With her stomach filled with butterflies the size of herons, Zoe made the trek around the pond that separated the carriage house from the gatehouse. "I can do this," she said aloud to herself. "I have to," her sub conscience added. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Two days had passed since they had done the yelling, name-calling, door-slamming thing. Now that cooler head could prevail, it was time for a mature, open conversation, to push pass the stubbornness and fear that blocked them from saying what they really felt. She missed him. She missed "them." She wanted to work through this, despite all the unsolicited advice to break it off. Even Lavon was done with Wade.
As she approached the door of the gatehouse, she saw that it was wide open. A country song she recognized but could not name played from within. She knocked on the door jam, noticing several boxes stacked right inside the entry. The top one was open and filled with a hodge-podge of items: old sneakers, a partially burned pillar candle, a tangled web of fishing line.
"Hello?" She called out, not seeing Wade.
He froze for a moment before popping up from behind the kitchen cabinet that he was in the process of emptying. He just looked at her, his face revealing none of his emotions at seeing her for the first time since he stormed out of her apartment. He took her all in. Her long dark hair, wavy around her face, those doe eyes, and Lord save him, the short-shorts, all made his pulse race. "Dang! She really is beautiful," he thought to himself for what was probably the zillionth time.
There was an awkward silence as he just looked at her, and Zoe felt compelled to fill it.
"What's all this?" she asked as she moved through the doorway towards the boxes.
"Just stuff I don't use." Wade responded as Zoe looked in the open box and nodded.
Returning to his task, Wade asked, "What can I do for you, Doc?"
Zoe turned to face him, but could only see the top of his head over the cabinet. This actually made it easier for her to say, "I was hoping we could talk."
He stood, looking incredulous. "Talk," he scoffed.
"I'm not here to yell at you. I promise. I'd just like for us to talk." Zoe reassured him all the while ringing her hands.
Wade said nothing, but his resigned expression gave Zoe the courage to move towards him as she spoke.
"I know you said you needed space, to work some things out for yourself, on your own. I understand, well, no, I don't, but I accept that this is what you want, right now." She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I just wanted to let you know that I will … wait …while you figure things out."
Wade's breath stopped in his chest - just for a moment. How does this woman do this to him? For the second time, she has completely stunned him. First asking him to be her boyfriend and now telling him she'll wait for him.
Zoe crossed to Wade and took his hands in hers. She may have been looking into his eyes, but he felt she was seeing his soul. "I can tell by the way you look at me, that this is not over. And I don't want it to be, either. So, go. Go do what you need to do, but hurry and come back to me. I'll be here.
Wade just watched her, the tumult of emotions he felt hidden from her. She raised her hands to his chest and her lips to his. She kissed him sweetly, gently, hoping he'd let his guard down and kiss her back.
Her lips were soft and warm and, oh, how he wanted to forget the past and the future, and just kiss her back. But they had been here before and he knew how it ended, disappointment for them both. He wished she'd just stop! Stop inspiring him to try to be good enough for her. More than once, he tried and failed. It was useless. She was going to leave him eventually. He just laid the groundwork to make it easy for her. After the stunt he pulled at the Battle of the Bands, everyone thinks she should end it with him, and everyone will go back to believing he doesn't give a rat's ass about anything. Win-win.
She pressed her body against his. Her hands slid up his chest to twine around his neck as she tied to coax him to kiss her back. Wade took hold of her wrists and slowly lowered her arms as he pulled away from her kiss. Her eyes were bereft as she looked into his.
"I think you should move on," Wade said as he stepped back from her, dropping her wrists and putting his hands in his back pockets afraid that he may grab her and kiss her the way she wanted. He forced himself to look at her as he said the words, to really sell it.
Zoe's eyes dropped from his and her heart caught in her throat. Tears filled her eyes and she took a step backwards. She wanted to run away, to hide, embarrassed for putting herself out there and being rejected. "Rejected," the word reverberated through her mind. And suddenly, she understood. He's not moving on. He's rejecting her before she rejects him. With a sense of clarity she rarely experienced in her love life, she raised her chin and with a little grin on her face looked straight into Wades eyes.
"You're worth waiting for, Wade Kinsella." And with that, she turned and walked away with a much lighter step than had brought her there.
Wade watched her go, mouth agape. Her departing words echoed through his brain and brought an unexpected grin to his face. Enjoying the view of her retreat more than he should under the circumstances, he whispered "Right back at you, Doc."