Page 12 of Full Body Hit, Part 1

It rang exactly once before Mark picked up.

“Wow. I can’t believe the great Auston Mazdaki took time out of his busy day to call me. I’m truly blessed.”

“Oh, quit with the dramatics. I’ve been in New Orleans for like three days,” Auston argued. He and Mark were close—had played on the Baltimore Beasts together, had won two cups side by side. Mark had retired four years ago, moving back to his hometown of New Orleans with his mate. Had gotten pregnant a few months after and popped out two pups.

Auston was happy for him. He hadn’t been avoiding his friend. At least not any more than he was avoiding everything else in his life.

“Try a month,” Mark retorted.

“Excuse me for settling in.”

“You’re so full of shit. How’s your depressed ass doing, eh?”

“I’m not depressed,” Auston argued. And he wasn’t. He was just irritated. And snappy. And empty. A little hollow, really, lacking motivation, and energy, and—but he wasn’t fucking depressed.

“Right, okay. You know, I went to a really good therapist after I retired…”

Auston wrinkled his nose. He didn’t need a therapist. “I don’t need a therapist.”

“Bro, I mean this with all the love in my heart, but no one needs a therapist more than you.”

Auston let out a squawk. On the other end of the line, he could hear a faint voice ask, “Is that Aus?”

“See? She knew it was you just by that comment,” Mark teased.

“You’re so fucking annoying. I’m. Fine.”

There was a rustling at the end of the line, a, “Put it on speaker,” and then Chin-Sun’s voice loud and clear. “Hey, Aus. Nice for Your Highness to call us.”

Auston covered his eyes with the palm of his hand. Was his headache getting worse? Because it felt like it was getting worse. “Hey, Chin-Sun. Nice of you to hijack the private phone call with my best friend.”

“Aw,” Chin-Sun cooed. “He called you his best friend.”

“That’s because he doesn’t have any other friends,” Mark reasoned.

“Okay. I’m hanging up now.”

The other end of the line filled with laughter. “No, no, we’re just teasing. You know we love you to death,” Chin-Sun promised.

Auston grumbled under his breath.

“Seriously, though,” Mark said, voice sobering. “How’re you holding up? How’s the new team?”

Auston sighed. “It’s fine, I guess. They’re…young. It’s kind of annoying.”

Chin-Sun piped up. “I feel like you’d be a great veteran presence in the room.”

“Jeez, what are you, a reporter? Veteran presence in the room. Where the hell did you get that?”

“She’s been reading every article about you,” Mark whispered.

A twinge went through Auston’s core, heart squeezing. “Chin-Sun…”

Chin-Sun snorted. “I kind of missed you, shut up. What have you been up to? Are you dating anyone?”

Auston loved Chin-Sun to death, but she asked him that question every few months. “Let’s not get into that again.”

“I’m not getting into anything! I just think that it would do you good to have someone with you.”