Wanted (61 page)

Jeff was still throwing up and Ellie was just standing ther
e rubbing her hand on his back.

“Shut the fuck
up
Gunner! You don’t think I know what the fuck just happened. You don’t think I lay in bed every fucking night and pray to God that Ari was mine and that I could turn back the clocks and do it the fucking right way? I’m getting what
I fucking deserve. I
d
on’
t deserve her, I never have
!”

“Jefferson that’
s NOT true. Ari loves you…”

Jeff was still leaning with his hands on his knees lo
ok
ing at the ground. He let his head drop even more.

“You mean
she use
d
to love me Ellie. She’
s marrying another man.” He threw up again
. T
hen
he
stood up and lo
ok
ed up as he threw his
head
back and yelled
out
.

“FUCKING SON OF A FUCKING BITCH
!
I just fucking walked away from the only goddamn person I ever loved.” Then
he started to cry as Ellie took
him in her arms. I heard a sharp intake of air and turned
around
to see Ari standing right b
ehind me. How much of that did she hear
?

She lo
ok
ed at me as she
started to back up
, then
turned and went into the house. What a fucking mess.

“Gunner I think you should take Jefferson home.”
Ellie said as Jeff stood up and tried to calm down.

Fuck…I started to panic because
if
I left to take Jeff home that meant Ell
ie would be left here with Jon.

“Ells, please will you come with us?” Jeff asked as he started to walk towards the side of the house.

“Of course Jefferson, um let me go grab my p
urse.” She walked by me and reached
up to give me a kiss.

“We’
re around the side of the house by your bedroom window.” I s
aid as she gave me a sad smile.

I walked back to my truck and got in. Jeff was in the back seat
already
.

“You owe me and don’t ever call me all those mean names again you fucking bastard.” Jeff said as he to
ok
a drink of w
ater that was in the back seat.

“First off, that water has been back there forever and I have no clue
who
even drank from it
last
and second, what
the fuck do I owe you for.”

“For aski
ng Ellie to come along
, you di
dn’t really want her to stay here
with Jonathon Barker hot on her tail did you?”

I stared at
Jeff
in shock. “You really are a smart mother fucker aren’t you?
I just hope that was the pricks car you were puking on.
”

We both laughed and when Ellie got in
the
truck she
asked what we were laughing at.

“Nothing sweetheart….just wondering
who that BMW belongs to, they’
re going to be in for a rude awaking when they step in Jeff’s puke!”

CHAPTER FORTY NINE

E
llie……

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph it is fucking freezing outside!”  Ari said as she bundled up under a blanket. I had to agree with her
. I
t was chilly and my head was pounding and all these damn football fans were screaming even more than usual. Of course UT was winning and Gunner and Jefferson where playing great but right now I was thanking the lord above that Gunner was not going pro. I could not do this every week. It already made me sick to my stomach to watch all the
se
bitches throw themselves at the football players. Gunner always makes a beeline to the locker room but a few times I had to see a cheerleader or some stupid crazy bitch fan run up and start hanging all over him.

I hated it. I loved home games because of course Gunner was home that night but I hated watching all the girls. At least at away games I can’t see that on TV.

I noticed there was a girl walking around on the sidelines, she lo
oked familiar to me but I couldn’
t place her at all. Gunner had just come off the field and was standing there getting a drink when she walked up and he leaned down as she said something to him. He threw his head back and laughed.
Ummm
,
hello……
that made me sit
up straighter.

“Who the hell are you giving the evil eye to?” Ari said as she tried to lo
ok
in the same direction I was lo
ok
ing.

“I’m trying to see who the bitch is that is talking to Gunner and he seems to be very captivated by her conversation.”

“Ellie, trust me, you have nothing to worry about with Gunner. If you can’t see how much that boy loves you then you need glasses
bitch.
”

I shrugged my shoulders. Maybe she was
right;
I was acting like a jealous bitch. Then she turned around and I knew exactly who she was. Lori.

“That fucking bitch, how the hell did she get down on the
field!
”

“WHO?
Who is a fucking bitch?” Ari sat up a little more interested after my outburst.

“Lori….the bitch that was dancing with Gunner at Rebels the night I left and we did
n’t talk for a few weeks. That’
s HER! I knew she lo
ok
ed familiar.
Why he is talking to her?”

Ari sat back and pulled her knees closer to her che
st in an attempt to get warmer.

“Who cares Ells…..she’
s old news. It’s not like he is hanging all over her, you have nothing to worry about. Gunner only wants you.”

Just then Gunner leaned do
wn and kissed her on the cheek.

“Or….maybe you do have something to worry about.” Ari said as she saw the same thing I saw. That bitch leaned up and gave him a kiss back and then they hugged. WHAT THE HELL!

