I stood there as Gunner looked at me. No, he was staring at me like he was trying to crawl into my soul. Then, slowly, that damn crooked smile of his spread across his face. My heart started to pound. There was something so different about the way he was looking at me. I felt kind of bad because I know I just turned him on big time by dancing with him like that. Ari had requested that song and it was perfect timing for it to start because Gunner had just walked out. He looked angry when he first came out, and I knew I had to set his mind at ease.

When I first heard Jon say that about Gunner sleeping around, I started to panic and felt a little sick to my stomach. Ari pulled me outside and she and Heather set me straight. I knew Gunner had been with girls before me. Jefferson had already told me Gunner never had a real serious relationship and dated maybe four or five girls off and on the whole time he knew him. But I didn’t think for one moment he slept around.

I looked over at Ari, who gave me the thumbs up along with a smile. Okay, I wasn’t the only one who noticed Gunner’s moment of not being able to move.

“So, do you want to go get that beer and have a seat?” I asked, trying to yell over the music.

Gunner just kept looking at me. “Gunner? Hello?”

Ari walked up, leaned into me, and shouted in my ear. “I guess all the fucking blood left his brain and went to his dick!”

I couldn’t even say anything to that. All I could do was laugh because I think she was right.

“Gunner!” I shouted.

“Yep . . . okay . . . yeah . . . um . . . let’s get a beer and sit down. I need to fucking sit down,” Gunner said as he started to walk over to where Jefferson was sitting and talking to some girl who had her back to me.

When we walked up, Gunner reached into the cooler and grabbed two beers. He handed one to me as he sat down. He reached up and grabbed my waist and pulled me down onto his lap. I guessed this would be his new favorite way to sit with me. I let out a giggle because it sure as shit was my new favorite way, too!

Just then, I heard her voice. It almost made me want to throw up in my mouth.

“Jesus, Gunner, you ought to think about getting a room next time you practically try to fuck Jeff’s little sister on the dance floor.”

Jefferson spun his head around and looked at Crysti, then at Gunner and me. Then I noticed Rebecca sitting next to Jeff. Oh, shit. I immediately looked on the dance floor for Ari. She was dancing away with some guy and Amanda and Brad.

Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, shit!

I gave Jefferson a “What the fuck are you doing?” look. He just looked back at me and then out toward Ari and back at Crysti.

“Fuck off, you bitch,” Jefferson said to Crysti.

Wow! I wasn’t expecting that.

“Yeah, Crysti, I don’t remember sending an invite to you and your little whore friend here,” Gunner said as he downed his beer.

“GUNNER!” I said as I looked at him in shock.

“I’m sorry, Ellie, that was rude of me, wasn’t it? Why don’t y’all go on over and say hi to Jon and the rest of the baseball team. I’m sure they would love to party with y’all.”

Crysti glared at me. What was she giving me such a dirty look for?

“Gunner’s right, Rebecca, it’s time you moved along,” Jefferson said as he reached for another beer and handed one to Gunner. Boy, Gunner and Jefferson sure were drinking a lot tonight.

“Jeff! You haven’t even called me since, well, you know since when. Why? I thought we had something going,” Rebecca said with a whine in her voice.

Jefferson sat up straight and looked nervous as hell. I followed his eyes and saw Ari walking over with Heather. She had yet to notice Rebecca standing there.

“I think it would be best, Bec, if you moved on and forgot about that night. That was a mistake, and it’s never going to happen again.”

Jefferson never took his eyes off Ari the whole time he basically told Rebecca to shove off.

“Wait one minute. Wait just one goddamn minute. Do you like this bitch or something? Did you fucking use me to make her jealous? We had something, Jeff. Why can’t you just admit that there was a connection?”

Ari now was standing directly in front of Jefferson looking at him. She slowly looked at Rebecca when she called Ari a bitch.

Gunner leaned over and whispered in my ear, “And I thought I was the only one who wanted to beat someone’s ass tonight. Ari looks ready to rip her hair out!”

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.

“Rebecca, come on, he’s so not worth it. Let the little girl try and play with the big boys. Come on, I see Jon Barker is here. Let’s go have some fun,” Crysti said as she tried to pull Rebecca away.

“No! I want to know right now, you motherfucker. Did you use me?” Rebecca shouted at Jefferson.

Jefferson ran his hands through his hair and sighed. Ari did something I was not expecting her to do.

She walked closer to Jefferson and started to laugh at Rebecca.

“It’s a damn good thing this little girl knows how to play with the big boys, isn’t that right, baby?” Ari said as she walked over, straddled Jefferson, and then kissed the living shit out of him.

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who sat there stunned.

“Holy fuck!” Gunner said with a laugh.

Rebecca stood there for a second and watched as Ari kept up the kiss. Jefferson sure wasn’t stopping Ari as he reached up and cupped her face.

When I guess she had seen enough, Rebecca looked at Crysti. “Come on, let’s leave.”

Ari pulled away from Jefferson and looked up at Rebecca and smiled. Jefferson sat there staring at Ari with a very confused look on his face.

“You can fuck off, Jeff. Don’t ever call me again, you asshole. I hope you enjoy your little girl!” Rebecca said as she stomped off with Crysti right behind her. They went through the back gate, so they must have been leaving the party for good.

Ari watched them leave and then turned to look at Jefferson. She smiled down at him.

“You’re welcome!” she said as she hopped up and grabbed a beer.

“What . . . what the fuck was that all about?” Jefferson asked as he was desperately trying to get his breathing under control.

Ari shrugged. “You obviously wanted her to leave you alone, so I just gave her a reason to leave you alone. No big deal.”

Jefferson sat there a minute, running his hands through his hair and then down his face. He looked over at Ari and then back toward the house.

“Umm, I need to go check on something,” Jefferson said as he jumped out of his seat and made a beeline for the house. Ari looked over at me and Gunner and we all laughed.

“Well played, Miss Peterson . . . well fucking played,” Gunner said as he took his beer and toasted Ari.

Ari smiled at me and gave me a wink. I shook my head. This girl actually knew what the hell she was doing.

Poor Jefferson, he didn’t stand a chance.