“Um…..well…..I guess this is just his way of letting off a little steam. He was pretty upset with himself the day after the party. He stayed in his room almost the whole day until he told me he was going back to the gym to do a little sparing. He’s been doing it at least twice a day. I tried to tell him he was going to get hurt but he told me he needed to do it.” Gunner had been looking everywhere but at Ari and me. Ari squeezed my hand and looked at me.

“Just like when he was in high school.” She said as a tear rolled down her face.

“What do you mean just like in high school?” Gunner asked.

“When my mother use to go on a week, or sometimes more, drunken binge Jefferson would head down to the Y and starting sparing with a few of the guys that were training for fights. He got hit so hard once time that he got knocked out and it caused him to get a black eye. I made him promise me he wouldn’t fight anymore to let off steam. That’s when he took to running.” Just then the nurse walked up to us.

“Miss Johnson? Your brother is back from his scan and he’s asking for you. He can have two visitors at a time.” The nurse smiled a small smile at me and turned to Gunner and gave him a wink before she walked off.

I just rolled my eyes. Gunner didn’t even flinch or give her a smile back; he just kept looking over at me and Ari.

“Do you both want to head on back?” I’ll wait here.”

Ari shook her head no. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine waiting out here for right now. I think the two of you should go on back first.”

I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the head. “Be back in a few minutes sweets.” Ari gave me a weak smile as Gunner and I turned and walked towards the nurse’s desk.

When I walked behind the curtain and got a look at Jefferson my heart jumped in my throat. Oh.My.God. He looked terrible! I let out a gasp and threw my hands up to my mouth.

He opened his eyes and looked at me and then at Gunner. He looked behind us like he was looking for someone else…….he was looking for Ari………

“Hey there little sis, what brings you here today?” He said with a chuckle.

“Dammit Jefferson this is NOT funny! You scared the shit out of us! You promised me you would never do this ever again. Why? Why did you do this?” I asked him trying to bite back the anger I was feeling.

“What do you mean us?” Jefferson asked me.

“What?” Oh God….he is confused.

“You said us….you scared the shit out of us…..who is us?” Jefferson asked me as he kept looking over my shoulder.

“She’s in the waiting room. They only let two come back at the same time so Ari had Gunner and I come back first.” I said, knowing now what he was asking.

“Jeff, do you remember what happened? Do you know why you’re here?” Gunner asked.

“Yeah….I remember why Gun. I remember everything…..I wish I didn’t. I wish I could just forget it all.” Jefferson said with such a lost look in his eyes.

“So all of this Jefferson, all this fighting the last few days was because of what happened Saturday night?” I asked as I took his hand in mine. He closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them a tear rolled down his face and he squeezed my hand. His tear soaked eyes captured mine.

“I’m so sorry I disappointed you. I will never forgive myself for hurting you. You’re all I have Ells…..I promise I will never disappoint you again. Please tell me you forgive me for being such a prick. Please Ellie…..”

My heart started to pound. Oh my God Jefferson.

“Of course I forgive you Jefferson. I love you more than anything you know that. Jefferson you can’t keep doing this…you have to stop. Having someone beat up on you like a punching bag is not going to make it go away, you have to talk to Ari. You have to tell her how sorry you are.” I said as I looked up at Gunner who was watching me intensely.

“FUCK! I have been trying to tell her I’m sorry. She won’t fucking answer her phone when I call. I’ve been texting her to please call me and she just ignores me!” The heart monitors they had Jeff connected to started to beep faster and faster…..

“Jeff, dude just calm down…..let me go out and get Ari….she’s right outside Jeff. Let me go get her.” Gunner said as a nurse walked in.

“Mr. Johnson is everything okay in here?” the nurse asked as she looked between Gunner and me.

“Jefferson, please just take a few deep breaths okay? It’s alright Gunner is going to get Ari right now. Everything is fine….he um, just started to get a little upset. When can we take him home?” I asked as the nurse starting taking all of Jefferson’s vital signs.

“As soon as the doctor says he can leave we can start on the paper work. Until then…..please try to keep him calm.” Nurse meanie said as she walked back out the door.

“She’s pleasant, she been your nurse the whole time?”

Jefferson laughed. “Yeah, but she has been pretty cool. I’m sorry Ellie I scared you. I love you sis….more than life itself. I wanted to take you shopping last Monday for your graduation gift. Maybe we could do it tomorrow? What do you say?”

“Ohhhh….what type of store do we need to go to for this gift?!” I said as I hopped up and down. Jefferson was the BEST gift giver! I couldn’t wait to see what he was going to get me.

“A car dealership…….that type of store.” He said with a smile.

“Wait…..what? A car dealership…..shut the hell up Jefferson! You’re buying me a car????! OH MY GOD! How can you afford to buy me a car?” I practically screamed out.

“Gesh Ells, try to keep it down. There are sick people here and my head is fucking killing me right now. Don’t worry about how I can afford it. I work and I must say I am a pretty damn good investor when it comes to money. Think about what kind of car you want honey and we will go shopping tomorrow.”

I started to jump up and down I was so excited! The smile on Jefferson’s face melted my heart. Just then my phone beeped alerting me to a text message. I grabbed it out of my back pocket. It was from Gunner.

Ari left.....she left a message with the nurse that she was heading back home .

Fuck a duck! Why did she leave? I looked up at Jefferson. His smiled faded when he saw my face.

“She left didn’t she Ellie?” he said with such a sad look in his eyes.

“Yes, I’m afraid she did. I’m so sorry Jefferson.” I said as I took his hand again in mine.

“S’okay….I didn’t even really expect her to be here after what I did to her so…it’s no big deal. Um, can you go see about getting me out of here? I’m really ready to get home.”

I nodded my head and headed out the door. When I walked out to the nurses’ station Gunner was already talking about Jefferson being able to leave. They told him they were getting the paper work together and it shouldn’t be much longer.

“Hey….everything okay with Jeff, does he know Ari left?” Gunner asked as he held open his arms for me.

I melted into his body. Only he could take away the hurt I was feeling. Hurt for Ari, for Jefferson…..shit….my own damn hurt. It all just melted away in his arms.

“Yes he knows she left. And no….he doesn’t seem okay. He’s hurting so bad Gunner. What do I do?”

“I don’t know sweetheart…..I really don’t know.” Gunner said has he held me tighter in his arms.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Gunner…….

I woke up Thursday morning with a sick feeling in my stomach, like I was worried about something. What the hell was that all about? Yesterday turned out to be a fucked up day. With Jeff spending most of the day in the ER, then bringing him home and getting him settled before I brought Ellie back to Ari’s house. Ellie sent me a text saying that Ari had not been home when she got there and was still not home when Ellie went to bed and she was really worried about her. The fact that Ari left the hospital without seeing Jeff made Ellie upset.