The fact that she came face to face with Troy for the first time after so many years apart almost made it impossible to sleep. So, she didn't bother trying. Gabriella got out of bed at the crack of dawn and got ready for work. She wore her fitted gray cigarette pants, blue blouse, and matching ballet flats. Professional, but comfortable enough for the long day filled with appointments. Once her hair and makeup were done she rode her bike the short distance to the coffee shop right across the street from the office.

The barista handed her two coffees and made a joke about her morning read: The American Journal of Medicine. It's no Cosmo, but the articles would help keep her distracted for a little while as she waited for Thomas.

"Morning Angel!" Thomas greets her and leaned down to place a kiss on her temple.

"Morning," Gabriella greeted as she closed her journal and looked up at Thomas who was currently scrolling through his blackberry.

"Are you nervous about your first day?" he asked reaching for his coffee and taking a sip.

"I didn't sleep well," she admitted looking down at the ring on her finger. It was a French-Set Halo Diamond band engagement ring in 14kt White Gold for with a large cushion of center stone that held up and even bigger diamond.

It was ridiculous.

"Did your mom drive you crazy?" he said glancing up for a moment then back down at the device.

Troy drove her crazy. She blinked. A slow, sloth-like blink, as she simultaneously filled her lungs with just enough air to keep her heart from jumping out her chest. Going over there had been stupid. Reckless. And yet…she wanted to go back. It was like he had this control over her and she couldn't figure out how to break it.

She felt stupid. Stupid for feeling hurt that he hadn't remembered her. Especially when she had been the one to claim not to remember him first. Difference was, she was sure he probably meant what he said. She shouldn't be thinking about this at all. Not now. Not while sitting across the table from her fiancé. She released a sigh, "No. Just…overwhelmed…I guess."

Thomas placed his phone down and reached for her resting hand, "Hey," he said with a small smile. "You're going to do great today."

"I know." she smiled as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. With her other hand, she reach for her coffee. "Tomorrow we have that dinner with the wedding planner."

He winced. "Shit."

Gabriella lifted a finger. "No," she said pointedly. "You said I wouldn't have to do all the wedding stuff alone."

Thomas's features softened. "Baby, you're not alone. Kelsi is your best friend, and your maid of honor. Take her with you, chances are it's going to be you two making all the decisions anyway." He added the last part with a smile. "I know you."

"I'm starting a new job today. I cannot be the only person planning this wedding." The room began to spin slightly, and Gabriella took a sip of her coffee.

"I'm starting today too," he argued. "And you're not the only one planning the wedding. I will help. Ans so will your mom, Kelsi, Taylor, and Sharpay. That's what bridesmaid do. They help the bride."

"It's fine," she said finally. Stomping down on her emotions. Now was not the time for an argument.

His brows furrowed and he tilted his head to the side. "Gabi, I support everything you do. I thought you supported me, too. This is my future. This is for us, baby. For our future."

She whipped her eyes up.

Us.

Our.

Future.

There it was again. the words that sent her heart racing like a stampede of wild cattle. Though It wasn't the words, per se, it was the meaning behind them. It was the talk of finality. The End. Forever. Because marriage, to Gabriella, was what her parents had. The laughing so hard at the kitchen sink you peed a little. About something no one else could understand but the two of you. The eternal love that didn't even end with death. And it wasn't even that she was opposed to that future with Thomas. She could see it. He was the perfect catch. He did everything right… but he was all she'd ever known. All she'd ever been with…

She took a calming breath, chanting in her head that this was just Thomas. The planner, the man who knew every step he would make ten steps before he actually made them. Her friend. The guy who'd been by her side since junior high, her boyfriend since freshman year of college. Her fiancé.

"But if it means that much to you…"

She raised her hand, cutting him off before he could say more. "No. No, you're right." Her brows pulled together as she looked at the clock. "This isn't a big deal. It's a wedding. Not the rest of our lives."

He took her hand again, pulling it forwards again until she rose slightly from her seat. "Are you sure?"

She swallowed. "Positive."

*Nine years ago*

Troy Bolton made her feel alive. he did something to her, something exciting and nerve-racking. But it wasn't just that. he made her think, he challenged her in every way possible, and she loved it.

