'you'll see me in hindsight, tangled up with you all night, burning it down. some day when you leave me; i'll bet these memories follow you around...'
Sawyer Rivera quit her job after graduating from Top Gun; despite her extreme potential. A traumat...
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CHAPTER TWO — she's back
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I pull into the parking lot, noticing that B's not here yet, so I sit and wait, seeing as I've got a little bit until my shift starts. I remove my cardigan and drop it into my passenger seat, leaving me in my tank top. Thankfully, Bradley arrives relatively soon after I do and we talk about our days, as he opens the door, allowing me to enter first. I walk in backwards, so I can face him, as I get ready to tell him about my meeting earlier. When I finally face forward, barely inside, somehow my eyes immediately land on one of the last people I was expecting to find. Okay, obviously I know he's in town and this is a naval bar, but still, it's my bar. A safe haven, if you will. I was hoping I wouldn't see him. I freeze, my sentence stopping short, and Bradley's gaze following my own. I turn around and start to walk back out of the open door, when B grabs my arm, and flips me around. He shoves me inside and Penny's got her eyes on me, so there's no way out now. I'm getting him back for this. I don't know how, but I'll figure it out. I take notice of a certain brunette hiding behind Jake, glancing at the ring on my finger, but refrain from letting my emotions over her presence drown me, and get right to work. I get behind the bar, placing my bag underneath it, and replenishing Mav's drink. "Thanks, Sawyer. You gonna take the offer?"
"I was considering it, but now..." I glance over my shoulder, listening to the conversation between the pilots. "I don't think so. I can't see any of them wanting to learn from a quitter. I'm not even sure if I have anything to teach them. What about you, Big Shot?"
"You know what? I am right there with you." He holds up his glass. "Nothing to teach. I doubt he'd listen to me, anyways." His last remark is referring to Rooster. Ah yes, the ongoing tension that suffocates the pair. They both had their reasons. I understand why Maverick pulled his papers, but it wasn't right for him to abuse his power like that. Just how I understand that Brad wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps; it makes him feel closer to Goose. The two of us are interrupted from a presence behind me.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen..." Jake's voice rings through my ears, causing me to turn and face him. And also sending a wave of nausea through me. "Hey there, Rivie."
"Drop the nickname, Bagman." I huff, wiping down the counter that his arm is resting on, forcing him to move. "What can I get you?" I flash him an ingenuine smile, uninterested in the conversation and the guilt that's clawing at me. He requests four beers on Mav, to which I oblige happily. Jake sends Mav a wink, taking a quick glance at me, before heading back over to the pool table. I watch him walk away, my eyes traveling across the group, and locking with Phoenix's; the two of us sharing a smile. A rush comes in and I am completely swamped, but I'm not complaining. Once things seem to mellow out a bit, I find the Hugo girl sitting at the bar, with a grimace on her face, I assume due to the presence of my best friend. I make her a vodka and tequila mix, placing it down in front of her. "Your drink is on your dad, Lils." I breathe, sending her a soft smile, as her head snaps up and her gaze meets mine.
