addison walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around him. She rested her chin on his shoulder. "You don't have to come. Z will understand… So will Mason."
He leaned his head against hers. "I've known Lacey forever and we've been through everything together… We started this band. Fought and clawed to get this far… But… we wouldn't be where we are now without you… and I'm getting tired of this bullshit. Family isn't supposed to treat you like that..." he shrugged his shoulders and turned around in her arms so that he could hug her back. "...So I'm choosing you. And I will every time. You're the sister I always wanted. I love you, Addie-Caddie."
"Ugh," she laughed quietly. "You're going to make me cry, bitch. I love you, too!"
Tracey kissed her cheek. "Come on Honey-Bunny, there's not a chance in hell I'm missing this party!"
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
The sun setting over Lake Union provided the perfect breathtaking background as the restaurant's lights dimmed and a large chocolate cake with sparklers was brought to the table.
"Happy… Birthday… To you…" Addison sang in a breathy voice as the sparklers lit up Zed's face. "Happy Birthday… To you…"
Zed grabbed her waist and pulled her down into his lap.
"Happy Birthday, Mr. Necrodopolus…. Happy Birthday, to you…"
"You put Marilyn to shame, Gorgeous," he whispered before kissing her passionately as their friends loudly cheered and hollered around them, earning their table more than a few stares from the patrons of the fine dining restaurant.
"Alright, alright, that's enough," Bucky called out as the lights came back up. "It might be your birthday, but she's still my sister."
Zed ignored him and kissed her again.
"SPEECH! SPEECH!" Wyatt hollered.
Addison hopped up from his lap so he could stand up. Grabbing his glass of Pol Roger champagne with one hand, and Addison's waist with the other to bring her into his side, he looked around the table. "Damn…" he laughed. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd get the chance to spend a birthday like this. Last year we celebrated in a run-down loft, splitting a pizza and six-pack," he said looking over to Bonzo and Eliza. "This past year has been a wild ride, to say the least. Thanks to our manager extraordinaire, we finally got the chance to go on tour..." he said holding his glass up towards Bucky. "I was reunited with my best fucking friends…" he said, nodding towards Bree, Mason, Wyatt, Willa, and Wynter. "And…" he turned his body so he was facing Addison. "I have my heart and soul back…" He gazed into her eyes and smiled. "I don't know what the future is going to bring, or where we're going to find ourselves by my next birthday, but as long as I have you in my arms I know I'll be exactly where I'm supposed to be."
She bit her lower lip and looked up at him through her lashes. "I love you."
"I love you too, Baby." He leaned down and brushed a soft kiss across her lips. "Thank you for making this the best birthday ever."
"It's not over yet," she giggled. She looked over to Willa. "You should probably tell him now."
"Tell me what?" he asked looking between Addison and Willa.
"We're going old school tonight."
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"Oh my god," Zed laughed as the Uber pulled up outside their destination.
"Surprise!" Willa, Wynter, Wyatt, and Addison all screamed.
"I don't get it?" Tracey asked. "This is where we're playing tomorrow night. We were already here earlier for rehearsals."
Zed nodded his head as he helped Addison out of the SUV. "Yeah… but it's Thursday night."
"Which means…."
"OPEN MIC NIGHT!" The Pack exclaimed in unison.
Addison giggled at the confused look on Tracey's face. She draped her arms around his neck and started to walk with him and Mason towards the entrance. "This is where Z and The Pack used to play back in high school. We're playing on the top floor tomorrow night. Tonight, however… we'll be gracing the stage on the first floor before we make our way upstairs to the bar to finish our evening with comped bottles in the VIP section."
"That last part was Pom-poms, addition," Wyatt added.
"And how much is that costing?" Bucky mumbled under his breath.
Addison turned around and flipped him off. "Not a damn thing thanks to my Bamm! Executive card."
"I still want one of those," he said with a chuckle.
Zed wrapped his arms around Addison's waist and pulled her back to him. "This is perfect!"
"I'm glad you like."
"I more than like."
"Good. Because I more than like you," she giggled.
He leaned down and nipped her nose playfully. "I more than like you, too…"
"Are we going in or not!" Mason teased, breaking them apart.
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
A wave of nostalgia washed over him as they made their way through the crowd towards the tables in front of the stage. He laughed to himself and turned his head towards Addison. "I really can't believe we're back here."
"You said the same thing earlier during rehearsals," she giggled.
"Yeah, because I can't believe we're back here!"
Before she could respond, a loud booming voice called out, "There they are!"
"MACK!" Wyatt, Willa, and Wynter exclaimed, jumping over to the ropes that had been put in place to reserve the tables for them, to greet him.
Zed's eyes lit up. "Jesus, you're still here!"
Mack laughed and pulled him into a hug as soon as he was within reaching distance. "I'm not just still here, I own the place now."
"No fucking way!"
"Way… Sorry, I wasn't here earlier today to catch you." he turned to Addison and took her hand, placing a kiss on it. "Lovely to see you again, my dear."
"It's good to see you too."
"I always knew you guys would make it," he said with pride ringing in his voice.
"We're not there yet," Zed laughed. "But we're getting there." He looked around at everyone surrounding the tables. "Guys, this is Mack. He used to be the stage manager here but now owns it. Mack, this is Bonzo, our bass player, and his girlfriend, Bree. Tracey, the guitarist for the Acey's. That's Mason, a friend of ours from LA, um, and that's Eliza, our drummer, and Bucky our manager."
"It's nice to meet you all," Mack said with a wave. "If you need anything tonight, just let me know. I can't wait to see you guys play tomorrow night!"
"Hey, Mack!" Wyatt called over. "Any chance you can get us on the lineup tonight?"
He shook his head and chuckled. "Wyatt, you guys can have as many slots as you want. Just tell me when."
