A/N: First of all, I have to thank the people who understands what I'm doing here. It would be way too easy to just put Zoe and Wade together on the first chapter, but this is not a one-shot. And things take time and I really do believe that you guys aren't going to regret the course this story is going to take. So, thank you so much for your kindness and patience, those two precious virtues. :)

And I have to thank to every single person that reviews this story and puts it on alerts because it means a lot to me. So, as a reward, I'm posting this chapter a bit early than I would. Hope you enjoy it.


Chapter 7 - Wedding Anxiety (Part I)

You could see posters spread all over Bluebell. The chaos was obvious, what did not help Zoe feeling less overwhelmed with planning her wedding. Well, the newest event in town wasn't going to help her at all. Bluebell Bachelor Auction was making the town look like a big mess, with males running around planning out their baskests for the event. And Joel was one of them, always asking Zoe what she liked to eat the most.

"Seriously Joel, you are getting married to me in three months and you don't know what I like to eat?" Zoe snapped her head towards her fiancé and gazed at him madly. Joel, on the other hand, just sat on their bed and gazed at his hands.

"I'm under pressure, I can't remember anything!"

"You are under pressure?" Zoe faked a laugh and rolled her eyes "Try to plan a wedding"

Joel raised from his seat and approached Zoe. His hands touched her shoulders gently, making Zoe look away from the computer screen "I'm sorry, I'm being a douch. I can't even imagine how stressful planning our wedding can be,"

"It's very stressful" she sighed, pouting.

"That's why I want to give you some time to rest your head," Joel smiled and ran a hand through her cheek "I want it to be perfect."

Zoe looked into his blue eyes for a moment and then smile, heaving a sigh "Put there my favourite chocolate cookies" she muttered to him and Joel smiled, letting go of her and rubbing his hands excited.

"You'll so not regret this" Joel said and left the room, leaving Zoe grinning to herself.


There's a moment when Zoe starts to lose her mind. What she thought that would be a great idea calling her mother saying that she was getting married soon, it turned out not to be. Candice Hart was there for only a couple days and she was making Zoe's life already a living hell like she did everytime Zoe was with her.

Zoe was sitting on a purple couch on a store in Mobile, seeing her mother running from one side to another, talking to one woman that actually showed interest on whatever her mother was saying. What this people do just to gain some money! Zoe thought, heaving a sigh.

"I want to go home" Zoe mumbled to AnnaBeth that was sitting by her side with two pieces of fabric on her hands.

"I really can't see where's the difference," AnnaBeth muttered to herself shaking slowly her head, like she was hypnotized by looking at that "But I guess there's one since you're mother is telling me that there is actually one-"

"Earth to AnnaBeth!" Zoe sighs and shakes her shoulder, bringing AnnaBeth to reality. Zoe laughs looking at the expression of her friend and leaned against the couch "I'm bored. I don't like doing this,"

"What? Planning a wedding?" AnnaBeth raised and eyebrow, looking definitely worried about Zoe's confession. AnnaBeth had always seen Zoe like a girl that would like to plan something as soon as she had an excuse. But seeing her now was making her change her mind.

"No, look at my mom doing everything for me" AnnaBeth sighed with relief "I wish I was doing something that she can't do for me. Like try out some wedding dresses, that would be fun. But I bet my mother would find out some way to try them on for me-"

AnnaBeth covered her mouth with one hand seeing that Candice was entering the room "What are you two girls doing sitting there? I could use some help, I can't plan out a wedding all by myself-"

"You actually don't have to plan this wedding" Zoe said, brushing out AnnaBeth's hand from her mouth. She raised from her seat, crossing her arms against her chest looking at her mother "I am the one that's going to get married and I would like to have some say so on this"

"And you have" Candice said and chuckled "Come on dear, let's see some flowers"

"I don't want to" Zoe put her hands on her hips and sighed, rolling her eyes.

"You are getting married" her mother said like she was judging her. Shocking! "And you don't even show interest on planning this things out, Zoe. You have to have a plan. Maybe you shouldn't have agreed with the wedding day-"

"The problem here isn't the wedding day, mom. It's... you wanting to do it all your way. You had already done that with your own wedding, this one is mine and I would seriously like to plan it out by myself. With you and AnnaBeth by my side in case I need help,"

"But-" her mother tried to say something but Zoe didn't let her.

