Honestly I am not fond of this chapter. I enjoy bits mixed in within the chapter. I do want to say a quick sorry for being absent the past three weeks. A very personal matter came up and while dealing with that, I had been numb and took me what feels like forever to get over it. I had nearly lost someone I loved and while dealing with that whole situation, I couldn't focus on anything. And once something bad happens it feels as if everything else does as well. But I am now over that mess of my life and everything is as good as it will be for a while yet. Again I am sorry for the delay. Sorry for this long bit. I am hoping to have the next chapter up within the week. Enjoy!
It seems that I still have a bit to clear from my mind from my personal life as I forgot to add in a few things. One of them regarding Earl, I know in the previous chapter I have him declining the offer to go to Bluebell and in this chapter he is in fact there. I forgot to mention for those of you that don't follow along with Like a Dream Jesse and Calla paid Earl a visit and got him to agree to spend some time there, I have now added a part in about that. I am sorry about not making that clear along with another part, but I have expanded on that sentence as well, so the events in this chapter should hopefully make a bit more sense.
If you happen to have any questions regarding this chapter, a past chapter or any question in general, please don't hesitate to ask. I am more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have.
They walked down the sometimes crowded sidewalks her arm looped through his, they laughed over something stupid that had been said. Their last full day in the city, they decided to spend it showing the other person their favorite spots. Not so oddly enough they both enjoyed different places among the city. They did come to find out that they did have one place in common, a little jazz club in the village. The place could be a bit pricey, but the music? Totally worth it.
"I have never heard of this bar before," she commented, stepping through the door, he held open for her. When he suggested he show her where he worked before he made the move to Bluebell, she jumped at the chance, curious to know if maybe she visited the bar. The need to know if her path crossed paths with him without ever knowing it.
"Really? You've never been here before?" He asked, a twinge of fake hurt mixing into his voice. "Now I know you're missing out," he smirked, leading her to the bar.
The afternoon slowly slipping into early evening, left the place with a few patrons scattered throughout the place.
"We must be extra special," Hunter laughed handing Wade a bottle of beer, turning his attention to Zoe. "You must be the doctor, our boy here can't stop talking about," he smirked. "I'm Hunter," he introduced.
"Would you just shut up," Wade warned, giving his friend a stern look. "Do your job, so I don't have to," he mumbled, slipping around the bar top to pour Zoe a glass of wine. The urge to do so, felt natural.
"You don't quit do you?" Hunter laughed, giving him a playful shove.
"Seems I can't, since you can't do your job," he teased, looking around the place. "No wonder it's deads man land in here," he remarked, grabbing his beer, motioning for Zoe to follow him to a table. "Most everything on the menu is worth it," he shrugged.
"How's the chicken sandwich?" She questioned, looking across the table at him.
"It's alright," he shrugged. "I've only ever had it once or twice and not recently. And I may or may not have been drunk," he sheepishly told her. "Though Charlie is an amazing cook, even for bar food," he told her.
"I have learned that bar food is the best," she remarked.
He laughed, nodding his head, agreeing with her on that. He couldn't ever find better food than from a bar. Not any food he needed to pay an arm and a leg for. Living in Bluebell you needed a knack for bar food, considering. After finding out if she wanted fries or chips with her sandwich, he went over to Charlie and told him the order not waiting on Hunter or one of the others to come over and take their order.
"I feel since I am his best friend, that I need to set forth a warning," Hunter stated, standing by the table Zoe was sitting at waiting for Wade to return. One glance in the direction Wade went, told her, it would be a few minutes before he returned.
"A warning for what?" Zoe pondered. "We're friends and even if we are at the point where we think we can cross that line; it won't happen. I like him; I do, but friends is all we can be right now, and I strongly believe he isn't in the right mind frame for a relationship either," she told him, getting right to the point.
