Hello. Happy New Year! First update of the year and it's rather long (I hope you like that; in any other case, let me know and I'll make the chapters shorter). Here's the second summer, part one.

As usual, thank you for reviewing and reading. I appreciate your support, especially now that I'm having less time to write.

1998: Part 1

A smile grew on her face the moment she saw Harley at Mobile's airport. It was certainly different from the year before. He wasn't a stranger anymore so that helped. Still, she couldn't call him dad or father. Harley was just Harley, and so far he was okay with that.

It did bother her when he told her how big she was. Of course she knew he meant she had grown but for her it was hard to hear him saying things like what a lovely young woman she was growing up to be. It made her feel self-conscious. And it didn't help that right before her trip, her mom had taken her to buy bras and a swimsuit; it was quite embarrassing to say the least.

It wasn't that she didn't want to grow up. No. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to grow up but the process was awkward and painful.

"What do you want to do first?" asked Harley as they drove to Bluebell.

Watching through the passenger window, Zoe sighed. Honestly, she wanted to say that visit Wade, to see how he was doing after his mother's death but she was also scared. Scared not about what Wade could say but because she didn't know how to react around him. She was very inept when it came to socializing, she had a hard time making friends and even worse keeping them. Apparently her problem was the brain-to-mouth filter; she didn't have one. Also, she couldn't seem to understand other people's emotions.

All that and more was what a therapist told her. Her mother had thought it was a good idea for her to visit a therapist to help her get through this stage of her life. As if it was normal for teens to meet their real parents after years of lies. Besides, she couldn't stand the woman who wrote every little thing she said, so she said as little as possible… but the woman kept on writing.

"Go to the practice?" Zoe offered with a small smile. "I'd like to say hi to Mrs. H."

Harley agreed without hesitation.

So that was it.

Maybe Mrs. H would be more understanding. After all, for Zoe, it had always been easy to open up to Emmeline Hattenbarger, perhaps because she was the typical mother figure but also because she understood what she was going through. That's why it was difficult to lie to her.

"Are you going to ask about Wade or not?" Mrs. H arched one eyebrow behind her glasses. She wasn't beating around the bush that was for sure. "Because, last thing I remember, you two were attached at the hip."

Giving Mrs. H what Zoe would call her best glare with respect, Mrs. Hattenbarger only chuckled back at her.

Perhaps she would need to work on her annoyed stares for the future.

Zoe sighed. "I just don't know what to say. My friends back in New York have divorced parents so the only thing they do is go to parties and get more money and presents than before." She pursed her lip into a pout. "This is out of my comfort zone."

"If I had to guess, I think summers in Bluebell are out of your comfort zone, Zoe."

The corner of Zoe's mouth curved up slightly. "Yeah, it is."

"My advice?" Mrs. H offered. "Just try to talk to him. He's been having a hard time lately, especially now that Jesse enlisted."

In the few hours she had been in Bluebell, Zoe had already heard the gossip about the Kinsellas. Apparently Earl had decided that the best cure for his broken heart, after Jacqueline passed away, was alcohol, and because of it he had lost his previous job. Meanwhile, Jesse just couldn't deal with the family problems so he chose to take off, and joined the army. That left Wade alone. Harley said that he was working as a delivery boy, trying to make ends meet.

"I just need a little time," Zoe mumbled just as a new patient walked in.

The rest of the day was spent in the practice, helping as she had done the previous summer. Problem was that Zoe still couldn't get Wade out of her head. She had missed him and knowing he wasn't well made her feel guilty. She didn't feel capable of offering any kind of support, though. It wasn't her thing.

So by the end of the day, if anyone asked, she'd say she was spending the day with Harley because he was the reason for her trip anyway. She was by no means avoiding Wade.

All over the night, Zoe tossed and turned. Guilt was eating her up. By breakfast time, she looked like a raccoon, and her hair was all over the place.

"You can… stay home today," Harley said with a small smile playing on his lips. "I think Emmeline has everything covered and you could use a few hours of sleep."

