𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐃 | BRADLEY 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 BRADSHAW

𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐊

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"No way." I look up from my book. Hangman was gazing at a picture on the wall. "Becca have you seen this?" He looks to me and Coyote.

"Seen what?" I ask. My tone shows that I am already bored with the conversation this man has started.

"Come check this out. You too Coyote." I stand and walk over.

It's my dad's class picture. Hate to admit it but he was a very attractive young man. Now I know where I get my dashing good looks. I also now understand why my mother keeps going back to him.

"Dang, this dude is a fossil." Coyote laughs.

"No, no, not Mav. Next to him." I squint my eyes. Behind my dad stands Goose. I smile to myself. Bradley has his smile and his stache. I didn't realize till now how much they look alike, it's probably the mustache. "Does he look familiar to you?"

"What do we have here?" Coyote looks closer. "Bradshaw?"

Jake shakes his head. "As I live and breathe."

"Goose actually." I correct him. "Bradley's old but not that old."

The boys look to me. "You already knew that too. Didn't you?" Hangman has a suspicious glint in his eye.

"I just said that, didn't I dipstick?" I roll my eyes as I turn to walk out. "Gosh you're so intelligent."

"Says here that Maverick and Goose flew together." Coyote reads from the article.

"So that's the story with Bradshaw? Maverick killed his Dad and he's still mad about it." I freeze. My blood boils and something stirs in me.

I turn and grab Hangman by the collar. "For once in your gosh darn life would you shut up! You don't know what you're talking about. And quite frankly, it's none of your business." I seethe, making my teeth grit together.

Jake looks down pulling my hands off of him. "I think I've been asking the wrong questions here." He licks his top row of teeth, giving my hands a tight squeeze. "What's your story with the old man?"

I clench my jaw, ripping my hands out of his grasp. I say nothing and leave the room. I head down the hall as I try to fight back tears. I'm not sad. I'm angry. I'm sick and tired of everyone pinning my Dad as the bad guy. It was all an accident. Goose's death was not his fault. But it's weird defending him, especially since no one knows he's my dad. Gosh if Bradley knew he'd be furious. He sees me as an open book, no secrets, no suppressed feelings. He practically knows everything about me, except my family history. I wish I would've just told him the day we met, or on our first date, or when we talked about getting married, or when we broke off our engagement. Don't know how that one would've went over though. There were enough emotions we had to deal with.

Crap, now I am crying.

As I turn the corner to leave I bump shoulders with someone making me trip. "Whoa there, Bec." I look up to Bradley, he helps me steady myself before I fall on my face. He scoffs, a smirk dances on his lips. "Rushing out are we?" We finished some training for the day. Nothing too major. I meet his eyes and his brows knit together. "Are you-"

"Don't worry about it." I cut him off, wiping my eyes.

"Why are you crying?" His voice is as light as a feather. It makes me nauseous, in a good way I suppose.