Looking up at the sensor light she let out a breath. Thank God it wasn't Kelsi. Thank God it was just a light and not Mr. and Mrs. Bolton. Her mind kept rolling with fear. What would have happened had it been her best friend coming to look for her? What would she have said?

She took a deep breath, trying to figure things out. Why had he kissed her? Why now? Why her? The girl he'd never seem to notice once until tonight. He walked beside her until they stopped at the fence leading into the pull. He wrapped her towel around her shoulders. When had he picked it up?

"Maybe we should call it a night," he said softly, exerting the slightest amount of pressure to pull her forward. As though he wanted her next to him. As though he wanted her lips as much as she wanted his. "Before we get into trouble."

She looked up at him, knowing he was right. If she stayed out here much longer, she wasn't sure what would happen. She could feel the pulsing of her body, the blood coursing through her veins in every spot where he'd touch her.

Their eyes met, but she didn't see the boy she hated any longer. She saw Troy. A guy who all the girls wanted, and who was misunderstood by the masses. He wasn't the self-centered heartbreaker she'd always thought him to be. He was kind, he was thoughtful—and he was the first boy who had ever said she was beautiful.

Even the silence between them different. Because under the surface was something else. A shared secret, a kiss she vowed to remember for all eternity. She turned back toward the sliding back doors. Everything looked the same, but everything had changed. She'd walked out that door as an innocent girl and come back with that part of her missing.

The feel of his hand on hers bought her attention back to him. He hadn't walked away. As if he was waiting for something. For her to stop him, for her to tell him it was a mistake. But she remained silent. Because she was too inexperienced to know what was expected after a kiss like that. Too inexperienced to know if the tingles she felt all over her body was a normal reaction. If a kiss between practical strangers was always so mind consuming and passionate.

She'd kissed her best friend's brother, something she never would have expected in a million years. But that wasn't the worst of it. What bothered her most was that she wanted to do it again. thousand times over again.

"Thanks for coming out tonight," he said, with a small smile.

She nodded. Because for the life of her, she couldn't think of anything else to do. her mind was still mush, her pulse still racing. She tightened her grip on the towel and chewed her inner cheek. Because god help her, she was completely unaware of what happened next. Did they talk? Not talk? She looked up at the Bolton's house. Her eyes traveling to Kelsi's window. Guilt washed over her and she turned back to Troy.

He took a step back his eyes still on her, his face intense, but his body relaxed like always. She wanted to explain, to tell him she should never have let it happen. But before she could, he hoped the small fence between their properties. He didn't say a word and was gone from sight before she could even comprehend his leaving.

But he left the door open—just a crack, and she knew what it was. An invitation for her to join him—and she couldn't stop staring at it. her stomach flip-flopped, and her knuckles became white where she clutched her towel too hard at her chest. It was an invitation for another kiss. To get to know the man she'd never allowed herself to truly see. But as sure as she was about the invitation, as sure as she knew he wanted her to take it, she couldn't do it.

She turned towards the house. not allowing herself to think about what happened. Not allowing herself to wonder what would happen if she were to follow him to his bed.

*Present Day*

"Gabriella Montez, is that you?"

Gabriella turned to stare up into the face of a girl she hadn't seen since her high school graduation.

"Martha?" she tossed out hopefully. Without Facebook, she would have to rely on her memory.

When she beams, Gabriella knows she's right.

"How are you?" she asks, stepping closer to their table with a big confident smile.

Gabriella smiled and nodded with hand extended to Thomas. "I'm good, this is my boyfriend Thomas. Thomas, remember Martha, she went to school with us?"

"Yes, I do and I'm her fiancé, actually." Thomas chuckled as he reached out a hand shook Martha's.

Right. Shit. Gabriella winced. "Habit." Gabriella noticed Martha's diamond-studded hand rubbing her very pregnant belly. "How are you?"

"I'm good. Eight months along and not really sleeping much at the moment."

"Congratulations, you look great."

She rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Well, it's nice of you to say that. Jason says I've never looked better, but I think he's just saying—"

"Jason Cross?" Thomas's eyes widen.

Martha nodded with a laugh. "The same! We got married a few years back."

Gabriella felt like she stepped into the twilight zone. Her classmates were getting married and having children. And there she was falling in line like the rest of them. Growing up.

"I heard you two were hitching wagons." Martha smiled warmly. "We should get together sometime for dinner."

