“Thank you” Ellie said as she took the Advil. As soon as her fingers brushed against my hand I felt jumpage in my pants. Holy Fuck this girl was affecting me in ways I had never known was possible.

“Let’s get you to the doctor what do you say?” I said as I leaned in close to her ear. I know I should not have done that but dammit I had to know how she smelled.

Daisies….She smelled like the daisies Grams grows in her garden. It was a pure sweet innocent smell. She shivered with the feel of my hot breath against her face.

I. Am. So. Fucked.

“Ahh, yep okay, doctor sounds good, yep let’s go, let’s roll, let’s do this thing” Ellie said in the sweetest voice I had ever heard. God, she was cute as a button when she stammered on her words.

I shut the door, quickly adjusted my problem in my pants and jumped into the front seat. Jeff started his truck and yep…sure enough…it was still on Truck Yeah. I swear I’m going to delete that song on his iPod the first chance I get.

“Ari is dead wrong on what Ellie?” Jeff asked while pulling out of the parking lot. I just couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. I was still worried they would call the cops. The sooner we got out of there the better.

“Nothing Jefferson, she is just delusional that is all. She is seeing things that are clearly NOT there.”

“Well, whatever crazy shit Ari is going on about I don’t care. I want to know right now what the f**k happened between you and Ryan!”

I was pretty sure I had heard Ari just call Jeff a dick wad. What was up with Jeff? He never would be so rude to someone. In the last five minutes I have heard him to tell this poor girl to shut up, bicker with her like a married couple and he pretty much just called her crazy. Huh? Wonder what was up with that. I am going to have to ask him about this Ari chick later.

“Well, it all started when I got a text from Ryan to meet him in the auditorium……..”

Chapter Three

Ellie…..

Two and half hours later…….

I was getting tired of waiting for the doctor to come back into my room with my pain medicine prescription. By the time I finished telling Jefferson and Gunner what happened, I just wanted someone to shoot me. They both looked like they were ready to leave and go kick Ryan’s ass. A small part of me wanted them to. My hand hurt so bad I just wanted to cry. Thank God it was not broken. The urgent care doctor said it was a Grade 2 sprain. No torn ligaments but I needed to do something called R.I.C.E. Ari of course wrote down what RICE stood for. I couldn’t think let alone try to remember some acronym.

Gunner had been leaning up against the wall just opposite of me the whole time. I tried to keep my eyes either on Jefferson, Ari, the doctor or the floor. Every time I looked up at him he smiled and I felt butterflies in my stomach. I would smile back politely and then look away.

No one has ever had this kind of effect on me before, not even Ryan. It always bothered me that I never got those butterfly moments with Ryan that all my friends talked about. I knew deep down inside Ryan and I were never meant to be. I mean, I am not even feeling upset anymore about what happened.

Of course it could be the incredible hot guy standing across the room who was burning holes into me with his eyes. His beautiful sky blue eyes that just melted my heart and for the first time in my life, made my body tighten with anticipation…down there.

Oh holy hell….what is going on with me?

I shook my head to clear my thoughts again. I could not let this guy get under my skin. No matter how freaking hot he was. I looked up at him again and this time I felt the heat rise up my face. Gunner let out a small laugh that made his whole body tighten. I licked my lips as I watched his body respond to his laughter. My god this guy had a nice body. All I wanted to do was inspect every square inch of it.

Wait…..That f**king bastard just laughed at me! This is why I am never going to have anything to do with men again. I will die a virgin and be proud of it.

“Sooo, what are the plans for Saturday night?” Ari asked while looking at Jefferson I’m sure the same way I had been looking at Gunner.

“I know what my plans are, not sure about yours squirt.” Jefferson responded back to Ari.

“Oh.My.God! Can you please not call me that?! I am eighteen years old and not a child you a**hole.” Ari hissed.

“Well you sure as hell act like a child squirt.” Jefferson stated matter of fact.

“I thought we were having a party at the house to celebrate Ellie’s graduation.” Gunner said as he looked back and forth between Ari and Jefferson. He seemed just as confused about what was going on between them as I was. I would swear they were in a staring contest with the way they were looking at each other.

“Wait…..wait just one damn minute! You’re having a party…..at your house? For us?! Oh. My. God…this is awesome!” Ari jumped up and nearly knocked over the sharps container that was to her right!

“Um, no squirt, I’m having a party at my house for Ellie. Not you.” Jefferson said as he turned to look up at me. I smiled my biggest ‘I love the shit out of you’ smile as I looked at him.

“Are you for real?! I mean I finally get to meet all of your friends and go to a college party!” I was about to act like a total fool myself and jump up and down. If Gunner had not been in the room I so would have done it.

“You bet I am Ells. You only graduate from high school once. It’s one of my presents to you!” Jefferson said as he got up to come and hug me!

