So the past few chapters have been all about the physical attraction between Troy and Gabriella, now its time to get emotional. And if there aren't any beaches in New Mexico THERE ARE NOW.
Thanks so much to corbinsbabygrl1 for her help and suggestions that helped me write this chapter.
As Troy exited the parkway Gabriella looked around had no idea where she was, since arriving in New Mexico she hadn't seen much of it. Which didn't help her in guessing where exactly Troy was taking her.
As they pulled onto a deserted dirt road, Gabriella saw from a distance what she thought was the ocean. At first she didn't believe it; she hadn't been to the beach in months, since she was still living in New York. During the hot and humid New York summers most weekdays and weekends were spent taking the LIRR down to Long Beach with a bunch of her friends and spending the day there, and even though her pockets were completely empty by the end of the summer she wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world.
"No way!" Gabriella screamed in excitement, nearly jumping out of car while it was still moving. It was easy to say, she loved the beach.
"Excited?" Troy asked replied having the satisfaction in knowing that he had picked the perfect spot, and Gabriella's reaction proved it.
As the car came to a stop Gabriella didn't even bother to use the door, hoping out of the car she sprinted as fast as she could towards the beach. Feeling the sand in between her toes nearly brought her to tears. She turned her head to see Troy walking towards her with a blanket in hand; she finally came to the realization,
"Did you plan this?" Gabriella asked smirking, but she really wasn't all that surprised.
"And what if I did." Troy replied smiling back at her.
They stayed like that for a while in silence, holding each other as close as possible not wanting words to ruin the moment. Neither of them knew how much time had passed and really, neither of them cared. Troy looked at Gabriella who was resting against his chest looking out towards the ocean. He couldn't describe the feeling, because it was something that he had never experienced before. But he felt as if nothing else mattered in the world anymore all that mattered to him was Gabriella. If he could combine all of his past relationships and put together it could never measure up to this moment and how he felt. Gabriella felt warm and completely comfortable as she rested against Troy. The feeling of Troy's chest rising and sinking against her as he took each breath brought butterflies to here stomach but at the same time made her feel at ease. It was almost as if she felt Troy's compassion and care, like she could feel his emotions moving throughout him and into her. It was a very powerful feeling but at the same time is scared her. But as she looked out back towards the water something about the ocean relaxed her and for the first time in a long time she was happy about what she was doing and who she was with. As the moments trickled on, Troy broke the silence.
"So, how does a nice dip in the deep blue sound? Troy asked smiling with a slight smirk.
"But, I don't have a bathing suit." Gabriella replied in a naïve tone, not understanding what Troy meant.
"Who said anything about a bathing suit." Troy replied coolly, standing up he held he out his hand towards Gabriella who looked at him reluctantly. "Come one, you only live once." He said in an encouraging tone, Gabriella then smiled at him placing her hand in his, and he pulled her to her feet.
As they moved closer towards the ocean Troy suddenly removed the plain white shirt he was wearing and threw it against the sand. Gabriella looked at him, at his shirt that was now against the sand, and then finally where his shirt once was. She immediately felt her knees buckle from within and for moment she couldn't breathe. Those daily workouts for basketball had defiantly paid off. She couldn't wrap her hand fully around his arm if she wanted to. Gabriella quickly turned to face the other direction not wanting Troy to catch her staring, but it was too late. She looked up at him an immediately noticed the smirk on his face and a raised eyebrow and knew exactly what he was thinking.
"Oh, your not that lucky." Gabriella said to Troy. She didn't care how comfortable Troy was with himself she was staying fully clothed.
"I beg to differ." Troy replied grapping Gabriella's legs from underneath her picking her up bridal style carrying her into the ocean. They were laughing as the waves crashed against them as Troy walked deeper into the water. They both met each others gaze and their eyes immediately locked Gabriella smiled at Troy and let out a slight giggle. They both wished time could freeze and they could be stuck in the moment forever. But as Gabriella arms locked around his neck neither of them noticed a wave heading towards them and by the time Troy looked up to notice it, it was too late. The wave came crashing towards them, knocking Troy off his feet causing Gabriella to slip from his grip. As he remerged from the water panic immediately swept through him.
"Gabi? Gabi!" Troy screamed not hearing a response, the once happy moment was showered over by panic and fear. But after a few moments of silence Troy heard a faint laugh in the distance. Troy looked over his shoulder and saw Gabriella at sitting where the shore met the beach laughing. Troy picked up hiss pace and ran back to the shore in Gabriella's direction.
"Are you okay? You alright?" He repeated over and over again holding Gabriella's face in his hands stroking her hair. She saw the panic on his face and right away tired to calm him down.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Gabriella said trying to subside Troy's panic, she stood up and Troy soon followed her. "Come on I swear I won't fall this time." Gabriella said trying lighten' up the mood and began walking back into the water.
Troy quickly calmed himself down a followed Gabriella back into the water and was promptly back to his normal self. When we reached Gabriella she was floating on her back flowing with the current and immediately hatched an idea.