"No but mom! Do as I say and everything will turn out just fine," Zoe said, sitting again on the couch where she covered her face with her hands. Never in her life she thought planning a wedding would be so exhausting. She felt her mother sitting just by her side, placing one hand on her back and rubbing it gently. That kind gesture made Zoe shiver because it felt nice. Her mother hadn't always showed some kindness during her childhood with gestures, the way she showed was taking Zoe on shopping sprees. So it felt nice and Zoe appreacited it.

"I'm sorry dear, it's just my maternal side talking" that was something that could shock the whole town, Candice Hart having a maternal side since she had never showed one when Zoe needed the most. But she didn't open her mouth to say that because she didn't want to ruin the moment. It felt nice to feel that her mother actually cared for her, even if it was a little too late. Well, it was never too late to feel love coming from your mother "I just want you to have your fairytale wedding day that you have always talked about when you were a little kid. Remember? Big dress, big day... awesome husband?"

Zoe chuckled. Yeah, that definitely felt nice.

"I know mom and I'm sorry too for talking to you in that way," Zoe raised her head to look into her mother's eyes "I just feel a little bit overwhelmed with everything. Yes, I could use some help" her mother's eyes seemed that they had their own personal light when Zoe said that and a smile appeared on Candice's lips "But only when I ask"

"Only when you ask" Candice nodded. Zoe looked to her mother and to AnnaBeth, that had returned to look to the two pieces of fabric on her hands.

"Now please take that from AnnaBeth's hands, she seems like she is about to have mental breakdown" Zoe grinned and AnnaBeth raised her head. Candice grabbed the two pieces of fabric from her hands and grinned as well as AnnaBeth shook her head "Now come with me, I would like to see what kind of flowers they have"


The Rammer Jammer was filled with the Bluebellians that looked excited for one more Bluebell Bachelor Auction. Zoe, on the other hand, didn't seem much happy to be there. Once she knew how to handle her mother when it came to plan out her wedding, there was nothing that could stop Zoe from doing everything so that the wedding could be perfect just in time. So, she rather be at home planning her next move. Buying her wedding dress.

"Evening," Lavon's voice filled the bar making everyone shut up and start clapping. Lavon smiled that warm smile that only he could give to people "I'm happy to annouce one more time the Bachelor Auction. Without further ado, let's start"

Lavon started to say what which basket had and desperate voices of women filled the air, in squeaky screams to get one date with one man. Memories came to her mind thinking about her date with Wade in that event. She smiled.

"Now this one is something... different" Lavon smiled and raised an eyebrow confused "This one contains two chicken sandwiches, spaghetti with meatballs and-"

"Ten dollars!" one blonde lady said from the crowd before Lavon could even finish. She smiled to Lavon and raised her ten dollar bill in the air, shaking it. By the look on many faces, no one seem to be interest on the basket. What was understandable. So, Lavon sold the basket to the lady and she ran towards... Meatball, of course. Spaghetti with meatballs? It had to be that guy "Another happy couple..."

Zoe hid a smile when the woman hugged him because they looked funny together. Then, when she was about to look to Lavon, she saw Wade looking at her. She waved at him with a shy smile on her lips but she didn't got a wave or even a smile for answer. Wade looked away. Her eyes met the floor for a while. It was obvious that Wade was still made at her. Lavon's voice woke her up.

"-accompanied with a fancy bottle of white wine and some strawberries with chocolate and, to finish, chocolate cookies specially from New York" Zoe smiled and raised her hand immediately.

"Ten dollars!" she said smiling to Lavon.

"Fifteen dollars!" a brunnette girl said from across the bar. Claudette. Zoe narrowed her eyes at her. First she ruins her relationship with Wade and now she was trying to steal her fiancée? No way in hell.

"Fourty dollars" it sounded crazy but Zoe was crazy. She heard people gasp and she looked to Claudette, with a teasing smile on her lips. Try to do better now, bitch.

"Fourty-five dollars!" Claudette yelled raising from her seat.

"Oh no way-Sixty dollars!" Zoe finally said raising too from her seat. She saw Claudette sitting back on her place and Zoe smiled triumphant. Then, just then, Zoe saw Joel waving his hands at her shaking his head. She narrowed her eyebrows and then she saw the look on Lavon's face. It seemed like he was holding his breath for a long time. Shit.

"Sold... one date with Wade Kinsella" Zoe needed a huge whole so she could hide herself.


"There must be something you can do about it," Joel shrugged one shoulder and pat Lavon's shoulder. Zoe felt embarrassed and so she just hugged herself, feeling even smaller than she already was "I mean... I planned this thing out for her-"

"I'm sorry Joel" Lavon said after a while. The Auction was over and every couple had disappeared from Rammer Jammer to find some nice place so they could have their meal together... and who knew? Maybe find the love of their lives in that date. Well, Zoe was not "Only if Zoe and Wade mutually agree on not having this date."

