"I just don't know how you could just take him back after what he did to you, Lot." Riley says from the table a few days later. Lottie's in the middle of cooking up some lunch while Riley's helping her work through some songs.

She huffs under her breath, chopping up some onions and garlic. "He's fun."

"Fun? He left you by yourself!"

"Ri..."

"He showed up drunk for your first festival show! He lied to you and said he was there for the whole thing."

"Riley..."

"I don't like him, Lot. He takes you for granted and treats you like shit. I mean, he abandoned you!"

She suddenly slams her knife handle against the cutting board, her jaw clenched. "Riley!" She snaps making his eyes go wide and his mouth shut immediately. She's never snapped at him before, ever. "I know you care about me. I know you worry about me but you can't be there in my relationships twenty four- seven! I know you love me and I love you too but you are not my father! You act like we're datin' but you ain't my boyfriend!"

Riley feels his heart break.

He silently stands and picks up his keys.

"Where are you goin'? Suppers almost done."

Riley just shakes his head, tears swelling in his eyes. He makes his way to his truck and starts it up, needing to go for a much needed drive to clear his head.

Lottie lets her own tears fall when she realizes she's alone. She loves Riley. She values his approval of the boys she dates. If he doesn't like him, they're no good.

She picks up her phone and calls Riley but he doesn't pick up. She tries again but gets his voicemail instead. Lottie sniffles and calls Morgan who picks up a split second before her call would have been missed.

"What's up?" He asks, his voice almost drowned out by the talking going on in the background.

"Are you busy?" She sniffles again, wiping her eyes.

"No, not at- what's wrong?" His tone goes serious. "Babe?"

"Can you come over?"

There's a jingle of keys in the background. "I'm on my way. Be there in ten minutes."

True to his word, Morgan is there in ten damn minutes. Lottie answers the door and practically throws herself into his arms.

"Woah- what's goin' on?" He asks, moving her to her bedroom.

"I snapped at Riley." Her voice cracks. "Never in the twenty somethin' years I've known him, I've never yelled at him."

"He deserved it."

Lottie goes quiet for a second. "What?"

"You don't get mad easily. He deserved it." He repeats. Lottie pulls back from him and wipes her cheeks. "Now he made you cry."

"No. No no, this is all me." She says, trying to convince herself that what Morgan is saying isn't really true but maybe he's right. "You really think he deserved it?"

"He was bein' a jerk to my girl, yes." He pulls her back against him, his chin on her shoulder. "You should just leave 'em."

"No," She shakes her head. "I can't- I can't do that."

"Why not? Cut him out for good. It's time to move on from him. You don't need him."

Morgan's right.

Lottie doesn't get mad that easily but right now she might as well have steam coming out of her ears because she's fucking .

"Get out."

"Huh?"

"Get out!"

"Are you serious? You- first you-"

"I don't care. Get out!" She grabs him by the front of his shirt but he grabs her by the waist and pins her against the wall, his breath fanning across her face. The way he's looking at her has her body burning but her mind is made up. "You need to leave."

"But baby..." His lips brush against the side of her neck, her knees buckle and her eyes flutter shut. He knows what he's doing. He brings her leg up, his hand grazing her thigh until he reaches her hip.

"N-no." She pushes him back. "Go."

"Are you sure-"

"Go!" She pushes him more forcefully to the door. "You do not talk about him like that. That man is my best friend! Hop outta your own delicate ass and grow up!" He gets it open and stumbles slightly down their front porch step. "Fuck you!" She shouts, throwing his jacket and keys at him. Morgan storms to his truck and speeds away.

She doesn't bother closing the door as she drops herself on the couch, her head in her hands. "Lot, you okay?" Her head shoots up at the soothing voice that fills the living room.

"Riley." Relieved tears swirl in her eyes as she looks at him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I was an asshole, okay?" He cups the sides of her face and uses his thumbs to brush away her stray tears. "I'm the one who should be apologizin'." It's easy to forgive when this is the first time they've fought.

Lottie chuckles tearfully, wrapping her arms around his middle with her face buried in his chest. She pulls back and looks up at him, her gaze bouncing between his eyes and lips. She's got a lot of different emotions coursing through her body but she's mostly horny and it's Morgan's fault.

She leans up and boldly kisses him.

Riley's eyes go wide and he gently pulls back. "I'm sorry." She whispers. "I'm just kinda... fuzzy brained, right now." She sits on the couch and runs her hand through her hair as she sighs heavily.

