I hoped I was not making a mistake by talking to Gunner about taking things slow. I saw the disappointment in his eyes when I said I wanted to just be friends. God, that was the hardest thing I had ever had to say. I had no doubt that Gunner had feelings for me. I certainly had feelings for him—strong feelings that were starting to scare the shit out of me.

This was for the best. I just needed to keep reminding myself that I needed time to think, and this was moving too fast. These feelings . . . they were confusing me. I mean, I was going to be going away to college soon. I had to keep my options open, right? I didn’t need to be jumping into another relationship the day after I just ended one.

Gunner reached down and turned up his iPod a little more. Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” was playing. I had to smile. That song described exactly how I felt today being with Gunner. I looked over at him and he seemed lost in thought.

Shit, I really hoped I didn’t just blow it with him. God, if he only knew the way he made me feel. How all I wanted to do was jump into his arms and stay there forever.

How did he feel about me? I mean that kiss, holy shit . . . that kiss. It was amazing, but I still had this nagging feeling I was just a girl for him to conquer.

Gunner started to talk and pulled me out of my daze. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I was doing the right thing.

“Holy shit, this is where Ari lives?” Gunner said as he pulled up to Ari’s parent’s 5,500-square-foot house. He parked in the front of the house and jumped out of his truck.

“What the hell do her parents do?” Gunner asked as he opened my door to let me out. I quickly learned this is something he just did. If I got out first, it seemed to upset him, so now I just waited for him.

“Her dad is a big-time lawyer and her mom is a stay-at-home mom. You’ll love them, though. They are really cool. Ari’s mom is a huge Katharine Hepburn fan. She’s made us watch all of her movies. Her dad loves football and will love you just like he does Jefferson. Don’t be surprised if he knows all your stats. He went to UT and is a big-time UT football fan,” I said as Gunner got the bags out of the back seat of his truck.

Gunner let out a laugh. “I already like him then! Anyone who likes football and knows his stats is an okay dude in my books!” We both laughed and turned when we heard Ari come running down the steps.

“Ells, thank God you’re here! Where the hell have you two been? Jefferson has been here for forty-five minutes driving me fucking crazy! Thankfully, my dad came home and he’s now talking to him about football.” Ari stepped back and looked at me and then Gunner and then back at me again. A huge smile came across her face.

“I get the Coach purse, don’t I?” Ari said as she started to laugh and hooked her arm through my arm as we walked into the house. I just laughed and I turned back around to see Gunner with my favorite panty-melting smile on his face. He gave me a wink like he knew what our exchange was all about. I smiled back at him as we made our way into the house.

Gunner and Jeff stayed for about an hour longer after we got there. Ari’s dad, Mark, was in hog heaven having two starting UT football players in his house. Ari’s mom, Susan, begged the boys to stay for dinner, but they said they needed to clean up the house for tomorrow night’s graduation party for me.

Ari was acting so strange. She was much more talkative and seemed nervous. I couldn’t tell if it was because Jefferson had been in her house for so long or if it was something else. I noticed her staring at Jefferson a few times, and I actually caught him staring at her. What the hell was going on with those two? I was beginning to think Gunner was right about Jefferson liking Ari.

Ari almost seemed like she was trying to get rid of Jefferson and Gunner. God, I hope she didn’t want to talk. I was so happy right now I did not want to talk about my mother or what happened today with her or Ryan.

“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 any time you want,” Ari said as she looked directly at Jefferson.

“Arianna Katherine Peterson! We do not treat our guests that way,” Ari’s mom said.

“Yes, Arianna Katherine Peterson. You keep being so rude you won’t be invited to Ellie’s party tomorrow night,” Jefferson said with a wink directed at Ari.

Ari got up and walked over to where Jefferson was sitting. She bent over and got right next to his ear.

