𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐔 | 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐲 "𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫" 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐰

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑

{CHAPTER 𝟎.𝟒}
NAKED TRUTHS

"I broke my own heart loving you."
-𝐡.𝐰

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SHE'S NOT YOU, the words trembled in my brain as he said them. It was kinda rich coming from him, meaning what I meant something? "Wow..cause you left like I wasn't a reason to stay." I enquired, still looking on the horizon as his face turned to mine. "Fall.." "You sent me a text; sorry you deserve someone who's sure about you. Talk about a shitty goodbye text." Fallon blurted out, expressing how she felt something that didn't happen often. I'm a volcano type. I let every little emotion bubble up then eventually it all explodes. I get that from father at least that's what Uncle Ice tells me.

"Yea, I know..." I gave him all my love and all he gave me was goodbye. We were the definition of Back to December by Taylor Swift, in the scenario I'm Taylor Lautner and Brad's Taylor Swift. "You thought so little of me..you just left—" I dragged on slightly facing him, watching as his eyes dragged to mine. "Fallon, I thought the world of you. I was scared..like I am now and I couldn't miss out on flying these planes."

"I never would've kept you from that." The girl expressed the hurt and bitterness filling her voice as if it happened yesterday. "I know you wouldn't have but if I wouldn't have left I would've never gone to the academy..that's how much power you held over me." I loved you and you left me. She thought. "We should get back...plus you've cooled." I stated getting up, putting my gear back on and grabbing my boots. "I'll take you back." I assured, walking back to my car. The car ride was silent. I didn't speak neither did he. What was honestly left to say? Time to bury the past in the sand leaving it in the summer of 2016 with their teenage selves. I dropped Rooster back off to the deck, making my way over to uncle Ice's and aunt Sarah's.

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The dark haired girl approached the front steps letting herself inside. I saw a table full of captured memories; my dad and me, me and uncle Ice, my dad and uncle Ice. I don't think I was ready to hear the news I was about to receive, looking at aunt Sarah i saw that look I could never forget. No one ever forgets those words, "It's come back..Fall." She spoke teary-eyed. "It's even painful to speak now." And they say the words only bleed when you're cut with the knife sure as hell doesn't feel like that now. "I'm so sorry." I voiced swallowing the tears that wanted so desperately to fall. Taking my aunt into a tight embrace, "Ok..ok now go see him he keeps saying you have to talk." I walked towards his office door, hearing his dangerous coughs as I entered. I stood there a moment admiring one of the men who raised me and molded me into who I am today before approaching. A smile crept on his face as the girl pulled up a chair across him, he soon reached over to his desktop typing away.

"I want to talk about you and Rooster. | "

He wrote out facing me with soft eyes,motioning to the lemonade pitcher a few inches away. I poured him a glass and then one for myself.

"Stop stalling. | "

"I'm not..we love lemonade. I chuckled out,sighing giving him what he wanted. Me and Bradley are sorta speaking now—"

"Did you tell him the truth? |"

"What truth?" I asked my uncle clueless to say the least.
"That you were in love with him when he left and you never stopped. |"

I'm normally honest with myself but with this I wanted so badly to believe I felt nothing that me and him could just go back to nothing. "I—" "There's still time. |" He typed out looking at me sternly and lovingly all at once.
"I don't want to get hurt again. I don't want to be left standing there at that beach alone again." I cried.

"I don't know how. But my life went on, without him it wasn't the same but it went on. I've created a life for myself. Losing him bettered me."

"Deep down, kiddo you know the truth; you need each other because no one else makes sense and you don't want to lose him forever.  You don't have to admit it now but sooner than later before it's too late. |"

"I know, I know." She sniffled as her godfather rose from his chair and they both stood. "You can love the pilot without getting hurt. Your aunt did." He hoarsely spoke. "Now, I love you kid." "I love you too." I spoke into the tight loving embrace that I wish I could keep forever. I pulled up in the driveway of my childhood home, getting out of my car and walking in the front door. "Hey, kiddo." Maverick spoke, from the couch with a beer in hand clearly overwhelmed. "Hey..dad." Just by hearing the tone of his daughter's voice he knew. "They told you." "Yea–they told me. They..uh don't know how much longer he has." I inform holding back a river, crashing beside my old man with my head in his chest like a little girl hurt by the big bad world. "I know kiddo..I know." "You guys talked?" I asked, composing myself. "We did. I saw him early today..after the whole–well you know. Yea i know. How is he?"He asked, referring to Rooster, łHe's pissed..at you more than a hangman. Dad, he needed you and you weren't there.." I needed him and he wasn't there. It was a childish cycle to say the least. "It's time to be there and like I'm sure Ice told you it's time to let go–start fresh." I told him trying to convince the both of us, as much as I hate to admit it, Hangman was right. We can't be stuck in the past. We can't keep hanging onto past hurts–it's keeping us from what's happening right now. They say your past doesn't need you but what if it's the only thing you have? For some it is, others something completely different.