Chapter 17 Moonlight Past

A Chapter by WritersSoul

Jade always thought Bradley was far away, now she knows

I ran my fingers through my free curls. I just looked into Bradley's earnest eyes that lingered on mine, the deep set blue in the night. He asked me of the locket of my father, how could I answer without breaking down?
         "It was my dads..." Bradley kneeling down like that made me feel uncomfortable. "Please get up Bradley, it's really weird." I tried to lift the mood as high as I could. The night air rushed around me as Bradley got up and sat next to me on the bench. He seemed very interested in what I had to say. The side of my body instantly became warm and I started to relax
         "Is that it?" He remarked. I looked at him like he'd just slapped me across the face. "What?" He seemed slightly offended, maybe when he wanted to pry into peoples backgrounds he always got what he wanted.
          "I know," I knew a deal that could possibly make us both happy, since I wanted to know about Bradley a bit more. "How about you tell me about your background, and I tell you about mine?" I smiled at him, my eye still hurt so I gently winced.
Bradley looked caught of gaurd and ducked his head. Maybe his past was more tragic? I felt horrible inside form saying that, it's his past, yet he wanted to pry into mine. When I was about to reconsider, he lifts his head.
           "Alright." He smiles a weak smile. I have only ever seen him smile at me, sometimes Lewis, but mostly with me. He seems comfortable around me, and he's laughed around me. Maybe my influence of being happy so much has finally gotten to him.
           Bradley gained a serious face and looked me dead in the eye, so serious I thought my blood would stop.
"Just a few days ago, I lost everything in a matter of seconds." Bradley's eyes became shadowed. He suddenly became aware that he was ducking his head again and raised it to look at me. Then that's when I thought I'd never see this Bradley in another life time. Tears brimmed his blue eyes in the moonlight, specks of light showing the hint even more that he was crying.
           He quickly wiped them and continued with his story, even though I knew it hurt him deeply.
"I was gone for the night, sleeping over my friends. Before that, I had gotten into an argument with my mother, she was the reason I stayed out. I couldn't bare it. My parents would always fight and I'd watch like a weakling, my mother couldn't defend herself and I wanted her to at least get my little sister away. I couldn't do anything. Neither could my sister. She was only seven..." He squeezed the bridge of his nose, tears sliding down his fingers as he breathed in and out.
           I sat, frozen. That's why he acted fierce, because his parents used to fight in front of him. No wonder he would defend me, don't know why only me though. I had no clue what to do, I just sat. I didn't wanna reach out to him incase he lashed out at me. I didn't want to leave because I made a deal and I'd feel bad and... Because I didn't want to. I couldn't do anything.
           "Then," He still continued his story. "I got a call from my auntie and had to leave immediately. My dad... He..." He began full throttle crying. His sobs echoed through my heart and soul. I felt bruised from my own experience of losing someone. "He burnt the house down..."
            I jolted.
He must've been on about his father, since he only mentioned his sister and mother. I was shocked and glued to the spot. His own father killed his own family.
My own eyes became wet and started to drip. I couldn't contain myself but share my pain with Bradley who also suffered alot.
           "He was drunk and he was always brutal when he was. He came home and apparently lashed out at my mother and sister. Doing so, he grabbed a canister of gasoline and tossed it everywhere. Then lit a match..." Bradley was practically on top of me. He was crying onto my shoulder and holding onto me as he cried.
            I couldn't help but cry along with him. I made my mind up and impulsively held onto Bradley. He turned toward me and held onto me like a lost man. He smelt dull and fresh, felt clangy and shaky, his back a vibration of shivers and sobs. This was Bradley who is mean to everyone, this is Bradley who is a fighter, this is Bradley who found the will to live on when his own family had been destroyed. I had no words to say. My tears made me shake violently and convulsevly, I couldn't stand crying since it showed my weaker side. However, it must've been embarrassing for Bradley since he was crying in front of me.
             I heard a bush move noisely, but the air was rushing, so I left it alone since my crying state made me less vulnerable.
             Bradley stopped crying and looked into my eyes.
His face streaked in tears, made him look shiny. His soft features were once in a life time, only been seen once. I was just shaking with my own pain, my chest burning and hurting. I couldn't think straight. Then, just when I couldn't be sure of anything, Bradley leaned closer into me. His face so close our skin shared heat. Our breathes mingled for seconds until Bradley came a tad bit closer and our lips touched. I felt as if sparks were flying from me everywhere in this beautiful well lit night.

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