“Fuck off, dickhead!” She said loud enough for Gunner and I to hear but not her mother. Gunner and I both laughed as Ari stood up and walked back over to where she was sitting next to me. Jefferson’s face was red. Was he blushing or was he just pissed?

“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 has he slapped Jefferson on the back.

Jefferson got up and walked over to me. I stood up because I knew I was about to get one of my brother’s bear hugs. After he gave me my hug, he leaned down toward Ari.

“Watch your language, Squirt. You wouldn’t want to make Mommy and Daddy upset with you,” Jefferson whispered into her ear.

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

Jefferson let out a laugh and walked over to Mark and Susan to say goodbye.

Ari grabbed my hand and started to lead me upstairs. I stopped to say good night to Gunner. I wished we were alone because all of a sudden I started to panic. What if I made a mistake by telling him I only wanted to be friends? What if he went out with someone tonight? Or brought a date tomorrow night!

“Um, thank you again for everything today, Gunner. I really enjoyed myself,” I said as I gave him a smile. He returned the gesture, and for a second I wanted nothing more than for him to kiss me again.

“I really enjoyed today, too, Ellie. Good luck tomorrow at your graduation, and you too, Ari—and congratulations on being valedictorian.”

“Thank you, Gunner, and thank you so much for taking care of Ellie today. I guess we’ll see you tomorrow night,” Ari said as she walked Gunner and Jefferson out.

I turned to find Mark and Susan smiling at me. They knew.

“We are heading out to the club for a while. Let Ari know we will be back later this evening, sweetheart,” Susan said as she gave me a kiss on the forehead.

“Okay, I’ll be sure to let her know. Thank you, Susan and Mark, for, um, everything.”

“No thanks are needed, my sweet girl,” Mark said as he kissed my cheek.

Ari and Jefferson must have filled in her parents because they never said a word about me staying there except to tell me I was always welcome in their home. They had been like my second parents since I was ten. I used to stay over at their house for days at a time. I think I loved them more than I loved my own mother.

“Come on, let me show you your room!” Ari said as she dragged me upstairs.

“My room? Wait, I’m not staying in your room like always?” I asked Ari as I came to a stop at the top landing.

“Nope . . . I’ve been dying to talk to you ever since you got here with hotter-than-hot Gunner!” Ari said with a laugh.

“Shut the fuck up, bitch!” I said as I punched her in the arm with my left hand.

“Okay, so I want all the dirty details on what went down with you two today, and don’t try to say nothing happened. I saw the look on your face when you were walking up with him. You either lost your virginity today or that boy has magic fingers,” Ari said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

“Oh. My. God! You’re impossible! No, I didn’t lose my V card, you bitch!” I said as I followed Ari down the hall. She stopped outside a door that was right next door to her room.

“Your room, sweets,” Ari said as she opened the door to the guest bedroom. My bags were already in the room, and sitting on the bedside table was a bouquet of fresh daisies. I walked over to the flowers, leaned down, and gave them a good long smell.

“Oh my gosh, how sweet of your mom to put these in here!” I said as I sat down on the bed. After today with Gunner and now, I actually felt like things were going to be okay.

“It wasn’t my mom who wanted the flowers in here, Ellie. It was Gunner,” Ari said as she sat down on the bed next to me.

Gunner? What! How? Why?

“Wait. It couldn’t have been Gunner, he’s been with me all day today Ari, how could he have bought flowers and put them in here?” I asked as my head started to spin.

Ari laughed. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, how are you third in the class, you shithead? Gunner sent me a text earlier today. He said he was taking you canoeing—something you requested, I take it—and he asked me to pick up some daisies to put in your room. He wanted them to be here when you got here.”

“How the hell did he know daisies were my favorite flower? Did you tell him?” I asked, confused as hell.

“Nope,” Ari said, making the P pop.

“Jefferson?” I asked.

“Nope,” Ari said again with a shit-eating grin on her face.

“I told you that boy wanted in your panties, Ells!” Ari said as she fell back on the bed, laughing her ass off.