Zoe shot him a half-hearted glare but soon plopped down on a chair and huffed as Harley placed large glass of milk in front of her. She hated his no-coffee rule. Back in New York she could drink gallons of it and her mother wouldn't even care.

"Yes. Yes, I could have a nap." Harley chuckled at her answer. "And, uh, I was thinking that, you know, I pretty much know everything about Bluebell, but one thing I don't know is the cemetery. Would you happen to know where it is? It's just that I believe a place like that tells quite a bit about a town's past."

Harley sipped his coffee and looked at her for all five seconds, watching her big brown eyes blinking at him, waiting for his answer. He finally sighed and gave her directions to Bluebell's small cemetery and also the flower shop. It didn't take a genius to know what she planned on doing.

…

If cemeteries could be described as beautiful and not a little creepy, then Bluebell's would certainly be one of them.

Zoe just didn't enjoy the whole ritual of bringing flowers to dead people. Well, she had never done it because her grandparents died when she was still a little girl and she was never too close to them to begin with.

It sucked that not only she was lacking some social skills but she also needed to be taught how to be normal. And it wasn't as if she was a crazy person but she had a hard time finding the right words around people. Don't even get her started with how stiff she got whenever someone tried to hug her; it was pathetic.

So she stood there, before Jacqueline Kinsella's grave, with a few sunflowers in her hand. Jacqueline had always looked like a woman who would've loved sunflowers; always chasing the sun.

After just a few moments, Zoe felt a lump in her throat. She didn't know why she always got emotional when thinking about Jacqueline but she had decided it was because she had always longed for a mother like her, someone who would be there to her hear complain about boys or share the latest gossip around school; maybe with a mom like that she would have been normal.

Footsteps jolted her out of her reverie. When Zoe looked up, to her left, she saw him for the first time that year.

Wade had certainly changed. He was taller, much taller than her, and also much more muscular than she remembered. And it wasn't just that but with just one look at his face, she knew there was something wrong. He was angry and hurt.

His jaw clenched when their eyes met, and he swiveled around to leave just after a second.

"Wade, wait up!" Zoe cried before remembering the flowers in her hand. She gently laid them on Jacqueline's grave and murmured an apology for some reason unknown to her.

She ran after him and, even if he wasn't running – just angrily stomping his way away from her – she had trouble catching up.

"Please! Just, just wait!" she screamed as they reached the cemetery entrance.

The glare he shot at her froze her on the spot.

"What do you want?"

Zoe's eyes widened and she doubted. Was it really worth it? Was she willing to make an effort to keep Wade as a friend? And why? It was a very selfish thought to quit on him because he had been the main reason why her previous summer had been fun, why she had been able to get through it after learning about her real father.

"I want to talk to you." She sighed and looked at him in the eye, taking a tentative step forward. "I want to know how you are because… I'm sorry. I really am. Your mom was great and I know you loved her-"

"Shut up, okay? You, you don't know crap," Wade spat through gritted teeth. "You are just some snotty girl who comes here to mess with people's lives and then goes back to her big, luxurious apartment in New York and forget all about it. About us."

"Wade-"

"You didn't even call!" he shouted. She recoiled at the hurt in his voice. "You knew and you didn't say a word. My mom – she liked you," Wade's voice faded into a whisper. He shook his head and turned around ready to leave.

"I didn't know what to do!" Zoe yelled, hoping he would stop. He did but didn't turn around to face her. "My friends don't expect me to be there for them. People in my circle? They hide things, they pretend they're fine." Her voice cracked and it was then when he finally looked at her. "Sorry. I'm so sorry because I really liked your mom, too."

She just couldn't stop the tears running down her cheeks and she hated it. She wasn't this girl. She didn't cry in front of people and much less because she was too much of a mess. And so, she was the one running away, leaving him behind.

It wasn't until she reached Harley's house – her summer house – that she realized what a coward she was, escaping from her friends because it was too awkward for her. She was being selfish.

She wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't want to see her ever again.

…

"You're stupid."

She was running some errands – Mrs. H had said it was to keep her busy while she patched things up with her friends. Of course, to Zoe's ears, that sounded like crazy words. For starters, the so-called friends weren't her friends; Lemon certainly couldn't qualify and George was so enamored with said blonde belle that he wasn't able to be anywhere but within five-foot away from her.

Wade was a sore topic.

That was why she wasn't expecting to see him just as she walked around the corner on her way to the post office.

She was taken aback by his words. Usually she would have given him a snappy comeback and then it would turn into friendly banter to end up with them laughing at themselves and planning some prank.

Now, he stood there, arms folded over his chest, showing how much of a man he was and how a year was a very long time to miss him. The thought of him hugging her colored her cheeks red; she remembered their kiss.

Of course she did.

It was silly because she had gone to some parties and had kissed a few boys but it didn't feel the same. It hadn't been exactly bad – except from one boy who shoved his tongue into her mouth without much preamble – but it wasn't as exciting as it was with Wade. He made her feel good and content.

"You could've just said that to me. Before all this crap."

"That I didn't know what to say?" Zoe babbled, still surprised that he would be willing to talk to her.

"Yeah. I would've understood 'cause I had no idea what to do either."

"Sorry?"

He scoffed. "You think too much." He tapped the side of her head with his index finger. She glared at him. "You need to quit filling your head with stuff."

And finally, she glared at him. "I do not fill my head with stuff, okay? Unlike you, I might spend more time pondering my decisions because I don't want to make a mistake. So excuse me if my decision of not looking like an inept bothered you." It was comforting to see that tiny smile on his face as she ranted but it wasn't enough to stop her. "Knowing you like I do, I was certain you would've laughed at me. You would've called me names just because I couldn't say sorry. It took me months of practice to say that and still, it didn't work as planned!"

His smile grew a bit wider. "I could've used that laugh," Wade babbled sadly, his head bowing as he stared at his dirty chucks. Before Zoe knew it, he was already walking past her in the opposite direction.

Curling her fingers around his wrist, she stopped him. She tugged his arm and he barely angled his head enough to catch a glimpse of her.

"Don't be mad at me," Zoe murmured, feeling overly exposed to rejection.

He smirked. "I'm angry at a lot of things right now. You're the only one who tried to apologize."

"Wade-"

"I've got to go. I'm working." He gently took back his arm, letting her fingers slide over the palm of his hand.

"Right. See you later?"

"Maybe."

At least now it seemed like their friendship – as she kept calling their strange relationship – wasn't completely lost. But the hurt Wade's demeanor let showed was heartbreaking.

Zoe had thought that maybe with the few months Jacqueline had been given, she had tried to prepare Wade. That maybe he knew her death was the end of months of suffering for everyone. And yet, there was something else, something that looked like an open wound. Could it be that he missed his brother, Jesse? Okay, they weren't exactly brotherly but they were close. According to gossip, Jesse had gone away as soon as he could.

The rest of the afternoon, Zoe spent it in her own head, trying to come up with a plan or something that could've helped Wade to go back to be himself. She wanted back that fun loving Wade with the sparkly dark green eyes that would get her into trouble more often than they could get out of it.

That day, Harley had been busy until late with a large family who needed their annual checkup. So as a treat, after work, he told Zoe they would get some take-out from Fancie's and then go home for a quiet evening, perhaps watching one of those noir films he liked so much.

She was okay with the plan. She wasn't a fan of noir films but was able to appreciate the beauty of them. Honestly, she was mostly interested about dinner, especially the dessert. She was just dying for some crème brûlée, and Fancie's was her best choice in Bluebell to get it.

As Harley waited for their order, Zoe waited outside his truck parked in front of the town square. At that time there was a welcomed gentle breeze after a really hot day. It was all very calm until suddenly, when she saw ten-year-old Tom Long running as fast as he could, followed by some older people.