"Absolutely!" Thomas nodded looking from her to Gabriella, "Right honey."

Gabriella nodded, "Sure, we can set something up."

Martha waved and said her goodbyes as she walked off with a small pregnant waddle.

"Yes, this is exactly the in we need," Thomas got up from the table and picked up his coffee. "That's Jason's wife, the boss's son. Imagine the luck."

Gabriella felt her insides deflate. "Right. The luck."

"I gotta go, but yes, yes. We need to make that happen. You're the best." With that, he was gone and she was alone at the table with coffee.

By mid-day, she was exhausted. She pushed her thick-framed glasses up the bridge of her nose. This morning had been a quick orientation and a staff meeting where she did her best committing names and faces to memory. There were two medical assistants, one nurse, and one office manager. Everyone but the office manager looked young, around her age, and they were all female.

Gina, the office manager, did not seem all that friendly. She came off serious and no-nonsense like. Almost like prison guard showing her to her cell and handing her an orange jumpsuit rather than her white lab coat with her name etched on the front breast pocket. Her office was in one of two closets stacked side by side near the back of the building. They had been refitted just for her and another doctor who worked weekends.

"Right, well the kitchen is in there." She pointed behind her across the small hallway. "I make coffee in the mornings, but let me know if it's running low and I'll make some more. Don't leave dishes in the sink and clean up after yourself. I'm the office manager, not the maid."

"Right," Gabriella nodded. "I'm a coffee fiend, but I'm happy to make my own."

Gina huffed. "Here's the docket. We have 16 patients in the waiting room. Let me know when you're ready."

Gabriella nodded as she put her purse and other items down on her desk. The door shut behind Gina and Gabriella was left alone in the silence of her office. She reached for the phone, noting that it had gone off four times since she'd started her tour with Gina around the office. She activated the screen to see three text messages from Kelsi and a missed call.

Shit. That's right. Troy was back in town.

You won't believe who came back to town!

My dickhead brother.

He wants me to come over later. What an ass! He's been here since Saturday morning.

Gabriella winced. She quickly shot of a supportive text message to Kelsi and let her know she would meet with her later. After her phone was put away and she'd put on her lab coat she picked up the clipboard Gina had given her and took a deep breath before heading out into the hallway.

The afternoon passes with awkward patient encounters. Her first patient was an older man experiencing flu-like symptoms. Her next two patients insisted on waiting for Dr. Rhett instead of seeing her, and she also got the luxury of giving a seven-year-old their yearly physical which included two shots.

Her ears were still ringing from the screams.

She braced herself as she pulled the door open for exam room two and walked in, ready to give her usual greeting when she was caught off guard.

"Kelsi?"

Kelsi jerked away from the jar of popsicle sticks where she'd been caught in the act of sneaking a few in her purse.

"Oh my God!" Kelsi beamed, "Look at you, in your lab coat. You look just like a doctor."

Gabriella frowned as she shut the door behind her. "Is everything alright?" She asked timidly, giving Kelsi a good once over.

Kelsi sighed, "I'm good, I just really needed to see you before later."

"Oh?" Gabriella looked up at the clock. "I mean, I have patients to see—"

"Oh, I know. I'm one of them. I made an appointment." She nodded, "Yearly physical."

Gabriella opened the file in her hands before looking back up at Kelsi disapprovingly. "And are you actually getting a physical?"

Kelsi nodded, "Oh, yeah sure the nurse came in and got my weight and all that already." Kelsi motioned to her chart in Gabriella's hands.

Gabriella let out a sigh, "Okay, tell me what's going on."

"Troy's in town."

Gabriella nodded. When Kelsi didn't continue she frowned. "Have you talked to him?"

"Hardly, he sent a text message this morning. Apparently, he's been at the house all weekend. Probably sizing it up for a realtor." Kelsi crossed her arms in anger. "I can't believe how heartless he's being about this. Dad worked so hard to make sure we had that house. Mom loved that house. How can he just sell it? As if it means nothing? We grew up in that house."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes, "He actually said he's getting a realtor?"

Kelsi hesitated. "Well, no not exactly. But I know that's what he wants. He's been trying to get me to agree for a year now, then suddenly he flies out here and wants me to meet with him. I'm not stupid. I know what he's doing?"