"I see," he frowned, thinking back to what his friend told him the night prior. He wasn't so sure that his friend wanted to put off a relationship with Zoe. He happened to be certain it was exactly what Wade wanted. "Even if that is the case, don't hurt him either way. He doesn't show it, but he can be a very vulnerable person."
"I have no intentions of hurting him, ever," she assured him. "How long have you been friends with Wade?"
"Since the third grade, we've been connected ever since. I've been through a lot with him," he told her.
"Should I be worried?" Wade question with a skeptical look coming back to the table.
"Nah, you're good. I'll just wait till later to make my move," he smirked, heading off, with a wink over his shoulder in Zoe's direction.
Wade turned his attention to Zoe, "did he hit on you? If so, I can tell him off," he said, his jaw getting tense, his hands forming fists on the table.
"No, he wasn't hitting on me," she assured him, resting a hand over his on the table, getting him to relax. "He's a good friend, looking out for you and all," she told him, without giving away what they had talked about.
"Yeah," he smiled, thinking back to all the times they had been there for each other since they were kids.
While waiting for their food, Wade jumped into a story about the time they picked the others Halloween costumes on a dare after work one night while not totally sober because they wanted to have a bit of fun while cleaning up.
"Hunter," she pointed at the guy behind the counter, "dressed as a mermaid, Charlie," once again, she pointed at the guy she could see through the little window to the kitchen, "dressed as a sailor. What did you dress as?" She questioned, finishing her glass of wine.
Wade mumbled something under his breath, Zoe leaning closer to try and hear what he said, having no luck.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you with all that mumbling you were doing," she teased. Seeing Charlie heading their way she smirked. "I'm positive that Charlie will tell me what costume they made you wear," she smirked.
"He wouldn't dare," Wade warned, challenging his friend.
"Our boy here dressed as a pretty little fairy," he chuckled. "I'm Charlie," he smiled, showing off a dimple on his right cheek. "Don't be so sure of yourself, dude. Payback is a wonderful thing," he laughed.
"Zoe," she smiled, turning her attention back to Wade. "You know I dressed as a fairy when I was like 8, we might have to wear matching costumes this year. We can both go as fairies," she giggled. "Was it pink and sparkly, like mine was?"
"Shut up," he groaned, shooting a murderous look at his friend.
Charlie nodded his head behind Wade for Zoe to see walking backwards to the kitchen to get back to work, causing his friend plenty of embarrassment for the time being.
Having fun with Wade and his friends saw them leave the bar when the bigger rush came in for the night wanting to get drunk and rowdy the more time ticked by. Not wanting to deal with that and his friends now too busy to actually talk Wade figured it was time to leave. Not that they headed back to the hotel, neither one was ready to call it a night, so they strolled through the city taking in the beauty that was New York at night, filled with lights, ending up in the middle of times square by the end of the night.
Getting back to the hotel they crashed in their own beds, tired from their day out in the city. Both ready to get back home to their lives.
Wade was up hours before Zoe. Showering and getting his things packed back up, placing his suit cases by the door, he headed out his phone pressed against his ear to find out if his dad was ready for the trip and to make sure his dad didn't back out of going, while finding breakfast and coffee for Zoe and himself before they needed to check out. Shocked was a bit of an understatement finding out that his dad would joining them, after having a talk with Jesse and Calla. He wouldn't hvlave believed it if it hadn't came from straight from his father.
Zoe woke up to an empty room. Tossing the covers from atop of herself, she grabbed what she needed to take a shower, taking notice of Wade's bag, giving her one more reminder that their time in the city was coming to an end.
She gave Wade a smile exiting the bathroom, having heard him return while toweling off.
"I remember how you went on about black-and-white cookies, got you a few," he told her holding the bag up. "Coffee and bagels as well," he nodded over to where those sat on the table.
"Thanks," she smiled, taking the cookies from him sitting them on the table grabbing her cup of coffee.
She managed to eat her breakfast and drink her coffee while she packed her belongings up, double checking every single space and drawer she could find, not wanting to leave anything behind.
