"Lot, come back inside." Riley sighs, leaning against the back deck railing while Lottie is sitting on the steps, smoking. "C'mon now, it's rainin'."

"Leave me alone, Riley." She mutters back, tears making their way down her cheeks, blending with the rain hitting her face.

She's been trying to visit with her family and Cathy, Chuck, and Calvin but the way those three were talking down to her is more painful now than ever. She thought she'd be used to it by now but it hurts worse.

Riley sighs quietly. He leans over and squeezes her shoulder before running inside to grab a jacket. He sits next to her and wraps it around her, pulling her close against him.

"Why- Why do they have to do this to me? Am I really that much of a fuck up? That big of a- of a fucking disappointment?"

Riley's heart shatters at her words. "No, Lot." He says softly, rubbing her shoulder. "Not at all. I don't know why they're like this and I'm not gonna bullshit you with an answer. But one thing I do know is that you've got one kick ass music career and you don't have to come back here again."

"I wanna go home." She whispers. "I can't- I can't- I can't be here anymore. I love your family and everything but I can't keep- can't keep doin' this to myself."

"We're goin' home in the mornin', okay?" She nods and sighs, flicking her cigarette over the fence. "Let's just go to bed."

"Nah, you stay up and visit." She sighs again and stands. "You visit with your family."

"Are you-"

"Yes, I'm sure." She interrupts him, leaning over to kiss the top of his head. "Love ya, Ri."

"I love you too, Lot." She runs her fingers through his curls then heads inside.

Riley watches her go, his heart aching. He's finally admitting to himself that he's in love with her. After twenty some odd years of shoving those feelings off to the side, he's letting them make their presence known.

He returns to the living room, folding up the jacket he was using to toss over the back of a chair. "Hey, I'm gonna head to bed. Been a long day and we gotta leave early tomorrow." Riley tells his family and their guests. "It was ni- thanks for stoppin' by for the show. See all y'all later. Love you Mama."

"See you in the mornin', baby." Karen says, patting her son's hand.

He nods to everyone then heads upstairs to his childhood bedroom, totally expecting Lottie to be curled up under his sheets. He smiles when he sees her tucked in on the side of the bed she's claimed as her own.

Riley strips down to a pair of shorts then cuddles up behind her, his arm snaking around her middle like it's meant to be there. She doesn't even stir awake.

Maybe he'll be able to talk her into moving back in together when they get back to Nashville.

Maybe he'll have a bigger chance of asking her out.

He can only hope on hope that she still feels the same about him and not just going along with it.

+++

Lottie moans as she flops on her couch, kicking her feet up on the arm. "Oh, I missed you, couch." She sighs, cuddling into the cushions with a blanket pulled up around her shoulders. She smiles when she hears Riley laugh. "You leavin'?" She asks when she sees him reaching for the door knob.

"You want me to stay?"

"Yeah, I do." She says with a small smile on her face. "I'm gonna take a quick shower." She gets up. "Scrub my back?"

His handsome face splits in a grin and follows her to her bathroom, kicking the door shut behind them.

Just as Riley is balls deep in Lottie, the fucking doorbell chimes twice. "Want me to get it?" He breathes, his soaked hair clinging to his forehead.

"Uh- no, I got it." She pants back, clumsily pulling her short robe on, her blonde hair sticking to her face and neck.

Lottie swings the front door open, thinking this is an emergency but that's laid to rest when she sees who's there.

"What're you doin' here?"

"We talked about meetin' up when you got home." Morgan shrugs, tucking his hands in his front pockets. "You said Thursday."

"Shit, I forgot." She mutters. "What do you want? Talk."

"I want to take you out."

"Why? So you can leave me stranded again?"

He scoffs. "Would you stop bringin' that up? It's no big deal."

"No big deal? You're such an asshole, Morgan."

"Who is it?" Riley shouts from her bedroom, a towel wrapped low on his hips and his curls hanging in his face.

"Who's that?" Morgan tries to look past her but she pushes him back on the tiny porch, closing the door behind her.

"We're done, Morgan. You ain't good for me."

"Oh, come on, Lottie." He rolls his pretty blue eyes. "Stop bein' so sensitive. Get dressed and let me take you out."

"Just leave. Just go."

"What was that song you sang last night?"

Her heart skips a beat. "What?"

"Jacksonville; What was that song? It was like a ballad type thing."

"What are you talkin' 'bout?"

