Casual Affair

Thirteen

Another week had come and gone and the team had finally gotten settled into our new routines, especially as a new Top Gun class had come in and man were they exhausting.

This weekend was different for everyone. as we all planned to go to the Hard Deck to have some drinks, especially since Mallorie and Briar had finally gotten settled in and I was excited to get to spend some time with them and Morgann who was able to hang out and not have to bartend. Beyond that, Mickey's fiancée had gotten in earlier in the day and had finally made the move to North Island. I had adored her so getting to see her was the biggest treat of the weekend. 

After work, I showered and got ready, making sure to straighten my hair and throw on some light makeup. I settled on my favorite pair of white shorts and a cropped red and white striped shirt before slipping my red flip flops on and heading out the door.

Once I arrived at Bradley's, I knocked but nobody answered so I used the spare key he had given me and walked in.

"Bradley?" I called out but received no reply.

Instead of his voice, I heard music coming from his bedroom and I followed it, smiling to myself as the music grew louder.

"She'll make you take your clothes off and go dancing in the rain. She'll make you live her crazy life but she'll take away your pain like a bullet to your brain. COME ON," Bradley sang as he moved around, his hips moving in circles as he danced.

I busted out laughing as I leaned against the doorway of Bradley's bedroom and watched him dance around and sing to Livin' la Vida Loca.

"How...long have you been standing there?" Bradley questioned with his brows pulled together when he heard my laughter.

"Not long enough," I laughed as I walked into his room and he grabbed my hand, making me dance alongside him.

Bradley and I danced around, laughing and smiling before I playfully pushed him towards the closet as the song ended.

"Everyone's going to be waiting for us! Go get dressed," I laughed as I sat at the foot of Bradley's bed.

Within a few minutes, Bradley re-emerged wearing jeans and my favorite Hawaiian shirt of his, the top two buttons popped open.

"Hurry," I whined as he put his loafers on. "Lillian is going to be there."

"I thought her and Fanboy broke up?"

"They did. And then they got back together. Sound familiar?" I laughed before turning back to him. "And soon they'll be married!"

"So much for the boy who said he'd never get married," Bradley chuckled.

"Yeah, well he was always hung up over his high school girlfriend so nobody compared but I guess she did the trick and besides, I'm obsessed with her so if he doesn't marry her, I will," I teased.

Bradley rolled his eyes and gestured for me to go through the door and I did so before finding my way through his maze of a house and going back through the front door. The two of us climbed into my car and I set off towards the Hard Deck where the parking lot was already packed.

Hand in hand, Bradley and I walked into the bar and the minute I saw Lillian, I threw my arms around her with Brad trailing behind me.

"Well that didn't take long for you two, did it?" I heard from behind me only to turn to see Sienna and her older sister Sierra standing less than five feet from us.

"The heart wants what it wants," I replied. "Let's not do this. Not when everyone is here to have a good time."

"That's easy for you to say, isn't it? Easy for Princess Ryder when she's walking around taking everybody's man."

"I didn't take anything, Sienna, and you know that."

"It doesn't look that way, does it?" She questioned as her gaze moved from me to Bradley.

I sighed, wishing that the Sienna saga would come to an end. I knew that Admiral Simpson's birthday was the following day but I didn't anticipate Sienna being back in town so soon and I wished I knew so I could've just stayed home.

"You know what? I'll be right back! I have actually something for you outside."

"What is it?" Sienna questioned, a brow raised in confusion.

"Some jumper cables since you're always trying to start shit," I replied, my face deadpan.

"You know Ryder, you might think you are special but you're really nothing at all. You're nothing compared to me. Oh, and I have my pilots license too so that's one less thing you have over me," Sienna said with a smirk. "Please get on my level."

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Sienna, sweetheart," I sighed with a smile. "First of all, if I got on your level, I'd be down on my knees and I don't like being on my knees as much as you do. Secondly, you should never, ever compare yourself to anyone but especially not me. You are a paper airplane and I am an F-18 so don't you ever think you're even comparable to me just because you can fly too."

"Better be careful flying then. You never know what could happen and if it did then who knows, six feet of dirt might actually look good on you," she smirked. "Just like your dear old mom."

I could easily handle anything Sienna had to throw my way but a comment about my mom was too much. I charged at Sienna and knocked her back but before I could finish what I started, I was met by a brick wall of muscular pilots.

"Nope," Brooks said as he put one of his arms under my right arm and Mickey doing the same on my left, raising my feet off of the ground and walking me away from Sienna and out of the Hard Deck.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked, trying to squirm out of their arms.

"Ryder, let it go," Mickey said as Brooks stood guard a few steps away.

"I'm so tired of her always running her mouth," I replied as I ran my fingers through my hair. "Plus, who uses someone's dead parent against them? Twisted bitch."

I crouched down and put my head in my hands, exhaling shakily and Mickey knelt down beside me, his hand soothingly running over my back. Within seconds, Lillian found us outside and crouched beside us.

"She really is awful, isn't she?" Lillian questioned and I nodded as my eyes met hers. "Maybe we should all just go somewhere else."

"I don't even know if I want to go anywhere anymore," I admitted. "That girl is the definition of a buzzkill."

"I'd hate to say it, Ry, but maybe she feels the same way about you," Brooks chimed in and I shot him a look.

"Do you really want me to kick your ass next?" I asked with a sigh.

"You stole her man," he chuckled. "Wouldn't you be mad if the opposite happened?"

"I didn't steal anyone and you know that, Brooks. You were sitting there when she made a scene at my house and he chose me. I didn't force him to do anything."

"Hey, what's going on?" Mallorie asked as she came outside of the Hard Deck with Briar in tow.

"According to your man here, I'm just a dirty little home wrecker," I muttered as I stood up and walked past them.

When I walked back inside, I watched as Sienna held Bradley's collar, her lips pressed against his and I instantly felt my heart shatter into the tiniest of pieces as he had pulled away from her and spotted me.

"First and last time, huh?" I said loud enough for Bradley to hear and I stormed out of the bar and to my car.

"She kissed me, Ry. I would never," Bradley called to me as he followed me out of the bar and to the parking lot.

I didn't say a word— I didn't know what to say. Sienna had got what she had wanted and now Bradley and I had gone from strangers to lovers to nothing at all.