"You don't know anything because you haven't actually talked to him yet." Gabriella pointed out. "Get on the table."

Kelsi's eyes widen. "What?"

"You're getting a physical."

Kelsi made a face before slumping her shoulders and getting up on the table with a sigh. "I don't know what to do. Can you come with me tonight?"

Gabriella placed Kelsi's chart on the small countertop before letting out a sigh, "I don't know Kelsi, this seems short of private. And Troy and I don't really get along."

Kelsi let out a small huff, "Trust me, I get it." She said sitting up straight as Gabriella came over to inspect her throat. "I'm so sick of people being nice to me just to get to my brother." Her voice was harsh. "Ever since the eighth grade, I've been dealing with the Bimbo parade that usually follows him around. You would think that kind of shit would end after high school, but no. He joins a band and even now I get creepy fan mail sent to the shop."

Gabriella's throat went dry.

Kelsi closed her eyes. "At least I have you." She said. "The only person I can trust."

A hundred bricks landed on Gabriella's shoulders. She knew exactly what Kelsi was trying to say. Because up until that night nine years ago, Gabriella was the only girl who hated Troy as much as she did. Gabriella had always been in Kelsi's corner. Always there to hear Kelsi out. Always there when some Cheerleader was mean to her because Troy had dumped her. Always their when another boy had ignored her because of who her brother was.

It had always been that way. Right up until they left for college.

"I'll go with you."

*Nine years ago*

Maple syrup dripped from the bite of waffle held midair on Gabriella's fork. A sea of breakfast foods covered her plate I front of her: waffles, eggs, toast. But she'd neglected to take a bite of any of it. Breakfast wasn't her favorite meal on any given morning, but today the food was especially unappealing.

She'd tossed and turned all night long, barely able to get more than an hour's rest. Her stomach was rolling with anxiety and guilt. Feelings that still lingered now. It was guilt over kissing Troy, but also about holding back the truth from Kelsi. Kelsi and Gabriella shared everything with each other. Everything. Last night was the first time in their lifelong friendship that Gabriella had gone to bed knowing she hadn't told her friend the truth.

Gabriella's mom had once told her that the secret to a happy life was never going to bed knowing you'd been dishonest. At the time, she'd thought her mom was trying to convince her to confess about the cookies she'd stolen from the pantry, but the advice haunted her last night. Because untold truth felt an awful lot like a lie. Like stolen cookies leaving a sour taste in the bottom of her stomach.

Troy sat directly in front of her now, though she hadn't looked up once. She felt bad for ignoring him because, in spite of how upset she was about Kelsi, last night had been one of the best nights of her life. She was just afraid. Afraid that if she met his eyes again, even for a second, everyone in the house would know he'd taken a piece of her heart last night. They would see the confusion whirling in her brain. Because last night she'd gone out with a boy, know he was the one she hated, but in just a few short hours he'd made her question everything she'd believed in for years.

It was like finding out Santa wasn't real and then playing each moment you'd sat in his lap over and over, wondering how you could've not known. The fake beard, the constant change in appearance, the fact that he would wear such a warm suit in the middle of Summer for the Fourth of July parade. Being with Troy had shattered her sense of self, her trust in her own judgment and everything she thought she knew about everyone. She found herself piecing memories of Troy together, trying to make sense of it all, but then pulling them apart again because it never did. Because he wasn't a dumb guitar playing jock that hurt everyone as she'd always thought. That was a lie, and if anything, those lies had hurt him.

"You alright, Ella Bean?" Her mother voice asked from the other side of the table.

Gabriella startled from her thoughts, uncrossed her feet from under the table and looked around at their family. It was the last breakfast they would all have together for a long while. Kelsi, Gabriella, and Thomas were leaving that afternoon for the long drive to the University of Arizona. Everyone had been chattering all morning long with excitement and anxious jitters.

Her mother's soft brown hair was tied up in a messy bun on top of her head, her long neck poised elegantly as she sipped from a large mug of coffee. They had walked over this morning to join in the Bolton Family sendoff breakfast party.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Gabriella forced a small smile and shoved the piece of waffle into her mouth. "Just tired."

Mr. Bolton smiled, "I hope Kelsi didn't keep you up all night with her coughing. There were a few times I felt the house shake."