"Woooo!"
"You really shouldn't have told them that," Bucky laughed. "They're all stage hogs. Every single one of them."
Mack looked over to Bucky. "Trust me, I know. I used to have to drag them off stage when they were younger…." he shook his head and let out a loud laugh. "I don't envy you having to babysit these guys. They were hellions in their youth, I can only imagine the trouble they get into now!"
"You have no idea…"
Willa shrugged out of her jacket and clapped her hands together. "Let's get this party started! Wynnie, Pom-poms, let's do this!"
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
A few moments later, Addison stood on the stage with Zed's guitar hanging low on her hips. Willa stood next to her with her bass, and Wynter was behind them on the house drum kit. She caught Zed's eye and winked as she tore into a heavier version of a familiar intro.
Mason laughed and clapped Zed on the shoulder. "Only Adds could make Britney sound like that!"
"Every time they turn the lights down
Just wanna go that extra mile for you
Your public display of affection
Feels like no one else in the room
We can get down like there's no one around
We keep on rockin'
We keep on rockin'…"
Bucky looked over to Zed, Bonzo, and Tracey. "Why do I have you guys around when I could be representing an all-girl group that rocks this hard?"
"I'd totally join them," Tracey joked. "I'm actually kind of offended they didn't ask me to!"
"They wanted to," Eliza reassured him, "but Lacey was up your ass all day."
"Cameras are flashin' while we're dirty dancin'
They keep watching
Keep watching
Feels like the crowd is saying…
Gimme, gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme, gimme more…"
"We should totally watch them play more often," Wyatt said, smacking Zed's shoulder. "How the hell did we get so fucking lucky?"
"I wish I knew, man…" he shook his head and continued to watch as Addison and Willa sang the chorus.
"Gimme, gimme more
Gimme more
Gimme, gimme more…
The center of attention
Even when we're up against the wall
You've got me in a crazy position
If you're on a mission
You got my permission…" the music slowed, morphing into a new song.
"She's getting good with those transitions," Mason said as Addison stepped back up to the microphone.
"Tell me something, I need to know
Then take my breath and… never let it go
If you just let me invade your space
I'll take the pleasure… take it with the pain
And if in the moment I bite my lip
Baby, in that moment, you'll know this
Is something bigger than us and beyond bliss…." the music changed again to a slow, sultry melody.
Zed recognized it immediately. It was a song that they'd written together in bed one night. One that they both agreed they'd never be able to play live without sending up a hundred red flags. "What the…" his eyes locked with Addison's as a slow smile spread across his face.
She smiled back and motioned for him to join her. "Consider this payback for all the time you dragged me up here," she laughed into the mic.
Zed shook his head and hopped up onto the stage. Addison took his guitar off and handed it to him as Willa passed over her bass guitar.
"I can't believe you're letting this song see the light of day," he chuckled as he picked the melody back up.
"Happy Birthday." She kissed him quickly before stepping back up to the microphone. "Red lips, a sinister tongue…" she sang as she looked over into his eyes.
"I'll taste you until I can't." He responded, his cheeks already hurting from smiling.
"Our trip has just begun…"
"I'll fly with you til the end"
"Psychotic voice…"
"You're in my veins now"
"And there's no denying"
"There's no denying"
"As we both burst into… flames…"
Mason looked over to Bucky and pointed to the stage. "And you really expect me to believe you didn't know?"
Bucky flipped him off.
"Don't come down" Zed sang, as he stepped into Addison's personal space, sharing her microphone.
"There's no coming down"
"Higher ground"
"Floating over ground"
"Out of body"
"Out of body"
"Inner mind…" they harmonized.
"I'm your slave"
"This is what I crave… I'm lost, I'm… saved…" she whispered before the both tore into the heavy chorus.
It's my obsession, possession began"
"Physical, psychical, illumination'
"Intoxication, fascination"
"Mystical, sexual hallucination"
"Sexual…"
"Hallucination"
"Sexual…"
"Hallucination…"
Bucky stood up quickly. "Annnnnd I don't need to hear this… I'll be back," he said as he brushed a kiss on Eliza's cheek and walked off towards the bar.
"You watch me come undone"
"It makes me want you more" Zed sang while gazing into her eyes.
"I'm crawling... into the... unknown"
"I'll follow you to the core"
As Bucky stood by the bar waiting for his club soda, Mack walked up next to him.
"Those two are something else," he said flagging down the girl working the bar. "I love The Pack, but they're the real reason I booked tomorrow night's show."
Bucky shook his head and smirked. "They both use stage names, how'd you know it was them?"
Mack let out another booming laugh. "Are you kidding me? I've been listening to Zed sing since he was a kid coming into the music store with his parents to play around with the equipment. I'd recognize his voice anywhere. And Addison? Well, she's just as gorgeous and talented as she was when she'd come up here to visit as a teenager. No stage name, tattoos, or weird hair colors could have hidden them to anyone who knows them." He chuckled to himself. "I have to say, I'm surprised they're not in the same band. I mean, they're amazing on their own, but just look at them up there together," he said motioning back towards the stage.
"I can barely breathe
I can barely move
I can barely separate me from you…" They sang, looking at each other like they were the only two people in the room.
"They're an unstoppable force of nature." He said leaning back against the bar to watch them.
"This is what I crave
To be your… slave…." Zed flung his guitar around to his back and pulled her in for a desperate kiss.
Mack chuckled again. "Good to know they haven't changed at all." He clapped Bucky on the back. "Come on, I want to show you something."
Bucky followed him to the service elevator and up to the top floor where the bands would be playing the next night.
"Now, I don't know if you got to get a good look around earlier today or not," Mack said as the elevator doors opened. "But I'm sure you noticed the framed pictures hanging up all over the place up here."
"Yeah, I did. Are they all acts that played here?"
