Faithful (21 page)

I smiled and let out a laugh. “That boy is head over heels in love with her.”

Ellie reached up and took my face in her hands. “He is…just like I’m head over heels in love with you. I love you, Gunner.”

I leaned down and kissed her so softly.
God, she tastes like heaven.

“How sweet are you two?”

I pulled my lips away and looked behind me to see Victoria standing there.
Oh fucking great.

I turned back and winked at Ellie. “Let’s dance, sweetheart.” I grabbed her hands and led her away from Victoria.
That girl is nothing but trouble.
I couldn’t even believe she had shown up after Heather told her to
fuck off
yesterday.

After dancing for at least four songs, Ellie looked exhausted. “Gunner, can we grab a drink and sit for a bit?” Ellie asked as she made her way over to Heather and Ari.

I noticed Victoria trying to talk to Josh. I glanced over to where the girls were sitting. Heather, Ari, and Ellie were all shooting daggers at Victoria. As I laughed, I felt someone slap my back.

“I feel really sorry for Tori if she messes with these girls tonight. Ari’s in a mood!”

I smiled as I looked at my best friend. “Congratulations, Jeff.” I held out my hand.

He smiled so big that it made me smile harder.

“Fucking great, isn’t it? I can’t believe she’s pregnant again.” Jeff glanced back toward Ari. Then, he looked at the dance floor. “What the fuck?”

I turned and saw Josh dancing with Victoria.
What the fuck is he thinking?
“That stupid fucker. What the hell is he doing?”

“At least it’s a fast song, and he’s staying a good distance away from her,” Jeff said.

I looked over at the girls. Heather was smiling as she stared at Josh and Victoria dancing together.

Why is she smiling?

She turned and said something to Ari. Ari jumped up and did a fist pump before she started walking over to the DJ.

Ah hell.

I smiled when I saw Jeff was watching Ari.

Turning to me, he said, “Shit, they are up to something.”

We walked back over to our tables, and Ellie jumped up.

“Okay, listen. There was a song we made a dance to in high school. Well, really, Heather made up the dance ’cause she had taken dance lessons for years,” Ellie rattled off.

“Wait, I thought Ari took dance lessons,” I said.

“She did, but so did Heather. Focus, Gunner!” she said.

I let out a laugh. “Okay. Sorry, baby.”

“So, anyway…just don’t really pay attention to how we dance here in a second, okay?”

“Oh motherfucker. Ells, what are y’all gonna dance to?”

Just then, Josh walked up, shaking his head. “Don’t bitch at me. I see the look you’re giving me, Jeff. She wouldn’t leave me alone, so I asked Heather if I could dance with her once.” He rolled his eyes as he sat down.

I handed him a beer, and then I glanced behind Ellie to see Ari walking up with a smile.

She grabbed Ellie. “It’s up next!” She walked over to Jeff, straddled him, gave him a kiss, and told him she loved him.

“That can’t be a good sign,” Jeff said with a laugh.

The three girls walked onto the dance floor and started dancing to the song playing.

Josh looked at us, confused. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking between Jeff and me.

“I think Heather is about to make a statement,” I said as “Give It Up to Me” by Shakira started.

“Oh fuck,” Jeff and I said at the same time.

Ari started first, then Ellie, and then Heather. In all the times I’d ever seen these girls dance, I’d never seen them move their hips like they were moving them now.

“Dude, did you know they could move like that?” I asked Jeff as I turned toward him.

He had his beer frozen to his lips. I glanced over at Josh, and I’d be damned if his mouth wasn’t hanging open. He looked shocked as shit.

I turned back to the girls. I couldn’t help but notice that Heather really knew how to dance. She was dancing just like Shakira. Her hips were moving all over the place.

Then, I looked at Ellie.
Holy motherfucking shit.

“Holy shit,” Jeff said.

“Um,” was all Josh could get out.

I couldn’t pull my eyes away from Ellie. I was thanking God that we’d hit our six-week mark. I moved around to adjust myself.

Once the song ended, the girls walked back over to us.

