Katie stirs when she hears her phone ring. She stretches her long legs out under the sheets, exhaling heavily through her nose. She hums when it stops ringing, cuddling further against the warm body next to her. She presses her face against his chest and he wraps an arm tight around her back. She groans when her phone rings again.

She leans up and blindly gropes the nightstand for it, holding it up to her ear. "Hello?"

"Katie, where the hell are you?" Riley says on the other end. "You didn't come back to the hotel last night."

"Sorry, I crashed at Taylor's." She says quickly, pushing her bed head out of her face. "I thought I texted you."

Riley sighs. "I was worried outta my mind."

"I'm fine, okay?"

"I'm gonna be at the studio all day today so you're kinda on your own."

Isn't she usually?

"Okay. I think I can find somethin' to do for the day." She says as she looks over the sleeping man next to her. "Have fun today."

"You too. Love you."

"You too." She says then hangs up, tossing her phone back on the nightstand before throwing herself backwards against the bed.

Shit.

"You okay?" Morgan mumbles, his voice raspy and heavily saturated with sleep.

"That was Riley." She whispers back, turning on her side to face him. "Asked me where I was. I told him I's with Taylor." Kate brushes her fingers over the freckles and moles that litter his tan skin. Morgan hums softly, visibly melting at her touch.

She's always been able to do that to him. Something about her touch just makes him turn into a puddle.

He forces his eyes open, looking up at her. "I missed you." He admits, his eyelids getting heavier the longer she ghosts her fingers over his flushed body.

She smiles at his reaction and pulls him close, letting him rest his head on her chest so she can play with his hair. He love, love, loves when she plays with his hair, that shit knocks him out in less than five minutes. He's a sucker for this kind of innocent intimacy.

Kate gently rakes her fingers through his pretty, tangled brown waves, pressing a soft, loving kiss to the top of his head and he smiles, his hand coming up to rest on one of her breasts. She laughs quietly, letting him get comfy. She can tell he hasn't been this relaxed in a while.

Boys need this kind of love and attention too.

His head gets heavier as he falls asleep, listening to her steady heartbeat. He feels loved for the first time in probably five years.

He can't let her go again. At least not without telling her how he feels first.

She dozes off with him. She's incredibly happy right now, content. She missed cuddling with Morgan.

This feels so right.

+++

She has no idea what to do.

Does she go back to Alabama with Riley and be miserable? Or does she break Riley's good heart and stay in Tennessee with Morgan?

Kate exhales a cloud of smoke as she looks over Broadway from a rooftop bar.

"Here you go, ma'am." Taylor says, handing her a vodka soda. "I know your head is just hurtin' from all this but ignore that for now. What is your heart tellin' you?"

"That's so cliché, T." She half-heartedly, playfully scoffs. "I don't know but the ring on my finger says I should be back with Riley."

"Ignore that too. Close your eyes." She gives her a look. "Just do it." Kate closes her eyes and sighs heavily, tapping the ask off cigarette. "Now, tell me what your heart is sayin'."

"It's sayin'-"

Kate jumps when her cell starts ringing. "It's Riley." She sighs then answers it. "Hey."

"Hey, where are you? We gotta head home." Riley huffs.

"I'm at, uh, Jason Aldean's bar." She sighs back. "See ya in a bit."

"You gotta go?" Taylor asks in a sad voice.

"Yeah." She sighs again, running a hand through her hair. "I'll be back soon." Taylor nods, tears in her eyes. "I love you, T."

"Yeah yeah." She tries to say playfully but it comes out choked. "You come back whenever you want. I always got room for you." Kate nods, hugging her tightly. "You be careful."

"I will." She nods then heads down the steps to the ground floor, leaning against the building as she waits for her ball and chain to come pick her up.

+++

They set a date.

They set a fucking date.

Kate bites her lip as she runs her fingers over the material of the dress she's in. She should be excited. She should be happy but she's not.

She shrugs at her reflection. "I don't know."

"You look beautiful though." Taylor says from the couch. "Don't she?"

Katie's mom, Beth, nods. She knows her daughter. She also knows that she was absent for a good chunk of her life but she really wants to fix that.

"I'm gonna get more champagne." Taylor says, excusing herself.

"You okay?" Beth asks, looking her daughter over. "What's buggin' you?"

"It's nothin'." She sighs, stepping back into the dressing room to change into another dress. "Just stress from the weddin'."

"You lie just like your daddy."

Kate laughs as she steps back out in front of the mirror. "I think I'm makin' a mistake."

"With what, baby?"

"Marryin' Riley."

"What do you mean?"

Kate turns and looks at her mother, brown eyes meeting brown. She suddenly lets out a choked sob, her hands coming up to hide her face. Beth wraps her arms around her daughter and runs her hand over her hair.

"I don't wanna spend all this money for this wedding if I don't even want it." She admits, wiping under her eyes with a tissue. "I don't wanna waste Riley's time either."

"Have you talked to him?"

Kate shakes her head. "I don't think I love him."

"Oh."

Kate takes in a deep breath as she looks down at the dress she's in. "What do I do, Momma?"

"If you don't love him, leave him. Divorce is expensive as hell."

Kate nods, sighing softly. "I'm done trying dresses on." She says, stepping back to the dressing room.

She re-emerges in her blue jeans and tank top with her boots on her feet. "What's goin' on?" Taylor asks, looking her best friend over. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just done trying dresses on." She says. "And I'm hungry so I'm gonna go get a burger." Taylor and Beth laugh, following her out to the parking lot.

Beth gives her daughter a hug then she's on her way back home.

Taylor gives Kate a shoulder squeeze. "I'm glad you decided to come to Nashville to try dresses on."

"Yeah, the shops in Jacksonville were just sad."

Taylor laughs. "C'mon, let's go get drunk."

They get in Taylor's jeep and their on their way back to her house to change and get an Uber.

Katie slides Taylor's black dress up then looks at her reflection. "Damn." She mumbles, running her hands down her curves. "Damn."

Taylor laughs. "You look hot."

"Thanks. Maybe we'll get free drinks tonight." Her mood has definitely changed since leaving the dress shop and they're both relieved. "I gotta tell you somethin'."

"Sure, what's up?"

"I slept with Morgan."

"What!? When!?"

"Last month some time. When I came home with Riley."

"And I'm just now hearing about it!?"

"Sorry." She gathers her hair into a ponytail then turns to Taylor. "But it was like fireworks, Taylor. It was just so... electric- earth shatterin'."

Taylor blushes with her. "That's hot."

"It was. You can't fake passion like that. Me and Riley don't got that chemistry like me and Morgan do."

"Then what're you waitin' for?"

Kate rolls her lips into her mouth. "I can't hurt Riley."

"It'll hurt him a helluva lot more if you wait until after y'all're married to tell him you don't love him."

She knows she's right.

But what if she talks to Riley first before pulling the plug on them?