"Sure are," Mack said with a smile as he walked over to the back wall. "All except one." He pointed to a frame about half way up.
Bucky looked closely at the picture for a moment before he let out a quiet laugh. "They were pretty cute back then…"
"And totally head over heels," Mack chuckled. "But I knew the second I heard them sing together that they had what it takes."
Bucky's eyes suddenly went wide. "Wait… was this up here earlier?!"
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"Where are we going" Addison giggled as Zed carried her across the crowded room to the elevator bank.
He smacked her ass, making her giggle more. "For a walk in the park…" He set her down onto her feet, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her back into his front. He kissed the side of her neck and reached out to press the call button. "Wanna get into some trouble?" he whispered against her skin, sending shivers of the very best kind down her spine.
"Don't you mean get some trouble into me?" she purred, holding his head against her neck, her eyes fluttering closed as he bit down.
When the elevator arrived, he walked them both in. As the doors closed he spun her around, pinning her against the back wall of the elevator. His lips and hands were everywhere. "I need to be inside of you so fucking bad right now…" He hitched her leg up and guided it around his waist, grinding into her.
"And this is why we can't play that song," she breathed against his ear before biting hard.
He growled loudly, the sound echoing within the confines of the elevator. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Marry me."
"… No."
"You totally just hesitated," he laughed as his hands inched up her skirt. "I am so wearing you down."
"No you're not…" she giggled.
"I totally am…" he whispered as his thumb brushed across her clit. "What happened to not denying the birthday boy?"
She gasped and bit her bottom lip, but before she could reply with the snarky response on the tip of her tongue, the elevator doors opened and the sound of snickering and giggles pulled their attention away from each other.
Zed rolled his eyes and chuckled before turning towards the group of teenagers. "Aren't you guys a bit young...to...be…" he stopped when his eyes landed on a familiar blonde with large blue eyes. He blinked a few times before dropping Addison and openly staring in shock. "Zoey?"
The young teen's mouth dropped open. "Zed?"
He rushed out of the elevator, nearly tackling her in a hug. "Oh my god, I've missed you so fucking much!"
Tears were streaming down her face as she clung to her brother. "Please let this be real. Please let this be real…."
He pulled back and took a good look at her, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "It's real…" a laugh escaped his lips. "What are you doing here?"
"Me?! What about you?!"
"We're playing upstairs tomorrow night..." His eyes widened again as he turned around to check on Addison. "Shit, Baby… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."
She waved him off and gave him a smile. "I'm fine."
"Zo, you remember Addison?"
Zoey sucked in a sharp breath. "What the hell is she doing here?!" she snarled as she sized up Addison.
"Woah…" Zed said standing up to his full height. "What's with the hostility?"
Zoey glared up at her brother. "I didn't want to believe it! How could you!"
"How could I what?"
"Zed, she ruined our family!"
"What? No she…"
"Yes, she did!" Zoey yelled, cutting him off. "Our mom is dead, because of her! I'm stuck with our drunk dad because of her! I lost you because of her!" She spun around and ran towards the stairs, ignoring the calls of her name from the friends she had been with and from Zed.
Zed looked back at Addison, his eyes full of unspoken apologies and questions.
"I'm fine. Go."
"Thank you…" He pulled her in for a quick kiss and took off after his little sister.
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"Um, usually you look a lot happier after you've gotten laid…" Bree said with a laugh as Addison plopped down in the empty chair next to her and Bonzo.
Addison held up a hand and gave her a look before turning towards The Pack. "Zed just ran into Zoey."
"Oh shit!" Wyatt laughed. "What is pip-squeak doing here?"
She shrugged her shoulders. "No clue. She was hanging out with a bunch of kids up by the light garden."
"I haven't seen her in forever! Is she coming down?" Wynter asked.
"No clue… after yelling that I ruined her life, she took off. Zed ran after her."
Willa slammed her hand down onto the table. "Fucking Zevon and his bullshit lies…" She stood up and walked around the table to Addison, wrapping her arms around her. "Don't worry about it. Zed will straighten it all out… Let's go grab a drink."
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"Zoey! Wait!" Zed called out as he took the stairs two at a time, chasing after her. It wasn't until they were outside that he was able to open into a full sprint and catch up to her. "Will you just stop running!" he yelled as he grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
"Why should I! You haven't!"
"I just did!"
"No! You've been running away since Mom died! Did you ever even think that I might need my big brother?! You didn't even show up to the funeral!" she screamed.
"Pops wouldn't let me! He cut me off and told me to never talk to you!"
"Whatever, Zed…" she sniffled, wiping her nose. She turned her back to him and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
He smacked them out of her hand. "What are you doing?! You're too young for that shit!"
She rolled her eyes and leaned down to pick them up. "Oh, now you care?"
"Of course I care! You're my little sister!"
"If you cared about me you wouldn't have left me for her!"
"Who? Addison?"
"Yes!"
"Jesus, Zo… I didn't leave you for her. Until this past summer, I hadn't even seen her in five goddamn years."
She looked up at him. "Wait, what? But... Dad said that you two got back together years ago… and you were planning on running off to Europe. That's why Mom rushed off in the middle of the night. She found out and was trying to get to New York as fast as possible to try and talk you into staying and finishing school…"
Zed's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
Zoey nodded.
He let out a string of curses. "No. That couldn't be farther from the truth."
"Well, then why don't you tell me what happened, because right now I don't know what to think."
He looked down at his watch. "What time is Pops expecting you home?"
She rolled her eyes. "He's passed out. He won't notice I'm gone unless I forget to wake him up for work in the morning."
"Jesus… Zo…"
She shrugged her shoulders. "It is what it is… start talking."
He held up a finger and pulled out his phone.
...
ADDS
Z: Going for a walk with Zoey to try
and sort shit out. I love you. I'll
text you soon.
