A/N: Got lots of feedback for the last chapter, glad people enjoyed reading it.
Guest asked about Ethan's cheque - no, I haven't forgotten about it, it will come up again towards the end of the story. Which I think will be in about five chapters, but don't hold me to that. Anyway, on to the next installment. :-)
Chapter Twenty Five
After spending some time at the hospital, Jonah and Zoe got into his car so he could drive her back to Bluebell. Zoe tried to argue it wasn't necessary, realising that the moment he set foot in Bluebell someone was bound to fill him in in all the gossip that he'd missed out on, but he laughed her objections off.
"Your ride's gone, remember? Plus, I haven't checked in with Brick or Lemon yet. If I leave it much longer I risk bringing down her wrath upon me."
Zoe agreed that was a fate best avoided, and asked "how long have you been here in Mobile?"
Jonah shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes travelling over Zoe's tiny figure as she arranged herself on the seat, that seemed to him to be even tinier than he remembered. "Only a couple of days. I'd been meaning to go into Bluebell since I got here, but the hospital's so understaffed that I've barely had enough time to do anything except eat and sleep. Think I should become a GP," he said, nudging her arm. "Though you don't really look as well-rested as you normally do. What's wrong, someone been messing up your beauty sleep?" he joked. His phone began to chirrup, but he ignored it for the moment, especially when he saw his cousin's name flash up on the screen. Time enough for Lemon to nag him later. Right now he had far more preferable company.
Zoe half-smiled, knowing it was all downhill from here. The easiness she'd felt around Jonah was starting to vanish. "I'm fine," she told him. "My air conditioning unit's on the blink and I've not been sleeping well," came out of her mouth, despite it being a blatant lie that she knew would be called on soon. But there was no way she was telling Jonah everything, right now, whilst they were stuck in this car together. It was quiet for a while, Jonah sensing that he'd said the wrong thing in some way, as Zoe was now subtly closed off, her body turned away from him. Changing the subject, he asked, "so, is it true that you're seeing Wade again?"
Zoe nodded, though didn't look any happier. "Yeah, we've been back together for two, nearly three months," she told him, remembering suddenly the deal she'd made with Wade.
"Trouble in paradise?" Jonah asked with a lift of his eyebrow.
Zoe shook her head, but it was obvious she wasn't revealing the whole story. "We…had a fight," she told him, hating herself as the lies kept piling up.
"And you're still mad at him," Jonah finished off. "What's he done?" he asked curiously. Zoe's mood had changed considerably since he'd brought up Wade and he was wondering at the change. Part of him began to grow concerned. He considered Zoe a friend, and if Wade was treating her badly, then he'd have something to say to him.
"Sorry Jonah, I don't really want to talk about it," Zoe finished, deciding that telling him nothing was the way to go. Distracting him would likely work better. "So, do you have a better half right now?"
Jonah smiled self-deprecatingly. "No, Zoe, I'm all bad, through and through."
Zoe snorted. "You know what I mean-"
"Yes, I know what you mean." He flashed his eyes at her immaturely, making her giggle despite herself.
"Well? Are you seeing anyone?"
"No," he said, turning to look at her straight in the eye. "Can't say I've really had the time."
Things were quiet for a little while, then she told him she'd be fine with him taking her home.
"But we may as well head round to your office, and tell Brick about these shifts," Jonah reminded her. "Kill two birds with one stone and clear you for working at the hospital from next week." Zoe had already discussed working there with the medical chiefs, who were happy to have such a well-qualified surgeon on their books. Jonah was keen to have Zoe there to help prop the surgical department so they wouldn't be forced to call in temporary doctors like himself.
Groaning inwardly, Zoe agreed, not being able to come up with a way around the situation, but feared that Brick would tell Jonah instantly, which would then make working together extremely awkward if Jonah didn't know how to be around her. She should have thought of that before she'd agreed so quickly to work in Mobile. They had a flirtatious dynamic, and that's all it was to Zoe, but she doubted he'd be as comfortable as he was around her now after he found out. But – she'd been telling herself for a long time that she'd get back to surgery, and now she was. That was an achievement in itself.
Driving through Bluebell in Jonah's open-top convertible, she couldn't help but notice the attention they received from the townspeople, and furtive whispers trying to deduce what it meant that Zoe was seen riding alongside the golden Jonah Breeland. Zoe half-hoped that Brick would be out, but unfortunately he was just finishing up the last appointments of the day.
"Jonah!" he called out in pleasure as he spotted them enter the building. "What are you doing here, son?"
"I'm working in Mobile for a few weeks," Jonah told him, accepting the hug the older man bestowed upon him, and without breaking stride hugged Lemon who had just walked in to join them, having shot over to the surgery the moment word reached her of her cousin's arrival. "Hi, Lemon, excellent timing. How's business?"
