Oh my god, Addison Marie Andrews! What have you done?”

My eyes shoot open in horror.

No. No. No. This can not be happening right now.

My heart races. I need to start locking doors. I’ve had too many people walk in on me in compromising situations. Too many people seeing me naked with a man.

It’s early in the morning, and I’m in my bed. Zeth is next to me, and we’re both naked.

“Melinda, get the hell out of her bedroom right now,” Zeth demands.

His arm reaches underneath the sheets, and he taps my stomach, silently telling me to stay put and not freak out. He’s assuring me he has control of the situation … or at least he’s going to try to.

I gulp. I’m too terrified to look up. I don’t want to see the look on my mom’s face. I watch him with the sheet covering up half my face, and he wraps a blanket around his waist, careful not to uncover me, and gets out of bed.

My mom gasps. “You will not tell me what to do.” Her voice rises. “Addison, get up right now and look at me. Explain yourself.”

I’m a chicken shit. I have no problem admitting it. I’d rather get my fingers cut off one by one than face her right now.

“I said look at me!” she screams.

I inhale a deep breath. It’s time I stand up for myself. I can’t let Zeth fight this battle on his own. My brain starts to pound against my skull as I slowly rise to look at her.

Her face is red, pitted with hostility and hurt. I’ve never seen her so distraught. But then again, I’ve never done anything like this.

“You slept with him?” she asks, trying to hold back tears, her lower lip quivering. “You cheated on Cam with him?”

She looks at Zeth like he’s some incurable disease.

I clutch the sheet in my fist. “I didn’t cheat on Cam, mom. We broke up because he cheated on me with Savannah.”

She lifts her chin in the air. “Then you need to take him back.”

“The hell I will,” I screech. I will not let her dictate my life anymore.

“You will if you want a good future. People make mistakes Addison.” She looks over at Zeth in disgust. “You obviously have.”

Zeth takes a step closer, and she backs away.

“Listen you old hag,” he says.

“Would you stay with Leonard if he cheated on you,” I ask, giving Zeth a look asking him to back off. He thankfully listens to me and refrains from getting any closer.

“I refuse to answer such a ridiculous question,” she replies. “Forgive Cam’s sins, honey. You know that’s what God would want you to do.”

“Get the hell out, so we can get dressed,” Zeth yells. “Then you can try to talk her into making a stupid fucking decision.”

My mom surprisingly listens to him. She hurries backward, out of the room, and slams the door shut behind her.

“This is not good,” I say repeatedly, jumping up and grabbing my robe. “This is so not good.”

Zeth grabs my shoulders and turns me around to look at him. He holds me in place, and we’re only inches apart.

“Blame it on me,” he says, moving a hand to caress my cheek. “Tell them I got you drunk or some shit.”

I shake my head, pushing him away from me. “Nu-uh, I’m not letting you take the heat for this. I wanted it just as much as you did. This is us. She can get the hell over it.”

Our attention goes to the door when it opens again.

“Are you finished?” my mom asks. “Are you done being a little slut?”

Zeth’s chest puffs up and moves around me. Anger fires off him, but he’s still gentle as he situates me behind him. “Don’t fucking talk to her like that, you hear me? Addison is a grown woman.”

“Who do you think you are?” she screeches. “Talking to me like that under my roof.”

“I’m the guy telling you to stop dictating what your daughter does in her life. You want her to stay with a man that’s fucking other bitches. That’s fucked up. You don’t love her.”

I press my fingernails into his back and can feel the tears start to fall down my cheek. This is it. This is when reality smacks us in the face. This is the day my future with Zeth will be determined.

“How can you say that? I love my daughter more than anything!”

“Then let her be herself!”

“You selfish, little bastard. I knew you’d corrupt my daughter with your demons.”

“Mom, he hasn’t done anything I didn’t ask for,” I say, struggling to get around Zeth. I need to face her. She has to know not to blame him.

“He’s been trying to sleep with you since the moment he walked through our front door.”

“Mom …”

“And you let him!”

“She hasn’t done anything,” Zeth blurts out.

I ram my arm into his back to get him to shut up, but that doesn’t stop him.

“We didn’t do shit. We were hanging out in here watching movies and fell asleep.”

“You were watching movies naked?” she asks, insulted we’d even think she’d believe that lie.

“No, we weren’t watching movies,” I say, keeping my voice level. I manage it get around Zeth and make eye contact with her. “We were in bed because I’ve been sleeping with him.”

She glares at Zeth, her eyes ready for the kill. “You gave this guy your virginity?”

“No! I slept with Cam before him. I’ve been sleeping with Cam for over a year.”

“God will forgive you for your indiscretions with Cam.”

“But not with me?” Zeth snorts in disgust. “Go fucking figure. Hypocritical assholes, that’s what all of you are.”

“Don’t you dare talk to my wife like that!” Leonard squeezes in the doorway and stands at my mom’s side.

Well, this is all we fucking need. Shit is about to hit the fan.

“Fuck you, you piece of shit,” Zeth yells to him.

Leonard takes another step into the room, and Zeth wraps me in his arms to push me behind him again.

“You little asshole,” Leonard goes on. “We let you into our home, and you disrespect us like this.”

I gasp when I lose Zeth’s hold, and he heads toward the door.

“You won’t have to worry about that anymore. I’m out.”