“I’m so sorry I disappointed you. I will never forgive myself for hurting you. You’re all I have Ells…..I promise I will never disappoint you again. Please tell me you forgive me for being such a prick. Please Ellie…..”

My heart started to pound. Oh my God Jefferson.

“Of course I forgive you Jefferson. I love you more than anything you know that. Jefferson you can’t keep doing this…you have to stop. Having someone beat up on you like a punching bag is not going to make it go away, you have to talk to Ari. You have to tell her how sorry you are.” I said as I looked up at Gunner who was watching me intensely.

“FUCK! I have been trying to tell her I’m sorry. She won’t f**king answer her phone when I call. I’ve been texting her to please call me and she just ignores me!” The heart monitors they had Jeff connected to started to beep faster and faster…..

“Jeff, dude just calm down…..let me go out and get Ari….she’s right outside Jeff. Let me go get her.” Gunner said as a nurse walked in.

“Mr. Johnson is everything okay in here?” the nurse asked as she looked between Gunner and me.

“Jefferson, please just take a few deep breaths okay? It’s alright Gunner is going to get Ari right now. Everything is fine….he um, just started to get a little upset. When can we take him home?” I asked as the nurse starting taking all of Jefferson’s vital signs.

“As soon as the doctor says he can leave we can start on the paper work. Until then…..please try to keep him calm.” Nurse meanie said as she walked back out the door.

“She’s pleasant, she been your nurse the whole time?”

Jefferson laughed. “Yeah, but she has been pretty cool. I’m sorry Ellie I scared you. I love you sis….more than life itself. I wanted to take you shopping last Monday for your graduation gift. Maybe we could do it tomorrow? What do you say?”

“Ohhhh….what type of store do we need to go to for this gift?!” I said as I hopped up and down. Jefferson was the BEST gift giver! I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to get me.

“A car dealership…….that type of store.” He said with a smile.

“Wait…..what? A car dealership…..shut the hell up Jefferson! You’re buying me a car????! OH MY GOD! How can you afford to buy me a car?” I practically screamed out.

“Gesh Ells, try to keep it down. There are sick people here and my head is f**king killing me right now. Don’t worry about how I can afford it. I work and I must say I am a pretty damn good investor when it comes to money. Think about what kind of car you want honey and we will go shopping tomorrow.”

I started to jump up and down I was so excited! The smile on Jefferson’s face melted my heart. Just then my phone beeped alerting me to a text message. I grabbed it out of my back pocket. It was from Gunner.

Ari left.....she left a message with the nurse that she was heading back home.

Fuck a duck! Why did she leave? I looked up at Jefferson. His smiled faded when he saw my face.

“She left didn’t she Ellie?” he said with such a sad look in his eyes.

“Yes, I’m afraid she did. I’m so sorry Jefferson.” I said as I took his hand again in mine.

“S’okay….I didn’t even really expect her to be here after what I did to her so…it’s no big deal. Um, can you go see about getting me out of here? I’m really ready to get home.”

I nodded my head and headed out the door. When I walked out to the nurses’ station Gunner was already talking about Jefferson being able to leave. They told him they were getting the paper work together and it shouldn’t be much longer.

“Hey….everything okay with Jeff, does he know Ari left?” Gunner asked as he held open his arms for me.

I melted into his body. Only he could take away the hurt I was feeling. Hurt for Ari, for Jefferson…..shit….my own damn hurt. It all just melted away in his arms.

“Yes he knows she left. And no….he doesn’t seem okay. He’s hurting so bad Gunner. What do I do?”

“I don’t know sweetheart…..I really don’t know.” Gunner said has he held me tighter in his arms.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Gunner…….

I woke up Thursday morning with a sick feeling in my stomach, like I was worried about something. What the hell was that all about? Yesterday turned out to be a f**ked up day. With Jeff spending most of the day in the ER, then bringing him home and getting him settled before I brought Ellie back to Ari’s house. Ellie sent me a text saying that Ari had not been home when she got there and was still not home when Ellie went to bed and she was really worried about her. The fact that Ari left the hospital without seeing Jeff made Ellie upset.

What a f**ked up mess. I sure as shit hoped Jeff and Ari could work out this cluster f**k cause it was taking a toll on Ellie.

My sweet Ellie….god every time I thought about her I smiled and had to adjust my damn dick. This whole friend thing was turning out be harder than I thought it would be. She was worth the wait though. She would always be worth the wait.

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 looked 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 looked up at me and smiled.

“You want to go to Rebels tonight?” Jeff asked while wagging his eyebrows up and down.

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

“Shit yeah! I guess our friend Brad hooked 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 looked at me confused.

“Whatever dude, I’m going and thinking of calling up a few of the other 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 and 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 morning 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 look 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 took his hands and ran them through his hair and then down his face. Clear sign he was 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 looking 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 looking at all like my little squirt…she came back f**king hotter than hell. That damn smile of hers…..fuck I swear my dick comes to attention when she is within fifty feet of me. If we started to date and it ended badly….she would be gone out of my life forever. I would rather have her in my life as a friend then not have her at all.”

I just shook my head. “Jeff, you can’t be afraid of losing her friendship. Fuck dude…your sister has turned my damn world upside down. She 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 you. 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 your 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 f**k is so funny?”

Jeff got up shaking his head and punched me in the arm. “You! Damn Gunner….I’ve never in the three years that I’ve known you seen a girl get to you like this! The last thing I thought you were looking 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 f**ker 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 looks 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 looked at Jeff and laughed…..”I sure hope you’re right. Until then I just plan on waiting for her, I’m not giving up. Speaking of your baby sister…….” I took out my cell phone to give her my normal morning wake up call.

Jeff just laughed 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 asked 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 said 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.