J. D. as Hank

+++

"Hank?" Liz's eyes go wide at the sight of her blue collar ex boyfriend standing behind her. "What- uh, what're you doin' here?" She asks as she stands, stepping over to a spot next to an empty table.

"Here visitin' my folks." He responds, running his hand through his light brown hair. Liz suppresses a blush at all those memories she has of her fingers being twisted and tangled in those incredibly soft but usually sweaty strands. "What about you?"

"Visitin' my family." She looks him over. He's gotten a few more tattoos and he's been hitting the gym more often. He's wearing a pair of ass hugging Wranglers on, belted with a huge belt buckled belt and her favorite light blue Carhartt shirt of his tucked in. His hair is lighter from working out in the sun for twelve plus hours a day but he's starting to get rid of that farmers tan. "What have you been up to? Still workin' at that oil rig?"

"Yes ma'am." He smiles that heart stopping, panty dropping, dimpled smile. "What about you? Still at that pub?"

"No, actually." She says. "I moved to Tennessee."

"Really?"

"Yeah." She nods. "But I'm finally able to get a job with the agribusiness degree I got from Texas A&M."

He smiles. "Good for you." She blushes but looks down to hide it. "Tennessee, huh?"

"Yep, Nashville." He smiles again. "You look good, Hank."

"You do too, Liz." She starts to turn on her heel but something is telling her to stay put. "Would you want to get drinks later to catch up? I leave for Texarkana in a couple days."

She rolls her lips into her mouth and for some stupid reason agrees. "Sure. You still got my number?"

"Unless it changed over the last couple years."

"Still the same."

Hank flashes another handsome grin at her. "I'll text you later, then. See ya." She watches him walk out to his old square body Chevy and she can't help the pink that colors her cheeks.

Yes, she's with Michael but what's the harm in catching up with an old friend?

+++

Liz smiles as she heads to her car. She just got done visiting with Hank at some hole-in-the-wall dive bar in Plano. She could still feel that spark they had when they were together but those unpleasant memories kept her guard up. As she drives back to Lyn's place, she calls Michael.

"Hey baby." He greets.

"Hey." She says, trying to sound upbeat but it comes across as slightly depressing. "How's tour?"

"Great. Real good. We were in Florida today and tomorrow so we got hotel rooms tonight. Y'know what that means?"

"Huh?"

"A real shower and a real bed." He grins. "I just wish you were here with me. We'd be havin' lots of fun. Sex in a different city every night, a nonstop party..."

She hears him take a deep breath in and a slow one out. "Are you smokin'?"

Michael almost immediately drops the cigarette he's holding and steps it out. "No."

"Dude-!"

"It's fine." He says with a slight attitude lacing in his southern drawl. She can practically hear him roll his eyes. "I gotta go."

Her heart drops at his tone and she nods. "Okay. Talk to you later." She clears her throat. "Love y- asshole." She shakes her head when he hangs up on her.

She can feel something's up. Things don't feel right between them but it's probably the fact that she hasn't seen him in weeks.

Liz just brushes it off as she pulls into a spot in front of Lyn's house. She slides out and elbows the door shut.

"Where were you?" Lyn asks from her spot on the couch.

"Where's Rhett?" She asks, changing the subject.

"Work. The firehouse needed extra hands." She answers, turning the TV off before stretching them standing. "Firefighters always got them janky hours."

Liz nods and helps tidy up the living room. "I'm gonna shower then go to bed."

"Sure. See you in the mornin' 'fore you leave." She gives her sister a one armed hug the disappears into the kitchen.

+++

"Hey!" Liz says with a small smile when she sees her boyfriend's fuzzy face on her phone screen. "How was the show?"

"Sold out in Denver." Michael responds, dropping a white hotel towel around his shoulders after drying off his long hair. "Tomorrow's sold out too."

"Denver too?"

"Yes ma'am." He nods, tossing his towel to the side. When his head is turned, Liz's eyes zone in on a few deep red splotches on his neck. At first, she thinks nothing of it but when his bare chest comes into view, she sees a few more of those marks on his skin.

Hickeys.

The Thousand Mile Rule really does exist.

Liz feels her body get tense and start to shake. She shouldn't be too quick to assume but what the fuck else could they be?

She licks her lips as she lays back against the abundance of pillows her sister has on the guest bed. "You havin' fun?"

"Oh yeah, for sure. Responsible fun, though." She can tell he's lying. She's always been good at picking up on body language and with the way he's looking away from her and how he's touching his mouth, he makes it obvious without saying anything. "Should be home next month."

"What's your last city?"

"Uh," he reaches over and picks something up, squinting at the words he's reading without his glasses on. "Memphis." He glances back at his laptop screen. "You should come! Yeah, I'll, uh, get you a pass and get you backstage with us."

"Sure. That sounds like fun." She smiles. "I'm gonna let you go. Get some sleep."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. Yeah, you've been nonstop for two months."

