Title: One Summer
Word Count:
2703
Feedback:
Please and thank you
Disclaimer:
Not mine, never will be mine.
Summary:
Zoe finds out Harley is her real dad when she's 15 and is sent to Bluebell to get to know him.
Genre:
Romance/AU
Warnings:
Unbeta'd. Please forgive my mistakes


Chapter 7: One Step Forward


X-x-X


Wade took Zoe by the hand and eased her through the crowd of people. Her tiny fingers curled around his, gripping tightly as teens knocked into both of them. He urged her closer to his back as they moved toward where everyone was dancing. The music filled the air and the bass vibrated the ground- inviting all sorts of things to happen.

Girls, some he knew, some he didn't, giggled over the rims of their cups at him. He waved slightly to them, not wanting to be rude, then turned around to face Zoe. She stopped at once, her eyes wide as she took in everything around her. Without her knowledge, she tightened her grip on his hand, moving a little closer to him.

Over the smells of sweat and summer, he could make out her perfume. It was light like a whisper of a fragrance. It tickled the back of his mind as he tried to make it out. He lowered his head to take in more- was it roses? Lavender? It had to be some kinda flower. Wade knew that much. It was intoxicating. It was haunting. It was frustrating.

She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Brown on blue. Light meeting dark. She licked her lips and he mimicked the action. The moment suspended all around them. All the sounds that seemed so loud before muted into nothing. A strand of hair fell from her ponytail, curling across her cheek, he pushed it back, brushing his fingertips along her skin. Her mouth opened slightly, her right hand came up to rest on his chest, stopping where his heart was currently beating out of control.

Wade counted the seconds in his head. Thinking only of tasting her sweet mouth when, "Ooph," Zoe fell into his arms, knocked from behind by some clumsy guy. They both looked over her shoulder to see who it was. Wade couldn't say he was surprised to see Tom Long stumbling and straining to stay upright.

"Oh, oh, oh," Tom touched Zoe's shoulder, his eyes glazing over and his words slurring a little. "I'm sorry. I'm...I didn't mean-" he licked his lips. "I didn't mean to interrupt- Oh hey Wade!"

"Tom," Wade responded through clenched teeth. "You, uh, you alright there? How many beers have you had?"

Tom looked down at his hands and squinted his eyes, thinking hard as he counted on his fingers. "One-" he stopped. "I think just the one. Wanda handed it to me." The younger teen grinned a bit goofily. "She's really pretty. I think she likes me-" he forehead wrinkled up and he looked around them. "Have you seen her?"

"Nope," Wade shook his head. "Can't say I have. Why don't you go look for her? Okay?"

Tom nodded his head once then stopped. His haze filled eyes brightened a moment and he grinned at Zoe. "Hey, you're Doc Wilkes' daughter aren't you?" He snapped his fingers together, searching for something, "It starts with a Z..."

"Zoe," she answered, laughter lighting her voice.

"Yeah!" Tom clapped his hands. "Zoe." He thrust out his hand and took hers when she offered it. "My name's Tom. Tom Long."

"Nice to meet you, Tom," she replied sincerely.

"Hey, Tom," Wade drew the other man's attention from his date, anxious to see where that moment was going to go between Zoe and himself. "Why don't you go find Wanda?"

Tom nodded quickly then held a hand to his head as he rocked back. "Okay. I'm gonna go find her." He grinned at them again. "She's really pretty dontcha think?" With that he walked off, bumping into other people on his way.

"Are you sure we shouldn't follow him?" she asked turning around to face him, "In his state- oh..." her eyes widened once she realized how close they were. "Um," she took a step back, adding distance between them. Wade sighed internally, knowing that the moment was officially broken. "Uh, he, um, he could hurt himself. I think we should follow him."

"I think he'll be fine." Wade nodded his head in the direction younger teen had gone just as he reappeared, walking back with his arm around a short redhead that was giggling at Tom's comments. "See, princess, he's fine. And he found Wanda."

Zoe smiled softly. "They look cute together."

"Aw, princess, you are a softie," she groaned and pushed against his chest hard. "Ow," Wade laughed. "Now, your highness, if you wanna get rough I can think of better places to do it." He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "the more private the place, the better."

Her mouth dropped open, then twisted in disgust. Those pretty brown eyes lighting up. "You're deluded if you think I'm going to do anything with you in private. That will never happen."

