"Michael, we're finally done with our third year of college." Dani says quietly at their nightly dinner. "It's finally summer!"

"What're you gonna do for your last year?"

"I don't wanna talk about next year. It's summer." She stands so she can put her dishes in the sink. "Can't wait to get back to that country life."

"Oh, don't forget; there's that party tonight at Chi Phi at 7." Hardy says, pointing at the calendar. "End of the year, you goin?"

"Wouldn't miss it, darlin'." She winks at him, taking his dishes. "Did you get your song turned in?"

"I did, little lady."

She freezes, "what did you call me?"

"Uh, little lady?"

"Wh- who- where did you get that from?"

"I dunno, it's the south." He shrugs. "I'm from Mississippi, we call girls that all the time."

"Oh, okay." She exhales heavily, running her fingers through her hair. "Sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, darlin'." He says, putting a hand on her back. "I won't call you that again." He chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Sorry." She says again.

"Don't sweat it, baby." She chuckles slightly, scrubbing the dishes.

"Hey, I'm gonna get ready." She smiles, setting the clean plates in the drying rack. "What's tonight's theme?"

"Redneck."

"Of course it is." She shakes her head as she goes to her room, grabbing the old yellow Shiner Bock case full of Morgan's clothes she accidentally packed with her stuff from the top shelf of her closet. She pulls on a pair of ripped blue jeans, a black tank top, an old pair of cowboy boots, one of Morgan's sleeveless flannels and a cowboy hat. Dani goes next door to Hardy's room, "Yeehaw, baby." She says in an exaggerated country accent, which sounds like her normal voice.

"You look great." Hardy chuckles, stepping into his own cowboy boots with a black and red flannel and denim cut offs.

"You look great." She motions to his outfit with her single dimpled grin. "C'mon now." She grabs her light brown, cross body, fringe purse. He grabs his ball cap then locks their door behind them.

He has that stupid dimpled grin on his face the whole way down to Chi Phi.

+++

"Hardy and the Queen of the Law herself." One of the Chi Phi guys says, high fiving Michael and giving Dani a hug. "Welcome to the big end of the year blowout. Y'all know where everything is, drinks are in the kitchen, enjoy yourselves." The sandy haired boy gives them a gapped-tooth grin before greeting some other people.

"I'm going to get a beer, you want anything?" Hardy shouts to Dani.

"Sure! I'll go with you." She follows him through the crowd to the kitchen. "Do y'all have any Bud Light or Busch?"

"Here! Last one!" A dark haired boy hands her a Busch Light, she cracks it open and starts drinking it. "Hell yeah baby!"

"It's the fuckin' summer!" Someone shouts, cheers from everyone follow.

"Mike!" She grabs his upper arm. "I got the last Busch!" He scoffs playfully before grabbing her can out of her hand, chugging it. "Ugh! Get me another one!" He laughs as he does as he's told, he replaces her empty can with a Natural Light Seltzer.

"We gotta shotgun some shit tonight baby!" He laughs loudly. "You haven't done that since last year!"

"Okay okay okay!" She gives in. "Fine!"

"Attagirl!" He gives her a playful smack on the ass.

"I need a smoke!" She shouts, holding her purse up to him, pointing outside. "Be right back." She picks up her beer and heads outside. She grabs her pack of Lucky Strike Cigarettes and lights one.

"Crazy to see you out here." A familiar voice says behind her. "Thought you'd out grow partyin'."

She turns and sees Morgan. "Some things never change." She shrugs. "What're you doing out here?"

"Hardy invited me, said it was a party I couldn't miss."

"Every year they do this. Last year it was either Buds with Buds or Hawaiian, I can't remember."

"Is that my shirt?" He asks, ignoring her last sentence. "You kept that?" She looks at his matching sleeveless flannel and smiles.

"Yeah, been waitin' for the Redneck night. Hey, I'm glad you're here." She admits, taking her hat off to brush her hair out of her face, replacing the cowboy hat back on her head.

"Me too." He says, his eyes following her wavy hair down to her chest.

Her phone starts ringing. "Hardy? Wha- wait slow down- sh-"

"That drunk bastard." He shakes his head with that goofy little smile of his.

"Shut the fuck up and just say it!" She laughs. "Shots? Shots! Okay!" She pockets her phone and grabs Morgan's hand. "Shots!"

"I don't know, darlin'."

"You're gonna stay out here like some creep? That's not the Morgan Wallen I know. You're the life of the party, darlin!" He rolls his eyes and lets her lead him back into the house.

"You guys found each other!" Hardy shouts, a pocketknife in his hand. "You ready, baby?" He hands Dani another Natural Light Seltzer after stabbing a hole in the bottom of the can.

The two best friends race each other, Dani surprisingly winning. She throws the empty can down and cheers, throwing her hands in the air. "Take that bitch!" She laughs, hugging him. "Shots?" The same dark haired boy from earlier has a line of shot glasses, filling a couple up with a light brown liquid, she doesn't question what it is. "Morgan!" She hands one to him and Hardy, keeping one for herself. "Bottoms up!" The three cheer and drink simultaneously, the clank of glass against granite echos over the talking and music playing. She turns to Hardy and watches him walk off with some girl, shaking her head. "Morgan, here." His hand is filled with a beer. "Don't be so uptight, it's the summer!"

