Chapter Twenty-Five – Jeff

Ellie walked into the kitchen, and I smiled the second I saw her.

“Hey there, honey! Did you sleep well?”

She frowned and yawned. “You must have had a good night last night to be so happy first thing this morning.”

I chuckled. “You never were a morning person, Ells. And no, my night sucked. I couldn’t wait to get home. Any more nightmares?”

“No. I slept like a baby.” Her head tilted, and she gave me a curious look. “So what’s with this date last night? How come it sucked?”

I handed Ellie a plate of scrambled eggs and a glass of juice. I wasn’t in the mood to talk about crazy Rebecca, but I knew she wouldn’t let it go if I avoided it.

Going back to whipping up more eggs, I replied, “It sucked because the girl who I went out with is a cheerleader who cannot take no for an answer. I got tired of giving her excuses, so I thought it would be easier to get it over with and go out with her. Break it to her that I didn’t see her and I going anywhere.”

Ellie fought a smile. “Hmm, so there’s no special girl in your heart?” she asked before putting eggs into her mouth.

Yes. Her name is Ari.

I scoffed. “Ells, the only special girl I have in my heart is you, honey. Always has been, always will be.”

She smiled softly up at me before getting lost in a thought. When she finally spoke, she asked where Gunner was. “Is he still sleeping?”

“Hell no. That cowboy is not still sleeping. Even if he’s out partying until three in the morning, he is up early and headed to the gym for a workout. I don’t think he misses a day at the gym for anything. Puts my workouts to shame.”

“Oh wow. No wonder he looks . . .” She trailed off, her cheeks in a slight blush. When her leg started bouncing and she looked nervous, like maybe she might miss Gunner, I knew my sweet little sister was bitten by the love bug.

“Do you have to work today? I mean, if you do, it’s okay. I can give Ari a call to come and pick me up. I have to go clean out my locker since I didn’t do it yesterday. I guess I probably need to go home as well. Not that Mom would even notice I didn’t come home last night.”

“I’m sorry; I do have to work. Gunner’s last day was last week, and today is mine. This internship has been a great experience. I’m sort of bummed out it’s over. Gunner is excited, though; all he wants to do is head out to his grandparents’ ranch.”

She lifted her shoulders in a half shrug. “It’s okay. I’ll just call Ari and see if she can come and pick me up. I know she was planning on working on her speech for tomorrow.”

I tensed at Ari’s name, and I know Ellie caught me.

The front door opened, and I glanced over to see Gunner walking in. I turned to see Ellie’s jaw nearly on the floor. Her eyes traveled over my poor best friend’s body like she hadn’t ever seen a man’s body before and she was ready to explore this one. With a magnifying glass and a notepad.

Walking up to her, I took my finger and shut her mouth while I leaned down and whispered, “Breathe, sweet girl. Breathe.”

A few minutes later, Gunner and Ellie were going back and forth about him taking her to her locker and Ellie insisting Ari could pick her up. When I threw it back out there that she had said Ari was working on her speech, I was pretty sure Ellie was ready to smack me. With it finally settled that Gunner would be taking Ellie, I walked up to her and pulled her into a hug.

“You have a good day today, sis, okay? I’ll talk to you tonight, and hey, invite whoever you want to the party tomorrow night. Talk to you later.” I kissed her cheek, and she gave me a warm grin.

I finished up my last project before lunch. Once I got back, I would be finished with this internship for the summer. I was going to miss it. I’d learned a lot, and the thought of not having something to look forward to this summer wasn’t sitting well with me.

My mind was racing with both Gunner’s questioning and Ellie’s about Ari. If they could see something, could Ari? If she had, she didn’t act like it.

The vibration in my back pocket had me jerking out my phone as I tried to toss the box I had already packed up when I cleaned up my work area into the back seat.

 

Gunner: I need you to get to your mom’s place ASAP! Your mom and Ellie are both okay, but I need you here. Now.

 

A sickness rolled over my body, and I stood there for a few seconds, too stunned to even move.

Once I was finally able to break the spell I was under, I ran to the driver’s side of my truck and raced home. The fact that I didn’t get a ticket was surprising.

I pulled behind Gunner’s truck and jumped out. I’d never been so scared in my entire life, and I wasn’t even sure what was going on.

The second I walked in, my mother started. “That whore showed up with that friend of yours.”