"It's fine by me," Wade crossed his arms against his chest. He said that in such a cold way that it made Zoe feel bad "I was about to have a date with another girl that is actually available... not a married one."

He was getting on her nerves now. The way he was talking wasn't acceptable because no one needed to stand there and listen to him having a bad attitude just because he decided to show up at her door a few nights ago and say everything that was on his mind. So Zoe looked up to him and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not married yet" she said, like she was spitting venom "And for me it's okay to go and have this meal with Wade. We're friends after all and I would like to ask him some stuff about our wedding, honey"

She heard Wade gasp by her side and it made her feel triumphant "But I don't want-"

"Shut up!" she demanded and looked to Joel again "It's that okay baby? I promise that I will make it up to you later and go have dinner with you at Fancy's."

"Oh alright..." Joel sighed and Zoe kissed him on the cheek "Well I have to go meet a crazy old lady that bought my basket. See you later"

He disappeared from the Rammer Jammer and Wade, Zoe and Lavon were alone again. Lavon crossed his arms and looked at both of them, shaking his head slowly "You two have to control yourselves," he said "Lavon Hayes is not going to let you guys ruin this day. So, figure things out between you two and have a nice day"

Lavon turned his back on them, leaving the two of them trying to look away from each other. Wade, trying to be the adult in there, looked to Zoe and cleared his throat "Alright, there's nothing we can do about it. So let's just have the damn lunch as quick as we can so then you can go fly to your fiancé arms."

Okay, it didn't go as well as Wade thought it would. He tried to act like an adult, tried to face the situation with a smile; but there was something about that New York doctor that made him feel upset everytime he looked at her, making him change his mind at every minute - even when he thinks he has everything figure out.

Zoe raised an eyebrow looking at Wade and crossed her arms against her chest "I really don't want to have this lunch with you because I rather be with Joel talking about our wedding plans, but I will because I'm a civilized person. More than you" she said, grabbing the basket and opening the Rammer Jammer door to walk to Town's Square. Wade was right behind her.

"A civilized person?" Wade let out a sarcastic laugh that only made Zoe's hairs on the back of her neck stand up "I'm the-"

"I really don't know what's the matter with you!" Zoe yelled before he could continue the sentence and, in some kind of way that only Wade could do, insult her "One day, we were fine; we were getting along. Now, we're fighting over a lunch. Why are we fighting over a lunch?"

"Because, doctor Hart, you have the huge habit of getting into people's business and that's how you got to know that me and Claudette never happened. That's how I ended up at your door, drunk, and said those things to you. Meanless things, by the way. But still you didn't say 'Oh I'm sorry Wade but I'm getting married to Joel and that's not the kind of stuff you should say to a engaged woman!'"

"I didn't need to told you anything! If you were drunk, there's nothing bad about it" Zoe's voice raised again as her patience started to run out "And, for your information, I didn't get into anyone's business. Your friend Claudette was the one that started talking about you. I didn't want to hear, but as everyone in this tough world, I have to hear stuff I don't like to hear!"

They stood quite. They were on Town's Square now and some people stared at them since they were yelling at each other on a public place. Zoe tried to calm down her breath, looking away from Wade. The reason why they were fighting was stupid; Wade was stupid... the sad and furious feeling that she was getting in her chest was stupid. She felt like disappearing.

Wade felt like doing the same. Having a fight with Zoe wasn't his thing - except when it ended with them on his bed. He shook his head. She was engaged now, he couldn't have those thoughts about Zoe. He couldn't think of her, period. He had to move on with his life and forget about everything they had. He knew that what he had said to her the other night, he was perfectly aware; he was sober. Two beers hadn't a effect on him. But he couldn't admit that, after all that time, he still had feelings for her.

"I'm going home. Here" Zoe handed him the basket and cleaned her sweaty hands on her skirt. She opened her mouth to say anything else, but there was nothing left to say. She was getting married, she just couldn't let herself have those kind of feelings about Wade. That time was gone.

At least, she thought.

As Wade saw Zoe turn her back on him, he knew that this was meant to be. They were meant to turn their back to each other and walk away, to stay away from each other by faith. But there was something that Wade believed even more: there was no such this as faith. He could do what he wanted with his life. Even if the Universe sent a lot of proofs that Wade and Zoe shouldn't be together, back down wasn't something he was ready to do.


A/N: One more Zade's moment! I know this chapter is a bit too small but I'll post the next one soon! Hope you liked! xx