"Hey, Zoe," Tom greeted, stopping for a second to smile at her. It was kind of cute but also utterly obnoxious that Tom had a crush on her. Emmeline cracked up each time the little boy showed up at the practice to say hello. His cheeks got red now, just like any other time.

"Hi. Where are you going?" Zoe asked as more people seemed to gather at one side of the square.

"Mr. Kinsella is on the roof of the hardware store. He says he's going to jump!" With that, Tom started running again, leaving a stunned Zoe behind.

What was that about? And why did Tom look so chipper about it?

Zoe decided to see for herself what was going on, and so she made her way to the hardware store. She jogged all the way there, finally seeing Earl Kinsella on top of the building, dangerously close to the edge and obviously drunk. What surprised her the most, though, was seeing how no one moved a finger to help.

"Shouldn't we do something?" Zoe asked Frank, owner of the Dixie Stop.

The man chuckled softly and shook his head. "Nah, he's been doing it for the past four months. After the third, the firemen stopped coming. He ain't going to jump."

"But," Zoe spluttered, not believing that Bluebellians could ignore this or, well, just stand there and do nothing. "He could get hurt." She looked up. Earl was swaying from side to side, shouting that he was going to jump while a bottle of scotch dangled from his left hand.

By then, Zoe had decided she was going to do something. She had to because she might have been an awful friend for Wade before, but she was not going to let his father jump off a roof. She owed it to Jacqueline and Wade.

She was determined to climb up the side of the building when she saw Wade walking towards his father on the roof. He looked tired, angry and upset. She could understand it because everyone was there to witness this embarrassing moment.

And at that moment, she realized that, even if the death of his mother had left a nasty scar on his heart, there was a new open wound thanks to his father. And yes, a strong man like Earl was devastated because he hadn't been able to do anything to save his wife but he had to try to be okay, for his boys. Yet, it seemed like Wade was the one picking up the pieces.

"Come on, Dad. Let's go home," Wade said when he reached his father.

"Nope," Earl replied stubbornly before taking another swig of his almost empty bottle.

"Dad."

"Okay, but only if you sing it."

"No!" Wade's face scrunched up with anger.

"Then I'll jump." Earl took a step closer to the ledge and right then she heard Wade sing for the first time. His voice wasn't the best but he could in fact carry a tune, and in this case that tune was Moon River.

Wade was embarrassed and it was obvious by how his voice wavered, by how he looked away when Earl joined him and how his face turned hard when other people sang as well. For most of them it was a show, for Zoe was a window to all the suffering Wade was going through.

"Zoe," a gentle voice called, startling her. It was Harley who had returned from Fancie's. He looked sad but not as much as she felt. "We should go home." He probably knew about Earl and his stunts but Zoe wondered if he had actually helped Wade in any way possible.

Harley sighed and then commanded the rest of the people to go home, that there was nothing to see there and everything was over. He tried to give the Kinsellas some privacy but Zoe doubted it would do any good.

…

One thing she absolutely loved about her summers in Bluebell was her canopy bed. It was silly but it made her feel like a princess. The mattress was perfect. It always made her feel better when she went to bed after a long day, with the windows open just to keep the room cool enough so she could rest.

It scared her to no end when she was woken up by the sound of her window being pushed. So much that she couldn't even scream.

But then she sat up in bed and heard the clumsy movements of the intruder. He huffed as he used the window sill as leverage to get inside, swinging one leg up but then falling onto the floor heavily and ungracefully. He grumbled under his breath just as Zoe turned the lamp on her night table on.

Wade sat there with his back to the wall and one leg stretched in front of him while the other was bended at the knee. His brow was furrowed and he refused to open his eyes.

"Wade?" Zoe murmured, getting out of bed to see if he was fine.

"It's too bright in here," he slurred.

He was drunk out of his mind. Actually, Zoe could smell the stink of beer and scotch five feet away from him.

She scowled at him.

"You're drunk."