My eyes widened in shock. Did she just call Ellie a whore? “What the fuck did you do to her?”

She glared at me. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Her voice was slow. She was drunk out of her mind. I stood there as she went on. “That little whore was out all night sleeping around and then came back here to my house and caused a scene for the whole neighborhood to see. It was disgusting!”

I started for Ellie’s room, my mother following me.

“Shut up! What is wrong with you?” I shouted. “That’s your daughter you’re talking about. She’s leaving, Mom, and you’ll never see either one of us again. Do you understand me? That means no more money from me. No more help. My God, if I find out that you’ve been treating her this way the whole time I’ve been gone, you’ll be out on the streets! When I paid off this house, I made sure it was put in my name.”

Her eyes widened in fear.

“You’ll have nothing. Do you understand me? Nothing if you don’t get your goddamn shit together and sober up!”

I opened Ellie’s door and looked at Gunner and then Ellie. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, crying. Every ounce of air I had in my lungs rushed out in one breath. I hated that I had let this happen.

This was my fault.

Rushing over to her, I fell to my knees, and Ellie wrapped her arms around me. I saw Ari starting to pack up Ellie’s things. When our eyes met, she simply gave me a weak smile and kept working on gathering Ellie’s things.

I got up and sat down next to Ellie on the bed. My heart felt like it had been ripped in half hearing my mother call Ellie names. “Shh, it’s going to be okay, honey. It’s all going to be okay.”

My eyes met Gunner’s, and I silently thanked him. He looked just as upset as I was. Thank God he was here with Ellie when she came home.

“Ellie, honey, you’ll stay at Ari’s house until we figure this all out. I need to run back and let them know I’m leaving, so Ari is going to take you to her house, okay?

I glanced over to Ari. She was holding Ellie’s suitcase and another small bag. She smiled at me, and my chest squeezed. I returned the smile and tried like hell to pull my eyes away from her.

Ellie’s voice pulled me out of my trance. “Um, sure, that’s fine, but can Gunner give me a ride to Ari’s? I need to talk to him.” Her eyes swung over to Gunner. “I mean, if that’s okay with you, Gunner?”

“Of course it’s all right, sweetheart. Anything for you.”

I stood and walked over to Ari while Gunner made his way over to Ellie. “Thank you, Ari.”

“Of course. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for Ellie.” She touched her lower lip before adding, “Or you.”

I swallowed hard. I knew she meant it. “The same goes for me, but you already know that.”

Her eyes lit up, and for a brief moment, I felt like something passed between us. Clearing my throat, I said, “I’ll go out first and talk to my mom while you and Gunner get her out of here.”

“O—okay,” she whispered.

I leaned down and kissed Ari on the cheek. “Thanks, Squirt.”

She pushed me lightly away and shook her head but wore the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. My gaze fell to her lips, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

Taking a step away, I nodded. “See ya later.”

I turned and walked out into the living room only to find my mother passed out on the sofa.

“Mom, what happened to you that made you like this?” I whispered as I took the blanket and put it over her. I quickly found a piece of paper and wrote her a note.

I took Ellie from the house. She doesn’t deserve to be treated this way. Mom, please get help. If you love me and Ellie at all, please get help.

Jeff

After shutting and locking the door, I made my way over to Gunner. He was waiting outside his truck, with Ellie already tucked safely in the passenger seat.

“I know she’s your mom, Jeff, but I seriously wanted to tell her the fuck off.”

I was fuming. “I had no fucking idea she was treating Ellie this bad. Why didn’t she tell me? No wonder she was always at Ari’s. I’m so angry with myself.”

“Don’t be. It’s not your fault, just like it isn’t Ellie’s. Your mom has a problem, and until she can help herself, things will never change. I think you’re both doing the right thing.”

My fingers pushed through my hair. “Ari already leave?”

He nodded.

“Take care of her for me, Gunner. Please.”

His facial expression softened. “I will. I promise you.”

Walking into Ari’s house, I took in a deep breath as I walked past her. She smelled like vanilla. “They’re not back yet?” I asked, following Ari into the kitchen.

“No, not yet. Want something to drink?”

I nodded. “Tea?”

She grinned. “Sweet or unsweet?”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Your mom still keeps both on hand?”

“Yep. You never know when guests will stop by!” She winked, and my stomach did a weird dip.

