Love Like This

Chapter 14 – Just Fine

Hope you enjoy this "short" chapter! Thanks for the reviews guys! :) I really appreciate them! Pardon for mistakes! I was just too excited to put this up!!

"Guys I'm leaving, I have to go back."

Everyone stayed quiet and Troy just looked down at his feet with shame. He'd just ruined their happiness with his outburst.

There was an awkward silence as the put the toys on the belt. "Why hello there!" She said cheerfully as she scanned the toys. "These are great toys you have here!"

Cameron didn't budge. He couldn't even nod or anything. He just stood there. Normally Gabriella would nudge him for being so rude but it was like she couldn't say anything either.

Troy just sighed and the lady stood there with a wide smile, "Of course your mommy and daddy picked them out, I bet! You look just like your daddy you know that?"

Cameron turned the other way as Troy stared at the register. Gabriella crossed her arms as she finally changed her pose.

"You look like your mommy too! You're the perfect little mixture I think!" She said oblivious to the awkward tension.

She pressed the buttons and noticed Troy had out his credit card. "Please swipe your card he-"

"Do you have to leave?" Gabriella asked with mixed emotions running through her. First it was shock, then it was sadness and now anger had just settled into all those emotions. "I mean isn't there some other way you can just try and be with us?"

"You act like I never wanted to be here with you guys!" Troy exclaimed.

The lady was taken aback by how loud they were. So were the customers. They all started to look. Since she was starting to get used to their silence, she had to interrupt their loudness, "Excuse me I jus-"

"Were you?" She glared.

He raised his hands, "Did I have choice?"

That silenced her, he didn't. He didn't even know they were there. The lady took the silence as a sign to speak again, "Please slide the card in the-"

"That's right! You didn't even have the guts to tell me!"

She scoffed, "Excuse me for being scared! I should have just said 'Guess what Troy! You screwed me pretty good cause now I got one in me!'" Gabriella rolled her eyes at him.

The other customers had their eyes glued on them as gasps were heard.

"It would have been better than that 'it's not goodbye it's see ya later' bull shit!" He mocked.

"Bull shit?" She asked with wide eyes. "I wasn't the one who was crying because he couldn't get over a girl!"

"You're right! You were the one crying because you couldn't get over a guy!" Troy spat.

"Sir, ma'am, if you could just please-"

Gabriella gripped her purse with anger, "Stop trying to make it seem like I did something wrong when you're the one who-"

"EXCUSE ME!"

"No!" They both exclaimed and Troy went on.

"What did I even do?" He asked, "What did I do that was so wrong that you-"

"Oh for goodness sakes! Take this outside! I swiped your damn card for you!" The lady said clearly exasperated. "Here's your stupid toys." Suddenly their behavior caused the once bubbly lady into a grumpy little weenie!! Hehe sorry wanted to say that. :)

Troy snatched the back. He said as he looked at Gabriella then back at the lady, "Thank you!"

He tossed it to Cameron who was silent the whole time. He wasn't crying, he wasn't fighting, he was just there. He knew he couldn't do anything about it so he just followed them with his toys in his hands.

The tension grew and they were boiling with anger ready to just let go. "Everything was just fine until you came here!"

"Sorry for trying to move on! I couldn't get along with my life because someone I used to really care about decided that no contact was best." He said then Gabriella rolled her eyes.

"Oh please," She said as she slammed the car door closed. He did the same. Cameron struggled to get in his car seat but made it in time. "Sorry for trying to let someone I used to care about have some fun! I just wanted you to lead a normal life with out extra baggage."

It was now his turn to roll his eyes, "Extra baggage? Is that what you call my son?"

"Your son?!" She laughed mockingly, "You can call him your son when you pay for all these sports leagues, his education, his food, hi-"

"So basically he's your mom's son right?" He said as he took a sharp turn causing both Montezes to move to and fro. He pulled up in the driveway.

She glared. "He's my son."

"My son," Troy said through gritted teeth. Cameron hopped out of the car and screamed with the tears finally showing. Cameron banged on the door and ran up the stairs as fast as he could. Taylor just looked at the stairs he just ran and Chad furrowed his eye brows.

They jumped back a bit when they heard yelling. They moved out of the way.

"I can't even believe you would go there!" She yelled.

He shook his head with a smirk, "Believe it babe!"

She scoffed as she put her bag down. He glared at her as he closed the door. "I didn't even hear you try and stay!"

