Wanted (24 page)

Gunner reached down and turned up his iPod a little more. Taylor Swift’s Fearless was playing. I had to smile. That song describes exactly how I felt today being with Gunner.
I lo
oked over at him and h
e seemed lost in thought.

Shit…I really hope I didn’t
just blow
it
with him. God if he only knew
the way he made me feel. How
all I wanted to do was jump into h
is arms and stay there forever.

How did he feel about me? I mean that kiss…..holy s
hit…..that kiss. It was amazing but
I still had this na
gging feeling I was just a girl
for him to conquer
.

Gunner started to talk and
pulled me out of my
daze
. I shoo
k my head to clear my thoughts. I
was
doing the right thing.

“Holy shit…..this is where Ari lives?!” Gunner said as he pulled up the Ari’
s parent’s 5,5
00 square foot house.
He parked in the front of the hou
se and jumped out of his truck.

“What the hell do her parents do?”
Gunner asked as he opened my
door to let me out. I quickly learned this is something he just did and if I got out first he seemed upset by it so now I just wait
ed
for him.

“H
er dad is a big time lawyer and her mom is a stay at home mom. You will love them though! They are really cool. Ari’s mom is a HU
GE Katha
rine Hepburn fan. She’
s made us watch all of her movies. Her dad loves football and will LOVE you just like he does Jefferson. Do
n’t be surprised if he
know
s
all your stats. He went to UT and is a HUGE UT football fan.” I said as Gu
nner got the bags out of the back
seat of his truck.

Gunner let out a laugh. “I already like him then! Anyone who likes football and knows his stats is an
okay
dude in my bo
ok
s!” We both laughed and turned when we heard A
ri come running down the steps.

“Ells….thank God you’
re here! Where the hell have you two been! Jefferson has been here for 45
minutes driving me fucking crazy! Thankfully my dad came home and he is now talking to him about football!” Ari stepped back and lo
ok
ed at me and then Gunner and then back at me again. A h
uge smile came across her face.

“I get the C
oach purse don’t I?” Ari said as she started to laugh and ho
ok
ed her arm with my arm as we walked into the house. I just laughed and I turne
d back around to see Gunner with
my favorite panty
melting smile on his face. He gave me a wink like he knew what that exchange was all about. I smiled back at him as we made our way into the house.

Gunner and Jeff stayed for about an hour longer after we got there. Ari’s dad
Mark
was in hog heaven having two starting UT football player
s in his house. Ari’s mom Susan
, begged the boys to stay for dinner but they said they needed to clean up the house for tomorrow night’s graduation party for me.

Ari was acting so strange. She was much more talkative and seemed to be nervous.
I could not tell if it was because Jefferson was in her house for so long or if it was something else.
I noticed her staring at Jefferson a few times and I actually caught him staring at her. What
the hell was going on with those
two? I was begin
ning to think Gunner was right about Jefferson liking Ari.

Ari
almost seemed like she was trying to
get rid of Jefferson a
nd Gunner. God I hope she didn’
t want to talk.
I was so happy right now I did not want to talk abou
t my mother or what happened today with her or Ryan.

“
Okay
,
well I think it is time you two
guy
s
to
to
ok
off. We need to unpack Ellie and get ready for graduation tomorrow so…..you can leave anytime you want.” Ari said as she lo
ok
ed directly at Jefferson.

“Arianna Katherine Peterson! We do not treat our gu
ests that way.” Ari’s mom said.

“Yes Arianna Katherine Peterson. You keep being so rude you won’t be invited to Ellie’s party tomorrow night.”
Jefferson said
with a
wink directed at Ari
.

Ari got up and walked over to where Jefferson was sitting. She bent over and got right next to his ear.

“Fuck off dick head!” She said loud enough for Gunner and I to hear but not her mother. Gunner and I both laughed as Ari stood up and walked back over to where she was sitting next to me. Jefferson’s face was red. Was he blushing or was he just pissed?

“Come on dude…I have stuff I need to take care of anyway. We can stop and grab a beer on the way home.” Gunner said has he
slapped Jefferson on the back.

Jefferson got up and walked over to me. I stood up because I knew I was about to get one of my brothers bear hugs. After he gave me my hug he leaned down towards Ari
.

“Watch your language
squirt;
you wouldn’t want to make mommy and daddy upset with you.” Je
fferson whispered into her ear.

“Stop calling me
squirt
and while you a
re at it…..go to hell asshole.”

Jefferson let out a laugh and walked over to
Mark
and Susan
to say goodbye.

Ari grabbed my hand and started to lead me upstairs. I stopped to sa
y good
night to Gunner. I
wished we were alone
because
all of a sudden
I
started to panic. What if I made a mistake by telling him I just wanted to be
friends? What if he went out with someone tonight? Or brought a date tomorrow night!

