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 f**k Jeff’s little sister on the dance floor.”

Jefferson spun his head around and looked at Crysti then at Gunner and me. Then I noticed Rebecca sitting next to Jeff. Oh shit….I immediately looked 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 f**k are you doing” look. He just looked back at me and then out towards Ari and back at Crysti.

“Fuck off you bitch.” Jefferson said to Crysti.

WOW! I was not expecting that.

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

“GUNNER!” I said as I looked 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 would love to ….party with y’all.”

Crysti just glared at me. What was she giving me such a dirty look 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 sure 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 looked 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 took his eyes off of Ari the whole time he told Rebecca to basically shove off.

“Wait one minute. Wait just one goddamn f**king minute. Do you like this bitch or something? Did you f**king 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 looking at him. She slowly looked 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 looks 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 f**ker….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 and 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 out 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. Jefferson sure was not stopping Ari as he reached up and cupped her face.

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

Ari looked up at her and smiled. Jefferson just sat there staring at Ari with a very confused look on his face.

“You can f**k off Jeff. Don’t ever call me again you mother f**ker. 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 look at Jefferson. She smiled down at him.

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

“What….what the f**k was that all about?” Jefferson asked as he was desperately trying to get 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 looked over at Ari and then back towards the house.

“Umm, I need to go check on something.” Jefferson said as he jumped out of his seat and made a bee line for the house. Ari looked over at me and Gunner and we all laughed.

“Well played Ms. Peterson….well f**king played.” Gunner said as he took his beer and hit it with Ari’s.

Ari smiled at me and gave me a wink. I just shook my head. This girl actually knew what the f**k 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 shout it out for the world to know.

Ari asked if Ellie wanted to dance and she looked 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 browsup and down and smiled at Ari.

Ari laughed but Ellie didn’t think that comment was too 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 looked 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 looked over towards where Jon was standing and noticed the f**ker watching her also. I finished off my 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 looked 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 f**king 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 on and on about Heather so I could try to lose my hard on.”

I threw my head back and laughed. “That must have been entertaining.”

“Fuck….to say the least. Dude has it bad for that girl. Jesus, I never in my life saw Josh this interested in a girl and this f**king nervous to actually talk to her.”

“Yeah he has it pretty bad for her. Stupid f**ker has not even talked to her all night. Speaking of stupid f**kers……what are you going to do about Ari?”

Jeff took a drink of his beer as he looked out towards Ari and Ellie dancing.

“Nothing.”

“What the f**k do you mean nothing?”

“I mean nothing. I’m not going to do anything. She told me tonight that she never slept with Jason which was a relief because I would’ve hated myself the rest of my life knowing she just slept with him to get back at me. So, now that I know we’re alright I’m just going to move on.” Jeff said as he took another drink of his beer. This time he damn near finished it.

“You have got to be f**king kidding me.” I said as I shook my head and looked at him. “Jeff, can you not see that she has a thing for you. I mean holy fuck, that kiss she gave you I’m pretty damn sure was more than just for show. Why do you insist on pushing her away?”

Jeff stared out at Ari. She looked over once and smiled and Jeff turned away. “I can’t do it Gunner. I cannot risk losing her. If things didn’t turn out she would be gone for good. I don’t think I could live my life if she was not in it……even if that just means being friends.”

I pushed my hand through my hair and let out a sigh. Looks like their mother not only f**ked up Ellie’s thinking of how love is, she f**ked up Jeff’s too.

“Jeff, I get that you don’t want to lose her. I mean I REALLY get it.” I said as I looked over at Ellie and smiled. “But what are you going to do when she gets tired of waiting for you. When she ends up with someone like Jason Reed? She’ll get married; have kids, live a life that in the long run you will not be a part of. Do you think you can handle that? Are you going to be ready for that when it happens?”

Jeff tipped his head back and finished off his beer. “I don’t know Gunner. I honestly don’t f**king know dude.”

“Well Jeff you better f**king figure it out and do it soon. That girl is not going to just sit around and wait for you. If you want her….you better fight for her and let her know how you feel.” I finished off my own beer and got up and walked towards Jack….I needed to dance with Ellie.

“Hey Jack, You got any Vince Gill?” I yelled into his ear over the music.

“You know I do! What are you looking for?”

“I want you to play “Whenever You Come Around” next okay?”

Jack gave me that big ole smile of his and nodded. “You got it dude.”

I walked back over to Jeff. Fuck I was starting to get a little drunk. I sat down and looked at him. I was going to bite the f**king bullet.

“I love her.”

Jeff snapped his head and looked at me. “Ellie?”

“Of course Ellie, who the f**k else would I be talking about!”

Jeff just smiled at me. “When did this come about?”

“Earlier. It just f**king hit me like a brick wall. Scared the f**k out of me and it was a good three or four minutes before I could even talk or move.” I looked over at Ellie who was now just standing in the middle of the dance crowd talking to Heather and Ari. God, there was not a damn thing I would not do for her.

“Gunner you know I trust you with my sister, I really do. I love you like a brother and there is nothing on earth I would rather see than my sister happy with you. Just take care of her dude, don’t hurt her and please just be patient. She has been through a lot you know? Just….just don’t push her into anything to fast okay?”

I looked over at Jeff. “I would die first before I let anything or anyone hurt her. I need you to know that Jeff. I really need you to know that I love her and I will protect her with everything I have.”

Jeff got up and slapped my back. “Well f**k dude….that’s all I needed to hear. No wonder you are getting f**king drunk!”