The Pact // Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter Ten

Haley Seresin
May

    After returning home spring break, things resumed to their normal order. The last two months, Haley had spent her time focusing on finishing school and she had been on a few dates. She was trying to find a way to get her mind off Rooster. It wasn't easy though, everyone she went out with just wasn't it. She had gone on a few dates with a guy she had found nice and attractive, but he was looking for something more serious than she was. Haley honestly just wanted some fun at the moment.

    She had found that her mind hadn't always been on Rooster lately, though. Which was a relief. The feelings were still there, but the flight training had gotten more intense lately. So a lot of her focus had been there and sleeping. She was exhausted all the time. She was enjoying the training but it was tiring. They had all kinds of courses to go through, including things like water training in case of a crash. On top of piloting the actual jets.

    Haley was up in the air with Blaze in the backseat. They were running some test courses to evaluate their skill sets that afternoon. Their graduation was in August, and they had finished up the main part of school. Their last three months were focused on the flight training. She was running the course as instructed, which involved some steep turns and dives.

    "We're doing awesome, Hurricane." Blaze said from the radio.

    "Awesome doesn't sound like official Navy, lingo." Haley joked, as she turned them.

    "Well, it's Kazansky and Seresin lingo." Blaze responded with a laugh. "Shit!" He yelled as they did a flip. It was on par with the course, but he had been taken by surprise.

    "You sure you want to be a WSO? Hanging on for your life?" Haley asked, laughing.

    "Nothing provides me more joy than being a backseat driver, so absolutely sure." Blaze answered. Haley imagined him grinning as he said it.

    Haley laughed again as they finished up the course. She brought them down in a safe landing, and they disembarked from their jet. She passed Rooster as he was heading out on the flight line with Phoenix. She had a WSO in her jet too, but Rooster did not. He waved at Haley as he passed.

    "You got plans tonight?" Blaze asked as they walked inside.

    "A date. But I'm not that confident about it." Haley answered, sitting back down at a table. They had to wait for others to run the course.

    "Another? Damn." Blaze said, sitting next to her.

    "There's only been like three guys in two months. Literally a date apiece." Haley pointed out. "And I've slept with none of them." She added. It wasn't that she was out sleeping around. "Honestly, I just want something casual. I don't have time for a full blown relationship. Or I'd settle for just sex once or twice."

    Blaze laughed. "I get that." He replied, "It feels like if you're searching for something serious, it's not there. Then if you aren't, suddenly everyone else is."

    "Exactly." Haley said, drinking from her water bottle. Her brother suddenly appeared and sat down across from her.

    "Exactly what?" Jake asked, looking between them.

    "Exactly that I want just mindless sex but everyone I've been out with is wife hunting." Haley answered, rather bluntly. Jake made a face, which Haley had hoped for. Served him right for being nosy.