TAYLOR
I followed a man and got my heart broken.
So I let the pain out in my songs.
Now my band is finally going places.
Unlike the others though I’ve been classically trained.
And I missed my best friend from school, Eddie.
And clearly I was blind then because now he’s the world hottest English Rock Star.
He’s ripped, handsome and that soul of his is special.
I wish I’d been smarter years ago cause I’m always wondering ‘what if.’

EDDIE
Her song played on the radio and suddenly I knew how to find her again.
I’d let her slip out of my arms and into another man’s car as she drove away.
Every song I sing is for her and how I should have told her she was the one.
Now I need to find her. It’s only so much a song can fill in my heart.
This time Taylor will hear me.
She’s the one and not just a friend to me.
Her heart will never break again if she accepts my heart that was always hers.

Free is a lie. You just don’t want me…

Their successful song replayed in Taylor Jones’ head.

Success.

Finally. The Magnolia Sweethearts were on their way.

Regina had been right. Teaming up in an all-girl country-band was amazing and the kickstart for their careers.

For years she’d only wished to prove that she had talent and now here she was. Cowriting songs with some of her band members and earning their success together, as a team.

Her stomach rumbled and she wiped the bathroom mirror, fogged from her shower.

The hotel was four stars, separate rooms, and all paid for by the record label. No more shared motel rooms where all six of them squeezed in together to save cash.

She hummed the melody and towel-dried her long blonde hair, then slipped into her pressed ripped jeans, her pink t-shirt with hearts, and her matching heart belt buckle. Last were her new snakeskin boots—she’d earned spending money for playing the piano and singing backup.

Something she’d written had actually made her money. Her stomach gave another grumble, wishing for coffee and waffles to start the day.

Time to hit the buffet.

As she headed toward the door, her phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID. Normally she ignored random numbers, but it was a home Nashville number and seemed familiar. She answered and a male voice said, “Tay Tay.”

Adrenaline coursed through her. She pivoted on her white snakeskin cowboy boots from the door and paced toward the window. If Keith ever came near her again, she’d… well she’d tell him to his face to leave her alone. She crossed her free arm over her belt buckle. “How did you get my new number?”

No. Her voice had a hint of weak there at the end. Ugh!

Keith answered smugly, “Mrs. Smith from your church group.”

“She should have known better,” she said but instantly regretted the words. Mrs. Smith had had gall bladder surgery last month and Taylor had only called once to check on her. In Taylor’s defense, she’d left the church choir officially three months ago to begin the tour with Libby Hansen, the Magnolia Sweethearts being the opening act.

“I told her that you should marry me.”

Keith had always been a thief and a liar. She stared out the window toward the clear blue sky. Her ex had zero right to talk like that. Mrs. Smith was the salt of the earth type who’d pretty much told Taylor every day they’d spent together to never think about Keith again. “Don’t make fun of my church friends. You lied to her, obviously.”

“Whatever, Taylor. You used to love me.”

The girl he referred to had been another person.

When she closed her eyes and imagined her old self, in New York, it wasn’t Keith that came to mind, but her best friend, Eddie.

They’d shared a dorm, but he hated mornings, so she’d knock on his door and tell him to get moving, then they’d get a muffin and head to class. She’d been so young and innocent, first at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and then Julliard.

Taylor turned away from the window and said to Keith, “I thought I did. Why are you calling me?”

“I’m having my lawyers sue you over that song you wrote?”

The song she wrote never mentioned him. Or anything about him. Not his dark hair or devilish smile.

Not how he’d ditched her at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, without a dime in her pockets.

Heartbreak and an ex in lyrics were very common and she’d been careful not to mention his name. Sued? When he’d stolen her notebook of songs to hit the charts himself? “What?”

“You’re profiting off my name, Tay Tay. That song wouldn’t be number one without my fame, and that you used to be mine.”

No one called her a nickname. Ever. Taylor was fine. And Keith wouldn’t be famous right now without the songs she’d written–she had no proof, which was why she hadn’t stopped him. She’d been a lovesick, stupid girl who had learned a tough lesson. “I’m not yours. The song doesn’t mention you. You don’t get anything.”

“Half the earnings of that song,” Keith said.

Her blood stirred. She’d have to face Regina, Ellie, Tawny, Cindy and Becky Sue, and let her band know about Keith’s threats.

Her mother had always said, “When you admit something, have a plan of action to fix what you’d done wrong…”

She would tell her bandmates about his threats, and together they’d figure how to neutralize Keith’s threats.

Her mother hadn’t spoken to her all year, since Taylor had dared to join a country rock band and decided to live on her own thousands of miles from Denver, yet the voice was still clear as day. “Goodbye, Keith. Don’t call me again.”

Without another word she hung up and flipped on the lights near the bed.

She needed a plan.

Now.