"Hi Jonah, business is wonderful thank you," Lemon said happily, though her eyes fell on Zoe who shifted awkwardly under her gaze. Zoe had a strong suspicion from the swiftness of her arrival that she'd been alerted by AB, but was slightly confused about the look on Lemon's face. Did she have a problem? Once Lemon was all caught up on how he'd come to be there, she asked Zoe why she was.
Turning to Brick, Zoe explained how she'd met up with Jonah in Mobile General.
"What were you doing at the hospital?" Lemon interrupted nosily.
"I was with a patient," she said shortly. "Anyway, Jonah suggested I work some shifts there, are you okay with that?" she addressed Brick.
"Whilst you're both getting used to the new situation, I don't mind helping out here if you need me to," Jonah piped up helpfully.
Brick was surprised, but pleased too. "I don't mind at all, Zoe, as long as you make sure you don't neglect your work here. But a couple of shifts a week there will be good for you, stretch your abilities. As long as you don't bring your work back here and start suspecting everyone needs surgery," he laughed.
"Wonderful, thank you Brick. I'd better be heading off," Zoe told the assembled Breelands, feeling like Lemon's eyes were boring holes in her back. "I'm sure you all want to catch up." She turned and left Brick's office, but Jonah called out and ran after her.
"Hey, Zoe. Look, I know you're seeing Wade and it's not really any of my business-"
"Not that it's ever stopped you before," Zoe put in.
He stopped himself, and smiled, taking the hit as they both knew it was true. Jonah never stopped himself from involving himself in other people's business. "But I can tell that you're feeling a bit low. If you want a friendly ear to listen to you, just know I'm here for you, okay?" He put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a friendly squeeze, and as Zoe's eyes met his it seemed he was trying to communicate something, but when she looked harder, he just smiled at her again and turned away. As she turned to walk out again, he called after her, "it was good seeing you again, Hart."
She looked back one more time, knowing that Lemon would be spilling the beans within seconds. "Good seeing you too, Breeland."
As Jonah returned to Brick's office, he was surprised to see Lemon looking like she was steaming. "So, what's eating you, Lemon?" he sighed.
"Sit down, Jonah," she ordered, exchanging heavy looks with Brick. "You need to be caught up on the news around here."
Jonah snorted. "It's Bluebell, how bad can it be?"
-HoD-
Lavon wandered down to the Rammer Jammer for a mid-afternoon drink, thinking about how he was going to talk to AB when he saw her the next time, half-hoping he'd run into her around town and test George's theory out. His friend was right. He had tried so hard with Lemon, but now he'd decided that he wanted to commit to AB, he couldn't just give up so easily, so he was determined to talk to her. He'd let her keep him at a distance, for fear of upsetting her again, but he reminded himself that last time she'd been upset, and feeling heartbroken and humiliated after the scene with Aidan. He was so lost in thought that as he made his way to the bar, he walked right into Harry Tucker, causing the other man's drink to get slopped all down his front.
"Hey, watch it," Harry barked at him, seeing it was Lavon.
The old antagonism between them flared to life as Lavon glared at him. "Watch yourself," Lavon snarled. "What you doin' in here Harry, except causing trouble as usual?" The two had hated each other ever since their teen years. Harry had been in the same class as Lavon, and they'd been rivals, Harry trying to poach Ruby from him whilst he'd been away at football camp over the summer. Harry had moved away after he'd graduated high school, and despite two decades having passed since, Lavon had never forgiven him and Harry had never let him forget that he'd managed to kiss Ruby, having only seen each other intermittently over the years.
"Having a drink with my family, Hayes, not being a clumsy fool," – like you, he implied. "It's no wonder you couldn't keep up on the pitch, and ended up coming back to the only place willing to give you a pity position."
"Shut up Harry," George rebuked him at the same time that Lavon shouted, "what did you say to me?"
Ava hurried over, seeing trouble brewing and hoping to avoid a scuffle. "I'll get you a refill Mr Tucker," she said, having been introduced to him by George when Harry and his parents had first arrived. "And Mayor Hayes if you come over with me I'll get you a cloth to dry yourself." Sending Harry one last glare, and telling him he'd better be gone from his town soon, Lavon allowed himself to be manoeuvred over to the bar away from the Tuckers, who (aside from Harry, of course) looked to be all sending him apologetic glances. "Sorry, Lavon," Mrs Tucker called, embarrassed at the juvenile feud and hoping there wouldn't be a scene, snapping at Harry to sit down. George just shrugged his shoulders at Lavon, knowing the run in between his friend and brother was pretty much inevitable. He just wished he knew what his brother was doing there.
"So," George said, trying to bring about an end to the small talk and get down to the purpose of their visit. "What brings you all to Bluebell?"
The good mood destroyed as Harry sat down muttering about ex-football players who leeched off their hometowns offering only faded glory, George waited a few minutes for Harry's new drink to be brought over, and for his brother to settle down before repeating his question. His patience was thinning rapidly.
"We're here because Harry has an offer to make you," their father said, whilst Mrs Tucker placed an arm on her elder son's arm to try and calm him down to be reasonable with George.
