Don't Give Up On Me Now-Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter 2: The Pains of Going Back to Greece

"You okay?" I heard a voice ask from behind me and I looked over my shoulder and saw Jake.
"Yeah I'm fine." I said, wiping my tears off my face. Last night was really sweet but tomorrow we're going back home and being here with everyone brought back memories of growing up and then it just brought back memories of not having Nat around during high school and during some of the harder times but she was there for a long time. Now that I've been back with her for the past month and now I'm going back to Greece and Nat's going back to Lemoore with Jake and Javy, I don't know how to feel about this.
"Don't sound like it, what's going through your mind." Jake said as he sat down next to me. I didn't look at him and I just looked out at the water. I've been chilling at the beach for the past half an hour just by myself.
"I'm fine, just thinking." I said.
"About what?" Jake asked.
"Growing up." I said.
"You were a lot to handle when you were growing up." Jake teased and I shoved him.
"You know what Jake?" I asked back.
Flashback
"I'm here to sign out Rachel Trace, I was told to come pick her up since she was suspended for a couple days." Jake said as he walked into the front office. I got in a fight with a kid earlier today and i was suspended for 4 days and to make matters worse, Nat, Reuben and Mickey are on a mission so it's just me, Javy and Jake. So I know I'm highly going to be grounded and Nat's gonna lose her shit once she finds out but she's out for the rest of the month.
"Just sign right here and she's good to go. She'll get an email about when she can come back and her teachers will email her the work that she needs to do. She should go by her locker and pick up her stuff that she needs but otherwise she's good to go." The front desk lady said and Jake signed the sign out sheet, gave her a smile and walked over to me. "Let's go." Jake said and I got up and grabbed my backpack.
"Get your things, I'll be in the car." Jake said and I went to my locker and grabbed my books and closed my locker before heading out to Jake's truck. I put my things in the back and got in the front seat and he pulled out of the school parking lot and started driving back home.
"Want to explain why I'm picking you up 2 hours before your school gets out?" Jake asked.
"I got in a fight." I said.
"Why?" Jake asked.
"Because I felt like it." I said.
"If you actually give a reason I believe, you won't be grounded for long but otherwise we're looking at whatever Javy and I pick and keep in mind, Nat is coming back home in a month and she's probably going to find out soon so she'll ground you." Jake said.
"One of the boys in my grade pissed me off today, brought up my parents and said how no one loved me, and that Dylan was only with me for my looks, and how all of my friends are friends with me because my sister is a naval aviator and our family has money." I said.
"Rach, you can't let people get in your head. Your not in trouble because any of us would've done the same things but I don't want it happening again."
"I know." I said.
End flashback
"Maybe I was a lot to handle but i think it got better once I had everyone I needed." I said.
"Can't believe your all grown up." Jake said.
"Time flies by." I said.
"Yeah it does." Jake said.
"Do you think Bradley is going to ask me to marry him one day?" I asked.
"That man loves the shit out of you, I'm surprised he hasn't done it yet. Bradshaw is head over heels for you, he's so whipped, he would jump in front of a bullet for you, that's how much he loves you. You've been dating for what, 2 months as of tomorrow?" Jake asked and I nodded.
"He's known you for 3 months, and as much as I hate to admit because I'm your brother, the second he laid eyes on you, he fell in love with you. Everyone saw it, even Penny and Mav saw it happen, but you were with Dylan at the time, so he was just waiting for you to be free." Jake said.
"Did he tell you where he took me last night?" I asked.
"He just asked for photos and fairy lights. Where did he take you?" Jake asked as the boys came outside.
"He took me out to dinner, and we had our own room and the room was filled with photos of me and everyone here when I was growing up, and some recent photos, and he clipped them to the fairy light strings, and he made some of my favorite foods. After that, we walked along the beach and talked then he took me to my high school and we crashed the prom." I said with a huge smile on my face.
"Rooster is head of heels for you." Reuben said.
"I heard." I said in response as I got up and grabbed my jacket.
"I'm going to bed, I'll see you guys in the morning." I said and the boys nodded and I headed inside to see Nat and Bradley talking.
"Hey, what are you guys talking about." I asked.
"Work." Bradley said.
"You." Nat said.
"Okay." I said, looking into my sister's eyes to try and see if she was lying or not.
"Come on babe, let's go to bed." I said. Bradley stood up and wrapped his arm around me.
"Rach, come here for a second." Nat said. Bradley headed upstairs and I walked over to my sister and she gave me water.
"That's it?" I asked.
"No. I wanted to ask you a question about the mission last month." Nat said and I sighed and sat down, knowing that Nat wanted to ask more than a question.
"Shoot." I said.
"Why'd you take the missile for Rooster if you knew that you had people to come home to." Nat asked.
"I don't know." I said.
"Yes you do." Nat said.
"Alright I do know why I agreed to take the position." I said.
"Tell me, I wanna know." Nat said.