Nightingale 》Jake Seresin

Chapter 7

Nova shut the door in his face.

Well, she tried to. He stuck his hand out to catch the door before it was completely shut.

"We need to talk Nova. You can't avoid this any longer," Jake tells her as he keeps the door open. She keeps trying to push it shut, but Jake is a lot stronger than she is.

"Yes I can. I'm very good at it," Nova insists just before she gives up. She had just gotten out of a relaxing bath. She was not up for this tonight.

But there was no way Jake would take no for an answer. He was just as stubborn as she was. Pete Mitchell was known for his stubbornness and it clearly passed on to his daughter.

"Just come in," Nova sighs, gesturing inside the door. Jake makes his way past Nova, observing the entryway to her house. It wasn't anything flashy, but it had the right amount of home touches to make it cozy and comforting. It screamed Nova.

Nova herself was trying not to scream. Here Jake was standing in her front room, two years after they had broken up. She had done everything she possibly could to avoid the man, regardless of the feelings she felt creeping back up. And the conversation with Ice just that afternoon was at the front of her mind.

She would have this talk with Jake. If not for her own closure, than for Ice and everything he had done for her.

She gestures for Jake to have a seat on the couch as she takes the chair. She knew better than to sit on the same seat as him, she would fold way too fast if she did. Nova was naturally cold and Jake was a human furnace. As soon as she felt a hint of his body heat, she would be sliding over to soak it all up like she used to.

"You wanted this talk, you start it," she got straight to the point. The faster this talk was had, the sooner he could leave.

Jake signed, running a hand through his hair, unsure of where exactly to start. Eventually, he figured he would just rip off the band-aid.

"Bradshaw came by my place last night."

Nova drops her head. "I told him not to do anything."

Jake shakes his head. "Yeah he didn't listen, shocking." But that got to Nova, who would always defend her big brother.

"You don't get to say that. Not after what happened in training today." Jake knew this was coming, but it didn't help at all. "How dare you bring up his father. You don't even know half of what actually happened. It was not my father's fault, despite what he thinks. And neither Bradley nor his mom have ever blamed him for what happened. So no, the past that you unburied and displayed for everyone this afternoon has nothing to do with what is going on between those two."

Nova was on a roll and didn't let Jake get a word in. "I don't know what is going on between you and Bradley, I never have. But whatever it is stops at your history with each other. If you ever bring up anything other than history you were involved in, you will regret it."

Jake listened to what she had to say, of course he did. But he wasn't going to just roll over and not add his side to the story.

"Bradshaw is too careful for this mission. Hell, he is too careful for a lot of missions. I know he can be better, but he gets stuck in his head and ruins whatever advantage he has. So yea, I've got an issue with him when every decision he makes directly affects anyone in the air with him. And I'm well aware of how hypocritical I'm being but that's been the truth since I first met the man."

Nova was stunned to say the least. This was the most information she had ever gotten about their rivalry. But Jake wasn't done.

"I'm sorry I brought up his history with your dad. I am. But after he came to my place and told me to stay away from you, I was pissed off. He doesn't get to tell me what to do, especially when it comes to you."