“You’re right Ells……it’s their problem. It will all work out honey, don’t worry. Jeff can’t ignore how he feels for Ari forever.”

“Yeah….but for how long will Ari wait for him to make up his damn mind……..” Ellie went silent.

I took a deep breath knowing she was thinking about us. She was wondering the same thing about me. How long will I wait for her to decide this whole friendship thing was just plain stupid?

I would wait forever for her…..

“Hey, Jeff wanted me to remind you that y’all are going car shopping today. You excited?” I said as a smile came across my face. I could just picture her jumping up and down right now.

“Oh my gosh! I’m super excited!!! Are you going to come with us? OH please say you’re coming! It will be so much fun!” God I could hear the excitement in her voice.

I started to laugh. “Only if you let me be the first person you kiss in your new car.”

“Oh….um…..” She started to giggle. “OKAY! It is a deal. You will be the first person I kiss in my new car!”

“On the lips……”

Ellie let out a louder laugh. “On the lips you bet.”

“With tongue….none of this chicken peck shit!”

“GUNNER! You’re terrible!” She was still laughing. “Okay….you will be the first person that I kiss on the lips with a little bit of tongue…you’re not getting anything else out of me.”

“I will take it and I’ll hold you to it. I will not forget, I have an incredible memory.” I said as I walked back into the house. Jeff was walking into living room with a towel wrapped around his waist. He must have just gotten out of the shower. He picked up his cell phone and made a strange face when he looked at the screen.

He looked up at me and mouthed the word ELLIE. I shook my head yes. “Tell her I’ll be there in forty five minutes to get her.” Jeff said as he started to listen to a voice mail.

“Hey sweetheart, Jeff just said he will pick you up in forty five minutes. If I’m going with y’all I need to hop in the shower and get ready. I will talk to you soon okay?”

“Sounds good Gunner and I’ll see ya soon.” Ellie said with such sweetness in her voice.

“Bye Ells….”

“Bye Gunner” she practically whispered it and my heart rate took off through the roof. Damn….I was already getting excited just from knowing I was about to lay eyes on her beautiful face again.

Just then I heard Jeff shout “FUCK!” along with the sound of his cell phone hitting the wall.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

Ellie…….

I set my cell phone down next to me in bed. Holy hell….I just had to hear his voice and I got an ache between my legs. Why did he have this affect on me? It was insane! ARGH…this whole friends thing was starting to really suck. I knew Gunner wanted more but I just was not ready to give up my heart again. I trusted him with my life but still, I barely knew him. This is what was scaring the shit out of me. I couldn’t get dependent on him like I was Jefferson all those years. I needed to get my big girl panties on and figure my shit out.

I got to see him today though and I had to smile with just the thought. I was already wondering what he would wear? He always looked so damn good when I saw him. Shit he could have on a paper bag and still look good. Speaking of looking good….I needed to get up and get going!

EEEPPPPP! I can’t believe Jefferson is buying me a car! I turned on the shower and threw my hair up in a pony tail. After a quick five minute shower, I hopped out and went to the closet. I pulled my hair out of the pony and started to look for something to wear. SHIT! I really needed Ari’s help picking something out. Just then I heard her open the door to my room.

“Well….look at you all ready to start your day!” Ari said as she came and sat down on my bed. She was already dressed herself in a pair of white shorts and a navy blue sleeveless shirt. Her hair was in two braided pigtails and she had on a pair of cowboy boots.

“Shit Ari….how do you put these outfits together like this? You look adorable! What the hell are you doing up and dressed so earlier anyway. I heard you come in last night. Why did you leave the hospital? Jefferson wanted to see you.” I said as I sat down on the bed next to her. I saw her eyes light up when I mentioned Jefferson wanting to see her.

“Why did he want to see me?” Ari asked trying to sound disinterested.

“I think he just really wanted to talk to you, apologize for everything. He said he has been trying to call you but you won’t return his calls.” I said as Ari closed her eyes briefly before opening them again.

“I’m sorry I skipped out on you yesterday but once I heard he was fine I figured it would be for the best if I just left. I ended up calling Brian back to the hospital for a ride home. Once I got home I went with my mom to the club to play a game of tennis and I ran into Jason Reed from high school. We talked for a bit, he asked me out to dinner so I figured why not. I came home and left to meet him at Hula Hut. We ended up going and shooting some pool and then I came home. I actually enjoyed myself for once. I forgot what a nice guy he was.” Ari said as she stared down at the floor.

“Oh….um….wasn’t Jason a few years older than us, he played football and hung around Jefferson and them right?” I asked as I got up and started looking for something to wear again.

“Yep…that’s him. Anyway, he called me this morning and asked if I wanted to have lunch with him. I told him I would see what your plans were and call him back.”

