I had some help

Three

Michael Hardy as himself

Alex sat on the back step of the restaurant, lost in the memories of the last time she saw him. "Alex?" She heard his familiar voice call out.

"Hm?" She muttered quietly.

"Can we talk, please?" Morgan begged, sitting on the step next to her. "I need to clear the air between us." He said looking up at her.

Alex nodded, turning toward him. She was excited yet nervous to talk to him; it had been four years since she had seen his face in person.

"What do you want to talk about?" Alex asked, looking up to meet Morgan's eyes.

"Don't you think that question is a little dumb? I mean, I haven't seen you in four years. I missed you, hell, I wrote songs about you. Have you even heard any of them?" Morgan said, his voice rising a small amount.

Alex looked down at her toes, thinking of what to say next. "I'm sorry, your departure was so sudden. It's just hard for me. Morgan, I haven't seen you in four years; I didn't think I'd ever see you again. My heart broke that day, by the person I thought would never hurt me." Alex said, looking back at Morgan.

"You weren't there! I came home after the season, and you were gone, nowhere to be seen. I learned a year later that you moved to Nashville, and when I also moved to Nashville, I couldn't find you." Morgan yelled, visibly upset.

Alex leaned over, resting her head on his shoulder and rubbing his other shoulder with her hand. "I'm so sorry, Morgan. But you couldn't expect me to wait for you while you're gone. You didn't tell me you were leaving until a few hours before you left. I was terribly hurt; you can ask Megan or my sister for details." Alex said as tears rolled down her face.

Morgan pulled back from her a little, facing her, and staring into her eyes. "You're right. I hate how I ended things. You were the best thing that's ever happened to me. I might've been a kid at the time and didn't know much, but one thing I do know is that you were the best thing to happen to me." Morgan said, wiping the tears from her face.

"Oh, and I forgot to say, I really like what you did with your hair. Brown really suits you." He added, running a hand through her hair, causing her to let out a small laugh.

"Morgan, I should probably tell you something," Alex started, looking up at the man she once loved. "I have a boyfriend." She said, squinting slightly to avoid seeing his full reaction.

"Oh." Was all he could get out.

"I'm sorry Morgan, it's been 4 years." Alex said looking at the wall of the building next door.

"I get it, really, I do." Morgan said standing up helping Alex up as well so they could go back inside.

Once back inside, both of them stood at the bar remembering their first day they met.

The scent of freshly cut grass filled the air as Alex walked toward the high school baseball field. It was the start of her brother Jack's senior baseball season, and she was excited to watch the game with her best friend and younger sister, Oakley. The sun was setting, casting a golden hue over the field, and the bleachers were buzzing with the excited chatter of students and parents.

Alex found a spot in the bleachers and settled in next to Oakley. As the players warmed up on the field, her eyes wandered until they landed on a boy she hadn't noticed before. He had smeared eye black on his cheeks and a shaved head covered by a cap. But it was his blue eyes that caught her attention. He glanced in her direction, smiled, and gave a small wave. Alex felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she smiled back.

"What's the smile for?" Oakley asked, nudging her shoulder.

Alex shrugged, unable to suppress her grin. "Just someone on the field."

Throughout the game, Alex found herself exchanging glances with the boy. Each time their eyes met, he would smile, and she couldn't help but smile back. During a break in the game, she saw one of his teammates walk over to him, nudging him and pointing in her direction. She couldn't hear their conversation, but the boy looked embarrassed, making his teammate laugh.

After the game ended, Alex and Oakley waited by the gate for Jack. She watched as the boy, now out of his baseball gear, walked over to her with a nervous but determined expression. Oakley discreetly stepped aside to give them some space.

"Hey." He said, his voice a bit shy but warm. "I'm Morgan Wallen. I'm new to town."

Alex smiled, feeling a flutter in her chest. "I'm Alex Wilson. I've lived here all my life." She glanced at his gear bag. "You did really well out there. Is this your first year playing?"

Morgan shook his head. "Nope, I've been playing since I was four. It's always been my dad's dream for me. Luckily, I enjoy it."

Alex nodded. "That's great. You seemed really focused out there."

Morgan smiled, looking a bit more relaxed. "Thanks. You were cheering for your brother, right? Jack?"

Alex laughed. "Yeah, he's a senior this year. It's his last season."

"Cool," Morgan said, then paused. "Do you, uh, maybe want to hang out sometime? Outside of baseball games, I mean."

Alex felt her heart skip a beat. "I'd like that."

She noticed Jack approaching and quickly turned to him. "Jack, I'm gonna head home separately. You did great out there! I'll see you at home."

Jack raised an eyebrow but nodded, giving Morgan a once-over before walking away.

Morgan watched him leave and then turned back to Alex. "Wanna find a bench to talk?"

"I'd love to," Alex said, her smile widening.

They found a bench under a tree and talked for over an hour. They shared stories about their families, their interests, and their dreams. Alex learned that Morgan had moved to town because of his dad's job and that he was passionate about both baseball and music. Morgan found out that Alex was an aspiring music manager, a career inspired by her love for music and helping others achieve their dreams.

"Well, we're about to close, but I'll see y'all another day hopefully." Alex said, looking at Caleigh and Michael.

"Can you give me your number?" Caleigh asked, passing over a napkin.