Morgan grabbed a blanket for Laney and sat down with her outside on the beach chairs.
"So," he said as he sat down.
"So," she said as she scooted over and made room for him. Even though there was a perfectly fine chair next to her, he sat down right next to her as they looked at the lake.
"I don't even know what to say," he whispered.
She gulped nervously and started to sweat, "I'm sorry for the way I left. I could've talked to you but instead, I decided to just leave".
"I understand. I'm not good with my words unless it's through music.... I obviously wanted to say sorry. Coming back to nothing except that painting was hard. It has felt really empty. I stopped drinking or well... I still have a drink once in awhile but under control. I got a haircut. I've been working on being better not for just me but for us," he explained as he looked at the lake.
It was hard for them to look at each other right now with the tension and the difficult conversation they were having. They also were not even millimeters apart from each other.
"You've been doing really good. I can tell you've been working on yourself... I just really can't think about that happening to me again you know? It's hard to regain trust," she said twiddling her thumbs under the blanket.
He sighed, "I wish there was a way you could see the future and just... just see that it won't happen. That part of my life is over now that I have someone I care about and want a future with. It's just trust".
Laney stayed silent for a moment thinking of his words. It's just trust. Did she trust him? She did trust him and he broke it. But, this time could and would be different. He wrote half of an album for her, so it really did show how much he cared. He even took up sobriety.
Luckily he was right about one thing: his songwriting says more than his actual words. She really read through the lyrics before going to his and analyzing the lyrics. Figuring out what each one was about and understanding his emotions through his music was easier than just plainly asking him. Openly discussing sobriety, reconnecting with God, and his feelings about home took a lot.
"It's just trust," she repeated back to him and turned to face him, "Can I trust you?".
He faced her as he spoke, "Laney. I won't screw this up. I won't screw us up. You can trust me".
She looked into his eyes and took a moment to try to understand if he meant it or not, and it was evident that he really did care from the desperation and glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"Ok then," she said facing the lake again smiling, "I don't know what I would have done if you said otherwise".
"Laney," he said softly making her look at him, "Thank you. I love you".
She smiled feeling content as she grabbed his face to kiss him softly. He wasn't expecting it but she pulled away and whispered "I love you" back before proceeding to kiss him again.
The two began to make out on the chair and she shifted her weight on top of him making him slowly lay down on the chair as she straddled him with the blanket over them.
He tugged at her shirt so she could take it off and she complied throwing it to the side before quickly pulling away, "Can anyone see us?".
He shook his head, "Laney girl. We don't have neighbors, look around you".
Her heart fluttered when she heard that nickname. The sound of crickets, the wind blowing through the trees, and the water slowly moving on the lake was filling their prolonged silence. She was just paranoid because it had been a while since they had shared an intimate moment.
She blushed and proceeded to make her way down to his jeans to unbuckle them. He gathered her hair as she proceeded to wrap her hands around him.
"I missed you," he groaned.
She proceeded to use her mouth and drop down on her knees for better access for both of them. Pushing her head slightly she could feel herself gag a little but he was enjoying it. And she needed to show him what he missed out on.
She pulled away and got up, putting her hand on his chest and pushing him down on the chair gently.
"Demanding," he teased her, "I didn't know you were".
She shut him up by placing a kiss on his lips and letting him slide in smoothly.
It was a romantic night now that they had truly rekindled. It was chilly but it was just one of those nights. Laying down together, hand-in-hand, and just being in love.
He scooped her up in the blanket afterward and dropped her onto the bed.
"I think I fall in love with you more every time that I see you," he said moving her hair out of her face.
She smiled looking up at him, this could be the start of something good for them both.
"Babe can we talk about something serious for a second?" she asked him.
He gave her some clothes and nodded as he proceeded to change into pajamas as well.
"Who are those other songs about? I won't be upset," she added.
He hesitated before answering, "Random college girls or old songs that I've never finished because I wasn't in a heartbreak kind of mood. Why do you ask? What's on your mind?".
She felt a twang of jealousy even though she shouldn't have. It wasn't fair for her to feel that way because they weren't together and she actively left him.
"Just curious. My favorites were Keith Whitley, Neon Star, and Don't Think Jesus," she said," Also I want to see my old art studio".
He furrowed his eyebrows, "Laney. It's still your studio, always will be".
She nodded making a mental note not to be too hesitant around him. They walked hand in hand to the door that he unlocked and swung open for her.
Everything was just the way she had left it. From the palette of paint, the brushes left in the cup (although they were all dried up now), the canvas with a singular stroke, and the easel being folded onto the floor. "How come you lock this one?" she asked as she peeked inside.
"I wanted you to feel like this was your own space and place, somewhere you could go and daydream to," he explained observing her reaction.
"Thank you," she kissed his cheek.
