Page 117 of Full Body Hit: Part 2
“Can we—can we talk?”
Chase looked Auston over. He’d never heard the Alpha sound so uncertain. “Yeah.” He swayed in place before deciding to take his shoes off and get on the bed, right outside the perimeter of the nest.
Auston stared at him, licking his chapped lips. “I’m really fucking sorry.”
Chase picked at his nailbed. “It’s…I mean, I get it. I do. I just…I know you’re sad. I’m not telling you not to be sad. I just…” Helaughed humourlessly. “When we mated, my first thought was—I’m never going to be lonely again. And these past few days…I’m just lonely.”
The scent in the room turned dark and pungent, a small, hurt sound leaving Auston. “Baby…”
Chase waved him away. “It’s been two days. I’m seriously fine. It’s just weird being here in Spain and feeling as if I’m in the way, you know? I think we should just go home and…deal with stuff there.”
Auston swallowed audibly. “I…if you wanna go, we’ll go, but—give me one more chance. Just one more day. I promise I’ll get my shit together.”
Chase sighed, smiling slightly. He crawled forwards until he was sitting next to Auston, inside the nest this time. “I don’t need you to get your shit together. You can be sad and mope and…whatever you need, but I just want to be there with you, okay? I don’t want to feel like I’m watching you. Like I’m not allowed inside.”
Chase reached over, squeezing Auston’s hand, and Auston pressed back immediately. “I know. I mean, fuck, this was supposed to be a honeymoon, and I’m just…” He shook his head. “I’m here. I’m here with you.”
Chase’s smile wobbled, but it only grew. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“And…maybe this is something to bring up to your therapist? When we get home?”
Auston nodded. “Yeah, okay.”
He crawled on top of Auston, straddling him, tucking into his chest, nose in Auston’s neck, drinking in their combined, mated scent.
***
The next day dawned hot and sticky—not outside, but in the room, Auston draped over Chase, crushing him to the bed. Chase wasn’t sure how he was getting oxygen, but it felt nice, all that weight on him, steadying the core of him, keeping all the loose pieces in place.
Auston was still visibly sleepy as he woke up, but he followed Chase to breakfast easily, piling his plate full and knocking back two cups of coffee.
“Wow,” Auston grunted after he’d polished off the last of the bacon. “I fucking needed that.”
Chase laughed. “Are you sure you don’t want more? You only had like seven pieces of toast.”
“I hadn’t eaten properly in like two days.”
“Oh, does alcohol not count as food?” Chase said lightly.
Auston tensed but then cracked a smile when he saw Chase didn’t mean anything by it. “I think beer is actually on the food pyramid.”
“Yeah…I don’t think that’s true.”
Auston hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe I should become a nutritionist.”
“Great, now I’m going to visit you in jail after you kill all your clients?”
“Aw, you’d visit me in jail?”
“ ’Course.” Chase shrugged, smile playing with the edges of his mouth. “You’re my mate. I’m your ride or die.”
Auston’s expression did something complicated, a sort of softening of his edges. He reached across the table, squeezing Chase’s hand, eyes and scent glowing.
The day went by slowly. They lounged at the beach, Auston slathering Chase in sunscreen despite spending most of the time in the shade. There was a breeze, but it was hot, travelling from Africa, making the air dry. The sea was freezing in comparison,but it was a relief to go in, as painful as the first few seconds were.
Chaseeepedas the water lapped at his thighs, scared to go any further. “Help.”