"How far do you think we are out?" Gabriella asked knowing that they weren't too far from shore.
"Um…" Troy said tuning to look back towards the shore "Not that far out…" But before he could finish his sentence Gabriella jumped from the water wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Got ya!" Gabriella whispered in his ear, holding back her giggle.
"Now if you're going to try to dunk met you're going to have to a better job than that." He replied coolly, throwing Gabriella off his back he turned to face Gabriella an evil smirk came across his face, the smile on Gabriella's smile quickly disappeared from her face.
"Oh man." Gabriella dove into the water and began to swim away from Troy. But he quickly caught up to Gabriella, pulling her into him their bodies pressed against each other faces inches apart.
"Did you really try to dunk me into the water?" Troy asked their faces still as close as ever.
"And what if I did?" Gabriella replied coyly, pressing her forehead against Troy's.
"Well now you're in trouble." He said pulling his face away from Gabriella's. Wrapping his hands around Gabriella's waist she was completely caught off guard when he suddenly threw her over his shoulders.
"You're Crazy!" Gabriella screamed as she emerged from the water. Troy swam to where he had thrown Gabriella. Wrapping his hands around her waist he pulled her back into him.
"Only for you." He said seriously removing a stray hair from her face. Gabriella looked at him shyly running her fingers through his wet hair they locked eyes again. Gabriella quickly jumped out of his arms and began swimming back towards shallow water.
"Where are you going?" Troy yelled to her smiling, it was hard for him to recover from the heated moment.
"You in a little bit shallower, so I can stand a little better." She replied still swimming. Troy sighed happily and began to swim towards Gabriella. When he finally reached her, she was standing in waste high water with her eyes closed and her arms in the air spinning in circles.
"What are you doing?" Troy asked somewhat curious.
"You know, sometimes I wish I could be a bird. Go anywhere I wanted to." Gabriella answered still spinning with her eyes closed. But she was soon stopped by Troy who again grabbed her cupping his hands into her face.
"If you're a bird, I'm a bird. Where ever you go, I'll be there with you." He said to her sincerely, still with her face in his hands.
"You wanna go in? I'm a little cold." Gabriella replied. For some reason she was scared by what Troy had said to her, Troy was the only person that she had let in since her mother's passing at that scared her more than anything.
Troy nodded his head and began heading towards the shore, Gabriella soon followed behind him. As the sun began to set on the beach the sky turn to a pink-orangeish color. Troy turned to see Gabriella looking at him peacefully with the sun setting behind her and the wind blowing her long brown hair. The look in her eyes sank threw Troy and he suddenly felt a rush of passion soar threw him. While Gabriella stood still Troy began to run towards her, he held her tightly in his arms pulling her into a kiss it was a very different from earlier this afternoon it was still as passionate maybe even more but it had a different feeling, a more serious and slow.
"Don't be scared." Troy said, as they pulled apart letting her rest her head against her chest as he stroked her hair. Entwining their fingers in each other's they walked back to where their blanket lay.
They were back in the same position that the afternoon had started, Gabriella's head against Troy's chest as she listened to his breathing. While held her hand.
"How did you find this place?" Gabriella asked curious how could have no one have ever found a magical place like this.
"My mom used to take me here a lot as a child." Troy replied without even thinking, he instantly regretted his answer as he heard Gabriella sigh sadly "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Troy finally said hoping to make Gabriella feel at least a little bit better.
"No, no. Its time I told you." Gabriella said sitting up, facing Troy.
"It was just a normal Sunday night, my mom and I were playing monopoly. We did it every Sunday, a game monopoly that I always ended up losing followed by a movie of my choice. We were in the middle of the game when I had a sudden craving for chocolate ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. So my mom offered to go get some…I could have stopped her, but I didn't…If I hadn't been so selfish…then maybe...maybe…" Gabriella began to sob trying to hold back tears but failing she couldn't look Troy in the face; she wouldn't let him see her like this.
"Hey, hey, hey. Look at me." Troy said in almost a whisper, placing his hand on Gabriella's chin he pulled her to face him. "Do not blame yourself for this, none of this is your fault." Troy said whipping away Gabriella's tears.
"You don't understand Troy! She was shot while at the store! Buying the ice cream that I told her 'I needed more than anything' if I hadn't asked her to go..." Gabriella began to cry again remembering when the cops showed up at her apartment door.
"Your mom was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and not any bit of that is your fault." This time Troy pulled Gabriella into his chest letting her silently cry as he stroked her hair.
After some time passed Gabriella looked up at Troy she was sitting on his lap with her arms now around his neck. It was good that she had finally had a good cry; it was what she needed.
"Come on, let get going." Troy said calmly as he carried Gabriella to the car. As they made their way back towards the high way Gabriella took Troy's hand off the clutch and held it in hers, and finally drifted off into a deep sleep as they headed home.
So what did you think? Good? Bad? Love it? Hate it?
If any of you guys have any ideas about something that should happen or like how to want the story to move on from here just let me know, I'm always open to ideas.
THANKS FOR READING!