Wanted (25 page)

“Ryan didn’t kiss
good
?”

I started to laugh. “Ryan barely ever kissed me and when he did it seemed like he was forcing it. The first few months he tried to take it further but…..I just never felt like it was right. He never made me feel…..special.” I lo
ok
ed up at Ari who was smiling at me with the most ridiculous smile I had ever seen.

“And, does Gunner make you feel….special?” Ari said as she bumped her shoulder into mine.

“He does but……I have to wonder. Am I just something th
at he wants to conquer since I’
m the forbidden sister? Or does he really feel something for me? I’m just not sure. At any rate I told hi
m I just wanted to be friends.”

“You told him
WHAT
? Are you fucking nuts Ellie? What the hell is wrong with you?
”
Ari said as she turned to face me. Clearly she must have forgotten the wh
ole Ryan just cheated on me thing
?

“Ari come on, a guy like Gunner interested in me?
Puh
-lease!
Besides, I just found out yesterday my b
oyfriend was cheating on me. I’
m not ready to get into any kind of relationship.
I need to take some time for myself. Figure out where I want to go and what I want to do.”

Ari just sta
red at me for the longest time.

“Wh
at?”

“First off you stupid
bitch
….YES…. a guy like Gunner could very well be interested in you! Second, do not ever refer to that asshole Ryan as your boyfriend again! Third,
OKAY
I get that you need time. What did Gunner say when you told him you only wanted to be friends?”

“He was very understanding. He told me he would always be my friend. He really is amazing and almost too good to be true. I mean he opens car door
s
for me….all the time! I actually think he gets disappointed when I open it and get out myself!”

“Well I think you are crazy for pulling the friends card out. With the sound of that kiss can you imagine how he is in bed! FUCK!
I bet a girl can get at least three to four
orgasm
s
from that guy.”

“OHMYGOD!
ARI! How the hell are you still a virgin for fucks sake?!”

Ari just shrugged her shoulders and winked at me.

She
stood up and lo
oked down at me. “It’
s getting late and
I
still have to finish my speech. Are you
okay
Ellie? I mean with everything that happened with your mom today? You know you can talk to me anytime about anything sweets. You do know that right?”

I got up and walked towards my best friend. I would be lost without her and Jefferson. I hugged her as tight as I could. “
I love you!
Thank yo
u, good
night girl.

“Night
Ells,
try not to dream about your prince charming to
o
much tonight!” Ari said as she threw her
head
back and laughed.

That night I slept the best I’
ve slept in ages. My hand didn’t even really hurt anymore.
For the first time in a long time I felt like things just might work out for
me in a good way. Too bad I couldn’t get rid of that nagging feeling in my stomach.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Gunner
……..

Jeff left for Ellie’s graduation
earlier this afternoon
. Ari’s parents where planning on taking them all out for dinner afterwards so I had plenty of time to get things ready for the party. Jack was already here setting up his equipment. He was probably one of the best DJ’s in Austin. I only had to promise him two 50 yard line seats to get him to do this party.

“Alright dude…I got my shit all toget
her and ready to go. I’
m going to go and grab some food. What time do you want me back here?” Jack asked as he threw his backpack over his shoulder.

“Seven
sound good?” I asked as I saw Jeff wa
lk in the front door
and slam it shut
.

“Sure…see y’all then.”

“Hey, how was the gr
aduation?”

Jeff walked by me and into the kitchen. He reached in the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. He slammed the door shut.
“Fuck
ing great….just fucking great.”

Well holy shit what is
going on with him? “Dude what’s going on? Oh
fuck………..
pl
ease tell
me your mom didn’t
show up at the graduation.”

“What? No…no man she didn’t show up. The graduation was perfect. It was the fucking dinner afterwards that sucked.
I swear to God I want to just ring that Ari’s fucking neck!” Jeff said has he slammed his empty beer bottle down and grabbed another beer.
WOW…he downed that beer fast.

“Fuck Jeff, you’
re going to be trashed before Ellie even gets h
ere. What the hell did Ari do?”

Jeff just started laughing. “What does that girl not do? She never fucking shuts the hell up for one thing. I mean I just
wanted to reach across the god
damn table and shove a piece of fucking bread in her damn mouth. Then that prick showed up and all he did was fucking flirt with her over dinner and she fucking flirted right back with him.
It made me sick.
”

Ahhh
, so
now we get to the big picture.

“Who was this….prick…
..
who
showed up
? Someone they graduated with?”

“I don’t know who the fuck he was….some asshole she use to date in school. He was having dinner with his family at the same restaurant. Fucker sure d
idn’t have any manners since he
practically sat with us the whole time and left his family sitting there just waiting for him to come back.”

“
Okay
, so what exactly did Ari do that has you
so
angry with her?” I asked Jeff as I wa
tched him get another beer out.

Holy fuck….he had it bad for Ari. Why the hell couldn’t he admit it?

