Wanted (33 page)

After I got back from a run
and a quick workout
I walked in the front door and saw Jeff sitting on the sofa. He sure lo
ok
ed a lot better after a good night’s sleep. He was on the phone with someone.

“Sounds great Brad, I’m in the mood for a night out. Yeah, Gunner just walked in so I will let him know. See
ya
tonight
dude
.”
Jeff put his cell phone down on
the table. He lo
ok
ed up at me and smiled.

“
You want to go to Rebels
tonight?” J
eff asked while wagging his eye
brows up and down.

I just laughed. “Shit dude don’t you think you should take it easy?
Are y
ou
sure you’re
ready to go out on the t
own tonight?”

“Shit yeah
!
I guess our friend Brad
ho
ok
ed up with Ellie’s friend Amanda. They are heading down there tonight. Want to call Ellie and see if she wants to go?”

“Brad and Amanda huh, Ellie should find that
amusing.” I said with a laugh while
Jeff lo
ok
ed at me confused.

“Whatever dude, I’m going and
thinking of calling up a few of the oth
er guys so are you up for it?
”
Jeff asked as he got up and headed into the kitchen.

“Yeah, sure but um, if I call Ellie you know she is going to invite Ari. Are you
okay
with seeing her right now?”

Jeff turned a
nd gave me a weak smile. “Sure yeah whatever…….
I’m fine
with her going along. She sure
as shit likes to dance so she’
ll love it there
.
I’
ve tried to call her, even this mornin
g and she doesn’t want to talk. She pretty much made it clear how she feels so I think I’m done with that whole thing. I’m fine dude really.”

“Dude, you sure you want to just walk away from this
? I know you care for
her
Jeff. I’ve seen how you lo
ok
at her and
I saw how upset you were when she was dancing with Josh. Man, why don’
t you just ask
her
out to dinner
….see where it goes. What’s the big deal?” I said as I grabbed
a water
out of the fridge.

Jeff to
ok
his hands and ran them through his
hair
and then down his face. Clear sign he w
as frustrated.

“Shit…..Gunner…
…man
I have
fought my feeling for this girl
for as long as I can remember. We use to be really great friends….the three of us would do everything together. I use to love spending time with those two. Then it all changed. Ari started lo
ok
ing at me
different;
she started changing
right before my damn eyes
.
She
kept getting more and more beautiful. Then she went away with her parents the summer before they started high school. She
came back not lo
ok
ing
at all
like my little squirt…she came
back fucking hotter than hell. That damn smile of hers…..fuck I swear my dick comes to attention when sh
e is within fifty
feet of me.
If we started to date and it ended bad
ly
….she would be gone out of my life forever. I would rather
have her
in my life as a f
r
iend then not have her at all.”

I just sho
ok
my head. “Jeff, you can’t be afraid of losing her
friendship
. Fuck dude…your sister has turned my damn world upside down. S
he keeps pushing me away but I’
m NOT giving up on her. I don’t think you should give up on Ari. I really think you should think about taking this friendship a little further.”

“I can’t……I think we’
re better this way. I’
m not even sure we’re
still friends to be honest. I just need to move on and I think she already
has
moved on
.  Anyway dude, enough of Ari….what’s going on with my little sister and y
ou. I haven’
t seen her so damn happy in a long ass time
. I appreciate you not pushing her Gun. She needs time to figure shit out.”

“I’m going to be honest with you Jeff. I know she is your sister and I appreciate you giving me you
r blessing but holy
fuck
. She has turned
my world upside down and I think I’m going crazy with this whole she just wants to be friends shit.” I said as I pushed my hands through my hair only to have Jeff start laughing at me.

“What the fuck is so funny?”

Jeff got up shaking his head and punched me in
the arm.
“You!
Damn Gunner….I’
ve ne
ver in the three years that I’
ve known you seen a girl get to you like this! The last thing I thought you were lo
ok
ing for was a relationship.
Dude….you even said….you had three loves….Football, the ranch and football!
”

“Yeah….tell
me
about it, just the thought of her going out with anyone else drives me insane. I think I would want to kill the fucker if I ever
saw her out with
another guy.”

Jeff’s smile faded a brief second but then it came back. “Well, just give her time. She went through a lot of shit with my mother and then the
stunt Ryan pulled on her. She’
ll come around Gunner. I see the way she lo
ok
s at you. Trust me dude….she wants to be more than friends just as much as you do!
Holy fuck…I need to get off
this conversation
…..that’
s still my baby sister.
”

I lo
oked
at Jeff
and laughed
…..”I su
re hope you’
re right. Until then I
just plan on
waiting
for her, I’m not giving up. Speaking of
your baby sister…….
”
I to
ok
out my cell phone to give her my normal morning wake up call.

