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It had been a long day and Gabriella felt exhausted as she walked through her apartment door.

It was a Thursday a day Gabriella always left the office early, a day she never worked late and it was usually the night she spent with her friends, either going to the movies, having dinner, catching up, or just hanging out. She always took this evening off and she always spent it with her friends but she knew today she was not going to see her friends, she knew she was going to stay in and she also knew this was because if she got invited anywhere so would Troy and Anna and truth be told she just couldn't face seeing them yet, she hadn't spoke to Troy since her came to see her on Monday, so that was the reason she ignored her friends calls and turned off her phone, she would deal with them tomorrow.

After a long bath Gabriella walked into her kitchen and poured herself a big glass of wine she then sat down and silence filled the room and she sighed, she hated being at home alone, she hated silence this is why she always worked late she never had anything really to come home to.

Gabriella walked into her room looking for something to do and deiced to sort off the boxes she had yet still to unpack.

A couple of hour later Gabriella was still sorting through boxes she then found a box she swear she had gotten rid of she lifted the medium size box onto her bed and sat down next to it and started at it for a long time she then took a large gulp of wine and opened the lid, memories hit for every angle.

She gently picked up the first item she saw, she felt the soft material between her fingers, she brought it up to her face and smelt the familiar fragrance still after all this time it made her heart swell, her fingers traced the number 14.

She had truly forgotten she had kept all his things, his jersey, all his gifts he had given her, her T necklace hundreds and hundreds of pictures from their high school days. Her eyes then rested on the last thing he had ever given her, it was the day she had found out everything, the day everything went wrong, she gently picked up the small blue box and opened it slowly and her eyes were met with the beautiful diamond ring, his grandmothers, she slowly touched the stone and all the memories came back to her of that day 7 years ago.

Flashback

"Yes Shar I'm fine, I know your pissed I'm not spending spring break with you but Troy can't leave, he got all his basketball practice to do and I haven't seen him in ages, I know I haven't seen you in ages as well but come on I wouldn't ask you not to see Zeke would I?" Gabriella couldn't help but laugh at Sharpay's attempts to make her feel guilty.

"No Shar he doesn't know I'm coming that the whole point of a surprise…. Yes, Shar you know I love you but please shut up"

"Shar, I've got to go, I have just arrived , I promise I will call everyday it will be like I'm there trust me, bye" Gabriella quickly shut off her phone ending the call as quickly as possible.

She walked up and around campus, making her way to Troy's dorm, Gabriella was extremely excited she and Troy had not seen each other in awhile and she couldn't wait to see him again to be in his arms, it really had been too long. She knew their phone calls were starting to dry up but she just thought it was because they had been separated for a long time.

She finally reached his door and knocked loudly 3 times barely keeping her excitement in.

"Coming honey" she heard Troy's voice 'Honey' did someone tell him I was coming Gabriella thought.

"Hello handsome" Gabriella squealed as the door opened, jumping into his arms.

"Gabriella what…what are you doing here?" Troy said shocked and limply hugged her.

"Well mister, as you couldn't come I came to you, why looked so shocked babe, was you expecting some other girl" Gabriella laughed and pulled her suitcase into his room.

"Of course not" Troy laughed nervously

"It's just wow to see you" he looked and pulled her into a long proper hug, he smelt her strawberry shampoo and had forgotten how much he had missed her.

"God I missed you" He mumbled into her hair

"Hmm I missed you to so much "Gabriella looked up into his eyes and leaned over a kissed him.

Troy suddenly remembered that he had invited Anna over, shit he thought to himself he needed to get Gabby out of this room now or even better off this campus, he didn't want her to find out like this, she didn't deserve to be humiliated.

"Erm Gabs, I'm starving lets go and eat…. And catch up, come on" He started to pull her out the door.

"Troy wait at least let me freshen up" Gabriella laughed trying to pull out of his grip.

"No come on you look fine, I promise lets go" Troy said pleading with her

"Hmm fine, anyone would think you don't want me in your room" Gabriella laughed again and followed Troy out f the dorm.

Hour later off campus

"See I told you it was worth the wait, this place is just breathe taking" Troy sighed and pulled Gabriella into his arms, closing his eyes and basking in the feel of her.

"Okay you was right" Gabriella said looking over into the sunset, Troy had brought her to a small lake that was covered in flowers, it was like a secret garden and paradise.

They sat for a while, watching the sun go down casting shadows.

"I really missed you, I don't know how we spent so long away from each other" Gabriella snuggled deeper into Troy's arms

Troy felt his throat close, he needed to tell her, he kept going to and then he would take one look at her and wonder why the hell he even cheated on her, was it because it was lonely, maybe? He just didn't know he wish he could give her a reason.

"Gabs I've need to tell you something" Troy's voice started to break.

"Wait Troy can I say something first please" she felt him nod from behind her.

"well, I've been thinking of … transferring to here …" Gabriella said quietly.

"WHAT! NO, Gabriella you can't, Stanford was your dream, I can't and I won't let you leave" Troy said loudly and turned her round to face him.

"Troy, you're my dream now, I don't want a life without you, I don't want to be apart from you anymore" Gabriella said while lightly stroking his face.

"Gabs you can't … it's your dream…" Troy started to say but was interrupted.

"Shh Troy, I'm not asking you to make a decision now, I just wanted you to know that I was thinking it, I don't want to apart anymore, don't you want the same thing?"

