Page 113 of Full Body Hit: Part 2
The second day was much the same. They went to another town, walking about, having lunch. Auston was quiet, but Chase hadn’t expected any different—he knew it would be a transition, that they had to leave a space for grief.
They decided to go out of the resort for dinner, too. Chase loved how late everything stayed open, how lively the restaurants were even late at night, families with children and couples alike, even though it was already ten o’clock.
They sat beside a group of English Alphas. They’d been on some golfing trip nearby and had extended their trip to enjoy the beaches before leaving for England.
Chase thought Auston was just going to nod and say hi when one of them leaned over and asked them if they were from America, how it was nice to hear some actual English and not the stuff the locals managed, which Chase thought was a bunch of bullshit, but whatever.
Instead, Auston raised his eyebrows at Chase. “Should we join them?”
Chase blinked, wondering if he was joking. Auston wanted them to join this loud group of Alphas? But it was the first thingAuston had shown interest in, being uncharacteristically passive the past couple of days, so he nodded.
The Alphas cheered with such volume Chase winced, glancing around, but no one seemed to mind much.
It wasn’t too bad. Auston liked golf, so the group chatted about that, Chase happy to mostly watch Auston light up. He didn’t even notice everybody was slamming back drinks until Auston started laughing so hard he went bright red, knocking over a glass.
The whole group cheered as the cup rolled to the ground and shattered, taking up some sort of song that sounded as if it should be belted out in a sports game.
Chase apologised to the waitress when she came by, and Auston fell over himself trying to help.
It was kind of…silly, honestly. Chase had never seen Auston so undone, control stripped from him, drunk and clumsy.
Chase sighed in relief as they paid the bill and got up to leave, but then one of the Alphas suggested they were going to ‘the pub’, how Auston and Chase should join them.
Chase was already opening his mouth to turn the offer down, but Auston hollered out, “Hell, yeah!”
“Hell yeah,” the Alpha repeated. “You’re so American, mate.”
Judging by Auston’s reaction, he found that hilarious. “You’re not my mate.Thisis my mate.” Auston reeled Chase in and gave him a smooch on the cheek.
Chase laughed. “Okay there, tiger.”
Again, the English alpha echoed them, “Okay there,tiger. Brilliant,” and laughed as though that had been a joke.
Chase had no idea what he was talking about, but he smiled and nodded. He turned to Auston. “I’m pretty beat.”
Auston’s face transformed into a dramatic version of disappointment, eyes wide, mouth drooping. “No, babe, come on. Just one?”
Chase was going to smash his head into a wall if he spent any more time with this group of people. “You go. I’ll go to the hotel—take the card, I’ll ask for another one at reception.”
Auston put up a half-hearted protest, but Chase convinced him, calling a taxi from the number the concierge had given him and finally escaping.
One night without Auston wasn’t so bad, even though the Alpha arrived at almost five in the morning, stumbling in noisily and collapsing onto the bed still in his clothes.
Chase wrinkled his nose. Auston stunk of alcohol. He raised up onto an elbow, shaking him. “Auston? You okay?”
Auston mumbled something, visibly out of it. It didn’t seem like he was about to choke on his own vomit…Chase made sure he was on his side anyway.
It was no surprise that Auston was out for the count the following morning. Chase left a glass of water nearby, going out for some painkillers at a nearby pharmacy. Auston was still sleeping by the time he made it back, so Chase went to breakfast, making it just in time before it closed.
He thought about waking Auston when he returned to the room but he was out cold, mouth open and hair all over the place. Chase sent him a text instead, informing him that he was going to the beach, and then shared his location so Auston could find him.
He rented a lounger and parasol, settling in. It was the first time he’d slowed down that morning, and Auston’s absence hit him suddenly. He hadn’t imagined spending any significant amount of time alone, and it wasn’t as if he weredependenton Auston. He was his own man, but, well…this was supposed to be their mating honeymoon.
Chase stared across the yellow sand, the clear blue sea. It was still cool, but the air was warming up quickly, more people filling up the seats around him as the hours passed.
Eleven o’clock. Twelve. One. Chase entertained himself—went swimming, took a walk, had lunch. He checked his phone regularly, hoping for Auston to text him, to tell him he’d woken up, but there was nothing.
It was two in the afternoon when Auston appeared, steps dazed, pillow creases marking his face, big sunglasses on. “Fuck. Sorry, baby,” he said in greeting, voice a croak.