Jeff just laugh
ed and headed back to his room. “Hey
,
tell Ellie not to forget….car shopping today!” Jeff shouted from down the hall.

“Hello?”

“Good morning sweetheart! How did you sleep?” I a
sked once the lump in my
throat
was gone
from hearing her voice.

“
Good morning Gunner…..
I slept
okay
. I heard Ari come in
pretty
late
though
. I think she was out on a date but I’m not sure who with.
It breaks my heart Gunner. Why can’t they both
stop being so damn stubborn?!”

I had to laugh at that….this was the pot calling the kettle black right here. “I’m not sure Ellie. I talked to Jeff this morning and he pretty much s
aid
he had no intention of ever dating Ari. Said he would rather have her has a friend than to not have her in his life at all.” By now I had walked out to the back yard. I didn’t need Jeff hearing me talking about him and Ari to Ellie.

“ARGH!
They’
re both
so
frustrating.
They act like they can’t stand each other
,
how does he think that is a friendship?
Oh shit…never mind. This is their problem not mine.” Ellie said after a long sigh.

“You’re right Ells……it’s their problem. It will all work out honey, don’t worry.  Jeff can’t ignore how he
feels for Ar
i forever.”

“Yeah….but for how long will Ari
wait
for
him to make up his
damn
mind……..” Ellie went silent.

I to
ok
a deep breath knowing she was thinking about us. She was wondering the same thing about me. How long will I wait for her to decide this whole friendship thing was
just plain stupid?

I would wait
forever for her
…..

“Hey, Jeff wanted me to remind you that y’all are going car shopping today. You excited?” I said as a smile came across my face. I could just picture her jumping up and down right now.

“Oh
my gosh
! I
’m
super excited!!! Are you going to come
with us? OH please
say
you’re coming
! It will be so much fun!”
God I could hear the excitement in her voice.

I started to laugh. “Only if you let me be the first person you kiss in your new car.”

“Oh….um…..” She started to giggle. “
OKAY
! It is a deal. You will be the first person I kiss in my new car!”

“On the lips……”

Ellie let out a loud
er
laugh. “On the lips you bet.”

“With tongue….none of this chicken peck shit!”

“
GUNNER!
You’
re terrible!” She was still laughing. “
Okay
….you will be the first person that I kiss on the lips with a little bit of tongue
…you’re not getting anything else out of me
.”

“
I will take it
and I’
ll hold you to it. I will
not
forget
,
I
have an incredible memory.” I said as I walked back into the house. Jeff was walking into living room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He must have just go
t
t
en
out of the shower. He picked up his cell phone and made a strange face when he lo
ok
ed at the screen.

He lo
ok
ed up at me and mouthed the word ELLIE. I sho
ok
my head ye
s. “Tell her I’ll be there in forty five
minutes to get her.” Jeff said as he started to listen to a voice mail.

“Hey sweetheart, Jeff just said he will pick
you up in forty five
minutes. If I’
m going with y’all I need to hop in the shower and get ready. I will talk to you soon
okay
?”

“Sounds good Gunner and I’ll see
ya
soon.” Ellie said with such sweetness in her voice.

“Bye Ells….”

“Bye Gunner” she practically whispered it and my heart rate to
ok
off through the roof.  Damn….I was already getting excited just from knowing I was about to lay eyes on her beautiful face again.

Just then I heard Jeff shout “FUCK!” along with the sound of his cell phone hitting the wall.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Ellie…….

I set my cell phone down next to me in bed. Holy hell….I just had to hear his voice and I got an ache between my legs. Why did he have this affect
on me? It was insane! ARGH
…this whole
friends
thing was starting to really suck. I knew Gunner wanted more but I just was not ready to give up my heart again.
I trusted him with my life but still,
I barely knew him. This is what was scaring the shit o
ut of me. I couldn’t get depende
nt on him like I was Jeff
erson
all those years. I needed to get my big girl panties on and figure my shit out.

I got to see him today though and I had to smile with just the thought
. I was already wondering what he would w
ear? He always lo
ok
ed so damn
good when I saw him. Shit he could have on a paper bag and
still
lo
ok
good. Speaking of lo
ok
ing good….I needed to
get up and get going!

EEEPPPPP! I can’t believe Jefferson is buying me a car!
I turned on the shower and threw my hair up
in a pony tail. After a quick five
minute shower
,
I hopped out and went to the closet.
I pulled my hair out of the pony and started to lo
ok
for something to wear.
SHIT! I really needed Ari’s help picking something out. Just then I heard her open the door to my room.