"I did!" Troy said as both he and Gabriella didn't notice Taylor and Chad. They continued their conversation.

"Of course!" She said, "And that's why you're staying right?" Gabriella asked and Taylor bit her lip. Troy and Gabriella are still young no matter how old they seemed to be acting. They barely finished high school and started college. Okay, maybe they're half-way in their college years but still! Taylor knew it too well.

Chad ran his fingers in his curls. He nodded at Taylor and let her know that they should leave. They walked up stairs and left the two of them.

"Why do you care anyways!?" Troy asked. "You said you used to care for me."

Gabriella shook her head, "Who said I was talking about you?"

"Maybe I should have just left you with your uncle!" He said and Gabriella gasped.

He did it again. He always brought up the uncle… She shook her head in disgust with herself, "Maybe you should have…"

Troy and Gabriella stayed quiet. They both picked a tile to stare at until Gabriella glared.

"At least I wouldn't have to see you every morning!" She said.

Troy laughed, "Wow, great come back."

"Come back?!" She said, "Troy these aren't comebacks! These are my thoughts! My feelings!"

He rolled his eyes, "You want to hear my thoughts and feelings?"

She didn't nod or say anything. He nodded for her, "Here! I don't care about your son!" He said as he took off the dog tag, "I don't care about us!" He repeated the action and took off their first dog tag.

He continued the list, "I don't care about our love!" He said as he ripped off the ring. "I don't care about this stupid hair tie!" He yelled as he ripped that off as well. Troy shook his head as he threw those on the stairs. Gabriella stared at them but looked at him again when he began to speak again.

"And most of all, I don't care about you!" He yelled as he took off the last ring. He opened his wallet and took out the picture. After, he walked to the closet where he put his stuff. He took out the box and threw it on the ground. "Yeah, I kept it. My mom told me it would be nice if I did that… But it's yours now, I don't care about it."

She felt like she couldn't breathe. He stared at all the stuff he had that he technically doesn't have anymore. He looked at her with the tears gathered in his eyes. She looked at him with the same expression.

Gabriella's voice cracked with hurt, "Like I said." She inhaled with closed eyes. The tears threatened to fall out of both their eyes. "Everything was fine until you showed up."

Instead of a response, Troy nodded. He walked upstairs with a brush of their shoulders. Once Gabriella knew he was gone, she slammed herself into the wall and slid shakily down with tears. Everything was ruined… She struggled to pick up all the items he threw and bring them closer to her.

Gabriella sat on the ground as she looked at the box. She opened it and found receipts of their old dates, a ticket to the music festival, the CD she made him, some tickets and tokens left over from when he won her the toys, the wrist band from the fair, everything. Gabriella let the tears course freely as she recognized everything but one item. A letter.

Troy,

I know you're in pain but I found these in your room when I was cleaning up for you. Maybe these will make you smile, cry, or maybe cause more pain. But I know that it would be nice if you continued to add to this. Maybe someday you will, so bring this with you just in case that day pops up. It doesn't matter if it's in your car, room, or anywhere… Just as long as you know good things have come from it.

Love, Mom

P.S. Visit soon or I'll ground you for a month, mister! I'm getting old and my hand can't write anymore!

Gabriella smiled at the lovely thought his mother had. She scrunched up her face as she tried to read the difficult handwriting.

Son you better make those 3's! I'm watching you on TV and you've been missing them. We need to work on that next time.

Dad

Gabriella let out a soft laugh but stopped when she heard steps. She tried to clean herself up but Troy already saw the tears. His eyes were read and the stains on his face were still visible. Gabriella looked at him with hopeful eyes but they went away when she saw he had his luggage.

"At least I know where you are now," He said then smiled. "And just like I assumed, you're already happy with out me."

Troy opened the door and reached in his pocket. She furrowed her eye brows as he turned back around. "And… you're right. Things were fine without me so I'm leaving."

He tossed the velvet box to her, "See ya later."

Gabriella reached for the box and opened it. She broke down in tears and tried to wipe them off of the diamond. Gabriella closed it and held it close to her as the sobs echoed in the house.

She looked back down at the box and shook her head in disbelief. Gabriella stared at the engagement ring knowing one thing was certain.

Troy's gone.

A/N: I know, I know it's short! But quite a lot happened… or so it seemed. Will Troy come back? Review please!

Once again sorry for the mistakes!