Gabriella rolled over, colliding with Troy's solid chest. She opened her eyes to find Troy watching her. She smiled, burying her face into his chest. He pushed her hair back, kissing the top of her head. He shifted, wrapping his arms around her tighter. She let out a sleepy yawn before she peaked her eye open again.
"You know it's Monday, right?" Gabriella asked, her voice groggy from sleep.
Troy raised his eyebrows, amused. "I do."
"Don't you have to work?" She asked, letting her eyes shut again, not daring to move from her comfortable spot.
"It's already eight… thirty four." Troy said, turning his head to look at his alarm clock beside him.
"You're late." She said with a small smile, kissing his chest gently.
Troy chuckled. "I'm sick today." He said with a small smirk.
"Are you contagious?" She asked, amused.
"I don't know. If you get sick then I guess we'll know then." Troy watched her eyes flutter open again. She rested her chin on his chest. He stretched his neck to peck her lips.
She laughed, rolling on top of him. She crossed her arms against his chest and set her chin on top of them. "So if you're sick, does that mean we can lay in bed all day?"
Troy shook his head. "How are you tired? You slept for like ten solid hours."
She shrugged her shoulders. "I was really comfortable, can you blame me?"
"I guess not." Troy kissed the tip of her nose. "We can do whatever you want to do today… even if it is just staying in bed." She smiled at him and then sighed. "What? What's wrong?"
She rolled off him, curling up in a ball. "I don't know. Here it's so easy to forget and actually be happy again… Then I remember everything and I go back to a place where I don't want to be. I don't want to remember any of it anymore, Troy."
Troy sat up, staring at her as he thought to himself. He licked his lips, getting an idea. He rolled out of the bed and stood up. "Come on, let's get dressed."
"Why?" She asked, frowning.
"We need to go somewhere, just for a little while, then we can lay in bed for the rest of the day. I promise." Troy said, pulling out a t-shirt from his drawer.
She sighed. "Okay. I'll be right back." She grabbed a couple items before she disappeared to the restroom. She got dressed and made herself look presentable. She walked back out to Troy who was waiting for her by the door of the room. "Troy, where are we going?"
"Don't worry about it Brie and trust me, okay?" Troy pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
She let out another long, complacent sigh "I guess." He rubbed her arms comfortingly before leading her out of the apartment. "You're lucky I think you're cute."
"Cute weird?" He asked, teasingly. She giggled, nodding her head in agreement "I'm the luckiest." Troy said with a wide grin.
Troy paced around the waiting room. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. He took a seat and checked his watch. She'd been in there for 30 minutes already. Hopefully she'd be out in only fifteen more. He sighed, biting his lip. He remembered the last time he was in this office. It was right after his grandma died.
After his parents died, his grandma sent him to a therapist to open up to. His grandma wanted to make sure that he would become a functional adult despite the tragedy he had faced at such a young age. His first therapist was Dr. Paul Danforth, because he was Troy's best friend's father, he opened up to him no problem. Once Dr. Danforth cracked him open, he sent him off to Dr. Anderson. He only saw Dr. Anderson a couple times a year growing up until he didn't feel the need to go anymore.
After his grandma passed on, Dr. Anderson had left the small practice. Dr. Danforth had referred him to Dr. Leer. He only spoke with Dr. Leer twice because one, he didn't have the money to pay him and two, he didn't really want to talk about his grandma's passing.
So he took Gabriella to see Dr. Danforth. Troy trusted him, he'd known the man all his life. He was once like a second father to Troy. If he could get Troy to open up then he could surely help Gabriella. He breathed out before he took a seat.
The door opened and Troy stood up immediately. Dr. Danforth walked Gabriella out into the waiting room. He couldn't read her facial expression, he was afraid she would be mad at him. "She's good to go Troy." Paul Danforth said. "It's great to see you again, Troy. Marlene misses having you boys run around the house all the time. You should stop by and say hello. She still works from home, you know?"
Troy gave him a small smile, peeling his eyes away from Gabriella. "I definitely will."
Dr. Danforth turned to Gabriella and said something he couldn't quite hear. She nodded, expressionless in response. "Alright, see you kids later."
Troy waved goodbye before he followed Gabriella out the door. He was afraid to say something as they climbed in the truck. He started the truck before glancing at her. She was buckled in, staring at the window. "Bri-"
"Can we order a pizza?" She asked quietly, turning to him.
He blinked at her and nodded. He decided not to push her to talk. She'd eventually open up to him, upset or not. "Pepperoni?"
"Yes, please."
Troy backed out of the parking space while Gabriella looked up the number. She ordered the pizza for pick up. Once she hung up the phone, she rest her hand on his leg comfortably. He smiled slightly to himself. He guessed she wasn't that mad. He dropped his hand to caress hers. He parked in front of the pizza place, waiting for the pizza. He turned to her and kissed the palm of her hand.
"Are you mad at me?" He asked, lifting the middle partition between them. He scooted closer to her.
"I was when we first got there, but I'm not anymore." She said, leaning against him.
"I'm sorry for just taking you over there with no preface to how you felt about it." He stroked her hair slowly. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable, I just want to help."
