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Chase's POV

I stared at the door as it slammed shut. Memories from the last time this has happened to me flooded my mind. Not so much of Gabby running away from me, but her.

I didn't run after her. I couldn't, I was too broken. She made it act like what we had for the last year or so was nothing to her. As I watched her walk out the door she took my heart and any hope of feeling like myself ever again. I didn't run after her because a broken man didn't know how to run. A broken man just stands there hopelessly lost and confused as to where he went wrong.

I'm no longer that broken man. I know exactly what I want now and I'm not going to let this happen to me again.

As fast as I could, I threw on my shoes and grabbed a few towels. It was still pouring down rain, like the storm outside was the background music of what was going on between Gabby and I.

Hopping into my truck, I turned the wipers on high, started down my long driveway and onto the only road out of this side of the Lake Norman. I cursed the moment I pulled onto the road, it was starting to flood already.

I started to panic as I kept driving and the water got deeper and deeper, and there was no sign of Gabriella anywhere. Did she take cover somewhere else? I know she couldn't call anyone since she didn't have anything with her. "Fuck!"

My stomach was in knots and the rain was making it impossible to make anything out. Reaching in my backseat I pulled out a giant flood light I use for deer spotting. Rolling down my window I began to flash the light onto the road and breathed a breath of relief when I saw Gabby hunched over and walking slowly on the other side.

I pulled up to her and rolled down the window, "get in the truck, Gabriella."

"Leave me the fuck alone." She changed her course and waded through the water to the other side of the road.

She wasn't going to make this easy on me.

"Gabby, c'mon, it's pouring down rain and the streets are flooding. Please, get in the truck, I can drive you home."

"Leave me alone."

"What? You're just going to walk home in this storm? You could get yourself killed."

"Then so be it!" I huffed and put the truck in park and got out to go after her.

"Stop being so ridiculous and get in the truck. The storm is only getting worse." A flash of lighting hit the lake at the precious moment, like mother nature was on my side.

"You're the one being ridiculous here, chasing a girl who doesn't want your help. So if you don't mind, I'm going home." Gabby started to power walk away from me and I couldn't help but laugh.

"I think you should be the trainer here, especially since you're constantly running away from me. Now get in the truck."

"Fuck you, Chase." She said and God! She knew how to get under my skin.

"Damn, Blaney said you were stubborn but I wasn't expecting this."

Gabby turned around the moment I said that comment and walked up to me. She had fire in her eyes and her lips were pursed. I've struck a chord I didn't mean to strum.

"What? Are you and Blaney talking about me now? Did you tell him that you kissed me and then proceeded to tell me only a few hours later that you told some girl you wanted to fuck, that and I quote, 'clearly she's not my type, nor will she ever be. You have nothing to worry about, baby'. How do you think that made me feel, Chase? I'm so sick of guys like you making it damn clear that girls like me will never be wanted."