Jeff laughed as he walked over and sat down on the sofa. “
I pulled Ari aside and told her how inappropriate it was for her to be flirting with this guy
so openly in front of her parents
.”

“Oh holy fuck….onl
y knowing Ari for a few days I’
m pretty sure that probably pissed her off Jeff. What the fuck did you
do that for? It’s not like she’
s your girlfriend.”

Jeff threw his head back and laughed. “Funny fucking thing…..she said the same damn thing to me
as you just did
.
First s
he just about called me every name in the bo
ok
, told me to mind my own damn business and ended it with ‘I’m not your goddamn girlfriend….I’m just squirt…you little sister
’
s best friend’ then she smiled at me
, leaned
in and whispered against my ear and told me how it was such a shame I
was a spineless
dickless
prick because she didn’t go for guys like me!
Bitch!
”

OUCH!
Talk about sexual tension.

“Jeff, why can’t you admit you have feelings
for Ari? It sure would make things
easier on Ellie, you and Ari.” I
said as I sat down next to him.

Jeff just turned to lo
ok
at me and then s
miled. It was such a sad smile.

“I need to focus on Ellie right now; I don’t have time to jack around with some baby drama queen who obviously needs way too much attention
to keep her happy
. Let her little high school prick friend do that. I need to go jump in the shower before Ellie and her friends get here. I told them to com
e any time after seven
. I also called Rebecca and invited her and some of her friends. Told them it was Ellie’s graduation party but most of the normal folks would be here. Do me a favor and keep your eye on Ellie and her friends
tonight
. I don’t want any of these jack asses trying something with any of them. I already gave Ellie the lecture about taking any drinks from anyone.” Jeff ran his hands through his hair and started to walk to his room.

“Hey dude, you didn’t tell Rebecca to invite
Crysti
did you?” I asked as I reached down and picked up the two empty beer bottles Jeff had downed since he sat on the sofa.

“I told her I didn’t care who she brought along. The more of them here the less likely the guys will hit on Ellie and her friends. Ellie was adamant about having
college students here, s
omething about leaving her high school years behind.” Jeff said as he walked away from me.

Fucking great…..the last thing I needed was that bitch
Crysti
hanging around me all night with Ellie here.
If Jeff thought having some UT bitches here were going to stop the guys from hitting on Ellie and her friends….he was
seriously not thinking clearly.

An hour or so later people started showing up. Ellie and her friends had yet to arrive. Jeff had
drank
two more beers and was now arguing with Brad about which of them could bench press the most. Jack had the music spinning and there were already
people dancing inside and out.

Just then I felt all the hair on my arms stand up. She
was here. I could just feel it.

I lo
oked over at
Jeff
who
lo
ok
ed towards the front door and got the biggest smile on his f
ace. I followed his eyes and saw
Ellie walking up to him. FUCK ME she lo
ok
ed beautiful. She was wearing a short white dress with cowboy boots on and her hair was pulled up into a pony. She had
a
bit more makeup on today
than she did yesterday. As soon as she got to Jeff he picked her up and spun her around. She threw her head back and laughed. I lo
ok
ed behind Jeff and noticed Brad and Josh wer
e standing there with their god
damn mouths hanging open.

Fuckers.
I didn’
t like how they were lo
ok
ing at Ellie like she was a piece of fucking meat. As Jeff started to talk to Ellie I walke
d up to where about six
or so of our friends
were standing.

“Hey Gunner what’s up dude? Check out the fresh meat! Holy fucking shit Jeff’s sister is HOT an
d her
friends are just as fucking hot
!
” Josh said as he whistled.

“Listen you mother fuckers…I’
m giving you this warning once. None of you get any ideas about Ellie’s friends. This warning comes from me and Jeff.
”

Josh let out a laugh.
“
Alright well you didn’t say anything about baby sister so if y’all will excuse me.” Josh said as he started to walk towards Ellie. I stepped in front of him and put my hand on his chest to stop him.

“I don’t
think so. Ellie is off limits………..
Period.
You so much as fucking lo
ok
at her w
rong and I’
ll
beat
your ass y
ou got that?”

“What the fuck Gunner?
You call
ing
dibs on the baby sister?” Brad aske
d as they all started to laugh.

“As a matter of fact I am ass
hole
.
I’
m dead fucking serious….do not so much as talk to her wrong.”

Josh and Brad exchanged lo
ok
s and Brad held up his hands and to
ok
a few steps back. I could hear Josh saying something about
how
this was not fucking fair.

I turned to see Ellie walking up to me. I smiled at her as she walked closer. Her smile grew bigger. God how I had missed her and it had only b
een a day since I last saw her.

I could see Ari and two other girls start laughing and talking to each other. I wonder if Ellie told them we
had kissed. I hope she told them because t
hat
meant she was thinking about it
. I better make sure I gave her something tonight
to keep her thinking about me.