Zelina

When I wake up, my head feels heavy, and my eyes sting from the sun's rays coming in through the window. I can smell my body stink with alcohol as I try to sit up on the bed. God! I groan and rub my eyes before looking down at myself. I realize I am still in my dress from the last night when I went to the bar. And suddenly, I am reminded of the bitter truth that I discovered about my mother last night. That betrayal was too much for me to process, and I couldn't hold myself after finding it. It was the main reason that led me to get drunk senselessly.

I place my hand over my head and walk to the bathroom. This might be the worst hangover of my life, and it almost makes me want to not get drunk ever again. After I brush my teeth, I strip out of my dress and head to get a nice shower. I stand under the hot water feeling a bit better, but it still doesn't help me get rid of my throbbing head. And it makes me wonder how many drinks did I have?

I get out of the bathroom and walk into my closet to put some clothes on. As I am drying my hair with a towel standing out on the balcony, I see something strange. I find my car parked in the driveway, and I frown, realizing that I didn't drive back home last night. It wasn't possible for me to drive in that state, right? Then suddenly memories of the person that got me home yesterday flash in front of me. It was none other than Merrick Addington. But what was he doing near that bar? Was he there to find some random chick to get laid? The thought itself is disgusting, and I shake it off immediately.

It doesn't matter anymore because he didn't get a chance to get inside the bar, and the credit goes to me. I quickly comb my hair and make my way down the stairs. I reach my car and when I open the front door; I am surprised to find a bouquet of roses resting on the passenger's seat. I take it in my hand and smell them, and that's when my eyes fall on the bottle of Advil and a note that was under it. A smile appears on my face when I read what's written on the note.

Hope this will make you feel better. Have a wonderful day ahead. - M. Addington

I read it twice and thrice and still can't believe that it's from Merrick. The last thing that I would have expected is to receive a bouquet from him. I look at the roses and try to remember what happened last night and all I could think about was how a gentleman Merrick was. It's like his signature. I remember how handsome he looked in that blue button-down shirt when he kneeled in front of me to pull out my heels. And it suddenly makes me feel guilty about how I've been torturing him with my behavior. But part of me feels like I find the freedom to be the way I want to be with him because I trust him. Because I know Merrick would never do something that I don't want to. I've never felt this happy and comfortable with anyone. Not even when I was probably taking charge over them in bed.

At the same time, it also makes me sad thinking that I shouldn't be attached to him so much. I am a woman that no man would want to see outside the four walls of their bedroom. As much as I try to convince that Merrick is not like them but I can't deny the fact that he would never like to get associated with a woman of a terrible reputation.

I am too consumed in my thoughts that I don't see Jamie's car arrive next to mine. I am still unaware of her presence until she stands right in front of me.

"What's that?" She asks, looking at the bouquet in my hand.

I look at her and I am suddenly taken back to last night when I saw her kiss that guy. This woman has the audacity to question me after what she has been doing behind my back.

"Where the hell were you last night?" I narrow my eyes at her when I finally get back to reality.

She looks a bit surprised by my unwelcomed question as she says. "As far as I know, you never cared about my whereabouts before."

I can feel her eyes on me as I put the bouquet back in the car and look back at her. "Well, I do now. Just tell me." I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

She frowns, and then I watch her raise an eyebrow at me. "I am your mother and in no way do I find myself being answerable to you."

"You fucking do." I snap immediately. "How could you be like this? You aren't ashamed of fucking a man half of your age behind your paralyzed husband's back."

The moment I say that her eyes widen, and I know she didn't expect this from me. Slowly, I see her eyes darker as she clenches her jaw. "I can't believe this. What were you doing? Spying on me?"

I shake my head. "Don't try to put all this on me, Jamie. This is not about it. This is about you betraying my dad while he is spending his nights on a Rehab bed...almost lifeless." I can feel my chest tighten as I say that.

Trying to gather my emotions, I straighten a little and look at her. "Now I get it, why you were so persistent about sending him to the rehabilitation. So you can have your dirty little affair openly."

"Zelina..." she shouts in disbelief.

"Don't." I raise my hand to stop her. "I am not going to stay here and watch my dad getting betrayed." I sigh and then glare at her. "Think it as my favor to you that I am not telling him right away. But the day he gets back to normal. You are going to get kicked out of this house and also out of his will."

