Page 98 of Full Body Hit, Part 1

Chase put the coat on with jerky movements. It was too big on him, obviously, but there was something about seeing him in Auston’s clothes that…

No. Fuck that. There was literally no reason for his mind to be going there.

“Okay, let’s go to the building and get out of here,” Auston said, pointing at the park’s main landmark. His heart was still beating hard from running.

Chase nodded, trailing after him silently.

It was only when Auston got home after they were done that he realised Chase had never returned the coat.

Chapter Nine

AUSTON

“Ow. What the—” Auston ducked as someone scuffed him on the head. Instinctively, he slapped his hand out, getting the culprit right in the balls.

“Holy—” Mark tripped into the chair on the other side of the table from Auston, managing to get his ass on it somehow.

The patrons of the café they were in turned their heads to stare at the commotion, one of the waitstaff approaching slowly with their face all scrunched up.

“Sorry,” Auston apologised, raising a hand. “My friend was dropped a lot as a child.”

The waiter rolled his eyes but let them be.

Auston turned to Mark. “You fucking idiot.”

“You weren’t supposed to hit back,” Mark complained, still cupping himself.

“Oh, yeah, let me just be assaulted.”

“The balls, though, man? Come on.”

Auston leaned back, flashing his teeth in a smile. “It’s like you don’t even know me.”

“Hmm, maybe you ignoring me for months had some effect after all.”

The smile dropped from Auston’s face, that little worm that ate away at him when he did wrong by his friends peaking its ugly little pincer-shaped head. “Sorry, man. I should have—”

“Nah, nah, don’t worry about it. I didn’t mean to bring up our emotions and shit this early on in the conversation. Let’s order something, I’m starving.”

Auston chuckled—he could always trust other hockey players to be as emotionally constipated as he was.

Well. Almost as emotionally constipated. He might be winning a few awards in that respect.

“I’m surprised Chin-Sun didn’t want to tag along and give me shit to my face,” Auston drawled.

Mark snorted. “She’ll get you next time.”

“Uh-huh.”

They ordered some food and then Mark settled in his chair, looking Auston over. “How you doing, man? The team doesn’t look too shabby.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? We’re barely at .5. I know it’s before Christmas, but you can’t say we’re playing well if we’re losing more than half the games, come on.”

“That’s because you weren’t watching the Spirits last year. They have a good core, but they were in fucking shambles. Ya’ll are losing, sure, but not abysmally.”

“Oh, shit, well, as long as it’s not abysmally.”

Mark raised his hands. “All right, all right. Still, I’m not bullshitting you when I say the team isn’t doing that bad—I’ve been a Spirits fan all my life, okay? I know their highs and lows. You guys just need to find some chemistry. How’s that new kid doing? Chase?”