Two weeks had gone by, two miserable weeks of phone calls from the bank, funeral arrangements. The store lease hanging in the balance. Gabriella pulled on the chair as she grunted and winced. "Oh my god," Gabriella stopped and let out a breath. Why was everything so much work, why was everything so heavy. Gabriella kicked the chair her toes crunching with pain as her eyes shut tight. "Son of a b-"

"Need help?"

"Holy shit," Gabriella spun around and looked at Troy sitting in the wheelchair. Hopping on one foot she reached for her toes. "Why would you do that?"

Troy held up his hands, "Sorry, I was afraid you'd run away, I thought sneaking up on you might be best," Troy smiled.

Gabriella stood up straight and looked around her front yard. "What are you doing here?" she said looking down at her jean jumper and old east high shirt. Why was she always wearing something that shouted teenager when he was around?

"Cute outfit," Troy winked.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriella repeated as she crossed her arms. The sight of him even in that chair made her skin trickle and her heart race.

"Last week seemed like a bad time, with the funeral, and well you avoiding me." Troy looked around the yard and smiled as he maneuvered his chair around her.

"I wasn't avoiding you." Gabriella said turning around to adjust the chair. "What do you want?"

"Dinner, you stood me up the last time remember?"

"My father died." Gabriella stood up straight and faced him placing her hands on her hips.

"Apology accepted." He gave her a simple shoulder shrug .

Gabriella mouth fell open and she rolled her eyes. "God you haven't changed at all have you, you're still the same everything is about you Bolton."

Troy shrugged his shoulders, "If I recall you thought it was cute."

Gabriella walked over to the table with stuff on top of it, "I also thought unicorns were real,"

"So what's up with the house in your front yard?"

Gabriella bit her lip. "Yard sale," she said moving some things around.

"Why?"

"I need the money," Gabriella wiped her hands on her jeans. "Not that you would know anything about that?"

Troy let out a sigh, "what I'm asshole because I have money?" Troy folded his hands. "You should tell my ex-wife, maybe she'll stop trying to take every last drop?"

"Your ex wife was greedy before she even became your wife." Gabriella walked around a table and shifted through some things. He was watching her, she could feel his eyes rolling over her hips and shifting around her curves. Gabriella stomach fluttered and she shut her eyes for a moment to get a hold of herself.

Troy chuckled, "How is Jake doing?"

Gabriella flinched. "He's doing fine, why?"

Troy pushed himself forward a little, "Just asking to be a nice guy, what can't be a nice guy these days?"

Gabriella shook her head, as she looked away from him. Did he know about Jake? Had Lucile told him?

"Jake's a good kid, funny and smart." Troy smiled. "You did a good job with him." Troy looked at his watch and began to make for the sidewalk he was suppose to meet with Chad for his muscle therapy. "Hey I have to go, therapy awaits."

Gabriella took a deep breath, "Troy I have something to tell you."

"Can it wait, until dinner, tonight?"

Gabriella was quite for a moment, as she thought about the idea of just ripping the band- aid off. Getting it over with and letting the chips fall where they did. "Troy I don't think it can,"

Troy stopped and looked back at her with a smile. "Alright you got me, what is going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

Always with the Bolton charm, Gabriella bit her lip. At least he wasn't calling her brie. "Jake," Gabriella paused as fear took over her. "Your right it can wait."

"Alright I'll see you at the diner, seven good?"

Gabriella nodded and then felt a bubble inside her. "Wait,"

Troy paused and raised a brow, "Gabriella for someone who clearly doesn't want me around is really sending a mixed signal right now."

"I just," Gabriella took a deep breath and let her hand flutter to her chest.

"You?" Troy moved his wheelchair closer.

"Nothing." Gabriella bit her lips and went back to the items on the table.

Troy shook his head. "Alright," Troy said turning around in the chair. "I'll see you later tonight."

Troy was about a block away when he reached for his cell phone as he waited for the red light. "Hey Taylor, yeah I know it's your vacation." He said into the phone as he clipped it between his shoulder and ear and leaned over to push the walk button on the pole. "2531 N. Lawrence," Troy said into the phone. "Hurry up and get there their having a yard sale and I want to buy everything, give her a price she can't refuse." Troy paused for a moment and then smiled. "No I'm not crazy."

