Desired (Wanted 6)

“I hope you’re happy,” Gunner said.

I wiped my tears away and stood. “I need to go talk to Ari.”

Gunner put his hand up. “Do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“Get out of my way, Gunner. I want to talk to her.”

He sighed and moved out of my way.

When we walked into the living room, Ari was running toward the hallway.

“What’s wrong?” Gunner asked.

“Ari is about to throw up! Do you have a towel I can get wet to bring her?” Ellie asked.

I rushed into the bathroom only to see Ari throwing up. Another hard blow to my stomach. All because of how I acted. How I treated her like she wasn’t worth the time or energy.

Reaching down, I pulled her hair back and handed her a towel.

“Don’t touch me! Do. Not. Touch. Me.”

“Take the towel,

Ari. Goddamn it, let me help you.”

“Get the hell away from me, you fucking asshole.”

Bile rose to the back of my throat. I hated seeing her like this. I hated hearing the hate toward me in her voice.

“Let me help you, baby. Please.”

Her eyes filled with tears as she whispered, “Baby?”

My eyes closed. “I’m so sorry.”

She started violently throwing up again.

Ellie walked up and took Ari’s hair from my hands and gave me a look that said I needed to leave. I couldn’t, though. I needed to make Ari understand I was sorry for hurting her.

“Ari,” I whispered.

“Go away . . . I hate you, Jeff.”

I sucked in a breath.

Ellie cried out, “Gunner, please get him out of here. He’s only making it worse.”

Dragging me out of my bathroom, Gunner pushed me into my room. “Get fucking undressed. I’m going to get you some water and Advil. Even though you don’t deserve it.”

A few minutes later, he was back. Shutting the door, he walked up to me and sat down on the bed next to me.

“Jeff, you’ve got to explain how the hell you ended up sleeping with Rebecca. You can’t even stand her,” Gunner said, trying to keep his voice down. I’d already heard Ellie bring Ari into Gunner’s room. I was hoping she had passed out and would be able to sleep all night.

“I don’t know, okay? I had too much to drink, and she was fucking coming on to me all night. Then watching Ari out there practically dry humping every fucking guy she danced with to try and piss me off. I don’t know. I snapped. I sure as hell couldn’t have Ari . . .”

My hands dragged down my face. “Rebecca hinted at sex, and I gave in.”

With a frustrated sigh, Gunner replied, “You gave in? That’s fucking bullshit, and you know it. You were pissed at Ari before she even got here, Jeff. You did this on purpose, dude. You might not realize you did it on purpose, but you did. You invited Rebecca here, knowing that she was going to be hanging on you all night. You might not have planned to sleep with her, but you did. You were trying to push Ari away, Jeff. And I think you were successful by what I just heard her tell you in the bathroom.”