"Duh." He laughed, his head lolling back and hitting the wall but he kept on laughing as if she had said the best joke ever. "I figured that if Earl gets hammered then why shouldn't I? It must be fun."

"And?" Zoe murmured wistfully, as she approached him, kneeling by his side.

"People sound funny and my body feels heavy. It's not like I thought it'd be." He groaned. "My head throbs but you can feel the world spinning." He chuckled.

She said nothing and instead ran a hand through his sweat-drenched blonde hair, drawing a sigh out of him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm hurt," he babbled, barely opening his eyes. "I'm hurt so I came to the Doc to fix me." He showed her his left side, and then she saw he had a cut over his stomach. "Barbwire," he offered as an explanation.

"I'll, I'll call Harley, he'll help you-"

"No!" Wade grabbed her hand and pulled her next to him. "You got to fix me up. You're the Doc. No one can know, you can't tell anyone."

"But you might need stitches. I cannot give you stiches, Wade."

"Z, you gotta help me."

Her heart clenched. She felt physical pain just by the look he gave her. It was worse when he cupped the side of her face with his hand and rubbed his thumb over the apple of her cheek. She just didn't know why she cared so much about him or why she needed to know he was fine.

"Please, baby," Wade whispered.

For a second, Zoe felt hypnotized but she knew she had to do the right thing. No matter what Wade thought, he was too intoxicated to know what was best for him and, as a good friend, she had to make the decision for him.

Daintily, she placed a hand over his wound and leaned forward kissing his cheek softly. "I'm sorry."

He didn't get why she had apologize until she shouted Harley's name. He glared at her until the older man walked inside the room, a fire poker that had barely been used over the years in hand.

When Zoe's father saw him there, too close to his only child, he momentarily forgot what an outstanding southern gentleman he was. He imagined the worst-case scenario. He knew that sooner or later Zoe would date because she was fifteen but a boy in her room in the middle of the night was an entire different thing.

Before Harley could even speak and scold the two of them, Zoe interrupted him with, "He needs help. He's hurt and… he might've drunk a beer or two." Or five.

She had suddenly realized what Harley was thinking and added, "Nothing happened. Wade just got here."

"And I can go right now." Wade stood up, wincing as his muscles stretched. He was about to leave through the window when Harley finally found his voice.

"Stop right there, young man. Doors have been created for a reason and unless your intentions are less than honorable, you'll leave this house through the door."

Zoe blinked at her father with wide eyes. She had never heard him sounding so serious before; it was a little terrifying. And by the look on Wade's face, it seemed like he didn't understand a thing of what was being said.

Sighing, Harley approached the couple of teens, helping Wade to stand up right and smelling the alcohol in Wade's breath. He reeked, which was why Harley shot him a disapproving look. "I'll check your injury and then you'll drink some water. You can stay on the couch tonight."

Wade just stared at the older man. "Thanks, um, sir."

"Do you need me to help? I can get some blankets and a pillow-" Zoe offered, hurrying herself to follow them but Harley stopped her before she could leave her bedroom.

"No. You stay here and Wade will stay out, that's the way things will be, Zoe. I'm not going to deny him help but I'm not letting him disturb the peace in my home." He looked at Wade and told him, "I demand a minimum amount of respect."

Wade bobbed his head, swaying a bit but still standing on his feet.

Zoe sighed. "Okay," she whispered. "Uh, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night and I hope you feel better in the morning."

Wade's gaze softened slightly as she looked at him. "Night."

As Harley half-dragged Wade to the living room, Zoe watched them, knowing that Wade hadn't gotten drunk because he wanted to have fun, like most boys she knew did. He was looking for something to numb the pain he felt, just like his dad. Maybe she and Harley could stop him before it was too late. Maybe she could help him.

He was so lonely.

With Lemon and her new little sister and George always being there babysitting for a chance to make out with his girlfriend or out of town with his dad who took him in golf and fishing trips, Wade didn't have many people in who he could rely on. Now she was there and she'd do the best she could to help him heal.