If she called Phoenix, their manager, she’d admit right off that she was thinking about Keith, and the rest of ex-boyfriends, all together, and warred with Regina, who had also had a broken heart of her own when they’d worked on that song, about how she’d moved to Nashville with a broken heart. Regina had recently found her happily-ever-after with Josh, but Taylor would stick to her vow of no dating for as long as she was in the Magnolia Sweethearts.

Besides, her song wasn’t about that… that man. It was about every man she’d ever made mistakes with.

Her face was hot, but she flipped through her phone and realized she’d missed a call last night.

Eddie Williams.

He used to give her a chocolate chip muffin and shy smile to make her forget whatever she’d been upset about. Now he deserved every success, ever. She immediately called him back and fell onto her bed, face first with her legs kicking behind her. On the first ring she heard a click and she said like she’d just been saved, “Eddie, you answered.”

His voice was still the same dreamy one she remembered as he said, “Taylor, it’s been a long time.”

Three years, but that British accent of his made her muscles relax like he was here with her and might hug her through the phone. She sat up. “I’m so happy to hear your voice.”

“I wished you’d called.”

“Doubtful, Eddie. I wish you were here.”

“Why?”

“I need help with something—I’ll talk to my bandmates though since you’re super famous now and all.”

“So, you noticed,” Eddie said.

He was very successful and his song, “The One” haunted her dreams sometimes. Who knew growing up that he’d be that guy’s voice that made her weak in the knees?

He’d just been… her friend. She tugged her ear and put him on speaker as she was alone in her room. “Of course. Your name is all over the pop charts.”

Seven times off his latest album and every time he was number one.

“But you didn’t call to congratulate me.”

She hadn’t called because he’d offer her a job as a backup singer, or worse, an assistant to fetch him a jelly donut and a coffee because they’d gone to school together, and he pitied her.

No. Her cheeks burned as she settled her back against the headboard and smoothed the soft white hotel comforter. “I wanted to, a lot, to be honest. I miss hanging out with you.”

“I miss you too.” His voice had that same whisper to her heart that his song had. “What did you need help with?”

She hadn’t expected her heart to stir like this.

And she had no right to ask him anything now, though they used to talk for hours and he’d give her the best advice. Ever. She should have listened to him more and not hopped into the wrong guy’s car years ago. She hugged her knees. “I don’t want to bother you….”

“What’s going on?” He sounded grave, without his playfulness.

She wished she never had to say the name again. Eddie had told her not to date Keith back in New York, before both the men in her old life became famous, leaving her in the dust, until now.

Taylor had her girls to bolster her up so could tell Eddie without accepting pity. She let out a sigh. “Keith.”

His answering sigh told her plenty. Eddie hated Keith still. She massaged her temples as Eddie said, “I thought you were done dating him.”

Taylor stood up. If Eddie was close, she’d… well she’d take his hands and press them to her heart, so he’d know she was speaking the truth. She imagined him here with her. “I was. I am. He was a long time ago.”

Eddie tapped something, probably his piano. As teenagers he’d never been far from his keyboard for long; though he was the prodigy who played almost all instruments.

They’d jammed many nights until dawn. “Then what’s going on? You should be thrilled and happy at your overnight success.”

Last night she’d been with her bandmates celebrating at an all-night diner. The morning sun beamed into her now bright room and she pressed her hand to the window pane as she said, “It was hardly overnight. We’ve been at this for a few months as a group though I’ve been trying on my own since I moved to Nashville. But to really get success, we need more than one hit.”

“Do you want to collaborate?” Eddie asked.

Another memory of working late on piano compositions came to her when they’d both been in high school doing homework on experimental music.

Now she had Regina and her band. She relaxed as she said, “No. I want the name of a good lawyer.”

Eddie turned very serious. “Why?”

At least Eddie wouldn’t tell her “don’t worry” and “let me handle everything.” Eddie had never patronized her like her parents always had. “Keith wants to sue me.”

“Over what?”

Her song lyrics were about a hot man’s jeans, and how he’d never left her feeling calm or easy, which was what she’d thought excitement was once. Now she knew she’d been chasing adrenaline. “He says our hit song is about him.”

Eddie said, “There is nothing concrete saying Keith Fine is in your song. Country music is often about heartbreak, and you kept it generic, so the song could belong to everybody.”

Goodness. It was like no time had passed and he was here, her best friend. She closed her eyes and imagined his voice over her Alexa that blared his music while she washed dishes as she said, “You’ve heard my song?”

“I listen to it every night. I miss hearing your voice telling me what to do.”

A laugh escaped her throat. She hadn’t told him what… okay, maybe she’d taken his fake ID from him once, and tossed it in the shredder. Then there was the time she’d forced him to write a song… for class. Her face turned red.

She’d been a serious brat as a teenager who’d known her musical future was a sure thing. “Sorry. If I didn’t, you’d have missed composition class and then you’d be out of work instead of headlining your own tour around the world.”

