"I know, Zoe. You could never feel the same way about me. I've been dealing with this for a long time," he sighed getting up. "I'm stupid. Admitting my feelings for you. I didn't want our friendship to end, but here I am admitting things that are better left unsaid." Zoe watched as he paced around her room. He hadn't done anything he was accusing himself of doing.

"Wade," she said to gain his attention. Was hitting him an option? Nah!

"I'm a screw up. There's no way you could like me. I'm just your screwed up best friend."

"Wade Kinsella," she hissed getting up to stand in front of him. She placed her hands on his upper arms. "You're not a screw up. You're not my screwed up best friend. It is possible that I like you, Wade." He scoffed at that, moving away from her.

"Don't humor me, Zoe."

"I wasn't," she replied softly.

"I think we need some space." Space? She gave him a funny look. The last thing she wanted to do was put space between them. She wanted to tell him that he was more than a friend. That she wanted to be more than his friend. They didn't need space, they needed to be closer. "I'm gonna spend the night in the room your folks made mine."

"Wade, wait," she begged. He shook his head and walked out the door shutting it behind him. He let a long hollow sigh out resting against the wall by her door. "Funny, Wade. You have this huge idea on my feelings are. Yet you ain't even close," she chuckled sinking to her knees. "You're wrong, I've fallen for you. Why do you think I don't want a boyfriend? Because they're not you." Her laughter turned into sobs. Wade wanted to burst through the door and wrap her up in a hug and kiss every single tear away, but he couldn't do that. His feet took him down the hall.

Zoe had cried herself to sleep. Wade couldn't will sleep to over take his body. His mind on the girl crying her eyes out down the hall.

Zoe slide into her chair piling food on her plate. She wasn't very hungry, she knew she had to eat.

"Where's Wade?" Zoe asked sipping on some orange juice. She had made sure to walk past his room on the way down this morning. The door was open and his bed had even been made. She was hoping that he hadn't left before she woke up. Now it seemed that he had.

"He was here?" Her mom asked. Zoe rolled her eyes.

"I know you guys know that he's been sneaking in since he lost his Mom. Dad even made it clear, you guys knew." She pushed the food on her plate around. She hated that she was on the outs with him, when she hadn't even done anything. She tried to tell him how she felt, he just wouldn't stop long enough for her to tell him her true feelings.

"My guess is, he already left, sweetie. You guys ok?" Harley asked. Zoe gave her father a small smile nodding her head. That was her fear come true. That he had walked away. Zoe got up taking care of her plate.

"If you need anything, I'll be in my room."

"Ok, sweetie," Harley replied. Zoe raced up the stairs going to her room. She sat in her desk chair staring at the window, willing Wade to come back to her.


~6 years ago~

A ten-year old Zoe sat on her bed, her eyes red and puffy. She hugged her body to her chest. She jumped hearing her window being pushed open.

"Zo?" Wade asked through the dark. His voice was raw from all the crying and screaming he had done that day.

"Wade?" Zoe questioned, turning her bedside lamp on. "What are you doing?" She asked. Wade sat next to her. Zoe quickly flung her arms around him.

"Home feels so black. Jesse's locked himself in his room, Dad's drinking bottle after bottle. I was alone and scared. I don't want to be scared and I can't be alone."

"Oh, Wade," Zoe whispered. "You're not alone. Never. I'll always be here for you." He felt safe, even if it only lasted the night.

"Thanks, Zo," he whispered shutting his eyes to keep the tears locked away.

"It's ok if you cry, Wade. You just buried your Mom. That's hard for any adult. You're just a kid, it's gotta be hard. It's hard for me. Your Mom was like a second Mom to me. I wont judge you for crying." That had made him chuckle a little, her little rant.

"I'm sick of crying, Zoe," he sighed, laying down on the bed. Zoe turned her light off, laying next to him. He cuddled into Zoe.

"Let's play a game," Zoe told him softly. "Favorite flavor of ice cream?" He furrowed his brow.

"Double chocolate," he answered. "You know that."

"I know just answer the questions. Favorite food?" She asked getting his mind to focus on other things in life.

"Burgers and fries," he replied playing along.

"Favorite sport?"

"Football."

"Your dream?"

"Playing in the NFL."

"Best friend?"

"You," he replied.

"Color?"

"Green."

"A house by the beach or in the mountains?"

"Beach."

"Summer or winter?"

"Autumn."

"Why?"

"Don't laugh!" He warned. "Because things are changing and with all the colors, it's pretty." He shrugged against her. Zoe smiled, she had rarely seen this side of him. When she did they were always alone. She found it sweet that he was secure enough at the tender age of 10 to show that he could be sensitive.

"Home?" Wade shut his eyes trying to figure out what she was getting at with a question like that.

"Where ever I feel safe, I guess," he sighed.

"Home is where the heart is, Wade," Zoe whispered.


Wade walked along the streets in the early morning sun. Everything was so peaceful and calm. He felt a sense of relief wash over him. She had fallen for him and he left. He could do the whole best friend thing. That was easy. Unless she was going through a break up, then he wanted to punch the guys lights out and keep Zoe close for himself. But yet, here he was walking away from her. He kept telling himself that he would only screw it up, that Zoe deserved someone other than him. She had a heart of gold and his heart was ice-cold.