"An offer?" George addressed Harry. He didn't like his older brother all that much, or at all really, but he was willing to hear him out.
Harry finally turned to George and fixed him with a level look. "Dad's been keeping me apprised of your legal career, and has told me of his concerns about how you can progress whilst remaining in this small town." For once he managed to avoid negative inflection when he said small town, and so didn't get George on the defensive. Harry's eyes turned to their mother's, and she motioned at him to hurry up with his sales pitch before George stopped listening. "So, there's an opening for a partner, come up in the firm. It's an excellent position, with top pay, and all the benefits you'd expect. I was wondering if I could tempt you into joining me. Since Dad left, it'd be excellent to have another Tucker on the board."
"You mean someone in your pocket that you can count on to vote your way," George surmised, reading through the lines. "Are you planning a coup, Harry?"
Harry smiled softly, undeterred. "It'd mean excellent benefits and a pay package that would at least quadruple your annual earnings from the revenue you get here. It would mean taking real cases, instead of neighbour disputes and petty small town politics. Making a real difference."
That annoyed George. "I have made a real difference, here."
"And yet, you never seem to be busy. You certainly were able to see us at short notice. Tell us, what are you working on at the moment?" George hated the challenge in his brother's eyes, but didn't want to stoop to arguing back. He didn't want to try to justify himself, knowing that his responses would only reinforce their attitude towards him and his work in Bluebell.
"I refused Dad before when he tried to get me to join the firm," George argued, not willing to give in. "What makes you think I'll accept you now?"
Mum decided to take over, talking in a softly cajoling voice. "Things have changed for you, though haven't they. You're not engaged to Lemon any more, and you aren't seeing anyone new. We wouldn't be taking you away from anyone you loved, seeing as you missed out on that sweet Doctor Hart, poor love. But from everything that's happened here lately, you're best off out of it George."
"How do you figure that?" he asked curiously.
"George for the past two years you've just sunk further and further downhill. First you left your lovely apartment, then you moved to a houseboat of all things, and now you don't even have a home at all! You're living off Lavon's charity and who knows how long it will be before that houseboat gets replaced. You haven't done anything about finding a new place to live, now why is that?"
George shrugged, not having really thought about it. "I guess I-"
His mother overrode him completely. "Not to mention all that business with Wade Kinsella-"
It was Clora's turn to be interrupted. "What your brother has neglected to tell you, is that this is a position where you would be dealing with business for the firm internationally. You'd be travelling all over the world, George, and based in the New York office when in the US." Mr Tucker thought it best to accentuate the positives, and not let the conversation devolve into an argument. If that happened, then George would be lost to them. Self-control was key here, as he'd reiterated to Harry and his wife half a dozen times on the way over.
That caught George's attention. "So we wouldn't see each other on a daily basis," he wanted to clarify. Any job where he had to see Harry every day was a definite no-no. But a job where he could travel? Go back to the city?
"No," Harry said. "We would of course liaise and I fly in from Montgomery for quarterly meetings, but I'm still in Alabama. I don't want to leave the family. But Mom and Dad thought that this position would be a good fit for you, and I agree."
As George thought it over and his family continued their attempts at persuasion, Wade had finished dealing with the leak in the toilets and re-entered the bar, his shirt clinging to his body because in dealing with said leak, he'd been soaked several times over. Ava hurried over to him to warn him of the friction between Harry and Lavon, noticing how well he pulled off the wet-shirt look, and watched lines of droplets fall from his hair down the back of his neck with an appreciative glance. She'd been harbouring a crush on her employer for some time, and annoyed by how badly she considered his girlfriend was treating him. Since she'd begun working at the bar, Wade's mood had been so up and down, and it seemed down more often than up. Today was no exception as he simply nodded at her update, not even trying to communicate. She doubted he'd share whatever it was that was bugging him, but thought she'd try, anyway.
"How you doin' today, boss?"
He shrugged, and changed the subject, telling her he'd fixed the leak but probably only temporarily, and asked her to call a plumber to check the job. "I'm probably gonna need you to close up tonight," he asked her.
She nodded her acquiescence, then sighed as Wade immediately turned away from her and started bussing tables. It seemed he had no time for chit-chat today. What is that girlfriend doing to him? she wondered.
-HoD-
Jonah sat on the steps of the surgery, reeling from all the information he'd just absorbed. Lemon had laid it all out on the line for him, and boy she'd done it with relish, seeming to enjoy watching his face contort first under his disbelief and then anger. He couldn't get his mind around what had happened here. Zoe targeted by a psycho who blamed Wade for hurting his sister. Then said psycho following them to town, shooting Wade and nearly killing him. Not to mention the troubles the hapless pair had suffered through since then. It was something out of a straight-to-tv thriller.