He laughed and she recalled how he used to toss a ball in the air then catch it to help him think. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

“You too. It’s been too long.” His hug would be good to have. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him, until now. The three years after college had flown by so fast.

“Entirely your fault as you didn’t call me back earlier,” he said.

Right. Her missed call last night. But she’d had a cast party with the label and then her girls. “I heard your message but couldn’t leave my band to go to your concert in town last night.”

“I dedicated it to you.”

“As you tell all the girls,” she answered fast. His pay-per-view concert had been dedicated to some girl named Megan.

“Taylor, are you still in Memphis?”

Her entire body stilled though her skin was alive and jumpy just from hearing his voice again. “Yeah, we go to our next stop on the tour in a few days. Libby needed to head to the CMAs.”

“Then meet me for breakfast.”

She pressed her hand to her heart and felt its rapid beating.

Eddie must be joking. She took a deep breath and asked, “What? Aren’t you in Japan or somewhere half the world away?”

“No. My label has an event and I’m here.”

Here. Still in Memphis. She ran her hand through her wet hair and wished she somehow had hair and makeup teams at her suite and not just for the stage.

But that was silly. Eddie knew what she looked like. “You should have told me.”

“You should’ve answered.” Ouch. If words were bullets, he’d hit her heart. He quickly said, “I’ll bring lawyer recommendations.”

And there he was. Her best friend. The boy she’d loved to eat ice cream sundaes in the park with. She relaxed. He wouldn’t care that she didn’t look like a diva. “Seriously Eddie, you’re the best.”

“Meet me in the lobby in ten minutes,” he said. “We’re in the same hotel.”

“See you then.”

They each hung up and she glanced at the pool view outside her window, below.

How would he know where she was staying? She let out a sigh. Producers talked and even Phoenix would want to work with Eddie Williams’ team, so if he’d asked around, he could have found her.

She picked up her room key, squeezed her cheeks and decided at the last second to brush her hair. There–she almost looked like the girl from Julliard who used to drag him to breakfast.

Her nails were painted the same glitter color as the day she’d graduated.

As she stepped out into the hotel hallway, she saw the room next to hers had the door ajar. Someone must have left Regina’s room. Room service, maybe?

She had a minute, so she knocked on the door and popped her head into the room.

Her best friend, and band leader, Regina sat on the edge of her bed strumming her acoustic guitar. Her dark brown hair was tugged into a ponytail—she stopped playing when Taylor entered. Remembering Keith and his promise to sue, she swallowed hard and wished everything was fine, but met her friend’s brown eyes. “Regina, we need to talk.”

Regina put her guitar to the side and stood, wiping her hands on her jeans. “What’s going on?”

No beating around the bush. Taylor braced her legs and said, “Keith is threatening to sue me, saying our hit is about him.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Regina shook her head. “Nothing even references him.”

True. Not one note, but Taylor shrugged. “I’ll pay for the lawsuit expenses if necessary.”

Regina shrugged and picked up her breakfast tray, offering a second cup of coffee to her, which Taylor accepted. “I’m sure Phoenix and the label can take care this.”

Taylor glanced at Regina’s bare feet; black polish shiny against the hotel’s blue rug. “I’m going to talk to Eddie Williams about getting a decent lawyer.”

Regina brushed her arm. Taylor looked up to see the gleam in her friend’s gaze as she asked, “Eddie Williams? The Eddie Williams with seven pop songs in a row to reach number one?”

His new record had seven to strike the top, but the previous album had two big hits. All while Taylor had done nothing but play in churches, bars, and open night clubs, until Regina had invited her into the all-girl band. She tugged her ear and said, “Nine, but yeah we went to school together.”

Regina sat on her chair with her coffee. “You never mentioned that.”

Why would she? She’d been the failure, until now. Thanks to Regina and the rest, Taylor now had her own purpose, here in the group. Taylor ran her finger around the rim of the coffee cup. “He hasn’t been around.”

Regina jumped out of her chair and put her coffee down. “Wait. His last song, “The One,” is about a girl who never saw him.”

That song had a haunting sound which was why it had stayed number one for ten weeks running. She nodded and put her own cup down untouched as she was about to go see him. “It’s a great song.”

“Is it about you?” Regina asked without blinking.

The blind girl who never saw Eddie? It couldn’t be her. That had to be made up for a song. She shook her head and stepped back toward the door to go. “Don’t be silly. He’s just my friend. He’s like my brother.” Though her skin was way too aware of Eddie for him to ever be family. “Anyhow, I’m going to see him now.”

Regina laughed. “And then you’ll be back to tell me all about it.”

Taylor’s cheeks must be red. She was hot and all her life she’d blushed way too easy. “There’s nothing to tell. It’s just breakfast.”

Without another word she slipped out the door and headed down the stairs rather than wait for the elevator.

Eddie was a friend. And right now, that’s all she needed.