A/N: So this is the 2. chapter. Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing you are about to read, but I wish I did!
His head hurt as if a herd of elephants had trampled on it, but at least the room had stopped spinning. Wade sat up in his bed wondering why he was fully clothed and tried to piece together the night before. Images of leaving the bar with Claudette and her kissing him emerged in his mind. He looked down at the beautiful tiny doctor sleeping next to him and he felt like he had to vomit and not because he was hung over. He rubbed his eyes and tried to remember more. Did he cheat on Zoe? The thought alone made his stomach turn and he suddenly felt the need to go to the bathroom.
Zoe was awakened by the sound of a barking wildebeest or at least it sounded like one. She looked around the room and heard the noise coming from the bathroom. She got up and found Wade with his head in the toilet. She didn't know whether to laugh or be the concerned doctor and girlfriend. She decided on the latter.
"Are you okay sweetie?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. I think I might have eaten some bad fish yesterday," he lied. He didn't want to talk about last night with Zoe, especially when he couldn't remember all of it.
"Are you sure that's all that's bothering you," Zoe asked inquiringly. She knew he wasn't telling the whole truth and she had promised herself yesterday to find out. Maybe it had something to do with George and Wade not performing.
"I'm fine, I promise," Wade said and got up from the bathroom floor. "I think I am gonna take a shower and get this stench of me," he said with a little smirk.
"Want me to join you?" Zoe said with a coy smile on her face. She had been really busy lately and wanted to make up for it. She motioned to take off her nightgown that was really just one of Wade's old shirts she had found on the floor last night, but he held out his hand, stopping her.
"I might throw up again and we can't risk havin' my stomach content in your hair, now can we. Especially today with the weddin' and all," Wade said trying not to show his true answer for the question. In fact he would want nothing more than to enjoy himself in the shower with his beautiful girlfriend, but he needed time to think, time to remember last night.
"I'm sure I can wash it out if that should happen Wade." She pouted.
"Still, better safe than sorry right, I'll see you in a little bit, sunshine." He kissed her softly on her forehead and headed towards the shower. Zoe gave him a concerned look behind his back, deciding not to push the issue right now and instead walked back into the bedroom and began making the bed and picking up Wade' s clothes that was spread around room. Organizing always calmed her down. Her phone rang; it was Rose.
"Rose, something wrong?" Zoe answered.
"Hey Zoe, Brick needs you at the practice. Something with Wanda and she insists on seeing you."
"Ok Rose, give me twenty minutes and I'll be there," Zoe said looking around the room for her clothes.
"See you soon then, bye," Rose said before she hung up.
Ok, her talk with Wade would have to wait. She gathered her clothes and went to her own house to get ready.
...
Wade stood in the shower resting his hands on the wall letting the cold water hit the top of head. The cold water numbed the pain a little and cleared his head. So he left the bar with Claudette and she kissed him, he remembered that much. He closed his eyes hoping that would help him remember. When it didn't, he hit the wall hard and almost let out a scream of pain, but didn't. He didn't want Zoe to hear him and come running in.
After the shower he looked in the bathroom mirror, wondering who the guy looking back at him was. Was he a cheater? He knew what he did to Tansy was borderline cheating, because they were married at the time, but they weren't together as a couple. The marriage was a drunken mistake. Had he just made another one? He decided maybe some fresh air would do him good. He didn't have to be at the Rammer Jammer for another couple of hours so maybe a long drive would do him good.
As he came out of the bathroom he noticed Zoe wasn't in the house. "Zoe!" he called out, but no answer. Maybe she went to work. He looked at the time, 8:55. Wasn't it Bricks turn to arrive early? He couldn't remember like so many other things that morning, but he was actually relieved. Zoe seemed suspicious of his behaviour and he didn't like lying to her. He got dressed and as he searched for his keys he looked out the window. His car wasn't there. How did he come home last night? An image of him dropping his keys and getting into his car with Claudette flashed before his eyes. Ok, so they must have gone back to his place. If he did his awful deed here, wouldn't there be evidence of it? He looked in the garbage. Nope no condom and the sheets didn't have an unfamiliar scent to them, and if they did he wouldn't be here right now, because he was sure Zoe would have noticed and killed him in his sleep. Suddenly he remembered he was fully clothed when he woke up. He was almost positive now that he didn't have sex last night. He just wished he could remember what happened after the kiss. Did he reciprocate? He wasn't sure he didn't. Only one way to be sure was to call Claudette. He didn't have her number but he knew someone who did.
"Wade, why are you calling me in the middle of the night?" Meatball answered, sounding groggy.
"It's 9 in morning," Wade responded.
"Yes, what I said, middle of the damn night." Wade smirked. Meatball was a night creature; he remembered some of the wild adventures they use to have. Meatball hadn't changed one bit. He looked at himself in the mirror. Even though his fashion sense hadn't changed, he had. Remarkable really how much he had changed these past two years. He almost couldn't recognize the Wade from before Zoe Hart. She really had changed him a lot and he was determined to continue growing. First step was to confirm that he didn't cheat on Zoe. That would ruin everything.
"Do you have Claudette's number?" Wade asked.
"Tell me you and your doctor girlfriend are looking for a threesome, you lucky bastard." Wade shook his head as he pictured Meatball grinning on the other end.
"No, you idiot! I just need to talk to her. I think she might have forgotten her purse at the bar last night," Wade lied.
"And why do you have her purse?" Meatball asked suspiciously.
"I'm at Tricky Ricks picking up my car. I had too much to drink last night, so Zoe drove us home." Another lie.
"And her number or address isn't in the purse?"
"There is no identification in it, but I saw her with one that looked just like it," he lied again. "Do you have the number or not," he said, trying to speed the conversation along.