Ellie came and sat on my lap. She raised her eyebrows at me as she smiled.

“Motherfucker. Ari…are you trying to kill me?” Jeff asked.

Ari laughed. “God, I haven’t danced like that in years. I didn’t know my hips could still move like that!”

“If I knew your hips moved like that, we could have—”

“Eww! Stop, Jefferson! Just stop!” Ellie scrunched up her nose.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Baby, I think we can skip Matt Kimbrow and just go home!” I said with a shit-eating grin.

Ellie threw her head back and laughed. “Oh no, Gunner. I’m gonna have me a good time tonight!”

Just then, Selena Gomez’s “Come and Get It” started playing. Heather was standing in front of a still stunned Josh. When she reached her hand out, he took it, and they made their way to the dance floor.

“Get it, girl!” Ari called out.

I looked at Ari. “Did you ask for that song, too?”

Ari smiled and winked at me. “Fuck yeah, I did!”

I looked back out, and those two were really dancing. With the way Heather was moving up against Josh, I felt sorry for the poor bastard.

“Damn…I’m even getting turned on by watching them dance!” Ari busted out.

Ellie started laughing. “You’re pregnant. Everything makes you horny when you’re pregnant!”

“True dat!” Ari said as she stood up. “Dance with me,” she said to Jeff.

“You wanna dance?” I asked Ellie.

She shook her head and moved a little on my lap. I smiled as I pulled her closer to me.

I fucking love this girl.

I’d never seen Ellie have so much fun. She loved the Matt Kimbrow Band. They were playing “If It All Goes Right,” and Ellie, Heather, and Ari were dancing.

Every now and then, she would look over and smile at me.

Jeff had been pouting ever since Scott showed up. Scott had danced once with Ari, and Josh had practically held Jeff down the whole time.

I had to laugh at how Scott loved to get Jeff worked up. Scott had absolutely no interest in Ari, but he loved to torment the fuck out of Jeff.

“So, Josh, I hear you’re gonna be spending the night with Heather!” Jeff yelled over to Josh as I was sitting in between them.

The smile that spread across Josh’s face said it all.

“This the night?” I bumped him with my shoulder.

He turned to me, took a drink of his beer, and winked.

I leaned in closer, so he could hear me. “You remember anything else?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, I keep having dreams and shit. Stuff will pop up in my head, especially when I’m with her. I don’t know if they’re memories or not. I sure as fuck hope they’re memories,” Josh said with a laugh.

Just then, I felt someone put a hand on my shoulder. I looked around to see Victoria standing there.

Oh great. Just what we need is for her to start some shit.

It wasn’t lost on me how she had been watching Ellie and me all night.

“You need something, Victoria?” Josh asked.

“Well, since I can’t have you, Josh, I was thinking maybe Gunner here would want to pick up where we left off all those years ago. You remember, don’t you, Gunner? If my memory is any good, I’m pretty sure you said it was the best fucking blow job you ever got. That statement still hold true?”

“You fucking bitch!” Ari said.

When I turned my head back toward the dance floor, I saw Ellie standing there with Ari. Ellie had tears in her eyes, and Ari looked like she was about to go apeshit.

Fuck. Me.

Victoria started laughing. “Oh, now, now, Ari. Don’t worry. You’re the lucky one. You see, Jeff here…he would never let me get any further with him than a quick grab of his dick.” Victoria looked at Jeff and winked.

Josh stood up. “Listen, Tori, I think you better leave.”

Ari walked up to Victoria and got right in her face. “You know what? I’ve just about had it with all you fucking bitches. You just keep talking, but you don’t ever say shit. You can’t find a man of your own, so you try to take others. Women like you are nothing but pathetic, lowlife, douche twat, desperate, slut, bobblehead whores who have no respect for themselves or anyone else for that matter!” Ari balled her hands into fists.

Victoria stood there and just stared at Ari. “You know what I say to that, honey? Go fuck yourself.” She smiled.

Ari glared at Victoria. “Don’t call me honey.”

Before I could even make a move to stop her, Ari reached back and then knocked the shit out of Victoria.

