Page 111 of Full Body Hit: Part 2
“Yeah,” Chase whispered. “Maybe if my mom calls me before the summer is over, we can go see her?”
Auston had to bite his tongue to avoid expressing his kneejerk anger. The silence dragged on as he tried to find the right thing to say, frosting the air between them.
“She’s my mom,” Chase breathed.
Auston squeezed Chase’s hips. “I know.”
The silence lengthened and then softened suddenly as Chase sighed. “I’m not choosing her over you.”
“I know—baby, I’m not asking you to choose. I would never—”
“No, I know,” Chase cut in. “But she will. And…I choose you.”
Something inside Auston pinched, a muscle constricting, his heart beating hard. “You’re not going to lose me if you want to see her. But I can’t lie and say I like the way she treats you. I don’t like the way she makes you feel. The things she gets awaywith. I don’t like the things she’s done in the past. And I think it’s time for you to try and face the fact that…she’s made some big mistakes, and it’s okay not to forgive her for them—especially since she’s not saying sorry.”
Chase avoided Auston’s gaze. “I just…it’s hard.”
“I know. I know it is. But…it’s fucking worth it. And it’s part of growing up.”
Chase swallowed. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.”
Auston managed not to let his surprise show, locking it down, but his pulse was thrumming.
This was the furthest he’d gotten with Chase regarding his mom. And Auston knew—this wasn’t going to be an easy fix. There wasn’t a world where he could just swoop in, mate Chase, and take him away from the evil mother as if their story were some fairy tale.
Chase’s mother had made sure to dig in deep. To leave sprouting seeds of guilt and dependence. It would take time and energy to force them out—to kill the roots until they were all gone.
But Auston was there for the long run. He was going to be there every step of the way until Chase—so young and fresh still—matured enough to extricate himself fully.
For now, he just had to be there, armed with a suggestion or two. “I’m not gonna say no to seeing your mom if you really want to, but…”
“I mean…maybe I can just let it be for now? If she reaches out I can deal with it then, but if she doesn’t…that’s her choice.”
Auston nodded, so fucking proud that he could burst.Fuck her, he wanted to say but contained himself. “I think that’s a great idea.”
Chase gave him a wobbly smile. “Okay. Then, um…Spain?”
Auston went with the change of topic easily. Maybe an outsider wouldn’t agree, but this wasprogress.“Spain. We can go to the south. Or Marbella. Somewhere beachy.”
The light in his eyes returned “Yeah. Wait, let me grab my phone, we can look places up.”
The hackles that had risen at the mention of Chase’s mom lowered. He dragged Chase almost on top of him, back to chest so they could both see the phone screen, ready to plan their first summer together.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHASE
They ended up going to one of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria. Chase had fallen in love with the photographs they’d found online, but the reality was even better—yellow dunes stretched out beyond the resort like a golden sea caught in stasis. It was the middle of May, so the beaches weren’t stuffed full of tourists yet, the air a little chilly at night. During the day, though, it was perfect—hot enough to enjoy the sun and the waves but not so much that it was intolerable to be out.
As much as it stung not to make it to the playoffs his first year, Chase had to admit that going on holiday with Auston wasn’t the worst consolation prize. The watchful eyes of others had burned him through, stripping layers off his skin. The media, other players, even the team, as much as he loved them—Chase’s mating was a topic of conversation, of speculation, and as much as he didn’t regret the bonding, it was still tiring to feel as if his relationship didn’t belong only to him. To them.
Cancun had felt different—like an escape. This was the same. Nobody knew who they were there. Spain was all about soccer, or tennis, or Formula One. Chase doubted the locals even knew what hockey was.
It was liberating.
It wasn’t as if Chase completely forgot about the season and its disappointing ending. He didn’t just ignore the fact that Auston was dealing with the end of his career. But for the first two days in Maspalomas, it didn’t seem to matter.
Chase thought they’d rest for the first few days, maybe explore later on, but Auston suggested they go to San Fernando, a nearby town. Chase agreed happily, dressing in loose clothes and accepting the ball cap Auston put on his head to shield him from the sun, and they took a taxi into the town.
