Hey everyone, welcome to day 17 of the Hart of Dixie countdown to Christmas!

Enjoy!

Wade sighed, looking around the lobby waiting for Zoe to show up so they could exchange their gifts before they got food. He doesn't think he can eat until Zoe has opened her gift. His nerves had gotten the best of him long before the sun rose. Instead of fighting sleep, he got up taking a shower.

"Where's your girlfriend?" A maid asked, wiping the tables in front of him clean. "I've seen you and a pretty brunette stuck at the hips," she told him upon his confusion. He figured she had meant Zoe, and if the situation was different he'd gladly be Zoe's boyfriend. Alas, that's not the case.

"She'll be joining me later," he told her with a polite smile. He really just wants to be left alone until Zoe shows up. The very last thing he is going to do is correct her on who Zoe is to him. Frankly, it isn't anyone's business who they are to each other.

"Where are you visiting from?" She asked, seeming to take a break from her job. "I can't wait until I can go on a winter vacation in the tropics," she told him. "But for now my parents need me here helping them to keep this place running," she told him with a roll of her eyes.

"Alabama," he told her, staying as vague as possible. With Zoe he felt the need to overshare about everything in his life. With the teen before him, he has no desire to share any details of his life.

"I hope it's not like pulling teeth when you talk to her," she laughed. "Whatever you're stressing over, it's going to be okay," she tried to assure him, placing a hand on his arm.

"I can't help it," he shrugged, running both hands through his still-damp hair, wanting her hand off of him. It didn't feel right. "I'm just crazy about her," he smiled lightly. He never once thought he would be on a family vacation and leave with a broken heart over a stranger. "It's crazy," he chuckled.

"Life is crazy," she told him, finally leaving him be as she got back to work on the other side of the lobby.

Shaking his head he noticed the time. 10 more minutes and Zoe should be joining him. His stomach in knots worse than when he's on the football field before the big Bluebell vs Daphne game where he broke a few ribs saving his best friend George Tucker.

He looked behind him to where Zoe would be coming from. He frowned seeing Zoe rushing out and down the hallway. At least he's sure it was Zoe. He got up to chase after her. He didn't see anything that would send her running from him. For a split second he thought maybe she had forgotten her gift for him. The thought went flying out of his head as he stood waiting for the elevator to return. Zoe didn't take him as the type of person to forget something like that.

"Shit!" He cursed under his breath, when the realization hit him that Zoe had more than likely seen the maid or whoever she was with her hand on his arm.

By the time he got to her floor it felt like ages. He had to wait a lifetime for the elevator to come back to the main floor, a total of 7 people getting off. He counted his lucky stars that no one else was going up. When he did make it to her room, he went to knock only to chicken out and pace in front of the door.

"Are you going to knock or not?" Candice asked, freaking him out enough to make him jump.

"I planned on it," he lamely stated, coming to stand in front of Zoe's mom. "Is she here?" He asked, dumbly.

"I can't say for sure that she will talk to you," Candice informed him. "I hope you know what to say to make amends," she snipply told him.

"I don't even know what I did to make her mad at me," he shared, not wanting to let Candice know that he wasn't at fault for Zoe's sour mood, not really. He wouldn't say it's because of his actions, he can't control what others do.

"You can start with I'm sorry," Candice instructed him, grabbing her purse. "No shenanigans while I am gone," she warned, leaving Wade standing in the living area of the hotel room.

He already has Zoe mad at him, the last thing he wants is Candice mad at him. He can and does respect boundaries set for him. Heaving a sigh, he walked to what he knows is Zoe's room. Tentatively he knocks. For a moment he thinks Zoe didn't hear him, when he hears her muffled reply.

"Mom, I told you I don't want to talk about it!"

"It's not your mom, Zo," he told her. "Can I come in?" He asked.

"I don't want to hear what you have to say, Wade," she told him, moving to sit in front of the door. "I'm not naive. I know what this was and it had a good run," she told him dejectedly.

"What do you think this was or is?" He asked, making himself comfortable on the floor in front of the door to her room. "Because I thought it was two people becoming friends and enjoying a few key benefits of being friends," he shared.

"That's what I thought until I saw you with that girl. It reminded me that all we can ever be is friends for a few more days and we'll be right back to being nothing more than strangers," she told him.

"I wasn't flirting with her and if it looked that way I am sorry, Zoe," he told her. "She wanted to know where my girlfriend was," he told her, being honest. "And no, I didn't correct her," he shared.

"Why didn't you?" Zoe asked, softly, pulling the door open.

"Because what we are or aren't isn't anyone's business," he explained, standing up. "I didn't even say more than 20 words to her, I can't tell you the color of her hair," he tried grasping at straws so that Zoe would stop hating him.

"Dark Auburn," Zoe rattled off, giving him a shrug when he looked at her with a questioning look. "I might have overreacted, a little."

"A little?" Wade questioned with a chuckle. "I get it. I wouldn't like to see a guy touching you." More than likely he'd punch the guy.

"It hurt to know that I don't have the authority to be jealous," she shared.

"You have every right while we are here to be jealous," he told her. "Okay?" Zoe nodded, at his question. "Why don't we exchange gifts, go get something to eat, come back up here and watch a movie or two before we get ready for the dance if you still wanna go," he suggested. He doesn't care if they go to the dance, he wants to spend as much time with Zoe as he can.

"I'd like that," she smiled, pushing herself up off the floor to grab his gift. "The bed is a lot softer than the floor," she pointed out with an amused smile on her face.

"I don't doubt it," he mumbled, moving from the hard wooden floor to the bed that somehow seemed softer than the one he's been calling his the past few days. "You can open yours first," he offered, handing her the small wrapped box.

He shook his head watching her ever-so-carefully pick at the wrapping paper so as to not rip it. He didn't get the appeal of that. It was going to end up in a pile to be tossed. It's not like they were going to reuse the stuff.

"Wade, it's beautiful," Zoe gasped, pulling the bracelet from the box.

"I'm happy you like it," he told her, taking the bracelet from her to secure it around her wrist. "It seemed fitting with it being Topaz, and the gemstone for friendship," he lamely told her.

"It's perfect," she smiled, kissing his cheek. "Mine sucks compared to yours," she informed him, handing him the gift.

"I'm sure it won't," he told her. Unlike Zoe he tore into the paper, keeping as much of it off the bed as he could. "A '57 Chevy Bel Air," he whistled. "I have built a few of them, and I won't lie, I've been looking for this one," he told her, a grin on his face. "Except I'm gonna change the powder blue to a darker blue color," he shared.

"It's yours to do as you please with," she told him.

"It's great Zoe. It's gonna take me a few weekends to get it built though," he told her. "Why don't we go grab some food? And you can pick the movie."

"Home Alone 1, 2, and 3," she told him, picking up the wrapping paper.

"Do you think they're ever gonna stop making Home Alone movies?" He asked, helping her clean up his mess.

"No, I'm sure within the next ten years there will be a few more of them made," she answered.

Wade nodded, leading Zoe from the room. They discussed what Home Alone movie was their favorite. Surprisingly like everything else between the two of them this vacation, they liked the 2nd movie better than the first. They have yet to watch the third one.