“Hey um, I’m ready if you are? I mean I’m not in any kind of hurry or anything I just……” She trailed off as she looked me up and down. She started chewing on her bottom lip. I reached over and tilted her head up towards me and pulled her lip out from her teeth.

“That lip is too soft and beautiful to be abused like that sweetheart.” I said as I smiled down at her. I was pretty sure I saw her whole body shake. A blush started to creep into her cheeks. Damn, it was one of the sexiest things I had ever seen.

“Right….um…so are you ready to go? I just need a bag or something to clean out my locker.” Ellie said as she looked around at everything but me.

“WOW…your room is so…….clean.”

“Why thank you sweetheart. I’m sure my mom would appreciate knowing that all those years of bitching at me to keep my room neat paid off.” I said with a laugh.

Ellie let out a giggle and looked up me.

Jesus….the moment her eyes met mine I swear I forgot how to breathe. I leaned down towards her only to have her look away and take a step back.

Shit.

“Um, okay well let’s find you a bag or something shall we?” I said as I moved passed her and headed down the hall to the kitchen. FUCK. I need to remember what Jeff said…..She needed time and here I was trying to fucking kiss her every chance I could. What the fuck was wrong with me? Christ….I need to think about something else…..football….nope that won’t work…. fucking football gives me a hard on…..puppies……dogs….I think I would like to get a dog…..what kind of dog? I wonder what kind of dogs Ellie likes.

Okay…I will think of dogs every time I have the urge to kiss her.

Oh what the hell Gunner you are losing your goddamn mind.

“You sure seem lost in thought.”

I was now standing in the middle of the kitchen…just standing there thinking about fucking dogs. I shrugged my shoulders and started digging through the drawer where Jeff keeps all the extra bags.

“How big of a bag do you need?”  Silence…….

”Ellie?” I stood up and she was standing there just staring at me.

“Ellie what’s wrong? Hey….can you tell me what is wrong sweetheart?” I squatted down so I could look in her face. She seemed so lost…what I would not do to crawl in that brain and figure shit out for her.

“I….I don’t know what is wrong Gunner!!I just had this panic come over me! What if I can’t do this? What if I fail at this too? I mean….I’m soooo not sure that I’m ready to go to college, my mother keeps telling me….” Ellie turned and looked away the moment she mentioned her mother.

I placed my hands on her shoulders and turned her around to look at me. Oh Jesus H. Christ she was crying. My heart just took a nose dive right into my stomach. I reached up and wiped away the tears that were streaming down her beautiful face. She gave me a weak smile.

“Oh god I’m so sorry. You must thing I’m a nut case….I’m so sorry Gunner.” Then she just lost it. The sobs where taking over her whole body. I pulled her close to me and ran my hand through her soft hair.

She smelt like Daisies again. I felt my dick getting hard just from having her up against my body.

Holy fuck…….what am I suppose to be thinking about again?

DOGS!…..Golden retrievers, Labs….yellow, black or brown? Big dog or little dog, German Shorthair Pointer??

“Ellie it’s going to be okay sweetheart I promise you it will be okay. I know this is a scary time but you are smart and you can do anything you put your mind to. Please don’t let something your mother tells you to ever let you doubt yourself. I know what it feels like to have someone tell you that all you will ever do is fail.” I said as I took a deep breath and buried my nose in her hair. My god….daisies….all I could smell where daisies.

Ellie looked up at me confused. “What do you mean you know what it feels like to have someone tell you all you will do is fail? Gunner you are amazing! The most amazing person I’ve ever met. I can’t….I can’t even believe anyone would think that about you.”

I just laughed and gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Come on Ells, let’s get this show on the road….we have a locker to clean out and a coffee shop to hit up!”

I reached down and grabbed a couple plastic grocery bags. Ellie walked back into Jeff’s room and came out carrying her overnight bag and her backpack.

“Here, let’s switch.” I said as I took her bags from her and gave her the plastic bags.

“I got off pretty easy on this exchange!” Ellie said with a light laugh. Thank god…she was no longer upset. Gesh, how I would like to just knock some sense into that mother of hers, but from experience I knew it would do no good.

We headed out the door and made our way to my truck. I’m not sure why I was so excited to see her sitting next to me in my truck. I’ve had plenty of girls in my truck in the last three years but no girl was or would ever be like Ellie.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ELLIE ……….

The moment his fingers touched my face as he wiped away my tears I felt the electricity zip through my whole body. His eyes showed so much worry in them that they made my stomach twist in knots. I know he is just concerned because I’m his best friend’s sister but…..

No…I couldn’t let myself think that way. Then he dropped the bomb shell on me! Who was it he was talking about? Who said Gunner would fail? I just could not believe it…I mean. He was super smart from what Jefferson told me, smarter than Jefferson he said. He was an awesome football player. I had seen him play plenty of times when Ari and I went to see Jefferson play. He was super fucking handsome. Yeah…no way this guy would ever want to be with someone like me.

We headed out the door and started towards Gunner’s truck. He had a huge smile on his face which caused me to smile. What was he so happy about? OHHH that’s right…his truck is his “girl”. Jesus…why did I just feel jealous of a damn truck?

He walked to the passenger side of the truck and opened the back door and put my bags in. Then he opened the front door and held my arm as he helped me in.

“Did you remember to get your pain pills Ells?” Gunner asked as he looked at my hand. It really felt a lot better today that was for sure. “Yep…took one this morning after breakfast and packed them in my bag mom.” I said as he looked me up and down. He threw his head back and laughed. God his laugh moved right through my body and made me ache between my legs. I ever so slightly squeezed my legs together to ease the throbbing. Just then he looked at me with that damn crooked smile. He took his finger and tapped my nose.

“You are so goddamn cute you know that?!” He looked like he wanted to lean down and kiss me….YES!.....Come on!!!….A little more….more….just a little closer…..

“What’s your favorite dog?” Gunner asked as he pulled back and stood away from the door.

“Um?” What the fuck? That just came out of nowhere. Holy shit! Here I thought he was thinking of kissing me and he was thinking of…….dogs?

“Think about it!” He said as he smiled and shut the door.

I watched him walk around the front of the truck and there went those hands threw that beautiful hair. I’m pretty sure he does that when he is nervous or upset. God it is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen. What is he nervous about?

Dogs? I’m so confused by this guy.

Gunner jumped in and looked over at me. Oh holy shit….there was that beautiful smile and he was just staring at me.

“What is it? What’s so funny?” I asked as I smiled back at him.

“Nothin’, you just look damn good sitting in my truck sweetheart that’s all!” Gunner said with a laugh.

“Oh okay!”

Gunner started the truck and I was silently praying Truck Yeah would not start up….please god….pleasssseeeee…….Just then Daughtry’s “Every time You Turn Around” came screaming over the speakers. OH thank god!!