He cracked his knuckles in frustration as he wondered how Zoe could have forgiven Wade so easily for bringing all those troubles to her door. That's not how Lemon had put it to him, but that's what he had taken away from it all, his mind not really reaching Wade's misfortunes, concentrating on Zoe's collateral damage. No wonder Zoe was so skinny and tired looking, she was in recovery. He wanted to go and talk to her, ask her how she justified Wade's actions, how he'd put her in danger, but didn't want to do so before he'd calmed down. He had to figure out what to say to her – it didn't seem right that she be with Wade after everything. He would have thought that recovery would be much faster and Zoe herself would be happier with a clean break away from a confusing ex that had somehow talked himself out of a ditch and back into her bed. He'd asked Lemon how Zoe could take Wade back, and all she'd replied was that Zoe loved Wade still, refusing to give him more details before she'd warned him sternly to keep away from Zoe and not meddle in her life. Fat chance of that, he thought. As if he was going to leave it alone. Zoe must have some kind of victim's guilt to have stayed with Wade through everything. Jonah had always had a soft spot for Zoe, and had looked forward to 'running' into her when he'd come to Alabama this time. Now he knew what Dr Hart had meant when he'd run into him at a New York charity event a month or so before. He had to know if Zoe was really happy to stay with Wade or if, as he suspected, there was something else going on.
Getting to his feet, he struggled to make polite chit chat with the people he passed by on his way to the Rammer Jammer, needing a drink to take his mind off the news he'd just learned. When he walked in and saw Wade bussing tables, he gritted his teeth and purposefully didn't go over and just let loose, as was his first desire. Here wasn't the time or the place. He was too nettled at the whole situation to be civil so he stood at the bar not too far from Lavon and ordered a double whiskey from Ava, only just remembering in time to flash her the famous Jonah smile.
"Take it Lemon filled you in," Lavon addressed him. Wade had told him about Jonah's return so he'd been expecting the golden doctor sooner rather than later. Jonah took his drink with a nod and turned around, inspecting the bar with his elbows leaned back on the counter.
"Yeah, she did," Jonah replied, taking his first swig. The fiery liquid burned his throat and warmed his stomach, but did nothing to calm his brain. He'd need to drink a hell of a lot more for that. "Quite a lot to miss out on."
Lavon surveyed him, thinking he'd never seen Jonah so tense. Normally the doctor was lighthearted and fun-loving, but now his eyes were hard as he kept his eyes on Wade, who was by then finishing sweeping down his last tables and returning to the bar. Jonah didn't say anything more, but his gaze never wandered from the bartender, until Wade moved behind him and out of sight. Flexing his fingers, Jonah took another swig and finished his drink, to find that Ava was still standing behind him.
"Another?" she asked, smiling at him. He was only half-aware of her, seriously not in the mood for his habitual flirting. He nodded shortly, then downed another double in record time.
"You alright, Jonah?" Lavon asked in concern. He knew Jonah and Zoe were friends, but Wade and Jonah had always been friends too. He wasn't sure what was going on in Jonah's brain, but from his behaviour, the mayor was betting that Jonah's sympathies were going one way and blame another.
Suddenly Jonah decided to probe Lavon, who could be a mine of information, so he took his seat. He tried to ignore Ava who was hanging around, hoping to talk to the good-looking newcomer, and shot occasional glances at Wade who was still bustling about, not having noticed Jonah yet. "Not really, Lavon. I'm trying to understand, but I'm havin' some real trouble. Why would Zoe stay with Wade after all of that?"
"Well, they're in love, and they've been working pretty hard to get through all of that stuff as a couple," Lavon replied. "They go to counselling together."
Jonah nodded, taking that in, trying to ignore his own feelings on that matter, and view the matter medically. That made sense, but he still didn't like it. He wanted to find out more. Did Zoe doubt herself now? Did she consider herself damaged? Was that why she'd settled for Wade, that she didn't think anyone else would have her? He'd come into contact with a number of sexual trauma victims over the years on his rotations and seen varying reactions. One thing most of them had in common was reduced self-esteem and self-worth. It was probably time to stop drinking, and start talking to Zoe.
"I'm going to go and talk to her," he announced to Lavon. "I want to get her side of things."
Lavon shook his head, having some sympathy for Jonah, knowing that what he'd just learned was a lot to take in, but also concerned that he was going to make trouble with Wade, who really didn't need the hassle. Wade had joined he and George this morning at breakfast and told them of their latest woes, where they tried to reassure him that Zoe would be able to get over it, she just needed some temporary space, but Lavon knew their efforts at cheering him up had achieved very little. "I've tried, but Zoe won't talk to anyone apart from her girlfriends, her therapist, and Wade. It won't do you any good. Besides, you just knocked that alcohol back pretty fast there." Ava, the eavesdropper, decided to go and alert Wade when she realised they were arguing about his girlfriend.
Jonah snorted, "I have to try, Lavon. She might open up to me, as a fellow doctor."
"I'm her best friend," Lavon argued. "Trying to get her to talk to you is only gonna push her away from you, make her more closed off."
"You're just saying that out of loyalty to Wade," Jonah retorted, feeling the effects of drinking four shots in a short space of time.