A: Take your time. Please tell her
I'm sorry. I love you too. XOX
...
He shoved his phone back in his pocket and grabbed her hand. "Come on, let's go for a walk."
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"You? In the Army?" Zoey asked skeptically as they walked along the water's edge.
"Yeah."
"The same person I'm looking at with tattoos, and green hair, was in the army?"
He snickered. "I didn't have much choice."
"How?"
He took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. "… You remember after the accident but before the funeral when Pops had Willa watch you?"
"Yeah."
"Do you know why?"
She shook her head in response.
"Well, he flew out to New York. That's when he told me about what happened. He followed up the news by telling me I wasn't welcome at the services… and… told me I was never to contact you. He wanted nothing to do with me and he would make it his life's mission to make sure you didn't turn out like me."
She sucked in a sharp breath. "No…"
He nodded. "Yeah… he canceled my credit card, closed out my back account, had my cellphone deactivated, and put a stop payment on everything before he was even on the plane back home…" he let out a heavy sigh before he continued. "My scholarship didn't cover housing, so I started working, trying to scrounge up enough to cover it… My grades started slipping… and then I lost my scholarship completely."
"How could he do that to you?"
Zed let out a humorless laugh. "Because he hates me… Anyway, the Army was more than happy to take me in. They gave me a way to cope with everything I lost."
"How so?"
"Turns out I'm an excellent marksman. After basic, they sent me through sniper school... And before I knew it, Bonzo and I were being shipped overseas."
"Bonzo? Is that a gun or something?"
Zed chuckled. "No… James Bonzo. My bunk mate in basic training, turned best friend, turned bass player in my band."
"Ooooh. Okay… Does he have green hair too?"
"Yeah," he smiled. "It's our band's thing."
She nodded again before her head snapped back up. "Wait, you went overseas? Like to war and stuff?"
"Two tours. One in Iraq and one with special ops in Afghanistan."
"Jesus, Zed…" she said in disbelief. "Did you ever… you know… shoot anybody?" she whispered.
He stopped walking and turned towards the water.
"I'm guessing that's a sensitive subject…"
"It's not something I like to talk about… Even with Adds."
"So she doesn't know?"
"I said I didn't like talking about it, not that I haven't talked about it... Addison knows everything… and somehow she still loves me despite it." A small smile tugged up the corner of his mouth. "She's just amazing like that."
"She really is the one… Isn't she?" Zoey asked, leaning into his side.
"She's always been the one… One of these days I'll get her to say 'yes'."
Zoey pulled away and looked up at him. "You've asked her to marry you?"
His chest shook with a silent laugh. "I asked her to marry me the first night we met… and a few times since."
"And she keeps saying 'no'?"
He laughed again. "You have to understand… Marriage has never been her thing. Her parents divorced when she was little and they both remarried several times…"
"Makes sense... I guess…" she shrugged and leaned back into his side. "So… where was she while you were in the army?"
He shook his head and sighed. "She was going through her own version of hell."
"How did you two reconnect?"
"One of the bands on tour needed a new bass player. Our manager brought in Addison not knowing that we knew each other…" he smiled to himself at the memory. "I was so mad at her for so long… but the second I saw her…" he shook his head.
"So you guys have been back together ever since?"
"Nooooo…" He laughed again. "We had a hell of a lot to work through. She thought I had cheated on her and broke up with her through a letter. I thought she had broken up with me. Everything we thought we knew had been a lie. But the truth finally came out. And once it did, there was no need to hold on to the hurt and heartache. Nothing was keeping us apart… except her band contract, but obviously, we're not exactly letting that get in the way."
"Obviously…" Zoey snickered. "I did not need to see that back there at Power Plant… Are you really playing tomorrow night? Like top floor?"
He nodded his head and smiled. "Yeah, the Pack is opening for us and Addison's band is headlining… Speaking of Power Plant," he said, turning towards his sister. "Want to tell me what you were doing there? You're underage even by their standards."
She rolled her eyes. "My ID says I'm 16."
He blinked a few times. "You have a fake ID."
"Yeah."
"And you're smoking cigarettes?"
She nodded.
He threw his head back and laughed. "So much for you not turning out anything like me… I'm sure Pops loves that."
"He'd have to be sober to care."
"How bad is it?" He asked, suddenly very serious.
She shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine… as long as I stay out of the way."
"Zo… no bullshit. Tell me."
She let out a shaky breath. "Most of the time it's fine. He comes home already drunk and drinks more until he passes out. I try to make sure I'm busy at cheer… but on the days I am home…" she lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing several dark purple bruises.
"That motherfucker!"
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
Zoey ran through the first floor of the Power Plant frantically searching for Addison, but not finding her anywhere. "Fuck!" Tears started to fall from her eyes as she turned to give one more look around. A flash of green hair moving away from the elevators caught her eye. "Green hair…" she whispered to herself before running as fast as she could in that direction. She skidded to a stop in front of a woman with curly green hair pulled up in a high ponytail and another man.
"Whoa… you okay there kid…" the woman said.
Zoey panted, trying to catch her breath. "Do you know Zed?"
"Yeah, we know Zed."
Zoey's eyes lit up and she grabbed onto the woman's shoulders. "I need to find Addison!"
"She's upstairs, is Zed okay?" the man next to her said.
"No!"
"Christ…" he grabbed Zoey's hand and ran to the elevator bank, pressing the call button repeatedly until the doors opened. When the three of them were in he turned to Zoey. "Start talking kid."
"I'm Zoey, Zed's sister. I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to me. I didn't know what else to do," she cried. "I know he'll listen to Addison."
"It'll be okay, Zoey. I'm Eliza, I play drums with your brother," Eliza said in a calm voice, rubbing Zoey's arm in an attempt to soothe her. "And that's Bucky. He's our manager and Addison's older brother."