With that, I grab all the things from the car and walk, leaving an utterly shocked Jamie behind me. When I get back to my room, I inform Ruby that I won't be going to the office today. However, I decide to do a few important Skype calls until the afternoon. Stella gets my lunch when I don't get out of my room and I take the Advil that Merrick sent me. I grin like an idiot looking at the bottle and then force myself to get back to work. Later in the evening, I go through the email that Steve sent me yesterday regarding the machine up-gradation, and I let him know about my approval. As I am reviewing some other emails, I get a text from Alexa.

I am outside, bitch. Open the door.

I sigh and get out of my room, wondering what the hell Alexa wants. "What's all this?" I ask when I open the door and find Alexa carrying a pizza box and a bag.

"Since you stopped going to my bar. I decided to show up at your house and know what's wrong with your cute little horny ass." She says with a smile and I roll my eyes. "Now, are you going to welcome me, or do we just have to eat your favorite blueberry ice cream right here on the porch?"

"Oh, my god, no. Come on in." I say.

Alexa walks towards the stairs and I hurry towards the kitchen to get a nachos packet that I have in the stock. I stop on my way back when I hear something from Jamie's room. She talking on the phone with someone and I ignore it, knowing that I fucking don't care. We settle on my bed after getting back to my room and I reach for the ice cream tub in the bag. I dig a spoon into it and moan when I put it in my mouth. "God, this tastes so good."

Alexa smiles at me and reaches for a pizza slice. "I knew it wouldn't disappoint you. So what have you been up to?"

My eyes move past her to the roses that I put in a water jar and kept on my desk. For a minute, I think of telling her about Merrick and the whole thing that happened with him last night, but then I realize if I will tell her about Merrick bringing me home, then I also have to tell her why I got drunk. She knows that getting drunk is not something that I do willingly and I am too disturbed to reveal something as sensitive as my mother's affair to her right now.

I tell her that I skipped office because I wasn't feeling well and I also fill her in with the product launch that's next week. Merrick is going to be there too, and I am looking forward to that event.

We eat the ice cream in silence and then Alexa looks at me. She hesitates, and I raise an eyebrow at her. "Well, I came to see you but that's not the only reason why am I here."

"What do you mean?"

She looks at me and suddenly squeals, startling me. "I don't know how to tell you this, but I am going on a date and I am so freaking excited!"

"What? When did this happen?" I frown. Alexa is a workaholic and I know she doesn't get to fit a romantic relationship in her schedule. Also, I and Alexa are quite similar. We like to fuck with no strings attached. That's why I know Alexa is totally comfortable with one-night stands just like me. But hearing now that she is going on a date came out to be a surprise to me.

"Last night..." she says with a smile and I move closer to her.

"Tell me every fucking detail," I say, crushing some nachos and sprinkling them on my pizza slice. Before I can eat it, Alexa beats me and grabs it. She smiles mischievously at me as she takes a bite of it.

"I was driving back home when I found this guy on a lonely street waving his hands." She begins speaking with her mouthful and I glare at her for how she snatched my pizza from me. "I stopped to ask him what's wrong, and he said he got ditched by his friend at a bar. And that he doesn't have anyone to ride him back." She looks at me and gets defensive suddenly. "That's so insensitive. I mean, who does that to their friends."

"Right," I say as I take another slice and frown, suddenly realizing something. "Whoa...wait. You see, a man on an abandoned road and you let him in your car? What's wrong with your head, Lexi. You never know he could be a serial killer." I ask her in disbelief.

"Well, I don't mind if he is a hot one. We can use our tricks on him, you know." She smirks, and I narrow my eyes at her. "Oh, please. You don't get to say that when you leave to fuck with every other man at my bar. How come you didn't find any serial killer there?"

"Fine, I get it. Don't rub it on my face now." I roll my eyes and then ask, getting her back on the topic. "What happened then?"

"I dropped him at his house and he asked for my number. We talked the whole night, then just before hanging up he asked if I'd mind going out with him." Alexa says.

"What did you say?" I ask as I reach for a pillow and put it behind my back, relaxing a bit.

"Of course, I said yes. I was not going to let go of a sexy man like him." She says with a frown, and I laugh.

It's good to see her be so enthusiastic about someone. She then goes on with talking about that guy and I keep looking at her, trying to make her believe I am listening to her, but somewhere in the back of my head, Merrick still lingers.