Flower Shops - Morgan Wallen

10

Katie jolts awake, her heart beating hard in her ears, her body sweating and her chest heaving. She grips the plaid sheets spread out across the bed, tears in her eyes. She exhales a sharp breath as she runs a hand over her face. She looks to her left and swallows hard.

Riley stirs slightly, humming quietly then relaxes, falling back into his slumber. Kate slides out of bed and grabs her phone, shakily calling Morgan.

"Hel- Hello?" He mumbles out, rubbing his eyes as he leans up on his elbow. "Katie?"

"Morgan." She whimpers back, her heart still racing. "I'm sorry I'm callin' you so late but- but I just- I had a nightmare."

Why is she calling him? She has Riley in bed next to her but she decided to call her ex.

"You okay?" He asks, his voice still thick with sleep.

"I just need- I dunno. I just need to..." She doesn't need to finish her sentence. He knows exactly what she needs. They dated for years and this happened all the time, he just talked her down and grounded her from an incoming panic attack.

He starts asking her random things to keep her mind at bay and it works. He smiles when she laughs at one of his questions.

Riley stumbles his way to the kitchen where he sees her sitting on the counter, her phone against her ear and a glass of water in her hand. He listens to her flirt with the person she's talking to and he feels anger bubble in his chest.

"What're your doin' up?" He asks, startling her.

Kate immediately hangs up and drops her phone. "I had a bad dream." She tells him, crossing her legs. "Why're you up?"

"'Cause you are." He shrugs back, standing in front of her with his hands on her knees. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just got off the phone with Taylor."

"Oh." He thought she was talking to a guy. He thought she was talking to Morgan. He saw the pictures of them leaving his album release party together and he's suspicious. "You comin' back to bed?"

"Yeah. I got a meetin' at eight in the mornin'."

"With who?"

"My boss." Kate's nervous for it. The way she had told her about the meeting made her stressed. She hops off the counter and starts down the hallway. "You comin'?"

+++

"What? Fired!?"

"You slept with one of the guys you're managing." Renee states. "That's not allowed. We have a strict rule here about office romances."

"You- you're firin' me because of a rumor!?"

Renee sighs. "Listen, Kaitlyn," She leans forward and folds her hands together on her expensive wood desk. "Everyone loved having you here but you can't sleep with your coworkers."

"I- I didn't!" Renee gives her a look that has her blushing hard. "You can't let me go because of that. Please-"

"I'm sorry. Collect your things and be out by the end of the day."

Kate stands, forcing tears back. She lets a couple fall when she closes the door, her head down.

"Hey Katie!" Morgan calls cheerfully. "What's goin' on?" She lifts her head and his smile immediately drops. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, you know." She waves him off, trying to slip past him but he steps in her way. "Move."

"What's wrong?"