Free Wanted by Kelly Elliott Page B

Ellie ? Are you okay ? Did y ou hurt your hand again? ” Jeff said as he lo ok ed back and forth between the two of us.
    “No….um …no” Ellie struggled to talk and was shaking her head as if trying to erase a memory. She quickly wiped away her tears and lo oked up at Jeff . He lo ok ed back at her and snapped his head over to me.
    “What the fuck did you do to her Gunner?”
    Wait… … W hat??
    I quickly stood up and turned to Jeff. “I didn’t do a damn thing! We fell asleep watching a movie and she just w ok e up crying out from a dream. She literally just w ok e up crying.”
    I left out the part where she was crying out my name. I mean I was not in the mood to get my ass kicked for hurting her in a fucking dream.
    “Jefferson! Gunner has been nothing but a gentleman to me all day and night! I can’t even believe you would think he would do someth ing to make me cry!” Ellie was sobbing even more now . Jeff lo ok ed at Ellie and back at me.
    “Dude man, I know you would never, it’s just I walked in here and she is crying and…..fuck.” Jeff said as he knelt down at the edge of the sofa. I pushed the co ffee table back out of the way.
    “ Ellie honey what is going on? Why are you so upset ? Is this about Ryan?” Jeff asked as he moved to sit down next to Ellie on the sofa. Ellie ’s face flew up to meet mine. She lo ok ed so confused and upset. My stomach was in my throat and for some reason I felt like I was going to get sick . I needed to go outside and get some air.
    “I’m going to step outside a minute and get some fresh air.” I sai d as I moved to the front door.
    “NO!” Ellie shout ed and stopped me in my tracks.
    “This is NOT about Ryan, I haven’t even thought about him hardly all day. It was just, it was just… . ..I guess it was just a nightmare. I … . .I… . . really don’t even remember. I just remember waking up being scared that I was all alone and I lost… . .I lost… . ..” She lo ok ed back up to me again and her tears started to flow again .
    “What did you lose honey?” Jeff asked as he held a sobbing Ellie in his arms .
    She was lo ok ing at me with such sad eyes. What the fuck was going on i n her head.
    “I don’t remember Jefferson. I just want to take a pain pill and go back to sleep. Maybe that is why I had the weird dream…it was the pain medicine.” Ellie said as she settled down a bit.
    “Gunner, can you grab her medicine in the kitchen?” Jeff asked as he lo ok ed up at me with a sad lo ok on his face.
    “Sure, no problem.”
    I walked over and grabbed the old bottle of water I had bro ught out earlier tonight . I lo ok ed up and saw Jeff walking Ellie back to his bedroom. He was saying something to her that I could n’ t make out. She just kept shaking her head in agreement. I would give my life to know what they were talking about.
    Holy fuck… .. .What the hell was she dreaming about? When I said I was going to step outside she just about freaked out. Do I ask her what the dream was about? Maybe I should. I mean she was calling out my name after all. What if I was a prick in the dream? Now I needed to shake my head to clear my thoughts. I walked over to the sofa and grabbed the pillow and blanket I had brought out earlier. I started to walk back towards Jeff’s bedroom. I stopped at the door when I heard Jeff ’s voice talking slow and calm.
    “ Ellie , you cannot let something our mother said to you when you were little dictate your entire life honey. It was bullshit. She is a miserable person who just wants those around her to be just as miserable. You DO deserve happiness honey and you will find it. Trust me.” Jefferson said as he leaned down to give Ellie a kiss on the forehead.
    A surge o f jealousy zipped through me. I would give anything to be the one who was comforting her right now. FUCK… … I’ m jealous of my own best friend ? The pain I was feeling because she was hu rting was killing me. I just didn ’t understand it.