Page 9 of Hayes
“Why? Because I love her,” he scoffed.
“No. I mean, I know you love her, but why would you do that to her? You bring her across the country, away from everything she knows, leave her in an apartment by herself with nothing and no one. Why?”
Hayes frowned, shaking his head.
“You’re fucking selfish, that’s why,” scolded Brax. Hayes stared at the other man, offended by the statement. “That’s right. I said it. It’s selfish of you to want that. What you want is a woman there for you when you are home. Someone easily accessible to satisfy you.”
Hayes said nothing, continuing to get soaked in the rain.
“Are you tempted?” frowned Brax. “Are you thinking of cheating on that girl?”
“No! No, I’m not,” he said quietly. “Girls approach us all the time, but I haven’t done anything.”
“Yet.”
“It’s not like that, Brax. I don’t want anyone except Victoria, but I need her to not be afraid to get off the damn property now and then. I want a life with her, but I want a life where we can travel together, do things other than walk the gardens here.”
“Hayes, that girl has had a miserable life. Just like you. But she’s absolutely terrified that someone out there will know who she is and take her. She’s watched all the others, Marilisa, Katelyn, Chelsea, and now Stephanie. Their past followed them.
“She sits here worrying herself to death over you every damn day. She tries to keep track of where you are, but you’ve obviously figured that out and turned off your tracking devices on occasion.”
“I have to,” he frowned.
“Bullshit. The military can’t see them or find them. You do it because you don’t want her to know where you are. Let me guess. Strip clubs? Bars? Partying with the boys?”
From Hayes’ silence, Brax knew he’d hit a chord. It wasn’t that he blamed him. He was a twenty-four-year-old young man, alone, with urges. He was doing what every young man in the military tended to do.
“Listen to me, Hayes. If you’re gonna fuck around, you tell that young woman that you need a break. You want a breakfrom her, and you need her to date other people to be sure that you’re actually the one.”
“Date other people! No fucking way!”
“Oh, I see. So, you want to play with the strippers and hookers, but she’s not allowed to have dinner with someone?”
“I’m not seeing hookers and strippers!” he yelled. Before they knew it, six men were standing around them. Luke, Cam, Hex, Eric, Pax, and Saint stared at the young man. Luke pointed across the path.
“Office.Now.”
“I haven’t done anything,” frowned Hayes, shaking off the water from his hair and clothes.
“Yet. You haven’t done it yet,” said Luke. “You’re obviously tempted.”
“Of course I am! Weren’t you?”
“No,” said Luke. “I was not. I knew that the only woman for me was Ajei. End of story.” Hayes looked at Eric.
“Sorry, buddy. Sophia Ann was always the woman I loved.” He looked at Cam.
“I was a man-whore,” he said, frowning. “I’m ashamed to say it now, but it’s the truth. I was lucky that Kate saw the real me and loved me. I’m grateful.” He turned to Hex.
“I was an older man when I found Gwen. I’d been with other women, but not while I proclaimed love for one back home.”
“Well, I guess you’re all boy scouts,” he frowned.
“We didn’t say that, Hayes. Listen, you’ve had some time out there in the world now without anyone hanging over your shoulder,” said Luke. “We get it. We get being tempted. The problem with that is that Victoria hasn’t been out there in the world. She doesn’t know how beautiful she is, how enticing. We see it when the men at The Well look at her.”
“You take her to The Well?” he yelled.
“Fuck, yes. The girl needs to get away from here. We agree with you on that,” said Eric. “But there is always a half-dozen men around her when we go, and she does not move. She won’t even take a piss without two women going with her and a man outside the door. She is terrified, Hayes. Have you thought about that at all?”
