Page 3 of Hayes (Voodoo Guardians #37)

“I don’t understand, Hayes. Why would you join the Navy? You have four college degrees, a job at G.R.I.P., and endless possibilities here. Why do this now?” she asked.

“I admire these men and what they’ve done, Victoria. I want to prove I’m more than just my brains. I want to feel useful.”

“Don’t you feel useful here? Now?” she asked.

“I do. But I know there’s more for me,” he said, holding her hand in the gardens. “I know it’s not for you, Victoria, but I want to see what else is out there. I want to see the world, other places, cultures, all of it.”

“What if they take you again? What if they take me?”

“Victoria, the men here have all told you that they wouldn’t allow that to happen. No one is looking for us any longer. All those people are gone. Please, think about it. You could move near base and work from home, or you could keep going to school for your additional PhD.”

“I don’t know, Hayes. I just don’t feel safe leaving here. I just know the minute I step off the property, someone will take me again.”

“Nothing I say will change your mind, Victoria. But you have to get over this. You need to speak with Bree, Ashley, and Calla. You’ll be stuck here for the rest of your life if you don’t.”

It infuriated Victoria that Hayes thought he had it all figured out.

“You know what, Hayes? I don’t need you to tell me I’m going to be ‘stuck’ here.

I don’t consider being here being stuck.

I’m grateful to have a home and a family, and a place to work that I love going to.

I’m not afraid of someone taking me from this property, and I know that I’m safe.

Here. I’m safe here, Hayes. Not out there. ”

“You know I didn’t mean it that way,” he said, frowning. She pulled her hand from his and stood, staring down at him.

“In case you’ve missed it, Hayes. I’ve been seeing Bree and Ashley since the day we arrived. I go twice a week, sometimes more. Maybe it’s you that needs to talk to them so you can learn a little about managing other people’s emotions.”

She stood and stormed away from Hayes.

“Victoria!” he yelled. She didn’t bother to turn around, and he just shook his head, not sure what to do.

“You gotta be patient with her, son,” said Angel.

“Patient? I’ve been patient since we arrived. There’s no one out there that’s going to take us. She’s being ridiculous!”

“Don’t do that,” said Trak, staring at the boy. “We’ve spent a lot of time with her because she feels safe with us. Her fear is palpable, and although it may be irrational to you, it’s rational to her.”

“I can’t live like that,” he said. “I can’t hide away and be afraid of the whole damn world. I want to experience the world.”

“Then go,” said Angel. “Go and experience the world. But it’s unfair of you to think that she should experience the world just because you want to. It sounds to me like you’re afraid of doing it alone.”

Hayes opened his mouth, then closed it. There could be some truth to him being afraid as well, but at least he was willing to face his fears and go out into the world.

Trak and Angel left him seated in the grove, hoping he would take some time to think about things.

“You should listen to them. They’re very wise,” said Tony, one of their resident teen spirits.

“Isn’t that how you got killed, though? Going off property?”

“Yes,” he smirked, “but it was because I wanted to save Alexandra. I was the one who found her in that tree house out on the island, and then to see her being brave, hoping to help the others, it was something I couldn’t ignore.

She was amazing, and that man was going to kill her.

I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen. ”

“You were incredibly brave,” said Hayes. “That’s what I want to be. Brave.”

“There are other ways to be brave,” said Tony. “You were brave just keeping yourself alive and getting to this point. I think a man has to do what he needs to do, but you can’t expect that Victoria will want to do the same thing. That’s not fair of you.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” he said a little louder than expected. “If she loves me, shouldn’t she do what will make me happy?”

“Boy, you need some lessons on what love really is,” said Grip, walking toward him.

“Great, another ghost to tell me what to do,” he frowned.

“Don’t test me, Hayes. I’m capable of more than you think,” growled Grip.

“Yes, sir,” he said, blushing apologetically. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded. But why should I be the one to flex for her?”

“Sometimes you have to be the man and flex. It’s just that simple,” said Grip. “If you really love her, go and do your thing.”

“Of course I love her! How am I supposed to just leave her?” he whined.

“I left Ajei,” said Luke, walking toward the trio. “We all had to leave the women we loved at some point. Sometimes, it was only for a few weeks or months. Sometimes, it was for years. She knew that I loved her and didn’t want to change her at all.

“Of course, we’d known one another almost our entire lives. We’d had a long time to build a relationship.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he frowned.

“Hayes, you’re one of the most brilliant young men I know, but you are young. Joining the Navy is a huge leap for you as a young man. But it will present a lot of challenges for you as well. You’ll be in locations where there will be plenty of single women interested in you, romantically.”

“I don’t want other women. I want Victoria.”

“You sound like a spoiled child not wanting to share a toy,” frowned Cam, staring at the younger man. “Look, Hayes. We all know what you’re feeling, but if you keep pushing Victoria, you’re going to push her away.”

“You don’t have to change who you are, but you do have to understand her, son. You do have to attempt to understand her fears. Join the Navy. Do your thing. But you can’t expect that she will sit here and wait patiently for twenty years for you to be done,” said Eric.

“I need to think about this,” he frowned, standing to leave. “I know that I’m supposed to join the Navy, and if I’m lucky enough, I’d like to eventually become a SEAL. But I want my wife, my girlfriend, with me.”

“I think you need to ask yourself why that’s so important to you, Hayes. Otherwise, you might just push away the woman that you love,” said Luke.

They watched the young man walk away and looked at one another.

“Anyone else feel like this isn’t going to end well?” asked Eric. Cam nodded.

“Down to my bones.”