This is a short chapter as it is leading up to a bigger chapter. I appreciate the amazing feedback so much! I hate writing so much angst but it will all pay off don't worry ;) plus I also feel when season 3 returns it's going to take a long time for Zoe and Wade to return to normal. Anyway hope you enjoy nevertheless! (:

…

'Damn you look like ass.' Lavon said commenting on Wade's appearance of a tank top, jeans and ruffled hair as he poured a cup a fresh cup of coffee and practically threw himself onto the stool.

Wade could only grunt.

'Oh great we're back to that.'

'Zoe came to my door last night to tell me she wants to try again with us and Julie may have been there.'

Lavon nearly dropped the cup of coffee from his hand 'I'm sorry what?!'

'Yeah. She was sayin' all this stuff 'bout how she was proud of me and that she wanted us to give it a real go and then Julie came up behind me with a beer in her hand.'

'Aw Wade, no. Please tell me you didn't just stand there?'

Wade gave him a blank look 'I didn't know what else to do! But nothin' happened with Julie, we had a beer and she left. I told her I didn't feel well.'

'And then you went after Zoe?'

'And then I went to bed.'

Lavon rolled his eyes 'Wade!'

'What was I meant to do Lavon!? You know just as much as me that if I went over to Zoe Hart's house she would have killed me and buried my body within a space of an hour!'

'Wade are you a purebred idiot? Zoe is in love with you! That's why she came home!'

Wade shook his head 'No Lavon okay see that is not how Zoe Hart's story goes alright. She wants to be with Tucker but she is just tellin' herself she wants me cause Tucker is gone and she's lonely.'

'Oh yeah that would explain why she turned down George yesterday when he asked her out.'

Wade's eyes bulged from his head 'Wait George is back?'

Lavon nodded 'Rolled in yesterday mornin' and first thing he did was visit Zoe and asked her out, but she told him no, that she wanted to be with you.'

Wade dropped his shoulders along with his mouth. What had he just done? He ran his hand through his hair.

He turned to Lavon and his blank emotion soon turned to dramatic anger 'Lavon what have you done!'

Lavon blinked numerous times in a state of shock 'Excuse me?'

'You heard me! What the hell have you done?!'

'How the hell is any of this my fault!?'

Wade paused 'Because you- well you know it was you who- It just is alright!' He threw his head back and growled. What had just happened? One minute Zoe Hart was his attractive neighbour who had eyes for another man then the next thing she was at his door saying she wanted to be with him and he did nothing, he just stood there.

'Oh god and Julie was there. Oh god oh god.' He knocked his head against the countertop.

'Yeah about that, whole Julie thing. When did that happen?'

'A while ago, but I did nothin' cause of Zoe but then I guess out of anger I asked her out and then next thing you know we're drinkin' beer and laughin' and I ask her back to my place and then Zoe knocked on the door.'

'Wade…'

'I know…'

'Wade…'

'Lavon, what am I going to do?'

'Well what do you want to do?'

'I dunno I mean its Zoe, I love her!' he said smiling but it didn't last long 'Its Zoe, who treated me like crap, I treated her like crap we treated each other like crap but she wants to try again, I want that too. Christ I've waited all summer for that.'

'And Julie?'

'I dunno you know she's nice and she's hot, really hot and we always seem to have somethin' to talk about and she is most definitely not wrapped in half the drama Zoe is.'

'But…' Lavon said with a cheeky smile on his face.

'What makes you think there is a but?'

'But…'

Wade gave in, Lavon knew him all too well 'But, she isn't Zoe. Nobody is ever goin' to be like Zoe.'

…

'Big Z open up, come on I know you're in there. I can smell the donut frostin' from here.' Lavon begged from behind the porch door. He could hear her inside but she refused to come out so he had to take necessary mayoral steps to see if his tenant was okay, or at least that's how he explained the broken front door to Annabeth.

'You're not even going to ask what that noise was….'

'Sounded a bit like my heart last night...' she said dramatically from beneath the safety of her bedcovers. Lavon rolled his eyes and made his way to the bedside. The room wasn't in half the state it was after their breakup. There was no pizza boxes or sticky lollipops but there was 2 large bottles of wine sitting pretty on the bedside locker.
The first thing Lavon did was draw back the curtains allowing the light to cut through the room but Zoe never budged. Lavon then picked up the two bottles that sparked a reaction from her though.

'The second one isn't empty, the one in your left hand.'

'If you think Lavon Hayes is gonna let you drink day old wine at 11 o'clock in the mornin' then you got another thing comin'! Come on, get up.'

'I am a grown woman Lavon now I may not have my life completely under control but one thing I do have control over is when I want to drink and right now I want to drink!' she tried to snatch the bottles from his hand but he was much too quick and seen as she had no intentions on leaving her bed the task of dumping the bottles in the trash can proved miniscule.