“Arianna! I’m so confused. Did he just guess? Please just tell me. My God, this guy has my head spinning and my heart pounding, and his kiss just about knocked me off my feet,” I said as I fell back to lie next to her.

I heard a scream and saw Ari jump up.

“What the fuck, Ellie, he kissed you? He kissed you? When? I mean, oh my God, you bitch, you kept something this huge from me? I can’t believe you . . . how could you?” Ari just kept going on and on.

“Holy shit, Ari, if you would just shut up—we’ve only been alone a whole five minutes—I’ll tell you,” I said, laughing at how Ari was still jumping up and down.

I told Ari all about our morning and how perfect it was. I even told her about that Crysti bitch. We talked about how sweet Gunner was after we left my mother’s house, the awesome canoe ride. Then I told her every single detail about the kiss.

“Holy hells bells! Jesus, did you orgasm from that kiss?” Ari asked while pretending to fan herself.

“Oh my God! Arianna! I cannot believe you!” I said as I threw a pillow at her.

“Really, Ells, that sounds like it was fucking hotter than hell. I mean, just looking at that boy makes me have naughty thoughts. I can’t even imagine kissing him!”

“Damn, Ari . . . I can’t believe how he makes me forget everything. It was the most amazing moment of my life. I’ve never been kissed like that before.”

“Ryan didn’t kiss good?”

I started to laugh. “Ryan barely ever kissed me, and when he did it seemed like he was forcing it. The first few months he tried to take it further, but . . . I just never felt like it was right. He never made me feel . . . special.” I looked up at Ari who was smiling at me with the most ridiculous smile I had ever seen.

“And, does Gunner make you feel . . . special?” Ari said as she bumped her shoulder into mine.

“He does, but I have to wonder. Am I just something that he wants to conquer since I’m Jefferson’s forbidden sister? Or does he really feel something for me? I’m just not sure. At any rate, I told him I just wanted to be friends.”

“You told him what? Are you fucking nuts, Ellie? What the hell is wrong with you?” Ari said as she turned to face me. Clearly, she must have forgotten the whole Ryan-just-cheated-on-me thing.

“Ari, come on, a guy like Gunner interested in me? Puh-lease! Besides, I just found out yesterday my boyfriend was cheating on me. I’m not ready to get into any kind of relationship. I need to take some time for myself. Figure out where I want to go and what I want to do.”

Ari just stared at me for the longest time.

“What?”

“First off, you stupid bitch . . . Yes, a guy like Gunner could very well be interested in you! Second, do not ever refer to that asshole Ryan as your boyfriend again! Third, okay, I get that you need time. What did Gunner say when you told him you only wanted to be friends?”

“He was very understanding. He told me he would always be my friend. He really is amazing and almost too good to be true. I mean, he opens car doors for me all the time! I actually think he gets disappointed when I open it and get out myself!”

“Well, I think you’re crazy for pulling out the ‘just friends’ card. Judging from that kiss, can you imagine how he is in bed? I bet a girl can get at least three to four orgasms from that guy.”

“Oh. My. God! Ari! How the hell are you still a virgin, for fuck’s sake?”

Ari just shrugged her shoulders and winked at me.

She stood up and looked down at me. “It’s getting late, and I still have to finish my speech. Are you okay, Ellie? I mean with everything that happened with your mom today? You know you can talk to me anytime about anything, sweets. You do know that, right?”

I got up and walked toward my best friend. I would be lost without her and Jefferson. I hugged her as tight as I could. “I love you! Thank you, and good night, girl.”

“Night, Ells, try not to dream about your prince charming too much tonight!” Ari said as she threw her head back and laughed.

That night, I slept the best I had slept in ages. My hand didn’t even really hurt anymore. For the first time in a long time, I felt like things just might work out for me in a good way. Too bad I couldn’t get rid of that nagging feeling in my stomach.