He chuckles as he unscrews the twist top and licks his lips. He missed her, he truly missed her and didn't realize it until he saw her again. She grabs her own long neck and nudges him outside to the deserted patio. He's glad that she's loosened up with alcohol. If she was still sober, they probably wouldn't have talked to each other. "So how's college?"

"Real good. I'm gonna to be a lawyer." She nods. "I live with Hardy a few streets over, so it's fun. How about you? I heard that one song on the radio the other day." She's still talking pretty loud, but hey, she's drunk.

"Really?" His cheeks are pink as he takes a swig of the beer in his hand.

"It was so pretty. It made me miss high school." He nods, his eyes trained on her lips. "Things were so much easier in high school, Y'know? Like I didn't have to study and we were together just hangin' out by the river, ugh." She looks down at her drink. "And when things ended, it just-"

"No, dont. Be free tonight, okay? Free bird, right?" They nod at each other. "If I finish my drink before you, you're taking a shot."

"You're on, boy." They grin at each other as they down their drinks. "I won!" She points at his beer bottle, taking a couple steps closer to him.

"No you didn't! I did." He says as he sits on the corner of the patio. "You lost! Go take a shot!"

"You're a sore loser." She giggles, shaking her head. "You know I won." She's closer to him now, drunk Dani looses all senses of personal space. He doesn't mind at all as he spreads his legs a little bit, sitting back. Her hand comes out to touch the same cross necklace he's been wearing for as long as she can remember, her finger following the chain down to his sternum. He lets her, ignoring how cold her fingertips are as they touch his skin, his shirt isn't buttoned up as far as it should and there's nothing underneath it. She bites her lip as she looks at his chest, his eyes are locked on her face, looking over every inch of her beautiful face, the single dimple mixed in with light freckles that show up more in the summer sun, the mesmerizing color of her vividly blue eyes, the cute stud in the side of her small nose, the small beauty mark by her ear. "You..." she trails off as she looks at his pretty blue eyes. "You have a mullet."

"I do. I love it, really adds to the redneck persona I've been tryin' for."

She giggles as she digs around in her purse for her pack of cigarettes. "Want one?"

"Oh no." He pulls a can of Grizzly Long Cut Wintergreen from his back pocket. "Quit smokin'."

"I should quit." She says as she looks at her cigarette then over at Morgan. "Habits, huh?" They share a look, the same look that gets Dani to flick her freshly lit cigarette away and for Morgan to pocket his dip, the look that has her climbing onto his blue jean clad lap, their mouths fitting together perfectly. Her hands slide into his hair, knocking off his ballcap as he holds onto her waist.

It's like they're back together, those nights they've spent skinny dipping in the river followed by camping out in the bed of his truck, star watching. His hands find their way under her tank top as hers start to unbutton his flannel.

There's a sudden whistle that comes from behind her. Her head snaps to look at who it is, it's fuckin Hardy. "Seeing whatcha you guys are up to, catchin' up I see."

"We were." Morgan says as he moves her off him. "Whatcha need, Hardy?"

"Dani, I'm not comin' home tonight so enjoy the place to yourself." He winks. "See you in the mornin'."

"Okay Michael." She laughs, tucking some of her hair behind her hair. Morgan bends over to pick up his hat from the ground, turning back to Dani with that silly grin. "What?"

"C'mon baby." He says, holding his hand out. She grins and takes it, bouncing behind him as the leave the party and head back to her apartment.

As soon as she shuts the door behind them, she's pressed up against it, Morgan's lips against her neck, his hand returning to underneath her tank top, causing the strap to slip off her shoulder. He rips her borrowed flannel open, buttons hitting the floor as he shoves it off her body. She wraps her legs around his waist, attempting to kick her boots off, only one hits the floor while the other stays stuck on her foot. She starts working on the buttons of his flannel, moaning when he drops her onto her bed. "This is your room, right?" She nods as he runs his hand down her smooth leg and takes her other shoe off, her chest is heaving and her lips are red. "God, I almost forgot how beautiful you are." He smiles softly at the girl in front of him.

"You're full of shit, Wallen." She pants, pulling her tank top up over her head, leaning on her elbows. He rolls his eyes as he starts working on his belt, the big buckle makes a solid thud when it hits the floor. He leans down and kisses her, laying her back against her bed, undoing her jeans. "I missed you." She admits in a breathy voice.

"I missed you too, baby." He mumbles against her neck. Their jeans come off along with any underwear. There's some quiet giggles that come with hooking up together, mostly because his cross necklace keeps bumping against her nose and chin until the switch positions. She laughs quietly when he accidentally pokes her side, tickling her. "Sorry."

"God I missed you." She moans as she slows down, her hands pressed against his sweaty chest. She flops next to him, the sheets sticking to their damp skin. "I'm so glad Hardy invited you out tonight." She smiles, tracing shapes on his chest.

He nods, rubbing her back. "Man, he wasn't kiddin' when he said you were my type." She smiles against his skin.

"How long are you in Knoxville for?"

"A couple days."

"I liked that song I heard on the radio." She starts fiddling with his fingers. "That summer song."

"It's about you." He reveals. "Us, that summer a few years ago."

"People think I'm a bitch because of that song. The DJ on the station said so."

"They just don't know the story behind it." He whispers, looking down at her.

"I had no idea you wanted to do music, you never talked about it before."

"I was just nervous 'bout it." She sighs as closes her eyes, happy that she's with him again.