"No, no, no. I am not. Zoe's been through enough, if she doesn't want to talk to you then you leave her alone, do you hear me?" Lavon didn't raise his voice, but Wade, alerted by Ava had finally come over, dread coiling in his gut.
"What's all this?" Wade asked, glaring at Jonah. He'd heard the tail end of their argument, enough to realise Jonah's intentions. He was feeling pricklier than a porcupine and not at all happy to see Jonah in his bar. He'd tried getting hold of Zoe earlier, but she hadn't yet replied to his calls or texts. He wanted to leave work, but unsureness plagued him, and he couldn't handle Zoe brushing him off again.
"I was just telling Lavon that I'm going to go and talk to Zoe. I just found out about everything that's happened here in the past few months, and I want to find out if she's okay," he told Wade defiantly, his chin up. He eased his body subtly forward into Wade's space.
Wade bristled. "Have you got a problem with me, Breeland?"
"I can't help but wonder why Zoe would still stay with you. You cheated on her before, she left you. Now you're back together after what happened to her? After a psycho came here, to Bluebell, putting people I love in danger?"
"Step back Jonah, you don't know the half of it," Lavon spoke, stepping up and putting his hands in between the two men and pushing them back, relieved when neither of them took a swing at each other. But they still remained fixed, aggression running high.
"Zoe and me are none of your business," Wade spat at him, itching to hit Jonah's pretty face. "You leave her alone. If Zoe can forgive me, that should be enough for anyone."
"It's because she's forgiven you that I want to check on her. She might have PTSD and not be thinking clearly. I'm just being her friend, with her best interest at heart. If you have a problem, then maybe you don't share that same interest," Jonah sneered, his voice rising. Everyone was now looking in their direction, transfixed.
That struck a nerve with Wade, precisely because it struck hard at his deepest fear, and he lunged, but Lavon bodily stopped him and moved him back. "Get out of my bar, Jonah," Wade yelled. "Get out before I put you out!"
Jonah's eyes narrowed on Wade's almost wild expression, studying him and seeing a similar stress in him that he saw in Zoe earlier. "Gladly," he finished, eager to be done as he walked out straight towards the plantation. Wade looked after him, still feeling the urge to commit violence, seeing the end of his relationship walking out the door.
"Come on," Lavon told him, dragging Wade towards the office. Once the door closed, he rounded on Wade who finally gave into his urges and punched the wall, making his knuckles crack open, blood staining the wood. "Wade!" Lavon admonished, and slapped Wade none too gently across the face.
"Argh! What was that for?" Wade asked, shocked.
"Don't this now, Wade. I can see what is going on. She is not going to leave you for Jonah. She is not going to be talked out of your relationship with you. She loves you. Now get a grip and have some faith in your girlfriend, man!"
The slap plus Lavon sounding so sure, made Wade listen, as was the intention, like Wade was an idiot for doubting her. Was he being an idiot? Zoe had forgiven him for so much, they'd been through so much. She'd shown in the past that she took a while before she was able to talk about something that upset her, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't, or that they were over.
Lavon could see Wade's turmoil, and kept talking. "You might have had a fight, but she always comes back to you Wade. She's turned down Jonah every single time before, it'll be no different this time. You just need to keep your cool and remember Zoe and you are in love, and stable."
"He's not even been here all this time," Wade said in annoyance, starting to feel less overarching worry and more irritation at what he perceived at Jonah's meddling. "He doesn't know all of what happened. But he's gonna go charging in and try to argue Zoe out of her relationship with me."
"Then maybe you should go and talk to Zoe first, you know, to reassure yourself. But it sounds like they'll be working together, so she must like him. You gotta be civil," Lavon iterated, pointing his finger at Wade.
Wade nodded, a muscle working in his jaw despite his efforts to calm down. "Civil. Right." He went to open the door, when Lavon slapped him again.
"Hey, what was that one for?" he demanded, rubbing his jaw and peering at his best friend.
"It was kinda fun the first time," Lavon grinned, and Wade couldn't help but crack a wry smile in return as they went through the door.
-HoD-
Zoe stared out at the water, enjoying the calm of the seclusion of the water near Wade's house. She'd taken off her shoes and hiked her dress above her knees, dangling her feet in the warm water, and trailed patterns in the water with her fingers. When she'd gotten home she'd decided to forego sleep for a while longer, her brain buzzing too fast for her to rest just yet. So she'd been here for a while, having come here to think. She needed to talk to Wade about her reaction this morning. She didn't need to speak to Madeline to know what her therapist would say, that she'd pushed Wade away purposely in self-defence after pushing herself too far in their physical relationship. But the horror of the nightmare had faded with the sultry heat of the Alabama late afternoon, the beauty of the spot giving her clarity enough to convince her that she didn't want to let her demons ruin her happiness. She'd hurt Wade when she let him founder in uncertainty, and that had to be put right.