"Didn't even know he had a sister…" Bucky mumbled to himself as he held his phone up to his ear. "No answer…" he rolled his eyes. "Do you know where he's going?" he asked Zoey
She nodded her head just as the elevator dinged. "My house. I showed him the bruises and now he's going after our dad!"
The doors opened and the three of them rushed off, only to be stopped by security.
"21 and older," the bouncer said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
Bucky rolled his eyes and turned to Eliza. "Keep her here! I'll go get Adds!" He sprinted through the tables until he was in the center of the room at the VIP are.
"Hey Boss-Man! You're back!" Wynter exclaimed as she jumped up to hug him.
He patted her shoulder and locked eyes with his sister. "Zed's sister is here. She was looking for you. Something about Zed being in trouble and going after their dad for hurting her… She's a crying mess and I can't get him on his phone."
"Shit…" Willa said under her breath and she pulled out her phone.
"This isn't good, B!" Addison said frantically. "Zed gets along with his dad about as well as I get along with my mom! We have to get to him before he gets there!"
"Zevon has only gotten worse since Zyla passed away," Wynter warned. "I've heard some bad shit from my family."
Willa stood up and grabbed her jacket. "Uber can be here in te…"
"I can get us there quicker," Wyatt said, cutting her off.
"How?"
He threw her a wink and turned towards the bar."YO! MEL!" he called over towards the bartender. "LET ME BORROW YOUR CAR!"
"FOR WHAT?" she yelled back.
"BECAUSE I ASKED!"
She rolled her eyes and smiled, digging into her pocket. She tossed the car keys over to him. "TAKE IT EASY ON HER, AND FILL UP THE TANK WHEN YOUR DONE!"
"LOVE YOU, MELANIE! TELL AUNT EM HI FOR ME!" he blew her a kiss and turned back to the table. "Let's roll!"
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
The sound of his heavy footsteps hitting the pavement and the blood pounding in his ears with every heartbeat drowned out everything else as he ran towards his childhood home. It was one thing for his asshole father to cut him off and act like he never existed, it was another thing entirely to lay a hand on his baby sister. It didn't matter that he hadn't seen her in years. He'd protect her with his life. Next to Addison, she was the single most important person in his world.
He turned the corner and started down his street. As his house came into view, so did an unfamiliar car with some very familiar faces standing around it. He slowed to a jog, the near blinding rage refusing to ebb. He slowed down even more and walked up the front walkway, ignoring his friends. It wasn't until his eyes landed on Addison and Zoey sitting together on the front stoop that he stopped.
"Move," he warned.
Addison hugged Zoey's shoulder and stood up. "No."
"Addison… MOVE!" he growled in a voice so full of rage that Zoey flinched back.
"NO!" she yelled right back, taking a step forward.
"You don't know what he did!" he seethed.
She took another step towards him. "I do… Zoey and I talked on the way over here."
"I can't let him get away with it!" his voice trembled.
She took the final step to close the distance between them and slowly ran her hands up his chest and around his neck. "He won't… but this isn't the way to protect her."
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. Not bothering to stop the tears that had started to fall.
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"You've got fifteen minutes," Zed warned as he looked at Willa and Wynter.
"We'll have her back out as quickly as possible," Willa said quietly.
He nodded and turned to Wyatt. "If he even so much as rolls over, you get them the hell out of there."
"We've got this, man," he replied with a cocky smile.
Zed turned his attention to his sister. "Clothes, makeup, all that shit can be replaced. Grab the stuff that can't. Understood?"
She nodded her head and sniffled.
"Hey…" he pulled her into a hug with the arm that wasn't clinging to Addison. "It'll be okay. I won't let him hurt you ever again."
She nodded again and pulled away to follow The Pack into the house.
Zed tensed the moment he could no longer see them.
"They'll be fine," Addison whispered.
He let out a slow breath and hugged her tightly. "How could I have left her alone to deal with him on her own?"
"You didn't know, Z."
"It doesn't fucking matter."
She looked up and met his eyes. "This isn't your fault."
He kissed the top of her head. "As much as I want you by my side when this goes down, I need you to go with the girls and keep an eye on Zo, more."
"I'll be wherever you need me."
"Are you sure you're okay with this?" he asked for the hundredth time since their plan had started to come together.
"She's your little sister. Of course, I am. Daddy's house has more than enough room… and that's even if Bree's mom lets her stay with us when we're in town," she teased. "You heard her on the phone… She's so excited to have another kid around to spoil."
"That woman is amazing."
"Yes, she is… She'll take great care of Zoey."
He let go of her just enough to take hold of her face. "I love you so fucking much. Thank you."
She smiled and lifted onto her tiptoes to kiss him softly. "I love you, too. You don't have to thank me for anything."
His lips curled up into a small smile. "Without you here I would probably be in jail."
"The night's still young," Bucky said coming up behind them.
"Everything set?" Zed asked, not taking his eyes off of Addison.
"Yeah. We're all ready to go."
Zed kissed Addison again. "I'll meet you back at the hotel."
"Be careful… Please."
"I will."
ZzZzZzZzZzZ
"You guys don't have to be here for this…" Zed said quietly. He had expected to be filled with rage, but as he stared down at his father passed out on the floor of his bedroom, he felt nothing.
"Do you really think we'd let you do this alone?" Mason asked, walking up next to him.
Wyatt stood on his other side. "Dude, you and Zoey are family."
Bonzo nodded. "Wyatt's right. You're family…There's no where else I'd be."
Bucky chuckled silently. "The things I do for family..."
Zed eyed him skeptically. "Family or the Family?"
"Fuck you," Bucky replied with a smile. "This one's just as bad sometimes. You're lucky I love you."