Riley smiles to himself, the pads of his fingers resting against where the girl of his dreams just kissed him. "I did not mind." She chuckles and leans her head back against the couch. "What happened?"

"Morgan said some nasty things and I kicked him out." She shrugs, keeping it simple and kind of closing herself off from him. "I gotta- I gotta get to bed. Got another session early tomorrow." She stands.

"Okay." Riley whispers, cupping her cheek before wrapping her in a hug. "Night, Lot."

She rolls her lips into her mouth as she smiles. "Night, Ri."

+++

Lottie spends hours tossing and turning, the kiss she shared with Riley still fresh in her mind. She can feel her body tingle from the dirty thoughts filling her brain and she blushes. She gets to her feet and pads her way next door, sliding under the sheets next to Riley.

He hums, stretching his long legs out then turns on his side. She scoots back against his front, pulling his arm tight around her middle. She moves his hand to cup one of her breasts and he furrows his brows, confused at first but curious to see what's going to happen.

She bites her lip and brings his hand to her hip innocently. She wants to see what he'll do. Riley gets the confidence to slide his hand under her shirt, resting on her belly then slightly into her panties just past her waistband.

He says fuck it and slides his hand further between her thighs, his lips going to the back of her neck. She breathes out a soft moan, her fingertips brushing across his strong forearm.

Lottie turns to face him, a small shy smile forming on her face. Riley grab the back of her neck and brings her down for a kiss that's got waves of hormones slamming around in her body like she's in high school again. She throws her leg on the other side of him and his hands grasps her hips.

He groans quietly, his boxers tightening as they continue making out for the first time.

After twenty some odd years, this is the first time they've ever kissed and now they're on the road to having sex for the first time together too.

He flips them so he's on top. She giggles quietly, her jaw dropping when he kisses her neck. "Ri..." She breathes out, wanting more than just being felt up. Riley pulls back and tugs on her shirt.

Lottie sits up and pulls it off, tossing it to the floor. Riley immediately blushes at the sight of his best friend's bare chest. "I didn't know you had a tattoo." He says quietly, running his fingers over the side-boob ink she has. "What is it? It's too dark."

He leans over and flips his bedside lamp on. "The two hands reaching for each other from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel art." She tells him, looking at the ink that's been needled into her tan skin. "I got it when I was eighteen."

"When?"

"You were out huntin' with your daddy so I went and got it." He's kind of hurt that she didn't ask him to go with and she can tell. "Riley..."

He pulls away and Lottie rolls her eyes, pulling her shirt back on. "Ri-"

"I- I just- Sorry."

"Wait." She takes his hand. "What's up?"

"It's stupid." He looks away and shakes his head. "I just thought you would've wanted to do that with me."

"I wanted to do somethin' on my own." She says shyly, looking at their connected fingers. "I'm always with you, I just wanted to do this by myself."

Riley sighs and runs his hand through his hair. "You're right." He turns and looks at her, grasping the sides of her face. "Sorry."

She smiles up at him and that smile makes him blush. "You're cute." She slides out from his grasp. "I'm probably gonna be up all night." She says as she steps towards his door.

"Try to keep it quiet then." He shoots back in a playful tone.

"Can't promise anything." She winks then shuts the door behind her.

+++

"C'mon, Lottie." Michael sighs, flipping through her thick stack of papers. "You gotta at least help me."

"I can't." She whines back from her spot on the floor. She's got her feet kicked up on the vacant chair while she lays on the carpet. "My brain is fried."

"Okay." He takes in a deep breath. "Morgan was supposed to be here an hour ago."

"Yeah, he's probably not gonna show up so don't hold your breath."

"Why's that?"

"I kicked him out last night." She says nonchalantly. "He was bein' an asshole."

"Shit."

"Yep. I'm done with him, though. Any thoughts I had about gettin' back together is gone with the wind."

"You okay?"

Lottie sits up and turns to face him. "Can I trust you?"

"Absolutely, you can." Michael responds without hesitation.

"I almost hooked up with Riley."

"Who's Riley?"

"Riley Green. Y'know But she's stuck on Georgia Time, Riley Green."

"Holy shit. No way. How'd that happen? Where did you run into him?"

"We live together."

"What!?"

"We've practically lived together since we were kids but technically since we moved here." She rubs her face. "He's my best friend, Michael."

"What stopped y'all?"