Gabriella leaned back in her chair looking at the yard full of old things accumulated over the years. Her heart broke a little inside but she let out a sigh. Looking left she spotted Martha crossing the street and when she came up to the yard she paused and looked around. "Are you sure you just can't get a loan from the bank?"

"I've tried," Gabriella said with a sigh. "I'm too risky."

Martha looked at the clothes and then at the jewelry, "This feels wrong."

Gabriella looked down and shrugged her shoulders. "I have to do what I have to if I want to support Jake and clean up dad's finical mess." Gabriella tugged at the chairs arms. Her father loved this chair; he sat in it all the way till the end and he was probably looking down right now bitching that the chair had nothing to do with his death.

"Have you told Troy yet?" Martha said deciding to look through the CD's.

"No, we're meeting for dinner at 7, which reminds me can you watch Jake?" Gabriella said looking over at Martha.

"I'll do it, no problem." Martha gave her a small smile. "I'll give you 50 bucks for this backstreet boy CD." Martha offered.

Gabriella arched her brow as she looked at her friend with a knowing smile. "Martha the CD's are 5 bucks."

"I know," Martha said with a small smile. Martha put the CD back and let out a sigh as she looked around the yard. "Doesn't it hurt to sell all of this … so soon?"

Gabriella bit her lip and looked away from the piles. "I need to pay the bank for the house, I used up all my savings for the funeral and I might lose the store if I can't show some good faith."

Martha wiped her eye and let out a sigh, "Maybe we should do a fund raiser?"

Gabriella looked at Martha and shrugged her shoulders. "Martha, no one is going to donate money to single mom, especially one who has two jobs."

Martha went quiet as a small car pulled up in front of them. "Wonderful, a customer," she said not hiding her disapproval.

"Gabriella?" The woman called as she got out of her car and looked at the yard.

"That's me," Gabriella said getting up from the chair.

The dark skinned woman shut her car door with a loud slam. "How did I know?" she said shaking her head as she walked on to the sidewalk. She was wearing a business suit her green collar a bit fumbled around her neck from the heat.

Gabriella looked at Martha who looked back with a lost look.

"This is yard sale?" The woman stopped in front of the house and looked around. "This is charming,"

"I'm sorry who are you?" Gabriella said holding out a hand.

"Taylor Mckessie," she said holding out a hand.

"Gabriella Montez," Gabriella took the woman's hand and it was softer than her own, which was embarrassing

Taylor looked over at Martha, and tilted her head as she looked at her questioningly.

"Martha Cox?" she said holding out her hand as well.

"Wow, really?" Taylor said giving her a impressed expression, looking away from Martha she looked back at Gabriella. "Alright let's make this quick." She said taking out a check book. "How much do you want?"

"Do I want for what?" Gabriella said looking at the items in the yard.

"All of it?"

"What" Martha and Gabriella said at the same time looking at the woman as if she were standing before them stark naked.

"How about 10 thousand dollars?" Taylor said looking around at the items.

"Hey wait a minute your one Troy's friend," Gabriella said holding a finger out to her.

"I'm his agent and he informed me to buy everything, whatever the cost. Let's just get this over with so I can go back to work?"

Martha looked at Gabriella, "Maybe he already knows?"

"Knows what?"

"Nothing," Gabriella said giving Martha a hard look.

Taylor was quite as she looked at them both. "I'll contact you later today about what Mr. Bolton would like me to do with all this … stuff… and here you go ten thousand and five hundred dollars for the total bill." She said handing Gabriella the check. "Pleasure having this chat," Taylor said backing off the sidewalk.

"Why is he buying my things?"

"I don't know, I just do as I'm told." Taylor said walking to her car door.

When Taylor drove away Gabriella looked at Martha who was looking at the check. Martha took the check from Gabriella's hands. "This is for your own good," Martha said putting the check in her purse.

"What?" Gabriella watched the check disappear.

"I'm not going let you do some as stupid as tear a ten thousand five hundred dollar check into pieces. you can get this after you've had some time to think and talk to him." Martha let out a sigh as Gabriella looked back at her yard.

"Now what?"

Martha shrugged. "Maybe we can get a big sold sticker to place over your yard sale sign."