Zed bit back a laugh, happy to have even a momentary distraction. He looked back down to the ground and let out a sigh. "Well… here goes nothing…" He kicked his father's sleeping form lightly, only to be met with a loud snore.
"He's passed out, not sleeping…" Wyatt reminded him.
Zed nodded and pursed his lips as he thought. With a sharp nod of his head, he knelt down and hoisted his father up and over his shoulder. "Christ he's fucking heavy… someone open the bathroom door and start the shower."
Wyatt rushed past him to the bathroom next door. "It's going to take a few to warm up," he said as Zed staggered into the room.
"Like I give a shit if it's the right temperature," he huffed before unceremoniously dumping his father into the bathtub.
"What the shit!" Zevon spluttered as his eyes flew open and he reached to turn off the water.
"Nice of you to wake up…" Zed deadpanned.
"What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you I never wanted to see you again?"
Zed nodded. "Yeah, and I totally didn't plan on ever having to see you again…" he crouched down to Zevon's level, "That is until I found out you laid hands on my sister." He grabbed him by the shirt collar and yanked him up to his feet, slamming him into the tub surround.
"I never…" Zevon gasped.
"Bullshit!" Zed sneered. "I saw the fucking bruises." He looked over to Bucky and motioned for him to come over.
Bucky pulled out his phone and held it up.
"I also have pictures of them."
Zevon's eyes narrowed. "So what…"
"So what? SO WHAT?!" Zed let out a laugh that sounded like he was dangerously close to his breaking point. His fist clenched and his arm pulled back.
"Whoa!" Bonzo grabbed his fist. "Don't fuck up your hand. He's not worth missing shows."
Zed pulled his hand back from him and slapped it hard against the tile surround next to Zevon's head, making him flinch. "I should fucking kill you."
"Do it. You already killed your mom."
Zed looked over towards Bonzo.
"I stand corrected. Totally worth missing a few shows. There are three other guitarists that could fill in."
Zed nodded and pulled back, before punching his father in the mouth and dropping him back into the bathtub.
"I'll go get an ice pack for your hand," Wyatt said walking out the small room.
Zevon spit blood into the tub. "What about me, Wyatt?"
Wyatt stopped and turned back around. "With all due respect, fuck you."
They all bit back a laugh.
As Zed continued to shake his hand out, he nodded over to Bucky. "This is my lawyer. He's going to tell you what happens now."
Bucky set a stack of legal papers down onto the bathroom counter. "You're going to sign these, waving your parental rights of Ms. Zoey Kingston Jacobs."
"Like hell, I will," he sneered. "She's my daughter!"
"That may be, but unless you want the police to see those pictures, I suggest you sign."
"You can't do this! She's underage! Where the hell is she going to go? I'm all she has left!" Zevon sputtered as he started to cry.
"Primary custody will be given to my client."
Zevon's tears dried up almost instantaneously as a bitter laugh fell from his lips. "Over my dead body."
"That can be arranged, Pops," Zed said coldly.
"You can't take care of her," he spit.
"You're right. I can't. I'm in the middle of a tour and god knows a tour bus is no place for a kid. But I'll be damned if I let you so much as look at my sister ever again. She'll be more than taken care of. She'll have a home that she won't be scared to go home to. She'll be surrounded by people who will love her unconditionally..."
"I want to hear this from her."
Zed laughed. "Not happening. She's already gone."
"My daughter would never want to leave me!"
"Your daughter fucking jumped at the opportunity!" Zed yelled. "She didn't even care that she'd be leaving her friends and everything she's ever known! That's how desperate she is to get the fuck away from you! What kind of life is this for her, Pops? She's just a kid… She's had to take care of you! And you've been fucking hitting her!" He lunged for his father again, but Mason and Bonzo held him back.
Zevon let out a defeated sigh. "How long have you two been conspiring against me?"
"I only saw her for the first time about three hours ago."
"Three hours?" Zevon stood up, bracing himself against the wall to steady his wobbly feet. "There's no way this is legal… There's no way you would have pulled all this together that quickly."
"I can assure you these documents are one hundred percent legal and will hold up in any court of law," Bucky stated.
Zed laughed again. "It's amazing how quickly you can get things done when your manager's family has a high profile legal firm in New York that specializes in after-hour deals and your girlfriend has the entire Bamm! Records legal team at her disposal."
"I should have known that bitch was involved in this somehow..."
"That bitch is my sister," Bucky sneered. "And if you ever speak about her like that again, I promise you you'll have personal experience with my family's disposal business."
"Did they ever find Hoffa's body?" Mason asked with a teasing tone.
"Nope. My uncle did a great job on that one," Bucky answered cooly.
Zevon swallowed loudly and glanced down at the papers as tears welled in his eyes again. "I just needed her with me…"
"Then you shouldn't have fucking hit her!" Zed snapped.
Zevon shook his head. "Not Zoey… your mom…" he said with a sob. "But you… you gave her the excuse she needed… two years living away with you in California…" he shut his eyes and sucked in a sharp breath. "She had all her stuff packed in her car… tried to sneak out in the middle of the night…"
Zed didn't dare to even breathe as he listened to him ramble on, the blinding rage from early starting to creep back in and blur his vision.
"… I tried to get her to stop…" Zevon continued, "but she ran when I found her trying to wake Zoey up… I grabbed my keys and followed her… I didn't mean for it to happen!"
"Jesus…" Wyatt mumbled under his breath, holding an ice pack out for Zed.
Zed ignored him and took a slow step towards his father. "Didn't mean for what to happen?" he said in a murderously low tone.
"I was trying to… get her to pull over and see reason…" he cried. "I didn't mean to…"
"I need to hear you say it…" Zed growled.
"I clipped her tire! I sent her into the other lane with the tractor-trailer! I'm the reason it spun her into the wall!"