Gabriella shook her head. "Oh no, it was fine." She swallowed her food. "I was just up late…" She cleared her throat. "Reading."

Troy made a small sound from across the table, but Gabriella ignored him, not daring to look up for fear that everyone would see her blushing.

Everyone resumed their discussions, seeming to accept her answer without question. All except for Troy. God, she could feel him watching her.

"Hello, family, who here is ready for our new lives as college women!" Kelsi squealed as she came down the stairs looking a little less pale and miserable then she had the day before.

"Well if it isn't my little ball of sunshine!" Mr. Bolton greeted. "It's good to see you out of bed and alive."

Kelsi smiled brightly as she took her seat next to Gabriella. "I am so excited to hit the road. Can you just imagine it, the next four years of our lives without a big brother around to torment us?"

"Love you too, sis." Troy smiled as he flipped her off.

"Troy," Mrs. Bolton warned. "You know, whether you guys want to admit it or not, you will miss each other."

Kelsi piled waffles onto her plate. "No more having classes with Troy's bitter ex-girlfriends, no more being called Troy's little sister, no ditzy cheerleaders asking me to help them meet the famous Troy Bolton." She added the last part with a fancy show of hands.

"No more listening to Kelsi's whiny voice," Troy added getting up from the table with his plate.

Mr. Bolton chuckled. "You know one day, your mom and I won't be around and you two are going to be all you got."

"Please, I have Ella," Kelsi said with a laugh. "Always?" She said looking back at Gabriella and holding out her pinky.

"Always." Gabriella nodded as she linked pinkies with her best friend. Now all she had to do was find the perfect time to confess to her best friend that she'd kissed the enemy.

Both mothers laughed. Mr. Bolton waved his hands up in defeat.

Everyone began passing plates and pitchers. Chatting about everything and nothing, as Gabriella stuffed her face with maple-covered waffles and bacon. She hoped that if she kept her mouth full for long enough, everyone would forget she was there and not ask questions.

The plan almost worked. Until she excused herself to the kitchen. She entered the tiny room, placed her plate into the sink, then braced her hands on either side of the counter, her eyes fixed on the dark, ominous sky that had rolled in overnight. It was like a message from God, punishing her for her wrongdoings. "I see you, God. I know what you're up to, and I don't like it!"

"What was that?"

Gabriella whipped around, finding Troy standing in the doorway with his empty plate. He moved towards her, deposited his dis in the full sink, then rested his hip on the counter beside her. Although he said nothing, there was a heaviness between them that told her there was much on his mind. He looked at her, his mouth still, but his eyes full of questions. Questions that both scared and excited her. Questions she wasn't sure she could answer.

She turned back towards the window, unable to face him any longer, and picked up a kitchen rag and began twisting it between her fingers. "About last night," she began. "I'm going to tell Kelsi everything."

He adjusted his stance, and even though she wasn't looking at him, she could tell he wasn't happy. "It's none of her business Ella."

She closed her eyes, opening them a second later to shake her head. "But it is. You're her brother and I'm her best friend. Kelsi and I tell each other everything, and it's killing me she doesn't know."

"Okay."

"Okay?" She turned to face him, her heart pounding.

"Yeah." His eyes softened and she immediately stepped back.

"What does that mean?"

"It means if you want to tell her, that's fine with me."

Gabriella chewed on her lips for a moment, then she grabbed him and pulled him over to the pantry. "Why?" she whispered. "You've known me for years, yet last night was the first time you ever notice me. Why?"

His brows furrowed and he looked into her eyes. "I've always noticed you, Ella."

She swallowed, her hands flat against his chest, her back straining against the shelf that held all the can goods, but all she could think about was kissing him again.

He chuckled, deep and coarse, but with a hint of something she didn't understand. The action caused the dimple on his left side to sink into his cheek —and somehow that made him look more handsome. His hands rested on top of her arms, moving up and down in a way that made her lose breath.

"You're crazy," he finally said. "All this time I thought you were this cute, nerdy girl who spent too much time reading."

She licked her lips. "You thought I was cute?"

"Yes." He laughed again. "Look, as much as I like being close to you, sooner or later someone's going to come in here and find us in the pantry."

Her eyes bulged and she turned to peek through the crack of the door. He was right. If Kelsi found her in the pantry with Troy, there would be no explaining it. She pushed him out the double doors, intending to follow right after him, but Mrs. Bolton walked into the kitchen at that moment.

