Hello everyone! Welcome to the final chapter of this story. I do hope you all liked this one, as I had fun writing it.
Enjoy!
"Wade," hissed Zoe, pulling her best friend to a stop on the outskirts of the school.
She doesn't know what he has planned, but she is not going to miss a whole school day for him to prove anything to her. That's not what she needs. As much as she would like to skip school with Wade, she knows that she can't do that. To get into her dream school means to be on top of her studies, now. And well, she doesn't want to do anything that's going to disappoint her dad and make him start thinking that she'd be better off back in New York with her mom. As much as she misses her mom, she has come to enjoy her time in Bluebell with her family and with Wade and all the townsfolk that feel like a family more than a stranger or a neighbor.
"I promise, it's going to be worth it," Wade stated, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. He knew it was going to be hard to get Zoe on board with skipping school, he thought he had it covered, all but, Zoe's feelings on missing out on a full day of education.
"I don't doubt that, but it's school, I don't want to get into trouble for skipping the whole day," she explained, looking to the school. "I want to go with you, but I don't want to make my dad mad at me," she sighed. She trusts Wade and his intentions behind whatever he has planned for them, that is something that she doesn't have to question. What she has to question is what he is up to, but she's certain it can wait until after the final bell for school has rung.
"Ok," Wade sighed, giving in to her wishes. He would hate to have Harley punish Zoe for something he pressured her into doing. "We can do what I have planned after school," he assured her. There would be plenty of time after school.
"Thank you," she beamed, kissing his cheek before running off to make it to her first period before she was late for class.
Heaving a sigh, Wade followed behind her at a much slower pace, not caring if he was late for class or not. He wanted to make a day of it with Zoe, to celebrate the last day of the holiday for her. He's been planning it out for the better part of the last eight days. Today needs to be perfect for her. She deserves that much. It might not matter to Zoe, but it matters to him.
Keeping the final gift for her safe in his pocket, not trusting to keep it anywhere else. The last thing he needs to do is to misplace the gift or leave it in his locker when it's time to give it to her. He would have already, but there's a plan and a bit more that goes along with the gift. A plan he's going to be spending his time at school readjusting. It might work out better for him if they do hold off until later in the day.
"Who was that?" Wade asked coyly, standing in the kitchen, placing food and drinks into a wicker picnic basket.
"Don't act like you didn't have a part in this," she warned, taking a seat on a stool. "It's awfully funny that I was supposed to be working today, while Brick had the day off, like he requested," Zoe pointed out. "What did you do?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I pulled a favor with Brick days ago," Wade informed her. "But it's for a very special reason," he amended.
"Do I want to know?" She asked, grabbing a grape.
"If you can remember, you'll know," he told her with a knowing smirk. "Otherwise, I'm not saying a word, because I want it to be a surprise for you," he stated.
"Okay, I won't ask and I will let my boyfriend surprise me on what he has planned with our picnic basket," she said, slipping from the stool. "What should I wear?" She asked, thinking that what she has on isn't going to work for what Wade has planned for them.
"Something comfortable and sneakers would be preferable," he told her, putting the extra food in the fridge. "I just have to pack the car, and we can go," he told her.
Zoe nodded, heading to the bedroom to change out of her jeans and into a pair of yoga pants and a cute cardigan over a rose-colored tank top. Making sure she has everything she needs for a day out with her boyfriend, she meets Wade at the car, letting him be her chauffeur for the day. She's got a small feeling about what he has planned for them, and it makes her giddy as it's been a while since they have done something like it. Picnic's normally revolved around a pond on the Mayor's plantation. It's not nearly as romantic as he likes to believe it is.
"Are we going to be home in time for dinner with dad?" Zoe asked as Wade drove them to the outskirts of town. Her suspicions are confirmed when they drive past Bluebell high school.
"With time to spare," he nodded. "I know how important dinner with your dad and family is tonight, I won't let you miss it," he assured her.
"Okay," Zoe smiled, looking at him. "I don't know what you're up to, but you do know that you don't have to go out of your way for me, Wade," she told him.
"Who said anything about me going out of my way for you?" He asked, reaching across the middle to take her hand in his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Everything I do for you is because I want to do it, are we clear?" He asked. They've been over this every year, and he has yet to show Zoe that she doesn't have to question his motives in making this holiday extra special for her.
"I know, but I'm saying staying home cuddling on the couch is a perfect afternoon for me," she told him.
"There's something special being out here that will make this worth it, I promise," he told her. "Trust me."
"Without a doubt."
"Wade this is beautiful," Zoe gushed, looking out over their little town of Bluebell. Wade has taken her a few places around Bluebell, mostly so they can make out in his car without any of their friends or family catching onto them. It's been an adventure for sure.