Zed lunged for his father again, but Bucky, Bonzo, Wyatt, and Mason grabbed onto him. He closed his eyes and tried to calm down. "Just fucking sign the papers."
ZzZzZzZzZ
Addison paced back and forth across the balcony of her hotel room as she chain-smoked nervously. It had been over an hour since she had left with Zoey, Willa, Wynter, Eliza, Bree, and Tracey and she was desperate for an update with how things were going. She pulled out her phone, but there was still nothing.
"Addison?"
She startled at the sound of Zoey's voice, nearly dropping her cigarette. Zoey had fallen asleep tucked into Bree's side almost as soon as they had gotten up to the room, clearly exhausted from the day.
Addison took a steady breath and turned around. "Hey, Zoey. Everything okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah… I just woke back up and it took me a minute to remember where I was."
Addison snickered. "Waking up in strange hotel rooms can definitely mess with your head."
An awkward silence spread between them. After a few uncomfortable moments, Zoey spoke up again. "Thank you… by the way. For getting through to my brother earlier… and for pulling everything together like you did..."
"You don't have to thank me," Addison replied, lighting a new cigarette with the stub of her previous one.
"Yes, I do… I was terrible to you back at Power Plant. You didn't have to help me at all. But you did."
Addison exhaled and looked over at her. "After what you had to go through because of me, it was the very least I could do."
Zoey sat down on the ground and looked out over the parking lot. "I'm sorry I said what I did…" she whispered. "I had no right to blame you for everything… Everything my Dad had told me was a lie." She sniffled back a tear and wiped at her nose with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
"He might not have had the facts 100%, but he wasn't entirely off base…" she turned around and sat face to face across from Zoey on the small balcony floor. "Everything is my fault… maybe not directly… but still... If Zed and I hadn't been together in high school, then my mother wouldn't have staged our break up, and your mom wouldn't have needed to drive across the country to try and cheer Zed up, and she'd still be alive, and…"
"Addison, it's not your fault. Mom's death was an accident."
"She's right…"
They both looked up to see a very tired looking Zed standing in the doorway of the balcony.
"I've told you before, it wasn't your fault… and after tonight, I've never been more sure..." he said as he sat down next to them and took Addison's cigarette, taking a deep drag before handing it back to her.
"How'd it go?" Zoey asked quietly.
Zed exhaled loudly. "He signed… Wyatt and Bonzo signed as witnesses and Mason notarized it… It's official… You're stuck with me kid," he said looking over at Zoey and giving her a small smirk.
Zoey was in stunned silence for half a second before she launched herself into him, knocking him over. "Really?!"
"Really," he laughed, hugging her close. He kissed the top of her head and sat them back up. He reached into his shirt and pulled his dog tags out, slipping them over his head. He disconnected the smaller loop separating the two ID tags, and stuck it into his pocket before placing the chain over Zoey's head. "I hate that we're going to be separated again for a little while. But you'll always have a piece of me with you."
Zoey ran her fingers over the metal and smiled up at him. "I promise I'll never take it off."
"And I promise I'll always be here for you."
She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.
Addison wiped a tear away from her eye as she watched the two of them. "We'll have your room set up for you before we even get back."
"When will that be?" Zoey asked still not letting go of Zed.
"July," he said into her hair. "But we'll fly back in as much as we can… And Carla is already planning to buy you a new phone and laptop in the morning. You can Facetime me whenever you want." He placed a soft kiss on top of her head again and pulled away. "Alright… I'm exhausted and we've got a busy morning full of school transfers and more fucking paperwork... Let's go get you settled in your room."
Her jaw dropped open. "I have my own hotel room?"
He chuckled and hugged her again. "Not quite… you're sleeping in Wynnie's room. She's got an extra bed."
Addison stood up and brushed off her backside. "I'm going to go wake up Bree."
"Bonz, already got her," Zed answered as he stood up. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, brushing a small kiss onto her lips. "Why don't you go take a shower. I'll join you in a few."
"Ewww…" Zoey laughed. "I swear you two are just as bad as ever!"
Zed chuckled as he pulled back and looked at his sister. "Alright… let's go…"
ZzZzZzZzZ
The steam from the shower enclosed the room as Addison stood under the hot spray and attempted to let the water work out the tense muscles in her shoulders.
Zed cleared his throat as he poked his head around the glass door. "Any room for one more?"
She turned around and subtly looked him up and down. Between his unbuttoned white dress shirt, she could see flashes of his abs that rolled all the way down to his black jeans, sitting low around his waist. But all of it paled in comparison to the anguish that showed through his warm coffee eyes. "always…"
"You and me, forever… right?"
The pain in his voice was too much. She didn't know what had happened with his dad, but she knew he needed her. "And after…" She threw herself at him with an uncontrollable force.
He caught her in an embrace and dove eagerly into her mouth. Gripping onto her ass and lifting her up as he drove her into the shower wall, his clothes instantly saturating from the shower's water. He pulled back and stared at her for just a moment. "I need you so much it hurts," he whispered.
"I'm right here…" she breathed back as she ripped his soaked shirt from his body. "Whatever you need… I'm yours."
He lowered her from the wall and fumbled with his wet jeans, peeling them off his legs.
Addison wrapped herself around him and claimed his mouth.
His strong hands gripped around her as he forcefully pushed her against the wall again. His erection pressing against her inner thigh.
She nudged over as he guided her over his length at the same time.
He shot her another quick look. "I'll never hurt you… I swear…"
"I know…" she whispered into his mouth as she lowered down onto his full length. She gripped the back of his wet hair and roughly pulled his head back.
He growled loudly and drove into her harder. The wet shower wall behind her allowing her to slip up and down it with ease, adding to the friction building. He sucked onto her bottom lip and adjusted his angle slightly.
