Disclaimer: I do not own Hart of Dixie

7. Heating up

Zoe was sitting on a log that had fallen in a storm some many years ago and was now firmly attached to the ground. She just sat there staring out over the little pond. This clearing in the northern woods was her secret hideout and had been ever since she'd found it on her morning jog a few years back. She came out here sometimes when she felt like Bluebell was smothering her. At those times she wondered what it would've been like if her mother hadn't died in that plane crash all those years ago.

She turned around when she heard a rustle behind her. There was someone coming. She shot up from the log, ready for another fight, but then remembered that Jonah hadn't a clue about this place, she'd never told him about it. She lumped back down on the log, thinking that it must be Harley coming to get her, but she wasn't sure he knew about this place either. She'd never heard anyone in town talk about it, she wasn't sure anyone knew it existed. Whoever it was had come to a halt just in the edge of the trees, so she couldn't see a face. She just turned around and continued looking out at the water.

Wade was making his way to his hideout. He needed to think about today's event, and he couldn't do it with his brother and father having game-night. When he had almost reached the clearing he stopped. There was someone there. Maybe it was Hannah again. He could just confront her, not that it'd done Lemon any good this afternoon. No, it wasn't Hannah, he determined after a moment. It was Zoe Hart. What the hell was she doing in his secret hideout. Why did she need to hideout from her perfect live. He suddenly got very angry and wanted to just go out there and yell at her. He stormed out from his spot in the shadows but then came to a halt when she turned around and he saw that she'd been crying. Damn it. He couldn't really yell at a crying girl.

She sat there, looking at him with a deadly glare and he didn't know what to do or say, so he just stood there, looking back at her. After a moment she turned away from him and looked back over the pond. He didn't know if he should leave or say something or just what to do, so he just continued standing there.

"Jonah broke up with me" she stated, her voice completely free of any emotion.

"Oh" was all that Wade could come up with. Why the hell was she telling him that, it's not like they were friends, more the exact opposite.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm not the first girl to date a player and expect him to change, but they never do"

Wade was starting to feel really uncomfortable.

"And yet I'm sitting here, crying over him like an idiot. Pathetic" she said as she wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Hey, listen, you're not pathetic, he's the one that's pathetic, dumpin' your fine ass" Wade said, edging a little bit closer.

Zoe just snorted at that.

"Hey, it's true. I know we aren't really friends or anything remotely close to that, but I'm a guy and in my professional opinion I can definitely state that your ass is fine." He had almost reached her side by now and could smell a faint scent of perfume.

Zoe burst out laughing.

"Hey, at least I got you to laugh" Wade said smiling.

"Yeah, guess you might be good for something. How did you find me here, anyway?" Zoe asked as she moved over, making room for Wade to sit down by her side.

"This is my secret place, I've been coming here for years" Wade said as he sat down. "Guess I've got to find a new one, now that you've crashed it"

"No, I don't think you do. See, this has been my secret place for years too, and if we only run into each other once every five or so years, I guess we can both keep it" Zoe said, smiling shyly at him.

"Well, if you say so" Wade replied, returning her smile.

They sat there, arms touching, their faces really close to each other. Wade looked into her eyes, breathing in her perfume and he found himself dying to kiss her. He started to lean in but then something inside him snapped. This was Zoe Hart. They hated each other and she'd just been dumped by her perfect boyfriend. He so did not want to go there, but why was his heart racing like this? He quickly stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans. He thought about coming up with a snide remark, but couldn't think of anything so he just left. What the hell was that?

Zoe was still sitting there, in the same position, waiting for Wade to kiss her, when she realized he had left. Then there was like something clicked and she came back to her senses. What on earth had happened. She had had a nice moment with Wade Kinsella, and whoa, hold on a minute, he'd almost kissed her. And she had wanted him to. She remembered looking into his eyes, she'd never realized before how beautiful his eyes were, and breathing in his scent, the butterflies in her stomach going on full speed. No, she needed to stop this. She was not going to start having feelings for Wade Kinsella. No, Jonah had been bad enough, but Wade, Wade was a disaster. What she needed now was to fully dive into finding every little thing she could about Hannah so she could get rid of her. Yes, that was her new mission and she wouldn't stop until she'd finished.

When Wade opened his front door he could hear his father and brother in the living room. Damn, he'd forgot about them. He quietly made his way through the house and out the back door. He walked over the backyard towards the oak tree in the corner. He grabbed a hold of one of the branches and started to climb. This was his back-up hideout. He climbed to his favorite branch, and made himself comfortable with his back resting on the trunk. He was completely hidden from the outside world, he could see outside, but he couldn't be seen.

What a day. The conversation he'd overheard at the Wilkes' luncheon hadn't been that informing, he'd already did a quick websearch and found out that all the things Hannah had said about her grandmother were crap. And now he was stuck again, he didn't know how to proceed. He sighed and had decided to go down before he fell asleep up in the tree when Hannah came out the backdoor of Dr. Wilkes' house.

"How the hell did you get this number" she said, clearly talking on the phone.

"Well, I wish you would. I told you, I don't want anything to do with you. I'm done with that live, ok? I'm starting over, turning a new leaf"

"I am. And don't you come looking for me. I don't want any trouble"

"What the hell do you mean, you've already found me?"

"Jack?"

"Crap" Hannah said, the other person had clearly hung up on her, and quickly went back inside.

Wade was stunned. So, he'd been right, there was some dark past and apparently it had caught up with Hannah. This sounded bad, maybe too bad. He started climbing down the tree. Yeah, maybe it was best he just stayed out of it. If it was really bad, there was nothing he, a seventeen year old, could do about it, right?

It was the middle of the night when Zoe made her way back to her house. As she turned into her street she noticed a strange car that was parked at the sidewalk outside her house. Strange. Her father hadn't mentioned anyone coming to visit. Then she noticed a figure snooping around, peeking into the windows at the front of the house. She felt the fear creep all over her and reached for her phone, but it wasn't in her pocket. Now her fear was turning into panic as she remembered that it was just sitting on her desk, she hadn't expected to be gone for long when Jonah came to her door earlier. Ok, just calm down, she thought to her self as she moved closer to the neighbor's hedge, trying to remain hidden. The figure went over to the gate that led into the yard but it was locked. Zoe watched it try and force it open without luck. She saw as the figure pondered climbing over, but the fence was high and pointy, so it decided against it. She watched as the figure made it's way back to the car, got in and started the engine. She held her breath as the car drove by her, she saw the person in the driver's seat, a dark haired man, but fortunately he did not look in her direction. She watched the tail-lights as the car drove to the end of the street and turned left. She stood there, dumbstruck, for a few minutes until she snapped out of it and ran into her house, double-checking if the door was locked behind her before she slowly walked into her room and sat down on the bed.

She'd never seen this man before, he was definitely not from around here, and he didn't look very southern. He looked like he was bad news, and Zoe was sure that Hannah was the reason for him snooping around her house in the middle of the night. Now she finally had something.

Sorry, I know that it's a bit short, but the next one will be up really soon :)

Thanks for all the amazing reviews, keep 'em coming :D