"It's one of my favorite spots," Wade told her, placing the blanket on the ground. There's no way he's going to let Zoe sit in a pile of dirt when he puts his plan into action.
"I can see why," she smiled, looking out over the town. The place is secluded, high up on a cliff that overlooks Bluebell and miles around the town. If you look close enough, you can see the town starting to decorate for Christmas. "Thank you for sharing it with me," she told him, taking a seat on the blanket. "Do you need any help?" She asks, seeing him taking a few things out of a basket.
"Nope," he told her, shaking his head, getting everything set up. "I'm positive," he tacked on before she has the chance to ask if he's sure.
"Okay," she giggled, holding her hands up, looking out at the view. The sun is hidden behind some trees. "What's the occasion?" She asks once Wade is seated beside her snacks laid out behind them.
"Can't I do something special for the girl I like?" He asks, turning to look at her. Zoe nods her head, seeing that he has something else he wants to say. "I wanted this moment to be perfect, because that's what you deserve, Zoe," he told her.
"Every moment is already perfect because they're spent with you, Wade," she retorted. "Don't you see that?"
"Maybe I do now," he winked. "Regardless, this moment needs to be perfect because life is far from perfect and if I can give you moments within an unperfect life that are perfect, I am going to do it," he explained.
"Okay," Zoe nodded.
"These last few days, I didn't need them to think about what I want when it comes to you Zoe, I've known what I have wanted since the day I met you," he told her. "I was wondering if you'd want to be my girlfriend, officially?" He asked her, showing her the small rose gold promise ring with a small diamond in the center of the heart.
"Without a doubt, Wade," she smiled, looking at the ring. "It's beautiful, Wade," she told him, letting him place the small ring onto her finger.
"It's a promise that I am going to be there for you and love you for as long as you'll let me," he informed her. He could only hope that it would be for years to come, but he wasn't going to hold his breath on it because it's not every day that high school sweethearts make it down the aisle or longer.
"I may not have a ring, but I can give you my word, that I will be here for you and love you," she told him.
"I trust you," he nodded, placing the box the ring goes in, to the side.
"Good," she smiles, pouncing on him. "Want to show me how much?"
"Without a doubt," he answered, pulling her down to enact the make-out session.
"This place seems familiar," Zoe retorted, looking out over the cliff seeing Bluebell below them.
"Why's that?" Wade asked, fixing the blanket on the ground, wanting his girlfriend to be as comfortable as possible while having a picnic in nature.
"Can't put my thumb on it," she teased, taking a spot on the blanket with help from Wade. They may have come to this spot in high school, but over the years they made sure to return when they could, when they wanted a night to themselves without any interruptions, as phones weren't allowed out of the car up here.
"We can eat whenever you get hungry," Wade informed her.
"And if I'm not hungry for food?" She asked coyly, tossing her legs over his.
"Then by all means eat," he smirked, running a hand through her hair. "But I'll get to return the favor," he smirked.
"You have no complaints from me," she whispered against his lips. "Unless you have something else you want to do first," she commented.
"Can't think of what I would need to do first," he replied, playing off like he wasn't up to something huge for them. "Why do you say that?" He asked.
"At home, you told me that if I could remember I'd know," she commented. "The last time we were up here during Hanukkah, you asked me to be your girlfriend, fast forward years later, we came up here for you to ask me to move in with you. Had I known we'd be up here I would have waited to tell you that you're gonna be a father until this moment," she informed him.
"You could give Sheriff Bill a run for his money," Wade teased.
"Except I like being a doctor," she shrugged. "Stop avoiding what we both know," she told him with a very pointed look.
"We both know huh?" He asked, nodding his head. "How'd you figure it out?" He questioned.
"The signs have been there since the start of Hanukkah, you've been extra thoughtful, that it reminded me of when you first started this. Except this time we're creating a child of our own and not a doll for a class project," she explained.
"There are a few similarities," Wade nodded. "I wanted it to be special, and as close as I could get to our first Hanukkah as a couple," he was in the process of doing when Zoe cut him off with a kiss.
"I don't need perfect moments, because they're already perfect with you," she told him vaguely using the same lines she told him years ago when he asked her out.
"You're ruining the tone here," Wade chuckled, standing up, helping Zoe up. Even though she figured it out, he's still going to do it right. "Regardless, this moment needs to be perfect because life is far from perfect and if I can give you moments within an unperfect life that are perfect, I am going to create them for you," he stated, repeating what he had once told her when he asked to be her boyfriend.
"Okay," she nodded.
"Zoe Hart," he said, falling to bended knee, holding her left hand. "Will you do the honor of making pointless perfect moments with me? Will you marry me?"
"Without a doubt," she answered, blinking tears away, falling to the ground, cupping his face. "Yes," she told him, closing the distance for a kiss.