=

The next morning, Morgan sneaks into his bedroom to get some clothes. Maggie hums, stirring beneath his bedsheets wearing one of his shirts. He can't help but stare at how beautiful she is. "Hi." She whispers, rubbing her face as she sits up. "I think I wrote a couple songs last night."

"Okay, that's good." He says, picking up a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "I'm gonna grab a shower."

Maggie yawns as she gets to her feet to head to the kitchen to make some breakfast. Morgan returns shortly with wet hair and clean clothes. He freezes when he notices she still in his shirt but bare legged. "How did you sleep?"

"Fine, it's a comfy bed." She responds, using tongs to put bacon on a plate. "Hungry?"

He gives her long tan legs a once over as he picks the plate up and sits at the bar. "What did you write?"

"I finished one and wrote another." She mumbles, brushing a stray curl from her face. "Just eat your breakfast, I gotta clean myself up."

=

Bottom of the ninth.

Bases are loaded.

The game is tied: 8-8.

Morgan steps to the pitchers mound, sweating like hell.

This moment is all on him.

He takes a deep breath, adjusts his hat, then kicks his cleat over the rubber stop. He glances around the stands, his eyes landing on his old man then on Magnolia Grace as she sits with his teammates girlfriends. She gives Morgan a smile with a wink and he blushes. He looks a his dad, he's already giving him a stern look. Morgan clears his throat as he sets up for a pitch. He swings his arm, throwing the ball straight to the catchers glove.

The umpire calls a strike.

Maggie cheers for him as he gets reset. He throws again, the ump calling a ball. He rolls his eyes when he hears his dad swear under his breath. After another strike and two more balls, he walks the batter, causing the visiting team to score and win the game.

Morgan keeps his head down as he heads out to his dad's truck, tossing his bag into the bed then slamming the tailgate closed. "The hell was that, boy? You gotta get your head outta your ass if you're gonna-"

"Stop with the college shit." He suddenly snaps. "This isn't my dream, okay? This is yours. You want me to do this- to get an offer for a scholarship but this isn't my dream so just stop-"

"Get out if you're gonna talk to your dad like that." Morgan sits silent. "Out. Get out of the goddamn truck, boy!"

Morgan scoffs, slamming the passenger side door shut behind him. He shakes his head as he heads toward the small group of his teammates and their girlfriends. "Everything okay?" Maggie asks, her hands in the back pockets of her denim shorts.

"Yeah." He sighs, looking down at his feet.

"You did good today." She smiles, her hands going to his chest then shoulders. "Never seen you pitch like that before." She pokes his belly, making him laugh. "C'mon." Morgan sighs again as she grabs his hand and pulls him to the field

"Outta all the fences you ask me to jump..." he smiles, his hand still tight around Maggie's.

"I feel like you." She grins, tugging him to the outfield before dropping herself on the freshly cut grass, pulling him down with her. "You gotta stop bein' so hard on yourself."

He's quiet as he slides his arm under her head. "I guess this is a good time to tell you I, uh, got an offer." He mumbles. "University of Tennessee. Scholarship, full ride on baseball."

She leans up on her elbows and looks down at him, her curls falling around her face. "You gonna take it?"

"I dunno. You said somethin' the other night 'bout staying here. Did you mean it?" He asks, brushing her hair back.

"Of course I did." She whispers. He just nods, looking up at the stars, past the field lights. They lay in a comfortable silence, just soaking in this time together before he moves off to college.

It's near four in the morning when Morgan finally gets home. He jumps when the living room lamp clicks on revealing his old man waiting up for him. "Where were you?" He demands.

"Nowhere."

"You were with that girl, weren't you?" He snaps as he stands. "That girl is cloudin' your mind, boy! Because of her, you threw the game-"

"Hey!" He shouts, throwing his hat on the chair next to him. "Don't talk about her like that."

"Don't you raise your voice at me! I am your father!" Morgan rolls his eyes as he turns and stomps up to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Flash forward a year to when Morgan is home after hurting his shoulder during a college game. He lost his scholarship and was eventually bumped from the school. So he returns home with his tail between his legs in shame. The first thing he does is go to Maggie's house to see her only to be told that she isn't there anymore. He's immediately filled with anger and betrayal as he heads to his truck. He decides he can't stay in town so he moves to Nashville to pursue a music career with the couple songs Maggie and he had written for a class in high school.

Magnolia returns home to see Morgan during the summer, hoping that he'd be home like he said he was going to. She talks to his dad, learning he quit college and moved away with no clue of where he went. She storms to her car full of anger and betrayal. She decides to move to Nashville to finally pursue a music career of her own with her book full of songs she's been writing for as long as she can remember.

=

"This is good, Maggie May." He says from the doorway of his music room. "What's it called?"

"Neon Eyes." She mumbles. "Finished it and you're singin' it."

"What? No, this is in your range, not mine."

"We can transpose it- no, I'm not singin it."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't sing, I was signed for my words not my voice. I- I- This is your vibe."

"At least, sing it for me so I know what it's supposed to sound like." She shakes her head. "Oh, just do it."