This morning had been another matter. Leaving Wade, she'd roamed Bluebell in a daze until she'd come full circle, and it was late enough to go to Lavon's for breakfast. But seeing Jonah and talking to the doctors at the hospital, getting excited about doing surgery again were good, positive things and she looked forward to working alongside Jonah again. He was a good doctor, who cared about his patients, and she would never admit it to him, but he really made her laugh. He reminded her of good times, times before the last few months, of flashing herself after spring break, him juggling for her as he tried to persuade her to sleep with him, accompanying her to a wedding under the condition of remaining mute.
As if her thoughts had conjured him out of thin air, she heard him calling for her as he walked around from the carriage house, and sighed inwardly. Her new-found peace and tranquility probably about to be ruined. Might as well get it over with. "Here, Jonah!" she called. "What brings you here?" she tilted her head at him innocently.
Jonah walked over, coming to stand near her, surveying her as she swished her legs gently through the water, leaning back on her hands and smiling. She seemed much happier, and he relaxed.
"You look comfortable," he noted, smiling. He couldn't help it. "Enjoying yourself?"
"It's good," she replied, nodding at the spot next to her. "You should try it."
Not missing a beat, he airily replied, "I think I will." Taking off his shoes and rolling up his trousers, he lowered himself beside her and swished his own legs. "See what you mean. Pretty nice spot. Is Burt Reynolds around?" he asked, taking a quick glance in every direction.
"Nah. No Burt Reynolds today, thank god," Zoe replied with a grin. She let the moment stretch to let Jonah say what he had come here to say.
Jonah looked at Zoe studiously watch her legs, and let the moment build until she turned to look at him straight on. "Lemon told me."
"Figured she would," she replied.
"Zoe, I'm so sorry. You're a hell of a survivor," he told her, admiration in his tone. He'd had no idea she'd been through anything so traumatic. Yes, she'd been despondent, but she was holding herself together and carrying on. She was a fighter.
Zoe half-smiled, and shook her head a little. "You wouldn't be saying that if you'd actually seen me these past months. I've been a wreck, to say the least, but things are getting better now."
"They are?" he probed.
"Yes. I've still got a way to go before I'm the same Zoe Hart that you knew before, but I'd say the hardest part is behind me. If I have a setback now, I can see it for what it is, and get past it."
"And you and Wade? I could tell there was something bothering you this morning when I mentioned him," Jonah asked, intent on her reaction.
Zoe took a little while to answer, wondering how to answer. She didn't want to tell him too much – she and Wade were private, she didn't feel comfortable sharing details of their sex life with Jonah. "We're fine," she told him.
Jonah leaned forward, taking her hand into his, holding it, and his other hand came up to lightly touch her arm. "Zoe, you can tell me anything. In strict confidence, of course. Are you truly happy with him?"
She studied him, wondering why he was arguing the point. He looked so earnest, his blue eyes bright and fixed upon her. Just as she opened her mouth to deny him once again, she heard a yell of "hey! Get your hands off her, Breeland!" and she jerked back from Jonah in surprise. Wade, closely followed by Lavon had come barrelling round the corner over in their direction. Seeing Jonah's hands on Zoe caused Wade's good intentions about staying calm to fly out the window in a mass of seething jealousy. Stalking over to the pair, he held out a hand to Zoe, and when she took it, he somewhat roughly pulled her up to stand next to him, then tucked his arm around her waist to face Jonah dead on. "Hey, Wade, there's nothing going on," Zoe argued, trying to capture his attention, but his eyes were all for Jonah.
"Nice to see you again so soon," Jonah commented, in a tone of pure irony.
Zoe looked between the pair, able to feel the testosterone rising, and was thankful when Lavon stepped over and told the pair to chill.
"What you guys have run into each other already today? What's going on?" asked Zoe, confused by the sudden animosity.
"Wade seems to have a problem with me talking to you," Jonah told Zoe, making her screw her brow quizzically.
"Wade?" she checked to confirm.
"It depends on what you're planning on saying to my girlfriend," Wade argued, unfazed. "If you're going to talk her into breaking up with me, then yeah, I got a problem."
"Woah, break up with you? What's he talking about, Jonah?"
Jonah broke the eye battle with Wade to turn to Zoe, who was waiting expectantly for an answer. "I was just concerned, after all I've heard Zoe, that maybe you're suffering from sort of PTSD. I'm not out to try and get you to finish with Wade, if you're happy. But I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't talk to you after hearing something like this, check for sure that you're okay now and you've not gone back to him for the wrong reasons."
Zoe sighed, and put a hand on Wade's chest, begging him with her eyes for him to calm down and not say anything more, as she could tell he was bursting to. He ground his teeth but did what she asked, and once he agreed Zoe stepped away from Wade who only just stopped himself from restraining her. She took Jonah by the arm and led him away from the other two, still in eyesight but out of earshot. "Jonah, I get what you're worried about. But really, there isn't anything to worry about, so please don't concern yourself. I've got this."