“I’ll take sweet. She still into Katharine Hepburn?”

Her smile grew bigger. “I can’t believe you remembered that.”

Why in the hell was it so easy to be like this with Ari when we were alone? Why did I let her close enough to just push her back?

That’s right . . . because I was too damn afraid of what would happen if I took her in my arms and kissed her. If things didn’t turn out right, I would forever ruin our friendship and possibly her friendship with Ellie.

The way Ari was looking at me had me wanting to do things to her that I shouldn’t be thinking.

“So, Squirt, you got your speech ready?”

“Ugh. Jeff! Stop calling me that.”

I flashed her a smile and winked as I took a drink of my tea. “Why? It’s fun seeing you get all pissed off.”

Her head pulled back. “Why? Why in the world do you try to piss me off?”

With a shrug, I responded, “I don’t know. Maybe because I can.”

“Seriously? That’s your reason? I mean, you can be so sweet one minute, and the next you’re just . . . you’re just . . .”

I lifted my brow. “The most handsome man you’ve ever seen? The man who you dream about at night?”

Ari scoffed. “You wish. You’re the last guy I would have fantasies about.”

I nearly choked on my tea. “Fantasies? Why little Ari has naughty dreams at night? Do tell.”

My cock jumped in my pants and was soon strained against my zipper.

Fucking hell. What did I start?

When she moved closer to me, she put both her hands on my legs. If I hadn’t been sitting down, I would have fallen down the moment her hands touched me.

Christ, what is she going to do?

Her teeth dug into her bottom lip, and she squeezed my legs. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I was positive she could hear it.

“Ari has very . . . very naughty dreams at night. Want to hear about one?”

My mouth went dry, and for a moment, I wanted to say yes. But the way she was looking at me scared the living piss out of me. So I did what I always do: I egged her on.

“Aw, isn’t that cute? Is this your attempt at being sexy, Ari? If so, you might want to work on it.”

The way her eyes narrowed down and she glared at me, I should be covering my junk.

“I hate you, Jeff Johnson.”

She pushed back and crossed her arms over her chest. That lifted her breasts, and my mouth actually started to water. Fucking water.

“Hey, what are you two doing in here?” Mark said, walking into the kitchen.

“Ari here was just about to tell me about a dream she had.”

She slowly shook her head and gave me the finger.

“Oh, you know what I dreamed about last night?”

Would it be terribly wrong of me to tell Mr. Peterson I couldn’t care less what he dreamed about, that I was far more interested in his daughter’s naughty dreams?

“What was that, Daddy?” Ari said with a smirk. It was almost like she had read my mind.

“Football.”

Before I knew it, we were lost in a conversation about UT football.

Once Gunner got there with Ellie, Mark had us both wrapped up in football talk.

Ari walked up and stood in front of her father, her back facing him as she looked at me and Gunner.

“Okay, well, I think it’s time for you two guys to take off. We need to unpack Ellie and get ready for graduation tomorrow, so you can leave anytime you want.”

She looked directly at me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. She was still wounded from our earlier conversation. If she only knew how turned on she had gotten me.

“Arianna Katherine Peterson! We do not treat our guests that way,” Sue said.

I couldn’t stop myself. I fucking loved how adorable Ari looked when she was pissed off. So I offered up my own form of punishment.

“Yes, Arianna Katherine Peterson. You keep being so rude, and you won’t be invited to Ellie’s party tomorrow night.” I trailed it with a wink for good measure.

She walked up to me and bent over. Her lips pressed against the side of my ear. The way her hot breath trailed down my neck made my entire body shiver, and I knew she noticed. I was on pins and needles waiting to hear what she was about to say.

“Fuck. Off. Dickhead.”

Gunner and Ellie both laughed as my face felt like it was on fire. That’s twice she’d made my dick hard in the last few hours.

Ari had just tied up the game.

“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, hitting me on the back.

Making my way over to Ellie, I pulled her into a hug. When I drew back, I leaned closer to Ari and did the same thing she did to me. My mouth went to her ear. This time she was the one who trembled.

“Watch your language, Squirt. You wouldn’t want to make Mommy and Daddy upset with you. Sweet dreams tonight.” I kissed her on the cheek, hearing her suck in a quick breath.

“Stop calling me Squirt! And while you’re at it, go to hell, asshole!”