The room was dark but not in a way that could easily be fixed by pulling back a few curtains and letting the light in. It was dark in a way of mourning and sadness. It was also quiet, the only sliver of noise that could be heard was the muffled rumbling of the planes outside.Steely's body was stiff with an unknown feeling. She usually always had something to say, a noise to make, or a movement that spoke of her feelings. But in this moment she could do nothing but stand as unmoving as a marble statue.
The lines around her mouth were prominent as her lips were drawn tight. This fight was not hers so there was so reason for her to be here but anger and hurtful words flew around her making it impossible for her to escape.
She was sitting on a cold chair with Bradley's hands in hers before it started. They were exchanging hushed words about the raw pain that was cracking its way through Bradley's body. Something so small reminded him of his late father and he broke down in the empty room.
"Bradley, I need you to breathe."
Steely gently sat him down and grabbed his head in her hands. She pushed his head between his knees and made him count his breaths with her. Steely had no desire to ask what caused this panic attack, she only wanted to help.
His gasping breaths and choked sobs filled the once silent room, now muffled from the fabric of his pants. "Good, keeping breathing," her voice was soothing as she cooed praise words at him. After what felt like 20 minutes his breathing evened out and he brought his eyes up to meet hers.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Steely asked glancing quickly between his tear soaked eyes. Bradley sucked in a shaky breath and Steely's lips tightened once more. She waited patiently as he tried to find the words.
His words were strangled by the upcoming sob that ripped through his throat. "I want my dad," the tears that welled up in her eyes were uncontrollable. He sounded like a wounded little boy who was desperate for the solace of his father.
Steely had no idea what to say, she was completely at a loss for words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his body as tightly as she possibly could. He buried his face in the material of her shirt, his shoulders shook heavily with the cries that he released.
"What can I do, please tell me what I can do to help."
"Stay."
"You should know by now i'm not going anywhere."
"Thank you."
"Whatever you need Bradley, whatever you need," she cupped her hand against the back of his neck and pulled him in impossibly tighter. The room filled back up with silence. Everyone had left once they were dismissed from training earlier so it was just them. Alone together.
"I want to laugh with him, I want to sit down and eat dinner with him, I want him to watch me and be proud. I want him to know that everything I do is for him. God Steely I just want him to love me again," Steely didn't know when she started crying but when his head lifted up to look at her again his thumb came out to wipe a tear from the top of her cheek.
"Bradley you have to know that there isn't anyone out there who's prouder of you than he is. He may not be here to tell you but I promise he's watching you, always. You may not see it or even feel it but the love he has for you is stronger than anything," her hands cupped his face and forced him to look right into her eyes. Hoping that he could see how sincere she was being.
"You are a living and breathing version of everything he could have hoped you'd be. You harbor the light he once had and there is nothing more that he could ask of you."
Bradley sucked in a shaky breath once more and laid his head back on Steely's chest. Although he didn't cry he didn't say anything to her either. Steely moved to rest her chin on top of his head. Her hand moved up and down his back in a comforting way.
Suddenly the door whipped open and banged against the wall behind it. The outburst of noise caused Steely and Bradley to scramble to their feet out of fear. A small scream left Steely's lips as her chair clattered to the floor.
"Sunshine, Rooster go home." Mavericks voice was a loud intrusion to their once quiet room. Steely's face morphed into a scowl, angry with the fact that he ruined a moment that Bradley needed.
"Maverick, mind your business and shut the door we will leave when we are good and ready."
"I sure hope that I won't have to report this little moment between the two of you with it being so close to mission time and all," Bradley huffed out a breath in disbelief.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Steely stepped forward towards Maverick. She positioned her body in front of Bradley although not blocking him from Maverick seeing as he was quite a bit taller than her.
"Go home. Now."
"God Maverick you are such a dick," Bradley's voice sounded out from behind her.
"This is not the time Bradley."
"Then when is it time? I would like to know when you find it acceptable to talk about what you did! It's so easy for you to pretend it didn't happen when you no wife, no kids, nobody to mourn you when your stupid ego gets you killed. You have no idea what it feels like to need him," Bradley was angry now. His voice continued to raise as he stepped closer and closer to Maverick. Steely jumped forward and clapped a hand around his forearm attempting to hold him in place.
"What makes you think I could ever forget what happened?"
"Why did you pull my papers at the academy. Why did you stand in my way!" Bradley was yelling now. He quickly switched the topic as his voiced boomed around the room and it honestly scared Steely. She stayed rooted in her spot behind him, hand still on his arm.
"You weren't ready."
"Huh? who in the hell are you to decide that for me? you never even gave me the chance to prove myself. You tried to decide my fate based of the flimsy quilt you felt for killing my father."
"Bradley stop, you have to calm down," Steely's voice was panicked as she tried to talk him down. It seemed as though this outburst needed to happen. The two men did not care that Steely was right there, they were going to have it out regardless.
"You don't understand kid, you just have to trust that I made the decision that was best for you," Maverick began pacing the room, his shoes scuffed the floor as he walked back and forth.
"My dad believed in you. I'm not going to make the same mistake of trusting you and I certainly will not let you have any control over my life," Bradley was up in Mavericks face before Steely could stop him, the grip on his arm meant nothing. Suddenly, he stormed out of the room leaving Steely and Maverick to watch him go.
Steely sighed as she turned around to gather up their stuff. Once she was finished and she headed towards the door she looked over her shoulder. Maverick opened his mouth as if he was about to say something but she held up her hand to silence him.
"That boy is hurting more than you and I could begin to understand. You better man up and figure out how to fix it for him. For your sake as well as his," Mavericks mouth clamped shut and his face contorted to pure heartbreak.
He nodded quickly, "Take care of him for me."
"He's not mine to take care of, but I will be glad to be the one to do it."
"Oh please Sunshine, he's been yours since the day he first laid eyes on you."
Steely just shook her head and sped out of the room in the direction she assumed Bradley would have went in.
YOU ARE READING
Heart of Steel: B. Bradshaw
RomanceWildcard pilot Steely Kerner was born into a life that perfectly fit her personality. Reckless, spontaneous, and a little dangerous. When she's called back to Top Gun for a mission that leaves no comfort she's forced to face the pain of love and los...