"Wade what are you doing here?" I heard Zoe ask again. I could tell that I was the last person she ever wanted to see show up from Bluebell. Hell I could see the fear on her face that I was going to put her through hell again. I was scared. I may have practiced my speech to Lavon over and over again, but deep down I never thought that I would get this far. "Wade, I am waiting on an answer. If you don't have one then I suggest that you get in your car and drive home to Bluebell because I am not interested in standing here all day waiting for you to open your big ass mouth." Said Zoe.
"May I come in?" I asked her. This was going to be at her speed, and hopefully it was going to be a slow speed so that I had time to think of what to say. "Sure. Come in and sit down. I'll be there in a second, I just have to finish up something in another room." Zoe said as she walked towards the end of the house where I heard her putting things back in the fridge and cupboards. Well I'll be damned Zoe can cook, I thought to myself as I wandered through her living room. Her new places looked a lot like her Carriage House, but yet it looked like something she could have lived in while she was in New York. While waiting I was starting to think that this was a bad idea. Trying to convince her to come back to Bluebell, Rose was right, yet again, Zoe had a life here and by the looks of the photos scattered around the place I could tell that she was enjoying it here or at least putting on a brave face. I just sat down on the couch that was facing a single chair when Zoe came in carrying some waters. She set them on the table between us. Somehow she knew that this was going to be a long conversation.
"I know you are wondering why I am her. But before I get into all the details the main point is to say I am sorry. In fact I owe you multiple apologizes so, I am going to let you pick them in the order you want to hear them. And after if you still want me gone and never want to hear from me again that is fine. But I do know that the little town of Bluebell would wither like to see or hear from you. You made quite an impression on that little town and I know a few people who would love to have you back." I thought it was best to admit that I was here on behalf of Bluebell and that I am an idiot. She was looking at me again. If this was how the conversation was going to go with her examining me the entire time, I would later regret in not chickening out and taking off when I had the chance. I know the town has a bet going to see wither I mess up again or I bring her home. I also wonder if I should tell her about this bet.
"Well, I know that you aren't here for the little apologizes, nor do I want to hear why you shot me down. I know you had been gunning for me from the moment I played Dixie with my butt. What I want to know is why you felt the need to rub it in my face that you won the '100 bucks' and was going to spend it on malt liquor, and the biggest why is why did it take you so long to get to this point in your life to say your sorry?" Zoe asked. I had no idea where to start on this one. She didn't want to hear my apology? Why I let this girl get away I have no idea, but I was going to do everything in my power to get her back.
"Ever since your first night in Dixie I knew that you were not like the other girls. You were a challenge and hell you still are. So when I heard the news that you and the vet had broke up the first thought was I have a chance! Don't mess this up Wade. But what did I do? I made you look like an idiot. Sure you thought Rose was asleep, but let's face it she had been pretending to be asleep since the moment I walked in the door. And the moment that I walked in the door I kept thinking over and over again, there is nothing that she can say to get me to change my mind. I am going to make Dr. Zoe Hart my girl. But then you started talking and said everything I wanted to say to you, and I did the only thing I could think of and that was 'fight fire with fire'. But the moment I pulled out that stupid $100 and threw it in your face, and then to add Joelle to the picture, I was done for. There was no way I was going to get you to see that I was anything but a bad boy and a complete idiot. You just opened your heart and soul to me and told me that you liked me. I had been waiting for months to hear that and all I wanted to do was take you in my arms and kiss you. But then I saw Rose and my downstairs brain starting thinking, 'you're not going to get lucky with Zoe tonight so better make this quick so you can get some with Joelle.' As to why it took me so long to get here. I have no clue. But what I do know is that you are the only person that looks at me and doesn't see me as Crazy Earl's kid. Hell you thought I was a hero for getting him off the roof every month. You have no idea what that means to me to this day. But for the last couple of months I started to relate to my dad, started to understand why he drank every single month to the point of jumping off a roof sounded like a good idea. Everyone starting looking at me like I was the next town drunk and they were all waiting and taking bets as to when Earl did himself in because I didn't stop him and I became the next drunk person to climb the roof of Nate's Hardware. And that got me thinking as to everything everyone said to me. And the two thought that kept coming back over and over again was from Rose and Lavon. Rose with her "Zoe is happy now" and Lavon's "Zoe may not have had many people in her corner, but the ones she did have are enough to make the whole town turn on you.' But all in all you are the only person who looks at me and sees something different. You are the only person who challenges me to do better. I know I ruined my chance with you, but if it is not too much to ask can you still be my friend? I know I don't deserve it." I rambled on and on. Telling her everything she wanted to hear. I just hoped that she listened to everything and really thought about everything I said.
"I cried every night for a month after the Sweetie Pie dance. All I wanted to do was run away and never step foot in the town of Bluebell again. But I thought that you shouldn't get that satisfaction so I started looking into other small town clinics that needed someone for a year to year thing. I was determined to forget all about you. So I found myself faking being happy till one day I walked into the office and had no reason to fake it any more. I became everything I wanted. Well that is what I told myself anyways. I missed my life that I had in Bluebell, and all I could think of was those few days that we did nothing but prank each other and how that was the most fun I had in years. And those thoughts were followed by when is he going to smarten up and come and find me?" Zoe laughed as she finished the last bit of her speech.
I did the only thing I could think of. I had no more words to say to I grabbed her face and did what I should have done a year ago and kissed her. The crazy thing was she wasn't pushing me away.