“Ari!” Ellie and Jeff both called out.

Jeff was next to Ari so fast that I didn’t even see him go by me. He grabbed Ari’s arm and tried to pull her away. She had hit Victoria so hard that Victoria stumbled backward and fell. Ari pulled her arm out of Jeff’s grip.

She walked up to Victoria and stood over her. “The only person who calls me honey is my dad. I have one piece of advice for you. Stay the fuck away from all of us.” Ari took a beer off the table and poured it onto Victoria.

Victoria jumped up, screaming.

Jeff grabbed Ari and reached for her purse. He looked back at me. “I’m taking her home.”

Everything was happening so fast that I didn’t even notice when Ellie had grabbed her purse to head out with them.

I ran and took her by the arm. “Ellie! Where the fuck are you going?”

“I’m going to have Jeff drop me off at Garrett and Emma’s house,” she said.

“Ellie, come on, that was so fucking long ago, way before you. This has nothing to do with you and me.”

“Really, Gunner? If it was so long ago and meant so little to you, why didn’t you tell me about it the minute she started coming on to you yesterday?”

Fuck!
I didn’t think Ellie had noticed how Victoria kept flirting with me yesterday. “Ellie, sweetheart, please don’t do this. Please don’t bring up something from my past that is meaningless. You’re my life, Ellie. You and Alex. You know this!”

“Ellie, are you coming with us or not?” Ari asked.

Ellie looked at me and gave me a weak smile.
Thank God she’s seeing how silly she’s being.

“I’m gonna stay. Put ice on your hand, sweets,” Ellie said to Ari.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Ari said with a smile before she started to leave with Jeff.

“I love you, Ells. You know how much I love you,” I said.

She smiled and nodded. “Oh shit! I have Jeff’s truck keys.”

When Ellie turned to go after them, she ran right into Jessie, Drake’s daughter. Aaron, Jenny, and Dewey were following right behind Jessie.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Ellie said.

Jessie started laughing. “No worries, Ellie. How are you?”

Ellie glanced at me and then back at Jessie. “I’m good. Thank you for asking.”

When Ellie looked back at me, I instantly remembered how jealous Ellie had gotten when she saw me talking to Jessie in the barn.

“Hey, Gunner! Shit, you remember all the good times we had here?” Dewey said with a smile.

“Yeah, good times.” I smiled at him.

“Fuck…you and Jess had your first kiss here, didn’t y’all?”

Ah shit. Dewey and his big mouth.

Jessie started laughing. “Yep! That’s right. One of a few kisses!” She winked at me and then looked at Ellie. “We were in high school. It was so very long ago.”

Ellie slowly turned and glared at me.

Oh, son of a bitch. Why is this happening?

“Like a sister…right, Gunner?” Ellie turned and walked off.

“Ellie!”

I followed her out of the dance hall as Jeff was about to walk back in.

Then, he saw Ellie coming out. “Oh, good. You got my keys, Ells?”

“Will you drop me off at Emma and Garrett’s place, please?” She handed him the keys and walked to the truck.

“Ellie! Stop!” I jogged over and grabbed her arm. “Why are you acting like this? All this shit happened years ago, Ellie. Stop being so damn jealous over nothing.”

“What else have you not told me, Gunner? Any other girls gonna walk in tonight and say how they kissed you or fucked you?”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
This is so stupid.
“Ellie, this was so long ago. It was before you and me, and really, the way you’re behaving is stupid and childish. We’re married with a baby for fuck’s sake.”

The moment I saw the tears forming in her eyes, I felt sick to my stomach. “Wait, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to just say that—”

“Just stop. I’m leaving. I’ll see you in the morning.” She turned and jumped into the back of the truck.

I looked over at Jeff as he shrugged his shoulders.

“Is she pissed about Victoria? I thought she got over it.”

I ran my hands through my hair as I headed over to him. “Fucking Dewey mentioned how Jessie and I had our first kiss here. The first time Ellie saw me talking to Jessie, she got jealous, and I told her Jessie was like a sister to me when I was growing up.”