Tennessee Tipsy - Morgan Wallen

Fifteen

By the time Haley makes it to Morgan's front door, she's forgotten about the marks on her face until he answers her knocking. "Haley?" He's confused at first, thinking it's just his imagination but then his face splits into a huge smile as he wraps his arms around her frame. "Haley!" He pulls away with his hands on her shoulders. "The hell happened to you?" He asks, his thumb brushing across her fat lip before his usually calm, warm blue eyes quickly fill with anger at the dark marks across her cheek. "What the hell!?"

"It's nothin'." She brushes him off, letting herself inside.

"Haley, who-"

"Nice place." She says over him, dropping her bone-tired body on the couch, kicking her feet up. She closes her eyes for just a few minutes but quickly dozes off, beyond exhausted.

Morgan sighs and drapes a nearby Vols blanket over then kisses her forehead. He picks up his phone to call his best friend and his girlfriend.

"What's up, man?" Michael asks when he picks up.

"Haley's here and she looks like shit." He mumbles, looking at her from his spot at the kitchen counter. "Someone was beatin' on her."

"What!?" He shouts up to his feet, grabbing his keys, immediately thrown into protective mode over his best friend's girl and his girl's best friend. "Who!?"

"I dunno." Morgan says back, keeping his voice down.

"She told me she's been spending more time with Preston." Caleigh pipes up in the background. "I can talk to her."

"Okay. Morgan, we're on our way over-"

"Pick up some food or somethin', act like it's just a regular night-"

"I gotcha. See y'all in a few."

Morgan sets his phone on the counter, his jaw and fists clenching when his eyes land on the not-so-faint bruising on her cheek and fat lip.

How could anyone do this to another person?

His heart feels incredibly heavy- guilty. He feels like this is his fault somehow. If he hadn't been a fucking idiot and messed around with that coed, they'd probably be hitched by now.

Maybe a baby or a couple by now.

Morgan is pulled from his thoughts when he hears a car door slam shut outside. He tip toes to the front door and leaves it open for the couple to join them.

"Hales," He says softly, running his fingers through her messy hair, brushing the back of his fingers over her opposite cheek. "Wake up."

Haley jolts awake, her body tensing then relaxing when her dark, tired eyes land on her ex boyfriend. "What time is it? How long was I out?"

"An hour or so."

"Shit." She sits up, wincing slightly, only adding to Morgan's worrying, and digs through her purse for her phone. "Fuck." Her eyes go wide.

"What's wrong?" Morgan asks, leaning his elbows on his knees as he sits on the coffee table.

"I have like thirty missed calls from Preston."

"Why- why would Preston be callin'-?"

"Haley!" Caleigh beams, dropping her purse and a bottle of wine on the counter. "I missed you!" Haley stands and wraps her arms around her best friend, tears jerking in her throat from the love she's feeling for the first time since her dad had passed.

"Michael!" Haley smiles, hugging him too before she's distracted by the bottle of wine. She grabs the corkscrew from the drawer in the island then pops the bottle open, pouring herself a generous amount into a coffee mug.