“Oh, well….Jefferson is taking me to get my graduation present today along with Gunner.”

Ari sat up a little straighter. “Do you know what he is getting you?”

“YEP and you won’t believe it! I hardly can!” I said as I jumped up and down.

Ari threw her head back and laughed. “Well…..what is it bitch? Don’t just leave me hanging here!”

I cleared me throat and looked at her. “He is getting me a CAR!”

Ari jumped up and screamed “WHAT THE FUCK?! A car? He is getting you a goddamn car?! Oh my gosh!! What kind of car or do you get to pick it out? Is there a price max? How the hell can he afford to buy you a new car?”

Gesh this girl…..”Ari if you would just take a breath I could fill you in!” I said with a laugh.

“Oh yeah….sorry…go…fill me in….I’m all ears!” Ari said as she sat back down on the bed clearly trying to keep quite.

“Okay well…he told me he had some money saved up from working and that this was my graduation present. Yes, I get to pick it out and no….he has not told me a max price…YET! I was really hoping you would come along with me to help me pick it out but if you made plans with Jason that’s okay.”

Ari’s smile faded. She started fiddling with her shirt. Was that tears building in her eyes? When she looked back up at me a single tear started too slide down her face.

“Oh my god Ari what’s wrong?” I asked as I pulled her towards me and hugged her.

“Oh Ellie…..I want to go but I don’t think I could see Jeff, not today anyway. He left a voice mail this morning asking me to please call him back and for me to stop acting like a baby. I don’t know why I did it but I called him back and I shouldn’t have because I was so pissed off with him calling me a baby. It was his voice mail so I left him a message.” She started to cry hysterically.

Oh no…….”What did you say sweets?”

She was now just sobbing and shaking. What the hell?

“Ari….WHAT did you say?” I asked her as I pushed her away from me to where I could look into her face.

“I….I just said…..I said that I accepted his apology and that he was right, I needed to grow up. I told him he didn’t need to worry about my virginity anymore because……because…..”

Oh.My.God……I knew where this was going.

“Ari just tell me what you said in the voice mail!” I yelled at her.

She started to settle down a bit. She took a deep breath and started talking again. “I told him he didn’t need to worry about my virginity anymore because I gave it up last night to Jason Reed.”

No……oh please God no!

I felt like I was going to throw up. I had to stand up and go into the bathroom and splash water on my face. I was leaning up against the counter listening to Ari crying. Oh my god how could she do this? Why would she do this? This was all so wrong! I took a deep breath and walked back into the room. I was so mad at her for doing this.

Ari looked up at me with tears streaming down her face.

“Of all the stupid ass f**ked up shit you have ever done! How could you be so stupid Ari! I am so disappointed in you right now you have no f**king idea!” I was shaking from head to toe.

“WAIT! Ellie wait! Let me tell you…..” Ari jumped up and started to walk over to me.

“I can’t believe you would sleep with some guy you barely know just to get back at Jefferson. What the f**k is wrong with you two anyway? Does f**king other people help you two solve your problems? You probably just ruined everything Ari…..everything!” I shouted at her.

“No wait….ELLIE please just let me talk.” Ari begged.

I just stood there and waited for her to start talking. Nothing she was going to say to me was going to make any this better. Jefferson was probably devastated thinking he drove Ari to have sex with someone.

Ari wiped the tears away frantically. “I didn’t have sex with Jason! I was just so angry and hurt that all I wanted to do was hurt Jeff back. I know it was a childish thing to do…..believe me I know! I just…..shit I don’t know what I was thinking.”

I stood there for a second taking every bit in that she just said. I felt like I wanted to slap the shit out of her. “You bitch! I don’t know what is worse. You making me believe you lost your virginity or the fact that you just hurt Jefferson like this. How could you do this? I’m so mad at you right now I don’t even want to talk to you!” I shouted at Ari. I picked up my cell phone to call Jefferson. It went straight to voicemail.

“GREAT! It’s going to his voicemail. You have to tell him the truth.” I said as I looked at Ari with pure disgust on my face.

“No….”

“What do you mean no? You can’t make Jefferson think that you slept with Jason just because you got your feelings hurt. You are behaving just like he did Saturday night.” I said as I walked to my closet. I needed to get dressed and ready before Jefferson and Gunner got there.

“I think this is for the better. If Jeff thinks I have moved on then he will be able to move on as well. It’s pretty f**king clear Ellie that Jeff never had any intention of taking things past friendship. This way maybe we can somehow be friends again later on down the road. He can date whomever he likes….I need to move on and I think Jason might be the guy I need to move on with.” Ari said as she walked into my closet and pulled out a pair of white Capri pants and a black sleeveless shirt. “I have a pair of black flats and a belt that will look really cute with this.”