“Cherry, are you safe?” he asks, not even asking us any questions.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Martinez,” she says shyly, wiping her eyes.
“Don’t be sorry. Are these men bothering you?”
“Please let me explain,” Hayes says to Hailey before glancing at the man. “I fucked up, Ian, but she’s not in any harm,” he says.
“I didn’t ask you, Paxton,” Ian replies, and Hayes is properly chastised.
“Can we use one of the VIP rooms to talk, please?” Hayes asks, not deterred from being scolded.
Ian glares at Hayes, and Hailey wipes her face.
“Okay,” she says weakly.
“I’ll send Thomas with you, he will be right outside if you no longer feel comfortable,” he says sweetly before turning to Hayes. “Don’t make a habit of making my Omegas cry,” Ian says, glaring down at my Beta, before walking away.
The man is actually pretty fucking terrifying. I also didn’t like the way he referred to her as his; I know he means as an employee, but still, doesn’t mean I like it.
Hailey wraps her arms around herself, not letting any of us help her walk as she slips through an open curtain and sits on a smaller chair in the corner. Her body language is agitated as she sits on the edge, bouncing her knee and continually touching her face.
Every instinct in me wants me to pick her up and comfort her, to make this all right. Alarm bells are ringing in my head that her first instinct was that we were some puppets being used by her mother to humiliate her.
Nate and Hayes sit on the opposite couch, and I stay standing.
Hayes goes to open his mouth and I give him a look. “I think you’ve said enough,” I tell him as I approach Hailey, getting down on my haunches so we’re face to face.
Her pretty gray eyes search mine and I sigh.
“Hayes’ intentions weren’t malicious, he just has absolutely no tact. We aren’t here to trick you or judge you. We’re here because Hayes really likes you and figured out you were the same Hailey that Nate’s been talking about. For some ridiculous reason, he thought this would be the best place for thisinformation to come to light. Nate and I didn’t know you worked here until right now,” I say calmly, and hold eye contact with her the whole time.
“Well, now that you know I work here, I guess that changes things,” she says, but looks over my shoulder to look at Nate.
For the first time since Hailey realized we were here, Nate speaks.
“Sweetheart, this changes nothing,” he says, and when I glance back, his cheeks are rosy red.
Hayes places a hand on Nate’s knee, and I know Hailey is tracking the motion.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think this through,” Hayes says, getting to his feet and coming over to Hailey. “I thought if they saw you like this, they would understand.”
“Understand what?” Hailey says, her hand rubbing against her collarbone in an anxious motion, her skin turning pink in the wake of her fingers.
“That you’re perfect. That you should be ours.”
Hailey licks her lips and stares at Hayes.
“It was one night,” she whispers shyly and Hayes shrugs.
“All I needed was one night. I just wanted to get everyone on the same page and now I realize it was misguided. I’m sorry.”
“Do…do you still feel that way?”
“More than ever,” Hayes says honestly.
Hailey’s gaze snaps to mine. “We’ve barely spoken a few words. You don’t even know me.”
I smile at her. “I think I’d like to though. Get to know you, that is. Preferably not at your job,” I drag that word out, glaring at Hayes. “Now that we’re all being honest and wanting to do things right, perhaps we can do things the proper way.”
