Ari looked down at Jason and then back up at Jeff again.

“I need some fresh air…..” Jeff said as he walked towards the front door.

“FUCK!” Ellie and I both said again at the same time. I started to go after him as Ellie pushed me from behind trying to get me to walk faster. I looked over at Ari who now had her eyes closed with a single tear rolling down her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked down at Jason but I never got to hear what she said because Ellie was pushing me out the goddamn front door.

Jeff was throwing up by the BMW that Jon had been leaning against earlier. Damn….I sure hope that was the assholes car.

“OH MY GOD Jefferson! Are you okay?” Ellie said as she ran over to him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you mother fucking idiot! You just let the best fucking thing that will EVER happen to you go! You just walked away from her you goddamn stupid mother fucker!” I said as Jeff kept throwing up.

“GUNNER! STOP!” Ellie shouted at me.

“Why Ellie? Because he just let the only girl he has ever loved end up with some fucking dick head who is going to end up fucking cheating on her with some country club plastic Barbie? You fucked up again Jeff!”

Jeff was still throwing up and Ellie was just standing there 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 don’t deserve her, I never have!”

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

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

“You mean she used to love me Ellie. She’s marrying another man.” He threw up again. Then he stood up and looked 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 behind me. How much of that did she hear?

She looked 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 Ellie 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 purse.” 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 said 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 took a drink of water 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 asking Ellie to come along, you didn’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

Ellie……

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph it is fucking freezing outside!” Ari said as she bundled up under a blanket. I had to agree with her. It 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 these 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 looked 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 look in the same direction I was looking.

“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 didn’t talk for a few weeks. That’s HER! I knew she looked familiar. Why he is talking to her?”

Ari sat back and pulled her knees closer to her chest 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 down 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 turned 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 took one last look and Gunner was standing there staring up at me with a shocked look on his face.

I can’t believe 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 looked at Ari confused. “What?”

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

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. SHIT! I’m losing my mind.

“Fuckin’ A…I think you’re stressed out with school Ells. You took too 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 out 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 something 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 was 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 looked 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 instead of Jefferson’s little sister.

I smiled 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 the guys I took classes with. I’m not coming back to UT after this semester. Michael’s company is transferring 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 shook her head. “Yes, you are very lucky 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 looked 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 looked 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 look 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 bullshit? 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?!”