Wanted (66 page)

“Ellie are you sure it was Gunner. He swore to me
he was with his cousins honey.”

I pulled away from him and just looked at him. Then I looked over at Ari who shook her head.

“YES! Ari saw him first. We SAW him Jefferson….with my own two eyes I saw him!”

“Okay…okay I believe you it’s just that he was in hysterics and just really seemed believable.”

“Yeah well who knows how long he has been cheating. No wonder I never see him.”

Jefferson looked over at Ari.

“Ellie
it has been
football season honey even I was MIA for a good part of the time.”

“I don’t care…..” I started to shake my head….I was done….”I never want to see him again. Can you give me a ride home please?”

Jeff stopped at HEB so I could pick up a few items to cook for dinner. I was not planning on
leaving the house anytime soon.

“Ellie….” I heard my name and turned around. It was Jonathon Baker. I let out a sigh. I was not in the mood for him.

“Hey Jon, what’s up?” I turned back around and grabbed some strawberries.

“Ellie are you okay?” He looked at me with real concern in his eyes.

“No Jon I’
m not….I just found out my b
oyfriend cheated on me so no…I’
m not
really
okay.”

“Fuck Ellie….I’m sorry to hear that.”

I jus
t kept on walking. I felt numb.

“Hey listen, a bunch of us are going to Rebels tonight, why don’t you join us? I promise it is strictly a friend inviting another friend who might need to
get her mind off of some shit.

At first I was going to say no but then something came over me. I needed a night out and someone to get my mind off of Gunner Mathews.

“Okay….What time should I expect you to pick me up?”

Jon looked pleased….a little too pleased but righ
t at that moment I didn’t care.

“Dinner first?”

What the hell….

“Sure, why not.”

“How about six?”

I nodded and tried to give him the best smile I could manage. “Sounds great…see you then.”

Jefferson lectured me all the way home abou
t how I should not be going to R
ebels tonight with anyone let alone Jon Baker. I told him a bunch of people were going. I was ready for him to just shut up. I still could get a few hours of sleep in before Jon came to pick me up. My head was pounding. I needed to have my head clear tonight so I could put my plan in place. Forget Drew Mathews ever walked into
my life
starting tonight at 6 pm
.

At five forty five the door bell rang. He was early that eager bastard. I had on a black dress that was barely half way down my thighs, and red cowboy boots. My hair was half up and half down and I put just enough makeup on to make my eyes stand out. I looked one last time in the mirror.
Shit my eyes were red and swollen from crying.

I attempted to put on a smile as
I swung the door open. My smile
faded instantly.

Gunner………..

I just stared at him as he looked me up and down.

“
You going
somewhere?” He sounded pissed.
Pesh
…if anyone wa
s going to be pissed it was me.

“Yes, as a matter of fact I am. I have a date so if you don’t mind leaving he will be here soon to pick me up.”

I started to shut the door p
ut he stopped it with his hand.

“I have nothing to say to you so please leave.”

“Ellie, I was not fucking some girl last night.
I don’t know why you
keep doing this but honestly I’
m getting really tired of this game.”

What?

“What game might that be Gunner?”

“You and this insecurity bull
shit you have got going on Ellie. I have tried to be patient with you and bend over backwards not to push you to soon into anything
,
and all you do is accuse me of not wanting you,
but always wanting someone else.
It’s
bull
shit
and
I’m fucking sick of it.”

“Well good then, you don’t have
to worry about any of that BULL
SHIT anymore because we…..are…..done. Please leave now.”

“Who are you going out with Ellie? Tell me right now!” Gunner screamed so loud it cause me to jump.”

Just then Jon came driving down the driveway in his BMW. I closed my eyes and prayed that Gunner did not beat the hell out of him. Gunn
er turned and looked at the car
then slowly turned around and looked at me.

“Holy shit Ellie….that was fast. Maybe you have had Jon all along on the side huh?” I reached up and slapped him across the face. Jon got out of his car but stopped and just stood there.

“I hate you. Do you hear me? I fucking hate you and I NEVER want to see you again!
NEVER!”

Gunner looked devastated and
I
almost wanted to tell him how sorry I was and
that I didn’t mean a word I just said…
….until I remembered the
bitch wrapped around his body.

“Fine, if this is
what y
ou want Ellie, don’t worry. I’
ll never bother you again.”

Gunner turned and walked away from me. That’s it? He was j
ust going to give up that easy?

I watched him get in his truck and peel out and race down the driveway. I had to put my hand on the door
jam
to hold myself up. Then I turned and ran to the bathroom and threw up.

CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

Gunner……

“Drew, are you sure you feel like going out? I mean you really don’t have to entertain James and
me
.”