"Okay, see you in a bit, then. Love you."

"Yeah, love you too."

+++

Liz is torn.

She doesn't know if she should confront him about possibly cheating on her or if she should just leave. It'd be easy to just leave.

She has to get ready for the Memphis show tonight. She decided to go to show support for Morgan and Michael, even if he's done what he did. She gets dressed in a pair of ripped jeans, a tight crop top and her boots. She throws her hair into a simple bun then she's on her way to Memphis.

"Lizzie!" She can't help the smile that tugs on her pressed lips.

"Hey Morgan." She says, wrapping her tattooed arms around his middle. "How are you?"

"Better now that you're here." He flirts, shooting her a wink. She looks down at the sidewalk to hide a blush.

Morgan knows what Michael did but by honor of the 'bro code', and the fact that it's none of his business, he's got nothing to share with Liz but he would never lie to her. If she asks, he'll tell but he won't bring it up on his own.

He throws his arm around her shoulders as they walk around the sketchy downtown of Memphis, Tennessee- one of the most dangerous cities in the Lower Forty-Eight. He won't budge from her side as they walk the streets, knowing that it's incredibly dangerous for a woman- hell anyone- to be alone.

He tells her all about the cities they've been to, what they've seen through their bus windows and she's all ears. She's practically living through the stories he shares. She's only ever been to Texas and Tennessee, mind Arkansas because Texarkana is split by an invisible line that cuts through the post office.

"C'mon." He takes her by her hand and tugs her into the venue. "He's somewhere 'round here."

"Can I ask you somethin'?" She stops him, her heart pounding out of her chest.

"Sure, anything."

She rolls her lips into her mouth as she closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Did- uh, did he y'know..." she doesn't want to be abrupt. If she's wrong, she'll look like she doesn't trust him but if she's right, fuck. "Did he fuck around with another girl?"

The look on Morgan's face says it all.

"Right." She shakes her head, chewing on the inside of her lips as she continues walking with him. "He's in here?"

"Yep."

She squeezes Morgan's bicep then takes a deep breath. Liz suddenly swings the door open. It clatters against the wall, the handle makes a dent in the plaster from her swing. She looks around the room, her eyes landing on Michael.

He jolts up from his laying down position on the couch. "Shit, you scared me." He laughs breathlessly. She forces an over the top smile as she wraps him in a tight hug. "I missed you."

"Uh-huh." She says, pulling away. She catches a quick glance at his neck and sees that those marks are faded slightly. "C'mere." She pulls him close for a kiss that she turns hot in a matter of seconds. She's been faithful- celibate for months so she's pretty tightly wound. She pushes him back down to the couch and straddles him, moving his hands under her shirt to her breasts. "I missed you." Her actual feelings taking over. She really did miss him, there's no denying that.

"Fuck." He gasps when she rolls her hips against his and grabs her ass.

"You gonna fuck me?" She breathes out, her fingers working on his baseball jersey type shirt. He nods, tossing his hat off to the side before he flips them, pinning her on her back on the couch.

Liz moans softly when he slides his hand into her panties, her head falling back as he kisses her neck. Her fingers twist in his hair, her leg hooking over his hip as her eyes close.

"Gross, get a room!" Morgan shouts from the doorway.

"Close the damn door!" Michael yells back. Liz suppresses a sigh as she wriggles out from under him. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She nods. "When do you get home?"

"Tomorrow." She nods again. "Where're you going?"

"You're on in a few." He sighs as he adjusts his jeans, pulling his boots on. "You look good." She says, buttoning his shirt back up. "I'll see you after?"

"Absolutely."

+++

"Ladies and Gentlemen." Michael starts, his sweaty hand snapping the mic back into the stand. "We've got a special guest here with us tonight." He's breathing hard. "My girlfriend." He waves Liz out but she shakes her head. Morgan huffs and pushes her out to the stage. She scowls at him but replaces it with a fake smile as she walks out to Michael. He leans down and kisses her, his arm grazing her waist. She pulls away and he smacks her ass, signaling that she can go back into the safety of the backstage shadows. "This next song I wrote for her." He licks his lips, his hand going to the mic stand.

"I filled up, maxed that Discover. Bought a can of snuff, dropped ten for the cover. Had fifteen bucks to drink down my supper.

I was broke, boy...

Then she walked in the door, lookin' like a million. Never seen her before, but man, I had a feelin' she's the kind if you swing and miss it'll leave your heart broke, boy. Funny what you do when you got nothin' to lose so I counted to three, eased on up and said..."

The crowd screams the words of the chorus with him and it brings tears to Liz's eyes. There's a huge difference between one person singing versus a couple hundred.

She's touched.

She almost forgets about the fact that Michael might've probably cheated on her. She glances at Morgan who is just giddy as all get out for his best friend and she wishes she could match his energy but the impending doom of her relationship looms up above her. She can't decide if she's upset or pissed but she's definitely going to chew his ass out.