“Um, thank you again for everything t
oday Gunner. I really enjoyed myself
.” I said as I gave him a smile. He smiled back and for a second I wanted nothing more
than for him to kiss me again.

“I really enjoyed
today also Ellie. Good luck tomorrow at you
r graduation
Ellie and
y
ou too Ari and congratulations on Valedictorian.
”

“Thank you Gunner and thank you so much for taking ca
re of Ellie today. I guess we’
ll see you tomorrow night!” Ari said as she w
alked Gunner and Jefferson out.

I turned to find
Mark
and
Susan
smiling at me.
They know.

“We are heading out to the club for awhile. Let Ari know we will be back later
this evening sweetheart.” Susan
said
as she
gave me a kiss on the forehead.

“
Okay
I’
ll be sure t
o let her know. Thank you Susan
and
Mark
….for….everything.”

“No thanks are needed my sweet girl.”
Mark
said as h
e kissed my cheek.

Ari and Jefferson must have filled in her pare
nts because
they never said a word about me staying there except to tell me I was always welcome in their home. They had been like
my second parents since I was ten
. I use to stay over
at
their house for days at a time. I loved them more than
I think I loved my own mother.

“Come on let me show you your room!” Ari sa
id as she dragged me up stairs.

“My
room…..wait
……I’m not staying in your room like always?” I asked Ari as I cam
e to a stop at the top landing.

“Nope…I’
ve been dying to talk to you every since you got here with hotter than hot Gunner!” Ari said with a laugh.

“Shut the fuck up
bitch!” I said as I punched her in the arm
with my left hand
.

“
Okay
so I want all the dirty deeds on what
went
down with you two today and DON’T try to say nothing did. I saw the lo
ok
on your face when you were walking up with him. You either lost virginity today or that boy has magic fingers!” Ari said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“OH. MY. GOD! You are impossible!! NO…I did not lose my V card you bitch!” I said as I followed Ari down the hall. She stopped outside a door that w
as right next door to her room.

“Your room sweets.”
Ari said as she opened the door to the guest b
edroom. My bags were already in the room and sitting on the bedside table was a b
ouquet of fresh
daisies
. I walked over to the flowers, leaned down a
nd gave them a good long smell.

“Oh
my gosh
how sweet of your mom to put these in here!” I said as I sat down on the bed. For the first time since I had left my mother’s house today I actually felt like things were going to be
okay
.

“It wasn’t my mom who wanted the flowers in here Ellie. It was Gunner.” Ari said as she sat down on the bed next to me.

Gunner?
What!
How? Why?

“Wait…..It
couldn’t have been Gunner, he’
s been with me all day today Ari, how could he have bought flowers and put them in here?” I as
ked as my head started to spin.

Ari laughed. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, how are you third in the class you shit head! Gunner sent me a text earlier today. He said he was taking you canoeing, some
thing you requested I take, and h
e
asked me to pick up some
daisies
to put in your room. He wanted them to be here when you got here.”

“
How the hell did he know
daisies
were my favorite flower? Did you tell
him?” I asked confused as hell.

“NOPE” Ari said as sh
e made her
P
sound like a pop
.

“Jefferson?” I asked.

“NOPE” Ari said again with
a shit eating grin on her face.

“I told you that boy wanted in your panties Ells!” Ari said as she fell back on
the bed laughing her ass off.

“Arianna!
I am so confused. Did he just guess? Plea
se just tell me! My god this guy
has my head spinning and my heart pounding and his kiss just about knocked me off my feet.” I said as I fell back to
lie
next to her.

I hear
d a scream and saw Ari jump up.

“What the FUCK
Ellie h
e kissed you? He
kissed you?????
When? I mean oh my God you bitch you kept something this HUGE from me?! I can’t believe you
…..
how
could you?”
Ari just kept going on and on.

“HOLY SHIT
Ari if you would just shut up we have only been alone a whole
five
minutes! I
will tell you!” I said laughing at how Ari
was still jumping up and down.

I told Ari all about our morning and how perfect it was. I even told her about
Crysti
the bitch
. We talked about how sweet Gunner was after we left my mother’s hou
se
,
the awesome canoe ride. Then I told her
every single detail
about the kiss.

“Holy hells bells…..Jesus…
…did
you orgasm from that kiss?” Ari
asked while pretending to fan herself.

“OH MY GOD!
Arianna!!!!
I can NOT believe you!” I said as I threw a pillow at her.

“Really Ells…..that sounds like it was fucking hotter than hell.
I mean just lo
ok
ing at that boy makes me have naughty thoughts! I can’t imagine kissi
ng him!”

“Damn Ari….I can’t believe how he makes me forget everything. It was the most
amazing moment of my life. I’
ve never been kissed like that before.”