"Of course I do, but for you to give up everything, our relationship can last I promise babe" Troy said half lying to himself; he knew the moment had gone to even try and tell her about Anna.

"Well let's not talk about it now okay. Let's just be with each other, lets catch up" Gabriella smiled and started to kiss Troy… Troy thought about pulling away, was it so wrong to want to spend one more night, a night remembering and worshiping her, she deserved that didn't she, Troy was disgusted with him for even letting this continue but didn't and couldn't pull away.

"Let's go back to the dorm" Troy mumbled, he felt Gabriella nod against him and they run towards the car.

Once they got back to Troy's dorm Gabriella walked into his bathroom to 'freshen up' Troy tried to clean up his room as he was cleaning she saw the blue box that his grandmother had give him, he stopped in his tracks, he knew that this ring would never belong to anyone else, he knew he had to give it to her no.

He heard the bathroom door cracked open, and he lost his voice when he saw her. She smiled over to him, Troy walked over and brought her onto his lap, he rested the small blue box onto her hands.

"Oh Troy…" Gabriella whispered while staring at the ring.

"Now before you get all scared and run off, I'm not asking you to marry me" He heard her giggle and sound he has missed.

"It's a promise to you, that no matter what happens Brie I will always love you, always, no matter how bad I screw up, you know that right?" Troy said while looking into her eyes.

"Gabriella nodded and slowly kissed him, he slipped the ring onto her right hand fourth finger, knowing he would probably never be able to slip in onto her marriage finger. It fit perfectly, just as he thought.

Not much talking was don't after this, and when Gabriella finally feel asleep, he watched her silently sleep guilt was starting to crush him and he knew he had to tell her soon.

The next morning Gabriella woke up alone, she heard muffled voices coming from outside his room, she slowly climbed out of his bed unable to keep the smile off her face, she looked down and caught a glimpse of the ring Troy had given her, she had already made up her mind she was going to transfer here, her future was with Troy that's all she needed to know.

She walked over to the door it was open very slightly; she was then met with the sight that broke her heart.

Troy was on his sofa with a leggy blonde sitting down next to him stroking leg, tears started to well up in Gabriella eyes, she tried to keep quiet and started t listen to the conversation.

"Where was you last night babe, I was worried I came here and no one was in, and you didn't answer your phone" The leggy blonde said worried.

"Sorry I just went for a drive, and saw an old… mate of mine, we got talking and before I knew it, it had gone like one in the morning" Troy said quietly, Gabriella couldn't believe what was happening.

"Well I am your girlfriend Troy, I deserve to know, don't ever worry me like that again" she then gently kissed him and to Gabriella hurt he kissed right back.

Gabriella started to shake now, his girlfriend! She thought, god she needed to get out of here NOW, she started to shove everything back into her suitcase and quickly started to look for her clothes. Through this all she didn't her the woman leave or Troy enter the room.

"Gabs, I can explain" Troy said walking over to her

"DON'T TOUCH ME, GET YOUR DIRTY CHEATING HANDS AWAY FROM ME OR I'LL SWEAR I HIT YOU TROY" Gabriella screamed at him, all her emotions coming out of her.

"It's not what it looks like …." Troy said trying to stop her from continuing packaging.

"SO you haven't been cheating on with me with some leggy blonde then, NO? Must have been my eyes" Gabriella said bitterly finally doing up her suit case, she started towards the door.

"Gabriella stop please let me explain" Troy started begging her.

"There is nothing to explain Troy, was I just a laughing joke to you, did last night mean nothing was it all a big joke to make me look stupid well? Well done I feel like a stupid cow, I'm so humiliated" Gabriella opened the door and stormed out, Troy following quickly on her heels.

"I didn't mean for this to happen, I swear Gabs, I didn't want to cheat on you" Troy was stopped when her hand collided into his face, he winced.

"I don't ever want to see you again, I hope your happy Troy, I hope it was worth it" with that Gabreilla stormed off and he never saw her again until 7 years later.

End of flashback

Gabriella still felt her stomach twist when she thought of that day, she felt just like she had been walked all over, she was so angry she could have sworn she felt venom in her mouth that day. She hasn't realized how late it had gotten; Gabriella put the lid back on the box and slid in underneath her bed.

She walked into her bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, the person she saw staring back at her was not what she expected, she saw a bitter woman, her life lived in depression, Gabriella knew who she saw it was her mother looking back at her a woman who had been left with a child to raise, a woman who had been so heartbroken never really gotten over it, Gabriella didn't want to turn into her mother and she knew now truly she had to let it go, she really needed to forgive him and Anna too.

But there was a voice, in the back of Gabriella mind screaming at her to fight back and make his life hell, the voice remained her that he had cheated, that he had lied to her, that now he was marrying Anna and that now he wasn't coming back for her.

Gabriella knew she had to move on for the sake of her happiness, what had happened, happened and no amount of fighting or crying or slapping could fix it and as she looked into that mirror once again she knew it was time to move on.

For the first time in a long time Gabriella slept peacefully.

A/N: Hey guys thank you for your reviews that a very much apprenticed! So this chapter is just clearing up what actually happened between Troy and Gabriella I hope this makes it clearer why Gabriella was so upset and all. So please review and tell me what you think, thank you much love xxxxx