"It was dumb." She sighs, unsure if she should share these details with this guy but he has good vibes. "He got upset when he saw my tattoo."

"You got a tattoo? Sweet little Lottie Cross has a tattoo?"

"Shut up." She smiles slightly.

"Hey." Morgan says, closing the door behind him. "What're y'all talkin' 'bout?"

"Just tryna come up with ideas." Michael shrugs. "You have any?"

"Yeah." He pulls a folded up piece of paper from his back pocket. "Here." He takes a drink from his coffee cup.

"Looks like I'm learnin' the hard way again. It's all my fault, yeah, I dropped the ball. You're gone and I'm gone three sheets to the wind thinkin' bout all

I've wasted on you. All of this time and all of this money. All of these sorrys' I don't owe you honey. All of these miles on this chevy and prayers in a pew, all them days I spent wasted on you. Wasted on you..."

"That's good." Lottie says.

Before the end of the hour, they've got the song finished and slapped with Morgan's name.

"Ooh, this is good." Michael says, holding up an old sheet of paper. "Yeah. Gimme your guitar." Lottie passes him her favorite guitar with a stern look. "I'm not gonna break it."

"I'm an easy read but I ain't no open book. Got a knack for making things harder than they look...

I'm a straight shootin', beer drinkin', rule breakin', don't think I won't take a good thing too far. I'm a midnightin', backslidin', getaway car drivin', runnin' away with your heart. I guess, be careful what you wish for is all I meant when I said "What you see is what you get"..."

"Nice." Michael says, nodding to himself. "Whatcha think, man?"

"Could use some work."

"Excuse me?" Lottie's head snaps to her ex.

Morgan rolls his eyes as he slumps back in the leather armchair. "Fuck off."

"C'mon now." Michael sighs. "We're- we're at work."

"You're such an ass, Morgan." She scoffs and shakes her head.

"At least I don't let people take advantage of me."

"At least I don't have a fuckin' drinkin' problem!" She snaps back.

Morgan's face falls as does her own and Michael's. He knows she knows he's somewhat sensitive about comments on his drinking and he always thought that she'd be the last person to bring that up.

"Fuck." She mutters. "That was uncalled for."

"Damn right it was." Michael says. "Y'all good now? Can we please get back to work?"

Morgan silently stands and storms out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. "I feel awful."

"I mean you should. That was a low blow regardless of y'all's relationship."

"I know it was." She stands.

"Where you goin'?"

"I gotta apologize to him." She pokes her head out the doorway in time to watch him disappear into the men's bathroom. She takes a deep breath and follows.

"The hell're you doin' in here?" He snaps, his back turned toward her to hide the emotions he rarely shows.

"I'm sorry." She sighs.

"Y'know I had to pull so many strings to get you here. I had to take a pay cut for you and this is the thanks I get? You've been here for what, a couple years and you still haven't put out your own album? Why the hell are you draggin' your feet?"

She leans back against the door, her eyes locked on the huge Carhartt logo on the back of his t-shirt. "You took a pay cut for me?"

"They said that if they were to sign you, I'd have to lose a bit of money to help make room."

"Morgan..."

"Y'know I tried to fuckin' 'protect' you from Riley but you chose him over me. He made you cry."

She scoffs and looks down at her boots. "Okay, this is the weirdest place to have this conversation and this conversation is makin' my damn head hurt. Can we talk about us later?"

"Doubt it." He mutters, finally turning to face her. Her heart aches at the faint tear tracks on his cheeks. "You deserve better, Lottie. I know I haven't been the best to you but..." He trails off into a shrug, tucking his hands in his pockets as he leans back against the sink.

"I know my relationship with Riley is strong and that kinda made you feel weird but he's my family. He's the only family I've got. I can't just drop him."

He sighs. "We gotta get back to work."

Lottie nods and sighs as well. She lets herself out of the men's bathroom and returns back to the lounge Michael's waiting in. "Sorry."

"Your phone was ringin'." Michael says awkwardly, using his pen to point to her phone.

"I should probably get goin'." Lottie clears her throat and starts collecting her notes. "Sorry for that."

Michael sends her a soft smile. "Good luck with Riley." She blushes as she elbows the door open.

Once she's in her SUV, she listens to the new voicemail. "Calvin?" She furrows her brows. Her brother never calls her, they haven't spoken since she left Alexandria.

"Hey Lottie, it's me. I wanted to call and tell ya that I'm gettin married next weekend. It's here at home so... yeah. Hope to see you then."

+++