I had some help

Two

Morgan wallen as himself

●2017●

Alex was standing behind the bar when a man with short brown hair, glasses, and a mustache and beard walked in, holding the door open for a young woman behind him. She had long black hair, beautiful tan skin, and was almost as tall as the man she was with.

"Welcome in, y'all. Have a seat anywhere, and I'll be with y'all in a moment." Alex announced to the pair.

They sat down in front of Alex, ready to order their drinks. "I'll have a shot of whiskey, please." The man ordered. Alex nodded, turning her attention to the woman next to him.

"And for you?" Alex asked, offering a small smile.

"I'll have a lemon drop, please."

Alex nodded and walked back to her workstation to prepare their drinks. After a few moments, she returned and handed them to the couple. "How long have you been working here?" the girl asked the bartender.

"Three years now," Alex answered. "I'm Alex, by the way." She extended her hand over the counter for a handshake.

"I'm Caleigh, and that's Michael." The girl said, pointing to the man next to her.

"Nice to meet y'all." Alex said as another customer came to sit at the bar. "I'll be right back." She added, winking at Caleigh before walking off.

After helping the new customer, Alex walked back over to Caleigh and Michael, continuing their previous conversation.

"Our friend Morgan is going to show up soon." Michael said.

Alex furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, causing Caleigh to smile and wiggle her eyebrows. Alex, still bewildered, just laughed along with the couple before cleaning up the bar.

The bell over the door rang as a man with brown hair, styled in a mullet, walked in wearing a hat and a pair of sunglasses. He headed straight over to Michael and Caleigh.

Alex, not realizing who had entered the bar, walked over to her new friends to welcome the newcomer. "Welcome in" She said as he took a seat next to Michael, never looking up as she refilled their drinks.

"Alex?" The man said, looking up at her.

Alex, confused, looked up and met his gaze, her confusion deepening. "Morgan." She said, her mood shifting.

"You two know each other?" Caleigh questioned, glancing between them.

Alex nodded, avoiding eye contact. "Alex, can we talk?" Morgan asked, reaching over the counter for her hand. Alex pulled away before he could reach her.

She shook her head no and went to help another customer who had just sat down at the bar. Alex tried hard not to let the past resurface. After delivering the order, she went to talk to her best friend, her only friend in Nashville, a waitress on the floor.

"Wait, the ex before you moved here?" Megan asked as they filled drinks together for Megan's table. "Yeahhh." Alex said unsure of what will happen.

When Alex moved to Nashville, Morgan had just broken up with her. She had a year of college left, and Nashville was where she could make her dream job a reality.

Alex worked two jobs; being a bartender was not her dream. Her dream was to become a music manager. In Knoxville, she and Morgan used to sing duets together for fun. She knew singing was his future, and Morgan had influenced her to choose her degree.

Megan covers Alex in the bar while Alex goes outside to catch a breath, memories of the last she saw him flash through her mind.

○2014○

Alex walked into her boyfriend's room, puzzled. "Baby, what are you packing for?" She asked softly, taking a seat on his bed.

"California." He replied, avoiding eye contact with her.

Alex stared at his bags, bewildered. "What do you mean, California?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion. No one had informed her about his departure or when it would be.

Morgan sighed deeply, still not meeting her gaze. "I'm going to be on The Voice." He said looking up at her.

"Were you just going to leave without saying anything?" Alex asked, hurt spreading across her face. "Were you just going to call me when you landed? 'Oh hey, by the way, I'm in California, bye forever.' I don't get it, Morgan, what was the plan." Her voice trembled as she rambled on, sadness taking over.

"I didn't want to hurt you. I wanted to spare your feelings. I won't be gone long, just a few months. I was going to call when I got to the airport." He said, looking up at the vulnerable girl next to him.

From that day on, she never saw him again. She heard his music and read news articles about him, but neither of them tried to reach out after his season on The Voice. Alex cried for weeks after their split, but she still watched the season of The Voice, and she still saw his family every Sunday.