He winked at her, enjoying the fire in her and wondering how far he could push it. "Never say never princess."

She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything else.


X-x-X


Wade kept an eye on Zoe as he moved toward the keg in the middle of the party. He didn't want to leave her, but Tansy and her friends were very insistent that he go with them. He smiled thinking about his ex. They weren't together long. They weren't really good together, but she would always have a special place in his heart. He just hoped with the way she was drinking she didn't get into trouble. Tansy had a way of finding trouble. Even when she wasn't looking for it.

"How did you get her to go on a date with you?"

"Evening to you too, Lemon," Wade said with a smirk as he poured some beer into his cup. The foamy white top sloshed over his hand. He sucked some of the bitter liquor from his skin before shaking the rest off.

"Don't be cute," she snapped, exasperation clearly seen on her face. "It doesn't suit you. Now answer! How in the world did you do it? I thought she had the good sense to hate you."

He laughed, "Now how could anyone hate this?" He motioned to his face, adapting a sweet expression. Lemon groaned. "Why do you wanna know anyway? You gettin' worried about our bet, Lemon pop?"

"Nope," she grinned. "I know that she's a yankee with bad fashion sense but I have faith that she'll show some intelligence and resist you. Like all sane women should."

"So really how did you do it?" George asked from behind Lemon. His disbelief written in his eyes as well. "I mean so quickly. You were just telling me that she wasn't very...receptive to your...um...charms?" George looked to Lemon for a second, motioning for her to help. "Is that the word you'd use?"

"No," she shook her head, her long blonde braid falling across her bare shoulder. "I definitely don't think that Wade and the word charm go together at all." She tapped the side of her chin for a moment, a wicked smile curling the edges of her lips. "Maybe the word should be manipulations."

"Hey, now," Wade rose up to his full height at their teasing. "I've never manipulated any girl into going on a date with me or into doing anything while on that date." He winked at Lemon, "Chicks just love me."

"Ugh," she groaned, pushing against his chest like Zoe had, only he knew that Lemon was doing it playfully. "You are so conceited."

"You say conceited, I say confident." He took a sip of his beer.

"You still didn't answer our question though," George reminded him. "How did you convince Zoe Hart to go on a date with you?"

"I didn't have to convince her," Wade shrugged. "Doc Wilkes suggested it."

"Oh sweet baby Jesus!" Lemon shook her head, rolling her eyes to the heavens. "How in the hellfire did you get that smart man to back you?"

Wade laughed as he walked off in search of Zoe. He found her sitting on a rock, with her head tipped to the sky. The moonlight caressed her skin, making her look like a mythical creature. His breath caught in his chest, his heart stopped and he had to look away to get a hold of himself. He shook his head, confused by his own thoughts. Did he really just think of her as a mythical creature? Some angel sent from the heavens? Really? What the hell did they put in this beer?

Once he felt like he was himself again he continued toward her. Wade cleared his throat, she didn't move. He tried again. Nothing. "Hey princess, you in there?" One second. Nothing but crickets. "Do you want a beer?"

No response. No movement. Her brown eyes were far away. With a sigh, he dropped down beside her. And that got her attention.


X-x-X


Zoe eased herself down on a flat rock by the water's edge, watching the other teens dance and laugh all around her. She traced the bumps and curves of the stone as the feeling of being alone washed over. She tried not to search the crowd too hard for Wade. She didn't want to seem desperate for his company, but he was the only person she sorta knew in this town and he had abandoned her a while ago. Well that wasn't fair, he hadn't so much abandoned her as was pulled, quite forcefully, away by a horde of giggling drunk girls.

He could have resisted harder than he did, in her humble opinion. He was the one that drag her to this party in the middle of nowhere. He could have at least stayed close.

Tipping her head up toward the sky, she watched the stars, searching out the constellations she knew, which she had to admit weren't many. Zoe got lost in her thoughts, drowning out the sounds around her when she felt someone drop beside her. She jumped knocking her injured ankle into the side of the rock as she did.

"Son of a," she bit her lip hard to stop the cuss word. Looking over she sighed, in relief or annoyance she couldn't tell, maybe because it was a little of both, at the person beside her. "You couldn't give me some warning before sneaking up on me?"

Wade smirked, "Like saying, hey princess you in there?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Something like that..."