"Yeah, I have it. I'll text it to you."
"Great thanks man, but do it before you go back to sleep okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I will. Goodnight Wade." "Bye Meatball."
A few minutes later he received the number from his friend and pressed Claudette's digits on his phone. He hesitated a moment before pressing dial. This could quite possibly be the most important phone call in his life. He swallowed hard as the put the phone to his ear waiting for her to pick up.
...
It had been a quick but relieving conversation. Thank God Claudette didn't hold a grudge for him rejecting her and making her drive his car back to the bar. Now he just had to retrieve his car and he was in the clear. He still had to talk to Zoe and he hoped she would understand. Sure she would be mad that he had let Claudette give him a ride home and that she had kissed him, but he did push her away. Maybe they could play principal and bad student again. This time with the roles reversed. He smiled at the thought as he walked out of his house and towards the bus stop. Two hours later he parked his car outside the Rammer Jammer and went inside to start his shift.
...
It was beautiful day and the town of BlueBell was buzzing with the news of the romantic proposal and the wedding coming up in just a few hours. Tansy and George walked through the town.
"Wanda asked me to be one of her Bridesmaids. Not Maid of Honour but still, it's cool. I just hope she didn't make me walk Tom's hamster down the aisle. Do you know it's the flower girl?" Tansy asked George that seemed distracted.
"Hamster flower girl. Very Tom long." He laughed. "Hey I think I should talk to Wade about what happened last night," George said looking into the distance.
"George, we only saw him leave the bar with that girl, we don't know what happened. And even if we did, it's none of our business."
"That's true," George said still looking like he was having a conversation with himself in his head.
"You're going to talk to him anyway, aren't you," Tansy asked knowing George's history with Zoe and Wade.
"Yeah, I have to Tansy. I need to make sure Wade didn't do something stupid. He is my friend," George said now looking at Tansy. He kissed her and headed for the Rammer Jammer, where he found Wade polishing glasses behind the bar.
Wade spotted him. "Hey Tucker, sorry about yesterday." George looked at him with a suspicious look. "I mean that we didn't get to perform, I know you were looking forward to it," Wade said, hoping that would throw George off the scent of what he was really sorry about. Had George and Tansy seen him with Claudette at the bar yesterday? He couldn't remember. At that to the list of things he couldn't remember, he thought. Was this what was like to be his dad? George's answer snapped him out of his thoughts.
"And you could have used the money for the bar," George responded. Wade looked around the bar hoping no one heard. It was suppose to be a secret, at least for now. "Not so loud Tucker."
"Sorry... I was disappointed, yes, but I actually wanted to talk to you about something else. Can we talk in private," George said as he motioned Wade towards the office.
"Sure," Wade said as he walked after George and told a waitress to cover for him.
"So what's up Tucker, you look like someone stole your dog or somethin'," Wade smirked.
"Did you cheat on Zoe?" George blurted out making Wade's facial colour turn pale. "I saw you leaving with a girl last night and you had your hand around her. Also Tansy said you have slept with her before, back when you were with her." George's voice had a hint of accusation in it and Wade didn't like it one bit. He considered telling him to mind his own business but lately George had become a good friend and he could use a good friend in his corner if somehow Zoe didn't believe him. He wouldn't put it past her; she could be very jealous and he knew she had trust issues with everything that had happened in her life.
"No, I didn't cheat on Zoe last night," Wade said with conviction and looked George straight in the eyes. "I was drunk and Claudette offered me a ride home. That was poor judgement on my side, I know, and she did kiss me, but I pushed her away and then she drove my car back to Tricky Ricks. I swear on my mother's grave that was all that happened." Wade held the stare.
George nodded, "Gotta say, I'm relieved, really relieved. I'm sorry I accused you. I should've have known. You're good man, Wade."
"Thanks George, that means a lot, and in case you need further proof, I'll text you Claudette's number." He took out his phone and pushed a few buttons. "Now if there isn't anything else Tucker, I have to get back to my job."
"Wade!" George called out as Wade vanished from his view. "Tucker!" Wade yelled back and stuck his head through the door opening grinning, "You know you have to tell Zoe right? Tansy and I weren't the only ones at the bar last night and you wouldn't want her to find out from someone else and start thinking the worst."
"Like you did," Wade said and continued before George could respond "Yeah I plan on talking to her before the wedding tonight, but if you don't let me go now, I might not make it there in time." Wade laughed. George shook his head and smiled. Typical Wade to make a joke about it. He looked at the number on his screen. He believed Wade, he really did, but it couldn't hurt to hear it from Claudette too. Wade had pretty much told him to call her. He shrugged and pressed dial. After the conversation with Claudette he was even more convinced of Wade's innocence and he called Tansy to let her know.
...
Later that day in the church and standing at the altar in the church, Zoe was talking to Wanda who was upset the flowers wasn't the colour she wanted them to be. Zoe had been in charge of the flowers but had been distracted by Betsy, Wanda's mother. She was trying to explain it to Wanda, when she heard some disturbing gossip behind her.
"Did you hear the trash Wade Kinsella walked out of the bar with last night? He even had her arm around her." Zoe gasped.
"What!? Wade left the bar with a girl?" Zoe's suddenly remembered the alcohol on Wade's breath last night and the odd behaviour in the morning. She looked frantically around for Wade. He wasn't there and she headed for the door. Tansy overheard, and realizing what was happening, she tried to stop Zoe. She reached for her arm, but Frank got in the way.
"Zoe! It's not what you thi..," she yelled but her voice drowned in the organist practicing The Star Wars Theme. She moved past Frank, but Zoe was already gone.
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