"You gotta admit it's pretty odd, Zoe. You couldn't forgive his infidelity before, then all this happens because of him and you're standing beside him without a qualm?"
Zoe huffed, and glanced back at Wade, who was watching their every movement. "Look Jonah I can't really talk about this now."
Jonah took in the tense scene, and his alarm bells that had softened when he'd seen Zoe relaxed, had suddenly become deafening again. "Yeah," he agreed. "Not now. But we're gonna talk about this, Zoe."
"Why, Jonah? Why can't you just leave this alone? I know how it looks from the outside-"
"Do you?" he hissed at her.
"But really, you've got it all wrong," Zoe finished. She wanted to explain more but without getting into it all, which she couldn't do now, even to her she sounded like she was making excuses.
"Tomorrow, meet me at your office," Jonah stated, everything in him daring her to argue some more. Wanting to finish her conversation with him and get back to Wade, she hastily agreed. "Tomorrow." He finally nodded at her and walked away, and Zoe went back over to her rigidly awaiting boyfriend. Lavon had disappeared into the woodwork too once Jonah had gone, sensing the two needed to talk.
"Why'd you take him off like that? What were you two talking about?" Wade asked jealously, his whole body tense. Zoe looked at him, seeming to take him in properly for the first time. Shadows lay prominently under Wade's eyes, and new lines marred his skin caused by stress. She compared him to Jonah's grinning face. He looked drawn, almost ill, and she was suddenly overcome by guilt. She'd done this to him. She'd suffered today, but so had Wade. She had to stop pushing him away when she was hurt – he was far more vulnerable than he made out.
She realised his extreme reaction to Jonah was caused in part by her behaviour towards him, so she didn't berate him for it, stopped staring and put her arms around him, hugging him. His arms came up immediately to encircle her, rubbing hands up her back that really soothed him, not her. He wanted to touch her as much as she'd allow. "Don't worry about Jonah," Zoe told him. "He needs a little convincing but I haven't got the time to do that now. I want to be with you."
Resting his chin on the top of her head, Wade breathed in her special Zoe-scent. "I can't help but worry," he told her. "What if he manages to convince you-"
"He's not going to convince me of anything," Zoe replied, her voice soothing as she rubbed her cheek on Wade's chest, before pulling back far enough to look him in the eyes. "Wade, I am so sorry, for what happened this morning," she told him. He went to speak but she talked over him, cutting him off before he made any more apologies to her. "Please, don't say sorry to me again. You did nothing wrong last night. It was me who made the decision to make out, and to go as far as we did. You made everything my choice. I couldn't help the flashbacks that came, but I should have told you how I was feeling. I'll do my very best to not do that next time." She waited to see his reaction.
"Next time?" he asked, his mouth quirking up at the corner in a small smile.
"Next time," she confirmed, sealing the deal with a kiss. For long minutes nothing else existed in the world except the other as they re-established their bond and soothed each other with long, slow kisses, interspersed with nuzzles and soft words.
After a little while Zoe pulled Wade over to the pond and they sat down together again. "But Zoe, you were truly upset with me, it wasn't all a reaction to the flashback. Did you blame me for making you come?" Wade wanted to clarify, needing to understand how she was thinking.
Zoe shook her head. "That was hard, because it was so mixed up with the flashbacks," she explained, and Wade winced. "No, what upset me, was what happened when we were sleeping." She looked up, not surprised when he didn't have any understanding of what she was talking about.
"What do you mean?"
Zoe hesitated, a little afraid he'd be upset or not believe her, then she told herself off again and made herself open up. "When I was asleep, I began to have a nightmare. A really vivid one." Wade nodded, waiting for understanding to click in. "When I woke up, I realised that the dream I'd had was caused by you touching me. The same thing began happening in the dream."
Wade frowned, confused. "Are you saying I was touching you in your sleep? I wasn't Zoe, I wouldn't-"
"You were asleep too," she explained, causing Wade to shut up, mortified beyond measure. "I'm so sorry," he choked out, going bright red.
"Unconscious touching can be a symptom of a sleep disorder," she told him, going slightly into doctor-mode. "But it could also be a symptom of your stress, being the first time we'd shared a bed in so long, after all the denial we've been put through. It never happened before when we were dating, so I think it's probably not a serious problem," Zoe said. "But, it does make me a little unsure to sleep with you again in the near future."
"Right, of course. I get it Zoe. I'm gutted, but I understand," Wade said, really glad that Zoe had gotten over her upset and was being so reassuring, but also saddened by her admission. He'd enjoyed holding her last night, especially once her sobs had quietened and she'd lain peacefully asleep in his arms.
Wade looked so pathetically miserable that Zoe's heart just broke for him, so she decided to cheer him up without words. Bringing her mouth back to his, she slanted her mouth on his and ran her tongue along his lower lip, licking at the seam and requesting entry.
"Zoe, is this okay?" he asked, jerking away suddenly, a little perplexed as he'd thought she wouldn't want to make out again so soon after their setback.
