𝐅𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐔𝐒𝐀 [𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫]

13

Their 2 day ride back to land was filled with games and happiness. They were all okay and in one piece heading back to normalness for a while.

"What do you plan on doing while you're off for a while?" Sydney asked Phoenix as she plopped on the couch of her nearly empty place.

"I don't know. I was gonna go see my parents for a bit, then Jake said something about going down to see him." Sydney raised her eyebrows at Phoenix's mention of the man. "What now?" the girls had their talk and decided it was good for Natasha to be trying this out. She hadn't had a boyfriend, or a steady booty call, in almost 2 years. She had kept herself so busy with work and training that she believed there was no time for anyone else in her life.

"I didn't think it was that serious."

"You even said you've been to his family's ranch-"

"No, no. Me and 3 other friends of ours from our first assignment went down there when we were on assignment down there. I also out rode all of them in a rodeo contest, but that's beside the point. I'm happy for you and I'm glad you guys are doing this." She saw the door open and in came Jake and Bob.

"Ladies." he smirked as his arm fell around Natasha's shoulders.

"Jacob." Sydney said returning the same smirk, knowing how much he hated his full name. "Hey Bob."

"Glad to see we're back to normal." Hangman replied sincerely.

"You know I've always disliked you a little bit." Sydney's sarcasm was shining at this particular moment.

"We all do." Bob joined in, he had only came in to say his goodbyes. He was heading home to LA for a little bit before doing some much needed travelling. "I just came to say goodbye." Sydney stood up first to hug him.

"Ah, Bob. I'm really going to miss you the most." She said as they pulled apart.

"I'm going to miss you too." he went in for a hug with Phoenix, "And if you ever need a backseater, you have my number. Give me a call." Bob gave one last look around the room before heading back for the door. "Roosters waiting at your place for you." he said after looking out and seeing him sitting on the step. Sydney nodded and watched the door close.

"And what's going on there?" Phoenix asked since they had already talked about what she planned on doing with her time off.

"Not sure."

"You guys haven't talked yet?"

"We've talked. Just not about him confessing that he's loved me for the better half of the last 30 years." Hangman laughed. He couldn't help himself. Things were complicated between Sydney and Rooster and all he was glad for was that it didn't end up being him. "I'm glad you think its funny."

"Well," Sydney got up and hugged them both.

"Please, do not hesitate to call me or text me." She looked to Hangman, "Actually, you can hesitate to call me. Cause I probably won't answer and your best bet is just to call someone else entirely."

"Be safe." Phoenix said as she reached for the door.

"And don't break my boys heart too hard." Hangman called after her as she stepped out of the house. She walked down the steps and tried her very best to keep her brave face on in front of Bradley. But one look at him made her melt instantly. For the first time, she was nervous to be around him and had no idea why.

"I figured we could have that talk now since we all were leaving today." She invited him inside and grabbed the last 2 water bottles out of the fridge for them. He took a swig and waited for her to look at him. "C'mon Syd, this is seriously something we need to talk about."

"I know we do. I'm just nervous for whatever outcome and how it will affect our friendship." he placed his hand over hers in comfort. "But let's talk. Throw it all out there. You were this close," she moved her index finger and thumb together, "to proposing to Carrie. You had stopped talking to me when you guys got serious and for 4 years, I had to hear about what you were doing from your mother."

"Then my mom died and Carrie and I broke up." Bradley admitted, "It was too hard on her for me to continue to fly from Texas back home to be with my mom during her treatments. Carrie couldn't understand why I had to keep going back home."

"You never told me that."

"Why did you think she wasn't at the funeral?" Sydney thought back to the day of Carol's funeral. It was the first time her and Bradley had spoken to each other since his mother got sick. It honestly never crossed her mind as to why Carrie wasn't at the funeral. But of all the possible things, she would've never guessed it was simply because she didn't want to be.

"I don't know." Sydney answered truthfully.

"But you were. No matter what had happened, you were there."

"She was your mother. She was my mom's best friend. I knew how hard it was going to be to bury your mom. It was already difficult knowing she was sick but losing her too? I could only imagine the pain you were going through." Sydney thought back to the day that they stood in the same spot everyone had stood in to bury his father. They were only 5 then and didn't understand what was truly going on. But watching his mother being buried right next to his father was one of the hardest things Bradley had to do.

"But you know what made it easier?" He lifted a brow, "You did."

"In the span of 2 weeks, I lost my girlfriend and my mom. But then my best friend showed up with a hug and told me everything was going to be okay." She smiled as she remembered them spending the night after the funeral together. Everyone had left his childhood home except them two and Sydney did everything in her power to keep him from getting in his head. "Syd, on so many occasions we were the ones that saved each other. There was never anyone else in my life that dropped what they were doing to come see me or to call and make sure everything was okay."

"You were always my safe place." she admitted, not because she felt obligated to, but because it was true. "You left your friends for me so I could go to prom. You came and watched my first soccer game because I was nervous to go on the field and mess up. You attended my Naval Academy graduation, even though you were so upset about not getting in the same time I did. Hell, in the last 15 years of us being in the Navy we stopped talking to each other only twice."

"And yet we managed to come in here acting like we hated each other and didn't speak to one another until we felt it was absolutely necessary."

"I love you and I can't not tell you. You need to know." Bradley sat stunned at her words, he didn't expect her to be the one to say it first, again. He was still thinking about her saying it 3 days ago. "And I didn't want to have this conversation before knowing how you felt about me in return. When we got here everything was so upside down that I pushed my feelings to the side for the sake of our team-"

"I have loved you since I was old enough to understand what the word meant." he searched her face as her eyes lit up in front of him, "And I think maybe a little before that too." Bradley chuckled as she leaned in toward him.

"Well, Rooster. Ya big stud." he laughed once more, having an idea of where she was going, "Take me to bed or lose me forever."

"Show me the way home."

Sydneys polaroids -