Hardest to Love | Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

𝟐𝟐 - 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐘, 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐘, 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐄𝐘

Today has been hell. I just couldn't get rid of the thought of Bradley from my mind. My callsign has been called multiple times today just because I wouldn't respond immediately. Now, I'm walking away from my jet towards the hangar to meet up with Natasha and the rest of the guys. My sunglasses rest on top of my head when she comes jogging up to me.

Her hand takes my helmet from my hand, walking slower to stay in my pace. "You seemed a little distracted today. What's up with that?" She asks me a question. My head falls down as I lick my lips. "My Dad cut his papers off, Nat." I sigh, stopping.

"I heard." Natasha says.

"He didn't even think to tell me, now I know why there's this feud between the two. I never understood why they were never as close as before until now." I truthfully say. "And I don't know how to feel about this whole thing. This Bradley thing."

"What Bradley thing?" Her eyebrows draw together slowly, leaning her head a little forward. "The fact that the two of us almost... kissed and now this controversy between him and my Dad. To add to the fact that I slept in his bed last night — unacknowledged about it until I wake up, clueless, under his sheets."

"The list just keeps going on." I scoff, crossing my arms together. "Like the time when Thomas barged in the other day — he came to talk to me and he talked about my eyes. He did the same thing again after the funeral when we bumped into each other near the bathroom. Ev — Everything he's doing, I just can't get it out of my head. It's frustrating for some reason."

"Wait a minute. What do you mean he talked about your eyes?" A corner of her mouth curls slightly as she takes a steps closer to me. I let out a sigh, hiding my face from her with my hand. "He said I have amazing eyes."

Her mouth drops. "Oh my god." She softly exhales, growing a side smile on her face. "Ro, you know what that means, right?"

"I'm not following." I shake my head, squinting my eyes a little in confusion.

"Bradley's a man with words, with anyone he talks to he's respectful in a way, but shit, I've never heard him say something like that to anyone. Amazing eyes? Rowan, it's clear that he has a thing for you." Her free hand takes my shoulder. "No." I deny. "How did you even figure out an answer from that? He was just complimenting my eyes. That's all." Shaking my head, I protest her accusation for Bradley. It can't be true.

"That's all?" The guys hear Natasha and move their eyes on us. I turn my head at them, then I feel Natasha turn my head back at her direction with her hand. "What about that time he came up with his mischievous plan and convinced those hooligans to get back Thomas for cheating on you? Or last night, from what you told me, you said he drove all the way to your house, late at night, to check up on you. That pretty much explains it, Ro." She whispers so that no one else can hear our conversation between us.

The more she says, the more I start to believe it. Could it really be true? I can't decide if it is. Natasha's known Bradley ever since she joined the Air Force, even though I've known Bradley my whole life, she's a lot closer to him than I am. All the years I've missed getting to really know Bradley was taken from me.

She snaps her fingers, trying to get my attention back. I stare off onto the ground, deep in my own thoughts. "Earth to Rowan?" My eyes shot up, I raise my eyebrows. "What?" I blankly say. "Didn't you just hear what I just said? This whole Bradley thing that's bothering you."

"I didn't say it bothered me." I shake my head, touching my temple with my index and middle finger. "Then it comforts you." She states, crossing her arms together.

"No, no, Natasha, no." I exhale out in annoyance. "I don't know what it is, I just — can we stop talking about this? I need the rest of this day to just be Bradley free." I can feel my cheeks turn a rosy red in front of her. Her eyebrows lift, I can feel her grow her suspicion over me. She makes it quite obvious.