"I don't want you to be afraid to touch me," she told him, taking his hands and putting them on her hips. "It's more than okay." She hated the insecurity in his eyes, and wanted more than anything to rid them of it, so with every kiss, every touch of her hands on his chest, his shoulders, his arms, his stomach, she was telling him of her love, of her commitment to their relationship. She welcomed his touch and whispered to him to start touching her back, she wanted him with an increasing desire. Letting go of his doubts, he pulled her to him again and gripped her gently on the neck, so he could none-too-subtly mark her, sucking on her skin and causing it to redden. "You're mine," he told her succinctly, easing her back against the bank of the pond and lifting her arms above her head, elongating her body and pressing his own against it. "Make sure you tell that to Jonah when you see him tomorrow. Or better yet, I'll tell him myself, as I kick his ass out of town."
Zoe smiled at him, distracted by his roaming mouth and aroused by his words. "I told you, you don't need to worry about Jonah," she argued breathlessly, gasping as he bit down on her once again.
"God Zoe you're beautiful. I think I'll die wanting you," Wade told her, hands roaming all over his girlfriend, running his fingers through her hair, down her neck towards her sides and coming back up slowly to cup her breast, revelling when she didn't stop him, and moaning himself when he touched bare skin as he realised she wasn't wearing a bra underneath her dress. Losing patience, wanting to see as well as feel, he quickly undid the clasp at the back of her neck so that the dress fell down to waist level, falling in the water and sinking down out of sight, exposing her chest fully to him. "Perfect," he breathed, toying with her, and Zoe drifted out of space and time, consumed by his caresses and heated compliments of her beauty. She was nearing the point where she faced the struggle, so it was a mixture of relief and frustration when Wade, who'd kept up with her reactions this time and ignored his own, slowed down his pleasuring of her. "When's he leaving?" he asked suddenly, the thought just coming into his head, but also hoping to distract Zoe.
"A few weeks," Zoe managed to get out, knowing exactly who he meant, still totally hyped up and restless, struggling slightly in his grip. Suddenly, the pressure stopped altogether and she cried out in complaint, missing the loss.
"Weeks? Really?" Wade asked, sounding very much more like his old self.
"He's not going to be in town much, he's covering at the hospital in Mobile," Zoe explained. "And that reminds me, I've got something I need to tell you."
"You're going to work at the hospital too," Wade told her.
"Jonah told you?" Zoe asked, stung. She wanted to be the one to tell her boyfriend, especially after his behaviour towards Jonah.
"AB came in after she'd left you two at the hospital, she gave me the heads up, said Jonah was flirting with you," Wade replied. Zoe's brows creased with annoyance - and surprise. AB was the last person to have told on her she'd have thought. "No, don't tell her off, she was concerned for you," Wade told her, correctly reading Zoe's face. Deciding to ignore that for now, she asked instead: "are you okay with me going to work in Mobile? It will be alongside Jonah to begin with, but he'll be back in New York before you know it."
Wade nodded crookedly, mouth coming down to nibble at her skin once more. "It's okay Zoe, I know you've been missing it. But please, if Jonah does anything, promise me you'll tell me about it."
Zoe's eyes dropped, thinking very much that even in the unlikely event that Jonah kissed her, she wouldn't say anything to Wade, not wanting to elicit his violent behaviour and get him into trouble again. "Zoe," Wade warned, lifting her chin with his fingers. "Promise me."
He wasn't going to let her out of it. "I promise," she told him, and he nodded, mollified. "Look, why don't we go to Fancies, get some dinner. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
"A night out with my woman on my arm? How could I refuse?" Wade said. "But if that means I have to stop kissing you, then maybe I'm not so sure…" he said, his fingers dancing down her tummy and round to her hip to find her ticklish spots. When his fingers struck gold, she giggled and twisted helplessly in his arms. "Besides, you're ever so tasty, Zoe Hart."
"You're not too bad either, Wade Kinsella, but if you keep doing that to me I'm going to be covered in hickeys, and I want to wear a low-cut neckline within the next month," she told him. "Come on, get up." She tugged at her dress but he held on.
"Make me," he dared her, a challenge in his eyes, secretly filled with a primordial satisfaction when he saw the red marks he'd left on her skin. He reached up to touch her breast one more time, fingers going in to pluck at her nipple, when he jerked away. Zoe had splashed a load of water in his face, and scrabbled to get out whilst he was distracted.
"Oh no you don't," he said, pulling her back so she went underwater and came up again gasping, and shrieking with outrage. When she went to open her mouth to tell him off, he splashed water right back at her. "Wade!" she squealed, turning, and trying to swim away.
Needless to say, it was a while before either of them were ready to head over to Fancies.
A/N: The usual plea for reviews please. I will answer every logged in review :-) I hope that went down okay. I wanted Jonah's main intention to be honourable otherwise I don't think it represents him fairly as a character (I actually really liked Jonah in the show, but this is a Zade story after all!). More drama to come. Will try and post again soon. Thanks for reading!