Zoe gave a little moan but soon threw herself back down onto the mattress and pulled the covers up around her body.

'He feels awful Zo. You know that right?'

'No offensive Lavon but I don't care.'

Lavon shook his head, it was becoming ever more clear to him that he was going to have to be the clear mind in this weird relationship the 3 of them had formed 'I think you do or else you wouldn't be lying in this….state.'

Zoe scoffed; state was one word for it annihilation of the heart was another. She rolled around revealing her face to Lavon who could only sympathize with her. He could see the pain in her eyes and that wasn't even including the running mascara and smudged eye shadow.

'He sent Julie home after you left…' Lavon said cautiously as Zoe's heart winced at the sound of her name.

'She was still there in the first place.'

'Yeah because he was in a hurt and angry over you being in New York, with Jonah!'

'Nothing happened with Jonah!' she snapped at him.

'And nothing happened with Julie!' he snapped back at her. Zoe was speechless and Lavon hoped that that would be enough to get her to realise Wade wanted to be with her and maybe she could climb out of bed and go over to him and talk at least but who was he kidding, this was Wade and Zoe. Nothing came simple to these two, ever.

'Lavon I have tried to tell that man I love him twice! Twice! And twice I was interrupted. Wade has made it clear he wants to move on so I'm going to do the same.'

Lavon sighed, that was not what he had in mind. 'He loves you Zoe, more than he realises. Just go talk to him, please.'

….

Zoe had avoided anything to do with Wade for two days. Anything to do with Wade was bypassed which meant the kitchen, the Rammer Jammer, the Butter-Stick and the town square. Her hibernation was not to last for long though as on the 3rd day morning in fact they had their first encounter.
Zoe's intentions were to grab a quick cup of coffee and then spend the day at the office despite having nothing to do and of course to avoid Wade. For Wade his intentions were to avoid everything and anything that moved and especially Zoe Hart.
They both seemed to be out of luck.

Wade heard the door open from behind him with his head buried in the fridge, he presumed it was Lavon and he was going to argue with him over the lack of peanut butter when he soon realised it was not Lavon, far from it in fact.

'Hey Lavon it wouldn't kill ya to get some more-'he swung around to see Zoe standing there in just as much shock as he was 'Oh, Doc.'

Zoe nodded; it was all she could do in that moment.

'I uh thought you were Lavon. Out of peanut butter.' He held up the empty jar and jiggled it in front of her in an attempt to kill the awkwardness as Zoe gave a ghost smile.

Wade shut the fridge door and looked around. Now would be a really good time for Lavon to come home Wade thought as they stared at each other.

'I haven't seen you around much.' Wade said in a sincere tone as Zoe ventured closer to him.

'Well you know Brick and Shelby are off on yet another holiday so it's just me…'

'Doesn't mean you gotta sit around in that office all day lookin' at magazines.'

Zoe smiled at how well he knew her 'I have to be on hand in case of a medical emergency!'

'Just in case there is a flu epidemic?' Wade joked.

'Wouldn't be the first time, but of course you're the expert when it comes to causing an epidemic.' She said smiling sweetly at him as they both reminisced.

'I had good reasons to get back to town and no sniffle was gonna stand in my way.' Wade said proudly as Zoe relaxed just that little bit more, those words were one by one stitching up her broken heart. She felt like she need to respond, the little smile was enough for them both to know that their past was not forgotten.

Wade couldn't just stand there however without mentioning the elephant in the room 'Look Doc about the other night-'

'Oh you don't have to mention it, I was stupid coming by like that-'

'No I am so glad you did cause well nothin' happened with Julie and –'

'Yeah Lavon told me but that doesn't really change things.'

'Well I'd hoped it would.' He said hopefully as Zoe's face lit up.

'Why would you think that?' she asked full of curiosity.

'Well I have been thinkin' bout what you said, bout givin' it another go and well I really want to do that Zoe-'

Zoe had to interrupt him once more before he said the words she had wanted to hear since she got back to town. Havin presumed Wade had moved on she decided to do the same well that and pick the thing that hurt Wade the most, George Tucker. After Lavon left her house that morning Zoe decided the best way to get back at Wade and his new piece of meat was to prove to him she was fine but to mostly get a reaction from him and seeing her on a date with George Tucker was the best way to do so.

'Wade before you say anything else I just have to tell you something.'

'Sure what is it?' He really didn't want to know because he knew from that look in her eyes it was going to be bad.

'I'm kind of going out on a date with George tonight.'

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Another cliff-hanger I know! And I am sorry about that but the next chapter is the turning point in the story so hopefully you guys will stay hooked til then. Hopefully by Thursday maybe Friday. Hope you enjoy it