Addison moaned as he hit her favorite spot and gripped onto his shoulders as his mouth planted kisses down her neck. "Harder. Fuck me harder," she pleaded. "I'm so fucking close…" He bit down onto her neck, and she couldn't hold back any longer. A loud wail tore from her mouth as all her senses were overridden by the feel of him. With her head still spinning she wrapped her arms around him and sank even further down on him. Craving every inch of him as she attacked his mouth once again.
He roughly pushed into her again and again. His breathing becoming short and rapid as they stared into each others eyes, silently making promises to one another. "I love you." His strokes became more prolonged as he began to throb inside of her.
"I love you, too…" she whispered as he thrust into her once more, turning her whispered words into a loud moan as they both came together.
Zed kissed her deeply, and passionately as his hands ran across her body and he slowly pulled himself out and lowered them both onto the ground.
The steam from the hot water made the air around them thick. Addison didn't miss the vulnerability in his eyes as he gazed into hers and ran his hand down the side of her face. She smiled and leaned into his touch.
"Wanna talk about it?"
He shook his head. "No… but I need to."
"In here or in bed?"
"Seems safer in here… Like we're in our own world." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Pops caused the accident…"
Her jaw dropped open. She didn't know what he was going to say, but those words were definitely not what she had been expecting. She sat up a little straighter and waited for him to continue.
"She was leaving him and he chased after her."
Addison reached up and brushed away his tears that had started to fall.
"It wasn't my fault. It wasn't because of anything your mother did. It was all him. This entire time…"
She pulled him down into a hug, running her hand through his wet hair.
"He cut me off to cover his ass… and once I was out of the picture, he took his guilt out on Zo…" He was silent for a few moments before he pulled back and wiped his eyes. "Do you know what he said to me?"
Addison wiped her own eyes and shook her head.
"He just needed her to stay with him…" he dropped his head back onto her shoulder and sucked in a shaky breath. "...And there's a part of me that completely gets it…" he whispered. "Being so intensely in love with someone and needing them more than oxygen…" he swallowed hard and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm scared as hell that I could do something like that to you…"
She guided his face back up to hers. "Listen to me… You are not your father."
"But I…"
She shook her head and covered his mouth with her hand. "You're not seeing the difference… I need you just as desperately… We are not our parents," she moved her hand away and kissed him. "And we never will be," she whispered against his lips. "It's you and me, forever."
"And after."
She kissed him again and stood up, offering him her hand. "Let's get you into bed…"
He looked up and smiled, taking her hand, "That sounds perfect."
As they dried off Addison started to hum to herself. "I thank you for all the lives you've led...I thank you for every word you said… I thank you for walking away…" she whispered quietly, flipping her hair back and wrapping it in a towel.
"I recognize that…" Zed said as he held out one of the plush hotel robes for her. "You were singing that last week when I had to break into our hotel room in Portland."
She nodded her head. "Yeah… I haven't really thought of it since then…" She slipped into the robe and kissed his cheek. "I guess everything that happened tonight with your dad made me remember it."
"Inspiration hits in mysterious ways," he said with a tired smile.
She nodded again and wrapped her arms around him.
"Wanna see what we can do with it?" he asked.
"Up to you… It's been a long day."
He chuckled and pulled her in for a kiss. "Understatement… but… there are two things I always want to do."
"And those would be?"
"You and play music… and I'm pretty sure I just checked one of those off the list."
She giggled and bit his lower lip as she led him back into the room. "...I thank you for the promises you broke
For always watching, watching while I choke
I thank you for teaching me
Yes, I thank you... for your hurting…"
She pushed him down onto the bed and straddled his waist as she yelled out the chorus.
"I bite down a little harder
My blade's a little sharper
My roots, my roots run deep into the hollow
Strike back a little harder
I scream a little louder
My roots, my roots run deep into the hollow
I'm stronger than I ever knew
I'm strong because of you…" she leaned down and kissed him. "That's all I had so far," she whispered against his lips.
He grabbed onto her ass and turned them over. "I hit back a little louder
Fuck you a little harder
My roots, my roots run deep into the hollow…"
He leaned down and kissed her hard before growling out the next verse as the words raced through his mind.
"I thank you for the hole you dug in me
Filled it with cement, sunk me in your sea
Thank you for being so obscene
I thank you for never facing me...
Swimming in the mud, never coming clean…
I thank you for nothing in between..." He pulled back and laughed. "Fuck that is therapeutic."
"I know, right?" she laughed. "Thank the heavens for fucked up families!"
"I was thinking of that earlier…" he said, kissing her again.
"Our fucked up families?"
He dropped his head down to her neck and laughed again. "Not exactly, but yes," he said looking back up into her eyes. "Tonight made me realize that despite the fact that we've both spent years running from who we are and where we came from, we've managed to make our own crazy, dysfunctional, but loyal as fuck family."
"We have… haven't we."
He nodded and kissed her. "And you… You're my roots keeping me grounded and helping me grow...I meant what I said earlier… whatever crazy shit the future brings, as long as I have you I know I'll be right where I'm supposed to be... I love you."
"I love you, too. Forever."
"And after…" he whispered, brushing a kiss across her lips. "It's been a long fucking day. Let's get some sleep."
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for sticking with me through this crazy chapter. After several rewrites, it went in a COMPLETELY different direction than I had originally intended, and writing it has been a hell of an emotional ride. I also apologize for any errors. After writing and reading and re-writing and re-reading it over and over for the last 2 weeks, if I had to re-read this chapter anymore I may have thrown my laptop across the room.
MUSIC USED IN THIS CHAPTER:
-Gimme More, The Death Blossoms (originally Britney Spears)
-Love Me Harder, Arianna Grande
-Sexual Hallucination, In This Moment (like I said last chapter, I've been listening to them a lot lately)
-Roots, In This Moment