Wanted (42 page)

I had to stop. Holy fuck….I had to stop before I did something I was going to regret. I began to push Ellie a little bit away from me. I needed to break this contact right no
w. Just then the music changed.

Oh thank the fuck…..
I stood there as I ran my hands through my hair.

“Holy fuck Ellie, I think I
need a beer and I know I need to sit down.” Ellie let out a laugh and reached up to kiss me. Her lips where so soft a
nd it was one of the most tender kisses I ha
ve ever received.

She smiled against my lips.

“
That
was
to make sure you remembered that
only you
have bewitched me Mr. Mathews.”

Right at that moment it hit
me and it hit me harder
than I
would have ever expected it to.

I loved Ellie
.

I loved her more than I loved anything
in this world. She would forever
be my whole life.

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

Ellie…..

I stood there as Gunner lo
ok
ed at me….no….he was staring at me like he was trying to crawl into my soul. Then, slowly that damn cro
ok
ed smile of his spread across his face. My heart started to pound. There was something so different about the way he was lo
ok
ing at me. I felt kind of bad because I know I just turned him on big time by dancing with him like
that. Ari had requested that song and it was perfect tim
ing
for it to start because Gunner had just walked out. He lo
ok
ed angry when he first came out and I knew I had to set his mind at ease.

When I first heard Jon say that about Gunner sleeping around I started to panic
and felt a little sick to my stomach
. Ari pulled me outside and she and Heather set me straight.
I knew Gunner had been with girls before me. Jefferson had already told me Gunner never had a real seriou
s relationship and dated maybe four or five
girls off and on the whole time he knew him. I didn’t for on
e moment think he slept around.

I lo
ok
ed over at Ari who gave me the thumbs up along with a smile.
Okay
…I was not the only one who noticed Gunner’s mo
ment of not being able to move.

“So, do you want to go get that beer and have a seat?” I asked trying to yell over the music that was now playing again.

Gunner just kept
lo
ok
ing at me.
“Gunner
?
Hello???”

Ari walked up and leaned into me and shouted in my ear
.
“I guess all the fucking blood left his brain and went to his dick!”

I couldn’t even say anything to that. All I could do was laugh because I th
ink she was right!

“GUNNER!”
I shouted.

“Yep….
okay
….yeah….um….
let’s
get a beer and sit down. I need to
fucking
sit down.” Gunner said as he started to walk over to where Jeff
erson
was sitting and talking to some girl who
had her back faced towards me.

When we walked up Gunner reached into the cooler and grabbed two beers. He handed one to me as he sat down. He reached up and grabbed my waist and pulled me down onto his lap. I guess this will be his new favorite way to sit with me. I let out a giggle because it sure as shit was my new favorite way!

Just then I heard her voice. It almost made me want to throw up in my mouth.

“Jesus Gunner, you ought to think about getting a room next time you try
to
practically fuck Jeff’s little sister on the dance floor.”

Jeff
erson
spun his head
around and lo
ok
ed at
Crysti
then at Gunner and me. Then I noticed Rebecca sitting next to Jeff. Oh shit….I immediately lo
ok
ed on the dance floor for Ari. She was dancing away with
some guy and Amanda and Brad.

OH
SHIT! OH SHIT! OH
SHIT!

I gave Jefferson a “What the fuck are you doing
”
lo
ok
.
He just lo
ok
ed back at me and then out towards Ari
and back at
Crysti
.

“Fuck off you bi
tch.” Jefferson said to
Crysti
.

WOW! I was not expecting that.

“Yeah
Crysti
, I don’t remember sending an invite to you and your little w
hore friend here.” Gunner said
as he downed his beer.

“GUNNER!”
I said as I lo
ok
ed at him in shock.

“I’m sorry Ellie, that was rude of me wasn’t it? Why don’t y’all go on over and say hi
to
Jon and the rest of the baseball team. I’m sure they wou
ld love to ….party with y’all.”

Crysti
just glared at me. What
was she giving me such a dirty lo
ok
for?”

“Gunner’s right Rebecca, it’s time you moved along.” Jefferson said as he reached for another beer
and handed one to Gunner
. Boy Gunner and Jefferson sur
e where drinking a lot tonight.

“Jeff! You have not even called me since, well you know since when. Why? I thought we had something going?”
Rebecca said with a whine in her
voice.

Jefferson sat up straight and lo
ok
ed nervous as hell. I followed his eyes and saw Ari walking over with Heather. She had yet to notice Rebecca standing there.

“I think it would be best
Bec
if you just moved on
and forgot about that night
. That was a mistake and it is never going to happen again.
”

Jefferson never to
ok
his eyes off of Ari the whole time he told
Rebecca to basically shove off.

“Wait one minute. Wait just
one goddamn fucking minute. Do
you like this bitch or something? Did you fucking use me to make her jealous? We had something Jeff, why can’t you just admit that there was a connection?”