Gunner tur
ned scanning for me in the crowd
. Oh what’s wrong dick head….checking to see if
I
just saw you kiss another
girl.
His
eyes found mine and he smiled.

I was so pissed I would not smile at that asshole. His smiled faded and he waved. So I did what any other girlfriend would do in my shoes.

I gave him the finger and got up to leave.

“Wait…where’
re you going?” Ari said as she struggled to
get out from under the blanket.

“I’m leaving. I think I’
ve seen enough.” I to
ok
one last lo
ok
and Gunner was standing there staring up at me with a shocked lo
ok
on his face.

I can’t belie
ve it….how could he…he knows I’m sitting right
here and I can see everything! Why would he do that?

You will never be wanted by anyone…….

My mother’s words just kept playing over and over in my head as we walked
out to my car.

“SHUT UP!” I screamed out as
I threw my hands over my ears.

“Jesus Ellie I didn’t say a damn word!”

I stopped and lo
ok
ed at Ari confused. “What?”

“What to
your
what? Why did you
yell at me to shut up? I wasn’
t even talking!”

I sho
ok
my head to clear my thou
ghts. SHIT! I’m losing my mind.

“
Fuckin
’
A…
I think you’
re stressed
out
with school Ells. You to
ok to
o
many classes and you’
re stressed out from not seeing your man enough. I think you need a vacation. Like to a certain ranch under a certain live oak tree!” Ari said as she used her elbow to hit
my arm while she winked at me
.

“ARGH!
The last thing I’
m going to do is go anywhere with that prick. He can take Lori.”

I started to walk faster. I needed to get ou
t of there. I couldn’t breathe.

“Ellie stop right now. ELLIE!
STOP!”
Ari shouted.

“WHAT?”

“
Okay
I get that you’
re pissed but holy shit. It was a kiss on the cheek in front of thousands of people including you….his GIRLFRIEND! Do you honestly think that Gunner is cheating on you with this girl? Don’t you think it could be s
omething totally innocent? Maybe you should at least let him explain before you fly off the handle.”

I started to calm down a little. Ari was totally right. What the hell was wrong with me? I just couldn’t shake this feeling that something bad was about to happen. The floor was going to fall
out any day now I just knew it.

“You’re right, let’s go back.” I turned and started to head back into the stadium when I saw the little bitch walking out. There w
as a guy standing there I hadn’
t even noticed when we walked by the first time. She walked right into his arms and they kissed. I stopped dead in my tracks. Wow…bitch
sure does move from guy to guy.

Just then Lori the bitch lo
ok
ed up and noticed us.

“Ellie?
Is that you? Gunner’s girlfriend?” she asked as she walked towards me and Ari.

Well at least she got my name right
this time
and called me Gunner’s girlfriend instea
d of Jefferson’s little sister.

I sm
iled and introduced Ari to her.

“It’
s a pleasure. Um this is Michael, my fiancé.”

WHOA…shut the front door! What did she just say? Of course I knew I could count on Ari right at that moment.

“Your fiancé huh?
So what where you doing down on the field earlier?”

Subtle Ari…real subtle
.

“My uncle is one of the trainers. I came to say good bye to him and a few of t
he guys I to
ok
classes with. I’
m
not coming back to UT after this
semester. Michael’s company is transf
erring him to New York so that’
s where I am heading.”

I finally found my voice. “
Wow
,
that
sounds exciting. So, did you happen to see Gunner to say goodbye?”

She smiled and sho
ok
her head. “Yes, you are very luc
ky Ellie. Gunner loves you very much
. He couldn’t stop talking about you the whole time. I’m really glad things worked out the way they did.” She said as she lo
ok
ed up at her fiancé.

Okay
…….
…
I felt like a total
idiot.
Maybe Gunner will forget all
about me giving him the
finger. A girl can hope can’t she?

“So are you going to keep ignoring me the rest of the night?” I asked Gunner as he sat there and watched TV. He lo
ok
ed exhausted and I knew he was. He played a good long hard game and by the time he got to his house he
was more than
ready for bed. He didn’t lo
ok
very happy when he opened the door
and
I was sitting there waiting for him.

“Listen Ellie, I
’m
tired, I don’t feel like watching TV
anymore
and I don’t feel like talking…I’m not in the mood for your bullshit tonight.”

My bull
shit?
What the hell! I have not
even
said a word.
Shit was he still pissed I gave him the finger?

“Wait…….I’ve haven’t even said anything to you. I got you a beer
,
made you a sandwich and just sat here while you came down from your game.
Why are you pissed at me
Gunner
?!”

Gunner slammed his hands through his hair and sighed. He stood up and lo
ok
ed down at me and sho
ok
his head. “Are you staying
here to
night?”