"Fuck off." She huffs. "Fine, fine." She clears her throat and starts singing it for him, strumming the cords along with the song on the borrowed guitar. "What do you think?"

"I think you have..." He cuts himself off as he presses his lips to her, his hand holding her chin. She's startled at first but then melts into his touch, her engagement ringed hand going to the back of his neck while she stands. He pushes her back against the desk, deepening this kiss with his hands in her hair. She lets out a soft noise before she pulls away, her hands against his chest. "What?"

"I can't..." Maggie looks over his flushed face and then down at his lips, leaning up to kiss him again, letting Morgan feel her up. He starts kissing down the side of her neck, smirking against her skin when she lets out another soft moan. She pushes him away then grabs his hand, pulling him to his bedroom.

=

Maggie breathes out a laugh, relaxing against Morgan's side while he rubs her back. "Wait." She sits up, reaching over to grab her notebook, still naked. "Michael is a genius."

"'Bout what?"

"Getting over writers block- suggested gettin' laid." She mutters, scratching out a misspelled word. "Best technique yet." He chortles, still rubbing her back as she's hunched over while she writes. "Six songs." She sighs, rubbing her forehead. "And we're almost done."

"You gotta be in love to write love songs."

"Or at least feel love."

Morgan blushes.

"We can finish that one song we started at the studio in a bit." She stifles out a yawn. "You wore me out, boy." Maggie tosses her book to the foot of the bed before snuggling into the warm sheets, her eyes slowly closing. Morgan grins, pulling her against him, shortly following her in a deep sleep.

After a couple hours, Maggie is scared awake by her phone ringing. It's her fiancé. "H-hey, what's up?" She asks, pulling the sheets up to her chest. "What? No I was just takin' a nap." She's breathing hard as she pushes her wild hair out of her face. "It's goin' good- real good. We're almost done." She laughs nervously. "We'll be done by Friday, for sure."

Morgan reaches up and rubs her back again. She visibly relaxes, laying back down with his arm around her. "Okay, bye." She groans loudly as she hangs up, dropping her phone on the nightstand. "Holy fuck, Morgan." She breathes out, slapping her hands over her face. "I- You gotta get outta here."

"It's my place."

"No just out of this bed- I-" She shakes her head as she starts to redress, throwing her hair into a bun. "Just- just- I gotta go for a run."

"A run? You're still runnin'?" He asks as he pulls a pair of underwear on.

"Yeah." She says, pulling her sneakers on then she's out the door.

Morgan stands in the middle of his living room with one hand on his hip, the other running through his hair.

He just fucked everything up.

They were starting to get along again and he just had to kiss her. He's ruined her relationship with her fiancé. He's ruined their time together and the vibe they had while writing. He mentally kicks himself as he sits himself at her keyboard, poking around on the keys before a melody forms in his head.

=

After an hour long run, Maggie returns to Morgan's house. She kicks her shoes off and heads to the bathroom to take a relaxing shower. Once she's cleaned and relaxed, she wraps a towel around herself and heads to Morgan's bedroom to get some clothes. She settles on a tank top and a pair of lounge shorts. "You hungry? It's almost supper time." She says quietly, glancing at the brunette on the living room couch.

"Sure." Mags silently starts throwing together some food when his doorbell rings. "It's open!"

"Hey y'all." Hardy says, setting a twelve pack of Mike's Hard Lemonade on the counter. "How's the creativeness comin'? You have sex yet?"

Magnolia spins and gives him a look that makes him nervous. "What did you say?"

"You have six yet?" He repeats, adjusting his glasses. "Wh- What did you think I said?"

"Nothing. Just a little stressed." She brushes it off, sliding the twelve pack into the fridge. "But we have some done."

"I'd love to hear 'em." Morgan stands and leads Michael to his small studio and shuts the door behind him.

Maggie sighs as she stirs the skillet, her heart incredibly heavy. "You what!?" She hears from the back of the house. Maggie squeezes her eyes shut, resting her head in her hands with her elbows on the counter. "When!? Holy shit."

She starts pacing, her heart beating out of her chest. "What- uh- what did you think?" She asks Michael nervously when the two boys join her in the kitchen.

"You got over your writers block, huh?" He says, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're engaged, Mags!"

She looks down, her lips pursed. "It just happened, man. It's not like we planned this." Morgan answers for her from behind Michael. "It was a one time thing that won't happen again, right Maggie?"

"Absolutely." She manages out, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'll just finish the songs by myself and send them to Chris. I really shouldn't be here." She pushes past the two boys and starts to gather her things.

"What? No, it's fine, Mags." Morgan says, following her to his bedroom. "We can act like what we did never happened. It never happened."

"But it did." Maggie whispers, a tear slipping down her face. "Don't worry about them songs. I'll get 'em done by Friday." She picks up her tub and her purse and keys then heads out to her car, driving back to her house.

Morgan crouches on the front porch, his hands through his hair as he watches her leave. "Sorry, man." Michael says as he sits next to him. "But she's engaged."

"I know." He sighs. "Believe me, I know."