Page 14 of Full Body Hit: Part 2
Auston wanted to go over there and touch him so bad ithurt.
He knew having sex, even their version of it, would be crossing a line. Chase hadn’t consented to show those pictures toAuston. It was different now that Auston knew the truth.
Not that Chase was making it easy with the pleading voice notes and pictures. And it wasn’t that Auston was running out of strength of will—it was that Chase was beginning to sound genuinely hurt when Auston turned him down.
He had to speed this whole fucking plan up, which was harder than it seemed, what with Chase wanting nothing to do with him.
Auston was running out of non-creepy ways to get Chase to spend some time with him when a solution presented itself in the form of a very talkative captain.
Auston hadn’t been sure how to feel the first time he’d realised his stall was beside Noah’s. The guy was…loud. And cheerful. And loud.
But his openness turned out to be an advantage.
“We’re going to that place with the vegan food. It was in a magazine or something…or like an article? I can’t remember what Sammy said,” Noah was babbling.
Auston hummed noncommittally. It was pretty much the only input Noah needed to keep talking.
“It looks kind of weird to be honest, but Chase wanted to try it too, so…”
Auston perked up instantly. “Oh?”
“Sammy showed me a picture of one of the dishes and I swear it was just figs.”
“Yeah. I think I’ve heard of that place,” Auston lied. God, how far he’d fallen. “Been meaning to check it out.”
“Oh, dude, come with us then.”
This guy was so easy. “You sure? Maybe you should check in with the others.”
“Nah, it’s fine. We’re a team!”
It was, in fact,notfine, judging by Sammy’s face as Auston turned up at the restaurant. Chase smiled brightly at him as he approached the table, though, so Auston didn’t give a shit.
Not that he wasn’t aware he was making a fool of himself, manoeuvring his life to go after Chase, but he didn’t give a shit about that, either. After all was said and done, he wanted to peer at himself in the mirror and be able to claim that he’d done everything he possibly could to salvage their relationship.
He took a seat, taking in the sudden quiet that had taken over the trio. “Uh…am I interrupting something?”
Chase’s cheeks turned red. Auston held back from grabbing them. “No.”
Sammy interrupted. “Just Chase’s boyfriend being a dick. Again.”
That caught Auston’s attention. He glanced at Sammy, finally ripping his gaze away from Chase. “Huh?”
It was Chase who responded. “No, he isn’t. Don’t say that, Sammy.”
“Heis, though.”
Chase’s frown deepened. “No. He’s not obligated to have se—to do that.”
“That’s not what makes him a dick. It’s the constant lack of communication. Sure, of course he can say no, but to suddenly change a whole aspect of your relationship without warning is a shitty thing to do.”
“He’s just stressed,” Chase defended.
“Oh, is he? What, does he play in the NHL? Is he a rookie in the NHL? Becausethatseems stressful.”
Chase huffed. “Sammy, come on.”
“I’m just saying—we’re all busy. We’re all stressed. Is it that hard to be like, hey babe, my libido is down because I’m tired, I may not be in the mood for a while.”