"I know." She said softly. He planted kisses to the top of her head while they waited for their pizza to be done. It was quite a morning, they both couldn't wait to get back home and be lazy for the remainder of the day. "Thank you." She squeezed his hands softly.
Gabriella sat on the couch, while Troy put the leftover pizza in the fridge. God, she was royally pissed at him when she stepped into the therapists office. After Dr. Danforth introduced himself, Gabriella went on a ten minute rant about how she didn't need therapy. He just watched her, studying her. He'd give sympathetic nods and hums in response. Once she cooled down, she broke.
She cried for the next fifteen minutes she was in there. She cried for herself and she cried for Troy and she cried for the old life and the old, old life. When she declared that this life in Albuquerque, with Troy, would be her new life, the doctor seemed happy to agree. 'A fresh start is all you need.' He had said.
Gabriella wasn't looking for one when she left California. She was just running from her past and hiding in fear of someone getting close to her again. Troy gave her a second chance at a happy life. She couldn't be too mad at him. For the last fifteen minutes of their session, Dr. Danforth told little anecdotes about Troy to get her to stop crying. He even got her to laugh a little bit.
She got back to reality when Troy took a seat next to her. She took a deep breath and pulled out her phone. "Are you alright?" Troy asked hesitantly, for the first time today, surprisingly.
She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay." She shuffled through her phone before showing him the screen. "I want to get this over with."
"Do you want me to step out?" He asked, sitting up slowly.
Gabriella shook her head. "No, I need you here with me." She squeezed his hand tightly.
"Alright." He said soothingly. He stroked her hand with his fingertips before bring it to his lips. "I'll be right here."
She let out a small breath of relief before she pressed the call button. She shut her eyes as she heard the phone ring in her ear. Her heart was pounding and she suddenly felt like she was going to throw up everywhere.
"Hello?" The voice on the other lined sounded indolent and hazy.
"Hey Mike." Gabriella said softly.
"Gabi? Baby? Is that really you?" Michael asked, sounding a bit choked up.
"Yeah, Mike, it's me."
"Gabi, I can't live without you. I need you here."
"Michael, you need help."
"I do, I need you to help me."
She took a deep breath squeezing his hand. "I am going to help you Michael. You have to get sober first. You have to get your life back on track."
"I will baby, I will."
"You have to promise me, Michael." Gabriella said firmly. There was not response on his end. "Promise me Michael, or I won't come."
"I promise baby. I'll do it for you." Michael mumbled.
Troy watched her hang up the phone after talking with Michael. He never wanted to hurt anybody intentionally in his whole 25 years of life. Once he met Gabriella and once he started to figure out what had happened between them, he wanted to physically hurt this man for hurting her. He knew that feeling wouldn't go over well with Gabriella so he kept it restrained.
Gabriella had sat back on the couch before she burst into tears. Troy frowned instantly, pulling her into his lap. He cradled her into his arms and let her cry it out. He rubbed her back soothingly, pressing kisses against the side of her head every so often.
After a while the sobs turned into soft cries, the cried turned into hiccupped breaths, then there was no sound at all. He looked down at the sleeping girl. The girl who stepped into his life and suddenly everything seemed to make sense again. They were both broken but in a weirdly twisted way they seemed perfect for each other.
He was in love. He had no doubts about it now. He would follow her where ever she went. He would walk to the end of the earth just to be with her. He would do anything for her. He loved her. The feeling deep in his gut wasn't a good one though. Still the 'what ifs' were floating around in his head. He wouldn't know what to do if she stepped out of his life and never returned.
Troy shifted her in his arms and lifted her up while getting off the couch. He walked into the bedroom and laid her on his bed. He tucked her in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He grabbed his pack of smokes and walked out the apartment. He placed one in his mouth, lighting it up. He inhaled deeply, leaning against the railing.
He really wished his Grandma was alive. He wished she got to meet Gabriella. He wished he could just talk to her and she'd give him some advice about his life. He heard his front door close and turned to look. Gabriella walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him, leaning her head on his back.
"I thought you were sleeping."
"I was for a little while." She said clearing her throat. Her voice came out scratchy still. "When you laid me down I woke up, I figured you were going to lay with me. After you didn't I came looking for you."
He frowned slightly. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"It's okay. Sorry I've been so all over the place today."
He turned so he could see her face. "You have nothing to apologize for." He assured, kissing her forehead.
"I feel like I'm stressing you out."
His frown deepened. "I never want you to feel like that. Okay? You aren't stressing me out or a burden to me. You are so amazing and I want to keep you around for as long as I possibly can." He smashed the remains of his cigarette into the small pot ashtray that was beside the railing. "I'm afraid that you'll get sick of me, eventually."
She smiled slightly. "That is not possible."
He just shrugged in response. "I just really wish my grandma was here. I really miss her."
"Is there something we can do to make you feel a little better?"
"Not right now, but soon." He said with a small smile. He rubbed her arms that were covered with goose bumps. He lead her back inside the apartment, closing the door behind him. "Lets go lay down okay?" She nodded in agreement.
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