"Oh, there you are," she said, stopping in her tracks. "Have you seen Gabriella, her mother's looking for her."

Troy laced his hands behind his head and shrugged. "Nope." But it was not convincing. Not one tiny bit.

Mrs. Bolton's brows furrowed, and she looked over his shoulder. She turned back and tilted her head to the side as though she knew something was up. "Your father wants to know if you have enough gas money to get back to California."

Troy stepped forward and placed an arm around his mother's shoulder. "I think so, but I rather be safe than sorry."

She looked up at him and smiled knowing smile. "Son, why do you look so guilty?"

He laughed, throwing his head back to look at the ceiling before escorting her from the kitchen. "That's just my face, Mom."

And then they were gone.

Gabriella pulled in a much-needed breath and slouched against the pantry shelves. She needed to get out of there before she was caught, but it was another few minutes before she felt comfortable enough to make her first step. She quickly checked her reflection in the kitchen window, hoping she didn't look too flustered and walked out to the dining room as quickly as she could.

Her mom wasn't there anymore. So, she made her way into the living room and found Troy standing by the couch folding his clothes, but stopped as soon as he saw her. She reluctantly walked towards him, aware someone could walk into the room at any moment. "Don't tell, okay?" she whispered without stopping. It was a juvenile request, but it was the best she had, given her time constraints.

He grinned slightly, making her heart squeeze with uncertainty. Because she was at his mercy, he held all the cards, and she was simply the joker in his pocket.

"It's our little secret," he replied, picking up the last folded shirt and placing it on top of his clothes in the suitcase before zipping it shut. He grabbed hold of the handle and threw it up to his shoulders.

"Thank you," she whispered.

*Present day*

When they arrived at the house Troy answered the door, his eyes shifted momentarily between Kelsi to Gabriella before stepping aside and letting them in. In one hand, he had a beer and a sandwich in the other. He wore jeans, no shirt, his chin covered in a light brown stubble of hair.

Damn, he was hot. The kind of hot that only got better with age and experience. Primitive man might have worshipped the sun, but she was pretty sure the sun worshipped Troy. The way it bathed him in golden a glow, showcasing his ink. Tattoos had never been her thing. A stable job and fixed insurance? Yes. This whole "reckless bad boy living the rock-and-roll lifestyle" vibe Troy had going on? Absolutely not. It went against everything her mother had ever taught her to value.

"You," He said pointing a finger at Gabriella as she walked by. "Leave your shoes at the door."

With an eye roll, she did as he instructed.

"You've got a lot of nerve," Kelsi said, suddenly tense beside her. If spikes had suddenly appeared running down her spine, Gabriella wouldn't have been surprised. "Would it have killed you to call me, let me know you were back?"

"Hi. Sis." Then he took the last bite of his sandwich, talking around it. Or through it, Thomas would have been appalled. "Thanks for coming."

"Eat with your mouth closed. God, you're gross." Kelsi crossed her arms, staring him down. "Have you even evolved since you were eight?"

"I'm taller. And I got over the whole girl-germs thing too." He winked.

"Kind of figured that, what with the way you treated the fly on your pants like a revolving door during high school." For the next part, Kelsi adopted a low manly tone. "Hey, I'm the guitarist in a band. I write songs and I care about feelings and shit. Come on, you know you want a piece of this baby."

Gabriella quietly sniggered. Kelsi did his voice so well.

Troy cracked up laughing, nearly doubling at the waist. "Not bad. But you have to offer to play them some broody-ass emo tunes out by the lake. Works every time."

Kelsi flipped him the bird.

"Take it easy," he said. "I was going to call but I didn't want to crash the party."

"How considerate," Kelsi said crossing her arms again over her chest. "We need to talk."

"I agree."

"I've been trying to get a hold of you for weeks."

"Sorry." Head hanging low, Troy winced. "There's been a lot going on. I'm here now, though."

"Which leads me to my next question. Why are you here?" Kelsi tilted her head. "You've avoided this place like the plague for years."

"You just said you wanted to talk to me, now you're giving me shit for being here?" He grabbed at the back of his neck, rubbing hard. "Like you said, it's been a while. Maybe I just wanted to catch up with you."

