Chase's POV:
I woke the next morning with a pounding in my head and vivid images of Hadley in my bed again. I knew that had been a dream, because the last thing I remember about last night was sitting at Larry's with Freida -Or was her name Franny- and drinking like a damn fish. But in my swollen brain, I just couldn't stop thinking about Hadley. A memory tickled at the back of my mind, one that involved Hadley and one of my mama's signature ear tugs but for the life of me, I couldn't put all the pieces into place.

Rolling to my side with a groan, I sat on the edge of the bed gathering myself before heading to the bathroom. When I stood, I noticed that I still had my t-shirt on from yesterday, but my jeans, flannel, and boxers were tossed onto the floor in a wrinkled pile. Again, another memory tickled at my brain, just out of reach and too foggy for me to tell exactly what had been happening.

Grabbing a discarded pair of sweats, I tugged them on before heading out of my room and into the bathroom as quietly as possible. Shutting the door with a soft snick, I leaned over the bathroom counter staring at my reflection in the mirror. I noticed blood splotches over my left peck. Lifting my shirt over my head and tossing it to the side, I used my fingers to gently examine the wound on my chest. As I did, a mirage of images popped into my head.
Hadley showing up at the bar.
Hadley ear tugging me out of the bar.
Hadley angry.
Hadley buckling me into her jeep.
Hadley helping me in the house.
Hadley falling on top of me.
Us kissing.
Her stripping.
Her riding me with one intent.
Hadley getting dressed and leaving after telling me that she'd had an itch that had needed scratching.

It all came back to me as if it was a highlight reel from last night. Seeing the teeth mark on my chest, the broken skin from the bite that she had inflicted, had a groan slipping out of me. I couldn't believe Hadley had taken me to bed, took what she wanted, and then left without so much as a second glance. Don't get me wrong, I've done exactly what she did last night a few times over the years with women but now that it had been done to me, I didn't like it... at all. I felt cheap and used, something that I had laughed about when women had told me how my leaving them had made them feel. Again, now that it had been done to me, I knew what they meant. Hadley and I were going to have a talk about this just as soon as I got a shower and got something in my belly to soak up the alcohol still in my system.

***

After eating some scrambled eggs and greasy bacon, I felt a little better but even mama's cooking couldn't have made me feel one hundred percent. Rinsing my plate off and placing it in the dishwasher, I grabbed my hat from the table by the front door. I was headed to my truck before I remembered that it was still at Larry's since Hadley had brought me home last night. Cussing to myself, I changed tactics and headed for the garage. My side-by- side was still here from bow season and since it was a short trail ride to her property from mama's, it was the only way I was going to get over there without using Mama's Tahoe or walking.

It only took me a few minutes to get over to Hadley's. As I had neared her house, I could see her Jeep sitting in the driveway. The sight made my heart start racing and had anger simmering just below the surface. Madder than I had been in a long time, I slammed the emergency brake down on my side-by-side and jumped off before the engine had fully cut off. Stalking to her front door, I took the steps two at the time. Giving the knob a forceful twist, I sighed in relief when the door swung open.

"Hadley Grace Sawyer! Where the hell are you?" I roared as I stepped through the doorway. I was too pissed to worry about how loud I was being. If I woke her up, oh fucking well.

"What he fuck is your problem. Why the hell are you yelling like a mental patient?" said Hadley as she popped around the corner, coming from the kitchen.

"My problem is" I said as I stalked towards her "that I woke up tis morning with teeth marks on my fucking chest and feeling like i had been used. What the hell Hads? Stopping in front of her, I looked down into her blue eyes, hoping to see some sort of remorse for how she had treated me last night but finding none.

"I told you. I had an itch that needed to be scratched. You scratched it." she said, giving me a nonchalant shug of her shoulders as she turned to go back into the kitchen. I followed her hot on her heels.

"Hadley Grace, I think you know damn well that whatever it is between us is so much more than either of us having an itch." I said through clenched teeth. I wanted nothing more than to lift the silky nightgown she was wearing over her head and prove to her that it was so much more but as angry as I was feeling, I knew that I would tear her apart.

"It's just sex right?" she said, throwing my words from yesterday back at me as she glared at me. "That's what you said yesterday right? That it was just sex and that we both and itches that needed scratching. That we needed to move on from it. Consider this moving on."

"Hads-" I said with a sigh as I watched her pouring creamer into her coffee. I really didn't know what to say. I had plenty I wanted to say, that needed to be said, but I knew that spilling my guts right now would only drive her further away.

"What Chase?" she said, glaring at me.

"Forget it. I'll see you at mama's Christmas Eve." I said, turning on my heel and stomping out of the kitchen. Snatching the door open, I stomped out onto the porch, slamming the door behind me with a loud bang before making my way to my side-by-side. Climbing onto it, I tore out of her drive and back to Mama's. I needed some time to lick my wounds. I just hoped that my anger at her had subsided by the time Christmas Eve rolled around.