Ari now was standing directly in front of Jefferson lo
ok
ing at him. She slowly lo
ok
ed at Rebecca when she called Ari a bitch.

Gunner leaned over and whispered in my ear “And I thought I was the only one who wanted to beat someone’s ass tonight. Ari lo
ok
s ready to rip her hair out!”

I couldn’
t help it, I laughed
.

“Rebecca come on,
he’
s so not worth it. Let the little girl try and play with the big boys. Come on, I see Jon Barker is here….let’s go have some fun.”
Crysti
said as
she tried to pull Rebecca away.

“No! I want to know right now you mother fucker….did you use me?” Rebecca shouted at Jefferson.

Jefferson ran his hands through his hair and sighed. Ari
did something I was not expecting her to do.

She
walked closer to Jefferson a
nd started to laugh at Rebecca.

“It’s a damn good thing this little girl knows how to play with
the
big boys
isn’t that right baby?”
Ari said as she walked
over sat down and
straddled Jefferson and
then
kissed the living shit o
ut of him.

I’m sure I was not the only one who sat there stunned.

“HOLY FUCK!”
Gunner said with a laugh.

Rebecca just stood there for a second and watched as Ari kept up the kiss. Jeffe
rson sure was not stopping Ari as he reached up and cupped her face.

When I guess she had seen enough Rebecca lo
ok
ed at
Crysti
. “Come on let’s leave.”

Ari lo
ok
ed up at her and smiled. Jefferson just sat there
staring
at Ari with a very confused lo
ok
on his face.

“You can fuck off Jeff. Don’t ever call me again
you mother fucker. I hope you enjoy your little girl!” Rebecca said as she stomped off with
Crysti
right behind her. They went through the back gate so they must have been leaving the party for good.

Ari watched them leave and then turned to lo
ok
at Jefferson. She smiled down at him.

“You’re
welcome!” She said as sh
e hopped up and grabbed a beer.

“What….what the fuck was that all about?” Jefferson asked
as he was desperately trying to g
et his breathing under control.

Ari shrugged. “You obviously wanted her to leave you alone so I
just gave her a reason
to
leave you alone. No big deal.”

Jefferson sat there a minute with his hands just running through his hair
and then down his face
. He lo
ok
ed over at Ari and then back towards the house.

“Umm
, I need to go chec
k on something.” Jefferson said as he
jumped out of his seat and made a bee li
ne for the house. Ari lo
ok
ed over at
me
and Gunner and we all laughed.

“Well played Ms. Peterson….well fucking played.” Gunner said as he to
ok
his beer and hit it with Ari’s.

Ari smiled at me and gave me a wink.
I just sho
ok
my head. This girl actually kn
ew what the fuck she was doing.

Poor Jefferson, he didn’t stand a chance.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Gunner…..

I sat there with Ellie sitting on my lap and I was in pure heaven. Listening to her and Ari talk and laugh, I was never more content.
Every time she laughed or smiled I stopped breathing.

I love her……..

I had to smile every time I thought about how my world just turned upside. I knew Ellie still wanted to take things slow but goddamn if I didn’t want to just tell her, to just shou
t it out for the world to know.

Ari asked if Ellie wanted to dance and she lo
ok
ed down at me. “You mind?”

“No! Go and have fun. I’ll just sit here and wait for Jeff to come back from
whatever
it was that he had to take care of.” I
said as I wiggled my eye
brows
up
and down and smiled at Ari.

Ari laughed but Ellie didn’t think that comment was to
o
funny.

“Oh for the love
of all things good
….that’
s my brother Gunner!
EEEWWWW gross!”
Elli got off my lap and slapped my arm. I laughed and pulled her back down to me and whispered up against her ear, “Don’t let Jon get anywhere near you
okay
?”

She lo
ok
ed at me with such a sweet and tender smile.

“
Okay
babe!”

She got up and walked out into the yard and hugged Amanda and started dancing. Holy fuck….she just called me babe. I sat back in my chair and drank my beer while I watched her. I lo
ok
ed over towards where Jon was standing and noticed the fucker watching her also. I finished off m
y beer and grabbed another one.

“Jesus
dude
you trying to get drunk. You got Ells back so what’s the reason for getting wasted?” Jeff said as he grabbed another beer from the cooler.

“Fuck off...I’m celebrating
douche bag
.
” I lo
ok
ed over at Jeff and smiled.
“
So, what was it you needed to take care of so fast?” I said with a laugh.

“Very funny dick head but that’s not what I was doing. Gunner, I swear
that girl is going to be the death of me! I had to get away from her before I tore her fucking clothes off. I can’t believe she did that to me. Shit! I saw Josh in the house and had to sit there and listen to him go o
n and on about Heather so I could try to lose my hard
on
.”