Page 115 of Full Body Hit, Part 1

Aunix hummed. “Not anything unusual. We’re a pretty boring family, really.”

“That sounds nice, honestly. Christmas has always looked really fun on TV,” Chase mused.

“You don’t do the traditional stuff?”

“I mean…I’ll get my mom a present, and we’ll have a meal, but my mom isn’t close to her family, and I haven’t seen my dad’s family in a long time. I think my mom had a falling out with them as well, so…it’s just the two of us.”

“Hmm. Well. We can plan on seeing some Christmas movies at the same time or something.”

Chase shook his head even though Aunix couldn’t see him. “No. You need to spend time with your family.”

“I don’t—”

“Sorry, Daddy, you’re not winning this one. We can do stuff before Christmas. It’s only gonna be a few days, anyway. It’ll be fine.”

An explosive sigh came from the other end of the line. “Fine. But then you have to let me send you all the presents I want.”

“Daddy…” Chase laughed.

“Sorry, baby. You’re not winning this one.”

Chase huffed at having his words thrown back at him. “Fine. But then I can send you something, too.”

“You really don’t have to—”

“No way, it’s Christmas! You’re getting a present whether you want it or not.”

“I’m feeling very oppressed right now,” Aunix complained.

“Oh, yeah. So oppressed.”

Aunix laughed, sound a deep, clear bell, filling Chase up with warmth until he couldn’t feel anything else.

Chapter Eleven

CHASE

Chase really shouldn’t have let himself be roped into dinner with Beau and Emilio from the Miami Manatees. Noah had asked Sammy to come along, and Sammy hadn’t wanted to turn it down. He liked Noah’s brother, Beau, he said, as well as Beau’s mate, Emilio. It was just that it felt a little too much like a cozy little double date, and wouldn’t Chase come along so that it wouldn’t be weird?

Chase, being the magnanimous and kind friend he was, had accepted the invitation after checking with Noah that it was okay if he showed up.

Turned out the dinner still felt like a double date, just with Chase being the weird fifth wheel, like a guy their mated friends felt sorry for and dragged out to dinner so he didn’t die alone in his apartment.

“Okay, melodrama,” Sammy replied when Chase told him this after dragging him off to the bathroom at the beginning of dinner. “And Noah and I aren’t mated, so I really don’t get what you’re saying.”

Chase rolled his eyes.

The truth was, the dinner was pretty fun. It was kind of fascinating to watch Beau and Emilio interact after watching portions of their love story publicised for the world to speculate over. Chase hadn’t really been around many mated couples growing up, but he couldn’t imagine two people being more ridiculously in love.

Chase didn’t even know quite how to describe it. It wasn’t like they were staring adoringly into each other’s eyes and feeding one another forkfuls from their plates. It was more just a sort of synchronicity that flowed under their actions. The way Beau would lean into Emilio and how Emilio would turn his head and plant a quick kiss on his head. The way they seemed to know exactly when to let the other tell a story. The way their eyes met, as if they knew something the rest of the world didn’t.

Beau turned to him halfway through the meal and gave him a big grin. “How’s your first year in the NHL going, then? You liking these bozos as your teammates? My brother a good captain?”

Noah protested with a weak “Hey,” as Chase nodded. “Yeah, it’s been cool.”

Beau continued looking at him as if waiting for something more

Chase didn’t know quite what to say—he wasn’t going to suddenly spill all his insecurities to a virtual stranger.