"I know you quit to be signed with that douche. I know you went on tour-"

"How?"

"Christian and Instagram. That was a real bitch move makin' me think it was my fault that you were leavin'."

She shoves him back with hands on his chest. "Fuck off outta here." She snaps.

"Don't touch me like that." He shoves her back.

She can smell the alcohol on his breath and her stomach turns. "You're drunk. You drove here drunk!?"

"That's none of your-"

"Gimme your keys."

"No."

"Morgan, give me your keys. You ain't drivin' home like this." She goes to snag the keys from his front pocket but he grabs her wrist tightly. "Let me go."

She hears the front door open. "You're sleepin' with him!?"

"Ri, can you get my phone and call Michael?" He nods and does as he's told. "You need to sit the fuck down and sober the fuck up." She yanks her arm from Morgan's grasp with his keys in her hand.

Lottie shoves him again but this time to sit on the front step. "You're gonna wait right here."

"Why the fuck would I do that?"

"Because." She heads inside, tosses his keys to the table then grabs a glass of water. "Here." She forces the cup into his hand then stands in front of him, hands on her hips. "What's goin' on with you, Morgan? Do you- Do you need help? I know a good program for alcoholics-"

"I'm not an alcoholic."

"Look at yourself, hun. I'm worried about you. This ain't like you, Morgan."

"Why do you care."

"Because we've been through a lot together and I care about you as a person." And she'd blame herself if something happened to him.

He rubs his hand roughly over his flushed face. "I just- I just miss you, Lottie, I do, and I'm sorry for the shit I've put you through."

She furrows her brows. How the fuck did he sober up so quickly?

"I'm just-" He cuts himself off with a scoff. "I don't like how close you are with Riley. I don't like the way he looks at you. It's obvious he's in love with you and it's obvious you're in love with him too."

Lottie's face heats up. "Every conversation I have with you is like- like a drama filled punch to the face. You are so goddamn insecure." She shakes her head. "It's none of your business who I talk to, who I'm into and who I sleep with. We ain't together no more so-"

Morgan suddenly stands and grabs her jaw, cutting her off with a kiss. Her eyes go wide for a second before she kisses him back. She comes to her senses and pulls away.

Lottie's speechless.

She loves the way his touch makes her feel, loves how his kisses gets her tingly but absolutely hates how he feels about Riley and the way he treats her. Ditching her that one night for confronting him about almost missing her first festival? That's still burned in her head. She's not one for holding grudges but Morgan's got himself a whole bucket full.

Bright lights wash over the two. "You need to go." Her voice is barely above a whisper. "Please."

"What the fuck happened!?" Michael shouts as he comes up to the porch.

"He can't drive. Just- Just take him home." It's obvious this is upsetting Lottie. She doesn't know if it's because her and Morgan officially broke up or if he was an asshole to her.

"Lottie-" Morgan starts.

"Please leave." She manages out, tears in her eyes.

Michael grabs Morgan by the shoulder and starts pulling him to his truck. Morgan elbows him away before starting back to his ex girlfriend. Once she's in arms reach, he kisses her again.

One kiss from him could get her drunk both on love and whiskey.

She pulls back and heads to her door. "Here." She grabs the keys from the table then throws them to Michael. "Thanks." She glances back at Morgan before she disappears into her house, so many different emotions racing through her mind.

"You okay?" Riley asks, still shirtless but dressed in shorts.

"Yeah." She sighs. "Sorry."

He sighs back. "C'mere." He opens his arms and engulfs her in a tight, calming hug. "You did the right thing."

"You saw-?"

He doesn't say anything as he looks down at her, blue eyes locking with hers, they look more green in the dim lighting.

"I'm in love with you."

Those words scream in his mind. He wants to say it so badly but now is not the time. She just had to deal with Morgan- and Hoss the other night. She's putting herself first for the first time in forever. He can't drop the bombshell on her now.

"You're thinkin' pretty hard." She mumbles.

Riley realizes he's been keeping her head pressed against his chest for some time now.

He pulls back and clears his throat. "Sorry."

"It's fine." She pats his chest then heads to the couch. "Wanna watch Seinfeld?"

He playfully scoffs. "That's a dumb question."

She chuckles, kicking her long legs up on the coffee table. Riley sits next to her, his arm around her shoulders. "I'm gonna fall asleep." She mumbles, pressing herself into his side.

"Go ahead. I'll be here when you wake up."