As eyebrows went, Kelsi's left one was particularly vocal. The way it arched called bullshit on her brother without saying a word. "What's going on, Troy? Last I heard you guys were touring with Our Last Night and everything was great."

He gave a smile completely devoid of any joy. "So fucking great the lead vocalist went solo and our drummer joined another band."

Kelsi's jaw dropped, her face bloodless. "The band broke up?"

"Yeah."

Kelsi still gaped at him.

"Got decided late last year. Once we finished the tour with Our Last Night we were splitting. I've had some time to get used to it. Let it go. It's fine." He ignored her reaction, turning instead to Gabriella. "How are you doing Ella?"

"Hey. Hi. Good."

"I take it Kelsi dragged you over here because she was too chicken shit to have this conversation on her own."

Gabriella fought back a small smile. "Just moral support."

Troy nodded. "Well here's the thing. I'm tapped out." He said looking at both of them. "Things…they weren't as good as I made them out to be." He placed a hand on his hip and face Kelsi. "In fact, they're pretty much fucked. I was hoping you could buy this place off me."

Kelsi stiffened. "Is that why you want to sell the house? How bad is it?" She asked.

"I'll figure something out. It'll be okay."

"How bad, Troy?"

Slowly, he shut his eyes, letting his head fall back. It took him a long time to answer. "I had to borrow to buy you out of this place."

Gabriella's eyes widen and Kelsi's mouth fell open. "What? You told me you had it!"

"What'd you think I'd say?" Blue eyes snapped open, laser-like in their intensity. "It was your dream, opening The Music Box. Just like it was mine to play music. You backed me however you could. Did you really think I wouldn't do the same for you?"

Kelsi covered her face with her hands, swearing softly beneath her breath. This went on for quite some time.

"For a while, it was fine," Troy continued. "We were getting gigs, being paid. Then we had a lean time and I have to take out a mortgage."

"You mortgaged our childhood home?" Her voice rose to banshee levels. "How could you do that!"

"It's almost paid off. Touring with Our Last Night got most of it shorted out, but things hit the wall when the band fell apart."

Kelsi shook her head. "If mom weren't dead, she'd kill you."

"I know."

"And if Dad weren't dead…I don't even know what he would do. But they'd never find your body. Or what was left of it."

Nothing from Troy. His fallen face said it all. The room was quiet for a while.

"Okay, here's what we do," Kelsi said, her spine snapping straight. "You come work for us at The Music Box."

"But—" An imperious hand halted him.

"No, Troy," she said. "You need the money, we need the help. One way or another, you're covered."

"I only planned on being in town for a few days, a week at most."

Lines appeared beside Kelsi's mouth. "Fine. Whatever. Work while you're here. You start at six. Don't be late."

"Okay. I won't be late."

Kelsi nodded and looked at Gabriella with a nod, "Tomorrow at five with the wedding planner?"

Gabriella nodded, "If it's still alright?"

"I'll be there," Kelsi said wiping a stray tear from her cheek before making her way to the front door.

Gabriella followed picking up her shoes and then placing a hand on Kelsi's shoulder before she could leave. "Hey, you going to be okay?"

Kelsi looked around the front entrance hallway as if seeing it for the first time. Her eyes rested on her mother garden boots that still rested by the front door. Covered in dust. "I will be."

Gabriella offered her a hug and rubbed Kelsi's back gently. "Call me when you get home."

Kelsi nodded. "Good night."

"Good night."

When Kelsi left, Gabriella turned back to face Troy, he stood staring after her, lost in thought. Useless platitudes filled her head, the usual reassuring crap. For now, she let it all go unsaid.

This summer was genuinely proving to be a motherfucker.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"Liar," she whispered.

"Am not," he whispered back.

"Are too."

He sent her a look most dubious.

"That was a heavy conversation." Gabriella let out a sigh. "All I'm saying is, it's okay not to be okay after it."

He snorted, pushing his shoulders back. "You want to talk about feelings, Ella? Is that what you want? Because I thought you were here for Kelsi."

"I was here as moral support," she said softly. "I never said for who."

He took a deep breath before shrugging his shoulders. "Well, I'm fine."

"But on the off chance it's necessary," she said, "I do want you to know, I'm here for you too."

"Good night, Gabriella."

She nodded solemnly. "Night."