"Well, honey, I hate to break it to you," he leaned back against the flat rock they were both sitting on. She tried, really she did, to ignore the way his white t-shirt pulled across his chest. Her cheeks heated up when she realized she couldn't stop noticing. "But I did just that. Even asked if you wanted a beer."

"I don't drink beer," Zoe said pulling her eyes away from him at last and back to the sky.

"You haven't even tried it have you?" Their eyes met again. She was frustrated to see a know- it- all smirk on his face. "Bet you're a goodie- goodie. The perfect little girl. Everyone's angel."

"You don't know me at all." She whispered, hurt by his assumptions. "I'm not an angel. I'm not a goodie- goodie. And I have drank before." Zoe frowned, feeling a bit ridiculous at needing to prove him wrong or whatever she was doing. Maybe she just didn't want him to see her as an innocent little brat, which she couldn't explain, even to herself, why that thought bothered her so much. "And trust me when I say I'm far from perfect." Her chin dropped to her chest and she picked at a string that was hanging from the hem of her shorts. "Just ask my dad."

She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She hadn't meant to say anything at all, but his words cut. Deeper than she'd like to admit.

Wade sat up, resting the red cup he had with him on the rock next to him, "Your dad thinks you hung the moon and placed the stars in the sky."

"You don't know my dad..." she stopped her words suddenly, rolling her lips together when she realized who he meant. "Oh, you meant Harley."

"Uh huh, Harley," his baby blue eyes left hers. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have him."

"Oh, yeah," she eased off the rock and walked a couple steps away from him. "I'm so lucky. My mom cheated on my dad with...my..." she waved her hand in frustration, "with another man. And now I'm stuck here. I'm stuck in a place I don't know with a man I don't know." Her hands balled into fists at her sides and her eyes burned with unwanted tears. "You have no idea what it's like to be me. You know who you are. Your life is yours. It hasn't changed."

"Are you really that much of a cry baby whiner?" Wade glared at her for a moment. His cobalt eyes flashing in annoyance. She felt it all the way to her toes. Heat rolled off of him. "You think just because I know who my daddy is and that's never changed all is right with the world? Really? Did you forget about that night at the Rammer Jammer when you got to see my daddy in all his drunken glory? Lord, princess, if you really don't know that you won the lottery by getting Doc Wilkes as a dad, then you really don't deserve him."

Silence grew between them. Her hands hurt from clenching them so tight. Her eyes were still burning. And her cheeks felt like they were on fire from embarrassment. She really was a brat, wasn't she? Zoe felt waves of shame wash over her.

"I know," her words are soft and broken. Her throat felt raw from all the pent up emotions that were coursing through her. She licked her lips and started again. "I know that Harley is a good man. I know that he wants me and thats more than I can say for the guy I called my dad for most of my life, but..." she stopped, turning away from him. "I'm so angry."

Zoe heard the leaves crunch under Wade's feet as he moved closer to her. She wrapped her arms around her midsection, feeling cold even in the unbearable heat of summer. His body heat seeped into her back, his breath puffed against her hair. She had to fight the shiver that started to climb up her spine. What was happening?

"Listen," he whispered to her. "Being angry is normal and I don't think anyone would blame you for feeling that, but don't dwell on it. It's a worthless emotion."

She turned to face him, acutely aware of how close they were. She tilted her head up, meeting his eyes. "Are you ever angry?" Zoe licked at her lips, biting on the bottom one. "I mean about your dad. Do you ever..."

He nodded. "Yeah. I get angry a lot, but..."

"But," she prompted, anxious to hear his response.

"But it's not going to change anything." Wade rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from her again. "My dad's nickname in town is Crazy Earl. He's the town drunk. No matter how much that pisses me off, it's not gonna change. Because he doesn't wanna change." He touched her face, gently then removed his hand. "The man that you called dad," he shook his head. "I don't know him, but if he could just walk away from you because of what your mama did, then that doesn't seem like a man worthy being called dad."

Zoe opened her mouth, wanting to disagree, wanting to defend him, but finding no words. She felt the tears cloud her vision again and she bent her head so he wouldn't see them. Being vulnerable was hard for her. Being vulnerable with Wade Kinsella was absolutely insane.

She took a step back, before something bad- would it be bad? She couldn't tell anymore.- could happen. Plastering a smile on her face, she tilted her head, "I think I will take that beer after all."

X-x-X


A/N: Thank you all for the follows, faves, and reviews. All the support is amazing and I'm so grateful for it. I really hope you like this chapter. Thanks again!