My cousin Shannon had been talking about wanting to go to Rebels ever since we were sitting in her hotel room at the
Driskill
yesterday…..before my whole world turned upside down. I never told her why I had to run out on them. They were getting married this weekend and I didn’t want to put a downer on things. James was supposed to fly in a day
ahead
of Shannon but she ended up surprising me by coming in early with him. I was so blown away when she opened the door to what I thought was James hotel room.
S
he screamed and jumped into my arms. Then I saw James sitting on the bed. It had been a great surprise, at least for a few minutes until I got Ellie
’
s crazy ass call accusi
ng me of sleeping with someone.

“Gunner
are
you going to ever tell us why Jeff punched you last night? Your eye looks terrible.” Shannon said as she fussed over it again.

We walked into Reb
els and I spotted Brad
so I stopped and introduced him to James and Shannon. Brad I could tell was giving me the cold shoulder. I guess Amanda filled him in on my whole cheating thing. Whatever….I followed Shannon and James in and my eyes went right to
the dance floor. It was like I instantly knew she was here. 
“
I Cry
”
by Flo
Rida
was playing and Ellie was dancing with that fucker. What the fuck? She had a fucking beer in her hand and she dancing awfully close to Jon. Her ass was grinding all in his fucking crotch.

Just then Jeff and Ari walked up to me. Ari looked at me funny as I looked down at her. She tilted her head and looked at me and then looked out to Ellie. I looked back out and Ellie had her back to us but that fucker looked up and saw me. He smiled and then he
reached down and kissed Ellie.

When they say you can’
t die from a broken heart they’
re right but it sure as fuck hurts so much that you wish you were dead.
My heart just shattered and I felt like I was going to be sick.

The song stopped and Ellie turned around and saw me. She stopped and
stared at me. T
hen
“
Over You
”
by Miranda Lambert started playing.
What
fucking
timing
for that song to start playing.
I fel
t a tear running down my cheek as
Ellie shook her
head and looked at me confused.

“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t love her enough for both of us….Jeff can you give Shannon and James a ride home?”

Jeff just looked at me and then out to Ellie who was just standing there while Jon
was trying to get her to dance.

“Gunner why don’t you try to talk to her…..she might…”

“I’m leaving and I need to know if you will give my cousins a ri
de to their hotel please, they’
re talking to Brad and Amanda.”

“Sure I will Gunner.”

“Gunner, who was that you were with
yesterday
?”
Ari asked me.

I just shook
my head. “I don’t know who you’
re talking about and I’m tired, I’m so tired of doing this
. I’ll see you around
Ari.”

I took one last look at Ellie
who was still standing
there
and looking over at me
. I turned and walke
d away from the only person I’
ve ever loved in my entire life. I would love her
for
the rest of my life.

Now I need
ed
t
o figure out how to forget
about her.

Ellie……

Was Gunner just crying? I was so confused why was he looking like I was the one who gutted him. I was pissed at Jon for kissing me! Asshole
!

Gunner turned and was leaving.

Wait….where was he going? I started to walk over to where Ari was
, she
now looking
at
me like she was just as confused as I was. Jon started to pul
l me back onto the dance floor.

“JON! Let me go talk to my brother for fuck
’
s sake!
”

I started to walk towards Jeff and Ari and of course Jon was walking right behind me. Then I saw her…..my stomach instantly felt sick. I sucked in a breath and looked at Ari who looked over to where I was looking.

“Oh holy shit!
That’s her Jeff! That’s the girl that Gunner
was with
yesterday
!”
Ari said as she was pulling on Jefferson’s shirt.

I couldn’t believe it…he brought her here? I mean he didn’t know I would be here. But oh my god….

Jef
f looked at us confused.
“Who?”

“The
girl standing there with that
guy talking to Brad and Amanda
that is the girl
who was
at the
Driskill
who jumped into Gunners arms and they kissed.”

Jeff snapped his head at Ari and looked back and forth
to both us like we were crazy.

“Fuck Ari you didn’t tell me what hotel you saw Gunner at!
Oh
holy fuck!”
Jeff said as he pushed his hands through is hair.

“What the hell does it matter what hotel it was
at
!”

“It matters a lot
Ari
! That girl over there…
..
..that is Gunner’s cousin Shannon! She flew in a day early to surprise Gunner. That girl you saw jumping into his arms was his fucking cousin!”

No! Oh my god no…
……
this can’t be happening again. I instantly felt the tears rolling down my face.

“Oh my god
no…..OH MY GOD!
”
Ari said as she looked at me.

“Where did he go Jefferson?
Where did Gunner go?
!
”

“Um, I don’t know Ells, he was pretty torn up when he saw you on the dance floor kissing asshole here
who
made damn sure Gunner saw him kiss you.”

I turned to look at Jon and who was now pulling on my arm to
go back out and dance with him.

“Let me go Jon…….Ari I need your car keys…
…..
I need to go after him!”

“No! Ellie my dear you need to come back out and dance with me.
Just let him go.
”

“ARI!
I need your keys!” I
was trying to push Jon
away while trying to reach into Ari’s front pocket for th
e
keys.