"Unless things managed to grow legs, Zo, you've got everything. Do you really need to check every crevice 251 times?" Wade questioned with a chuckle.
"If I wouldn't have checked 201 times you wouldn't have the charger for your phone," she pointed out, pushing herself up from her knees from where she was looking under the bed.
"Fair enough," he chuckled. "Though by now I am certain we have everything. Unless you need to take another look in the bathroom?" He asked raising his eyebrow.
"You're right!" She exclaimed, snapping her fingers heading for the bathroom. Wade groaned, hitting his head against the door.
"I'm counting to 5 and then I am leaving with or without you," he yelled. Getting no response from her, he started to count. "1...2...3," he counted loud enough for her to hear him.
"Okay, okay, I am coming. But if I get home and something is missing it's your fault," she let him know.
"If that happens, I will gladly replace it, so we can get out of here and not be charged extra for staying longer than the actual check out time," he told her. "Besides if they come across anything, I think they will get ahold of me to see what needs to be done with it," he said, ushering her out of the door, now that she collected her bags. He didn't know if they would call him or not, he just wanted an excuse to leave already.
"Is your dad still coming?" She asked on the ride down the elevator to the lobby.
"Uh yeah," he answered. "I want to believe that this is the right thing for him, but I don't know if it will be. It's easy to fall back into his habit," he confessed softly.
"Whatever he decides to do once there you can't be held responsible for his actions. You're trying to help him, and that is all you can do, Wade. For him to fully change that is something he needs to do on his own in his own time. And maybe him coming to Bluebell will be the jumpstart he needs," she suggested to him.
"Maybe," he sighed.
The trip to the airport was done so in silence. Zoe happy to be back home. Wade happy to be going back, yet nervous to be going back. Not sure how he would feel once back in the small town.
Home. It was the only word he knew to descride the feeling that rushed through him once back in the tiny town.
"I could have given you lift to your house, doc," Wade informed her pulling up to the practice. Getting out so she could get out.
"I know, but I promised my dad, I would stop in when I got back and this way, you don't have to go out of your way. I am going to leave my bags though and get them when I get home," she informed him, slipping from the vehicle with the help he offered her.
"Alright," he smiled.
"Make sure you show your dad everything," she warned, Wade laughed and nodding his head to assure her that he would do his best in showing the town to his father.
"Will do, Doc," he smirked, climbing back into his vechile. A soft chuckle escaping his lips, seeing her roll her eyes, turning to walk to into the practice.
"You could have gone to the house, sweetie," Harley chuckled, looking up when he heard someone walk into his office.
"You say that but we both know that if I went to the house and informed you I was waiting you would tell me that you would only be a second and we both know that second of yours would turn into an hour," she pointed out, daring him to argue with her. She dealt with it plenty growing up.
He chuckled louder, getting up to pull her into a hug when she got close enough. "You are too right about that," he replied. "But this once I can let this wait until morning and on the walk home, you can tell me all about your time in New York," he offered.
"I can do that," she smiled.
On the brisk walk home, because no matter how old she got her dad would forever tell her that his home would always be her home, whether he lived elsewhere or not, she told him about meeting Jesse and reconnecting with Calla. Told him about dinner with her mom and Ethan, she even told him about meeting Wade's dad Earl, and that he came back with them needing a fresh start but they weren't certain if it would help him or if he would even stay here. She did, however, leave out any and all parts that involved her drunken night with Wade, that was something he didn't need to know, ever.
After showing his dad different places around town, not that it was hard to do. He pointed out where he worked and that yes, it is one of the main places to eat in town. He even recalled a bit of the town history that was told to him.
It was only after helping him get settled into his new place, that he started to wonder just what his dad would remember come morning. He wasn't going to be holding his breath when it came to his dad starting over and giving the bottle up. Old habits die hard, and this wouldn't be the first time. It didn't help any that this was something his dad didn't want to do to begin with.