I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. When I looked over Jefferson’s shoulder there was that drop my panties smile again. This time I didn’t mind it so much. I smiled back at him just as big as he was smiling at me. I have to admit I think I was more excited knowing I was going to be at a party where I knew for a fact Gunner would be. I had been to their house before but Jefferson always made sure Gunner was never home.

They lived in a two bedroom house that belonged to Gunner’s grandfather. He bought the house when Gunner moved to Austin to attend UT. Jefferson and Gunner hit it off within days of meeting each other and Gunner asked him if he wanted to bunk with him at his house. That was a no brainer. Jefferson would do anything to get out of our house with our drunken mother. I spent most of my days at Ari’s house anyway. Mansion I should say. Her dad was a big shot lawyer but you would never know they had money by the way Ari acted. That was one of the things I just loved about her.

“Am I at least invited to my best friend’s graduation party dick wad?” Ari asked with so much sarcasm it was dripping off of her.

“If she wants you there squirt that is fine by me!” Jefferson said as he rubbed the top of Ari’s head like she was five years old.

“Fucker!” Ari said as she pushed his hand away. Jefferson and Gunner both laughed.

OH. MY. GOD……..that laugh of his. Like his smile, or his touch, or his massive chest was not enough to be my undoing. His laugh about dropped me to the ground. A feeling ran through my whole body every time I heard this guy laugh. What the hell?!

The doctor came back in right at the exact moment I thought I was going to combust from the look Gunner was giving me. He gave me my prescription, another round of how to take care of my hand and out the door we went. Thank God. Between Ari and Jefferson going back and forth with each other and Gunner standing across from me sending me looks that about had me wanting to rip his clothes of…I was more than ready to get the hell out of dodge.

“Hey dick wad, can you swing back by the school so I can pick up my jeep?” Ari shouted over Maroon 5 blasting out of the stereo.

“Ellie and I both have our last shift tonight.” Ari and I both worked part time at Flipnotics. It was a little coffee shop near downtown Austin.

“Oh f**k no is Ellie going to work tonight! She has to rest her hand and she is on pain meds. Are you f**king insane Ari! Thinking Ellie is going to work tonight!” Jefferson shouted back to Ari.

“Yeah, that is not a good idea going in to work tonight Ellie. You need to keep your hand and wrist elevated to keep the swelling down.” Gunner said to me as he turned around and looked at me.

WOW, he really looked like he was worried about me. My heart started to beat faster and I felt the blush creep up into my face.

NO! Wait…I needed to stop this right now. I could not let Gunner Mathews get into my heart. No. It was closed for business. Shut down, never to be opened up to any hurt again.

You will never be wanted by anyone…..Would I ever be able to get my mother’s voice out of my head?

Ari sat there and looked stunned. She just kept looking between Jefferson and Gunner and finally just laughed.

“What?! Are you both her freaking mother? No, I think not. Ells can do whatever she damn well pleases and you two ass wipes have no say in it what so ever! If she wants to go to work or not go to work that is her decision to make. I can’t believe you two…my God.” Ari said in a harsh tone directed more at Jefferson than Gunner.

Gunner gave me a small smile and turned back around and looked out the side window. For a brief second I was pissed at Ari for hurting his feelings. He was only worried about me. Just the thought of it had me thinking things I should not have been thinking about Gunner.

Holy shit……I started to blush just thinking about what his touch would feel like. Jefferson brought me out of my wayward thoughts.

“You know what squirt you’re right, I’m not her mother but I am her brother. Ells I don’t think it is a good idea honey. Plus you are taking pain meds and you really cannot use your hand.”

Maybe Jefferson was right. It had been such a long day and I was so tired. My hand was killing me and all I really wanted to do was curl up somewhere and go to sleep and forget this whole day even happened. Well, not maybe the whole day. If Ryan had not cheated on me I wouldn’t have been graced with the presence of Gunner all afternoon.

Gunner….even when I think about him my stomach takes a dive. Does that really even happen to people? According to my mother all men are evil bastards. Jefferson isn’t an evil bastard. He would never purposely hurt anyone. Although he does seem to be doing a good job at getting Ari all fired up today. They are currently going back and forth about what is better for me again. If I didn’t know any better….

OH MY GOD! OH. MY. GOD. Jefferson likes Arianna! Holy fuck, how did I not see this?! The way he keeps looking at her and talking to her. The time he beat up Brad Roberts. Once Ari started high school and really started looking more like a girl than his little sisters….squirt friend. OMG! Jefferson pretty much dumped us both and no longer hung out with us right after that.

How could I forget he used to call her squirt? WOW….this was something I would have to think on later. Right now trying to deal with my hand and these crazy intense feelings for Gunner was enough to handle.

“Oh my god will you two PLEASE shut the hell up!”

Ari and Jefferson immediately stopped talking and Ari looked over and took my good hand.

“Ari, I hate to admit this but I really am so tired and my hand is killing me. Maybe I should rest a bit. Today has been such a long day and I’m ready for it to just be over.” I said as I looked up to Jefferson who turned around quickly to give me a smile.